New and needs advice!

[savagefire]

I'm new to the guitar world and need some advice on starting out.
What kind of affordable guitar is good for a beginner? Any other advice is welcome too!

[Tone2TheBone]

Electric or Acoustic? If electric...without even batting an eye I would go get one of those Squire 51's like the kind Robert has. For $149.00 its a great guitar. Very versatile too...you can play any style of music with it.

For acoustic Samick makes excellent guitars for a very reasonable price. If you can find a shop that has them...try them all out. If you want great acoustic tone go for a dreadnought style body with Spruce top. The Spruce will sound better with age and is usually the mark of a good built acoustic guitar. If you're starting out I would recommended these guitars. -RobJ

[EscalonJon]

I agree with tone2thebone on the '51. I just sold a Greg Bennett Samick OM8CE (Continental series), which is an orchestra model electric cutaway. (incidently, this guitar had been signed by Greg Bennett himself, he is by the way, a wonderful guitarist) See www.samickguitar.com/om8ce.html for info. I liked it, so I also agree with tone2 that Samick has a good product and offers a lot for the $$$. (If you check around the OM8CE could be had for under $400.00 us) Samick quality is decent. You might also consider Blueridge for acoustics. I have a BR163, which is a 00028 Martin style guitar. Solid rosewood back and sides, non-electric. Made in China, but hard to beleive, it is soooo nice. They are really popular in the bluegrass community where the guys are getting shy of gigging out with their vintage Martins. Go to www.sagamusic.com/catalog/details.asp?ProductID=BR-163 You can get probably the best deal on Blueridge at www.centsiblesounds.com (about $560.00 us w/hsc) They treated me great. Blueridge quality, wood, and hardware is outstanding. Both of these acoustic guitars are small-bodied and comfortable to play. They both also have plenty of aesthetic good looks and are great quality intermediate instruments. I hope you find something you'll love and be happy with!!!

[savagefire]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll probably take a look at a Squire '51.

[tremoloman]

You are lucky... there are many good guitars to be had for very little money. What kind of sound are you looking for? The Squier '51 is an awesome guitar for beginner or expert. If you want a tremolo based guitar, I highly recommend the Squier 'Black & Chrome' model. I bought 2 of these as birthday gifts for relatives and they can't put them down! Yamaha also makes killer guitars for very low dough.

There are other good brands around, but Squier & Yamaha are the two I'd look at. Both are big named brands that have companies that offer impeccable service and support.