Jenn Cowfish wrote in a message to All:

I want an Ibanez 7-string which costs, as I was informed by a
guitar magazine, close to 3 000$.

Ouch. Even in US currency, I've never paid close to that for
anything.

now? I've never played the guitar before, but I just have a feeling
that it'll be...right. Somehow I just know it will be, so whether
not I'll like it isn't a question here.

I would advise any beginner to start with a GOOD entry-level guitar,
or a good quality used one at a good price. You can probably get a
very playable new Fender Squier series with a small solid-state amp (you'll always want a practice amp anyways, so it's not a waste of
money) for under $500 CDN.

Something else I'd like to know is how hard/easy it is to get
started on the guitar. I'm not asking to become Santana in a week,
but I'm just wondering how long does it take to get the basics
down.

It depends on your "natural" abilities. I've seen people pick it up
in weeks, and I've seen people struggle with it for years. Having a
good teacher helps, and I would certainly advise lessons. Even after playing for 20 years, I still find it refreshing to schedule a month of lessons every now and then, once or twice a week.

As a player of over half a dozen different instruments, I
know that none of them are easy. But what I mean is it easy to
start up on, like will I need lessons, or will it take me years to
learn off books etc.?

Lessons will definitely be an advantage over books, especially for the basics. Once you have the basics down, you can use books to continue
your learning, but lessons will get the basics down to a couple of
weeks. There are some things that books can't teach properly, such as playing position. They can tell you what you should do, but if it
doesn't feel right, it doesn't mean that it's wrong... it may mean that you need to get used to it... or it may mean that you don't have it exactly right. A good teacher can clear that up for you immediately.

C-ya! Rich

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Quoting Jenn Cowfish to All <=-

I want an Ibanez 7-string which costs, as I was informed by a guitar magazine, close to 3 000$ . I really want that guitar, it's my dream

Just start from a decent and a low-cost good sounding guitar.

decent Peavey and Fender guitars on the market that cost that around there. Should I wait it out and get an expensive 7-string Ibanez or
should I just settle for a cheaper one now? I've never played the

Settle for a cheaper one now, or buy that Fender guitar that fits
right on your budget. It's an overkill to buy a 7-string. And where
will you use that one? If you buy a 7-string, you will find out that
when you're practicing, you will not use that additional 7th string of yours, unless... you pluck it.

mentioned above, I've never played guitar before. The only thing I
have going for me is the fact that I have 10 working fingers.

Always remember, practice makes perfect.

NEALL MERCADO

[Team MIDI][*/_Vibra16_/*][Team CHAT101][*CCP*][Team CentralMail][*Cakewalk*] ... He's got Blue Wave fever and it's
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Hi Jenn!

I want an Ibanez 7-string which costs [...] close to 3 000$ .

[...] I was wondering if I should keep saving for the Ibanez guitar,
which could take me several more years, or if I should just start
shopping around for a more affordable one now.

That is like saying "I will not start playing violin before I cannot afford that stradivarius". Not very reasonable... ever year you will
wait will be a lost year and just imagine, that you might find out,
that you don't like playing guitar... you will lose lotsa money. I'd recommend to get a good squire strat or something like that and a
medium priced amp and start playing. Maybe just start with an accoustic guiutar ( a guitar teacher would probably recommend that, but I think,
if you want to play electric, why not start electric).

And if you find a Japanese Squire, that has a body that is not made of plywood, you can let the pickups replaced with better ones one day and have a decent guitar. Keep in mind, that the quality of sound doesn>'t necessarily depend on the price of the equipment.

Something else I'd like to know is how hard/easy it is to get started on the guitar. I'm not asking to become Santana in a week, but I'm just wondering how long does it take to get the basics down.

It depends on what you want to play, but I think, it can be pretty
soon. After a week, the fingers will not hurt any more and the rest depends on how talented you are and how often you practice and
what/how you practice.

As a player of
over half a dozen different instruments, I know that none of them are easy. But what I mean is it easy to start up on, like will I need lessons, or will it take me years to learn off books etc.?

I think, you might consult somebody (not bnecessarily a guitar
teacher) to show you the basics. Then you should practice the basics
and then you might want to consult a teacher. It is important that you don't get used to bad techniques. It will be hgard to get rid of it
again.
Maybe you want to read about this topic on my website. I have written
a couple of things about beginning to play guitar there.

Take care
Sven

Sven's Guitar Site: http://home.munich.netsurf.de/Sven.Petersen/
Sven's Guitar Zone:
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Quarter/9440/

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Jenn Cowfish wrote in a message to All:

I was just wondering if you more experienced guitarist could give
me some advice here...

I want an Ibanez 7-string which costs, as I was informed by a
guitar magazine, close to 3 000$ . I really want that guitar, it's
my dream instrument. The only thing is the money. I was wondering
if I should keep saving for the Ibanez guitar, which could take me
several more years, or if I should just start shopping around for a

I would highly recommend you find yourself a quality instrument
at a more reasonable cost. After 20+ years of playing, my dream instrument has changed more times than I care to contemplate. Besides, think of how much more playing time you'll "waste" saving for the Ibanez...

more affordable one now. If I'm going to get one now, basically the
only thing I'm looking for is an electric guitar that produces
sounds I like. My current budget for guitars right now would be
around 500$, not including amps and other equiptment. I'm aware

That will buy you a good quality guitar. Again, your style and
likes will develop as you improve and your "holy grail" will change.
I'd also recommend you take someone who knows guitars to help with the selection process. They won't be able to tell you what feels right in your hands but they will be able to evaluate the instrument for
quality. Picking a guitar is a very personal thing but as a beginner, you'll really not know what you'll like as you develop...

Something else I'd like to know is how hard/easy it is to get
started on the guitar. I'm not asking to become Santana in a week,
but I'm just wondering how long does it take to get the basics
down. As a player of over half a dozen different instruments, I
know that none of them are easy. But what I mean is it easy to
start up on, like will I need lessons, or will it take me years to
learn off books etc.? Like I mentioned above, I've never played
guitar before. The only thing I have going for me is the fact that
I have 10 working fingers.

That's also very personal. I've known folks who could read a
book and learn everything and others who absolutely had to have an instructor to walk them through every step. The only sure way to find
out is to start!! :) I can guarantee very sore fingers at first and
(as I'm sure you know playing that many instruments) moments of
complete frustration. But you'll also experience moments of unrivaled
joy when you attain onness, you can do no wrong and your very soul
becomes part of the instrument. that's what has kept me playing
through the years. It's a hell of a ride, welcome to the party! :)
Paul

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! Origin: Paul's point, Salt Lake City, Utah. (1:218/704.16)

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