Dilemmas to buy a guitar for a learner in London

starfish_chimp

Thanks for super replies ... very helpful and inspiring, and I'll have a little hunt around Shaftesbury Ave .... For the record I want to learn folky/popular. I will get my son a 3/4 cheaper one, and that way hopefully everyone happy.

Pauley_Paul

Lots of good advice here, especially the bit about not buying too cheap - my first guitar was all I could afford at the time and sadly was something that Eric Clapton would have had trouble playing! I'd have been better to have saved up for longer and bought a better instrument. That said these days entry level and beginners instruments often come in packs with tuner, tuition dvd etc which are well worth a look. And yes, go to a guitar shop rather than buying online if possible as the instrumants there tend to be better quality. Hope it all goes well for you.

andygb

Get yourself on EBay now, because I have just seen this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRIC-GUITAR-AND-AMP-SQUIER-STRAT-FENDER-/360317063411?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item53e49210f3


There is only an hour to go on this sale, and I would not expect the price to go up by very much (although you can never tell)
One of my mates has a Squier Strat (I have a Yamaha), and it plays really well.

SlinkyFISH_2

If you do want to get a guitar, I would recommend this website. http://www.gak.co.uk/ I've helped folk buy a couple off it before (and my parents got me one off there a good few years ago), and the OH has bought a Microkorg off there before. I've also been to their superstore in Brighton
There is also dolphin music, but I forgot the URL for that :P

I suggest that you DO NOT buy the cheapest guitar from tesco/wilko etc.. The quality, build, wood and varnish will most likely be the cheapest possible, so nicks and bumps will look like an instrumental war wound, the sound quality of them are generally terrible, and the pickups and hardwarey bits inside will be very low quality. For acoustics, the wood is generally a super thin varnished pulp or something else terrible and sinister that breaks if a feather lands on it.

Good brands of entry level acoustic guitars would be Aria, Encore or Fender Squier which are more budget and a bit lower quality, but still have nice sounds/decent wirings etc If you wanted a better sound, Fender standard accoustics or Epiphone are decent.

pinkcandyflossprincess

I too am currently browsing ebay for an electric guitar for my daughter-shes started it up at school and she has been asked to preform at xmas, shes got an acoustic but she won it at drayton manor so it may look like a guitar but it doesnt sound like one:o

I think the packs with amps etc seem good value for a starter although i do keep getting distracted by vintage models in old cases that look like robert johnson may have bashed out a few tunes on them:rotfl:

FatVonD

SlinkyFISH wrote: »

If you do want to get a guitar, I would recommend this website. http://www.gak.co.uk/

My husband swears by this site and also http://www.andertons.co.uk/

starfish_chimp

Well had a really nice morning to-ing and fro-ing Denmark Street. I do agree that nothing beats really being in a real shop meeting real people and I bought a lovely guitar with steel strings (don't seem so hard to me?).

In the end it was a difficult decision between two shops, one beautiful "sound" guitar and one beautiful "fit" guitar, it was a hard decision. But one shop in Denmark St seemed to offer me a pretty good deal, and with my son's lovely 3/4 guitar, I think we did OK I hope).

I agree that the quality of guitar now vis a vis the money is excellent.

jdm01

Don't bother faffing about with makes models etc - Get yourself a Baby Taylor. Taylor is a wonderful make of guitar and the Baby is a 3/4 size so will suit you both.

@ around £200, you are getting a superb guitar with such a sweet sound but the smaller body makes it fit better on your knee while learning.

Hope this helps - I use one as my main Lounge guitar and still love it after a few years.

Jake

www.jojocoke.co.uk

jdm01

Just noticed your update! What make / model did you go for?

J

starfish_chimp

hi jake, i bought an acoustic, listening and holding the guitar plus advice from shop. an english model, and my son a lovely 3/4 size one.

happy playing ... :-)