[tml09]

Hello everyone. I have been wanting to play guitar for ages now, but never had the chance to buy one until now. I have around $200 saved up and I have been looking at acoustic guitars. I have also looked at electric and acoustic-electric and have a question.

I live in an apartment and I don't want to annoy my neighbors. Will I have to get an electric guitar and an amp or could I get an acoustic-electric and an amp? I have been looking for answers on the internet but couldn't find any.

Recommendations within my budget are most welcome. I very faintly remember when my dad used to play guitar and I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. I would like to learn how to play as well, but I don't wanna annoy my neighbors. Any help will be extremly appreciated.

[GotDeeBlues]

If you go with an electric and a small practice amp like a Roland Cube, you have the option of using headphones to avoid bothering the neighbors. An acoustic would not be too loud or offensive, and if you go acoustic electric, you can start without an amp, and add one later. But the A/E's really don't sound natural through an amp designed for electrics, so always try playing the A/E through the amps you're considering.

[tml09]

^ are there amps specifically for acoustic-electric guitars?

[scott58]

Originally Posted by tml09

^ are there amps specifically for acoustic-electric guitars?

Yes, here are just a few low cost ones. I can't say how good any of them are i haven't tried any of them.

Musician's Friend - Search Results

[karcey]

The acoustic guitar can be played softly or loudly, depending how you feel about your neighbours at the time. The smaller bodied acoustics may not have the depth of voice that the larger bodied ones have. If you try a couple at a music store, you'll realise that it's only as loud as you want it to be. Which leads us to the next point ... generally an accoustic isn't loud enough for performances. Enter the acoustic/electric which can be amplified. Not quietened. They all make sound waves, and so will all make noise (or music as you get better.) The addition of electronics does not mean volume control. It means the ability to be louder still than the standard model. Also means the ability to set up simple recording to help you practise when you get to that stage.
Guitars which don't have sound boxes, solid body strats and the like don't make much noise by themselves. Only the actual string noise can be heard. Include with these the silent guitars which are just a frame with strings. These need amplification, so you have total control of the output. Headphones or speakers, loud or soft, you decide.
Beginners usually have a picture of what they'd like to look like when they finally know how to play. What they often don't consider is that their picture will change with their level of skill and experience. And the mega-buck stage guitar that's very attractive now is going to be cheaper in the future anyway, so forget it for the time being. The important thing initially is to find a guitar on which you will be happy to learn the music. You're fortunate in that you've given yourself a realistic budget, and a sensible picture to aspire to.
Go to music shops and look for well made guitars within you budget. Ask for help ... the shop assistants are there to help. Get them to play anything you think you could fall in love with. If the shop assistant can't play, go to one who can. Handle the guitar yourself and feel the differences in neck size and body size. This instrument will be your companion through thick and thin so don't choose too hastily.
You will not be a better guitarist by learning on an expensive guitar, but you will be a better learner if you learn on a guitar you like the feel and sound of!
I'm starting to rant so I'll stop now. Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

[Sentry]

Speaking as someone who lives in an apartment, I'd actually recommend an electric. True that acoustics can be quiet, but they can't be as quiet as an electric with headphones and many apartment buildings (at least here in the Rotten Apple) don't have insulation between apartments. If I sneeze, my neighbours say "bless you".

I have a strat and a small Peavey amp with a headphone jack. Sometimes I play with the amp and headphones, sometimes I play through my laptop with headphones, but most often I play without my guitar plugged in to anything at all.

[carol m]

Yes to all the above. I'm a beginner at electric, but my experience tells me an acoustic guitar probably won't be heard outside your apartment, even when strummed quite loud, but you will have problems if you want to start recording for uploading onto the net (eg on this site) because you will have to set up a microphone etc.

If you go for acoustic/electric it will be the same vol level as a plain acoustic but you have the ability to buy a lead (cheap), plug your guitar into your computer and use a free download (eg Audacity or Reaper) to record your playing and add special effects and amp simulators.

If you buy an electric guitar it will be the quietest option of all if you play without an amp (quiet enough to not disturb someone inside your apartment in another room with the door shut). You can also plug it into a small practice amp like the Micro Cube and as long as you use headphones the noise level will be the same as playing un-amplified but you will be hearing the amplified sound.

It's possible to play an electric without buying an amp at all by downloading free software plugins or the effects available in a free program like Reaper to take the place of a physical amp. Tekker has lessons on this site on how to record into your computer, and reviews and links to freeby plugins.

Basically it depends on what sort of music you want to play most - acoustic or electric. After that it's what you can afford, and what feels and sounds good to you in the shop. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[tml09]

Im probably going to get an acoustic guitar then. If I get the urge to play loudly, then I guess I can play outside :-D

Thank you guys so much for the information. It has been really helpful. now its time to choose a good beginners guitar :-)

[johnnydoxx]

If you know someone who is an experienced twanger, you might see if they'll help with your selection. There are subtleties that a newbie might not know about (and I'm surely not one to pretend I would know them either). Salesmen are often helpful but they have pressure to sell so they might not be as unbiased as one would like.

Also the strings on models that hang in the shop probably have likely been unchanged since the beginning of time, so that can affect how they play and sound.

There's also the concept of 'action', which is related to how far the strings are from the neck, which can affect your enjoyment a lot. Too 'high' and you struggle to push the strings to the neck. Too 'low' and you can get 'fret buzz'.

But I'm no expert (not even close), these are just some things I've become aware of, mainly via reading posts here.

Good luck and happy hunting

[tml09]

Thanks. Im probably going to drop by my local shop soon, just to see what they have.

Ive been looking at a few guitars, namely the Epiphone Page Ranking-4E and the Epiphone DR-100. I also came across this site:

zzounds.com/cat--Acoustic-Guitar-Packages--2568

Any of those look like they would be good. Any suggestions?

[Sentry]

I'm no expert, I only started this past summer, but one thing I have read that I will pass on here is to stay away from ebay, pawn shops, and craig's list unless you have an experienced guitar player/tech to help you because a used guitar that hasn't been looked over by a pro may have problems that are hard for newbies like us to spot such as worn frets. More serious problems like a broken truss rod, warped neck, et cetera, are rarer but still possible. It's probably ok to buy a used guitar from a big guitar shop because guitar shops that do buy and sell used guitars in addition to new will usually have their tech give the guitar a going-over before they resell it.

However, if you do know an experienced guitarist, a trip to your local pawn shop with him or her might be worth the trip. Shop around of course, don't let your eagerness to get started lure you into buying the first good condition guitar you find.

Anyway, like I said I'm far from a pro. I'm simply repeating what I have read elsewhere.

Good luck!

[GotDeeBlues]

One more thing to consider is a semi hollow like a Epiphone Dot or a hollow body like the Oscar Schmidt. Some sound OK acoustic, will not project like a flat top, and with a nice pair of humbuckers you can go from jazz & standards to Rock. Thety can be had for a very good price.

[carol m]

Originally Posted by tml09

Im probably going to get an acoustic guitar then. :-D
:-)

An acoustic or an acoustic/electric? They both sound the same and play the same, but the acoustic/electric gives you the extra option of easily recording into your computer and uploading it to us at the site (or anywhere) or making your own CD etc.

You might not think you need that now, but you will find this useful pretty soon, especially if you want to get feed-back about your playing here at this site (we are kind and generous to everyone, especially beginners! )

You might only have to pay a few dollars more for an acoustic with an electric pick-up inside it which is what an acoustic/electric is.

When you get your guitar, keep in touch with us and the lessons here because it will help you enormously, especially if you don't have a teacher. Good luck.

[Noodler]

I had the noise issue a while back. Here's what I did, which I'll share as advice of what not to do based on my experience. Don't think you'll practice with headphones on. Plain and simple. It sucks, bigtime. Say you buy an amp like a MicroCube or a Pocket Pod (bought both of em, and kicking myself) thinking it'll help you play quietly, here's the situation you'll be in:

Guitar cord running into amp/device, cord running from amp/device to wall-wart, cord running from amp/device to headphones. Possibly another cord running from amp/device to PC when recording/ changing settings. You get tangled up in the cords, and playing into headphones is fine in theory, but it's like wearing a raincoat and galoshes into the shower. It's not comfortable, and it just plain aint right.

I reckon GotDeeBlues and Carol are right in saying go for something you can play plugged or unplugged. Semi-hollows cover both bases (eg Epi Dot, Ibanez Artcore, etc and are quiter than "acoustic" guitars.

By the way, the money I spent on the Ppod and MicroCube were wasted because even with headphones in my brother still said it kept him awake when I strummed my unamplified electric guitar!

[tml09]

^ Most likely an acoustic electric guitar would be best. I'll just try my best not to annoy my neighbors, and if I get a complaint I can just play outside then.

I can't wait to start playing. I'll spend a while finding a nice acoustic electric for a good price and then I'll start learning.

Thanks everyone for your advice. If anyone has a recommendation for an Acoustic-electric guitar/guitar package for around $200, that would be most appreciated. Thanks again!