Newbie new to board a few questions

Ive found that it is great to always have an acpoustic lying around. it's a quick grab to play an idea, practice, or just play for the fun of it.

in your case, because of the song styles you want to play, you should get an electric. you have an amp and 350$. that'l get you started and into the sounds you want to play.

in the 350 range you'll find many guitars to from which to choose.and that may be harder than learning new songs ;)

Welcome to GN - I trust you will get many different answers to this one

I'm instinctively leaning toward suggesting you to start out playing an acoustic nylon string guitar - you'll learn stuff that you need to know anyway and then you can make a smooth transition to electric guitar later.

However with the kind of music you are referring too and if you are very much into getting a band up and running right away, perhaps an electric after all...

It depends therefore. I'm almost certain that if you will play on your own you will have more fun and more to entertain with playing an acoustic guitar. Almost as sure that you should not go for a western steel string - you need to thicken your fingers first

My 2 cents.

Lars

I agree with Lars on this. Get yourself an acoustic, nylon stringed guitar. This will not set you back too much (in the UK I picked one up for £40) and will help you to learn the basics which you need to play your electric anyway. And not that I want to put a negative spin on things, but in the chance that it doesn't work out for you, you have potentially only lost a portion of your $350.

In the end you have to go with what makes you comfortable. Best idea when getting a new guitar is to actually go to a guitar shop and try different guitars out. You never know, you may pick up an acoustic and feel comfortable with it (or not), but then you know, and it doesn't cost you a cent. It's a strange thing (and I didn't believe it until I went to a shop in this manner) but you just know when you've found the guitar for you. You can feel it, it speaks to you. Kinda like being in love! :P

(tho I prefer guitars to women ;) they dont lose their shape, gain value with age, and are always up for a good session! ;)

I'd say go for an electric since they are most suited to your style of music. And the smaller body makes it easier to learn on. Did for me anyway. Plus you already have an amp.

When I started I read quite a bit about how to start playing guitar. Almost everyone said start on an acoustic nylon string. And I'm sure there are many good reasons for that. But the advice I followed was "start on a guitar you want to play". So I started on an electric, close to two months ago, and there hasn't been a day that I haven't played it. So go to a store, play any guitar you can get your hands on and pick that one that you'll want to play everyday from here on out (price allowing of course).

Buy the guitar that you see yourself playing, that's the ticket.

While many (most?) guitar players will eventually play and own both acoustic and electric, nearly everyone has a preference as to which really presses their buttons.

Think about it long and hard, and decide which one that is for you.

Just wanted to bid you welcome to the musical madhouse.

Id say unless theres any doubt and u might decide to give, up go for an electric. Maybe pick up a cheap Les Paul copy (a la Jimmy Page) or SG copy (a la Angus Young)

http://www.musicianshop.com/cgi/musicianshop-uk.cgi/pagevintageelectricguitars/43b9ba350af3

heres some ideas.

I say go for a classical nylon stringed guitar first. It may seem boring but you need to build muscle memory and stretch your hands before you grab something like an electric. I myself got stuck with a classical that was strung with .11 steel strings and super high action. And it was a godsend for my playing skill now.

But its your money do what you want.

I learned on an acoustic steel string. I think it was a good way to learn. I learned respect for it and good habits. It is large and uncomfortable at first but you almost have no choice but to learn correct technique and posture with these bulkier guitars. When I purchased my first electric ('60's Gibbson SG) the transition was so easy and I felt like a professional because I could play in so many different tones. I strongly suggest to anyone thinking of buying that first guitar to definitely buy an acoustic. If you are into classic rock and metal I would have to say a steel string acoustic. When you graduate to an electric you will still have the ol faithful acoustic in the case to pick up in a pinch when you get a musical revelation in the middle of the night.

Starting off with an acoustic is a highly recomended method by many players (as you can see). The idea here being that you will aquire the skills and technique needed to play on an electric, and you will strengthen your hands in the process because an acoustic is "harder" to play.

Well, honestly your hands will get stronger no matter which one you play, and you'll learn correct technique as you need to. If you like electric guitars, get an electric. It all comes down to what you want to play. Learning on an acoustic won't make you any better than someone who learned on an electric.

Going by the stuff you named, (very diverse group) I'd recomend getting a Stratocaster of some kind, most likely used. I think the MIM (made in mexico) Fender Stratocasters are AROUND your price range, but you'll probably need to get a used one. Ask your guitar teacher if he knows of any places that carry used (but quality) guitars, and see if he (or an experienced friend) would be willing to come with you to look at them, to make sure everything is in good order. Stratocasters are well known for their diversity, you can get many different sounds on them.

Really, the majority of your electric sound comes from your amp/effect pedels.

Some of the artists you named use acoustic guitars, you can 'replicate' the sound of an acoustic guitar with an electric, but you cannot replicate the sound of AC DC or Zepp with an acoustic.

Try out a few Strat type guitars, try out a few Les Paul types, and try a few SG types. See what you find most comfortable, see what is in your price range....

Taso

Good reply, Taso!

I know many (even most) players begin on acoustic - but I guess almost as many potential electric players try to learn on acoustic and then give up, as much because they can never begin to produce the sound that's inspired them to begin learning as because of any physical difficulty.

Get as good as you can afford - when I changed from bass I first tried a cheap electric, then a cheap acoustic - and I was struggling. I bought a good acoustic (a German Hoyer) but still couldn't get it right. I didn't really begin to discover what I could do till I bought my first Strat s/h - pretty beat up - but it played and sounded wonderful 8) Then, and only then, could I turn back to my Hoyer and appreciate it for what it was, and play it like it was meant to be played, and not like a deficient electric!

Taso is right - try the major families - Strat, LP, SG - even Telecaster - and spend as much as you can afford on the one that grabs you. (I have to say, though, with Taso, that the Strats are about the most versatile guitars ever built - and would cover most of your bases right off.) S/h is good, but there are some very fine and affordable guitars in the big makers' cheap ranges - Squier by Fender, Epiphone by Gibson. Taso's right again - it would help greatly if you could find an experienced player to take with you - there are big differences between one guitar and another even in the same model, especially among the cheaper ones. Something to do with the wood, I guess, coupled with what day of the week they were built on :wink:

And don't give up - practice may not make perfect in music (well it hasn't made me perfect after 38 years!) but it sure does improve things. Sometimes it doesn't feel like you're getting anywhere - and then wham! you break through an invisible wall, and onto the next level. You're in for a lifetime's adventure here, my friend!

Yes.. Great advice by everyone.

Welcome to Guitar Noise :)

I bought a squier fat strat when I started out. I really enjoyed this, and still play it after 2 years of learning (and still learning). My roomate has an acoustic that I messed around with, and still do. Believe me it helps, so maybe if you get serious about it, invest in an acoustic at a later time. I would say stick to the electric now, because you will enjoy the sound of it. But you will appreciate the sound an acoustic can make, therefore play an acoustic too. It will help build finger strength and make your electric playing that much easier. At least thats kind of how I did it.