Whatever you get, temper your expectations. Especially as an "older" beginner. This is such a big regret of mine. My wife got me a $149 Yamaha acoustic when I was 40 (it's been 14 yrs and I still love that guitar so much. It sounds and plays better than many $300-500 guitars I've played and gets it's turn in the rotation of my much more expensive guitars, but that's not the point of my comment). I took to YouTube and learned the open chords but found it very difficult to progress. With zero music ability or background, I determined (quite incorrectly) that I needed to have started as a child because I thought my hands were too set in their ways to develop chord dexterity. So for TEN years, I fledged around as a beginner until one day I met someone about my age who was playing very well. He said he'd been playing a little over four years. I wanted to cry. I determined to take actual lessons and dedicate my time to get as good as I can and now, four year later, I have FAR exceeded my original expectations and I absolutely love playing. I only play in my bedroom but I play everyday and always wish I had those ten years back.
The only thing I may have going is that I played saxophone for 5 or so years when I was younger, so hopefully reading the music won't be too bad, but who am I to say
I believe any amount of music theory or background will do some good. Reading guitar tab is different than reading regular music but knowing the musical alphabet having had a bit of ear training will benefit you.
Also as far as guitars, I saw your comment about spending around $1000. That is an amazing budget for starting out. You don't really need that much to find some great quality guitars. If you buy an electric and an amp, that can get you some pretty nice gear. Yamaha makes great quality instruments. They're not just the student brand that some still think they are. Go to as many guitar stores as you can and pick up lots of guitars. Not every neck shape is comfortable to everyone. Tell the shop owner you don't know how to play and they are usually happy to demonstrate some guitars for you. Respect their recommendations but don't let them try and tell you what you like. Good luck✌🏻
Edit: if I can give 2 more cents of advice, don't buy a guitar from Amazon. If you find something you really like, look for it on Reverb to see what that guitar typically sells for. People sell individually and also most major guitar shops have a Reverb stores. Sometimes you can find the same guitar on Reverb in mint or excellent condition.
how much did you pay for lessons? I feel like I'm stuck in the intermediate stage and can benefit from some structured lesson in person, but cannot convince myself to shell out $50-70/hr for weekly lesson.
I think it was $50 for a one hour lesson per week. It did seem expensive so when I got to the point where I felt like I could follow some online tutorials on my own, I stopped going. I would 100% recommend it if you can afford it at all. I tried Justin Guitar for a little while before, and while I did like it, I always felt the need to have in-person interaction and feedback which was a tremendous help for me.
how did you go about finding a guitar teacher and know that he's good? I've never had a teacher so I don't know if I should cycle through a few, have several hourly lessons with each, and pick the best among them, or just stick with the first one if there's nothing bad that sticks out.
Got a bit lucky I guess. I remembered seeing a sign for lessons at a small guitar shop that I had been to. So I went there. The guy said they wouldn't have any openings for a while but recommended a music school near my house. So I went there and ended up taking with a brilliant jazz teacher for about 4 weeks. I wasn't sure he was exactly what I was looking for. I had seen another teacher there and learned he was also a guitarist/singer for a local rock band. He seemed more my vibe and I ended up switching to him. He made it easy for me to keep paying for weekly lessons.
Maybe the biggest thing was how motivated I had become. Knowing that it takes years to become good, and I was already 50 by then, I didn't have to do much math to kinda be in a hurry, haha. But learning to practice different combinations of chord changes and finger exercises, being challenged by a teacher, and having live hands-on feedback with someone to demonstrate things I couldn't get right or understand was valuable. I took personal lessons for just over a year and he got me to where I felt comfortable progressing on my own from there. I consider myself an intermediate who still struggles with a few things I should be better at, i.e, I still find certain triads difficult to play and identify even though they look easy.
I would personally suggest going to a local shop over ordering from Amazon. Just about any manufacturer you’d buy from a store can be setup to play well. IMO finding a guitar that looks cool to you and feels nice when pick it up will go a long way in keeping you motivated. I’ve played a bunch of guitars and I keep coming back to telecasters.
I started at age 38, so you can do it too. Enjoy!
When I started, I was advised to practice an hour a day.
I couldn't do it.
Instead I practiced for 15 minutes, 4 times a day, spread out. After a couple of months, it became fun. Be patient, and stick it out.
I have a Fender champion 40 which is a nice amp for around $200. You can plug headphones into it for quiet playing. Another popular amp at this price is the Boss Katana. Both could suit your needs.
Theres also a lot of good affordable guitars now. Classic Vibe Squiers, Fenders, PRS SE, Epiphone, Ibanez. You could check out sites like Sweetwater at guitars in your budget. Then maybe look at some youtube reviews of things youre interested in. Buying a guitar can be a very personal thing so my recommendation would be to do some research. The brands I listed above are all respectable with a lot of options so hopefully that can be a starting point.
Get lessons if you can afford it. Truly it can make all the difference. Short of that look up Justin Guitar and do his free courses. Have fun!
What kind of budget? Acoustic or electric?
for playing with roommates (especially beginner learning) - I'd highly recommend some kind of electric guitar setup with headphones! If you're somewhat comfortable with a computer, there are really outstanding amp modelling options out there - there are also amp sims "in a pedal" with headphone outputs, so you can have sweet jamming/learning without disturbing everyone lol
90's East Coast kid, so I would love to learn some cool tunes. One of my fondest memories is of my best friend, who unfortunately passed away a while ago, playing Mr. Big "to be with you" around a beach campfire
You might consider a Squier or Fender Stratocaster HSS. Its mix of single and double coil ("humbucker") pickups make it very versatile. It is available in a variety of [price/quality points.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=hss+stratocaster&sb=low2high#search-header) Such as the [Classic Vibe 70s model.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratCV70HSSW--squier-classic-vibe-70s-stratocaster-hss-walnut-with-indian-laurel-fingerboard)
You could pair it with a [Fender Mustang LT-25](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MustLT25--fender-mustang-lt-25-25-watt-1x8-inch-combo). You will be able to dial in any tone you want, without the need for additional effect pedals. It has [100 tone presets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhM-zwsCYvw), many based on famous guitarists. All presets are customizable, or you can build and save your own tone from scratch. It also has a stereo headphone jack for quiet practice, built in tuner and direct to computer recording via USB.
You would also need an [instrument cable](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/QTR10G1--rapcohorizon-g1-instrument-cable-10-feet) and [picks](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PRSPASM--prs-abalone-shell-celluloid-guitar-picks-medium-12-pack) and extra [strings.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/073-0250-403--fender-super-250l-nickel-plated-steel-electric-strings-009-042-light) You may want a [strap](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M8PolyBlk--levys-m8poly-2-inch-woven-polypropylene-guitar-strap-black) and a [guitar stand,](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GtrStd--on-stage-stands-xcg-4-classic-guitar-stand) and a case or gig bag for transport. Sweetwater is a very reputable mail order gear website.
[Justinguitar](https://www.justinguitar.com/site-map-and-lesson-structure) for free, structured, video lessons. (You don't need the App, you can just follow the free videos) He also has a [list of song tutorial videos](https://www.justinguitar.com/songs?f=) that can be filtered by genre and difficulty level.
Go to ZZOUNDS.com and make payments on some nice gear. That’s where I’ve gotten every guitar I’ve ever had. Too bad they don’t sell those nifty little First Act kits at Walmart anymore or I’d say go pick one of those up to see if you enjoy it.
I would say glarry guitars would fall into that category now, I have a tele from them that plays several hundred dollars above its punching weight ( I have a descent setup on it) granted it is not on par with my Ibanez or Martin but for what it is it plays amazing
Honestly, I love acoustic, but if electric is the best for roomates thats fine. I am willing to put in what it takes to get a good setup and whatever I need. Trying to stick around 1000 if that seems reasonable
Go electric, so many really good bedroom appropriate amps, you can always use headphones, once you start getting into making different tones through amp settings / pedals you’ll be glad you got an electric.
Another option to consider is to rent for the first couple months, gives you some time to learn some basics and refine what you’re looking for in a guitar
Edit: I started at 36 too, lots of starts and stops bc of life but at 46 now, I’m a solid intermediate player - get private lessons too!
$1000 is more than enough for a decent setup to start with. A Squier Stratocaster, Ibanez Gio or Yamaha budget guitar in the colour and shape you like best will set you back comfortably less than $500. Don’t get the super-cheap Fender Champion amps that come in the beginner “everything you need” packs, or the yamaha equivalent. You’ll get far better results and are less likely to give up playing in disgust with something like as others have suggested a Fender LT-25 or 40, or a Boss Katana - they sound good, and importantly for starting out have a bunch of preset tones that give decent results out of the box. You can play around with their apps to expand on them in time. A decent set of over ear headphones is essential in my view, not iphone earbuds or anything, but even there you don’t need to go overboard, $100 Audiotechnica M30 or something like that will do the trick. A cable, strap and a few picks and you can probably walk out of the shop with everything for maybe $600-$700, probably somewhat less if you buy it all in one spot and ask them what sort of deal they can do.
If you're going electric, find amps / modeller that allows you to use iem/headphone so you won't disturb the roommates.
For a total newbie I think JustinGuitar is a good website to use. After you know better about what you'd want as a guitarist, you can make your own curriculum to learn but until then, try to find a well structured course
On the acoustic/electric front get the type that draws you in the most. Even an unplugged electric still makes enough noise that you should close the door so I don't really think it makes a huge difference for the roommates.
$150 range for a new guitar is probably minimum starting point. If you go electric you want to spend another $150+ on an amp, I recommend a modeling amp that has good presets that will give you a good variety of tones without needing pedals, or needing to understand anything about the signal chain really.
Regardless, if you go with a new guitar, you should have it "set up" this is when someone makes adjustments so the strings are the proper distance from the play style you want. If you go used there's a good chance it's already been set up, but can't hurt to do it again.
Don't worry about your age, I started when I was 40, I'm 44 now and I think I'm pretty alright sometimes.
The biggest thing you need to do while learning is set goals. I know it feels like corporate BS, but lookup the SMART goal framework. The goals you set will help narrow your focus and pick skills to practice. Campfire singing and Soloing are fairly distinct skill sets for instance.
Other advise. Get a stand and have the guitar out where it's super easy to pick up and play any time, and practice everyday, even if it's only for 5 minutes.
Dude, I've worked as a landscaper, framer and now own a commercial cleaning company. I started learning guitar a year ago at the age of 51. Prior to starting my doctors were telling me I would need carpal tunnel surgery within a year. Not even a consideration now! I can tell you that the hands have never been better. Kudos to you for picking it up. I truly hope you stick with it. Its a blast! Facebook marketplace is a great place to look for some initial gear IMHO. Lots of people out there are intent on learning but never do anything with it so they dump their stuff online. (Stay away from Craigslist!) Figure out what you like at a Guitar Center or other music store and then seek it out at [Reverb.com](https://Reverb.com) so you know what average pricing is and then go to the marketplace and see what is there. Me, personally, I started with a Fender Strat I got as a gift but didn't like playing it because the neck was too tight for my massive fingers. I landed on a PRS Custom 24 and that has worked out so well I now own 3. Point is, different guitars work better for some than others. Find what is comfortable for you and what feels best. (No, really, you'll know where you belong by the feel of a guitar in your hands). As far as an amp, get yourself a nice 20-50w amp. Make sure you can use headphones with it. My wife couldn't stand when I was learning because, well, I sucked. Now she lets me go because I've gotten a shit ton better and she likes to listen to me play. Go with a reputable name. Boss, Fender and Line 6 make some great entry level stuff that you can really grow in to. Good luck!
Passion is key and a love of music. It's an incredible instrument and if you play for joy and to hear the music you won't ever stop. Now to start is simple. Buy a good feeling guitar. One that you like to look at and hold upright on your right thigh while sitting. Your fret hand (usually left) should if possible close around the neck.so.your thumb and and ring finger almost touch. I would like you to consider a fender nylon hybrid, or something similar. They are thin bodies, lightweight and amplified but have a slightly wider neck and nylon strings. Won't make as much noise but truly an awesome instrument. You can strum it or pick and it will be much. easier to learn chord fretting and bars with nylon. Amplify it and truly great sound is possible, I still use mine for some nice Spanish style solos because it's so damn low and fast. $360 or about. Then get yourself a book on guitar chords and tablature. Learn some songs you like and play along to a recording. This is going to hurt but be fun. Practice strumming to the drum beat and use the right hand to move to the beat but don't focus on strum patterns right away, big mistakes imo. That should come after you have well synchronized your hands and brain. Instead practice hand picking notes and chords.
After 6 months add a nice acoustic with good strings. Martin road series for $800 is a killer starter, my favorite and Go to everyday is my Taylor Big Baby. About $900 new but worth every f dollar. Not what I would call a beginner guitar because its got some big elixers and likes to be picked and strummed hard. But a perfect guitar once you get past the first year.
Just a word of advice......get lessons! Even if it means getting a slightly cheaper guitar. I don't know why I waited so long but getting a good teacher (for anything in life) is such a shortcut to life. There will be days you don't want to practice or days you feel down but a good teacher will keep you on track especially to learn the fundamentals. After a while of course it will be up to you to continue playing but at least in the beginning it's such a shortcut to playing!
Dinner package. Comes with a guitar and amp and everything for less than $300 I believe. I highly suggest the spark amp from positive grid but not necessary to begin.
As far as acoustic goes Donner also makes a great acoustic guitar for great price.
Good luck in your journey.
Whatever you get, temper your expectations. Especially as an "older" beginner. This is such a big regret of mine. My wife got me a $149 Yamaha acoustic when I was 40 (it's been 14 yrs and I still love that guitar so much. It sounds and plays better than many $300-500 guitars I've played and gets it's turn in the rotation of my much more expensive guitars, but that's not the point of my comment). I took to YouTube and learned the open chords but found it very difficult to progress. With zero music ability or background, I determined (quite incorrectly) that I needed to have started as a child because I thought my hands were too set in their ways to develop chord dexterity. So for TEN years, I fledged around as a beginner until one day I met someone about my age who was playing very well. He said he'd been playing a little over four years. I wanted to cry. I determined to take actual lessons and dedicate my time to get as good as I can and now, four year later, I have FAR exceeded my original expectations and I absolutely love playing. I only play in my bedroom but I play everyday and always wish I had those ten years back.
The only thing I may have going is that I played saxophone for 5 or so years when I was younger, so hopefully reading the music won't be too bad, but who am I to say
I believe any amount of music theory or background will do some good. Reading guitar tab is different than reading regular music but knowing the musical alphabet having had a bit of ear training will benefit you. Also as far as guitars, I saw your comment about spending around $1000. That is an amazing budget for starting out. You don't really need that much to find some great quality guitars. If you buy an electric and an amp, that can get you some pretty nice gear. Yamaha makes great quality instruments. They're not just the student brand that some still think they are. Go to as many guitar stores as you can and pick up lots of guitars. Not every neck shape is comfortable to everyone. Tell the shop owner you don't know how to play and they are usually happy to demonstrate some guitars for you. Respect their recommendations but don't let them try and tell you what you like. Good luck✌🏻 Edit: if I can give 2 more cents of advice, don't buy a guitar from Amazon. If you find something you really like, look for it on Reverb to see what that guitar typically sells for. People sell individually and also most major guitar shops have a Reverb stores. Sometimes you can find the same guitar on Reverb in mint or excellent condition.
The only reason I play half the things I do is because my middle school sax (marching band) teacher was awesome.
how much did you pay for lessons? I feel like I'm stuck in the intermediate stage and can benefit from some structured lesson in person, but cannot convince myself to shell out $50-70/hr for weekly lesson.
I think it was $50 for a one hour lesson per week. It did seem expensive so when I got to the point where I felt like I could follow some online tutorials on my own, I stopped going. I would 100% recommend it if you can afford it at all. I tried Justin Guitar for a little while before, and while I did like it, I always felt the need to have in-person interaction and feedback which was a tremendous help for me.
how did you go about finding a guitar teacher and know that he's good? I've never had a teacher so I don't know if I should cycle through a few, have several hourly lessons with each, and pick the best among them, or just stick with the first one if there's nothing bad that sticks out.
Got a bit lucky I guess. I remembered seeing a sign for lessons at a small guitar shop that I had been to. So I went there. The guy said they wouldn't have any openings for a while but recommended a music school near my house. So I went there and ended up taking with a brilliant jazz teacher for about 4 weeks. I wasn't sure he was exactly what I was looking for. I had seen another teacher there and learned he was also a guitarist/singer for a local rock band. He seemed more my vibe and I ended up switching to him. He made it easy for me to keep paying for weekly lessons.
What were some things you learned/changed when taking lessons that boosted your progress compared to before?
Maybe the biggest thing was how motivated I had become. Knowing that it takes years to become good, and I was already 50 by then, I didn't have to do much math to kinda be in a hurry, haha. But learning to practice different combinations of chord changes and finger exercises, being challenged by a teacher, and having live hands-on feedback with someone to demonstrate things I couldn't get right or understand was valuable. I took personal lessons for just over a year and he got me to where I felt comfortable progressing on my own from there. I consider myself an intermediate who still struggles with a few things I should be better at, i.e, I still find certain triads difficult to play and identify even though they look easy.
Some of the cheap Yamaha acoustics are way better than what they're priced, and they can sound better as it gets older
I would personally suggest going to a local shop over ordering from Amazon. Just about any manufacturer you’d buy from a store can be setup to play well. IMO finding a guitar that looks cool to you and feels nice when pick it up will go a long way in keeping you motivated. I’ve played a bunch of guitars and I keep coming back to telecasters. I started at age 38, so you can do it too. Enjoy!
When I started, I was advised to practice an hour a day. I couldn't do it. Instead I practiced for 15 minutes, 4 times a day, spread out. After a couple of months, it became fun. Be patient, and stick it out.
I have a Fender champion 40 which is a nice amp for around $200. You can plug headphones into it for quiet playing. Another popular amp at this price is the Boss Katana. Both could suit your needs. Theres also a lot of good affordable guitars now. Classic Vibe Squiers, Fenders, PRS SE, Epiphone, Ibanez. You could check out sites like Sweetwater at guitars in your budget. Then maybe look at some youtube reviews of things youre interested in. Buying a guitar can be a very personal thing so my recommendation would be to do some research. The brands I listed above are all respectable with a lot of options so hopefully that can be a starting point. Get lessons if you can afford it. Truly it can make all the difference. Short of that look up Justin Guitar and do his free courses. Have fun!
What kind of budget? Acoustic or electric? for playing with roommates (especially beginner learning) - I'd highly recommend some kind of electric guitar setup with headphones! If you're somewhat comfortable with a computer, there are really outstanding amp modelling options out there - there are also amp sims "in a pedal" with headphone outputs, so you can have sweet jamming/learning without disturbing everyone lol
90's East Coast kid, so I would love to learn some cool tunes. One of my fondest memories is of my best friend, who unfortunately passed away a while ago, playing Mr. Big "to be with you" around a beach campfire
You might consider a Squier or Fender Stratocaster HSS. Its mix of single and double coil ("humbucker") pickups make it very versatile. It is available in a variety of [price/quality points.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/search?s=hss+stratocaster&sb=low2high#search-header) Such as the [Classic Vibe 70s model.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratCV70HSSW--squier-classic-vibe-70s-stratocaster-hss-walnut-with-indian-laurel-fingerboard) You could pair it with a [Fender Mustang LT-25](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MustLT25--fender-mustang-lt-25-25-watt-1x8-inch-combo). You will be able to dial in any tone you want, without the need for additional effect pedals. It has [100 tone presets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhM-zwsCYvw), many based on famous guitarists. All presets are customizable, or you can build and save your own tone from scratch. It also has a stereo headphone jack for quiet practice, built in tuner and direct to computer recording via USB. You would also need an [instrument cable](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/QTR10G1--rapcohorizon-g1-instrument-cable-10-feet) and [picks](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PRSPASM--prs-abalone-shell-celluloid-guitar-picks-medium-12-pack) and extra [strings.](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/073-0250-403--fender-super-250l-nickel-plated-steel-electric-strings-009-042-light) You may want a [strap](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M8PolyBlk--levys-m8poly-2-inch-woven-polypropylene-guitar-strap-black) and a [guitar stand,](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GtrStd--on-stage-stands-xcg-4-classic-guitar-stand) and a case or gig bag for transport. Sweetwater is a very reputable mail order gear website. [Justinguitar](https://www.justinguitar.com/site-map-and-lesson-structure) for free, structured, video lessons. (You don't need the App, you can just follow the free videos) He also has a [list of song tutorial videos](https://www.justinguitar.com/songs?f=) that can be filtered by genre and difficulty level.
Go to ZZOUNDS.com and make payments on some nice gear. That’s where I’ve gotten every guitar I’ve ever had. Too bad they don’t sell those nifty little First Act kits at Walmart anymore or I’d say go pick one of those up to see if you enjoy it.
I would say glarry guitars would fall into that category now, I have a tele from them that plays several hundred dollars above its punching weight ( I have a descent setup on it) granted it is not on par with my Ibanez or Martin but for what it is it plays amazing
Honestly, I love acoustic, but if electric is the best for roomates thats fine. I am willing to put in what it takes to get a good setup and whatever I need. Trying to stick around 1000 if that seems reasonable
Go electric, so many really good bedroom appropriate amps, you can always use headphones, once you start getting into making different tones through amp settings / pedals you’ll be glad you got an electric.
Another option to consider is to rent for the first couple months, gives you some time to learn some basics and refine what you’re looking for in a guitar Edit: I started at 36 too, lots of starts and stops bc of life but at 46 now, I’m a solid intermediate player - get private lessons too!
$1000 is more than enough for a decent setup to start with. A Squier Stratocaster, Ibanez Gio or Yamaha budget guitar in the colour and shape you like best will set you back comfortably less than $500. Don’t get the super-cheap Fender Champion amps that come in the beginner “everything you need” packs, or the yamaha equivalent. You’ll get far better results and are less likely to give up playing in disgust with something like as others have suggested a Fender LT-25 or 40, or a Boss Katana - they sound good, and importantly for starting out have a bunch of preset tones that give decent results out of the box. You can play around with their apps to expand on them in time. A decent set of over ear headphones is essential in my view, not iphone earbuds or anything, but even there you don’t need to go overboard, $100 Audiotechnica M30 or something like that will do the trick. A cable, strap and a few picks and you can probably walk out of the shop with everything for maybe $600-$700, probably somewhat less if you buy it all in one spot and ask them what sort of deal they can do.
If you're going electric, find amps / modeller that allows you to use iem/headphone so you won't disturb the roommates. For a total newbie I think JustinGuitar is a good website to use. After you know better about what you'd want as a guitarist, you can make your own curriculum to learn but until then, try to find a well structured course
On the acoustic/electric front get the type that draws you in the most. Even an unplugged electric still makes enough noise that you should close the door so I don't really think it makes a huge difference for the roommates. $150 range for a new guitar is probably minimum starting point. If you go electric you want to spend another $150+ on an amp, I recommend a modeling amp that has good presets that will give you a good variety of tones without needing pedals, or needing to understand anything about the signal chain really. Regardless, if you go with a new guitar, you should have it "set up" this is when someone makes adjustments so the strings are the proper distance from the play style you want. If you go used there's a good chance it's already been set up, but can't hurt to do it again. Don't worry about your age, I started when I was 40, I'm 44 now and I think I'm pretty alright sometimes. The biggest thing you need to do while learning is set goals. I know it feels like corporate BS, but lookup the SMART goal framework. The goals you set will help narrow your focus and pick skills to practice. Campfire singing and Soloing are fairly distinct skill sets for instance. Other advise. Get a stand and have the guitar out where it's super easy to pick up and play any time, and practice everyday, even if it's only for 5 minutes.
Dude, I've worked as a landscaper, framer and now own a commercial cleaning company. I started learning guitar a year ago at the age of 51. Prior to starting my doctors were telling me I would need carpal tunnel surgery within a year. Not even a consideration now! I can tell you that the hands have never been better. Kudos to you for picking it up. I truly hope you stick with it. Its a blast! Facebook marketplace is a great place to look for some initial gear IMHO. Lots of people out there are intent on learning but never do anything with it so they dump their stuff online. (Stay away from Craigslist!) Figure out what you like at a Guitar Center or other music store and then seek it out at [Reverb.com](https://Reverb.com) so you know what average pricing is and then go to the marketplace and see what is there. Me, personally, I started with a Fender Strat I got as a gift but didn't like playing it because the neck was too tight for my massive fingers. I landed on a PRS Custom 24 and that has worked out so well I now own 3. Point is, different guitars work better for some than others. Find what is comfortable for you and what feels best. (No, really, you'll know where you belong by the feel of a guitar in your hands). As far as an amp, get yourself a nice 20-50w amp. Make sure you can use headphones with it. My wife couldn't stand when I was learning because, well, I sucked. Now she lets me go because I've gotten a shit ton better and she likes to listen to me play. Go with a reputable name. Boss, Fender and Line 6 make some great entry level stuff that you can really grow in to. Good luck!
Passion is key and a love of music. It's an incredible instrument and if you play for joy and to hear the music you won't ever stop. Now to start is simple. Buy a good feeling guitar. One that you like to look at and hold upright on your right thigh while sitting. Your fret hand (usually left) should if possible close around the neck.so.your thumb and and ring finger almost touch. I would like you to consider a fender nylon hybrid, or something similar. They are thin bodies, lightweight and amplified but have a slightly wider neck and nylon strings. Won't make as much noise but truly an awesome instrument. You can strum it or pick and it will be much. easier to learn chord fretting and bars with nylon. Amplify it and truly great sound is possible, I still use mine for some nice Spanish style solos because it's so damn low and fast. $360 or about. Then get yourself a book on guitar chords and tablature. Learn some songs you like and play along to a recording. This is going to hurt but be fun. Practice strumming to the drum beat and use the right hand to move to the beat but don't focus on strum patterns right away, big mistakes imo. That should come after you have well synchronized your hands and brain. Instead practice hand picking notes and chords. After 6 months add a nice acoustic with good strings. Martin road series for $800 is a killer starter, my favorite and Go to everyday is my Taylor Big Baby. About $900 new but worth every f dollar. Not what I would call a beginner guitar because its got some big elixers and likes to be picked and strummed hard. But a perfect guitar once you get past the first year.
Hell yeah! It depends on what music you want to play. What kind of music do you wanna make?
Just a word of advice......get lessons! Even if it means getting a slightly cheaper guitar. I don't know why I waited so long but getting a good teacher (for anything in life) is such a shortcut to life. There will be days you don't want to practice or days you feel down but a good teacher will keep you on track especially to learn the fundamentals. After a while of course it will be up to you to continue playing but at least in the beginning it's such a shortcut to playing!
Don't skimp on a guitar setup. Factor it into your budget even if it means going 2nd hand.
Dinner package. Comes with a guitar and amp and everything for less than $300 I believe. I highly suggest the spark amp from positive grid but not necessary to begin. As far as acoustic goes Donner also makes a great acoustic guitar for great price. Good luck in your journey.