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rstbkt69
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Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:14 pm

Just found the web site today. I have looked around a teeny bit but not a bunch. Lets just get this out in the open. I am old. So when I say I usta have or usta could that was many winters ago.
I had an Epiphone sunburst in my youth that had the richest tone in any acoustic I had ever heard if you knocked out the Martins. I had started to learn the chords and could even hold a beat. I can read music because I was a band geek in HS so I was making a little headway. But I no longer have a guitar. I wound up selling it to make a bill payment less than a year of getting it. So thats that. Flash forward 35 years and here we are. I have always wanted to pick up the guitar again and learn to play. I regret selling that Epiphone at least once everys 6 months. So I am going to do something about it finally amd buy a new or new to me guitar.
One of the things I remember about the guitar was it had a wider neck. not a bunch but a little wider to allow my fat fingertips to press the right string without deadening the one next to it. I don't have long slender fingers but the one size fits most gloves never fit. too small.
I remember that bar chords were almost impossible to make though. Maybe weak untrained hands or maybe some function of the guitar itself. I actually worked in a Music store and we started carrying the Yamaha FG series guitars. This was in 78-80 time frame. I know they were around longer but we just started carrying them. Those guitars, for me, had a lighter action but the necks were too small for my fingers even though the callouses on my fingertips were beginning to form quite well. But I could make a decent bar chord on them.
So I'm looking for suggestions on a guitar. Maybe something came out in the last 35 years that will work for me. larger than average neck for fat fingertips and easy action for weak somewhat arthritic fingers. Well the thumbs are a little artritic. fingers might be OK. No cheap buy-it-in-the-box at wally world guitars but nothing to break the bank .300 could be ideal 400 would be pushing it at this time. I need to stay in a lower price range. I don't want to go high dollar and then find out that the problems i had earlier in my life are even worse because of the shape of my hands now and then have a guitar I can't play or sell without taking it in the shorts.
So any suggestions on what to look at. We only have a small music store in town so he only carries a couple at a time.


familyman4
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Location: Arizona
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Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:45 pm

1st: Welcome to the TG site. You will learn a lot here. Even if you choose to stay with the free lessons for a while, there is much to learn.

2nd: There are many, many options for you when it comes to guitars. I guess that my advise will be simple though. That is, to make sure you purchase a guitar with enough quality that it will stay in tune for you. There is nothing more frustrating for someone starting tlo learn & they the instrument goes out of tune all the time.

3rd: I will also suggest that you plan on a guitar with a light guage of strings. This will help your fingers break back into being used. Calluses are your friend but it will take a little while to build them back up.

4th: Don't overlook purchasing a used guitar. A lot of times you can get "more guitar" for the money. (Back to point #2)

5th: Find a friend to play with if possible.

6th: Lastly, you might even consider looking at a clasical guitar to start with. These use nylon strings so they are easier on your fingers. They almost always have a thicker neck which sounds like an important feature to you.

There are so many other things I can mention but I will stop here with the suggestions. Except to say,,,, Good Luck with your quest and I hope you find many years of joy with you guitar playing!

Bart


tovo
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Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:29 pm

rstbkt69 wrote:
So I'm looking for suggestions on a guitar. Maybe something came out in the last 35 years that will work for me. larger than average neck for fat fingertips and easy action for weak somewhat arthritic fingers.
G'day from Australia. Your requirements scream "Taylor" for mine. Of course, I would recommend Taylor anyway, but I think you will like the width of the neck and the easy action. Sure it's a personal thing and you won't really know until you hold one in your hands, but I suggest you do.

Good luck with your search.


rstbkt69
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Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:38 am

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I know this quest is going to require a lot of research. When I started to look for a new guitar there were Martins and ovations under a couple of hundred. I can only guess that they started to make a line of low end guitars. Something I will have to be careful of. Lightly used guitars are definately a way to go for me and I will certainly look for a Taylor, but I will have to admit that I have not seen any yet. maybe folks hold on to them when they get them.


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:02 am

This sounds like a great excuse to go to every guitar shop you can find and play everything you can get your hands on. Once you've done that come back with all the questions you will undoubtedly have and the folks here will certainly help you on your way. If we had a name we could use... that would help!
Chris


sbutler
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Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:48 am

http://www.totallyguitars.com/free-guit ... ee-lessons

Good morning from Alaska. Sounds like your determined, so the next step should be really fun. Picking a guitar. YEEEEHAWWWW!. I've attached Neils totally beginner series link, and the very first lesson is picking a guitar. Check it out, if you haven't already.

My approach would be to (as mentioned before) go to a guitar store, and play around with everyone of them, until one of them picks you. Sounds weird, but it will happen. One of those guitars will let you know, its the one for you. You just have to try them all. Obviously, price is a big issue, but I don't know if I would let it keep me from trying higher end models. Every guitar you try, will give you some kind of feed back. Also, don't get hung up too much on manufacture. Your ears and hands will tell you the which one is for you.

Scott


peleus
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Sat Aug 18, 2012 9:17 am

Welcome aboard buddy. Hope you enjoy your stay.


rstbkt69
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Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:50 am

Man as helpful as the internet is it truly causes a lot of confusion. Many new makes compared to when i was in the "biz". LOL.
I know the tone is what will sell me on an instrument. Its unfortunate that the wee bit of knowlege I had on chords has long been shuffled out of the memory banks. So I will be at the mercy of the salesman in the store. But I figured I would pick a few that have the right feel at the neck and then turn around and have him play them till I figure out which one appeals to me. The epiphone i had years ago, even though it was a low to mid priced model definately sounded better than the higher priced models my friends played. They were always trading with me while I had it.
The CFO ( wife) is actually behind me on this. Which is really surprising. I normally have to pull the old. look what followed me home trick, to get toys. So I'm at least going to be able to get something better than the starter kits you see. I have already contacted a luthier and talked about having the guitar I buy tuned up a little.
I'm trying to sell an old Bach Stradivarius cornet on Ebay. What ever money that generates will go into the guitar fund. They normally sell for prety good money so I'm hoping to be able to go into the 500 dollar range. I'll definately get opinions on the ones i like before I buy. thanks for the link on the lessons.
Jim


rstbkt69
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Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:02 am

I tried to make this post in the general discussuin form but my new topic foo is weak today. Couldn't get to the new spot. Oh well I'll post it here.
While looking for the guitar that screams out buy me and I'll be your friend, I have noticed a couple of things. Of course flea bay is one of the principle search areas. it was here that while looking at some Breedlove, Taylor and Larrivee guitars that I noticed a significant difference in the cost of new vs. used on the auction sites. Some of these instruments seem to go for 30% to 40% of their new cost and the likes of Martin and Gibson seem to hold their value. Or at least they are being sold at the auctions for a value close to the original cost. I'm talking about newer models not some of the classic older ones. Is there perhaps a string of imposter guitars in these makes. Are there any tips you can offer whill I'm looking at one of these. I had thought that I would be only able to buy a guitar slightly higher in quality offered in the starter sets but now it looks like I may be able to scrape up the funds for a higher quality guitar.
Jim


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