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If the acoustic is hard to play, get it "setup" buy someone that knows what they are doing. Usually the action is high (which forces you to grip harder), which

If the acoustic is hard to play, get it "setup" buy someone that knows what they are doing. Usually the action is high (which forces you to grip harder), which can be fixed. If there is a bit of buzz in the neck, there should a be a truss rod in the neck to adjust, or raise the action just a bit. If you have an old guitar that hasn't been adjusted in a long time, you might need to do it again. Kind of like getting a piano tuned once a year.

fhood 9y ago
Yes, but fixing the action involves fairly permanent alterations to the guitar, the fact that setup requires an expert is yet another reason I don't think acoustics are a great place to start for beginners.
- jasonsync 9y ago
  You're lumping all acoustics into the same category. You can can certainly have a horrible learning experience on an electric guitar, due to poor quality / action / setup. And you can have a great learning experience on an acoustic. There are a number of advantages in terms of learning on an acoustic: 1. It's portable - you can take it anywhere 2. You can easily hear it without headphones or an amp 3. Well suited for chords and melodies (typically the first things you learn) 4. Slightly heavier strings means that your fingers get stronger, and playing an electric guitar later on will seem much easier 5. Great for collaborative learning, easier to play with other people 6. Light weight compared to most electric guitars 7. Acoustic guitar "covers" of popular music (eg. Bieber etc.) are a "thing" all over YouTube and make it easy to learn songs people will recognize 8. If you appreciate classic rock, folk, blues and 90s alternative, these genres are typically chord-based, and easy to learn on acoustic too. Any Beatles song. Nirvana unplugged. Think Layla electric vs. Layla unplugged. 9. Fingerstyle is very rewarding. Eventually you might even get as good as Tommy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkQn5nDTZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkQn5nDTZs Acoustic is a great way to get started, and learn, and most importantly a great way to develop GOOD habits.

fhood 9y ago

Yes, but fixing the action involves fairly permanent alterations to the guitar, the fact that setup requires an expert is yet another reason I don't think acoustics are a great place to start for beginners.

jasonsync 9y ago
You're lumping all acoustics into the same category. You can can certainly have a horrible learning experience on an electric guitar, due to poor quality / action / setup. And you can have a great learning experience on an acoustic. There are a number of advantages in terms of learning on an acoustic: 1. It's portable - you can take it anywhere 2. You can easily hear it without headphones or an amp 3. Well suited for chords and melodies (typically the first things you learn) 4. Slightly heavier strings means that your fingers get stronger, and playing an electric guitar later on will seem much easier 5. Great for collaborative learning, easier to play with other people 6. Light weight compared to most electric guitars 7. Acoustic guitar "covers" of popular music (eg. Bieber etc.) are a "thing" all over YouTube and make it easy to learn songs people will recognize 8. If you appreciate classic rock, folk, blues and 90s alternative, these genres are typically chord-based, and easy to learn on acoustic too. Any Beatles song. Nirvana unplugged. Think Layla electric vs. Layla unplugged. 9. Fingerstyle is very rewarding. Eventually you might even get as good as Tommy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkQn5nDTZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkQn5nDTZs Acoustic is a great way to get started, and learn, and most importantly a great way to develop GOOD habits.