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Guitars



From: vincenz2@ix.netcom.com
>>>
My son is 10 years old and has shown interest in playing the guitar since
probably the beginning of this year.
[...]
He was all pumped about an electric guitar for most of the year until   
about
October when I took him along to see the Quad show here in Phoenix and   
now
he has shown interest in an acoustic..
[...]
I just want to get him what ever would work best for him, plus I don't   
want
to spend more than 300 or 400 dollars.
<<<

Vince:
Nice to hear that yet another guitarist may be getting his start.  My own   
advice is something that Pete himself has said: Get the best you can   
afford, because if you buy a cheap guitar it makes it harder than it   
should be to learn the mechanics.  Now this doesn't mean you need to   
spend $1500 on a Gibson Les Paul, but don't skimp.  As for acoustic or   
electric, here's some issues to think about:

 - Used instruments are much cheaper than new ones, and often play better   
(IMHO).

 - Electric guitars need amplifiers, which are easily as important for the   
sound as the guitar.  A great guitar played through a cheap amp sounds   
terrible.  A decent amplifier will cost about the same as a guitar, so   
you've got that to figure in to your price.

 - Electrics are (generally) easier to learn.  You can "ballpark" chords   
and still have it sound something like what it should.  Acoustics have a   
really satisfying tone once you learn how to play, but can be frustrating   
in the beginning.  Once you get good on acoustic, though, electric is a   
piece of cake.  The converse is not true.

 - You can buy a much better acoustic guitar for $400 than electric/amp   
combo.

Bottom line: take your son to a good music store and let him hear   
somebody good play an acoustic that you can afford and an electric/amp   
combo that you can afford (so that he can hear how they *should* sound -   
not how they'll sound the first few times he tries to play) and let him   
decide.  Then get him a few lessons where he can learn the basic chords   
and sounds (it's important to have someone knowledgeable teach him the   
basics and reinforce that practicing *will* get him better), then make   
sure your stereo is in good shape, because he's probably going to be   
sitting in front of it with his guitar a lot.


OK,
KLW