Electric guitar?

[EJK]

Ibanes guitar & Marshall amp. Very good.

At $350 it's a frikkn bargain me thinks...

[Drunken Monkey]

Electrics do have lighter strings and usually also have smaller fretboards, so they are easier to learn than acoustics.
Classical acoustics have very wide fretboards, which means getting used to stretchy fingers (I can remember as a 9 year old really struggling to make that F barre chord, and that's a commonly used chord).
Steel strings can have the same sized fretboards as electrics, but the heavier guage strings tend to cut up the fingers of learners as well (if you harden up your callouses and keep practicing, you'll be fine).
However the acoustic stands alone and sounds great. Electrics are "teh ghey" without a good amp, but there are some decent little ones around. That MG15 is not a bad little practice amp, but if you can make your budget stretch to something bigger you won't regret it. However if you don't know the difference you'll probably live. What type of electric guitar and what type of amp you choose can vastly affect your sound too. Once you get your ear in, you'll adopt a sound you like. You don't want to get yourself stuck with a nice little epiphone les paul copy and a cheap marshal if you're after a clean jazz sound kinda thing. That's something you'll have to learn for yourself though.

[Big Dave]

NO! Buy Electric!

There are so many songs you'd be wanting to play that are impossible on most acoustics. Also an electric will be much easier on your fingers, easier to bend notes etc etc.

Plus you can use sweet effects you make even shit playing sound quite mean...

If you do the yards to play an Acoustic guitar well and with feeling you can play an electric well.

The reverse does not necessarily apply.

You can always amp an acoustic - but you can't play an electric anywhere without the shizzzle.

[Drunken Monkey]

Whilst on this subject, what are the other axemen using out there these days?

I currently have:
Mexi Fender Fat Strat (The fave)
Epiphone (Samick code) Les Paul (The basher)
Epiphone 335 DOT (for style)

Marshall JCM600 TSL602 Tube AMP Combo (rockin!)
Marshall VS65R (<- my practice amp

Ibanez PF acoustic (basher)
Art & Lutherie CW acoustic (the keeper)

Marshall AS50 acoustic amp (cos I can)

Yes I have too many guitars and amps...

[Drunken Monkey]

....It's like saying you should only get a steelstringed acoustic if all you want to play is country and western.

Try something funky - the pedal steel guitar!

[Big Dave]

To some extent. At least for kids, learning on an acoustic is bloody hard work.

Rare that an art isn't suffered for in some form.

The sense of achievement and personal satisfaction that comes with success in any endeavour is unusually commensurate with the effort required to achieve it.*

'WITH THAT....THAT....TWANGER!' - Twisted Sister

* Maonkeys and typewriterrrrs.

[Drunken Monkey]

a Twanger????



Discotex mentioned some interesting stuff.

I guess that's one question you need to answer - what's your budget?

[Big Dave]

[Burtha]

Whilst on this subject, what are the other axemen using out there these days?

Ibanez Artcore AGB200 bass

[retro asian]

If you do the yards to play an Acoustic guitar well and with feeling you can play an electric well.

Agreed for someone who is seriously getting into guitar. I would recommend have at least one of each.
But to play many rock/metal songs, they have to be seriously rewritten to work on acoustic guitar.

Also with an electric, all you need to learn is two power chords and you can play almost all the Ramones' songs... you'll be rocking from the get go!

[Zoolander]

Whatever you buy, try and make sure it has the following:
a nice low action, this means it is easier to press the strings down and therefore easier to play. High action can be difficult to master if you are just starting out and may ultimately frustrate you into quitting. If the action is too low you might get fret buzz which can be annoying as well;

Good tuners, make sure you learn to tune it properly and that it holds a tune, nothing more annoying than a guitar that loses its tune as soon as you do a bend or heavy handed chord;

Straight neck, this can be a bit more tricky to check if you dont know but basically the note for each string should be the same ( although an octave higher ) when you press down on the 12th fret. If it is not ( ie half a step out ) it could indicate a neck problem, or just need a new set of strings.

For these reasons my advice is to actually play any guitar you are thinking about buying. No need to spend heaps on a first guitar, but some of the chinese made guitars i've seen recently are so bad that you may experience enough problems to make you feel like giving up.

FYI I learnt on an acoustic and now play both ( favour the electric these days though ), but theres no reason why you can't learn on an electric if you prefer that.

Hope this helps

[Drunken Monkey]

Ibanez Artcore AGB200 bass

That's a fine looking instrument.

Haha, axemen. Look at me I'm a sexist pig...

[Usarka]

Thanks for all the feedback, damn missed half the answers as I was out shopping. Sorry Gubb, I couldn't resist the shiny neeeew ones, logic being the more it makes me want to play it the more likely I will.

Picked up one of these. Please don't tell me it's crap, I'll cry.



And one of these (mates got some drums so will be jammin, I hope you like jammin too). Very interested in the Line6 stuff though, maybe later.

[Gubb]

I want to hear you play some Dragonforce tomorrow.

[Usarka]

I'm half way there, well practiced at moving my hand up and down really fast