Where to get a guitar?

[tolchocky.livejournal.com]

Hi guys! I'm hoping you all have some input on what place my boyfriend and I should go to get his first guitar. I think he's on the market for something fairly basic, although I'm not sure at this point whether that means acoustic or electric. I know there's a place on Holland and one on Mass Ave just south of Porter; have any of you had good or bad experiences with them? Thanks in advance

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i'd recommend craigslist -- cheaper, and lots of folks sell their spare/old/my-kid-lost-interest guitars there. by all means have him go to any store at all and *try* guitars to see what he likes (esp. if he is undecided about even acoustic vs. electric) but *buy* a used one.

i had a wonderful experience buying my (third?) guitar at guitar city in brookline (?) but there's quite a jump-up in price there.

btw a softer-strung guitar (an electric with light strings or a classical) will make it less likely he'll quit at the "f chord" (which seems to be where a lot of beginner guitarists bail out), and if he has smaller hands electrics usually have narrower necks. (i started with a classical with a neck like a baseball bat, and while i have tiny hands, i persisted -- but the first electric i played was a revelation.)

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Definitely agree with the softer-strung guitar. I started learning on acoustic, and when I first played an electric, the F chord (or barre chords in general) came much easier, and helped me figure out what I was doing wrong on the acoustic.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

There is a small guitar store in Davis - beside Johnny D's.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

I purchased a used Fender Telecaster at the store on Mass Ave (can't remember the name) in Cambridge a number of years ago. Also a used amp. The price was great, and we have had NO trouble with either the guitar or the amp. It must be at least 10 years since I bought them!

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Electrics and acoustics are different instruments. The acoustic will sound beautiful on rhythm guitar, and is well-suited to someone who wants to, say, strum and sing at the same time. The electric is generally (but not always) better suited to lead parts - solos, melody, and the like.

As others have mentioned, an electric tends to be physically easier to play. Learning on an acoustic means struggling when you have to start learning to barre chords (holding down all or most of the strings simultaneously with one finger). Learning on an electric means not building quite the same sort of hand strength, but likely learning different techniques. The distinguishing question is what he wants to do: does he want to sound like Steve Vai, or like Bob Dylan?

Also, what's your budget? These days, while it's possible to buy a crappy guitar, you're apt to do well (especially as a beginner) if you shop at a reputable store and ask lots of questions. My first acoustic cost <$500, and I still play it. My first electric was a bit more expensive, but there were very reasonable models in the $300-$500 range.

Check out Rockin' Bobs in Davis Square, as well as the Cambridge Music Center up near Porter on Mass Ave. I've shopped at both, bought an amp at the former, and generally like the feel and experience at both places.

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Do not buy a guitar at Guitar Center.

I bought two used electrics and one used acoustic at Cambridge Music in Porter Square. The people there are great - they know their stuff, they're very helpful, and they're not at all pushy. Also good for guitar lessons.

I bought a new Fender Telecaster at Guitar Stop, between Porter and Harvard. Also a good experience. Less of a selection there, but they're more of a certified Fender dealer than anything else.

I've also bought a couple used acoustics off of friends. You can definitely get a better deal this way, but the selection is limited. ;)

My favorite acoustic that I've ever played (not counting the ridiculously expensive Martin I played once) was a cheap Yamaha acoustic, bought for $150 at Cambridge Music. It just felt and sounded great.

So... buy what feels right! Good luck!

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Correction: don't buy a -first- guitar at GC. If you know what you want, and know what you're doing, there are reasonable guitars to be had there.

[philbot.livejournal.com]

I deny your correction! I hate that place.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Do you have any reasons to back up the hatred? There are plenty I can think of, but there's no obvious problem with the guitar-purchasing assuming you're not a new musician.

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The sales people have been (on multiple occasions) rude, unhelpful, incredibly slow, and sexist to my female musician friends.

Also I'm not a big fan of their selection. A lot of the things I had been looking for (a Vox AC30, a Rickenbacker 330) they just didn't carry. I pretty much only go in there to buy things I know they'll have in stock, so I can walk in, say, "I want this, please" and then walk out very quickly.

Not to mention you have to listen to every Berklee kid showing off his guitar chops, all at the same time. It's horrible.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Right. So, the experience sucks (I agree), but for someone who knows what they want, they can go in, get a guitar, and leave.

I stand by my comment. :)

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but to find the guitar you want takes time - you've got to sit and play it. It's not like buying a pack of strings! Plus I think it's better to support the little guy than the Walmart of music stores.

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

Gotta disagree.......yes the salespeople are largely dicks, and there are going
to be 8 little kids (attempting) to play Crazy Train/Eruption/Something By Steve Vai all at the same time.....but if you know what you're looking for, the prices on new guitars are rock bottom. This is not to knock Cambridge.....they are a great store.

[avacon.livejournal.com]

When getting a first guitar for my girlfriend, we found
that both of the Porter Square places (Cambridge Music
and Guitar Stop) were both extremely helpful and had
good selections at good prices. There are enough different
sounds and styles that he'll probably want to try a bunch
a both stores until he finds one that suits his
sonic and ergonomic preferences.
(We ended up getting one from Guitar Stop,
but Cambridge Music was also really helpful
and had a larger selection.)

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

There was a post about this on b0st0n just the other day:

http://community.livejournal.com/b0st0n/5738577.html

[nalz.livejournal.com]

Carlino guitars in Medford (intersection of harvard and main, just outside of powerhouse). Eddie owns the shop - he's really knowledgeable and is currently in the process of making his own line of guitars as well. He's a great guy with a pretty good selection. They offer lessons there as well.

[fantastic-salad.livejournal.com]

sandy's music on mass ave near central square is nice.

If it's his first guitar get something used for not much over $100. If he wants an electric, I recommend a used stratocaster knock off. They're lots of fun for little price.

[red-liner.livejournal.com]

Agree 100% about buying used to begin with - a little over $100 may be a tad optimistic, though not impossible, but for $200 or $300 you can certainly get a perfectly decent instrument, and get almost all your money back if you decide guitar isn't for you and want to re-sell it. A new guitar in that price range will depreciate a lot as soon as you walk out of the store.

For electrics, the place in Porter Square or Sandy's would be a decent choice; and yeah, a Strat knockoff would be a fine choice....though Les Paul and Telecaster knockoffs are fine, too.

On the acoustic side, Seagull guitars from Canada are nice inexpensive ones. The Music Emporium on Mass Ave at the Arlington/Lexington line is a bit of a hike, but they're a great place for acoustics.