Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

Gotta chime in here, all those who think developing your technique on an acoustic making you a better electric player is BS is woefully naive

Would they argue learning how to sketch properly would not make you better at oil painting?

You guys keep derailing the OP's thread, probably scared him off. It's not up to you to tell someone how they should practice, and then keep harping on it. What are you going to do next, tell him how to dress? He just wants to know which of those 3 guitars we'd recommend.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

Yes, nice playing but not what I was talking about. There are things you can do on an electric that you can't do on an acoustic, like deep, fast vibrato bends. Watch the Fleetwood Mac video of them live onstage playing 'Like it This Way'. Peter Green and Danny Kirwan are trading off riffs and doing one great bend after another. That's the style I play, that's what I practice: British blues. That kind of playing is what made Peter Green a legend. Again, I've never seen anybody do that kind of bending on an acoustic.

So your whole style revolves around just doing string bends? That Stumbler cover I posted does some pretty cool strings bends if you listened past the first 20 seconds.

The Phil Keaggy leads involve string bends and crazy licks that are rare to hear on an electric.

I'd say you are very limited then if you can't possibly do your "style" on an acoustic. But I digress.

You guys keep derailing the OP's thread, probably scared him off. It's not up to you to tell someone how they should practice, and then keep harping on it. What are you going to do next, tell him how to dress? He just wants to know which of those 3 guitars we'd recommend.

How did we derail the thread?

I'm basically looking for a wood with strings on it to practice.

Last time I checked acoustics were wooden with strings on it....but what do I know, not going to be a virtuoso so why even bother playing acoustic.

EDIT: Where am I telling the OP how to practice? How in the world did you get from recommending an acoustic for practice to us telling him how to dress? Talk about extremes lol

So you are telling me you have never given an option that wasn't specifically listed in the OP on this forum? C'mon man, this is an online forum and we give advice.

I've been playing for over 20 years now and am just giving advice from my journey as a guitar player. If that bothers you then sorry, but last time I checked this wasn't blueman's forum.

 

[regan]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

The biggest appeal of acoustics is that you don't need an amp to be heard across the room. Less investment, less stuff to haul around...key selling points. The 'grab-and-go' free spirit thing. However, the thick wound strings and high actions are hard on tender finger tips. I suspect most acoustics spend most of their lives sitting in a corner, and not being played after the initial flurry. Anyone I know wanting to start guitar, I advise them to get an inexpensive electric. Much easier on the fingers. The average person isn't going to be a virtuoso, neither are the vast majority of members on this forum.

I've owned acoustics (Taylors, takamines & yamahas) whose playability would embarrass many an off the peg electrics, My Taylor which is my primary finger style guitar is set up with tens and past the 7th fret I can bend up to a tone and half, and execute the odd pinch harmonic or two on it. My yammie is permanently tuned to open D or dadgad, both sit on stands at the end of my sofa always ready,beginners fingertips will be sore no matter what due to steel strings not the guitar, a 25.5" scale guitar will be under the same tension regardless if its electric or acoustic & action can be adjusted on acoustics also.
Sure some acoustics (like golf clubs fishing rods etc) gather dust probably fewer than abandoned electrics, but a lot have had years of playing the key selling point for an electric is wanting to be a guitar hero like slash when your average 13 year old realises it takes effort it's dicarded, the selling point of an acoustic is strumming 3 chords to play a song, thats where you should start, EVERYTHING leads on from here.

If anything it's my electrics that sit in the case to gather dust, if I want to noodle for 10 mins or try to work out a riff or progression etc I don't pull out my strat and amp and cables and wah and OD and reverb pedal (you get the picture), I grab my acoustic and play around for ten mins which often turns into hours, I don't practice nearly as much as I should, but when I did and was putting a couple of hours a day into the guitar it would be on acoustic.

Practicing at home with a electric is a pita you can't get the amp loud enough to react properly, you'll spend hours with the gain on full and the master practically at zero which is completely counter productive for 'real' electric playing. Understanding the dynamics of an acoustic is not too far from understanding the dynamics of 'real' electric playing with the master volume opened up or god forbid no master volume at all

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

- So your whole style revolves around just doing string bends? That Stumbler cover I posted does some pretty cool strings bends if you listened past the first 20 seconds.

- The Phil Keaggy leads involve string bends and crazy licks that are rare to hear on an electric.

- I'd say you are very limited then if you can't possibly do your "style" on an acoustic. But I digress.

- How did we derail the thread?

- I listened to the 3 videos you posted, start to finish. Good players at what they do, but neither of them came anywhere close to doing what Kirwan and Green did with their wild bends. Most guys can't do that on electrics.

- I don't need your approval about my playing, anymore than you need mine. I get a lot of compliments from audiences, musicians, and band members; I'm happy with my playing style. I like to expand my skills and one way I do that is by assimilating different scales and modes, and trying them in new places. Acoustic playing isn't the direction I want to go.

- By going on and on about acoustics when the OP asked about electrics. You guys are too pushy. Lighten up.

 

[regan]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

The irony on display in this thread is hilarious,

 

[regan]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

I'm basically looking for a wood with strings on it to practice. :bandit:

You guys keep derailing the OP's thread, probably scared him off. It's not up to you to tell someone how they should practice, and then keep harping on it. What are you going to do next, tell him how to dress? He just wants to know which of those 3 guitars we'd recommend.

Apparently 2+2= 476 now

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

- I listened to the 3 videos you posted, start to finish. Good players at what they do, but neither of them came anywhere close to doing what Kirwan and Green did with their wild bends. Most guys can't do that on electrics.

- I don't need your approval about my playing, anymore than you need mine. I get a lot of compliments from audiences, musicians, and band members; I'm happy with my playing style. I like to expand my skills and do that by assimilating different scales and modes, and trying them in new places. Acoustic playing isn't the direction I want to go.

- By going on and on about acoustics when the OP asked about electrics. You guys are too pushy. Lighten up.

You are referring to something two guys do in a solo and basing your entire style off of it. I'm not approving or disproving your playing–just saying an that an entire method of guitar playing using only insane string bends is very limited...there is a lot more to playing the guitar than bending strings.

Lighten up? I'm already working on that, see in this thread

And why don't you look in the mirror before you tell someone else to lighten up? Just a thought pal

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

- beginners fingertips will be sore no matter what due to steel strings not the guitar,

- a 25.5" scale guitar will be under the same tension regardless if its electric or acoustic & action can be adjusted on acoustics also.

- Not true. An 11 or 12 gauge acoustic with round wounds is far harder on new fingers than a 9 gauge electric. You can adjust action on electrics and get them where you want them. Few people can do that on the average acoustic. Beginners buy inexpensive guitars; electrics in that price range are more adjustable and easier to play than acoustics. They're not going to be spending what you did on your acoustics. Your point on your acoustics having nice actions doesn't apply to them on their much more modest guitars.

- I use 9's on 24.75" scale guitars. No acoustic is as easy for me to play the way I do on electrics. You prefer to pick up an acoustic and play for hours, I prefer to pick up an electric and play for hours. It's all personal preference; I fail to see any validity to the statement you made. You're acoustic-oriented, some people are electric-oriented. Your inability to get your amp dialed in for home use isn't making the point you think it is. A lot of people don't have that problem.

Practice like you want, on what you want, and let it go.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

using insane string bends

'Insane string bends' that you can't do on an acoustic. That was my point. There are things you can do on an electric, that you can't on an acoustic, or practice on an acoustic.

 

[Securb]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

Just my 2 cents not that anyone cares - I would bring my acoustic to gigs to warm up on even though I didn't use it on stage. The wider neck and higher action was the equivalent to jogging with ankle weights. If I got my bends and vibrato down on the acoustic my fingers where a lot faster and comfortable on the electric. Even today when I am working on scales or any task driven guitar work it is done mainly on the acoustic. You need to play more accurately and cleaner to produce the right tone. Doing bends and getting great vibrato out of an acoustic is not a new thing it just takes practice. Listening to some John Lee Hooker or Son House is a good place to start.

 

[Securb]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

That was my point. There are things you can do on an electric, that you can't on an acoustic.

Please give me an example. Because insane string bends are possible on an acoustic.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

'Insane string bends' that you can't do on an acoustic. That was my point. There are things you can do on an electric, that you can't on an acoustic.

I never said anything you do on an electric you can do on an acoustic–I said playing/concentrating on acoustic improved my electric playing.

You said:

I do a lot of deep string bends, often with fast vibrato on my electrics (like Peter Green), with 9 gauge strings. Key part of my style. Never seen anyone do that on an acoustic

And I responded with a video of a guy doing a Peter Green cover that included some very nice string bends–deep to some but apparently nothing at all like what is the core of your style. We have know gone from "deep" to "insane" bends.

With all due respect, I've seen the videos you referenced in arguments with other forum members and your style includes little to no "insane string bends."

I would say Phil Keaggy's stuff on acoustic was pretty insane for an acoustic–but its just "good" to you (understatement of the year.)

Since derailing the thread is so important to you, why don't you "lighten up" and let it go? You should take your own advice bud.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

Please give me an example. Because insane string bends are possible on an acoustic.

The video I mentioned a few posts up that contains the alleged 'insane string bends.' They didn't do it to that extent on every song, but it's great stuff when they did. Also a big fan of early Jimmy Page and his incredible energy and wild bends.

 

[regan]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

- Not true. An 11 or 12 gauge acoustic with round wounds is far harder on new fingers than a 9 gauge electric. You can adjust action on electrics and get them where you want them. Few people can do that on the average acoustic. Beginners buy inexpensive guitars; electrics in that price range are more adjustable and easier to play than acoustics. They're not going to be spending what you did on your acoustics. Your point on your acoustics having nice actions doesn't apply to them on their much more modest guitars.

- I use 9's on 24.75" scale guitars. No acoustic is as easy for me to play the way I do on electrics. You prefer to pick up an acoustic and play for hours, I prefer to pick up an electric and play for hours. It's all personal preference; I fail to see any validity to the statement you made. You're acoustic-oriented, some people are electric-oriented. Your inability to get your amp dialed in for home use isn't making the point you think it is. A lot of people don't have that problem.

Practice like you want, on what you want, and let it go.

It's basic physics you can put 9's on an acoustic you can put 13's on an electric the string simply doesnt care what it's attached to to get to 82.5hz it will be under exactly the same tension no matter what it's attached to.

So I come back to you a parlour guitar with a 22" scale strung with 10's is easier to play than an electric baritone strung with 20's, anyone can point to the extremes to support their position.

My acoustic with its light 10 strings and low action is far easier to play than a strat set up SRV style high action with heavy 13's no contest.

For someone who by his own admission 'never got into acoustics' I don't understand why you keep defending a position you claim you have little experience of so vehemently.

He's not my cup of tea but check out Michael Hedges he's the Vai/EVH of acoustic and shows its not the cheesewire type instrument all those of you think that it is.

I've shared my thoughts and elaborated why I hold them, I'd love to let it go as it's boring now but someone's like a dog with a bone

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

I'd love to let it go as it's boring now but someone's like a dog with a bone

So drop your bone.

 

[B2D]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

Can you pick up a used Mexi Strat or Tele for that much?

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

My brother and I bought a cheapo Xaviere guitar and bass so we could have something to jam on when we visit relatives on the holidays. My brother travels for work a lot so a travel bass seemed like a no brainer for him.

I bought my Xaviere used on eBay and my brother bought direct from guitarfetish... we couldn't be happier! I'm not sure what the euro exchange would be but Xaviere is something to at least consider. Fast playable necks, good useable action and more than decent electronics.

Agile is great too... lots of good Chinese guitars. I couldn't be more impressed by what's coming out of China these days... and I'm usually a USA only guitar snob. lolz!

 

[Godin15]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

- Not true. An 11 or 12 gauge acoustic with round wounds is far harder on new fingers than a 9 gauge electric. You can adjust action on electrics and get them where you want them. Few people can do that on the average acoustic. Beginners buy inexpensive guitars; electrics in that price range are more adjustable and easier to play than acoustics. They're not going to be spending what you did on your acoustics. Your point on your acoustics having nice actions doesn't apply to them on their much more modest guitars.

- I use 9's on 24.75" scale guitars. No acoustic is as easy for me to play the way I do on electrics. You prefer to pick up an acoustic and play for hours, I prefer to pick up an electric and play for hours. It's all personal preference; I fail to see any validity to the statement you made. You're acoustic-oriented, some people are electric-oriented. Your inability to get your amp dialed in for home use isn't making the point you think it is. A lot of people don't have that problem.

Practice like you want, on what you want, and let it go.

VERY WELL SAID!!

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

. What are you going to do next, tell him how to dress?

He should dress in khakis, and a polo shirt. Tommy Hilfiger.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a cheap guitar just for practice. What's the best I can get?

He should dress in khakis, and a polo shirt. Tommy Hilfiger.

Is that the 'acoustic guy' look?