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Take your pick: guitars for beginners

By BILL BERRY
Special to The Gazette
They are age-old questions, asked by a parent with a young child who wants to play guitar.

"How much money should I spend? What if it just sits in the closet?"

The guitar is the most popular instrument in America, hands down. Millions of kids have aspired to owning and playing a guitar, for various reasons. Some have a musical urge. Others think it's cool, that it will open the door to other opportunities, perhaps with the opposite sex.

The latter group is most likely to drop the instrument after it becomes obvious that most guitars don't play by themselves.

So in the search for answers, a parent might ask the kid, "Why do you want to play guitar? What are your goals?"

If the answer is, "To be cool and get chicks," then buy the kid a cheapo. Better yet, tell the kid to go out and make some money and buy his own guitar.

But if a child seems genuinely interested in playing guitar, a parent can help out by buying an instrument that has decent quality. Parent doesn't go broke. Kid has a better chance of staying with the instrument.

Philip Toshio Sudo, author of the book "Zen Guitar," offers this advice for buying an instrument:

"When conducting your search, make sure you look for an instrument of suitable quality. This goes for any additional equipment required to make your sound: amplifiers, pickups, pedals, and so on. Avoid poor craftsmanship; it's the sign of a poor spirit. That doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive equipment. It just means you want something suitable for your designs."

Dion Starck, a manager at Jim Laabs Music in downtown Stevens Point, would agree with that.

"A real cheap guitar is not a great way to go," he says. One key is the so-called "action" on the neck. If there's too much of a gap between the strings and neck, the guitar is hard to play. "You won't be able to finger the chords," Starck says. "A cheap guitar doesn't sound good, and doesn't hold up well."

Dollar-for-dollar, the difference between a bad guitar and a good one isn't great, says Starck. "You can buy a cheap one for $169 or a really decent one at $275," he says. The latter price will buy a decent Washburn acoustic guitar, which is a well-made instrument by a long-established company, he says.

Beginners interested in electric guitar can purchase a Washburn or a Fender Squire. Price ranges run from about $170 to $350. Beginner amplifiers start as low as $79. They're small and portable, and many have jacks for headphones. "That's nice for parents," says Starck.
So the kid has the guitar. Now what?

If the budget allows, Starck recommends lessons. "Self-teaching is possible," he says, but the self-taught musician risks missing essential information. If lessons aren't possible, beginner books such as those by Mel Bay or Hal Leonard should be used, he says.

Perhaps more important than anything is the simple word "practice."

"It's extremely important," Starck says. "You should play 15 to 30 minutes every day. Starck has watched beginning guitarists quickly develop into excellent players, but it doesn't happen by accident. "The more you play, the better you will become. It takes a lot of practice to become a good player."

Some other advice for fledgling guitarists:

• Get a good electronic tuner. They start at less than $20. After a few tries, even beginners will be able to rapidly tune their guitars. Being in tune is essential, Starck says. Tushio Sudo devotes a short chapter in his book to tuning. He writes: "To tune means to bring into harmony. At the most basic level, we have to bring our instrument into harmony with itself."

• Change strings often. If your guitar doesn't sound as good as it used to, it's probably because you haven't changed the strings in as long as you can remember. Music stores will do it for you, but you can save money by doing it yourself. Ask someone who knows how to change strings to show you how. Once you learn, it's not even a half-hour job.

• Don't get discouraged. There are ups and downs in any endeavor. Keep at it.

It's estimated that there are more than 20 million guitar players in America. "Guitar has revolutionized music. It's the cornerstone of music now," Starck says.

Here are some trends on the guitar scene:

• Acoustic guitars have surpassed electric as the instrument of choice. Starck says MTV's "Unplugged" show has helped foster that change. Young folks have taken to acoustic sounds in growing numbers.

• "Hot" acoustic guitars today include Taylor and Tacoma. Both are American-made.

• A big seller on the electric guitar side has been Paul Reed Smith. That's the guitar that Carlos Santana plays, and his success with the recording "Supernatural" last year has helped to propel sales of that brand, Starck says. "They're also phenomenal in quality, from the cheapest to the best. The latter could cost you $10,000.

• The most popular amplifier is still the Fender tube amplifier. "They've maintained a level of quality no one else has attained," Starck says. An up-and-comer is the Line 6 amplifier, a digital amp that incorporates a number of built-in effects and multi-amp sounds. The Marshall amplifier remains popular for hard rockers. It has thick, heavy sound. Think of Jimi Hendrix or Metallica.

• A lot of former guitar players are coming back to the instrument. Typically, they're guys in their 40s with money in their pockets. They used to play in a band, but got married and had kids. Now the kids are going their way, and dad has time on his hands. He used to play a Fender, and wants to buy another one. You can only imagine how excited a music store sales person gets when someone fitting that profile walks in.



	Take your pick: guitars for beginners By BILL BERRY Special to The Gazette They are age-old questions, asked by a parent with a young child who wants to play guitar. "How much money should I spend? What if it just sits in the closet?" The guitar is the most popular instrument in America, hands down. Millions of kids have aspired to owning and playing a guitar, for various reasons. Some have a musical urge. Others think it's cool, that it will open the door to other opportunities, perhaps with the opposite sex. The latter group is most likely to drop the instrument after it becomes obvious that most guitars don't play by themselves. So in the search for answers, a parent might ask the kid, "Why do you want to play guitar? What are your goals?" If the answer is, "To be cool and get chicks," then buy the kid a cheapo. Better yet, tell the kid to go out and make some money and buy his own guitar. But if a child seems genuinely interested in playing guitar, a parent can help out by buying an instrument that has decent quality. Parent doesn't go broke. Kid has a better chance of staying with the instrument. Philip Toshio Sudo, author of the book "Zen Guitar," offers this advice for buying an instrument: "When conducting your search, make sure you look for an instrument of suitable quality. This goes for any additional equipment required to make your sound: amplifiers, pickups, pedals, and so on. Avoid poor craftsmanship; it's the sign of a poor spirit. That doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive equipment. It just means you want something suitable for your designs." Dion Starck, a manager at Jim Laabs Music in downtown Stevens Point, would agree with that. "A real cheap guitar is not a great way to go," he says. One key is the so-called "action" on the neck. If there's too much of a gap between the strings and neck, the guitar is hard to play. "You won't be able to finger the chords," Starck says. "A cheap guitar doesn't sound good, and doesn't hold up well." Dollar-for-dollar, the difference between a bad guitar and a good one isn't great, says Starck. "You can buy a cheap one for $169 or a really decent one at $275," he says. The latter price will buy a decent Washburn acoustic guitar, which is a well-made instrument by a long-established company, he says. Beginners interested in electric guitar can purchase a Washburn or a Fender Squire. Price ranges run from about $170 to $350. Beginner amplifiers start as low as $79. They're small and portable, and many have jacks for headphones. "That's nice for parents," says Starck. So the kid has the guitar. Now what? If the budget allows, Starck recommends lessons. "Self-teaching is possible," he says, but the self-taught musician risks missing essential information. If lessons aren't possible, beginner books such as those by Mel Bay or Hal Leonard should be used, he says. Perhaps more important than anything is the simple word "practice." "It's extremely important," Starck says. "You should play 15 to 30 minutes every day. Starck has watched beginning guitarists quickly develop into excellent players, but it doesn't happen by accident. "The more you play, the better you will become. It takes a lot of practice to become a good player." Some other advice for fledgling guitarists: • Get a good electronic tuner. They start at less than $20. After a few tries, even beginners will be able to rapidly tune their guitars. Being in tune is essential, Starck says. Tushio Sudo devotes a short chapter in his book to tuning. He writes: "To tune means to bring into harmony. At the most basic level, we have to bring our instrument into harmony with itself." • Change strings often. If your guitar doesn't sound as good as it used to, it's probably because you haven't changed the strings in as long as you can remember. Music stores will do it for you, but you can save money by doing it yourself. Ask someone who knows how to change strings to show you how. Once you learn, it's not even a half-hour job. • Don't get discouraged. There are ups and downs in any endeavor. Keep at it. It's estimated that there are more than 20 million guitar players in America. "Guitar has revolutionized music. It's the cornerstone of music now," Starck says. Here are some trends on the guitar scene: • Acoustic guitars have surpassed electric as the instrument of choice. Starck says MTV's "Unplugged" show has helped foster that change. Young folks have taken to acoustic sounds in growing numbers. • "Hot" acoustic guitars today include Taylor and Tacoma. Both are American-made. • A big seller on the electric guitar side has been Paul Reed Smith. That's the guitar that Carlos Santana plays, and his success with the recording "Supernatural" last year has helped to propel sales of that brand, Starck says. "They're also phenomenal in quality, from the cheapest to the best. The latter could cost you $10,000. • The most popular amplifier is still the Fender tube amplifier. "They've maintained a level of quality no one else has attained," Starck says. An up-and-comer is the Line 6 amplifier, a digital amp that incorporates a number of built-in effects and multi-amp sounds. The Marshall amplifier remains popular for hard rockers. It has thick, heavy sound. Think of Jimi Hendrix or Metallica. • A lot of former guitar players are coming back to the instrument. Typically, they're guys in their 40s with money in their pockets. They used to play in a band, but got married and had kids. Now the kids are going their way, and dad has time on his hands. He used to play a Fender, and wants to buy another one. You can only imagine how excited a music store sales person gets when someone fitting that profile walks in.