Guitars!

Harden Knives

Harden Knives

Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
405
Hey everyone!

So I picked up guitar about four months ago and have been paying for some lessons and am truly enjoying it. I have been using a cheap-ish acoustic guitar that a buddy had as a spare and I am going to jump on a new guitar and have some $$$ saved up. First off, I have nerve damage in my third finger so it makes it extremely hard to play an acoustic. Are there any treatments I could get to fix that? I would like to continue with an acoustic but might enjoy an electric.

I can play an electric with very little discomfort.

If there is no fix for the nerve damage or solution to continue to play acoustic, which electric guitars for around $400-500 would you recommend?

I esteem musician's opinions very highly and bladeforums members opinions just as high. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Have a great night.
 
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Spend the extra $75 to $125 and have the guitar professionally set up. I had an inexpensive Fender Resonator. When I gave up trying to play slide on it, I had it set up and the action lowered to play conventionally. Now it's one of the first guitars I reach for. Easy to play and I like that unique tone.
 
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tang1510 said:
Spend the extra $75 to $125 and have the guitar professionally set up. I had an inexpensive Fender Resonator. When I gave up trying to play slide on it, I had it set up and the action lowered to play conventionally. Now it's one of the first guitars I reach for. Easy to play and I like that unique tone.
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Awesome. Who would you recommend to do that?
 
If you have the $$$ Fender and Gibson are go-to brands for professional musicians.

Acoustic guitars, whether steel string folk guitars or nylon string classic guitars will always require more strength/pressure to play compared to electrics.

Before you buy, you might want to do some research on whether to get a solid body electric or one that is hollow body. They each have different tonal qualities and one might suit the type of music you want to play more than the other.

When you get ready to buy it won't hurt to check the neck of the guitar to make sure it's nice and straight as a warped neck on a guitar sure won't help when you play it.
 
m_calingo said:
If you have the $$$ Fender and Gibson are go-to brands for professional musicians.

Acoustic guitars, whether steel string folk guitars or nylon string classic guitars will always require more strength/pressure to play compared to electrics.

Before you buy, you might want to do some research on whether to get a solid body electric or one that is hollow body. They each have different tonal qualities and one might suit the type of music you want to play more than the other.

When you get ready to buy it won't hurt to check the neck of the guitar to make sure it's nice and straight as a warped neck on a guitar sure won't help when you play it.
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Thanks! That helps a ton. I'll ask my teacher what he recommends tone wise.
 
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There are huge numbers of great instruments available now, in nearly any price range. What we generally recommend is simply going to a big outlet like a Guitar Center and just playing everything in your price range.....See what jumps out at you.

The guys are correct; a properly set-up acoustic is much easier to play in most cases. Some are shipped ready-to-go...... I bought a little Taylor GS Mini about 3 years ago and have not touched it.
 
I never took to playing acoustic, but have been playing electric for 25 years. Most of mine are "super-Strat" types from Jackson (Soloist and Dinky models) with a couple of others from Hamer, Ibanez and LTD. With a few exceptions, all are 10-20 years old and made in the US or Japan. Buying comparable guitars now means either spending a lot more money or buying instruments made in places like China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam to name a few.

If you can get your hands on a Charvel made in the past few years, made either in Japan or Mexico, they are very well made and reasonably priced. Hamer made a nice Korean line for several years, and although the brand has changed hands and mostly dropped off the radar, some of the imports from the late `90s and early 2000s are worth it. Also check out Godin.

Fender and Gibson still making *some* good guitars, but are often quite expensive for what you get, and their import lines (Squier and Epiphone) leave a lot to be desired.
 
What kind of music do you play? Some styles of guitars are good for one style but not very good for others. I would recommend a Fender mexican standard HSS stratocaster for that price range. It would be good for most styles and it will also have a slim and comfortable neck (Imo). Gibson necks are a little chunkier and you might have a harder time with them.
 
I had the same trouble with my acoustic and just brought it to my local music shop to have the action lowered. Only cost me about $40 and now plays like an electric. Also I would check out Godin guitars, very well made and quite inexpensive, my acoustic is made by them under Art & Lutherie and i love it and am about to pick up one of there electrics.
 
I play mostly acoustic these days out of consideration for my neighbors. I started my kids and grandson out with acoustics because it forces you to use proper techniques and build up your calluses instead of relying on two finger power chords and computer enhanced effects. At last count I have a Gibson, a couple of Fenders, including a 12 string acoustic/electric, a pair of Ibanez acoustic electrics and an old Epiphone.(when they were better).
 
I used to play guitar, and still have a USA made Fender Lone Star Stratocaster.

The mid range Ibanez offerings are a great value and play well.
 
These other guys already nailed it. Most your cheaper acoustics have high actions that are really uncomfortable to play. If you have a guitar shop near you, go in and play a few in your price range and see what you like.
 
Harden Knives said:
First off, I have nerve damage in my third finger so it makes it extremely hard to play an acoustic. Are there any treatments I could get to fix that?
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For treatment options, talk to an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine doctor.

Assuming you are right handed and the injury is to your left hand, a famous guitarist shared your problem — Django Reinhardt.

[video=youtube;sY1oo8sJzYY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY1oo8sJzYY[/video]

Gotta hit the YouTube button to play this, but at least there's no commercial. The tune is Rina Ketty's big 1938 hit "J'attendrai," Jürgen Prochnow's favorite record in Das Boot.

Django was badly burned in 1928 (age 18): he almost lost a leg, and his left hand ring and little fingers were partially paralyzed and fused together. He relearned guitar, playing melody with his index and middle fingers while using the crippled fingers as a sort of claw to help form three and four note "jazz chords." He began playing electric guitar after the war but his acoustic recordings are more popular. I don't hear much difference in his playing, but his pre-war bands were better.

If you're interested in guitar, you should listen to Django and some of the other acoustic masters — Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Teddy Bunn. If you like what you're hearing, find a good jazz teacher and talk to him/her about your left hand problem.

Here's another Django video: the first 30 seconds gives a better look at his left hand in "J'attendrai."

[video=youtube;PQhTpgicdx4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4[/video]
 
I played guitar for a while then stopped for a month or two. I gotta nice fender tele MIM that I got a good price on used. Might pick her up tomorrow...
 
Harden Knives said:
...which electric guitars for around $400-500 would you recommend?

I esteem musician's opinions very highly and bladeforums members opinions just as high. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

For the record, I'm not a musician and I can't play a guitar. I do own one though, and have spent a lot of time shopping for them.
At that price range, I'd be looking at Ibanez, Schecter, and Jackson.

I was very interested in Godin, but have never seen one in a store.
 
I am a big Taylor fan. So adjustable in so many ways. Have been spoiled though as I inherited a '76 model D-28 Martin from my dad. It is terrible to have such pitiful guitars to learn on!!!!
 
Check out rondo music dot com. Great guitars for very reasonable prices. In particular the agile al 2000+ models
 
I agree with DocGP. I picked up the Guitar again a couple of months ago. I took lessons 45 years ago. I hated that guitar back then as it hurt my fingers. I now have a Taylor Big Baby and love it. It is easy to play and once I learn, I am off for another Taylor.
 
Quoting the OP,
"...which electric guitars for around $400-500 would you recommend?"

I'm curious to hear more suggestions as well. And with pictures. :D
 
Bob W said:
Quoting the OP,
"...which electric guitars for around $400-500 would you recommend?"

I'm curious to hear more suggestions as well. And with pictures. :D
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One more slightly off-topic suggestion!

If you want to switch over to electric, more power to you. But if you do end up staying with acoustic, yes, lowering the action is your best bet. On a cheaper guitar, you might as well just do it yourself, there are a bunch of DIY guides out there for it. Otherwise, a cheap and simple solution might be to just use lighter strings. It'll affect your sound, whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you, but they should be of lighter tension than medium strings. Many beginners use lighter strings anyway for a similar reason - they typically have trouble with finger strength.
 
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