walkingdecay
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,676
My main instrument is: brownish and rather small.
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Post by walkingdecay on Aug 28, 2021 22:57:50 GMT
Given that you can buy good and even great sounding budget guitars nowadays the only real criteria to apply are 1) Do you like how it sounds? 2) Is it comfortable for you to play? 3) Are Ferraris or Porsches worth the money? (I see skyetripper expressed a somilar sentiment to the latter)
A friend who recently retired from teaching music maintains that all playable instruments are starter instruments, by the way, and none are easy because there is so much to learn about technique and music itself. The rest comes from any natural talent (which can take different forms) and hard graft.
"You never stop learning. I learned something watching a kid this morning." Charles Mingus.
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juliant
C.O.G.
Posts: 327
My main instrument is: Lowden L23
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Post by juliant on Aug 30, 2021 18:00:50 GMT
I’m with you on this, Paul. It is especially important for beginners to play, at least, a decent guitar. Playing a poor instrument that is not very playable can be very demotivating and not too many people would stick at it. Having said that, I stuck at it and only had no better than firewood guitars for years. Buy the best that you can afford and enjoy your playing. The same goes for whisky. I know that many inexperienced players who've tried my Lowden have said how much better it made them sound, and how much nicer it was to play. I've found that buying good guitars prompts me to practice and play better, so that I feel I'm worthy of the instrument (not that it works very well, mind...)
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douglas
Strummer
Three chords and the truth.
Posts: 47
My main instrument is: ... the next one.
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Post by douglas on Aug 31, 2021 6:17:57 GMT
I’m with you on this, Paul. It is especially important for beginners to play, at least, a decent guitar. Playing a poor instrument that is not very playable can be very demotivating and not too many people would stick at it. Having said that, I stuck at it and only had no better than firewood guitars for years. Buy the best that you can afford and enjoy your playing. The same goes for whisky. I know that many inexperienced players who've tried my Lowden have said how much better it made them sound, and how much nicer it was to play. I've found that buying good guitars prompts me to practice and play better, so that I feel I'm worthy of the instrument (not that it works very well, mind...) Re the Lowden, I am certain this is true, probably of almost every really high-end guitar - but we have diminishing returns to consider. I mean a £2k guitar will be 'good', a £4k guitar will be some degrees better, etc. I have a hunch that one day (probably not too far away) I will own a Collings. But I already know for certain it won't be twice as good as a guitar half the price. I'll value the subtle differences but will struggle to justify the cost/return to anyone but me. So I come back to my own modus - buy the best you can afford second-hand (wait, be patient) so when you do sell it on (and you will!) you don't lose your shirt.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Aug 31, 2021 9:50:24 GMT
I’m with you on this, Paul. It is especially important for beginners to play, at least, a decent guitar. Playing a poor instrument that is not very playable can be very demotivating and not too many people would stick at it. Having said that, I stuck at it and only had no better than firewood guitars for years. Buy the best that you can afford and enjoy your playing. The same goes for whisky. I know that many inexperienced players who've tried my Lowden have said how much better it made them sound, and how much nicer it was to play. I've found that buying good guitars prompts me to practice and play better, so that I feel I'm worthy of the instrument (not that it works very well, mind...) There's a lot to be said for a "good" instrument. At school I tried to learn the flute (I wanted to learn guitar but you had to buy a guitar, other instruments could be borrowed). I couldn't get a sound but the teacher's was lovely to play. My flute "career" lasted half a term... Whether that justifies a trip to Devon is another matter...
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Post by robmc on Aug 31, 2021 17:00:21 GMT
I like the porsche or ferrari analogy but you must be willing to accept the possible social stigma that may come with it, small man syndrome, all the gear no idea... look at that snotty little upstart etc. If you have a discrete luthier built instrument only recognisable to those in the know then it's less of an issue... but if you have an OM42 ( Martin) you have to have the cahoonas to pull it off (or rhinestone cowboy boots)
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Post by ianlp59 on Sept 4, 2021 15:06:59 GMT
I'm with the buy the best you can afford, and then some, camp. I've probably overdone things to a degree, as I have always found acquiring new instruments far far easier than letting them go. As a result I have a very nice, if not affordable, collection of instruments. They all get played, although I've always got a couple of go to guitars at any time. I find it fascinating when I pick up one that I haven't played that recently only to be blown away with how good it is, which often provides me with inspirational ideas in one direction or another.
In the end though, the whole thing should be FUN. If you are lucky enough to own one or several instruments that you really love to play, then you're probably in the right place, so to speak.
Anyways, Halifax looms ever closer along with the difficult choice of which guitars to bring along...
Cheers,
Ian
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juliant
C.O.G.
Posts: 327
My main instrument is: Lowden L23
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Post by juliant on Sept 5, 2021 12:16:24 GMT
I know that many inexperienced players who've tried my Lowden have said how much better it made them sound, and how much nicer it was to play. I've found that buying good guitars prompts me to practice and play better, so that I feel I'm worthy of the instrument (not that it works very well, mind...) Re the Lowden, I am certain this is true, probably of almost every really high-end guitar - but we have diminishing returns to consider. I mean a £2k guitar will be 'good', a £4k guitar will be some degrees better, etc. I have a hunch that one day (probably not too far away) I will own a Collings. But I already know for certain it won't be twice as good as a guitar half the price. I'll value the subtle differences but will struggle to justify the cost/return to anyone but me. So I come back to my own modus - buy the best you can afford second-hand (wait, be patient) so when you do sell it on (and you will!) you don't lose your shirt. If I was starting now, that's probably what I'd do.
But back then (the Lowden turns 40 next year) the choice of decent acoustics was very limited. There was little in the way of good budget stuff - you could find a few Big Name instruments at daft prices - and the shops probably wouldn't let a beginner like me touch them - otherwise it was unimpressive. I had a couple of pretty naff guitars and then I heard someone playing a Lowden, and that was it. So my savings went to George, and that was that.
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Post by geddarby on Oct 23, 2021 17:44:41 GMT
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Post by jonnymosco on Oct 24, 2021 11:03:50 GMT
He's lucky to have Amanda! Jonny
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tangledfool
C.O.G.
Posts: 65
My main instrument is: suffering gratuitous abuse at my hands.
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Post by tangledfool on Oct 25, 2021 23:26:15 GMT
The flipside - when guitars are gifted to people......volume up!
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Martin
Administrator
Posts: 11,879
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Post by Martin on Oct 26, 2021 17:01:49 GMT
The flipside - when guitars are gifted to people......volume up!
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Post by Mike Fowler on Oct 27, 2021 17:59:37 GMT
No.
Buy a guitar that will enable you to improve your skill level in the most effective way that is possible.
I was on a plateau for years, maybe nearly twenty years before I got a decent guitar. The sound of it and the ease of playability encouraged me to practice more often, and I could now pay more attention to things like dynamics instead of just cutting my fingers to bits on cheese wire. I had a Yamaha dreadnought which was just sooo difficult to play, and the neck was far too thin for the style I aspired to. I wish I'd taken out a loan instead of waiting till I had a decent job. But there it is.
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