Which kind of guitar?

An acoustic guitar has steel strings a classical guitar has nylon strings, judging from the music you want to play I would go for the acoustic steel strings. I'm not quite sure what they mean by "folk guitar". Get what you can afford right now you can always upgrade later but get something that feels good to you if you don't you won't play it. Also look for one with decent action (the space between the strings and fretboard) if its too high you will have a harder time playing and your fingers will definitely feel it. Good luck.

An acoustic guitar has steel strings a classical guitar has nylon strings, judging from the music you want to play I would go for the acoustic steel strings. I'm not quite sure what they mean by "folk guitar". Get what you can afford right now you can always upgrade later but get something that feels good to you if you don't you won't play it. Also look for one with decent action (the space between the strings and fretboard) if its too high you will have a harder time playing and your fingers will definitely feel it. Good luck.

Thanks for the quick reply, if I understood them right, the folk guitar has 3 steel and 3 nylon strings. Thanks for the advice :D

Most acoustic guitars are what people call "dreadnaught" body styles. Very boxy - square shoulders, not much of a waist. "Folk" guitars are acoustic guitars (metal strings) that have more of a classical guitar body shape. They are great for fingerstyle.

Hope this helps.

Peace

Most acoustic guitars are what people call "dreadnaught" body styles. Very boxy - square shoulders, not much of a waist. "Folk" guitars are acoustic guitars (metal strings) that have more of a classical guitar body shape. They are great for fingerstyle.

Hope this helps.

Peace

So both folk and dreadnoughts are good to play simple songs and tunes?

not really. any guitar will do. there is a difference in neck width between classical and 'folk' or standard acoustic steel strung guitars.
classical have wider necks. you may want to find a guitar that has a narrower neck. your hand will fit it better and you would more likely want to play a guitar that feels easier.

just a thought....if your heart is set on moving on to electric...why not go straight to an electric anyway?

just a thought....if your heart is set on moving on to electric...why not go straight to an electric anyway?

+1

One can certainly strum an electric guitar. Most amplifiers have a clean and some sort of gain setting. A minor upgrade form a starter amp can get you into something with a wide variety of sounds and tones to learn quite a wide range of guitar playing.

acoustic...I saw an Ibanez for around 199. it was a really nice playing an dsounding guitar.
now if you are thinking electric ...there are many starter guitars that could work. trouble is some of the parts are junk and the playing isn't very pleasant. you could look at some fine used electrics.

acoustic...I saw an Ibanez for around 199. it was a really nice playing an dsounding guitar.

I played one a few years back that I thought was very pretty. It had a Spruce top, but that's all I remember as far as details of what particular model of Ibanez.

rcazador, just fyi, all steel strings in case you're wondering. Say, do you have any friends or co-workers that play guitar? That could be very helpful. Friends generally like to show off what little expertise they might have, and if you throw in a lunch.....heck, they might go all afternoon. It's under-rated by some just how daunting a task it is for a newbie to chose a guitar. My first one was so horrible I don't even acknowledge it as my first guitar......which was my first lesson. Don't go to the wholesale clubs for the starter kit. It took a few months and a trip to a guitar store to figure out my mistake. Luckily, an honest and knowledgable salesman offered to help. I still have that guitar and still play it at least once a week. (electric, Ibanez GAX-70 with wider fret board perfectly made for my fat fingers. I changed the pick-ups in it to get a growl later on, but I do still sometimes miss the tone it had. May change back someday)

First of all thank you all very much for the many responses. :)
just a thought....if your heart is set on moving on to electric...why not go straight to an electric anyway?

About this, well, I chose to play the acoustic first because many people including a few players told me that it was better that I learnt to play on an acoustic, to get the basics right before advancing to an electric.
@rparker, I'm having one of my classmates (he's a guitar player) accompany me, when I goto to get my guitar.

From what I've read here, to play most mainstream band's songs, I just have to get a guitar with metal strings.

Thanks again :D

Here is one other option... get a hollowbody electric.

If will not be as loud or clear as a "real" acoustic, but you will be able to play it unplugged, during those acoustic practices, and plug it in for the electric songs.

There are lots of cheaper, high quality hollowbodies out there.

If you have friends that are players, and can help you with your search, I highly recommend going with a used guitar... perhaps Craigslist or Kijiji in your city? You will need someone with experience to tell you if the guitar is in good shape, but a great deal can be found this way.

For example, close to me, there is an very nice, Epiphone DOT hollowbody for $300, with hardshell case.

http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-hollowbody-epiphone-dot-studio-w-hardshell-case-W0QQAdIdZ102422345

Here is one other option... get a hollowbody electric.

If will not be as loud or clear as a "real" acoustic, but you will be able to play it unplugged, during those acoustic practices, and plug it in for the electric songs.

There are lots of cheaper, high quality hollowbodies out there.

If you have friends that are players, and can help you with your search, I highly recommend going with a used guitar... perhaps Craigslist or Kijiji in your city? You will need someone with experience to tell you if the guitar is in good shape, but a great deal can be found this way.

For example, close to me, there is an very nice, Epiphone DOT hollowbody for $300, with hardshell case.

http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-hollowbody-epiphone-dot-studio-w-hardshell-case-W0QQAdIdZ102422345
I had never heard of this kind of guitars. While craigslist and kijiji are not an option(they do not offer their services in my town), I'll definitely keep an eye out for these guitars. Thanks

Which one? Hmmmm. If between acoustic and electiric, I (opinion) would get an electric with a small amp and practice with it. Take my opinion as if I have a big bias.

About this, well, I chose to play the acoustic first because many people including a few players told me that it was better that I learnt to play on an acoustic, to get the basics right before advancing to an electric.

That is, in my opinion, wrong. I don't think there's anything wrong with learning electric first. I started with electric and then got an acoustic - now I play both. Frankly they're not that different. The basics are the same on both, and the only real difference (outside of the sound) is that the electric is probably easier to play.

I'd get whatever kind of guitar you want to end up playing. There's no point in learning how to fingerpick Simon and Garfunkel songs on an acoustic if you want to play metal.

Having said that, you can't go wrong with a Gretsch 5120. It's a hollowbody electric that's almost as big as some acoustics. Mine sounds great unplugged, and works as an electric too. The metalheads will look at you funny, though. :)