Acoustic VS Electric

[Sonicron]

Start off with acoustic, and then pick up your electric.

This is THE best course of option. Learn the basic chords, notes, and whatnot on an acoustic, and once you have mastered those get a budget electric to practice on.

But isn't it a bit of a waste of money to buy both an acoustic AND an electric guitar?

No. Believe it, THIS is the way to do it.
Also, I recommend getting an acoustic guitar with metal strongs, not nylon or whatever. It'll be somewhat of a strain to play at first because more pressure is required to hold the strings down, but once you're used to it you'll find that it works well and also sounds a hell of a lot better than other acoustic guitars.
And ehre's the best part: Once you switch to electric (I did this after about a year) your fingers will virtually FLY up and down the neck of your guitar because much LESS pressure is required to hold the strings down with an electric guitar.
Just make sure that when you purchase an electric guitar the spaces inbetween the strings are the same as on your acoustic, otherwise your feeling for chords might get thrown off.

 

[Turtleboy1017]

Alright escapists, I'm planning on going to take guitar lessons. But I'm wondering which of the two types to pick, Some people say Acoustic is easier to learn but I want to play electric eventually so I'm kinda tied..

Any insights on this matter?

(in before Don't start a band)

Always start on acoustic. Much easier. I started on Electric and its just harder to learn overall and when your holding it your like "Yeah Im gonna play Anthrax and Metallica and AC/DC and not practice easier songs".

When your holding an electric guitar you just dont feel like trying easier songs so trust me go for an acoustic.

But that might just be me.

This is exactly how I felt. MY dad picked up an acoustic for me when I was 14, and I was all pissed off because I wanted to start with an electric.

Instead, I just learned all the basic chords, names of the notes, and basic technique (arpeggios, bending, alternative picking, etc etc). After 1 year of learning these, I got a starter electric guitar set from Sears, a Silvertone, came with an Immitation Fender and a shoebox amp.

6 months after that, I began learning the basic Metallica songs, such as Fade to Black and Welcome Home(Sanitarium). From here, you can basically learn what you want to.

Having an acoustic is a major bonus, as you can learn how to do background rhythm for other songs, as well as acoustic intros, and the occasional acoustic solo that's a lot damn harder to play than it may sound.

 

[mikecoulter]

I've been playing a long, long time. Both are the same. I have lessons in electric but I also have an acoustic. I'm apparently one of the better acoustic players of the school. Learn whatever one takes you fancy.

 

[KaiRai]

I started off on electric and found it easy to go back to acoustic.

That said, if you don't mind putting up with strange quality, you can just put you're electric on clean and play it like an acoustic.

 

[BonsaiK]

I teach guitar for a living. I've taught hundreds of people to play guitar over the last 12 years, of all ages.

If you're absolutely 100% dead-certain about your level of committment, get an electric if that's what you know you want. But very few are that certain when starting out. If, like most people, you're not sure how you're going to cope with long hours of practice and are worried about financial outlay or potentially losing interest down the track, get an acoustic first.

DON'T GET A STEEL-STRING ACOUSTIC! Not at first anyway. Start with a cheapo nylon string, all the guitar shops have them. Steel strings are murder on the fingers and you don't need that when you're just starting out, just doing chords will be painful enough at first. You can always upgrade to a good quality steel string later if that's the way you wanna go with it and you love that kind of sound. But there's no reason to jump into the deep end when it comes to finger pain - there's no reason to make your first few lessons any harder than they need to be. I've seen promising students quit because they started out on steel strings and couldn't handle the pain, and couldn't afford the money for another instrument. You can always torture yourself down the track later if that's what you really want.

Nylon-string acoustic is still harder to play than electric anyway. Electrics are a breeze to play (when set up right) so it'll still be like making things easier if you go from nylon acoustic to electric.

 

[Bendon]

As someone who started with both acoustic and electric guitars... you should make the choice based on what kind of music you intend to learn and play.

If you want to stick to acoustic songs or just strumming chords in the hallways of your high school so that vegan chicks will latch on to you, get an acoustic. If you want to perpetually compensate for everything in your life while putting on a thin facade of confidence, get an electric, learn the major and blues scales. Either way, you'll just be chipping away at the time it takes to learn how to solo over everything to the point where the actual melody of the song is lost in a sea of uncoordinated noodling at high speeds (that is, if you want to be the best guitarist ever)

Make sure you get the biggest amp in the shop too. Doesn't matter what wattage you have on it, or if it's been used, or if it's a tube amp or whatever. Just has to be big. You'll need it for when you practice in small rooms with your band so that you can laugh at how appropriately sized everyone elses equipment is.

Okay, now that you have all that down, you need to start drinking heavily, or doing an excess of drugs. You should also begin working on trying to be more pretentious. If someone says something about the guitar, you must correct them.
IE
"My guitar has strings on it"
"Uh, Actually, no. Your guitar has thin outstretched metal lines on it that make noises. I like to call them noiselines"
Try your best to give a small chuckle after someone else plays something, or say something like "Oh, Led Zeppelin, how quaint"

Okay, you're now fast on your way to becoming a truly masterful guitarist. Your band should be struggling to get you to play actual songs instead of 4 minute solos, and your kidneys should be failing. This should aid in maintaining an exquisitely greasy appearance. Stop shaving, bathing, brushing your teeth etc.
Focus more on sweating profusely, growing back and shoulder hair, building up plaque and so forth.

And last but not least, you should make a failed attempt at a solo album where your singing devolves into talking half way through each song but you keep going anyway. Write most of your songs about girls that don't exist. Make sure it gets almost no attention, but still way more than it deserves.



But seriously though, either choice is good for a beginner. I just think the electric is more versatile.

 

[headshotcatcher]

snip

Cool, someone that has actual knowledge as well as experience

I plan on playing stuff like Tenacious D, Red hot Chillipeppers, Reel Big Fish and maybe Yellowcard and Powerman 5000. That's why I'm kinda tied, Reel Big Fish and Tenacious D seem to be more focused on acoustic but the rest on electric. That might be wrong though

Snip

To you the same as above

(will add it to OP for reference)

 

[BonsaiK]

snip

Cool, someone that has actual knowledge as well as experience

I plan on playing stuff like Tenacious D, Red hot Chillipeppers, Reel Big Fish and maybe Yellowcard and Powerman 5000. That's why I'm kinda tied, Reel Big Fish and Tenacious D seem to be more focused on acoustic but the rest on electric. That might be wrong though

It really doesn't matter. Acoustic and electric are really the same instrument. It's more down to what you can afford and what you can stick with, and also what you like the feel and sound of. A clean (non-distorted) electric guitar still sounds decent playing most acoustic parts. Most acoustics these days above the base-level nylon string stuff can also be plugged in. For electrics something cheap like a Squier Strat is a good first electric and sounds fine clean but can also handle a bit of dirty stuff. Most of the bands you've mentioned have a Strat kind of sound, especially RHCP.

 

[Rensenhito]

Why not go acoustic-electric? Get an Ovation Applause or something similar.

 

[BonsaiK]

Why not go acoustic-electric? Get an Ovation Applause or something similar.

Steel-string acoustics are not ideal for a beginner, because of the pain threshold required to hold down chords. Best to slowly graduate to that kind of thing.

 

[Bendon]

Why not go acoustic-electric? Get an Ovation Applause or something similar.

Steel-string acoustics are not ideal for a beginner, because of the pain threshold required to hold down chords. Best to slowly graduate to that kind of thing.

I know a girl who started cutting her fingers with a razor to try and get the callouses to form faster just because she had a steel string.
Makes me glad I started out with nylon strings :>

 

[xXRikuXx]

I would start off with electric the guitars are more confortable in my oppinion and I find that they have a much better sound.....they also look cooler

 

[MrGFunk]

Any insights on this matter?

Learn on what you want to play.

If you eventually want to play Electric. Learn on Electric. I have always played acoustic and simply can't play electric.
The feedback, the feedback. arghh.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Acoustic is better to start with in my opinion and get hard strings.

Yes that will make it harder to play but make your acoustic your practise guitar then when you go to play your electric it will be piss easy.
This is true but if you really want to go straight to electric.

Also don't get strings too hard to start with I had bronze wound and steel strings to start with if you ever do go for harder strings and can't to barre chords that will be nothing to worry about I can't do those on my friends guitar because he has ridiculously high action on it and it is annoying to play.

 

[haruvister]

Start off with acoustic, and then pick up your electric.

What he said.

Should be a poll, really.

In polls people mainly just do bullshit answers or at least don't do out of personal experience, I'm looking for good argumented answers rather than 'go electric acoustic is for fags' (which I suppose certain people would use as argument to vote)

Yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, I learned on acoustic - and now when I want an electric sound I just put it through an FX pedal. Score!

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

What makes you say RBF is more focused on acoustic? Because that's stone cold wrong.

I began on a shitty third hand Squire Strat and a nylon string acoustic, and I found the electric easier to learn on because I found it felt more 'open', and there was a wealth of classics that suited it more (Smoke on the water, stairway to heaven, smells like teen spirit... all burn my ears now after all the times I've heard them banged out by beginners). However, I'm not sure if everyone finds it the same.

Plus when you get to a more advanced level, it is easier to do bends and such on an electric.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Actually, it comes down to commitment. If you want to commit yourself to it, go for electric, cause then you get the whole deal, amplifier, effects, you name it. Acoustic is more of a starter kit for those who want it as a hobby (Everyone I know who just has it has a hobby has acoustic, I only know a few who has electric, including me, and they're fully committed to it), or those who want to play that kind of music. And if you want to be able to play all genres, you can play a half-acoustic with effects (or just effects). Won't sound the same, but will be close.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

Well, I would say start with Electric, since, despite what people kept telling me, I found it easier to learn on an electric guitar than an acoustic, and, after a few years of playing, only just got my first acoustic last week.

So, you can go from electric to acoustic, and it isn't always harder, but, having said that, a few of my friends tried the same thing and are struggling with switching to acoustic.

I suppose it all depends on you, really, but I'm going to say electric first.

 

[Valiance]

Electric is 100x easier to play.

I started on Acoustic and the Electric is so much easier to accomplish anything.