Acoustic Guitar Talk
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I stumbled into a music store this afternoon and fell in love with two guitars. I was not there to fall in love with a guitar. I was there because my youngest daughter is playing the violin in band this year, and she needed some rosin and a shoulder rest.
The two guitars that captured my heart were both Takamine Acoustic/Electric guitars. They were both really pretty, and both seemed well made. The store was more of a band lesson sort of store, not Guitar Center, so I wasn’t allowed to play the guitars unless I was “seriously interested.” So, what I know about the two guitars is that I like them both, but one was $600 and the other was $1,400.
If I had found $2,000 lying outside in the street (and I weren’t married) I might have gone back inside and purchased one of the guitars. At that point, obviously, I would have played them both and gotten a feel for which I liked better. But, I wonder if I would be able to make a rational choice.
Obviously I perceive from the outset that the more expensive guitar is “better.” It is probably made of a finer wood, or constructed using better materials. But, I know a thing or two about marketing. I know that you can but take two cars from the same factory and double the price of one of them if you put the right logo on it. I know that Fruity Dino-Bites are pretty tasty, and cheaper than Fruity Pebbles.
I also know that crappy guitars sound crappy – no matter who you are.
But, we’re not talking about crappy guitars – at least, for $600, I hope it’s not a crappy guitar. So, when given the choice between two guitars, one of which is more than double the price of the other, will we always think the more expensive guitar is better?
I do want to play both of these guitars. I see that Guitar Center has them online, so I may go to the store and see if I can play them. In the interim, I’m going to go shop for Guitars at GuitarCenter.com
I think the bug is about to bite again.
The fourth-most popular search in Google for “Acoustic Guitars” is for Free Acoustic Guitar Lessons. I understand the motivation – people want acoustic guitar lessons, for free. But, don’t you almost always get what you pay for?
I had Free Acoustic Guitar Lessons, and when I get together with by guitar playing buds who paid for their lessons, it’s pretty clear that I got what I paid for. I taught myself, which is the free-est kind of free there is. And, I am here to tell you that there are things about playing guitar – sometimes little, sometimes not – that you don’t get from books or software or internet sites.
Of course, I’ve picked up things from my friends, and eventually, I’ll be where they are today. They’ll be that much further ahead as well, but my goal is not to be better than anyone, but just to be able to pick up and play when we get together without feeling like an amateur.
My point about Free Acoustic Guitar Lessons is that, if it is at all possible, you should invest in yourself (or your kids) and pay for some decent lessons – at least while you are starting out. I wish I’d done so – I think much of what I struggle with would come more naturally, and that I would be more confident in my ability.
This is where I should be giving recommendations, but I have none. I’d check out the board at your local music shop or Mega-Music store. There are lots of folks out there willing to share their guitar knowledge with you. But, keep in mind that it took them years of hard work and practice to be able to play effortlessly. If this is something you value, then you might consider compensating the person for their time and knowledge. It’s just the right thing to do.
Kids Acoustic Guitar
For Christmas a few years ago I wanted to surprise my girls with acoustic guitars. My main goals were (a) to purchase a real acoustic guitar that didn’t sound like a toy and (b) to buy an acoustic guitar that was appealing enough to the girls that they would actually want to play it.
I failed in both goals, and as embarrassing as that is to admit, I hope my tale can help you avoid wasting money.
So, why did I fail? First, I made the assumption that if I paid enough money for a guitar, it would sound good. The problem was that “enough” money is pretty subjective. The two guitars I purchased were around $100 a piece – significantly more money than a toy guitar, but significantly less money than I would spend on a guitar for myself.
That’s what hit me, a year or so too late, after $200 worth of guitars had gathered almost a year of dust – I had settled on the cheapest “real” guitar I could find for my kids, viewing it more as an experiment rather than an investment. The experiment was to see if they had the desire to ever even play the guitar, but with the wrong equipment, the experiment was doomed from the start.
I also believed that the girls (ages 10 and 8 at the time) needed small guitars. That was a bit of short sightedness that I regret. Yes, they had smaller hands, but they were not going to have small hands forever. Again, I was approaching my purchase without thinking of investing in the future.
With all that said, there are better guitars than the ones I purchased for around $100, and there are ¾ or Jr. sized guitars that are higher quality than the ones I bought. My biggest failure in purchasing guitars for my kids was that I ignored the rules for purchasing guitars in general.
Since then, I have guided several friends through the purchasing kids acoustic guitars, and here is the advice I give every time.
Don’t skimp on quality just because they are a kid
The fact is, there are good guitars, and bad guitars. The wood used in construction contributes to the quality, as does the construction itself. If the guitar has a solid top, it will resonate better. (Hint: If it does not say solid top, then it is not a solid top. Guitar marketing folk like to highlight the solid tops. ) Can you get a decent guitar that has a split top? Yes. Good ones are harder to find, but if they meet your goals for the guitar, then they are certainly worth considering.
Evaluate your goals for this guitar
More than likely, if you are purchasing a kids acoustic guitar, it is a “starter” guitar. If your kiddo is just starting out, chances are they would sound just as awful on a $4,500 guitar as they will on a $100 guitar. But, I caution you from thinking that learning on any old guitar is the same as learning on a quality guitar. Learning to hear the notes is an important part of learning music. If the notes sound awful, then the kid never learns how they are supposed to sound. I would never suggest an expensive guitar for a kid – you have no idea if they’ll take to it. But, you can bet no kid will ever take to playing cheap guitars. I don’t like playing cheap guitars, so how could they?
Take a hard look at your budget
This is a tough one – especially when you know your friends are already probably over-spending on gifts, but a cheap guitar isn’t going to do anyone any good. If you cannot budget enough to purchase a good guitar, then maybe wait, or think about getting a used guitar. (Sometimes used guitars are definitely the answer, and can sound better than new guitars. Below is a sample of some used guitars from eBay.)
And, you can find more on eBay here
I finish by suggesting several guitars in a couple of price ranges. I’ll do that for you as well. If I were buying my kids acoustic guitars today, I would consider all of the following guitars. They are well constructed, play beautifully and meet my kids needs (learning to hear the notes and chords
Good luck finding the perfect kids acoustic guitar!!
Acoustic Guitar Talk is a blog dedicated to just that – discussion about Acoustic Guitars. The site is still just a baby, but I have high hopes for it. (Athletic scholarship to a good school, then med school or law school.)
I’ve had a few blogs before Acoustic Guitar Talk, but they all bored me. I ignored the advice of hundreds who said “blog about your passion.” I thought I could write about everything I was interested in (acoustic guitars is just the tip of the iceburg) on one blog, but it didn’t work.
So, late one night I came to the realization that I had to start this site. I believe it will be fun, and give me a way to write about something that I love.
So, thanks for coming by. Please check back in a day or two – there should be more.
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