Thought about buying a guitar for over 15 years. My wife finally got me a cheap Amazon strat knockoff, and I love playing it. Imagine where I would be if I started 15 years ago? The best beginner guitar is the one you get.
Which strat knock-off was it? I've been playing for years and I have a couple of expensive guitars, but I went on a four month trip so I bought a "beater" Donner Strat for 100 bucks and I was blown away by it. I still play it all the time! The cheap shit is still really good for the most part.
@@chesterfarrington9853 I got one branded Zeny, but I'd be willing to bet that they all come out of the same factory. I mean, for $89 all it needed was a small truss rod adjustment. All the frets are perfectly level and it plays as well as most much more expensive guitars I've since owned.
The true beginner guitar is something your parents can afford buying for you. I was 5th grade in elementary school when i asked my parents to buy me one. They took me to the guitar shop and I pointed out several 200-300 dollar guitar. They can only afford $60 one so that's what I had. Looking back I loved it very much and got pissed when my classmate borrowed it for a week and returned it hanging on for its dear life.
That was your first mistake don’t give some kid an item that means something to you most likely that kid isn’t gonna treat your stuff good that’s why I think it’s dumb sharing is pushed on kids instead of treating Other peoples items with care
@Raphet Kchotto you don't have to hang out with other kids just because they have guitars, not that there's anything wrong with that, but if your parents are the strict religious type there could be something to that. i was raised in a Christian home, but my family wasn't the religious type. they were pretty laid back, but even my parents couldn't afford to buy me a 200 dollar guitar. the most they could do was, they bought me one of those boxed guitars you can buy at Walmart and Target, some are acoustic but most are electric. there not very good, but it's what my parents got me when i was 12. it's the thought that counts, but it sucks your parents wouldn't even buy you that. the one's you buy at Walmart can vary, mine looked like a Gibson SG, but it wasn't Epiphone, it was some weird Chinese name i don't remember of now, but man trying to play on that thing was a nightmare. that's the thing though, if you really want a guitar badly, save some money and then once you reach a certain amount get the guitar you really want. that's what i did once i got a part time job, but you need a legal adult to sign some papers if you buy from a music store if your under 18. but i paid for the guitar, and it was Squier surprisingly, and a Strat. all together i paid 180.
My first guitar is a fender strat, I was maybe 10 or so when my great grandma got it for me. I was too young and impatient to play, so I put it away for years. Now I'm older and have plenty more patience and much more knowledge of music and am beyond thankful my grandma got a good quality guitar that I can pick up and give back by learning how to play.
Same here, except it was my father who bought it. Unfortunately, my story doesn't have such a happy ending. My dad saw I wasn't playing it so he bought it from me and sold it for parts lol
@not_lewis2649 Don't know about that Squier you bought but a couple of months ago I stopped by the local musical instruments shop to buy some strings and a Squier Affinity HSS in cherry burst caught my eye so I picked it up and started playing it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt and sounded. I have to admit I was a guitar snob and usually wouldn't give a Squier or an Epiphone the time of day but this guitar blew me away, I immediately purchased it for $400 bucks. I previously had an American Standard Strat I had to sell years ago to cover an emergency medical cost and I forgot how good a Strat felt. Now I can't put that thing down and my $1000 Gibson Les Paul Studio and $1,200 Gibson SG Standard are sitting in my closet 😂. You can definitely buy a great guitar in the $400-$600 range these days.
@@s1iznc1d34 The (Squire) hello kitty screams METAL!!! \M/ One humbucker + one volume can mean nothing else. It's not my #1 but I do love mine lol👍 Edit:typo
Exactly! I played guitar for 8 years and wanted to try out bass for a long time. Bought a beautiful acoustic bass with matte finish and for cheap too, when i see it I'm instantly attracted to it and wanna play it. It seriously reawakened the interest in playing every single day in me and it's so pleasant, it's like my little baby :3
Couldn't be more right. I rebuilt my Chinese made strat and now I can't stop playing it. Some hot rails pickups from eBay, a new pickguard and an American fender pickup selector. Feels and sounds like a quality guitar now.
@Pininbo Nanuk my new stand cost me 50 bucks . Treat yourself to some new strings and that should give you enough inspiration to give it a whirl . Play a familiar song and learn it well . There is an awesome guy on you tube that teaches many familiar rock songs . His channel is called “ Shut Up and Play “ . He has knocked years off of my learning curve . Best of luck .
@@AltairCreedZ frets*, as a more common/understandable metric. My first acoustic was a used 50$ Indiana Pinto, that shit had the hughest action. Still elarned entire Hotel California song and now i got a few diff guitars i can play much easier on.
My first is a 40-ish dollar Prado acoustic fretwork does need work, but i don't really play higher than 7-9 fret I'm quite afraid to buy an Electric as i don't have money source apart from rare pocket money, but i can buy a really nice beginner one with the money i saved Had one since 16, i'm 19 now
The doo is an insane shredder and for the first ten years or more he just had a squier strat. As long as the guitar is reasonable, it's all about practicing, not what guitar you have.
@@bubblebass8498 I totally understand that, but he made it work incredibly well regardless. I'm honestly surprised he never upgraded earlier but obviously I don't know his circumstances.
I learned how to play on a $100 Washburn acoustic. Did my fingertips burn with heat of a thousand suns? Yes. But I wanted to learn more than anything, so I did.
That's the thing he's missing. If you can't handle frustration you'll hardly follow up with guitar learning. So many legendary guitarists started with shitty guitars.
I started on a no name 30ish years old classical guitar that had steel strings fitted on it. They cut into the tunners so bad it was borderline impossible to tune, it cut into the bridge and it cut into my fingers time and time again, there was so much blood, but I kinda didn't mind it. Then my mom figured it probably wasn't normal to bleed so much when trying to play so she got the tunners replaced, bridge patched up and plasti strings put on. Oh, the joy
One that fits: scale length, weight, fretboard width. Important to match the size of the guitar to the player. I started to play on a guitar that was too big for me. I really struggled until I finally borrowed one from a friend and suddenly everything became two levels easier.
@@shadowfoxlotus Hm. I chose an older higher-end guitar (was about $1300-1400 as new) so I believe I got it all, all three P in my opinion. :P The only thing I don't like are the ugly plastic knobs but that's easy to fix.
This advice is 100% correct. I followed the same advice buying my first guitar 7 years ago after saving up about $300 and whenever i was demotivated the only thing that kept me going was how good my guitar felt to hold and play and how rich the sound was.
@@0megalul309 I'm not saying everyone is, just gave an example. Besides, I'm pretty sure TheDooo used his Squier way more than most ppl ever would, so even more points for Squier for its longevity.
I got a nice classic vibe tele squier and its really become my go to for country licks, the more i play it the more it seems to sound good. Its like taken in my playing style
My first guitar my parents bought for me at Sears along with a cheapy lil amp. Ill never forget this. Wish I still had that set up. Don’t remember what became of it.this was the early 1970’s. Miss you mom and dad!
While, yes, the best beginner guitar is the one that inspires you to play, I would suggest that “objectively” the telecaster is the best beginner guitar. Reasons being: 1) it’s a hunk of wood that can take a beating, no risk of an unstable trem or wonky components. 2) It’s a jack of all trades that can cover almost any genre of music. 3) it’s incredibly simple: 3 way switch, a tone and a volume knob. Less time dicking around, more time playing. But that’s just my opinion.
I'm just not huge fan of teles and I like having more options in tonal versatility and I just love mustangs, jaguars, strats and les pauls. So I guess it's just personal taste.
😒ok so we like telecaster but we say nothing about the telecaster nashville😕. Three single coils,five way switch,and a hell of alot more versatile! I'm going to convert mine this way🎸🎸🎸🎸😎
My first guitar was some kind of really cheap (sub $100) Strat, and it sure made things harder than they needed to be. Eventually I bought a $300 Cort, and just that little increase in cost made a big difference. I bought that Cort 10 years ago, and even today after many years of rocking it still holds up, I've never had any issues with it.
cort makes ridiculously good guitars for the price even if they have raised the price ceiling lately. Had a Duality and a CR-250. Both were phenomenal before even considering their low price.
@ballinonabudget3313 It wasn't a Squier, it was some kind of store brand guitar. I actually own two Squiers at the moment, a Starcaster and a Super-Sonic, and I love them both.
I've owned Ibanez midrange guitars mostly (RGR465rm, S420,RGA72QM) a Schecter Omen 6 extreme, a Fernandes Dragonfly and a Pacifica 112JVM (the cheapest of them all) and it was by far the best I've ever owned : Build quality, sound and features.
when you get an expensive car you can crash it and ruin it. it's not easy to do that with a guitar. also the "Corvette" of guitars are not even close to the ones he's recommending here
I’m 15, I’ve been playing guitar for about a year and I’ve been very fortunate. My dad is an avid guitar player and he’s helped me learn and he’s allowed me access to his guitars. For Christmas (2021) he gave me his Taylor 210ce and I love it with all my heart. I’ve begun posting videos and I’m super glad that I was able to have an awesome guitar right off the bat but I always thank my dad for being generous in giving me his guitar.
Hey man I'm 15 too and I've been playing for 6 years but still not that good. This year my dad gave me his electric guitar that he uses at college. Sometimes I would jam with my dad and he always teach me new techniques everytime we jam.
7:48 what are you saying here? Of course there's much less hum if you're using humbuckers, single coils are known for having 60 cycle hum, while humbuckers block the hum...
Gracie J A Selder stratocaster. Since I started less than five months ago, but having been a musician (sax mainly) all my life, I’ve been learning and doing more and more setup and improvements on it. I haven’t changed any parts other than strings, just adjusted it or had it adjusted, and I have to say I’m happier and happier with this guitar. New it comes with a starter kit which includes everything you can think you would possibly need for only about a hundred dollars, and is definitely a fixer upper because it’s basically just built and shipped without much fit and finish work, but once I did all the other steps of getting it truly play worthy I have to say it’s a pretty good instrument. At this point I’m on the fence about whether it’s worth upgrading or should I just play it as is until I get a better guitar. The fact is, having a cheap guitar like this is great for learning how to do things-adjustments and upgrades as well as basic maintenance-so when I get that better instrument I’ll know what I like and what I’m doing.
Gracie J : That was a Selder brand stratocaster. I bought a Squier Bullet Strat at the same thrift shop four weeks ago-now eight months a guitarist-and wow what a difference. It pays to keep looking. As predicted, with this second guitar it was a lot easier for me to setup because of my experience with the first one, so this time I was able to do it all myself and dive much deeper into DIY upgrading.
My first guitar that sounded great and felt great was an electric takamine with a pretty long neck that had been repaired . I think it was a GX200 because it was a yellowish white and looked alot like that model. But I was young and regretfully I traded it in for a new ibenez back in the late 1980s I think. And the ibenez didn't feel nor sound as good to me but was just cool looking solid black guitar. So I lost interest in playing. Later around 2005 my wife bought me a Gibson SG standard in black. That was a great guitar and i loved it. But before my wife passed away from cancer a year or so later I had to sell it to cover some bills. I do plan to try to save up to buy another guitar. I'm disabled on low income so it will take more time than I would like it to, but I'm going to do my best to shoot for another Gibson SG standard or a LP standard. But if it is taking too long I'll look at a cheaper version/brand. 😁👍 Great video. The 3 P's make alot of sense.
I first learned to play on a Martin D-18. At the time it was my grandfather's pride and joy. It was a 1954 model that he bought a couple of years after getting back from fighting in the Korean War. When I first started playing that guitar was worth about $2.5k. Now it is worth about $10k, and my grandfather sadly is no longer with us. I will never sell it of course, but because of how expensive it was I was taught to treat it with respect. It was easily playable even for a beginner and it had a rich full sound. I think overall sound has a lot to do with people continuing to play as well. If you play on a crappy guitar, and it sounds crappy you aren't going to want to play nearly as often and are more prone to giving the instrument up altogether. But if it sounds nice from the beginning, and as you mature in your playing it starts to sound even better, you are more inclined to continue to play. At least that was my experience. Sorry for the rant, but if anyone reads this in its entirety I would really like to hear other peoples takes on this.
Beautiful story, I have a similar story, from when my grandfather went through a cancer, and he said to my mom that he was going to buy a PS3 for me for the Christmas... Fortunately, my grandfather is OK and he left the hospital without consequences, but for me the PS3 is like a symbol of his preserverance, his mentality to fight the cancer!! It's is only a PS3, it's more like an icon for me
For sure, if the sound is crappy it's a bit discouraging. I have cheaper equipment and looking to upgrade. Amp is first though. Going with a marshall dsl40 or sc20c. Just so pricey hahah. If i can find a used sc20c that isnt beat to hell I'll prob go for that one then ill get a new guitar.
@@clifford_2zero7 The dsl40 is a really good amp. It has a very good clean sound IMHO, and is very reliable. It's also known for being a really good "go to" amp for many as it is extremely versatile because of all of the options that come with the amp that allows anyone to change their sound to fit whatever style they feel like playing. As I'm sure you know they average at around $750-$850 pre tax. The sc20c, again as I'm sure you know, is a lot more expensive as it averages right around $1600-$1800 for a brand new one, and around $1200 for a used one in "mint" condition. Not about to tell you what to do haha, but if it were me I would try and be a bit more patient and save up for the sc20c, But that's just me as I prefer the "studio classic" tone over the "duel super lead" tone.
Great points in the video, definitely something beginners should know before buying their first guitar. I recently bought a $100 electric guitar (I'm a complete beginner) and I can feel the accountability because for me that's a lot of money already.
"It's easier to make an acoustic guitar sound good than an electric guitar" The idiot who wrote that has obviously never played a guitar in their life. That is by FAR the most difficult and harsh on the hand and fingers, especially when you're dealing with a cheap acoustic with a plastic fretboard. It might as well be labeled "torture device". This video is Spot-on!! Well done!
I recently tried out a high end acoustic-about $2,000-and was surprised how playable it was. But yeah, I agree that a general consumer acoustic, especially a cheap one, is practically made to discourage people from sticking with guitar.
This is very true. My first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul Studio. Inexpensive but easy to play and felt right at home when I played it. My daughter started on an acoustic guitar and my father asked her if her fingers got bloody. He played his whole life and I guess my point is, he never asked me that question about my epiphone. He played a 1958 Gibson ES 350 he got way back in the day from my uncle. He later moved to a Martin acoustic so I figure he knew for sure the acoustic guitar was going to be hard for her. I'm not sure if he was joking about the bloody fingers thing cuz he did have a sense of humor but he was definitely letting her know it was going to be hard.
the guitar i have now i’ve been playing for about a month and i’m teaching myself i got it for free a few years ago with my piano and it cuts my hands up bc the frets stick out and all that i really want an electric guitar but i need to learn more on this
@@madisonmines6524 I’m 15 played my old pretty nice acoustic for a few days but hurt my fingers because of the high action so I decided to pull the trigger on an Epiphone SG special I found on Craigslist with an amp and everything and it’s soooooooooooo much better I have so much desire to play and everything I played for 6 hours yesterday and 12 hours today I got it yesterday that’s why I didn’t play more because my parents didn’t want me playing while they were sleeping
I feel you. I was forced to get an acoustic by my family. They said I couldn't play electric because it's not for beginners even tho all I wanna play is electric. And the guitar I want was cheaper
Fun fact: in mexico we have the three p's rule but we call them "las tres b's" which are: bueno, bonito y barato. I just never thaught someone would use the same concept being translated to the exact same meaning.
As a 67-year old newbie, I totally agree about the price ranges! The first guitar was a $179 demo and I found it too long, heavy, and the neck was bent. I moved up to a $499 used PRS Santana SE and the difference was amazing. I needed the shorter scale, and the neck and action are buttery smooth.
Americans have it so easy... Here in Brazil that $500 is equivalent to $6000 lol, everyime he said: "save a little more money" a tear rolled down my cheek. Don't even get me started on amps... Fender twin reverb would be $24.000 if USA was Brazil. $4.000 for a boss katana 100w
My first guitar was a $150 Yamaha acoustic. It was hard to play and even though I learned after a year or so I began to feel demotivated and kinda stopped. Now with the electric it instantly feels so much easier and makes me want to play more.
11:17 Instantly fell in love with the guitar the moment you played it. I'm now determined to own it by the end of this year. Update: Yes, I own the guitar now. Also, I'm glad I was able to inspire someone else to get theirs!
Wanted to let you know that this comment made me fall in love with the idea of having this guitar, my only other is a squire strat. Well, I researched it and so I ordered one, it’s coming on the 25th, this was a massive purchase for me as I’m 14 and don’t have any money lol, I’m gonna be paying back my dad for the next two years... Worth it for me. So yeah your comment was the start of my love for a guitar I will have the rest of my life! Hope you get yours soon. I can’t wait to show my cousin, he teaches me guitar and wanted me to get a new one, 8 think he will be surprised! Have a good one!
@@nother4064 It would still sound the same, with the same settings and stuff he used. But a guitar doesn't have one sound. It can have many different sounds.
Bob Lol you mean like a counterfeit squire or just a strat copy? I’ m going to assume it’s the second because a counterfeit squire would be pretty pointless i guess😂
Mine too. And it was spray painted black but every scratch was light blue. Also my friend dropped it once and it cracked near the joint. And it had an annoying hum whenever I would plug it in. So usually I would play it unplugged. No amp, no effects whatsoever. Yet I was proud of it. My social media from 12 years ago was filled with photos of that guitar.
Staying in tune is so important for beginners. My mom bought me an acoustic when I was a kid that I didn’t know how to tune and it broke. Then as a teenager I got a pawn shop epiphone that wouldn’t stay in tune. Then got a Jackson performer series $275 with a Floyd that wouldn’t stay in tune and finally got this really heavy, American made Jackson arch top that finally did stay in tune. I finally had a guitar that I played more than I tuned and that’s when my playing got much better. Also learned that I’m heavy handed so a stable, durable guitar is a must for me. If it does not stay in tune, you won’t want to play it and you wasted your money. Great video.
First guitar was a classical nylon string guitar under $200. It's kind to your fingers. The funny thing is he's surrounded by acoustics and only testing electrics.
my first "guitar" was a guitalele, and i upgraded to a classical that was also under 200$, no problems with my fingers hurting at all after got past the initial few weeks/month
As a 7 y/o kid that was handed a secondhand Raven (Sears) classical for my first 5 years of lessons, etc..... The worst necks ever for non-large hands. As a general rule I recommend used electric clone with some sort of multi-effects pedal w/amp simulator (practice amps are awful) and if they want acoustic a used/new seagull equivalent since budget acoustics are a minefield of guitars that fight you for every note.
But ukuleles are different instruments all together and are even difficult for people that already play guitar because of the pure size difference. (If you’re getting something like a soprano or smaller concert)
that's literally how I got into guitar. spent $50 on a uke, felt like it was so much money for it and played it non stop. then I picked up this rly cheap guitar maybe 6 months later on sitting around in my house and decided I wanted to learn guitar. maybe 9 months later from that, I now own a $300 Ibanez Semihollow AS53, took me at least three months to make enough money for it, and I wouldn't have it any other way
This is probably the best video I've seen for understanding what to look for in a guitar whether if you are a beginner or advanced. A lot information was shared and I thank you for this.🤘
Erix he bigger point is that people will spend exorbitant amounts for a non necessity (iPhone) and complain about the cost of an affordable guitar. That guitar doesnt *have* to be periodically replaced.
@@beezowdoodoozoppitybopbopb9488 Good point, I would add that when treated well....Neither HAS to be periodically replaced. Your phone is smart enough already, by far. Phones these days are seemingly considered some form of required life support ... They are not. The number of people who use the word 'need' when what they actually mean is 'want' when referring to a new phone is pretty outrageous.🙄 Just saying🙂 Edited for typo
It's really not, people on the internet just like to over complicate it. Especially when you're just starting out and don't have strong preferences for certain features/brands/etc. Just get something that feels good in the hand and get the shop to set it up for you. A $300 guitar that's properly set up will outplay a $3000 guitar where the action is too high or the truss rod isn't set right any day of the week.
I ordered my guitar last week and got it Wednesday. I wanted to play more of a blues/Jazz style but I settled with a Squier Stratocaster instead because I didn't know if I would enjoy playing the guitar. I was nervous and anxious because I couldn't make up my mind either, but I just finally stopped looking at videos on the internet and went for it and purposely didn't watch any other videos until my guitar came because I didn't want to be influenced or regret my decision. I finally have the guitar and even though Squier is not the best, I got a great guitar kit for under $200 and I love playing it! My point in this comment is to say, GO FOR IT! Stop letting others influence you, buy what has caught your interest and just go for it. My only suggestion is that you pick a guitar that is at least within your budget range because if you don't and you end up not liking it, it hurts to spend a lot of money on something you don't use. Hope this helps, God bless.
@@silverpairaducks yes , they are pretty good.. I really hope that kid would like it :) what I really liked about that guitar that it stayed in tune, neck was not bad , action was low and they sounded pretty well when you practice in your room , toiling till midnight with your practice amp 😄😄
Bravo Dude! The most sensible advice I've ever heard about buying your first guitar. I think playability - the feel of the guitar and being able to take a setup and hold it are key.
Taylor you are really becoming a guitar guru. The more I see of your videos the more I see of your character. Obviously you know the way around the fretboard but with your soft spoken, sometimes funny, approach, you are a new age guitar guru that many folks can learn a thing or two from. Peace
I can definitely attest to this. My very first guitar was a squire strat that was like $120 in 2007. My next guitar was an $800 Epiphone Les Paul Custom I got at the end of 2008 and it's one of my favorite guitars to this day. Threw some Gibson pots, orange drop caps, shielded wiring, & Seymour Duncan's in it and it is an absolutely amazing feeling & sounding guitar. Definitely comparable to a real Gibson Les Paul that costs 2 to 3 grand...
@@nikobrul7147 congrats! There’s typically a huge difference in quality when the price jumps a few hundred “dollars” in most guitars under $1,500. What’s awesome is you can usually just upgrade the electronics on a good guitar and make it a great guitar. I’m pretty sure the upper level epiphone Les Pauls are all mahogany with set necks just like their Gibson counterparts. Rock on brotha!🤘
Thanks for bringing everything back on track. You mentioned 3 things; price, playability and the prettiness. I think there is one most important factor, it is the "sound quality". Yes we should not be diacouraged our passion due to low quality guitar. If you have more money, yes spend in on decent amp and your room. And don't forget to find good and encouraging instructor. Not the one who is very skillfull but can not build enthusiasm on his students. Cheers from Indonesia.
I absolutely agree that electric is the way to start...you get so much more impact for your beginning efforts.
However, I disagree that anyone should put off starting until they have more money. $75 - $100 for a pro setup can make a lesser guitar play and sound great. And you generally need to spend that for a pro setup no matter what guitar you get.
Any of these can get you up and running and serve you well for a long time. And when it's time to trade up, you can sell it for what you paid, or keep it for a back up or rough road conditions. Squier Affinity (NOT Bullet) Epiphone LP Special II (Make sure it's the II) Ibanez Gio Mikro (For young or small hands) Buy it used in good shape for around $100 and get it set up well, including rounded fret ends.
For a starter amp I like a Boss Micro Cube because it can run on batteries, is loud enough for rock out indoors, and when you need something bigger to gig, you can keep it as your practice amp. $100 used to $170 new.
So, budget for a really good beginner package:
$100 - Guitar (Used) $100 - Pro Set up $20 - Cable (New) $0 - Free tuning app for your smart phone $170 - Amp (New) $15 - Gig Bag (Used) $10 - Strap (Who cares?)
These guitars are often available used and cheap from people who planned to start and never followed through. The reason they never followed through was just as Tyler says: the guitars weren't a joy to play. The reason they were no fun to play is they were never set up well.
And often the used guitars are offered cables, straps, spare strings, gig bags, etc. , included.
Just don't forget to put the money into a pro setup.
Why would an electric guitar be better for beginners? I have no opinion about this, but I started on an acoustic and am going to get an squier affinity telecaster.
@@Bambeakz Straighten the neck, level the frets, smooth the fret ends, set the intonation, check the electronics. Pick a small amp with a headphone jack like a Fender Mustang. UA-cam has a gazillion videos on guitar setups.
I'm still leaning toward buying a guitar (mostly acoustic...) within the $250 price range. Reasons: 1) Beginning with a cheap guitar will flush out people who don't really like to "play" but just like the aesthetic of playing (if you know what I mean) as this would mean subconsciously you don't care about actual progress in playing you just want to "look" like "something" you admire... 2) For the people who do enjoy playing even with a cheap guitar it will make them understand how a cheap quality guitar feels, and if it's an acoustic then your hands are going to be ready as they've taken a lot of pain & " necessary damage" during this stint. 3) If you quit then you will not have wasted more unnecessary money. And the biggest thing for me was the transition into a mid-range guitar, instantly you'll notice the difference in every aspect which is a feeling of great exhilaration & achievement. After buying that mid-range guitar you'll have much more confidence & enjoyment about playing and the progress of that playing... *I like this old-school method more personally as an analogy would be getting dropped into the ocean with sharks surrounding you, once you pass you through you have this pain free feeling and freedom to progress any way you like. The problem with starting off with a mid-range guitar is you don't appreciate the quality of the guitar (as you never played a cheap guitar...) nor is there any reward about progressing to the point of decency. Most people I know who have wealthy parents that bought them a mid-range to upper-range guitar (Fender MIM or Gibson Studio LP) quit after a while. Most guitarists seem to begin with a cheap guitar (oddly enough huh), this is personal as well as I started with a cheap Stagg then got a cheap acoustic (all within 2 years) then finally for my birthday my mother bought be a Fender MIM at 14 I was elated about it as she bought it right when I started to stop playing due to boredom. So, that Fender sparked my interest to a whole nother level. Then I started saving up for gear with that newfound interest and eventually bought a used Fender Blues Jr (and pedals, of course, all within a year too). You can choose whatever method you like more, but I believe the reason you see so many guitar teachers recommending cheap guitars (mostly acoustic) is due to the fact that no guitar player (who stayed with it...) ever started off with a mid-range guitar. That makes the most sense to me, my guitar teacher said the same thing back then as well.
I agree. I had a decent acoustic when I was really young. By the time I grew out of it, I wanted to play again. I still think the whole reason I stuck with playing was as I was saving up for my “first” guitar, meaning one that I bought, I had to practice on a guitar that was way too small and had a head diving issue.
Let's see if I stay with it since I didn't choose a new cheap guitar but old one that was originally fairly expensive (probably around $1350-1400, since left-handed version are often more expensive, the right-handed version was $1300 when it was new in 2001). :P (It still wasn't as cheap as the beginner range guitars, though.) The longer I've been learning, the more I love it. Can't see myself quitting any time soon.
Guitar type seems the most important factor for a beginner. I got an unknown brand of stratocaster, three single coil pickups. I just don’t like humbuckers. I was going to buy this type of guitar regardless of brand or price. And honestly, they’re all at least decent for beginners. Are you going to want a ‘better’ guitar in six months to a year? Probably. But then you will most likely have a whole different idea of the three ‘P’s he mentions in the video. The paint job on the first guitar I bought, if the guitar wasn’t so cheap there’s no way I would have bought one with that color and paint style, and now I think maybe my next one will be very similar. But the color and style I originally wanted, I don’t like it anymore.
@@harjotgill6162 when it comes to wanting to learn and play guitar UA-cam is your best friend. There are so many beginner guitar lessons that you will spend hours on - I’ve been for about 20 years off and on but nothing real serious until the last 4 years where I really dedicated myself to fo using on learning and dedicating time to practicing every day
@@harjotgill6162 under $400 there are a lot of choices. You almost have to play a guitar and see if you “feel it”. What may be a good feel to me may not be to someone else. Whatever you end up with I would make sure you go with a solid wood top. The Seagull S6, Fender125 and Yamaha FSX800 are all under $400 and all have solid wood tops. My daily player is a Yamaha FSX800 I found used for $100, someone had bought it new and didn’t end up learning to play so I got a good deal, there are lots of deals out there if you are patient and know what you are looking for
@@harjotgill6162 I have a 15W Fender Frontman practice amp, it more than does the trick for me sitting in my house - if you get serious and play out in public there are plenty of 50 to 100 watt options relatively not too expensive
The advice I keep hearing, from people who don't play guitar, is: "learning on a crappy guitar is better because it will make you a better guitarist in the future", and when I replay that if the guitar is unplayable you're not going to learn because you won't even pick it up, I get laugh at. I live in a really knowledgeable, motivational culture. Got a ticket out of here? Thank you for your videos! Hearing someone speaking intelligibly about facts as really helped me keep focused and motivated through this rough time. Sometimes it's the little things, you know?
Yeh I sorta had the opposite experience, I played a shitty acoustic for 2 years starting out and I got very good by just trying to make that thing sound good.
@@IlIlIlIllIlIllI Staying me is all I got, right now. I became withdraw, but the only thing I know how to do, is to keep on keepin' on! Soon I'll fly again!
I got my first guitar 15 days ago. A buddy from work had 2 of them and gave me one. It's a Behringer and I think it's a good start. I sound like crap, but I "play" (using the term VERY loosely) every day for about an hour. I got a little 20w Fender amp and decided to go with this course online (Guitar Super System I think it's called...nice guy, very encouraging). Keep in mind, I'm 55 years old and took this undertaking on a lark. You know something? I'm having a freaking blast learning. If I keep going and master the dreaded C chord, I think I'm going to actually have to plunk down some simoleans for a better made guitar.
When I started out I started with a 200 dollar steel string acoustic lmao. Honestly I think it made me grow faster because it was harder, going to an easier guitar after that made me realize I was a lot better than I thought
A Yamaha acoustic given as a gift and when it came time for an electric I saved up for months to get an Olympic white Mexi strat (hss)-still my main axe, could never ask for a better guitar, definitely worth the wait and the 600 bux I paid for it-we're bonded for life
30 seconds into the video I have to say number seven sounded better to my ears. I lucked out and learned on a 50th anniversary fender strat made in the USA. I still own it it was a gift from my father in 2001. Having a better guitar to learn on really helped me advance my lead skills because it's so easy to play.
I'm mediocre guitar player and my dad plays and he has a bunch of electrics, and they ALL HAVE FLOYD ROSES. God damn do I hate them, mostly because I rest my hand on the bridge but tuning is a bitch too.
Completely disagree. The biggest problem a lot of beginning guitarists have is keeping the guitar in tune. A Floyd Rose will keep the strings in tune better than any other beginning guitar (sans upgrades, of course).
Only changing the strings entirely is more of a pain, otherwise even when you have to loosen the nut for a complete retune (rather than just adjusting the fine tuners most of the time) it only takes a couple more minutes than a non-floating bridge.
mr blue sky you’re exactly right... this is just a horrible comparison. It’s disappointing when a great guitar player seems to miss such a simple piece of guitar knowledge.
Here we compare a 24 fret guitar with a 22 fret guitar... notice how on the 24 fret guitar you can fret the 24th fret... Also this fixed bridge doesn't dive bomb....
My first was a Yamaha Pacifica 312. Recommended by a family friend when asked about a guitar i could grow into and beyond. Its some 20 something years old now and i still have it. I has my soul for 80s metal tones and i will never sell it!
I bought a new guitar recently. Rather than buy the £500 one, I bought the £950 similar model and I now have twice as much guilt if I stop playing. I might buy another one just to double down on that motivation. That's how it works right?
My first was a Fender Squier acoustic my sweet Mother dearest bought me. So of course me being me learned how to play all my favorite heavy/thrash metal on it still XD buy hey now I have a BEAUTIFUL Epiphone SG that loves when I play her, and after 2 years I’m still working on lightening my touch... the acoustic start plus me being heavy handed to start with.... hehehe string company’s love me
9:06 that's the guitar I want to buy, so i'm saving up! I'll edit this comment when I get le beauty! Update; My money got stolen by someone in my family, so I'll have to work for the money again. I'll update when I buy it. UnU Final Update; I BOUGHT THE GUITAR AND AM LEARNING HOW TO PLAY IT!!! WOO HOO!!!
I got a Fender squire like the first one he showed for my first guitar when I was 16 and I still love it. Charcoal black with a steel gray pick guard. The scratchy sound from the wood goes away when you play it for a few months.
1966 Fender Mustang, Daphne Blue that dad bought at a pawn shop and surprised me with. This was in 1971. I had difficulty playing his 1944 0-18 Martin, so he got me something much easier to play. Gave it and a 15 watt amp to a missionary to South America about 10 yrs later. Wish I had it, but it was put to better use than I could have given it. Still have dad’s Martin, though, which is the jewel of my 12 guitar accumulation in the 50 yrs since I got the Mustang!!!
This video would be so discouraging to me when I was starting out, I was so happy with my first guitar because it was a gift and I didn't even know it was cheap, I just felt happy to own a guitar. If you need a fancy guitar to enjoy playing then you probably just don't enjoy playing all that much
Condemn is a strong word for complete disapproval. When you outright condemn something when speaking to your viewers/followers, it discourages them from buying/trying said something. No?
I disagree i had $100ish dollar steel string acoustic and played it for a couple years before i got a $170 epiphone les paul. I didn’t like either guitar that much but i played them because i wanted to learn. Now that im a bit older though ive had to replace them with better guitars and i feel a bit guilty getting rid of my “firsts” but they’re so bad ill never play them and theyre not worth trying to fix especially the acoustic. If i could of gotten a good quality guitar off the bat i could still enjoy playing and maybe make some upgrades to it.
The best beginner guitar is one that’s comfortable to play and inspires you to keep picking it up to play. Otherwise it’s just going to sit in the corner and collect dust
I’d argue that there are “expert” guitars - you wouldn’t want to hand a 8 string with a Floyd Rose to someone who’s never played guitar before. But just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s an “expert guitar” though - SGs are really easy to play and if you have the money then yeah go and buy a Gibson SG, they’re amazing guitars that are easy to play.
If someone handed me an 8 string floyd I don't care if ive only been playing 20 minutes or 20 years im beating them to death with it because no one should do that to someone that wasn't a mortal enemy.
My first guitar was a second hand Yamaha EG112 w/ a Yamaha 15w Amp I got in 2015 for $55. I think it was originally sold as the “Gigmaker” combo. It’s really nice.
My first electric guitar was a Kramer with a Fender Strat body and a 1950's slim neck! Oh man how i could shred on that beauty. The first guitar for a "beginner" is one that's in your price range (some people don't value anything because their parents said whatever you want, we'll buy it), playability - how it feels in your hands (brand is irrelevant because the outcome relies all on you and how much initiative, effort, & time you put in), lastly the aesthetic (how it looks; what color draws you in.)
I started playing guitar on my Dad's old Yamaha acoustic that he's had for years. Recently I was able to buy myself an Epiphone Casino Coupe! It's a wonderful guitar, I love it to death
I too had a Coupe but found out why I found out uncomfortable to play. D profile neck not good for short fingers. Had to sell it and Epi Les Paul for same reason. Got C profile neck guitars instead, SG & Strat copies both Harley Bentons . Much more comfortable to play. Used to have MIM Fender strat. Happy with the Harleys though
I'm 15. I own 2 guitars. My first one was a $500 Fender Squier Strat and my second one, which I got Monday is a Strat Style Austin which was $60. I love both of them. I started guitar about a year ago and I'm getting better by the day
In order to get a perfect guitar here are 3 things down here: 1. Good sound 2. Perfect body shape 3. Perfect size It’s ok for beginners to play electric guitar but as long if it is great sound, perfect shape, and size
My first guitar was a 100 dollar “beginner” electric guitar. It sounded bad because I didn’t have an an amp- and the frets cut my fingers at 7. Took me 9 years to get back into the guitar properly.
Haha I feel ya there. My first was a Yamaha acoustic with action way off the fingerboard, which made it practically impossible to play. I quit for 5 years before getting back into it.
I mainly play on a cheap-o guitar like that and I usually don't even plug it in. But most of my time with the guitar is practicing technique and fretboard familiarization type work, so there's not really much point plugging it in.
Playability and price, When my daughter started I bought a very cheap Dean that played incredibly well, smooth neck and very comfortable. I lowered the action and put on extra light low tension strings and she could play chord shapes very early. I still play it, it’s great.
Buying a good used guitar (with the help of a guitarist friend/family) as your first saves money to put towards your amp. The amp could also be used but again...test...test...test. And always haggle if you don't get what you'll looking for. Also, learn to "set-up" and problem solve your own guitar. Stew Mac and other well-known UA-cam guitarist teachers have good set-up tutorials. Daily practice (10-15 minutes) will grow over time🎸🔥🐐
My first guitar was a 3/4 classical for ~100 dollars. Once I grew up and could play a regular sized guitar I bought myself a 400 dollar classical guitar which I still use to this day! (Seven years later) Once my teacher decided I am ready for electric guitars (4 years ago) I bought an 800 dollar fender HH strat which sound absolutely amazing and to this day it serves me. Later I bought a KHWZ for a thounsand dollars and just a few days ago i got myself an Ibanez RG60ALS. Listen to Tyler. Every guitar you buy is an investment and in order to succeed you have to buy high end stuff, ir at least medium end stuff.
I started on the worst pos acoustic with ridiculously high action and strings that, I think, were put on in the 60’s. It was a rental though and it wasn’t long before my mom bought me a really nice Japanese lawsuit SG and I was smitten. I still play it, though it’s overdue for some maintenance. I tend to play my strat now. We built the body of the strat from a big hunk of ash. It’s got a special place now too for it being custom homemade! :)
My "beginner guitar" is the black/white syn gates custom schecter lol 😂😂 couldn't resist, seen it at a pawn shop for $450. Very good condition, shop owner said dude that brought it in to sell it was almost in tears but needed the money. I kinda felt bad for buying it knowing he more than likely wanted to go back and get it when he could but hey can't say I'm unhappy owning it though xD
I’ve always heard a nylon string classical acoustic was the best for beginners. Wider fretboard and much less tension on the strings, making learning the chord shapes a little easier. I didn’t know that and started on a Fender F-35 steel string dreadnaught acoustic I found at a pawn shop. Still got it over 30 years later.
This Advice is so true. I started on a harmony acoustic brought back from Vietnam. Gave up same day. High action. Then a friend talked me into a fender squire, taught me power chords and the flood gates opened. Been playing 27 years now.
My beginner guitar was an Alvarez RF26ce. It was a good guitar and I played it for about 3 years. My next guitar was a Squire Strat HSH. I still have it and it is my only electric guitar but it is a great one for the price. My current acoustic guitar is a Washburn WGC20SCE. It is once again great quality for the price but I am currently looking to upgrade to a higher end guitar. I think I have decided on a Taylor 324ce.
I've been playing acoustic guitar for six months, and electric for three months ,and i'm already on grade three of the Rockschool exams (btw i'm ten)and i'm pretty sure its because my parents made the right descision to buy me that Squier strat (basically, if you ask me ,i think you should get a Squier for starting,amazing overall guitar)
Great, great advice... i spent 20 years with a cheap "beginner" guitar getting nowhere and losing the love. Then I was bought a $400 acoustic (A sigma 000-MC) that transformed my journey! Once I started to get going I bought a guitar I loved the look of at $1000 - too good for a beginner I thought; but then, because it was so beautiful, I started to pick it up and practice all the time! Definitely buy as good a guitar as you can afford, especially at the start!
The Affinity Squier is actually not bad, its a great guitar for a person who doesn’t want to spend too much money but want to get the best out of that price range
I started learning guitar recently on a 200 dollar Yamaha acoustic. So far it's going smoothly. My fingers are getting used to it. The sound seems nice and rich. maybe I won't see the negatives till I try an expensive one. 🤷♂️
This video is everything that was going through my head when I first bought a guitar. I first bought a AU$900 ex-demo Fender Strat (made in Mexico), because much of my favourite guitar music involves those guitars and their sound. I'm not planning on becoming a professional guitarist - I'm a 52-year-old software engineer. At some stage I would like to become good enough to play along with the music that I love. So I figured something in that price range would be good enough to allow me to get to the point I'd like to get to. And honestly I did very little with it for years. Mucked around a little. Picked out a few little bits and pieces by ear. More recently I've bought a AU$1500 Ibanez RG550DX as I'd bought my daughter an Ibanez JEMJR and found that the thinner neck and its action made it a much easier instrument to play. Started having lessons with my daughter's teacher now and I'm fairly happy to learn on the Ibanez and then get back to the Strat once I've skilled up a little. But paying a more mid-range price made me feel like at some point in time I had to do what was necessary to make the purchases worth it.
My first guitar was the Yamaha APX500. I was trying out different guitars and nothing felt comfortable but once I got to that one, even though I didn't know much on guitar it just felt right. I always thank my dad for just randomly picking it and getting me into it. 🧡🤙
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What was your first guitar? Mine was a $50 Cort combo pack with 5w amp and cable.
I think the beginner is #2
Mine was Cort X1. Not a horrible, but not amazing Guitar.
I like the less paul
‘86 Fernandes strat. Still have it...Still play it (heavily modified).
Mine was Cort AC100, but before buying it I had been playing on some old Cremona classic guitar, borrowed from my friend
Thought about buying a guitar for over 15 years. My wife finally got me a cheap Amazon strat knockoff, and I love playing it. Imagine where I would be if I started 15 years ago? The best beginner guitar is the one you get.
Giggitygoo my story is way different😂
I got a 50 dollar guitar that was 1/2 destroyed because i asked my dad for a guitar
Giggity
Which strat knock-off was it? I've been playing for years and I have a couple of expensive guitars, but I went on a four month trip so I bought a "beater" Donner Strat for 100 bucks and I was blown away by it. I still play it all the time! The cheap shit is still really good for the most part.
@@chesterfarrington9853 I got one branded Zeny, but I'd be willing to bet that they all come out of the same factory. I mean, for $89 all it needed was a small truss rod adjustment. All the frets are perfectly level and it plays as well as most much more expensive guitars I've since owned.
I once sold a family a $4000 Martin for their 10 year old daughters first guitar. Because it felt the most comfortable.
Bro I found a 4250$ Martin and I was afraid to touch it.
Loaf_of_Bean S dude that’s literally how I feel around any expensive guitar.
i once sold my family at 10 years old to buyba $4000 martin
Fuck those guys
Well its not a crime to be rich and afford a product who was made to be bought and create profit, jobs,...
The true beginner guitar is something your parents can afford buying for you. I was 5th grade in elementary school when i asked my parents to buy me one. They took me to the guitar shop and I pointed out several 200-300 dollar guitar. They can only afford $60 one so that's what I had. Looking back I loved it very much and got pissed when my classmate borrowed it for a week and returned it hanging on for its dear life.
That was your first mistake don’t give some kid an item that means something to you most likely that kid isn’t gonna treat your stuff good that’s why I think it’s dumb sharing is pushed on kids instead of treating Other peoples items with care
Not all guitar players start as a child
@@beast99dp26 Fair point
@Raphet Kchotto jesus, dude. Sounds like a rough childhood.
@Raphet Kchotto you don't have to hang out with other kids just because they have guitars, not that there's anything wrong with that,
but if your parents are the strict religious type there could be something to that. i was raised in a Christian home, but my family wasn't the religious type.
they were pretty laid back, but even my parents couldn't afford to buy me a 200 dollar guitar. the most they could do was, they bought me one of those boxed guitars you can buy at Walmart and Target, some are acoustic but most are electric. there not very good, but it's what my parents got me when i was 12.
it's the thought that counts, but it sucks your parents wouldn't even buy you that. the one's you buy at Walmart can vary, mine looked like a Gibson SG, but it wasn't Epiphone, it was some weird Chinese name i don't remember of now,
but man trying to play on that thing was a nightmare.
that's the thing though, if you really want a guitar badly, save some money and then once you reach a certain amount get the guitar you really want.
that's what i did once i got a part time job, but you need a legal adult to sign some papers if you buy from a music store if your under 18.
but i paid for the guitar, and it was Squier surprisingly, and a Strat.
all together i paid 180.
My first guitar is a fender strat, I was maybe 10 or so when my great grandma got it for me. I was too young and impatient to play, so I put it away for years. Now I'm older and have plenty more patience and much more knowledge of music and am beyond thankful my grandma got a good quality guitar that I can pick up and give back by learning how to play.
Glad for you, playing an instrument is really rewarding, the times when you just play away for days, ahhh
Wish you and your family the best
Same here, except it was my father who bought it. Unfortunately, my story doesn't have such a happy ending. My dad saw I wasn't playing it so he bought it from me and sold it for parts lol
Lucky you then, I cant say the same as mine was a squier tele deluxe
@not_lewis2649 Don't know about that Squier you bought but a couple of months ago I stopped by the local musical instruments shop to buy some strings and a Squier Affinity HSS in cherry burst caught my eye so I picked it up and started playing it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt and sounded. I have to admit I was a guitar snob and usually wouldn't give a Squier or an Epiphone the time of day but this guitar blew me away, I immediately purchased it for $400 bucks. I previously had an American Standard Strat I had to sell years ago to cover an emergency medical cost and I forgot how good a Strat felt. Now I can't put that thing down and my $1000 Gibson Les Paul Studio and $1,200 Gibson SG Standard are sitting in my closet 😂. You can definitely buy a great guitar in the $400-$600 range these days.
The best beginner guitar is whatever one you feel like buying
Or more likely the first one you can afford
Drisella Kokane except if it’s under $100
i feel like buying 🅱️ A S S
@@dalimil808 ....omg
@@s1iznc1d34
The (Squire) hello kitty screams METAL!!! \M/
One humbucker + one volume can mean nothing else.
It's not my #1 but I do love mine lol👍
Edit:typo
Gibson les paul custom for beginners. Wait that's illegal
But it's autentic.
Im calling the police...
But... Who killed Captain Alex?
@@guilhermearoeira8900 Tiger mafia
Ive bought a begginers pack, ibanez guitar and an amp for about 200 dolars. One mounth later ive bought myself a Gibson les Paul custom as a beginner.
...the one that makes you want to pick it up and play it every day.
Exactly!
I played guitar for 8 years and wanted to try out bass for a long time. Bought a beautiful acoustic bass with matte finish and for cheap too, when i see it I'm instantly attracted to it and wanna play it. It seriously reawakened the interest in playing every single day in me and it's so pleasant, it's like my little baby :3
Couldn't be more right. I rebuilt my Chinese made strat and now I can't stop playing it. Some hot rails pickups from eBay, a new pickguard and an American fender pickup selector. Feels and sounds like a quality guitar now.
Best comment !!!
@Pininbo Nanuk my new stand cost me 50 bucks . Treat yourself to some new strings and that should give you enough inspiration to give it a whirl . Play a familiar song and learn it well . There is an awesome guy on you tube that teaches many familiar rock songs . His channel is called “ Shut Up and Play “ . He has knocked years off of my learning curve . Best of luck .
YES! Could be the best guitar in the world, but if you don't love how it looks you are not going to pick it up.
My first guitar was a $40 acoustic cutaway with a brutally high action. I'm still playing it after 2 years and I'm finally going to buy an electric
I had the action lowered on mine and it is so much better. I had blood blisters on my fingertips...lol
Do it!
@Matt distance between the strings and the body, or the mics
@@AltairCreedZ frets*, as a more common/understandable metric. My first acoustic was a used 50$ Indiana Pinto, that shit had the hughest action. Still elarned entire Hotel California song and now i got a few diff guitars i can play much easier on.
My first is a 40-ish dollar Prado acoustic fretwork does need work, but i don't really play higher than 7-9 fret
I'm quite afraid to buy an Electric as i don't have money source apart from rare pocket money, but i can buy a really nice beginner one with the money i saved
Had one since 16, i'm 19 now
I got a cheap acoustic and it was hard but now playing electric feels so easy and feels so comfortable
and the strings are thicker. i still remember the feeling of changing from .13s to .09
i've been playing acoustic for about 4 months and im getting my first electric in a few days. im so excited!
would you say it’s best to start off on an acoustic guitar and then move onto electric? there’s a lot of mixed responses on this.
@@lighty3912 it depends on what you want to play in the long run, but electric is most likely gonna be your best bet
Paul Eom thank you! yeah, i thought it’d be pointless learning on an acoustic guitar since i’m not interested in that at all.
The doo is an insane shredder and for the first ten years or more he just had a squier strat. As long as the guitar is reasonable, it's all about practicing, not what guitar you have.
Reasons will vary from player to player though. Not everyone has your frame of mind.
And at the same time, there were several things about the Squier that he didn't like so much and that's the whole reason he bought his Music Man.
@@bubblebass8498 I totally understand that, but he made it work incredibly well regardless. I'm honestly surprised he never upgraded earlier but obviously I don't know his circumstances.
IE B Yeah! He played a squier for half his life, but recently he got a Music Man John Petrucci signature :)
@@asTWOrism Actually it's a Sterling by musicman
I learned how to play on a $100 Washburn acoustic. Did my fingertips burn with heat of a thousand suns? Yes. But I wanted to learn more than anything, so I did.
Washburn is a good brand in my experience. My first electric was a Washburn LP style and its great.
Washburn is a good brand. Got myself an HSS Strat from their sonamaster series. Great deal for the price
That's the thing he's missing. If you can't handle frustration you'll hardly follow up with guitar learning. So many legendary guitarists started with shitty guitars.
I started on a no name 30ish years old classical guitar that had steel strings fitted on it. They cut into the tunners so bad it was borderline impossible to tune, it cut into the bridge and it cut into my fingers time and time again, there was so much blood, but I kinda didn't mind it. Then my mom figured it probably wasn't normal to bleed so much when trying to play so she got the tunners replaced, bridge patched up and plasti strings put on. Oh, the joy
“Heat of a thousands suns”😂
One that fits: scale length, weight, fretboard width. Important to match the size of the guitar to the player. I started to play on a guitar that was too big for me. I really struggled until I finally borrowed one from a friend and suddenly everything became two levels easier.
•Price
•Prettiness
•Playability
You can only pick 2
Why you can only pick 2?
@@molekyyli the three points of the consumer triangle. For construction is is good, quick and cheap.
I can’t play sooooo price and prettiness
@@shadowfoxlotus Hm. I chose an older higher-end guitar (was about $1300-1400 as new) so I believe I got it all, all three P in my opinion. :P
The only thing I don't like are the ugly plastic knobs but that's easy to fix.
This is smart
This advice is 100% correct.
I followed the same advice buying my first guitar 7 years ago after saving up about $300 and whenever i was demotivated the only thing that kept me going was how good my guitar felt to hold and play and how rich the sound was.
You can get a lot of mileage out of a well set up Squier!
Yeah, just look at TheDooo. Dude played Squier for half of his life before getting the MusicMan.
@@Arczikens such a different guitar lol
@@0megalul309 I'm not saying everyone is, just gave an example. Besides, I'm pretty sure TheDooo used his Squier way more than most ppl ever would, so even more points for Squier for its longevity.
I’ve had my squier for 2 years now and I’m getting pretty good with it too
I got a nice classic vibe tele squier and its really become my go to for country licks, the more i play it the more it seems to sound good. Its like taken in my playing style
My first guitar my parents bought for me at Sears along with a cheapy lil amp. Ill never forget this. Wish I still had that set up. Don’t remember what became of it.this was the early 1970’s. Miss you mom and dad!
While, yes, the best beginner guitar is the one that inspires you to play, I would suggest that “objectively” the telecaster is the best beginner guitar. Reasons being:
1) it’s a hunk of wood that can take a beating, no risk of an unstable trem or wonky components.
2) It’s a jack of all trades that can cover almost any genre of music.
3) it’s incredibly simple: 3 way switch, a tone and a volume knob. Less time dicking around, more time playing.
But that’s just my opinion.
I don't like Teles, the neck feels like a tree branch.
The telecasters are good guitars but the body has no curves, so your picking arm will be very uncomfortable. just something to keep in mind
I’m going to try and buy my first telecaster I wanna play blues and metal on it
I'm just not huge fan of teles and I like having more options in tonal versatility and I just love mustangs, jaguars, strats and les pauls. So I guess it's just personal taste.
😒ok so we like telecaster but we say nothing about the telecaster nashville😕. Three single coils,five way switch,and a hell of alot more versatile! I'm going to convert mine this way🎸🎸🎸🎸😎
I’ve been playing for over 6 years why am I watching this
Cheap guitar to buy haha
I litteraly never played so why am i watching
Im watching this because I started playing yesterday with my friends guitar.. oh.. I'm actually the target audience...
Also I really hope I can say the same as you in 6 years :)
@@Joost. So how have you been doing dude? Hopefull you kept up with playing as much as you can!
My first guitar was some kind of really cheap (sub $100) Strat, and it sure made things harder than they needed to be. Eventually I bought a $300 Cort, and just that little increase in cost made a big difference. I bought that Cort 10 years ago, and even today after many years of rocking it still holds up, I've never had any issues with it.
cort makes ridiculously good guitars for the price even if they have raised the price ceiling lately. Had a Duality and a CR-250. Both were phenomenal before even considering their low price.
I started with one of those fender starcasters that they sold at Walmart and I think that’s why I gave it up
@ballinonabudget3313 It wasn't a Squier, it was some kind of store brand guitar. I actually own two Squiers at the moment, a Starcaster and a Super-Sonic, and I love them both.
The one the kid thinks is cool and can afford to buy themselves? That's my answer.
Yes yes... :)
The Dean X series it is then. Or a Dean Custom Zone. Decent price and a good quality for the price.
How about something that also plays well and is easy to use (no floyd rose), instead of just looks cool
I began playing at 26. Does this apply to me as well? ;)
@@brylelee4833 yes
My first Guitar was a Yamaha Pacifica beginner bundle. I had to sacrafice my Birthday- and Christmaspresent for the next year. But it was worth it
Yeah, Yamaha Pacifica are actually really great guitars! They don't cost a lot, but they feel at least 10x better than a Squier at that pricerange!
You made my day, that is beautiful!
Was just going to post this. Don't know how much they are now, but when I got mine about 10 years ago, they were a steal at £120 ($154 €138)
Clara S i just picked up a brand new pacifica. Solid guitar
I've owned Ibanez midrange guitars mostly (RGR465rm, S420,RGA72QM) a Schecter Omen 6 extreme, a Fernandes Dragonfly and a Pacifica 112JVM (the cheapest of them all) and it was by far the best I've ever owned : Build quality, sound and features.
Son: Dad, I just got my license.
Dad: Let’s go buy you a corvette!!!
@@lueysixty-six7300 I doubt that😂😂 a beginner would end up breaking the headstock
When you're so dumb you don't get it XD
Son: well
A car is different. Same goes with motorcycle. You cannot start with a 1000cc Ducati Panigale because that’d kill you
when you get an expensive car you can crash it and ruin it. it's not easy to do that with a guitar.
also the "Corvette" of guitars are not even close to the ones he's recommending here
I’m 15, I’ve been playing guitar for about a year and I’ve been very fortunate. My dad is an avid guitar player and he’s helped me learn and he’s allowed me access to his guitars. For Christmas (2021) he gave me his Taylor 210ce and I love it with all my heart. I’ve begun posting videos and I’m super glad that I was able to have an awesome guitar right off the bat but I always thank my dad for being generous in giving me his guitar.
Hey man I'm 15 too and I've been playing for 6 years but still not that good. This year my dad gave me his electric guitar that he uses at college. Sometimes I would jam with my dad and he always teach me new techniques everytime we jam.
such lovely tone my pastor owns a Taylor acoustic and it makes my hearts ears happy when I hear it
Those simply guitar adds are cringe worthy 🤢🤮
Honestly
So you see a guy at a jam session but he seems a little sad because he doesn’t know how to play guitar
Then he plays simple chords in 4/4 30bpm and gets all the bitches
True
I agree but the app seems nice. I did the free shit and I liked it even though it didn’t help much
7:48 what are you saying here? Of course there's much less hum if you're using humbuckers, single coils are known for having 60 cycle hum, while humbuckers block the hum...
Did you also know that fixed-bridges don't divebomb as well as a Floyd Rose?
Tyler: Target the 350$ range.
Up next list: How to get a guitar for free.
Jestful owl547 I plan on giving away my first guitar when I buy the next one, or selling it for the $30 I originally paid for it.
John Ohkuma-Thiel what kind is it?
Gracie J A Selder stratocaster. Since I started less than five months ago, but having been a musician (sax mainly) all my life, I’ve been learning and doing more and more setup and improvements on it. I haven’t changed any parts other than strings, just adjusted it or had it adjusted, and I have to say I’m happier and happier with this guitar.
New it comes with a starter kit which includes everything you can think you would possibly need for only about a hundred dollars, and is definitely a fixer upper because it’s basically just built and shipped without much fit and finish work, but once I did all the other steps of getting it truly play worthy I have to say it’s a pretty good instrument.
At this point I’m on the fence about whether it’s worth upgrading or should I just play it as is until I get a better guitar. The fact is, having a cheap guitar like this is great for learning how to do things-adjustments and upgrades as well as basic maintenance-so when I get that better instrument I’ll know what I like and what I’m doing.
Gracie J : That was a Selder brand stratocaster. I bought a Squier Bullet Strat at the same thrift shop four weeks ago-now eight months a guitarist-and wow what a difference. It pays to keep looking. As predicted, with this second guitar it was a lot easier for me to setup because of my experience with the first one, so this time I was able to do it all myself and dive much deeper into DIY upgrading.
There is a way but it involves having criminal charges
My first guitar that sounded great and felt great was an electric takamine with a pretty long neck that had been repaired . I think it was a GX200 because it was a yellowish white and looked alot like that model.
But I was young and regretfully I traded it in for a new ibenez back in the late 1980s I think. And the ibenez didn't feel nor sound as good to me but was just cool looking solid black guitar. So I lost interest in playing.
Later around 2005 my wife bought me a Gibson SG standard in black. That was a great guitar and i loved it.
But before my wife passed away from cancer a year or so later I had to sell it to cover some bills.
I do plan to try to save up to buy another guitar. I'm disabled on low income so it will take more time than I would like it to, but I'm going to do my best to shoot for another Gibson SG standard or a LP standard. But if it is taking too long I'll look at a cheaper version/brand. 😁👍
Great video. The 3 P's make alot of sense.
Damn bro that sucks im sorry for your loss, great to see you getting through it. Goodluck my man.
Good Luck...never forget what an old man with a Gibson can do.
I first learned to play on a Martin D-18. At the time it was my grandfather's pride and joy. It was a 1954 model that he bought a couple of years after getting back from fighting in the Korean War. When I first started playing that guitar was worth about $2.5k. Now it is worth about $10k, and my grandfather sadly is no longer with us. I will never sell it of course, but because of how expensive it was I was taught to treat it with respect. It was easily playable even for a beginner and it had a rich full sound. I think overall sound has a lot to do with people continuing to play as well. If you play on a crappy guitar, and it sounds crappy you aren't going to want to play nearly as often and are more prone to giving the instrument up altogether. But if it sounds nice from the beginning, and as you mature in your playing it starts to sound even better, you are more inclined to continue to play. At least that was my experience. Sorry for the rant, but if anyone reads this in its entirety I would really like to hear other peoples takes on this.
Sorry for your loss man. I just started playing on a epiphone. Saved up 750 for it but it’s worth it.
Beautiful story, I have a similar story, from when my grandfather went through a cancer, and he said to my mom that he was going to buy a PS3 for me for the Christmas... Fortunately, my grandfather is OK and he left the hospital without consequences, but for me the PS3 is like a symbol of his preserverance, his mentality to fight the cancer!! It's is only a PS3, it's more like an icon for me
PS: this story is from 2011
For sure, if the sound is crappy it's a bit discouraging. I have cheaper equipment and looking to upgrade. Amp is first though. Going with a marshall dsl40 or sc20c. Just so pricey hahah. If i can find a used sc20c that isnt beat to hell I'll prob go for that one then ill get a new guitar.
@@clifford_2zero7 The dsl40 is a really good amp. It has a very good clean sound IMHO, and is very reliable. It's also known for being a really good "go to" amp for many as it is extremely versatile because of all of the options that come with the amp that allows anyone to change their sound to fit whatever style they feel like playing. As I'm sure you know they average at around $750-$850 pre tax. The sc20c, again as I'm sure you know, is a lot more expensive as it averages right around $1600-$1800 for a brand new one, and around $1200 for a used one in "mint" condition. Not about to tell you what to do haha, but if it were me I would try and be a bit more patient and save up for the sc20c, But that's just me as I prefer the "studio classic" tone over the "duel super lead" tone.
"$200 bucks that's nice for anybody's wallet" Me:Yeah your right "buys $70 guitar"
☠️☠️
@@fullmetalworld 💀💀*
@@zlurp1969 ☠️☠️ **
The 3 “p” are the 3 “b”
Bueno
Bonito
Barato
Ta bacan
😂🤙🏼
uhhh no me digas, que genio
Beato
Ñ guitarist posting
Great points in the video, definitely something beginners should know before buying their first guitar. I recently bought a $100 electric guitar (I'm a complete beginner) and I can feel the accountability because for me that's a lot of money already.
how is progress
"It's easier to make an acoustic guitar sound good than an electric guitar" The idiot who wrote that has obviously never played a guitar in their life. That is by FAR the most difficult and harsh on the hand and fingers, especially when you're dealing with a cheap acoustic with a plastic fretboard. It might as well be labeled "torture device". This video is Spot-on!! Well done!
Well you can't change the tone on an acoustic.
I recently tried out a high end acoustic-about $2,000-and was surprised how playable it was. But yeah, I agree that a general consumer acoustic, especially a cheap one, is practically made to discourage people from sticking with guitar.
John Ohkuma-Thiel yeah when I tried one as a little kid I didn’t pick up a guitar again til I was 16 and started watching all these guitar youtubers
This is very true. My first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul Studio. Inexpensive but easy to play and felt right at home when I played it. My daughter started on an acoustic guitar and my father asked her if her fingers got bloody. He played his whole life and I guess my point is, he never asked me that question about my epiphone. He played a 1958 Gibson ES 350 he got way back in the day from my uncle. He later moved to a Martin acoustic so I figure he knew for sure the acoustic guitar was going to be hard for her. I'm not sure if he was joking about the bloody fingers thing cuz he did have a sense of humor but he was definitely letting her know it was going to be hard.
"There's no such thing as beginner guitar."
Me: ...
My accoustic guitar: ...
Me: I hate you
My accoustic guitar: I know
I don't really understand this but at the same time can really relate to this
the guitar i have now i’ve been playing for about a month and i’m teaching myself i got it for free a few years ago with my piano and it cuts my hands up bc the frets stick out and all that i really want an electric guitar but i need to learn more on this
@@madisonmines6524 I’m 15 played my old pretty nice acoustic for a few days but hurt my fingers because of the high action so I decided to pull the trigger on an Epiphone SG special I found on Craigslist with an amp and everything and it’s soooooooooooo much better I have so much desire to play and everything I played for 6 hours yesterday and 12 hours today I got it yesterday that’s why I didn’t play more because my parents didn’t want me playing while they were sleeping
I feel you. I was forced to get an acoustic by my family. They said I couldn't play electric because it's not for beginners even tho all I wanna play is electric. And the guitar I want was cheaper
@@kaic9712 use headphones when your parents are sleeping then
Fun fact: in mexico we have the three p's rule but we call them "las tres b's" which are: bueno, bonito y barato. I just never thaught someone would use the same concept being translated to the exact same meaning.
Yeah, I've heard it here in Puerto Rico too, Saludos!
In Brazil we have the same: Bom, Bonito e Barato.
saludos carnal
It's called Best Bang for your Buck
Pues ya ves que sí se puede. Nunca pensé en esa analogía pero es muy obvia (y sinceramente me dio algo se risa)
As a 67-year old newbie, I totally agree about the price ranges! The first guitar was a $179 demo and I found it too long, heavy, and the neck was bent. I moved up to a $499 used PRS Santana SE and the difference was amazing. I needed the shorter scale, and the neck and action are buttery smooth.
66 and now retired I want to learn.inspiring Sir !!!
Americans have it so easy...
Here in Brazil that $500 is equivalent to $6000
lol, everyime he said: "save a little more money" a tear rolled down my cheek.
Don't even get me started on amps...
Fender twin reverb would be $24.000 if USA was Brazil. $4.000 for a boss katana 100w
My first guitar was a $150 Yamaha acoustic. It was hard to play and even though I learned after a year or so I began to feel demotivated and kinda stopped. Now with the electric it instantly feels so much easier and makes me want to play more.
11:17 Instantly fell in love with the guitar the moment you played it. I'm now determined to own it by the end of this year.
Update: Yes, I own the guitar now. Also, I'm glad I was able to inspire someone else to get theirs!
I don't like the shape
yessss same, but I really want to know what it would sound like with other songs 😭
Wanted to let you know that this comment made me fall in love with the idea of having this guitar, my only other is a squire strat. Well, I researched it and so I ordered one, it’s coming on the 25th, this was a massive purchase for me as I’m 14 and don’t have any money lol, I’m gonna be paying back my dad for the next two years... Worth it for me. So yeah your comment was the start of my love for a guitar I will have the rest of my life! Hope you get yours soon. I can’t wait to show my cousin, he teaches me guitar and wanted me to get a new one, 8 think he will be surprised!
Have a good one!
@@nother4064 It would still sound the same, with the same settings and stuff he used.
But a guitar doesn't have one sound.
It can have many different sounds.
@@seb1232 how’s the guitar? I think you got a good one there.
A knock-off $50 squire that had the highest action I’ve ever witnessed in my life
Bob Lol you mean like a counterfeit squire or just a strat copy? I’ m going to assume it’s the second because a counterfeit squire would be pretty pointless i guess😂
Ahahahaha
Ew
You’re looking at it wrong. It was just destined for slide!
Mine too. And it was spray painted black but every scratch was light blue. Also my friend dropped it once and it cracked near the joint. And it had an annoying hum whenever I would plug it in. So usually I would play it unplugged. No amp, no effects whatsoever. Yet I was proud of it. My social media from 12 years ago was filled with photos of that guitar.
Staying in tune is so important for beginners. My mom bought me an acoustic when I was a kid that I didn’t know how to tune and it broke. Then as a teenager I got a pawn shop epiphone that wouldn’t stay in tune. Then got a Jackson performer series $275 with a Floyd that wouldn’t stay in tune and finally got this really heavy, American made Jackson arch top that finally did stay in tune. I finally had a guitar that I played more than I tuned and that’s when my playing got much better. Also learned that I’m heavy handed so a stable, durable guitar is a must for me. If it does not stay in tune, you won’t want to play it and you wasted your money. Great video.
First guitar was a classical nylon string guitar under $200. It's kind to your fingers. The funny thing is he's surrounded by acoustics and only testing electrics.
Same! My family had an old nylon guitar from a garage sale that I learned on.
same here, i got a used one for 100 bucks
Electric guitars have a more varying tone as opposed to acoustic. My opinion, acoustics are too similar.
my first "guitar" was a guitalele, and i upgraded to a classical that was also under 200$, no problems with my fingers hurting at all after got past the initial few weeks/month
As a 7 y/o kid that was handed a secondhand Raven (Sears) classical for my first 5 years of lessons, etc..... The worst necks ever for non-large hands. As a general rule I recommend used electric clone with some sort of multi-effects pedal w/amp simulator (practice amps are awful) and if they want acoustic a used/new seagull equivalent since budget acoustics are a minefield of guitars that fight you for every note.
No such thing as a beginner guitar
Me an intellectual: ukulele
Edit: this comment was a joke
But ukuleles are different instruments all together and are even difficult for people that already play guitar because of the pure size difference. (If you’re getting something like a soprano or smaller concert)
@@sbubbyonsprite5287 I think it was a joke..
Aroga0811 yee
that's literally how I got into guitar. spent $50 on a uke, felt like it was so much money for it and played it non stop. then I picked up this rly cheap guitar maybe 6 months later on sitting around in my house and decided I wanted to learn guitar. maybe 9 months later from that, I now own a $300 Ibanez Semihollow AS53, took me at least three months to make enough money for it, and I wouldn't have it any other way
You’re not an intellectual. Ukuleles are not real instruments. Get your facts straight
$13 no name acoustic from the local hardware store that had action 3 miles off the fretboard
Sounds interesting man, slide guitar😂
This is probably the best video I've seen for understanding what to look for in a guitar whether if you are a beginner or advanced. A lot information was shared and I thank you for this.🤘
People: oh $350 soooo expensive
Also them: thousand dollar phone
To be fair that cost is usually amortized over 2 years, so it's under 50 a month
Erix he bigger point is that people will spend exorbitant amounts for a non necessity (iPhone) and complain about the cost of an affordable guitar. That guitar doesnt *have* to be periodically replaced.
@@beezowdoodoozoppitybopbopb9488
Good point, I would add that
when treated well....Neither HAS to be periodically replaced. Your phone is smart enough already, by far.
Phones these days are seemingly considered some form of required life support ...
They are not.
The number of people who use the word 'need' when what they actually mean is 'want' when referring to a new phone is pretty outrageous.🙄
Just saying🙂
Edited for typo
@@1ListerofSmeg agree 100%.
Me reading this with a $200 phone
im so anxious it seems like picking a guitar is a hard task yesh
Hey Young World just get one and start playing
It's really not, people on the internet just like to over complicate it. Especially when you're just starting out and don't have strong preferences for certain features/brands/etc. Just get something that feels good in the hand and get the shop to set it up for you. A $300 guitar that's properly set up will outplay a $3000 guitar where the action is too high or the truss rod isn't set right any day of the week.
It’s like Harry Potter choose the guitar that fits your style the most
I ordered my guitar last week and got it Wednesday. I wanted to play more of a blues/Jazz style but I settled with a Squier Stratocaster instead because I didn't know if I would enjoy playing the guitar. I was nervous and anxious because I couldn't make up my mind either, but I just finally stopped looking at videos on the internet and went for it and purposely didn't watch any other videos until my guitar came because I didn't want to be influenced or regret my decision. I finally have the guitar and even though Squier is not the best, I got a great guitar kit for under $200 and I love playing it! My point in this comment is to say, GO FOR IT! Stop letting others influence you, buy what has caught your interest and just go for it. My only suggestion is that you pick a guitar that is at least within your budget range because if you don't and you end up not liking it, it hurts to spend a lot of money on something you don't use. Hope this helps, God bless.
More like not picking a guitar is a hard task
Mine was a $150 Jackson dinky
I got it just because it looked metal
Best decision of my life
See my previous comment
I love Jackson dinky js11 my first guitar..
@@AbhinavSingh-rb7nd I'm doing a setup on one for a kid I know. Its a legit little guitar.
@@silverpairaducks yes , they are pretty good.. I really hope that kid would like it :) what I really liked about that guitar that it stayed in tune, neck was not bad , action was low and they sounded pretty well when you practice in your room , toiling till midnight with your practice amp 😄😄
@@AbhinavSingh-rb7nd he bought an old frontman. He's good for a while. I'll sell him a cheap overdrive.
Bravo Dude! The most sensible advice I've ever heard about buying your first guitar. I think playability - the feel of the guitar and being able to take a setup and hold it are key.
Taylor you are really becoming a guitar guru. The more I see of your videos the more I see of your character. Obviously you know the way around the fretboard but with your soft spoken, sometimes funny, approach, you are a new age guitar guru that many folks can learn a thing or two from. Peace
The best beginner guitar is the one that inspires you to pick it up repeatedly
Kelarik 1959 fender strat is the best beginner guitar
Thanks Mr Van Dreissen
@@nebbynoo1127 nah telecaster
@@ShiroDawn how about a g&l asat?
I can definitely attest to this. My very first guitar was a squire strat that was like $120 in 2007.
My next guitar was an $800 Epiphone Les Paul Custom I got at the end of 2008 and it's one of my favorite guitars to this day.
Threw some Gibson pots, orange drop caps, shielded wiring, & Seymour Duncan's in it and it is an absolutely amazing feeling & sounding guitar. Definitely comparable to a real Gibson Les Paul that costs 2 to 3 grand...
Ive got an epphiphone les paul last week(600€). and compared to my previous guitar(ephiphone les paul for around 200€) its really better.
@@nikobrul7147 congrats! There’s typically a huge difference in quality when the price jumps a few hundred “dollars” in most guitars under $1,500. What’s awesome is you can usually just upgrade the electronics on a good guitar and make it a great guitar. I’m pretty sure the upper level epiphone Les Pauls are all mahogany with set necks just like their Gibson counterparts. Rock on brotha!🤘
Thanks for bringing everything back on track.
You mentioned 3 things; price, playability and the prettiness.
I think there is one most important factor, it is the "sound quality". Yes we should not be diacouraged our passion due to low quality guitar. If you have more money, yes spend in on decent amp and your room. And don't forget to find good and encouraging instructor. Not the one who is very skillfull but can not build enthusiasm on his students.
Cheers from Indonesia.
"prs has se as their lower line"
me, with my 115$ epiphone les paul ;(
Yeah same price with my epiphone. But it’s class tone and great to play
Me with my $75 ibanez gio
Me with my 135$ Squier Bullet Mustang
Me with a shoebox and six rubber bands
@@emiliocurbelo8891 how is that guitar
I absolutely agree that electric is the way to start...you get so much more impact for your beginning efforts.
However, I disagree that anyone should put off starting until they have more money. $75 - $100 for a pro setup can make a lesser guitar play and sound great. And you generally need to spend that for a pro setup no matter what guitar you get.
Any of these can get you up and running and serve you well for a long time. And when it's time to trade up, you can sell it for what you paid, or keep it for a back up or rough road conditions.
Squier Affinity (NOT Bullet)
Epiphone LP Special II (Make sure it's the II)
Ibanez Gio Mikro (For young or small hands)
Buy it used in good shape for around $100 and get it set up well, including rounded fret ends.
For a starter amp I like a Boss Micro Cube because it can run on batteries, is loud enough for rock out indoors, and when you need something bigger to gig, you can keep it as your practice amp. $100 used to $170 new.
So, budget for a really good beginner package:
$100 - Guitar (Used)
$100 - Pro Set up
$20 - Cable (New)
$0 - Free tuning app for your smart phone
$170 - Amp (New)
$15 - Gig Bag (Used)
$10 - Strap (Who cares?)
These guitars are often available used and cheap from people who planned to start and never followed through. The reason they never followed through was just as Tyler says: the guitars weren't a joy to play. The reason they were no fun to play is they were never set up well.
And often the used guitars are offered cables, straps, spare strings, gig bags, etc.
, included.
Just don't forget to put the money into a pro setup.
Overlooked comment, great advice! Thanks!
Why would an electric guitar be better for beginners? I have no opinion about this, but I started on an acoustic and am going to get an squier affinity telecaster.
What is a pro setup? And could i only use a headphone AMP? Don’t want to make the people i love have to listen to the noise i make.
@@Bambeakz Straighten the neck, level the frets, smooth the fret ends, set the intonation, check the electronics.
Pick a small amp with a headphone jack like a Fender Mustang. UA-cam has a gazillion videos on guitar setups.
@@paulbrown7775 thanks man. I had no idea that you needed a pro setup. Is that something a good music store can do?
I will look into that amp 👍
I'm still leaning toward buying a guitar (mostly acoustic...) within the $250 price range. Reasons: 1) Beginning with a cheap guitar will flush out people who don't really like to "play" but just like the aesthetic of playing (if you know what I mean) as this would mean subconsciously you don't care about actual progress in playing you just want to "look" like "something" you admire... 2) For the people who do enjoy playing even with a cheap guitar it will make them understand how a cheap quality guitar feels, and if it's an acoustic then your hands are going to be ready as they've taken a lot of pain & " necessary damage" during this stint. 3) If you quit then you will not have wasted more unnecessary money. And the biggest thing for me was the transition into a mid-range guitar, instantly you'll notice the difference in every aspect which is a feeling of great exhilaration & achievement. After buying that mid-range guitar you'll have much more confidence & enjoyment about playing and the progress of that playing... *I like this old-school method more personally as an analogy would be getting dropped into the ocean with sharks surrounding you, once you pass you through you have this pain free feeling and freedom to progress any way you like.
The problem with starting off with a mid-range guitar is you don't appreciate the quality of the guitar (as you never played a cheap guitar...) nor is there any reward about progressing to the point of decency. Most people I know who have wealthy parents that bought them a mid-range to upper-range guitar (Fender MIM or Gibson Studio LP) quit after a while. Most guitarists seem to begin with a cheap guitar (oddly enough huh), this is personal as well as I started with a cheap Stagg then got a cheap acoustic (all within 2 years) then finally for my birthday my mother bought be a Fender MIM at 14 I was elated about it as she bought it right when I started to stop playing due to boredom. So, that Fender sparked my interest to a whole nother level. Then I started saving up for gear with that newfound interest and eventually bought a used Fender Blues Jr (and pedals, of course, all within a year too). You can choose whatever method you like more, but I believe the reason you see so many guitar teachers recommending cheap guitars (mostly acoustic) is due to the fact that no guitar player (who stayed with it...) ever started off with a mid-range guitar. That makes the most sense to me, my guitar teacher said the same thing back then as well.
I agree. I had a decent acoustic when I was really young. By the time I grew out of it, I wanted to play again. I still think the whole reason I stuck with playing was as I was saving up for my “first” guitar, meaning one that I bought, I had to practice on a guitar that was way too small and had a head diving issue.
If you still haven’t gotten a guitar, I recommend Orangewood! Cheapest is $135 of the Rey in Spruce or Mahagony, then the Oliver is $195
Let's see if I stay with it since I didn't choose a new cheap guitar but old one that was originally fairly expensive (probably around $1350-1400, since left-handed version are often more expensive, the right-handed version was $1300 when it was new in 2001). :P (It still wasn't as cheap as the beginner range guitars, though.)
The longer I've been learning, the more I love it. Can't see myself quitting any time soon.
I recently bought a Gibson les Paul special and it is the most comfortable guitar I’ve ever played.
How its going dude?
I want to start playing guitar and I really like the squire strat
Go for a humbucker, single, single for versatility. And just make sure it has a good setup (ask somebody you trust, or watch UA-cam vids)
It's a amazing guitar and you can play for 10 years that's how good it is 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻😁welcome to the guitar player family bro
You can do it learn were the notes are on the fret board
Squier is really good value for money and a solid guitar to start with good luck bro
Guitar type seems the most important factor for a beginner. I got an unknown brand of stratocaster, three single coil pickups. I just don’t like humbuckers. I was going to buy this type of guitar regardless of brand or price. And honestly, they’re all at least decent for beginners.
Are you going to want a ‘better’ guitar in six months to a year? Probably. But then you will most likely have a whole different idea of the three ‘P’s he mentions in the video.
The paint job on the first guitar I bought, if the guitar wasn’t so cheap there’s no way I would have bought one with that color and paint style, and now I think maybe my next one will be very similar. But the color and style I originally wanted, I don’t like it anymore.
Me watching the video having 4 guitars already:
-Mhm yes I will listen to that advice and buy another one.
lol same here
@@harjotgill6162 when it comes to wanting to learn and play guitar UA-cam is your best friend. There are so many beginner guitar lessons that you will spend hours on - I’ve been for about 20 years off and on but nothing real serious until the last 4 years where I really dedicated myself to fo using on learning and dedicating time to practicing every day
@@harjotgill6162 under $400 there are a lot of choices. You almost have to play a guitar and see if you “feel it”. What may be a good feel to me may not be to someone else. Whatever you end up with I would make sure you go with a solid wood top. The Seagull S6, Fender125 and Yamaha FSX800 are all under $400 and all have solid wood tops. My daily player is a Yamaha FSX800 I found used for $100, someone had bought it new and didn’t end up learning to play so I got a good deal, there are lots of deals out there if you are patient and know what you are looking for
@@harjotgill6162 well if you are looking electric that’s a good start, I had one for a while but didn’t have a great feel for electric guitar
@@harjotgill6162 I have a 15W Fender Frontman practice amp, it more than does the trick for me sitting in my house - if you get serious and play out in public there are plenty of 50 to 100 watt options relatively not too expensive
The advice I keep hearing, from people who don't play guitar, is: "learning on a crappy guitar is better because it will make you a better guitarist in the future", and when I replay that if the guitar is unplayable you're not going to learn because you won't even pick it up, I get laugh at. I live in a really knowledgeable, motivational culture. Got a ticket out of here?
Thank you for your videos! Hearing someone speaking intelligibly about facts as really helped me keep focused and motivated through this rough time. Sometimes it's the little things, you know?
I feel you man
Yeh I sorta had the opposite experience, I played a shitty acoustic for 2 years starting out and I got very good by just trying to make that thing sound good.
@@IlIlIlIllIlIllI Staying me is all I got, right now. I became withdraw, but the only thing I know how to do, is to keep on keepin' on! Soon I'll fly again!
@@heldersguitar489 heck yeah!!! Brush those wings off!
I got my first guitar 15 days ago. A buddy from work had 2 of them and gave me one. It's a Behringer and I think it's a good start. I sound like crap, but I "play" (using the term VERY loosely) every day for about an hour. I got a little 20w Fender amp and decided to go with this course online (Guitar Super System I think it's called...nice guy, very encouraging). Keep in mind, I'm 55 years old and took this undertaking on a lark. You know something? I'm having a freaking blast learning. If I keep going and master the dreaded C chord, I think I'm going to actually have to plunk down some simoleans for a better made guitar.
Hey dude, how is it going?
It all boils down to the intent and passion while learning. I started learning on a $84 Ibanez acoustic.
Same here
When I started out I started with a 200 dollar steel string acoustic lmao. Honestly I think it made me grow faster because it was harder, going to an easier guitar after that made me realize I was a lot better than I thought
A Yamaha acoustic given as a gift and when it came time for an electric I saved up for months to get an Olympic white Mexi strat (hss)-still my main axe, could never ask for a better guitar, definitely worth the wait and the 600 bux I paid for it-we're bonded for life
literally the same as Dave Simpson
30 seconds into the video I have to say number seven sounded better to my ears. I lucked out and learned on a 50th anniversary fender strat made in the USA. I still own it it was a gift from my father in 2001. Having a better guitar to learn on really helped me advance my lead skills because it's so easy to play.
Your first guitar should NEVER HAVE A FLOYD ROSE BRIDGE!
I'm mediocre guitar player and my dad plays and he has a bunch of electrics, and they ALL HAVE FLOYD ROSES. God damn do I hate them, mostly because I rest my hand on the bridge but tuning is a bitch too.
Been there done that :(
I started with a floyd rose bridge and encountered no troubles, I don’t understand why everyone keeps saying this.
Completely disagree. The biggest problem a lot of beginning guitarists have is keeping the guitar in tune. A Floyd Rose will keep the strings in tune better than any other beginning guitar (sans upgrades, of course).
Only changing the strings entirely is more of a pain, otherwise even when you have to loosen the nut for a complete retune (rather than just adjusting the fine tuners most of the time) it only takes a couple more minutes than a non-floating bridge.
Yes a humbucker will have a lot less hum than a single coil
Single coil always has a hum. Even expensive guitars he played next had a hum.
@@minovermax No he is not. Squier contemporary strat has not got that function.
mr blue sky you’re exactly right... this is just a horrible comparison. It’s disappointing when a great guitar player seems to miss such a simple piece of guitar knowledge.
Here we compare a 24 fret guitar with a 22 fret guitar... notice how on the 24 fret guitar you can fret the 24th fret... Also this fixed bridge doesn't dive bomb....
Well they also have noiseless single coil pickups like fender noiseless and the fishman fluence pickups etc..
My first was a Yamaha Pacifica 312. Recommended by a family friend when asked about a guitar i could grow into and beyond. Its some 20 something years old now and i still have it. I has my soul for 80s metal tones and i will never sell it!
I bought a new guitar recently. Rather than buy the £500 one, I bought the £950 similar model and I now have twice as much guilt if I stop playing. I might buy another one just to double down on that motivation. That's how it works right?
This is why we feel guilt, so we don't stop playing guitar
@@brendanmccool9245 exactly
no
i dunno dude i think this might be early onset gas
My first was a Fender Squier acoustic my sweet Mother dearest bought me. So of course me being me learned how to play all my favorite heavy/thrash metal on it still XD buy hey now I have a BEAUTIFUL Epiphone SG that loves when I play her, and after 2 years I’m still working on lightening my touch... the acoustic start plus me being heavy handed to start with.... hehehe string company’s love me
9:06 that's the guitar I want to buy, so i'm saving up! I'll edit this comment when I get le beauty!
Update; My money got stolen by someone in my family, so I'll have to work for the money again. I'll update when I buy it. UnU
Final Update; I BOUGHT THE GUITAR AND AM LEARNING HOW TO PLAY IT!!! WOO HOO!!!
I wish you luck friend :)
@@Randomperson-ke7xh thank you! Currently I have around 40 dollars lol
@@S.imp_God.dessOFFICIAL hehe😅you'll get there.I'm also hoping to get mine by or before Christmas
Good luck man!
@@azthawed thanks dude
I got a Fender squire like the first one he showed for my first guitar when I was 16 and I still love it. Charcoal black with a steel gray pick guard. The scratchy sound from the wood goes away when you play it for a few months.
1966 Fender Mustang, Daphne Blue that dad bought at a pawn shop and surprised me with. This was in 1971. I had difficulty playing his 1944 0-18 Martin, so he got me something much easier to play. Gave it and a 15 watt amp to a missionary to South America about 10 yrs later. Wish I had it, but it was put to better use than I could have given it. Still have dad’s Martin, though, which is the jewel of my 12 guitar accumulation in the 50 yrs since I got the Mustang!!!
This video would be so discouraging to me when I was starting out, I was so happy with my first guitar because it was a gift and I didn't even know it was cheap, I just felt happy to own a guitar. If you need a fancy guitar to enjoy playing then you probably just don't enjoy playing all that much
2:40
He didn't even try to discourage people from getting said cheap guitar. He "condemns" it.
Dayat Thamrin hes rich now that he’s got a big following so he can afford it and wants to get sponsors from big expensive brands
@@r0vkstar980 and..?
I still don't see him as discouraging.
Condemn is a strong word for complete disapproval. When you outright condemn something when speaking to your viewers/followers, it discourages them from buying/trying said something. No?
I disagree i had $100ish dollar steel string acoustic and played it for a couple years before i got a $170 epiphone les paul. I didn’t like either guitar that much but i played them because i wanted to learn. Now that im a bit older though ive had to replace them with better guitars and i feel a bit guilty getting rid of my “firsts” but they’re so bad ill never play them and theyre not worth trying to fix especially the acoustic. If i could of gotten a good quality guitar off the bat i could still enjoy playing and maybe make some upgrades to it.
The best beginner guitar is one that’s comfortable to play and inspires you to keep picking it up to play. Otherwise it’s just going to sit in the corner and collect dust
@@s1iznc1d34 Satchel lol
I’d argue that there are “expert” guitars - you wouldn’t want to hand a 8 string with a Floyd Rose to someone who’s never played guitar before. But just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s an “expert guitar” though - SGs are really easy to play and if you have the money then yeah go and buy a Gibson SG, they’re amazing guitars that are easy to play.
If someone handed me an 8 string floyd I don't care if ive only been playing 20 minutes or 20 years im beating them to death with it because no one should do that to someone that wasn't a mortal enemy.
My first guitar was a second hand Yamaha EG112 w/ a Yamaha 15w Amp I got in 2015 for $55. I think it was originally sold as the “Gigmaker” combo. It’s really nice.
My first electric guitar was a Kramer with a Fender Strat body and a 1950's slim neck! Oh man how i could shred on that beauty. The first guitar for a "beginner" is one that's in your price range (some people don't value anything because their parents said whatever you want, we'll buy it), playability - how it feels in your hands (brand is irrelevant because the outcome relies all on you and how much initiative, effort, & time you put in), lastly the aesthetic (how it looks; what color draws you in.)
The best begginer guitar is the one your dad or brother got then gave up playing and it's been sitting in your wardrobe for 2 years
I started playing guitar on my Dad's old Yamaha acoustic that he's had for years. Recently I was able to buy myself an Epiphone Casino Coupe! It's a wonderful guitar, I love it to death
Oh my! I also bought an Epiphone Casino Coupe (cherry color) and it's freaking gorgeous to look at and to play, it matches sweetly with my Orange amp
I too had a Coupe but found out why I found out uncomfortable to play. D profile neck not good for short fingers. Had to sell it and Epi Les Paul for same reason. Got C profile neck guitars instead, SG & Strat copies both Harley Bentons . Much more comfortable to play. Used to have MIM Fender strat. Happy with the Harleys though
I'm 15. I own 2 guitars. My first one was a $500 Fender Squier Strat and my second one, which I got Monday is a Strat Style Austin which was $60. I love both of them. I started guitar about a year ago and I'm getting better by the day
In order to get a perfect guitar here are 3 things down here:
1. Good sound
2. Perfect body shape
3. Perfect size
It’s ok for beginners to play electric guitar but as long if it is great sound, perfect shape, and size
My first guitar was a 100 dollar “beginner” electric guitar. It sounded bad because I didn’t have an an amp- and the frets cut my fingers at 7.
Took me 9 years to get back into the guitar properly.
JacksonBT that must have sucked. Not even having an amp
Bleron Mehmeti I sounded bad alone obviously, but not having an amp added to it lol 😂
Haha I feel ya there. My first was a Yamaha acoustic with action way off the fingerboard, which made it practically impossible to play. I quit for 5 years before getting back into it.
@@jacksonbt2003 really sounds like my story
I mainly play on a cheap-o guitar like that and I usually don't even plug it in. But most of my time with the guitar is practicing technique and fretboard familiarization type work, so there's not really much point plugging it in.
Playability and price, When my daughter started I bought a very cheap Dean that played incredibly well, smooth neck and very comfortable. I lowered the action and put on extra light low tension strings and she could play chord shapes very early. I still play it, it’s great.
Buying a good used guitar (with the help of a guitarist friend/family) as your first saves money to put towards your amp. The amp could also be used but again...test...test...test. And always haggle if you don't get what you'll looking for. Also, learn to "set-up" and problem solve your own guitar. Stew Mac and other well-known UA-cam guitarist teachers have good set-up tutorials. Daily practice (10-15 minutes) will grow over time🎸🔥🐐
My first guitar was a 3/4 classical for ~100 dollars. Once I grew up and could play a regular sized guitar I bought myself a 400 dollar classical guitar which I still use to this day! (Seven years later)
Once my teacher decided I am ready for electric guitars (4 years ago) I bought an 800 dollar fender HH strat which sound absolutely amazing and to this day it serves me. Later I bought a KHWZ for a thounsand dollars and just a few days ago i got myself an Ibanez RG60ALS.
Listen to Tyler. Every guitar you buy is an investment and in order to succeed you have to buy high end stuff, ir at least medium end stuff.
I started on the worst pos acoustic with ridiculously high action and strings that, I think, were put on in the 60’s. It was a rental though and it wasn’t long before my mom bought me a really nice Japanese lawsuit SG and I was smitten. I still play it, though it’s overdue for some maintenance. I tend to play my strat now. We built the body of the strat from a big hunk of ash. It’s got a special place now too for it being custom homemade! :)
Me: ooh , I want to learn guitar
Also me : buying a 8 strings hellraiser
I love how you were casually playing a electric in an acoustic and electric acoustic zone
My "beginner guitar" is the black/white syn gates custom schecter lol 😂😂
couldn't resist, seen it at a pawn shop for $450. Very good condition, shop owner said dude that brought it in to sell it was almost in tears but needed the money.
I kinda felt bad for buying it knowing he more than likely wanted to go back and get it when he could but hey can't say I'm unhappy owning it though xD
Your in the store where I got my first guitar
Still my favorite local music store, even if it did get bought out by Music & Arts.
I’ve always heard a nylon string classical acoustic was the best for beginners. Wider fretboard and much less tension on the strings, making learning the chord shapes a little easier. I didn’t know that and started on a Fender F-35 steel string dreadnaught acoustic I found at a pawn shop. Still got it over 30 years later.
This Advice is so true. I started on a harmony acoustic brought back from Vietnam. Gave up same day. High action. Then a friend talked me into a fender squire, taught me power chords and the flood gates opened. Been playing 27 years now.
My beginner guitar was an Alvarez RF26ce. It was a good guitar and I played it for about 3 years. My next guitar was a Squire Strat HSH. I still have it and it is my only electric guitar but it is a great one for the price. My current acoustic guitar is a Washburn WGC20SCE. It is once again great quality for the price but I am currently looking to upgrade to a higher end guitar. I think I have decided on a Taylor 324ce.
I've been playing acoustic guitar for six months, and electric for three months ,and i'm already on grade three of the Rockschool exams (btw i'm ten)and i'm pretty sure its because my parents made the right descision to buy me that Squier strat
(basically, if you ask me ,i think you should get a Squier for starting,amazing overall guitar)
Yamahas consistently impress me; good quality for cheapo prices.
Great, great advice... i spent 20 years with a cheap "beginner" guitar getting nowhere and losing the love. Then I was bought a $400 acoustic (A sigma 000-MC) that transformed my journey! Once I started to get going I bought a guitar I loved the look of at $1000 - too good for a beginner I thought; but then, because it was so beautiful, I started to pick it up and practice all the time! Definitely buy as good a guitar as you can afford, especially at the start!
The Affinity Squier is actually not bad, its a great guitar for a person who doesn’t want to spend too much money but want to get the best out of that price range
I started learning guitar recently on a 200 dollar Yamaha acoustic. So far it's going smoothly. My fingers are getting used to it. The sound seems nice and rich. maybe I won't see the negatives till I try an expensive one. 🤷♂️
This video is everything that was going through my head when I first bought a guitar.
I first bought a AU$900 ex-demo Fender Strat (made in Mexico), because much of my favourite guitar music involves those guitars and their sound. I'm not planning on becoming a professional guitarist - I'm a 52-year-old software engineer. At some stage I would like to become good enough to play along with the music that I love. So I figured something in that price range would be good enough to allow me to get to the point I'd like to get to. And honestly I did very little with it for years. Mucked around a little. Picked out a few little bits and pieces by ear.
More recently I've bought a AU$1500 Ibanez RG550DX as I'd bought my daughter an Ibanez JEMJR and found that the thinner neck and its action made it a much easier instrument to play. Started having lessons with my daughter's teacher now and I'm fairly happy to learn on the Ibanez and then get back to the Strat once I've skilled up a little. But paying a more mid-range price made me feel like at some point in time I had to do what was necessary to make the purchases worth it.
My first guitar was the Yamaha APX500. I was trying out different guitars and nothing felt comfortable but once I got to that one, even though I didn't know much on guitar it just felt right. I always thank my dad for just randomly picking it and getting me into it. 🧡🤙