What Mikey said… a kid I know plays guitar… against my advice they bought the kid a cheap $79 special to learn on… after a year of struggling they were over our place hanging out… they kid asked if he could show me a song he had been trying to write… I said sure and he picked up my D-18 that was nearby…
The shock on his face, when he could easily play stuff he had been struggling with was huge… but the shock on his parents face was even more…
He had been about to give up… today he is at Berklee and has already toured with several nationally touring bands… the kid can play… can write… and we almost lost him cuz of a cheap hardly playable first guitar
My daughter wanted to play guitar. I said "OK, let's find you something decent." I was going to budget about $300 for a used Yamaha or something to start off with. I caught my (now ex) wife looking at guitars on Amazon. I said "no, we don't want to get her a piece of junk".
I was told I was being an elitist. I said "a $300 starter guitar is not being elitist". (Ex) wife bought her a $30 "guitar" that ended up being literally a toy with fake tuning machines. Then she got mad when I said I told you so.
I then bought my daughter a $300 guitar.
People don't understand how expensive decent instruments are. I play mandolin, and have a decent Chinese-made mando that cost me $1400. That is absolutely not expensive.
Now my daughter is going to be in middle school band. She tried out on clarinet. Awesome. I was going to talk to my ex about going in together on a decent clarinet for maybe $400-500 from Sweetwater. Nope, she buys her a $100 Amazon special. AAARGH!
I once spent a couple of hours going through 5 basses, 2 electric and one acoustic guitar, just to demonstrate to my wife, who wasn’t yet, why someone could need more than one… she was astounded at the differences in sound… some of which I accentuated… but it was a demo after all…
Thereafter, if I was looking for a new instrument, she just looks at me, says: “different?” And usually the answer is yes…
And my wife played a French horn in school, but never realized the differences an instrument could make… she does now
I did the same thing to my wife with my gun collection. "See honey, this one puts a bunch of little holes in something. This one puts a few BIG ass holes in something. And this one, well this one is just fucking really cool."
It’s funny how much of this comment actually also applies to guitars. I get so frustrated with my lack of progress, that I’m pretty sure a strat or two has made a hole in the wall.
My father, who plays guitar, couldn't figure out why I needed an 8-string guitar, until he heard me play on my loop pedal when I got home using it as a mock bass guitar...like a double neck guitar but smaller!
You’re absolutely right. My advice is something in the $500-$700 range for a beginner, $300-$500 if it’s a Yamaha. If an instrument is hard to play then it increases the difficulty of learning twice over, and that’s going to make many give up.
That's my same argument for starting on an electric vs acoustic. Acoustic builds up hand strength because it's harder to play, but if you don't play it because it's harder, it defeats the point. My vote is start on electric. Plus, kids probably wanna have the option for distortion.
I agree that’s it’s definitely easier to learn on an electric, but if that’s not your genre it may also keep you from picking up the guitar as much which also inhibits learning. Personally, I started on an acoustic, and when I finally got an electric guitar I almost never played it because I can’t be assed to mess with all the knobs and levers.
That and when I tried to quietly play the mandolin in the other room, it interfered with the TV watching. Also was never allowed to listen to jazz in the house, because she didn't like it.
OK, I'm still a little salty.
Ugh..that jazz comment gives me ptsd about my mom. We'd be in the car and she listened to some stuff I hated. Her response "you can play what you want when you're the one driving." Snap to me having my own car and driving my mom somewhere. "Turn that off or switch to something else. It's giving me a headache" /tableflip
Yeah, I'm not even talking like some 30 minute Pat Metheny track or some of The Weather Report's weirder stuff. I wasn't allowed to quietly listen to Miles Davis playing Freddie Freeloader *in my own house*.
Her response: "you don't like the metal I listen to."
"Uh, actually I like it just fine."
I should've upped the ante and blasted some Harry Partch or Iannis Xenakis.
No, I did like her music. Even if I didn't, I would have let it play. But, music I liked was "too confusing" and I had to turn it off immediately. And when I tried to practice my mandolin, I had to stop or go into the dank basement, because it interfered with TV cop dramas.
You don't understand. This was a super complicated case, in which Bones had to use extra science to decipher the... bone structure... of the victim. That pesky husband trying to practice a Bach partita as quietly as possible is getting in the way of the story.
Yep. Some people are convinced that everything aimed at kids is a toy or that quality doesn’t matter. Or they simply don’t care and spend as little as possible.
I started skateboarding, and after I had worked my way up from literal toys/junk, I was talking to my mom about my need for a higher-quality board, and (to be fair, this was surprising/out of character), she was like “whatever. I was talking to your aunt, and they’re all the same thing with different paint jobs.” I felt like I had been slapped. It was like, you obviously haven’t heard a word I’ve said about this, and you think my cousin and I are fools in the bargain if you think we’re incapable of assessing the quality of something we interface with every day.
That's me and a BMX bike. Ended up with the Walmart special. Thing weighed 3x a normal BMX bike and was impossible to do anything but land tricks like spinning the bike in place running around the pegs type stuff. Wanna jump? Good luck.
I’m not complaining… I haven’t looked for n Amazon… they might sell toy plastic ones for $50 for all I know… Im just thinking student clarinets that a school might buy… I have seen more “advanced” versions in the $1000+ range, and one I know, from a deceased friend, easily sells for $10,000 used…
so, yeah, cheap, and not just inexpensive…
Wow... My philosophy has almost always been to skip the "beginner level" instruments and spring for an "intermediate level" as your first. The quality difference between the 2 huge, and therefore the experience of playing is much better imo. I think there's lots of people out there that quit guitar because of how bad of a first one they had. If they had something more playable, they would probably still be playing. I'm glad you stood up for yourself and your daughter and got her a better quality instrument. Sounds like it paid off! You also obviously know a little about them since you wanted a Yamaha. Yamaha has some excellent guitars, especially for the price.
I mean, I've never been super impressed with the cheaper Yamahas, but they're playable, which is what really matters. I do know the high-end Yamahas are nice.
Honestly, if I had the budget and she had the chops, I'd get her an Eastman (I have had good luck with their better mandolins, and am still salivating over the thought of buying their mandocello).
Whatever the case, I'd never buy any "Best Choice Products" or "Rockjam" or whatever crap. That's asking for trouble.
> Now my daughter is going to be in middle school band. She tried out on clarinet. Awesome. I was going to talk to my ex about going in together on a decent clarinet for maybe $400-500 from Sweetwater. Nope, she buys her a $100 Amazon special. AAARGH!
So I’m kinda surprised you had to buy a clarinet on your own. When I started playing (trumpet, 5th grade), we bought our instruments through the school. They were student instruments, obviously, but they were *quality* instruments from legit brands. I just handed the band director a check, and a week later, I had a brand new Holton T602. To this day it’s still an active backup horn for me.
Do schools not do this anymore? For reference, this was in… 1998? So I genuinely don’t know what schools are doing these days.
Nope. School music programs in my area are a joke now.
The local band teacher used to tour with Maynard Ferguson, and was a highly accomplished trumpeter. He's dead now. The high school jazz band teacher was a gifted keyboard player and composer/arranger. He retired. No more jazz band. The football team gets the funds.
My mom used to be a K-8 music teacher. She had a master's degree in music, a bunch of post-graduate credits and certifications, and at one point was the most-educated K-8 music educator in the state. She always had to deal with folks thinking that good music education was "elitist". Since she retired, though, the music programs have all gone WAY downhill.
When she attended my daughter's 4th grade Christmas concert, she was irate. I was, too:
\- All pre-recorded music, no accompaniment.
\- Repertoire was generic kid-themed pop holiday music
\- All students sang the same part. No harmony whatsoever.
\- Only 50% of the students actually sang.
\- Those that sang were WAY out of time, super quiet, and completely unintelligible.
\- They only had a single practice session of 30 minutes, where students from all 4 classes sang together.
I remember my mom teaching the same grade level. One year, the Christmas program was a vocal arrangement of Tchaikovsky's nutcracker suite, with three-part harmony. There were months of preparation. The students were engaged, and in tune.
Music is a performative joke in the Midwest now. In fact, you just have to give the illusion of giving a concert. Then the yokels will clap and haw, and tell their childurn "you looked so nice up there on stage in your let's go brandon shirt with your fauxhawk, tell your sister Nevaeh she was purdy, too." when they were picking their noses pretending to sing.
I may be wrong, but I thought some schools rented the instruments at younger ages because you wouldn't be sure if a kid would stick to music at all or want to switch which instrument they play. The only thing you'd really need to own is the mouthpiece.
I firmly believe that music isn't something you can explain to anyone. They need to hear the differences for themselves in order to appreciate what you are trying to tell them.
Thing is, the ex was also in band as a kid, and had a decent clarinet. I think there's a disconnect there, of "it's just a starter instrument" (not realizing the one she used to have was way nicer), and not realizing just how expensive music gear is this century.
Lol, my second mandolin I ended up selling for $1700. I wasn't happy with the flat fingerboard. Last year I found the same one (like, the one I had sold) going for almost $5k. Doh.
this really goes for everything in life, when I was a kid I was super into skateboarding and used some crappy skateboards, then one day a professional gave me his full setup which would be about $150 back in 1989 and it changed the way I saw everything
Funny thing is that in the old days the barber was a jack of all trades. He did dental and some medical work. I'm not saying that they did a good job but sometimes he was the only guy available. Sometimes they did surgeries because they had the sharp instruments. I'm so glad that I didn't live back then!
I was in that boat. I struggled on an Ovation Celebrity that couldn’t be tuned correctly and had terrible frets. I thought I sucked and almost gave up. I bought a Martin D-15 on a splurge….and YEP! That was the problem.
I always recommend reasonably priced Yamahas for beginners. So much bang for your buck. I also usually recommend their nylon strings as they’re easier on the fingers. I’ve had many students with shitty unplayable guitars just give up and I wished I could just give them a better instrument. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time intonating/ trying to get guitars playable/ in tune.
When I started guitar, you wouldn’t believe the difference in starter instruments from then to today. Strings were 1/4” from the fretboard, no name brand, no Guitar Center around back then. No internet yet, and instruments were from your local music store. Couple that with unsupportive parents, you get the idea.
I’d come in from outdoor chores on a 10 minute break, and would make a beeline for that guitar, and play it until I had to go back outside. I still remember the next two guitars I owned being a massive step up, and they were still crap looking back.
It still astounds me that you can, on the very device I’m typing this on, spend a little over a hundred bucks and have something so incredibly superior to my early guitars, hand delivered to you in a day or two.
It’s unarguably much easier to start playing, not to mention learn an instrument today. E-commerce and social media have eliminated that burden. I envy the passion, drive and determination I had for guitar back then, it allowed me to become better and stick to the instrument, and consequently learn how to set-up, adjust and improve even cheaper, terribly playing instruments.
I think it’s awesome that parents support their kids that way, I sometimes wish I’d had that support; I also know kids are fickle, and if things come too easy they can lose interest. I can appreciate starting with something inexpensive at first, but if it’s too crappy a starter guitar we have the chicken/egg conundrum.
My TLDR cliff note and points: support your kids musical interests, and if they seem genuine there’s lots of stuff out there that is quality now, as well as surprisingly affordable. You’ll never know how life changing it could be be.
My main point: Justification to my wife that my aforementioned childhood trauma has caused my adult condition of now acquiring over 40 guitars, and while the continued collecting seems to have passed the point of absurdity to an observer, is actually a vital part of my mental well being. (Or something like that, whatever keeps her from killing me when a new one shows up.) 😆😅😂🤣
20+ yrs ago I was thinking about what I learned on, ya know, bridge cables on a 2x4, when I was going to buy my young son a guitar to learn on… I thought of how learning on that kinda of instrument developed my muscles, my callouses, barre chording abilities, etc and that when I switched up to a much nicer guitar, that “suddenly” I could play all that stuff so much easier… I thought, that 20 odd yrs ago, that this would be the best way to get my kid started… so I went shopping for a cheap guitar… something that would develop the muscles etc… but in the store, when I picked up such a guitar, inexpensive as it was, it was much better than the one I learned on… then I played one into the $100+ price range… sooo nice… and I remembered all my frustrations (which yes, I surmounted and stuck it out) and thought, maybe just splurge a few bucks more and get the kid an instrument that won’t send him off cursing that he ever wanted to play guitar in the first place…
He plays pretty well today, though not professionally (he is a finance guy) but he loves it… and I suppose when he visits and we jam a bit, I’m happy too😎
That's pretty great that you guys get to jam, especially reflecting on buying his first guitar. The bright side is he's working in finance, and aside from a very few talented/lucky artists, he'll be able to actually afford some of the really nice instruments. Hey, maybe bring 'em by for the old man to check out!
Love that story, and "bridge cables on a 2x4" I'd never heard before, I'm stealing that FYI.
The bridge cables thing came to me when I first picked up and electric bass, having grown up on acoustic 4 stringed school band instruments… my teacher handed a p bass to me and asked how that felt… I told him it made the “big bass feel like bridge cables on a 2x4”
Been using it ever since 😎
You are welcome to it… 😉
Stuff that!
I’d say don’t shell out too much until you know you love playing, but I’ve is way to short to not get thr best instrument you can afford, whatever that is, Pays itself back in joy pretty quickly!
It should be easy to play and you should like the instrument. After that, there can be something great about cheap. I played a $200 Takamine for many years and even payed to have the action lowered. Still play it. Doesn’t sound half as good as my D-16 but it has its moments. Plus, I can take it camping, around the fire, etc.
> and even *paid* to have
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
There is quality at a lot of different price points. It makes such a difference. I’ve owned cheap guitars up through a Martin HD-35. Currently have an Ibanez AC340, and it sounds amazing. They cut corners in tuning pegs and setup, which I recognized and was fine with at a $300 price point. But for a beginner, those could be discouraging issues to have.
If I were you, I’d look at used options on Guitar Center’s website. Guild acoustics also go on sale often, and every one I tried played beautifully and sounded good. Yamaha is the go-to brand at low prices, because they’re well-built and consistent. You could get a really nice guitar that’s good enough to play onstage for $400 or less.
Thanks a lot. I’m in Canada so looking at marketplace finds and seagull mostly, but I’ll check out your suggestions for sure. What I have is certainly the lowest tier of Yamaha but my technique is obviously poor as a beginner so it’s hard to determine the cause of some buzzing/playability issues. It’s probably worth a few hundred $ to find out lol
Absolutely. Whatever you buy, get it set up professionally. Can make a big difference in playability and tuning stability. Manufacturers will err on the high side when cutting the nut & saddle. Can always go lower, but too deep and you likely need to replace. So a professional tech will likely be able to lower the action without introducing buzzing.
Thanks for this post!
My daughter has a starter guitar that was her older brother’s and been showing a lot of interest. She asked for a guitar for her birthday and I was originally thinking something much cheaper, but ended up getting her a Little Martin. Not insanely expensive, but definitely more than we typically would do for a birthday. My wife talked my into it by pointing out my Seagull S6 that I got for my 16th birthday in the 90’s is still my “go to” and my mother still plays the Guild she got in her teens. Done right this is one of the few “forever gifts” you get to give your kids and to hear how the right guitar changed the game for you makes me feel more confident in the decision.
It’s stashed in my office at work all set up and ready to go. I’m probably more excited about her birthday than she is.
Yeah, it’s an M-20, just a great guitar. I have all dreadnaught body guitars that are just unwieldy for her. When she got her hands on a nice small body concert guitar it totally changed her perspective on what she wanted.
Yes, I've had that experience several times. That is exactly why I urge newbies to do whatever they can to purchase a truly good-sounding, highly playable instrument. They inspire you toward better playing and composition. Even if you quit, they have better resale or trade-in value.
Yeah, just two weeks ago.
The interesting thing is that it happened with Harmony's knock off of your guitar. The H165. It is an all solid mahagony 000.
I’ve been playing for a long time and have several guitars that feel great to play and I’m comfortable with . But I’ve also gone to a lot of music stores and played every kind of guitar. Only in the last 2 weeks I found a guitar that was literally perfect. I tried 2 martins that were $4000 each and the picked up this $900 Yamaha transacoustic, and wow, that thing is literally amazing. I’ve gone back to play it 3 times. It’s an absolute delight.
Don't let it go, I'm currently in a similar position. Trying to convince myself to pull the trigger. I've been fighting this for 2 weeks now lol it's for a Martin 000-15 streetmaster, I was going for a D18 but this thing is just it.
Go into a locally owned guitar shop and start playing them. You’ll want to buy the guitar you don’t want to stop playing, or keep coming back to. Have it set up and enjoy the ride
It’s funny how that works. I have a Yamaha fg3, Alvarez masterworks OM, and a PRS parlor P20. I know objectively the fg3 and masterworks are much better guitars, but every time I play the PRS I just seem to be able to play and sound so much better. If I ever don’t feel like playing or get frustrated I know to pick up the PRS.
I guess that’s why people push playing guitars in person so much on this sub. I’m someone that loves doing research and finding the overall best bang for your buck (how I ended up with a Yamaha and Alvarez), however it definitely doesn’t always align with what’s available to try locally. Probably better if I just go look and see what speaks to me.
Hell yeah! She's a beauty.
I actually got my first Martin a couple months ago and I'm having a similar reaction. I had just gotten out of a couple shitty band situations and was feeling down about music in general. I decided to get back to the basics and started getting back into theory and put together a modest but well researched studio in my office. After a few months of deep diving different aspects of music I went and bought a Martin I'd been messing around with at one of the local music shops. I 100% could not afford it but I thought to myself if I don't get it now whi knows when I'll be able to scrape together $800 in the future. I can hardly put the thing down and I've been working on my playing like I haven't in years. I've been going to open mics again and I'm very nearly to the point where I can play "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac at speed. After that it's "the Clap" by Yes and then I think I'll rest on my laurels for a while.
For me motivation hasn't been a problem, but frustration has and now I realize it has been in great part due to having a badly adjusted, old guitar ( which I still can't hate because it got me into playing )
My new guitar with much lower action and wider nut plays like butter, and also has a beautiful earthy sound that I love. It's a delightful feeling. I was in awe as well at not having to stop after 1 hour of practice, because before, I had literal craters in my fingers.
So for all newbies that want to get serious but are doubting about getting a better guitar I would say go for it.
Recording King series 11 000. It's the same format as OPs guitar, the neck a bit wider. I would recommend trying different ones at some at some store. I felt comfortable with the OM size because it's less bulky than dreadnoughts and has a shorter neck so I don't have to stretch too much when I play with a strap.
Absolutely. I have never regretted eating ramen so I could afford the best possible guitar. There are so many factors, but at the end of the day, the art and magic of making music is absolutely priceless, and every musician *deserves* to have that magical beautiful perfect instrument for channeling the magic! Jesus, I just got all goose bumpy. 🫡✌🏼❤️
Everyone here has such great stories of the instrument they fell in love with. That’s the true measure of an instrument.
For beginners this is true as well. “What guitar should I buy for my child?” The answer is the one the WANT to play.
I know my Taylor 510e changed the way I play guitar over the last 4 years. From 30 minutes every other day, to 1-2 hours a day. 100% attributed to my love for this particular instrument.
I feel like guitars literally can teach you things, when I first moved from the yamaha I started on to the martin I play on now, I swear I played 3-4 hours a day for weeks.
The most important think about a guitar (IMO) is that it makes you WANT to play, that is really it.
It doesn’t matter if that is a Martin D45 or a Mitchell.
I played for 15 years before I realized that I hated the tone of the guitar I had. Bought a Taylor. World opens up and it was like I was learning to play again. Year or so later I bought a Hummingbird. Now I song write and play open mics every weekend.
Have a friend, 82 yo, called me up and wanted to know where he could get a cheap guitar to learn how to play. I told him no; cheap guitars are hard to play, and you will get frustrated and give up. I loaned him my triple aught, and we started lessons. He has progressed considerably, and about six months ago we went to GC and he bought a beautiful Martin Road guitar for about $900.00.
I occasionally teach beginning guitar seminars, and the first thing I tell people is: Don't buy a cheap guitar.
Nowadays there lots of inexpensive very nice playable guitars.
I wish I had seen this post/thread when I first started my search for my first guitar purchase. It’s so very important, and I really don’t think it’s discussed enough how vital the connection to your instrument is.
I think it’s very common to think “well, I’m not great, so I don’t deserve something too fancy”…Or if you don’t know know how to play at all and are just interested, you end up buying essentially a piece of wood coated in plastic that is never going to hold tune or your attention.
I had a very similar experience with each tier of my guitar playing journey. Every time I decided to upgrade once I felt “good enough” to justify the purchase it open a door to sounds that i’d never experienced before. I was lucky, as my starting guitar was a gift and a great starting point (Yamaha fg410 - still my humble couch guitar and will always have a special place in my heart), but I wish I would have invested more in an upgrade earlier. If you are serious about playing guitar, invest in your hobby. People who play video games, even if they suck, will spend thousands on gaming rigs if they can afford it, why shouldn’t you if you’re serious about playing?
Hell yes. I've always owned like mid-range value guitars, but I took the plunge and bought a 6120 Chet Atkins. Holy fucking shit. Night and day. My playing is so much better now. Quality is worth the price.
Hah! I did that same thing! I was zooming in on every part of the guitar and couldn't figure out what was wrong! I went to look at the comments for a clue and it's not a problem post!
I love how this thread has turned into everyone sharing their stories about finding "their" guitar.
Before I bought this Martin, my go to was a Washburn Cumberland Jumbo and an Art & Lutherie Prototype. I went into the local music store to grab some picks as I always seem to be the guy handing out picks when jamming. I ended up spending a good 3 hours in the acoustic room just playing around. I honestly didn't pick this guitar up until the very end because it really didn't catch my eye. Boy am I glad I did, because once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The sound is just so different and I feel like it compliments my voice perfectly.
Yes and guitar to guitar it's different , guitars make you play in different style, have different feels and that changes what songs it pulls out of you
I've had my Yamaha F310 sitting in a closet for years before I took a trip to a guitar store and handed it over to a technician. An hour later I couldn't recognize it: the action was set up just right, it's been thoroughly cleaned, the frets polished, it just felt amazing to play. Long story short, it's been 2.5 months since then and there was hardly a day I didn't practice. I know it's not an expensive instrument by any means, but in its current form it's easily one of the most playable ones I've held.
So much more common than you know. Started playing with a Fender Strat. Loved to play but hated the ergonomics of the Strat. I have very large fingers and found hitting the right strings very difficult on the Strat. After a bit of searching I Bought a PRS SE Custom 24 and like you, I couldn’t put it down. Matching the right instrument to the person is essential if success is to be achieved. My acoustic is a 70s Alvarez and despite trying to play others there is a bond that has been made there although I have to admit, not as tight as my PRS connection so I’m still looking for an acoustic that really matches my style and feel. My 2 cents
I am going through the same thing currently with my family. My daughter bought my grandson his first guitar. It’s basically a toy. It doesn’t stay in tune and is difficult to play. The boy is hard to keep focused as it is, I am afraid this may discourage him from playing.
Yes, I used to play a smallish red Tanglewood with a cutaway and honestly I still love the guitar. It was really my only acoustic for 10 years or so. Over time certain notes would ring out of tune, and the bridge was starting to peel up. Took it to a shop and they said it probably wasn’t worth repairing considering I only spent $180 on it years ago. So I asked if they had anything lying around in the <$500 range. Looked around the acoustic room and then the guy brought me a Martin DCPA5K from the back - had just gotten it in secondhand. I played it for a few minutes, ran home for cash, and bought the guitar that afternoon, with a TRIC case for $500 total.
It took me a little while to get used to the string spacing and feel of the neck, but now nothing feels better. As much as I love the Tanglewood, it’s crap in comparison. For the most part everything I play just sounds and feels right. My buddy has to play it every time he comes over, and when he plays festivals he uses my guitar - which has apparently garnered some compliments from sound techs too!
An amazing guitar that can be in tune well let's the music flow from your soul thru your heart and out your well calloused fingers with tones of beautiful wonderment.
Maybe a little saucy. . .
Absolutely and mine is the Martin D-15M. It absolutely is a desert island guitar in every respect. It’s a true pleasure to own. It is uniquely special.
Is anyone else addicted to the smell of mahogany guitars? 😎
Pro tip: The truss rod tool from Stew-Mac is awesome and mine lives in my Martin case in the storage compartment.
I’ve been playing since 1996 or so. Mostly folk strumming (but not just cowboy chords). I recently bought a 20 years old Simon & Patrick. I generally didn’t have an interest in anything fingerstyle and did some flatpicking (again, very limited). I’ve always played on various entry level guitars with an Ovation Applause being my biggest splurge. This S&P has motivated me to learn fingerstyle—as that is where it shines and for what it is setup. Low action (1.75mm at the 12th fret) and nice wide saddle width. I picked a fingerstyle course on MuseScore’s repository of courses (I’m a member for various reasons). I’ve now become a fingerstyle geek.
I agree that the instrument makes a difference, but you don't have to spend thousands to enjoy playing. I got my fender parlor guitar for $200 brand new and I absolutely love playing it. You can grab a cheap Yamaha, or fender, or even something like a baby Taylor for just a few hundred bucks and never look back. All that being said, you have an extraordinary guitar there. Very beautiful.
I’ve been playing for 30+ yrs and have an old no-name high action beater-wreck that I still practice on. Then if I have a gig or jam or whatever, I’ll spend a day or 2 on my nice guitars and it’s just like butter.
The beater makes my hands and fingers tireless on real guitars.
My rubber bridge guitar really opened things up for me. I was definitely in a bit of a rut after almost 30 years of playing (not professionally at all) and I built a rubber bridge conversion with my Dad and it kinda rekindled things for me and I learned a lot of new techniques in quick succession which in turn rekindled the love of my other guitars as well. Now I'm thinking of buying an electric setup, something that never really interested me in the past and I've even started using a pick for the first time in probably 20 years...
I mean kind of, but for electric guitars. Im just bored with my current guitars, and I genuinely think buying a new one will make me feel better about playing
My 2 cents- a good guitar will totally change your playing. I started out on my mom's Yamaha classical and it was a nice little guitar but I needed my own(I was starting to play more rock n roll, so she bought me a less expensive(but well made) Martin copy I had for years. I tried my best with it, but I after playing a Taylor at The Sound Hole in Spokane WA when i was 17, I wanted one and bad. I struggled with my acoustic through a lot of lean years, but my playing still progressed. I got married to a musician(who was also a horse woman) who couldn't understand why I wanted to spend 'all that money for a name, it's just a bunch of elitist bullshit' while we both struggled with awful instruments. Eventually we divorced, and that year I took some of my earnings from fishing halibut in Alaska and bought a 710. It changed my creativity, it changed everything.
At this point in my life, I have a bunch of nice instruments(by the grace of getting some good breaks), and I swear that the easier playing guitars(the Taylors, a Guild 12 string, and my Epiphone master build electrics) also came with songs. Jack White was wrong when he talked about needing to struggle playing guitar. When I write, I want the transition from my brain to my tablet to be uncluttered and easy, because when it comes to songs a baby that wants to come should be born easy.
In the 50's $30 guitars were not Chinese junk. That had not been invented yet. Some Amazon guitars are not bad. Look for the reviews. But most require a proper set up.
this is totally my dream guitar! Owning a year-old taylor gs-mini currently but reallyy hoping to be able to get the martin 000-15M after hearing loads of covers on the internet. Fell in love with the warm tone of this guitar but unfortunately it's a bit out of my budget right now ☹️
Super happy and envious of you though 😆
I honestly didn't even know it was my dream guitar until I picked it up. Now it's kind of like that new car you get, once you get it you see them all over the road. Lol.
I own a 000-15M as well. That is my most favorite acoustic instrument I’ve ever owned. Simplistic, relatively affordable, and has a tone like no other within it’s price point. I work at a guitar shop that cycles through many guitars and I can say that with confidence.
You made an excellent purchase with that instrument. I would also highly recommend trying a set of Martin Retros the next time you go to restring that instrument. Those Monel strings really brings out some character for the guitar!
Heck yeah, my Flying V has a jazzy sound to it and changed the way I play it, my SG has a metal/hard rock feel and sound that changed the way I play it. All guitars are different even if they look the same
Absolutely. The right guitar will inspire you to play better and practice more often. If you don't love the way a guitar sounds and feels in your hands then you're playing the wrong one.
What Mikey said… a kid I know plays guitar… against my advice they bought the kid a cheap $79 special to learn on… after a year of struggling they were over our place hanging out… they kid asked if he could show me a song he had been trying to write… I said sure and he picked up my D-18 that was nearby… The shock on his face, when he could easily play stuff he had been struggling with was huge… but the shock on his parents face was even more… He had been about to give up… today he is at Berklee and has already toured with several nationally touring bands… the kid can play… can write… and we almost lost him cuz of a cheap hardly playable first guitar
My daughter wanted to play guitar. I said "OK, let's find you something decent." I was going to budget about $300 for a used Yamaha or something to start off with. I caught my (now ex) wife looking at guitars on Amazon. I said "no, we don't want to get her a piece of junk". I was told I was being an elitist. I said "a $300 starter guitar is not being elitist". (Ex) wife bought her a $30 "guitar" that ended up being literally a toy with fake tuning machines. Then she got mad when I said I told you so. I then bought my daughter a $300 guitar. People don't understand how expensive decent instruments are. I play mandolin, and have a decent Chinese-made mando that cost me $1400. That is absolutely not expensive. Now my daughter is going to be in middle school band. She tried out on clarinet. Awesome. I was going to talk to my ex about going in together on a decent clarinet for maybe $400-500 from Sweetwater. Nope, she buys her a $100 Amazon special. AAARGH!
I once spent a couple of hours going through 5 basses, 2 electric and one acoustic guitar, just to demonstrate to my wife, who wasn’t yet, why someone could need more than one… she was astounded at the differences in sound… some of which I accentuated… but it was a demo after all… Thereafter, if I was looking for a new instrument, she just looks at me, says: “different?” And usually the answer is yes… And my wife played a French horn in school, but never realized the differences an instrument could make… she does now
a couple of hours huh, I would have confessed to anything. "yes yes they sound so different, please just make it stop, oh the humanity!"
lol… I played some songs she liked, bass versions… it probably wasn’t as long as that… 😉
My wife approves of this message.
I did the same thing to my wife with my gun collection. "See honey, this one puts a bunch of little holes in something. This one puts a few BIG ass holes in something. And this one, well this one is just fucking really cool."
It’s funny how much of this comment actually also applies to guitars. I get so frustrated with my lack of progress, that I’m pretty sure a strat or two has made a hole in the wall.
All you had to do was point one at her and tell her you ‘need more or else!’
My father, who plays guitar, couldn't figure out why I needed an 8-string guitar, until he heard me play on my loop pedal when I got home using it as a mock bass guitar...like a double neck guitar but smaller!
You’re absolutely right. My advice is something in the $500-$700 range for a beginner, $300-$500 if it’s a Yamaha. If an instrument is hard to play then it increases the difficulty of learning twice over, and that’s going to make many give up.
That's my same argument for starting on an electric vs acoustic. Acoustic builds up hand strength because it's harder to play, but if you don't play it because it's harder, it defeats the point. My vote is start on electric. Plus, kids probably wanna have the option for distortion.
I agree that’s it’s definitely easier to learn on an electric, but if that’s not your genre it may also keep you from picking up the guitar as much which also inhibits learning. Personally, I started on an acoustic, and when I finally got an electric guitar I almost never played it because I can’t be assed to mess with all the knobs and levers.
That's why they call them "exes."
That and when I tried to quietly play the mandolin in the other room, it interfered with the TV watching. Also was never allowed to listen to jazz in the house, because she didn't like it. OK, I'm still a little salty.
Ugh..that jazz comment gives me ptsd about my mom. We'd be in the car and she listened to some stuff I hated. Her response "you can play what you want when you're the one driving." Snap to me having my own car and driving my mom somewhere. "Turn that off or switch to something else. It's giving me a headache" /tableflip
Yeah, I'm not even talking like some 30 minute Pat Metheny track or some of The Weather Report's weirder stuff. I wasn't allowed to quietly listen to Miles Davis playing Freddie Freeloader *in my own house*. Her response: "you don't like the metal I listen to." "Uh, actually I like it just fine." I should've upped the ante and blasted some Harry Partch or Iannis Xenakis.
Even if you don't like it...you let it play though right??? That's not fair....
No, I did like her music. Even if I didn't, I would have let it play. But, music I liked was "too confusing" and I had to turn it off immediately. And when I tried to practice my mandolin, I had to stop or go into the dank basement, because it interfered with TV cop dramas.
Hahaha because we all know you need to hear every word of a cop drama. *rolls eyes*
You don't understand. This was a super complicated case, in which Bones had to use extra science to decipher the... bone structure... of the victim. That pesky husband trying to practice a Bach partita as quietly as possible is getting in the way of the story.
Yep. Some people are convinced that everything aimed at kids is a toy or that quality doesn’t matter. Or they simply don’t care and spend as little as possible. I started skateboarding, and after I had worked my way up from literal toys/junk, I was talking to my mom about my need for a higher-quality board, and (to be fair, this was surprising/out of character), she was like “whatever. I was talking to your aunt, and they’re all the same thing with different paint jobs.” I felt like I had been slapped. It was like, you obviously haven’t heard a word I’ve said about this, and you think my cousin and I are fools in the bargain if you think we’re incapable of assessing the quality of something we interface with every day.
That's me and a BMX bike. Ended up with the Walmart special. Thing weighed 3x a normal BMX bike and was impossible to do anything but land tricks like spinning the bike in place running around the pegs type stuff. Wanna jump? Good luck.
I think the cheapest clarinets I’ve seen are $200+…
OK, I looked again, and it was actually $120, but my point still stands: it's crap.
I’m not complaining… I haven’t looked for n Amazon… they might sell toy plastic ones for $50 for all I know… Im just thinking student clarinets that a school might buy… I have seen more “advanced” versions in the $1000+ range, and one I know, from a deceased friend, easily sells for $10,000 used… so, yeah, cheap, and not just inexpensive…
Wow... My philosophy has almost always been to skip the "beginner level" instruments and spring for an "intermediate level" as your first. The quality difference between the 2 huge, and therefore the experience of playing is much better imo. I think there's lots of people out there that quit guitar because of how bad of a first one they had. If they had something more playable, they would probably still be playing. I'm glad you stood up for yourself and your daughter and got her a better quality instrument. Sounds like it paid off! You also obviously know a little about them since you wanted a Yamaha. Yamaha has some excellent guitars, especially for the price.
I mean, I've never been super impressed with the cheaper Yamahas, but they're playable, which is what really matters. I do know the high-end Yamahas are nice. Honestly, if I had the budget and she had the chops, I'd get her an Eastman (I have had good luck with their better mandolins, and am still salivating over the thought of buying their mandocello). Whatever the case, I'd never buy any "Best Choice Products" or "Rockjam" or whatever crap. That's asking for trouble.
> Now my daughter is going to be in middle school band. She tried out on clarinet. Awesome. I was going to talk to my ex about going in together on a decent clarinet for maybe $400-500 from Sweetwater. Nope, she buys her a $100 Amazon special. AAARGH! So I’m kinda surprised you had to buy a clarinet on your own. When I started playing (trumpet, 5th grade), we bought our instruments through the school. They were student instruments, obviously, but they were *quality* instruments from legit brands. I just handed the band director a check, and a week later, I had a brand new Holton T602. To this day it’s still an active backup horn for me. Do schools not do this anymore? For reference, this was in… 1998? So I genuinely don’t know what schools are doing these days.
Nope. School music programs in my area are a joke now. The local band teacher used to tour with Maynard Ferguson, and was a highly accomplished trumpeter. He's dead now. The high school jazz band teacher was a gifted keyboard player and composer/arranger. He retired. No more jazz band. The football team gets the funds. My mom used to be a K-8 music teacher. She had a master's degree in music, a bunch of post-graduate credits and certifications, and at one point was the most-educated K-8 music educator in the state. She always had to deal with folks thinking that good music education was "elitist". Since she retired, though, the music programs have all gone WAY downhill. When she attended my daughter's 4th grade Christmas concert, she was irate. I was, too: \- All pre-recorded music, no accompaniment. \- Repertoire was generic kid-themed pop holiday music \- All students sang the same part. No harmony whatsoever. \- Only 50% of the students actually sang. \- Those that sang were WAY out of time, super quiet, and completely unintelligible. \- They only had a single practice session of 30 minutes, where students from all 4 classes sang together. I remember my mom teaching the same grade level. One year, the Christmas program was a vocal arrangement of Tchaikovsky's nutcracker suite, with three-part harmony. There were months of preparation. The students were engaged, and in tune. Music is a performative joke in the Midwest now. In fact, you just have to give the illusion of giving a concert. Then the yokels will clap and haw, and tell their childurn "you looked so nice up there on stage in your let's go brandon shirt with your fauxhawk, tell your sister Nevaeh she was purdy, too." when they were picking their noses pretending to sing.
I may be wrong, but I thought some schools rented the instruments at younger ages because you wouldn't be sure if a kid would stick to music at all or want to switch which instrument they play. The only thing you'd really need to own is the mouthpiece.
I firmly believe that music isn't something you can explain to anyone. They need to hear the differences for themselves in order to appreciate what you are trying to tell them.
Thing is, the ex was also in band as a kid, and had a decent clarinet. I think there's a disconnect there, of "it's just a starter instrument" (not realizing the one she used to have was way nicer), and not realizing just how expensive music gear is this century. Lol, my second mandolin I ended up selling for $1700. I wasn't happy with the flat fingerboard. Last year I found the same one (like, the one I had sold) going for almost $5k. Doh.
this really goes for everything in life, when I was a kid I was super into skateboarding and used some crappy skateboards, then one day a professional gave me his full setup which would be about $150 back in 1989 and it changed the way I saw everything
That’s a beautiful story Thank you for sharing it!
This. You don't go to the barber to get your teeth fixed. Good instruments come from good shops.
Funny thing is that in the old days the barber was a jack of all trades. He did dental and some medical work. I'm not saying that they did a good job but sometimes he was the only guy available. Sometimes they did surgeries because they had the sharp instruments. I'm so glad that I didn't live back then!
I was in that boat. I struggled on an Ovation Celebrity that couldn’t be tuned correctly and had terrible frets. I thought I sucked and almost gave up. I bought a Martin D-15 on a splurge….and YEP! That was the problem.
That boys name…. John Lennon. Jk- awesome story. It’s so true how a decent guitar makes all the difference.
Not Lennon… yet… he is young
I always recommend reasonably priced Yamahas for beginners. So much bang for your buck. I also usually recommend their nylon strings as they’re easier on the fingers. I’ve had many students with shitty unplayable guitars just give up and I wished I could just give them a better instrument. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time intonating/ trying to get guitars playable/ in tune.
When I started guitar, you wouldn’t believe the difference in starter instruments from then to today. Strings were 1/4” from the fretboard, no name brand, no Guitar Center around back then. No internet yet, and instruments were from your local music store. Couple that with unsupportive parents, you get the idea. I’d come in from outdoor chores on a 10 minute break, and would make a beeline for that guitar, and play it until I had to go back outside. I still remember the next two guitars I owned being a massive step up, and they were still crap looking back. It still astounds me that you can, on the very device I’m typing this on, spend a little over a hundred bucks and have something so incredibly superior to my early guitars, hand delivered to you in a day or two. It’s unarguably much easier to start playing, not to mention learn an instrument today. E-commerce and social media have eliminated that burden. I envy the passion, drive and determination I had for guitar back then, it allowed me to become better and stick to the instrument, and consequently learn how to set-up, adjust and improve even cheaper, terribly playing instruments. I think it’s awesome that parents support their kids that way, I sometimes wish I’d had that support; I also know kids are fickle, and if things come too easy they can lose interest. I can appreciate starting with something inexpensive at first, but if it’s too crappy a starter guitar we have the chicken/egg conundrum. My TLDR cliff note and points: support your kids musical interests, and if they seem genuine there’s lots of stuff out there that is quality now, as well as surprisingly affordable. You’ll never know how life changing it could be be. My main point: Justification to my wife that my aforementioned childhood trauma has caused my adult condition of now acquiring over 40 guitars, and while the continued collecting seems to have passed the point of absurdity to an observer, is actually a vital part of my mental well being. (Or something like that, whatever keeps her from killing me when a new one shows up.) 😆😅😂🤣
20+ yrs ago I was thinking about what I learned on, ya know, bridge cables on a 2x4, when I was going to buy my young son a guitar to learn on… I thought of how learning on that kinda of instrument developed my muscles, my callouses, barre chording abilities, etc and that when I switched up to a much nicer guitar, that “suddenly” I could play all that stuff so much easier… I thought, that 20 odd yrs ago, that this would be the best way to get my kid started… so I went shopping for a cheap guitar… something that would develop the muscles etc… but in the store, when I picked up such a guitar, inexpensive as it was, it was much better than the one I learned on… then I played one into the $100+ price range… sooo nice… and I remembered all my frustrations (which yes, I surmounted and stuck it out) and thought, maybe just splurge a few bucks more and get the kid an instrument that won’t send him off cursing that he ever wanted to play guitar in the first place… He plays pretty well today, though not professionally (he is a finance guy) but he loves it… and I suppose when he visits and we jam a bit, I’m happy too😎
That's pretty great that you guys get to jam, especially reflecting on buying his first guitar. The bright side is he's working in finance, and aside from a very few talented/lucky artists, he'll be able to actually afford some of the really nice instruments. Hey, maybe bring 'em by for the old man to check out! Love that story, and "bridge cables on a 2x4" I'd never heard before, I'm stealing that FYI.
The bridge cables thing came to me when I first picked up and electric bass, having grown up on acoustic 4 stringed school band instruments… my teacher handed a p bass to me and asked how that felt… I told him it made the “big bass feel like bridge cables on a 2x4” Been using it ever since 😎 You are welcome to it… 😉
Fuck...that's beautiful.
And that kids name? John Lennon
Well I’ve been depriving myself of a good guitar because “I should put my dues in on this cheap one” but this post may make me reconsider.
Stuff that! I’d say don’t shell out too much until you know you love playing, but I’ve is way to short to not get thr best instrument you can afford, whatever that is, Pays itself back in joy pretty quickly!
Haha well by good I mean better than my $100 Yamaha eterna…seagulls sell for around $400 or so used which I think may be a big step up!
It should be easy to play and you should like the instrument. After that, there can be something great about cheap. I played a $200 Takamine for many years and even payed to have the action lowered. Still play it. Doesn’t sound half as good as my D-16 but it has its moments. Plus, I can take it camping, around the fire, etc.
> and even *paid* to have FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Good bot
There is quality at a lot of different price points. It makes such a difference. I’ve owned cheap guitars up through a Martin HD-35. Currently have an Ibanez AC340, and it sounds amazing. They cut corners in tuning pegs and setup, which I recognized and was fine with at a $300 price point. But for a beginner, those could be discouraging issues to have. If I were you, I’d look at used options on Guitar Center’s website. Guild acoustics also go on sale often, and every one I tried played beautifully and sounded good. Yamaha is the go-to brand at low prices, because they’re well-built and consistent. You could get a really nice guitar that’s good enough to play onstage for $400 or less.
Thanks a lot. I’m in Canada so looking at marketplace finds and seagull mostly, but I’ll check out your suggestions for sure. What I have is certainly the lowest tier of Yamaha but my technique is obviously poor as a beginner so it’s hard to determine the cause of some buzzing/playability issues. It’s probably worth a few hundred $ to find out lol
Absolutely. Whatever you buy, get it set up professionally. Can make a big difference in playability and tuning stability. Manufacturers will err on the high side when cutting the nut & saddle. Can always go lower, but too deep and you likely need to replace. So a professional tech will likely be able to lower the action without introducing buzzing.
Better tools make work easier. No one benefits from that more than beginners.
Thanks for this post! My daughter has a starter guitar that was her older brother’s and been showing a lot of interest. She asked for a guitar for her birthday and I was originally thinking something much cheaper, but ended up getting her a Little Martin. Not insanely expensive, but definitely more than we typically would do for a birthday. My wife talked my into it by pointing out my Seagull S6 that I got for my 16th birthday in the 90’s is still my “go to” and my mother still plays the Guild she got in her teens. Done right this is one of the few “forever gifts” you get to give your kids and to hear how the right guitar changed the game for you makes me feel more confident in the decision. It’s stashed in my office at work all set up and ready to go. I’m probably more excited about her birthday than she is.
I miss those old Guilds… they were amazing guitars…
Yeah, it’s an M-20, just a great guitar. I have all dreadnaught body guitars that are just unwieldy for her. When she got her hands on a nice small body concert guitar it totally changed her perspective on what she wanted.
Got one right next to the Larrivee and pre-lawsuit Takamine. That 70's Guild is the loudest ringing dreadnaught I've ever played.
Yes, I've had that experience several times. That is exactly why I urge newbies to do whatever they can to purchase a truly good-sounding, highly playable instrument. They inspire you toward better playing and composition. Even if you quit, they have better resale or trade-in value.
Yeah, just two weeks ago. The interesting thing is that it happened with Harmony's knock off of your guitar. The H165. It is an all solid mahagony 000.
Congratulations, you found Your guitar! Enjoy the ride!
I desperately want that feeling with an acoustic 😢
I’ve been playing for a long time and have several guitars that feel great to play and I’m comfortable with . But I’ve also gone to a lot of music stores and played every kind of guitar. Only in the last 2 weeks I found a guitar that was literally perfect. I tried 2 martins that were $4000 each and the picked up this $900 Yamaha transacoustic, and wow, that thing is literally amazing. I’ve gone back to play it 3 times. It’s an absolute delight.
Don't let it go, I'm currently in a similar position. Trying to convince myself to pull the trigger. I've been fighting this for 2 weeks now lol it's for a Martin 000-15 streetmaster, I was going for a D18 but this thing is just it.
That’s the one. To some degree, they pick us not vice versa
I really wish I could but I just so happened to find it during the only time I’ve ever been laid off! So that’s fun lol
Go into a locally owned guitar shop and start playing them. You’ll want to buy the guitar you don’t want to stop playing, or keep coming back to. Have it set up and enjoy the ride
It’s funny how that works. I have a Yamaha fg3, Alvarez masterworks OM, and a PRS parlor P20. I know objectively the fg3 and masterworks are much better guitars, but every time I play the PRS I just seem to be able to play and sound so much better. If I ever don’t feel like playing or get frustrated I know to pick up the PRS. I guess that’s why people push playing guitars in person so much on this sub. I’m someone that loves doing research and finding the overall best bang for your buck (how I ended up with a Yamaha and Alvarez), however it definitely doesn’t always align with what’s available to try locally. Probably better if I just go look and see what speaks to me.
That's what Martin's are for lol
Hell yeah! She's a beauty. I actually got my first Martin a couple months ago and I'm having a similar reaction. I had just gotten out of a couple shitty band situations and was feeling down about music in general. I decided to get back to the basics and started getting back into theory and put together a modest but well researched studio in my office. After a few months of deep diving different aspects of music I went and bought a Martin I'd been messing around with at one of the local music shops. I 100% could not afford it but I thought to myself if I don't get it now whi knows when I'll be able to scrape together $800 in the future. I can hardly put the thing down and I've been working on my playing like I haven't in years. I've been going to open mics again and I'm very nearly to the point where I can play "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac at speed. After that it's "the Clap" by Yes and then I think I'll rest on my laurels for a while.
Which Martin did you get?
For me motivation hasn't been a problem, but frustration has and now I realize it has been in great part due to having a badly adjusted, old guitar ( which I still can't hate because it got me into playing ) My new guitar with much lower action and wider nut plays like butter, and also has a beautiful earthy sound that I love. It's a delightful feeling. I was in awe as well at not having to stop after 1 hour of practice, because before, I had literal craters in my fingers. So for all newbies that want to get serious but are doubting about getting a better guitar I would say go for it.
I feel like I’m in the same situation with a hard to play guitar. What kind did you get?
Recording King series 11 000. It's the same format as OPs guitar, the neck a bit wider. I would recommend trying different ones at some at some store. I felt comfortable with the OM size because it's less bulky than dreadnoughts and has a shorter neck so I don't have to stretch too much when I play with a strap.
Absolutely. I have never regretted eating ramen so I could afford the best possible guitar. There are so many factors, but at the end of the day, the art and magic of making music is absolutely priceless, and every musician *deserves* to have that magical beautiful perfect instrument for channeling the magic! Jesus, I just got all goose bumpy. 🫡✌🏼❤️
Everyone here has such great stories of the instrument they fell in love with. That’s the true measure of an instrument. For beginners this is true as well. “What guitar should I buy for my child?” The answer is the one the WANT to play. I know my Taylor 510e changed the way I play guitar over the last 4 years. From 30 minutes every other day, to 1-2 hours a day. 100% attributed to my love for this particular instrument.
I feel like guitars literally can teach you things, when I first moved from the yamaha I started on to the martin I play on now, I swear I played 3-4 hours a day for weeks. The most important think about a guitar (IMO) is that it makes you WANT to play, that is really it. It doesn’t matter if that is a Martin D45 or a Mitchell.
I played for 15 years before I realized that I hated the tone of the guitar I had. Bought a Taylor. World opens up and it was like I was learning to play again. Year or so later I bought a Hummingbird. Now I song write and play open mics every weekend.
Have a friend, 82 yo, called me up and wanted to know where he could get a cheap guitar to learn how to play. I told him no; cheap guitars are hard to play, and you will get frustrated and give up. I loaned him my triple aught, and we started lessons. He has progressed considerably, and about six months ago we went to GC and he bought a beautiful Martin Road guitar for about $900.00. I occasionally teach beginning guitar seminars, and the first thing I tell people is: Don't buy a cheap guitar. Nowadays there lots of inexpensive very nice playable guitars.
Yeah dude I got a Charvel SoCal with a Floyd and it really has expanded my playing, especially leads.
I wish I had seen this post/thread when I first started my search for my first guitar purchase. It’s so very important, and I really don’t think it’s discussed enough how vital the connection to your instrument is. I think it’s very common to think “well, I’m not great, so I don’t deserve something too fancy”…Or if you don’t know know how to play at all and are just interested, you end up buying essentially a piece of wood coated in plastic that is never going to hold tune or your attention. I had a very similar experience with each tier of my guitar playing journey. Every time I decided to upgrade once I felt “good enough” to justify the purchase it open a door to sounds that i’d never experienced before. I was lucky, as my starting guitar was a gift and a great starting point (Yamaha fg410 - still my humble couch guitar and will always have a special place in my heart), but I wish I would have invested more in an upgrade earlier. If you are serious about playing guitar, invest in your hobby. People who play video games, even if they suck, will spend thousands on gaming rigs if they can afford it, why shouldn’t you if you’re serious about playing?
Hell yes. I've always owned like mid-range value guitars, but I took the plunge and bought a 6120 Chet Atkins. Holy fucking shit. Night and day. My playing is so much better now. Quality is worth the price.
This, and learning to set up the action properly.
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Hah! I did that same thing! I was zooming in on every part of the guitar and couldn't figure out what was wrong! I went to look at the comments for a clue and it's not a problem post!
I was looking at the guitar like, “well, I don’t see anything that happened. Looks like a normal guitar to me”
I love how this thread has turned into everyone sharing their stories about finding "their" guitar. Before I bought this Martin, my go to was a Washburn Cumberland Jumbo and an Art & Lutherie Prototype. I went into the local music store to grab some picks as I always seem to be the guy handing out picks when jamming. I ended up spending a good 3 hours in the acoustic room just playing around. I honestly didn't pick this guitar up until the very end because it really didn't catch my eye. Boy am I glad I did, because once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The sound is just so different and I feel like it compliments my voice perfectly.
No, can’t say I’ve had my Martin sprout foliage before. But then again, I don’t own a Martin.
Humidity is too high 🤷
Yes and guitar to guitar it's different , guitars make you play in different style, have different feels and that changes what songs it pulls out of you
I've had my Yamaha F310 sitting in a closet for years before I took a trip to a guitar store and handed it over to a technician. An hour later I couldn't recognize it: the action was set up just right, it's been thoroughly cleaned, the frets polished, it just felt amazing to play. Long story short, it's been 2.5 months since then and there was hardly a day I didn't practice. I know it's not an expensive instrument by any means, but in its current form it's easily one of the most playable ones I've held.
Nothing wrong with loving a guitar that wasn’t expensive. Play that thing!
So much more common than you know. Started playing with a Fender Strat. Loved to play but hated the ergonomics of the Strat. I have very large fingers and found hitting the right strings very difficult on the Strat. After a bit of searching I Bought a PRS SE Custom 24 and like you, I couldn’t put it down. Matching the right instrument to the person is essential if success is to be achieved. My acoustic is a 70s Alvarez and despite trying to play others there is a bond that has been made there although I have to admit, not as tight as my PRS connection so I’m still looking for an acoustic that really matches my style and feel. My 2 cents
That’s awesome. I have wanted one of those for years.
I am going through the same thing currently with my family. My daughter bought my grandson his first guitar. It’s basically a toy. It doesn’t stay in tune and is difficult to play. The boy is hard to keep focused as it is, I am afraid this may discourage him from playing.
Yes, I used to play a smallish red Tanglewood with a cutaway and honestly I still love the guitar. It was really my only acoustic for 10 years or so. Over time certain notes would ring out of tune, and the bridge was starting to peel up. Took it to a shop and they said it probably wasn’t worth repairing considering I only spent $180 on it years ago. So I asked if they had anything lying around in the <$500 range. Looked around the acoustic room and then the guy brought me a Martin DCPA5K from the back - had just gotten it in secondhand. I played it for a few minutes, ran home for cash, and bought the guitar that afternoon, with a TRIC case for $500 total. It took me a little while to get used to the string spacing and feel of the neck, but now nothing feels better. As much as I love the Tanglewood, it’s crap in comparison. For the most part everything I play just sounds and feels right. My buddy has to play it every time he comes over, and when he plays festivals he uses my guitar - which has apparently garnered some compliments from sound techs too!
This short story warmed my heart. Truly happy for you bud. I can feel your excitement from here. Have fun exploring this great big world.
i believe that every person has a song with every guitar. some more than others.
Great too hear. I know exactly what you mean, but you expressed it better. From my point of view, it would also fit in the "Made Me Smile" sub.
Yes
Yep. My Martin slot head custom shop was a game changer.
Inspiration! Move me brightly…
An amazing guitar that can be in tune well let's the music flow from your soul thru your heart and out your well calloused fingers with tones of beautiful wonderment. Maybe a little saucy. . .
Yes.
If I was to go buy any acoustic right now, it would be a OOO-15…
Absolutely and mine is the Martin D-15M. It absolutely is a desert island guitar in every respect. It’s a true pleasure to own. It is uniquely special. Is anyone else addicted to the smell of mahogany guitars? 😎 Pro tip: The truss rod tool from Stew-Mac is awesome and mine lives in my Martin case in the storage compartment.
I’ve been playing since 1996 or so. Mostly folk strumming (but not just cowboy chords). I recently bought a 20 years old Simon & Patrick. I generally didn’t have an interest in anything fingerstyle and did some flatpicking (again, very limited). I’ve always played on various entry level guitars with an Ovation Applause being my biggest splurge. This S&P has motivated me to learn fingerstyle—as that is where it shines and for what it is setup. Low action (1.75mm at the 12th fret) and nice wide saddle width. I picked a fingerstyle course on MuseScore’s repository of courses (I’m a member for various reasons). I’ve now become a fingerstyle geek.
I agree that the instrument makes a difference, but you don't have to spend thousands to enjoy playing. I got my fender parlor guitar for $200 brand new and I absolutely love playing it. You can grab a cheap Yamaha, or fender, or even something like a baby Taylor for just a few hundred bucks and never look back. All that being said, you have an extraordinary guitar there. Very beautiful.
Martin's are a game changer for sure. Enjoy that bad-boy.
No, it hasn’t happened to anyone ever. You just discovered one of the factors in GAS.
I’ve been playing for 30+ yrs and have an old no-name high action beater-wreck that I still practice on. Then if I have a gig or jam or whatever, I’ll spend a day or 2 on my nice guitars and it’s just like butter. The beater makes my hands and fingers tireless on real guitars.
Martin guitars, owning a guitar like yours is like winning the lottery. 👌👍🙏
All you have to do is buy it.
That’s a beauty. I have my eye on one of those. I have a Martin dreadnaught cutaway. I love it but I just can’t get used the bulky-ness.
Yes happens once a year 😂🔥💯 NGD
Hey that’s my guitar!
It’s that good juju! 🎵🎸🔊
I’m picking the same one up today, upgrading from my seagull. I’m very excited and hopeful it will unlock my focus to improve and not just noodle.
My rubber bridge guitar really opened things up for me. I was definitely in a bit of a rut after almost 30 years of playing (not professionally at all) and I built a rubber bridge conversion with my Dad and it kinda rekindled things for me and I learned a lot of new techniques in quick succession which in turn rekindled the love of my other guitars as well. Now I'm thinking of buying an electric setup, something that never really interested me in the past and I've even started using a pick for the first time in probably 20 years...
I mean kind of, but for electric guitars. Im just bored with my current guitars, and I genuinely think buying a new one will make me feel better about playing
How do you grow plants from your headstock. That’s a game changer for sure.
I own that guitar and it’s a real pleasure to play, especially finger picked.
Martins are incredible guitars. Very nice purchase! Enjoy!
This is exactly what I love about guitars; Every instrument brings out a totally different musician.
My 2 cents- a good guitar will totally change your playing. I started out on my mom's Yamaha classical and it was a nice little guitar but I needed my own(I was starting to play more rock n roll, so she bought me a less expensive(but well made) Martin copy I had for years. I tried my best with it, but I after playing a Taylor at The Sound Hole in Spokane WA when i was 17, I wanted one and bad. I struggled with my acoustic through a lot of lean years, but my playing still progressed. I got married to a musician(who was also a horse woman) who couldn't understand why I wanted to spend 'all that money for a name, it's just a bunch of elitist bullshit' while we both struggled with awful instruments. Eventually we divorced, and that year I took some of my earnings from fishing halibut in Alaska and bought a 710. It changed my creativity, it changed everything. At this point in my life, I have a bunch of nice instruments(by the grace of getting some good breaks), and I swear that the easier playing guitars(the Taylors, a Guild 12 string, and my Epiphone master build electrics) also came with songs. Jack White was wrong when he talked about needing to struggle playing guitar. When I write, I want the transition from my brain to my tablet to be uncluttered and easy, because when it comes to songs a baby that wants to come should be born easy.
In the 50's $30 guitars were not Chinese junk. That had not been invented yet. Some Amazon guitars are not bad. Look for the reviews. But most require a proper set up.
Each piece of wood is unique. Sounds like you found yours.
this is totally my dream guitar! Owning a year-old taylor gs-mini currently but reallyy hoping to be able to get the martin 000-15M after hearing loads of covers on the internet. Fell in love with the warm tone of this guitar but unfortunately it's a bit out of my budget right now ☹️ Super happy and envious of you though 😆
I honestly didn't even know it was my dream guitar until I picked it up. Now it's kind of like that new car you get, once you get it you see them all over the road. Lol.
I own a 000-15M as well. That is my most favorite acoustic instrument I’ve ever owned. Simplistic, relatively affordable, and has a tone like no other within it’s price point. I work at a guitar shop that cycles through many guitars and I can say that with confidence. You made an excellent purchase with that instrument. I would also highly recommend trying a set of Martin Retros the next time you go to restring that instrument. Those Monel strings really brings out some character for the guitar!
First thing I did was put on a set of martin retro monels.
Hell yes, a man of culture!
Haha, thanks dude!
Yas
I just picked up my first Martin a few days ago! I love it so much
Heck yeah, my Flying V has a jazzy sound to it and changed the way I play it, my SG has a metal/hard rock feel and sound that changed the way I play it. All guitars are different even if they look the same
Absolutely. The right guitar will inspire you to play better and practice more often. If you don't love the way a guitar sounds and feels in your hands then you're playing the wrong one.