Been meaning to do something musical for a while. My paypal balance is healthy and I thought I’d buy something on ebay to learn to strum “Rude all the Time” etc on.

I suspect the chances of me getting really into it are small, so want to go cheap…will a £60 beginners’ pack be **** (like a 125 motorbike 😛 ), if so, any tips to go for?

Have you thought about taking up the spoons?
Sorry IGMC

Some 125cc mbikes can be fun!

Nearly all £60 electric guitar packs are not going to be much fun…You’d be better off with a £60 acoustic to start off with but would urge you to spend as much as you can.

Might be worth a trip to a local music shop and trying a few out. Get a feel for what feels good in your hands. You might prefer one thing over another (electric over acoutsic for example). Make a note of what you like and then search eBay for a good deal/price.

A cheap guitar is like a cheap bike, hard work! but to make life easier look for something with lower action (strings are closer to the neck so you don’t have to press so hard) and a thin neck so you can get your hand around it trying to play those awkward first chords. Definately go for acoustic, steel strung, and as for brands Ibanez and Yamaha make great ‘starter’ guitars

I wouldn’t buy a cheap electric on the Bay… because ultra cheap electrics are pants with a capital ‘Y’ and second because you won’t get a chance to realise just how pants it is before you buy… I started out many lightyears ago with the cheapest of the cheap Les Paul copies. Loved it for 2 weeks (that’s the ‘wow, this thing makes a nice noise’ stage). Then realised the action was rubbish, the frets were all over the place and the pick-ups picked up some strings better than others…

So, if you think you might stick at it beyond 2 weeks, I’d advise you to buy a cheap (ish) acoustic from a trusted buyer, or fork out some more on a decent electric

Electrics are like bikes. The guitar itself is your frame, but soon you’ll find yourself thinking amps (forks) and pedals (pedals). If you’re like me, the buying won’t stop.

It’s pretty difficult to pimp up an acoustic…

don’t buy any old junk off the bay, you wont enjoy playing it. Go to a real shop, and play some real guitars, even if that means just holding them, stroking them and twiddling the knobs. Maybe go 2nd hand rather than cheap rubbish.

Ta lads, I was thinking acoustic, I prefer not to look in shops and buy online…good to have some brands to look for.

Good choice, cynic-al. Go for something with a straight neck (preferably with a trussrod to keep it straight), a low action, good quality machine heads to keep the thing in tune and little or no fret wear. It’s much better to find a good brand second hand than go for one of the budget things – cos they won’t last.

And, if you do get one, don’t leave it anywhere close to a radiator!

Before you buy, remember to ask if they have a full length mirror to check yourself out in.
Then mime Stairway to Heaven.

Seriously, the music shop guys will love you.

Acoustic? – look at Ibanez V70 and Yamaha F310
Sightly above your target price, but good enough to keep you going

Or how about an electric and one of these £25 beauties

look at Ibanez V70 and Yamaha F310

Good advice, can’t go wrong with a Yamhama guitar really, I still use mine that I got years ago through the school, although careful with sizes the F310 is a dreadnaught (large body), it’s quite a big guitar. Sounds nice though

How about Freebird?

Seriously the stuff I’m into doesn’t really have solos.

im sadly a serial acoustic buyer (long term expensive habit)… for dead cheap you wont really beat a yamaha, get a second hand yammy with a solid top for that if you look about

Hmmm. I’ve got a Japanese Fender + practice amp and a Tanglewood acoustic which I’ve been toying with getting rid of one or the other. No idea what they are worth as they were bought 12 years + ago on a whim.

They both play very well apparently, according to muso mates who tried them out before I bought. If you’re interested I’ll try and find out a price.

EDIT – Tanglewood is a TW28SN which gets good reviews as a beginners guitar

Al I play classical guitar read music etc – can I speak please 😉 I declare no knowledge of electric here. IMHO go to a shop or get someone who knows guitars to play it if you are getting second hand. IME any guitar under about £200 will have some variability in quality and it may be out somewhere on the neck [perhaps minor ]. At the cheap end i have played some £100 guitars i would happily buy and some I would only use for firewood if they were given to me. Big brands help a bit but it does not give certainty of quality. Also consider how big your hands are. The neck of an acoustic/electric will be smaller than a classical guitar and you may find a large neck [width] easier to play than a smaller one – this is not a subtle suggestion you are ham fisted. The downside is the action [height of the string] tends to be higher whihc makes playing harder. Classical guitars are even worse for variation in quality at the budget price range and I would not buy any I had not played.
By local , take someone who knows guitars get them to play it and follow their advice. Get a guitar tuner as well as it will make it far easier to tune.

I meant to say thanks all…I’m just gonna plump for an F310 from ebay to start with.

I would recommend, if buying an acoustic get a proper guitar stand and if buying an electric a wall hanger.

Just deleted a longer wibble about the wisdom of spending money on a fragile wooden temperature and moisture sensitive object, on which a quarter of a milimetre here or there can make or break your likelihood of liking it and enjoying playing it, without ever trying it.

Yamahas have better quality control/setup at that price than most and if you really really must avoid walking into a guitar shop then that is a good one to start with, but seriously Al, just go to a shop, preferably with someone who can play a bit, and try a few!

If my bargaineous F310 is pants I may well do that!

I would recommend not leaving your Ovation in the same room as your children who may choose to use it as some sort of substitute indoor ride on toy.

Al, was it this one?

Good price if so. Hopefully worth the gamble not trying it out. BTW my old f310 is still one of the nicest feeling (not sounding, mind it’s still a budget laminate top after all) acoustics i have ever played. Just got lucky nosing round a shop in Pau once, that guitar has been all over since.