Which guitar?

[sherby]

Im wanting to start playing guitar, and I just saw the coolest electric one. (It had a snake on it and everything!!) But should I start learning on an acoustic one, would that be easier to start with? Or could I just go ahead and buy the electric one and learn on that?

[j2buttonsw]

People say start on an acoustic but they mean a classical guitar with nylon strings which are easier on the fingers. They also have quite a wide neck which makes the positioning of your fingers easier. Electric guitars can have light guage strings so I would buy that.

[Nelli]

Yep! Electric!! My B/F is a guitar (electric) teacher, he always reccommends the Yamaha Pacifica, it's quite cheap but excellent to play....apparently. Good luck!

[treaclefight]

you should play what you want to play, if you love the guitar get it and enjoy it, any guitar strings will make your fingers hurt for a while, so you might as well punish yourself with good reason, you'll probably lose heart with the acoustic if its not what you want, all the best, you'll have a lifelong friend in your guitar

[skelly]

Go for the electric, but don't go mad and spend more than you have to. Try a squire, an excellent choice for starting out on and progressing IMHO. But don't under estimate the importance of a decent amp and don't spend all your money on a great guitar and a poor amp. Better to have a more even approach. Find the guitar you like ( Yamaha as mentioned is also good) and spend as much time as you can trying out some different amps. You'll be surprised at the difference between the same guitar on different amps.

[sherby]

Cool, thank you all! I think ill go with Nelli's idea and get the Yamaha one.

[sft42]

Ok then....Here comes comment from the site's resident gigging guitarist and guitar teacher.....Learn on an acoustic...simple as that....due to the string guages used and playing action (the distance the strings are away from the fingerboard) electrics are slightly easier to play but if you are ever going to play an acoustic then I would recommend it as your starting point....It will also work out cheaper as you won't have to buy an amplifier and leads.....but having said all that I know that in guitars that heart rules rather than the head and if you want the "snake" guitar then go and get it....I have 13 of the things and I reallly can understand that "OH MY GOD IT'S LOVELY I WANT IT I MUST HAVE IT" resopnse when you see a nice guitar.......whatever you decide to do save some money for lessons from a good tutor as this will help you learn all the faster.

[anthomson]

Whether you go for an electric or acoustic - just don't go for something really cheap - I spent years struggling with a cheap acoustic, It sounded awful, I couldn't play it and I couldn't tune it - I just thought I had no ability and it wasn't till I did a bit of research and brought myself a decent secondhand electric guitar that I realized that alot of my difficulties were actually due to the original guitar. I think its important your first guitar should be easy to play otherwise you will just lose confidence.