1st guitar for x-mas

[txlc]

I need hornfans help. My 14 year old son is wanting to learn how to play the guitar and would like one for x-mas. I have no musical talent and no knowledge of where to start. These are the questions I have.
1. Electric or acoustic? Is one better than the other for a beginner?
2. With money being tight this x-mas would craigslist or a pawn shop be a reasonable option to purchase the instrument.
3. My son has Asperger's and is ADHD what would be the best way for him to learn how to play? Personal lessons, DVD insrtuctor or just let him figure it out?
4. If electric is the choice, then what size amp do I need to get or do they come with one?
Any help would be appreciated

 

[hullabelew]

I have played since 3rd grade. That was a long time ago.

Some questions: What type of music does your son listen to? Want to play? Are you located in Austin?

1. I always suggest people learn on acoustic. It makes you a better player, cheaper and much more quiet for the others in the house.
2. Craiglist, OK but you need to know what you are looking for in a guitar. Stay away from pawnshops. I have been searching pawnshops for a long time and have never found a guitar worth buying.
3. Lessons...lets come back to that.
4. IF you decide to buy an electric, DO NOT overbuy on the amp. A cheap Peavey/Fender (less than $100) will be more than good enough. I have a practice Peavey that has a headphone jack.

Electrics are easier to play but learning on an acoustic makes you a better player.

You will need someone to help you look at instruments. It is important to buy a quality guitar. Cheap ones are harder to play and won't stay in tune and he will hate it from the start. If you don't have a friend who can go look with you, then if in Austin, go to South Austin Music and talk with them. They should have a good supply of used guitars and the owner is a great guy. Tell them what you are looking for and why. Buying from a locally owned shop will get you better service than Guitar Center or ordering over the internet. You might save a little money but will more than make up for it in service.

When you buy it, have them 'set it up for you', teach you how to change the strings and buy a tuner. I can't stress this enough. Buy a tuner.

Seagull guitars get rave reviews for their playability and their value for the money. You can get anS6 Entourage acoustic for about $300 new. There are a lot of really good brands and I hesitate to list the brand names. Too many other factors come in to play.

As far as lessons, I would probably get a DVD for beginners and let him work through that so he can get comfortable changing from chord to chord. Then, after he is comfortable with the feel of the guitar and 'toughens his fingers up' then talk with the people in the guitar shop so they can help match him up with a teacher.

 

[Horn89]

Agree with just about all of that. I would definitely go acoustic and not electric. I don't know about DVD instruction, though. I don't see how that could work if you're starting completely from scratch. You really need someone who can at least teach you how to tune it, how to hold a pick, how to finger a couple of chords to get you started....

The vast majority of 14-year old kids want to have FUN playing guitar. They're not going to jump right into learning major scales, the circle of fifths, etc. (i.e. music theory). They don't have nearly the patience that it takes to sit through those kinds of lessons.

So basically, if you want your son to stick with it and keep playing until he DOES start to pick up some music theory, it's going to have to be fun for him right off the bat. "Fun" at this age = being able to play along with a few songs that he really likes.

If there are ANY acoustic artists who he likes, try to get your hands on that kind of sheet music (the internet is your friend). I'm talking about stuff like Tom Petty or the Eagles. I would probably also spring for a few lessons. When your son realizes that he can actually play along with a ton of songs that he already knows and likes, it's immensely rewarding and motivating to keep learning and playing. But he's got to be able to feel some kind of accomplishment within the first month or so. If he just goofs around on an out-of-tune and confusing box... it will get old quickly.

I would stay away from pawn shops. If you decide to go craigslist, you can find some fair deals out there on quality instruments, but you really need a player with some experience to help guide you.

Good luck! Got my first acoustic at about age 13. It was, and still is, a defining moment in my life.

 

[Rip76]

 

[txlc]

Thanks for all the great advice. I went down to the local music shop and set him up with a fender g6 series. There were a few customers in there that talked about being able to learn a lic but not being able to play with other people and that the g6 came with an amp that you could set to different styles like jazz or blues in four time. As for acoustic vs electric he is leaning toward electric and they said the gage of the wires of the electric are bigger and he would be able to play longer as he was building up his calluses. There was also a local musician in there that suggested lessons that focused on learning how to tune, replace strings and learn the basic cords so he could play along to his favorite songs quickly. Once again thanks for all your input because I want him to have fun with it but I also see it becoming a way for him to express himself which has always been difficult for him and so he just bottles everything up. I want to be able to set him up for success and all your advice will help greatly. I have also decided to learn to play guitar with him as I hope this will help keep his interest in it in the beginning plus it will give us some good dad and son time.

 

[wedgie]

For songs that he likes just goggle search "chords song name" and free info comes up.

I started playing at about the same age as your son and as others have stated you will be surprised how easy it is to play a lot of songs once you know the very basic chords.

I wish your son the best it sounds like a good thing. Let us know how it goes so maybe we can help with other thoughts/suggestions down the road.

 

[hullabelew]

Best of luck to your son. My mother mentioned once that she saved thousands of dollars on therapy by getting me started on the guitar. If I have had a bad day, nothing gets me back on track like sitting down with my guitar and playing.

When he gets the guitar, make sure he leaves it out. Don't force him to put it away in the case under his bed or in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. If he leaves it out on a stand, he will be more apt to pick it up and play it.

Again, best of luck to your son. I think you are making a very wise choice in getting him involved with the guitar.

BTW, what is a g6 series? Is is some kind of beginner combo package?

 

[txlc]

The g6 is a beginner set that comes with a squire guitar, strap, picks, amp that you set time to, and extra strings. I will make sure he keeps it in the family room so he can always see it and play when he feels like it. Also thanks for the google tip as well I know we we'll be using it a lot. I will post a follow up after x-mas.

 

[txlc]

It s actually called a g-deck set. What can I say but that I have no clue what I am doing.

 

[Not that Bob]

g-dec was the perfect choice. He can play along with the "built in" songs in the amp. If he really likes it, he can move up to a more expensive g-dec which will have many more "play along with" songs.

Make sure the guitar is set up properly. This is like a tune up for a car...if the plugs are bad, the best car in the world will not be any fun. If the guitar is not set up properly, it will be difficult to play and will not sound it's best. Should come with the guitar, but if not a guitar tech will do it for aroung 50 bucks. Once set up you should not have to repeat the procedure for a long, long time...just change strings.

 

[hullabelew]

I haven't looked but I imagine that G-dec amp will have a tuner built in. That looks like the perfect choice for your son. A buddy of mine has one of the larger versions. He is in his 50s and has been playing for about 3 years. For some reason, he has 3 different amps but he told me he liked the dec amp the best.

One thing. They sell acoustic guitars with pickups so you can plug them into an amp, but it will sound like crap if you plug it in to an 'electric' amp. They actually make amps that are specifically for acoustic guitars. It has to do with how the pickups in the guitar translate the sound. So, if you get the dec amp, make sure you get a real 'electric' guitar and not just an acoustic with pickups.

 

[lnghrngrl]

If you're interested in lessons.... I have a 19yo prodigy friend that does lessons. He'll be able to relate very well to a 14yo and probably make it easier.

 

[YoLaDu]

Get the cheapest amp, the cheapest guitar and learn three chords. All you really need.