Acoustic or Electric to start off with?

Question

I've decided to start taking guitar lessons. I'm not sure if I should start off with an Acoustic Guitar or an Electric Guitar though. Most the music I like uses the electric guitar, but I also really like the acoustic guitar. I'll buy one of them now, and buy the other one later. I'm just not sure which one to start off with. Any advice?

Answer 1

For sure start with an acoustic. Learn all the basics i.e. chords, scales, and hand positioning. When you feel really comfortable and have a pretty good understanding switch to electric. Then a whole new world of playing opens up to you. You can then experiment with different sounds and adding on to what you already know. Besides, when you start with electric you'll be too tempted to cover up mistakes with effects like distortion.

Answer 2

I have been playing for about 19 years now.  I have taught guitar lessons on and off for much of that time.  And, I have often heard people say "learn on acoustic first."  Let's just say, I don't buy into that notion - at least not entirely.  

If you know you want to play acoustic guitar, then by all means that is what you should pick up.

If you just want to start learning and don't much care or know what genre you'll end up playing, then I'd get an electric.  First of all they are much easier to play...it's not as hard to push down the strings.  Which leads to other benefits - for one barre chords will be easier, next if you ever want to solo then an electric is almost required in most popular genres.  

All that said, I have always tried to talk my students into starting on an electric guitar.  BTW buy the best guitar you can afford.  In guitars, you really do get what you pay for.

If you know someone that plays (preferably for a couple years at least) take them with you to pick one out.  They should know enough by then to tell the difference between a c**p guitar and a goo one.

Oh, I usually practice my electric without an amp.

Answer 3

This is a question like asking which is the best color, blue or yellow. It's a matter of preference HOW EVER, I would prefer acoustic because you can take it with you and not need to plug in and you can transfer one to another as far as skills go.

Here's a few suggestions.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigatio...

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/produ...

Answer 4

If you neighbours around and want to spare them your wailing and screeching while you try master the instrument, I suggest an electric guitar with earphones, then once your wailing don't sound like cat fights, move on to the acoustic. A combination of both is necessary I think because acoustic forces you to master your tone. An electric guitar especially with effect pedals, masks that tone, albeit it hellishly fun :)

Answer 5

depends on what your trying to learn.

metal to country

both do rock/classical rock

just decide for yourself.

the real question you should have asked is:  'what guitar should i get if i wanted to laern ___________?