I am looking to learn to play acoustic guitar. Any advice? Also any recommendations for a low cost beginners guitar?
UK. Not too sure which kind. Possibly steel string? Is it ever preferable to learn on an electric guitar?
Dont buy low cost. They tend to have really high action, this can cause more pain when necessary when trying to fnger chords. They are also made of inferior material and sound wont be so great. I recommend second hand but you would need someone to go with you to inspect the guitar, only a keen eye would be able to detect a bent neck due to a tightened truss rod. Secondly are you taking lessons or learning by yourself? If learning by yourself i recommend checking out lick library dvd's all those guys are proffesionals and most teach at the music institute. secondly save yourself some time and.money and buy a copy of rocksmith 2014 with the les paul included for £150 and you will starting learning very quickly. I am actually about to start training and using my mobile but ill post more of what you shouldnt do. Baza
Electric guitars generally use thinner strings and have lower action, so they are easier to play. However, I think it's better to start on acoustic to build finger strength and accuracy. If you want a seriously cheap classical (nylon string) acoustic guitar, check out Chantry guitars that are sold new from Sue Ryder shops (which is why I asked which country you're in). They're the only guitars in that price range (£30-£40) that are worth owning at all. If you want to spend a bit more, then Yamaha and Epiphone make reasonable acoustics. You will have to decide whether you want a nylon string (classical & spanish guitar) or steel string (folk, blues and rock) acoustic guitar. It's worth popping into a music shop to have a chat and listen to the difference.
If you're learning by yourself, don't overlook the basics. Pay a lot of attention to your posture, hand position, finger movements and so forth: many beginners tend to dismiss them (they're boring) and end up with awful habits that really impair progress. Also, it would be useful to learn music theory and how to read music, it gives a better understanding of what you're playing.
My advice is to take a friend/relative/neighbor who plays guitar with you when you are looking to buy. It's a big help to have someone who is on your side, and who knows guitars around when navigating the first purchase. Don't buy the cheapest thing just because it is cheap. Buy something that is a reasonably good guitar, something that sounds good and is easy to play. Conventional wisdom is a solid top is the way to go. These days you don't have to spend a lot to get all that, so "cheap" is relative. IMHO lessons are at their most valuable when you are just starting out to avoid bad habits, and to accelerate your learning. Get a good foundation, then you can teach yourself if you want. As far as starting on electric or acoustic - really it is whichever one interests you the most. When I was starting out, I had no interest in acoustic at all - so would have been a waste of time and money for me. If you like to listen to electric guitar music, then start there. Don't feel like you have to do some sort of apprenticeship with acoustic guitar first or something.
I'd start with nylon strings if I were you. You can always try steel strings later once your fingers have toughened up. Starting with steel ones might put you off practising due to the sheer pain of fingering the damn things.
If you want to play electric, learn on an electric, if you want to play folk learn on a steel string acoustic, if you want to play classical or Latin learn on a nylon string. Each type has different demands. Get the best guitar you can afford. They tend not to depreciate much (indeed, if I'd bought a Les Paul 10 years ago it would be more on Ebay now than it cost then.) whereas the ultra cheap ones have virtually no resale value (indeed someone gave me an Encore strat the other week). So if you get a reasonable one and you get on with it you've got an instrument that will stay with you, and if you don't get on with it provided you look after it it will likely only depreciate by the cost of a super cheap one anyway.
Yeah, buying what you actually want to play is a good idea. If practicing isn't fun, you won't do it.
Whether it's new or second hand, I think it's worth buying from a reputable shop that will set it up right and sort out any minor teething problems for free. Especially with electrics. By the time you get your second guitar, you should have an idea how to set it up and perform minor repairs.
I don't think that's all too important (and I started on accoustic). If you just want a neck to build finger strength, I imagine having a scalloped neck put onto an electric would be good for that. IDK for sure though, as I didn't start using a scalloped neck until I was an advanced player. Cheers!
Also, you could tune the low E with the electric tuner and tune the rest from that. It's what I do. It's more accurate than doing all strings with the tuner. I would only recommend using a tuner on all strings when tuning up a bowed string instrument because it takes an extremely long time to tune those by ear. (lots of tweaking the fine tuners and such to avoid knocking the bridge down)
Go with Ernie Ball Earthwood light-gauges. I was being young-in-the-cheek. The 41's come with a hefty price-tag I understand. Not exactly a 'beginners' model, is it?