Have a friend with needs. I'd like to suggest she learn guitar. What would you all recommend as a first acoustic guitar?

[Eggs_n_Ham]

I was thinking along the lines of a moderately priced *attractive* parlor guitar or something of that nature. A guitar that would esthetically make one want to pick it up and play it. What say ye guitar ladies and gents?
TYIA!

 

[merlin666]

Really depends on what kind of music she wants to learn and access to teacher. If she is serious and wants to learn classic guitar and reading music then the proper instrument is an entry level classic guitar. If she is more interested in casual learning and strumming simple popular music songs then a smaller bodied laminate steel string might be a good idea.

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

Really depends on what kind of music she wants to learn and access to teacher. If she is serious and wants to learn classic guitar and reading music then the proper instrument is an entry level classic guitar. If she is more interested in casual learning and strumming simple popular music songs then a smaller bodied laminate steel string might be a good idea.

Thank you for your reply. Honestly? I'm not sure she would even pick up a guitar but music is part of her heritage...I do like the idea of pointing her toward classic guitar...

 

[clear]

I'm not sure she would even pick up a guitar

Playing guitar takes a lot more dedication than playing the ukulele because it is more difficult to just get started. Lots of people who started out with great enthusiasm still quit (including myself) within the first couple of years. If she's starting out without even that much intertest... well.

Also, most people think of guitar think of the acoustic or electric guitar sound. Very few even know about classical guitar just because it's not used in a lot of pop music. I think it is better for an instrument's sound to generally match a person's mental image to help stimulate interest.

 

[rlgph]

I was thinking along the lines of a moderately priced *attractive* parlor guitar or something of that nature. A guitar that would esthetically make one want to pick it up and play it. What say ye guitar ladies and gents?
TYIA!

I agree with the previous replies. If you do decide on a parlor, one of the Canadian-made Godin brands (Seagull, Simon & Patrick, etc.) are quality guitars for the money. One of their brands also specializes in nylon strings (not necessarily classical) which may be appropriate for someone just starting out. There are some well-respected folk/pop players who play nylon strings -- Willie Nelson, Jerry Reed -- and people like Joan Baez early in their careers.

 

[rustydusty]

A tenor guitar wouldn’t be a bad place to start. In “Chicago tuning”, she could move up to 6 strings or down to the more compact baritone ukulele if she finds an interest…

 

[ploverwing]

My Mom has a Gurian steel string guitar (I don't know the style or model, I'm not a guitar person) from the '70s. She loves it, the sound is brilliant. But it's a bit unwieldy for her now, and she really wanted to keep learning & playing, so she bought a Cordoba Mini II and loves playing it. She's very happy with that as an option. I guess that's similar to a parlour guitar size?

 

[Mike $]

If it has to be acoustic, make it a Dobro, then she can work her way on to a Pedal Steel Guitar.

 

[baconsalad]

The Cordoba Mini-M is only slightly bigger than a baritone uke but plays like a real guitar and is easy on the fingers for beginners. Solid mahogany top and even has a truss rod. It ships with A to A (requinito/guilele) strings but you can buy optional string set for E to E tuning. It was my main guitar for years when i was travelling.

 

[DownUpDave]

Without knowing her budget it's very hard to give an answer. The Taylor GS Mini is a fabulous small bodied guitar but they cost about $700.00. A very well respected parlour guitar in the $450 range is the Alvarez AP66SHB. Something a little bigger that gets huge love is the Yamaha FS800 at around $299.00. If she lives near a big city or big box music store then renting is a good and inexpensive way to go.

 

[Stoneyrun]

Maybe encourage her to play bass. My friends and I can rarely find a bass player.

 

[jkib]

The Cordoba Mini-M is only slightly bigger than a baritone uke but plays like a real guitar and is easy on the fingers for beginners. Solid mahogany top and even has a truss rod. It ships with A to A (requinito/guilele) strings but you can buy optional string set for E to E tuning. It was my main guitar for years when i was travelling.

I have a mini R and put Pepe Romero's guilele E-E set on. Much better than the Aquilla E-E set.

 

[baconsalad]

I have a mini R and put Pepe Romero's guilele E-E set on. Much better than the Aquilla E-E set.

I love using the A to A because they have a wide latitude. I often tuned them G to G or even F# to F# because there are so many songs on guitar that I normally play capo 2/3. Also is great for the guitar songs that are in open f / open d capo 3

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

The Cordoba Mini-M is only slightly bigger than a baritone uke but plays like a real guitar and is easy on the fingers for beginners. Solid mahogany top and even has a truss rod. It ships with A to A (requinito/guilele) strings but you can buy optional string set for E to E tuning. It was my main guitar for years when i was travelling.

What is the difference between A-A and E-E tuning? Would a new learner with no musical experience be able to pick up a simple beginner guitar tabbed song and play it with either string set? It would be worth a couple hundred dollars out of my pocket to get her into focusing on something that requires commitment and returns that commitment with a valid musical experience.

 

[HappyTurtle]

If budget is not an issue, pick one that catches your eye too. If she ended up not liking it at least you have an extra guitar that you like.

Hope everyone gets a friend like you 😊

 

[ploverwing]

What is the difference between A-A and E-E tuning? Would a new learner with no musical experience be able to pick up a simple beginner guitar tabbed song and play it with either string set? It would be worth a couple hundred dollars out of my pocket to get her into focusing on something that requires commitment and returns that commitment with a valid musical experience.

As far as tabbed, yes it works fine. I have an A-A tuned Requinto and an E-E tuned Cordoba Mini II that I can play and with tabs, it doesn't matter. If you're playing with others, though, you have to remember that A-A is the same as E-E capo'd on the 5th feet (same tuning as baritone ukulele). So if you're trying to play the same tune together, you'll have to switch up one or the other to be in the same key.

 

[rlgph]

What is the difference between A-A and E-E tuning? Would a new learner with no musical experience be able to pick up a simple beginner guitar tabbed song and play it with either string set? It would be worth a couple hundred dollars out of my pocket to get her into focusing on something that requires commitment and returns that commitment with a valid musical experience.

If she is likely to play in jams with others, do not encourage her to use an A-A tuned instrument. It would take away (or make much more complicated) the learning opportunity to play along with other guitarists by following their fingering. If she will not be playing with other guitarists during her learning period, it doesn't matter as much, though i still would not recommend learning guitar on anything but standard E-E tuning.

I would also not recommend starting with a four-string instrument if the goal is to learn guitar. Learning four string chords and expecting a simple transition to 5 or 6 string chords is deluding yourself in my opinion. Better to learn the 3-4 essential chords of a particular key (e.g., G) and use a capo to play and sing in other keys to provide incentive to keep at it (and move on to other chord shapes).

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

If she is likely to play in jams with others, do not encourage her to use an A-A tuned instrument. It would take away (or make much more complicated) the learning opportunity to play along with other guitarists by following their fingering. If she will not be playing with other guitarists during her learning period, it doesn't matter as much, though i still would not recommend learning guitar on anything but standard E-E tuning.

I would also not recommend starting with a four-string instrument if the goal is to learn guitar. Learning four string chords and expecting a simple transition to 5 or 6 string chords is deluding yourself in my opinion. Better to learn the 3-4 essential chords of a particular key (e.g., G) and use a capo to play and sing in other keys to provide incentive to keep at it (and move on to other chord shapes).

Thank you. I think this is the ticket. Thank you to everyone that has helped guide me in making a sensible decision to bring some happiness into a friend's life.

 

[DJ Mango]

G9500 JIM DANDY™ 24" FLAT TOP GUITAR​

https://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/build/acoustic/g9500-jim-dandy-24-flat-top-guitar/2704000503

 

[ampeep]

Eggs_n_Ham, was wondering what kind of needs your friend has. Has this friend expressed an interest in playing the guitar? Interested in playing with others? Since this a ukulele forum, maybe learn to play the uke?

Lots of questions, eh?

Ukulele groups are always on the lookout for bass - that's a possibility if your friend has good sense of timing & wants to play with others.