Help with guitar?

Question

I am going to buy a guitar. I don't have any prior knowledge of playing it..ie I am just a beginner. Which type of guitar should I purchase? My friend suggested me to purchase a semi-acoustic guitar.Should I go with him? Is there any better option?

Answer 1

Maybe this book could help you decide what kind of guitar to get.

Guitar For Dummies, 2nd Edition

By Mark Phillips, Jon Chappell

ISBN: 978-0-7645-9904-0

Format: Paper

Pages: 408 Pages

Pub. Date: October 2005

Have you always wanted to play guitar? Who wouldn't? Think of Jimi Hendrix wailing away on his Stratocaster. . . Chuck Berry duck-walking across the stage to "Johnny B. Goode". . .B.B. King making his "Lucille" cry the blues. No doubt about it—guitars are cool.

Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition tells you everything a beginning or intermediate guitarist needs to know: from buying a guitar to tuning it, playing it, and caring for it, this book has it all—and you don't even need to know how to read music. Full of photo-illustrated exercises and songs you can play to practice the techniques discussed in each section, this step-by-step guide will take you through the basics and beyond before you can say "Eric Clapton." You'll learn how to:

Match yourself with the guitar and equipment that fits your needs and budget

Select the right accessories: amps, picks, pedals, capos, cases, and other goodies

Pick and strum to produce a clean, clear, buzz-free tone

Know whether you're really in tune

Play melodies without reading music

Perform basic guitar maintenance and repairs

Build strength and dexterity while playing

Play in different styles, including rock, blues, folk, jazz, and classical

Make your guitar talk with bends and slides!

Fully revised and updated, with an all new interactive CD that allows readers to listen, learn, tune, and play along, Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is the perfect introductory guide for any novice acoustic or electric guitar player.

Answer 2

If you're just starting out and a beginner, I'd go with an acoustic. Even if  your price range is below $200, go a little bit higher, like $250. Those are the more intermediate guitars with a good sound, but they're not completely out of your league.

However, if all your gonna use it for to rock out, go with an electric of course. Some solos sound really stupid on an acoustic. But remember, with a good $250-$300 electric, you'll also end up having to buy an amp and cable.

I started on acoustic, and I made a pretty smooth transition to electric after I learned stuff like barred chords.

Oh, and the last thing, do NOT under any circumstance, buy one of those guitar packages from Walmart or Target. They're like the Windows Vista. All hype, zero performance.

EDIT!

There are 3 types of guitar I'm guessing you're confused with.

1) Acoustic

Pure wood and strings and such. No power required to run it, best used when you have no outlet, or if you like playing acoustic.

2) Acoustic-Electric

You can play these exactly like an acoustic with no batteries or any electricity. It has the same sound as an acoustic. However, there's electronics that allow that acoustic guitar sound to be run into an amp. So you can play it through an amp. So they don't require amps. However, if you choose to play through an amp, it'll require batteries.

3) Semi-Acoustic

Crazy little things. These are ELECTRIC guitars. They require an amp to work well. The ycan be played without them, but the sound is yuck. However, unlike most electric guitars, they have a hollow body. Most electrics are a solid piece of wood with electronics. Semi-acoustics have hollow space inside of them, but the same electronics as an electric.

Still following?

With that hollow space, there's an awesome reverb within the guitar. Semi-acoustics produce a much fuller and richer sound then regular electrics.

I think about it now, and I don't think you're friend meant semi-acoustic. Whatever your decision is, have fun, stick to it, and rock out.

Good luck bro.