FAQ
Common questions
How much should I spend on my first guitar?
Around $230 is the right floor for a real instrument. Below that, the quality drops sharply — pickups warp, frets aren't level, and the guitar will fight you every time you pick it up. The Yamaha FG800 and Fender CD-60S are the two consensus starter picks at this price. Don't go cheaper; the discount you save is the reason most beginners quit.
Should my first guitar be acoustic or electric?
Whichever genre you want to play. If your favorite music is folk, country, singer-songwriter, or fingerstyle, start acoustic. If it's rock, blues, or metal, start electric. The 'acoustic is harder so it builds your fingers' advice is partially true but also irrelevant — you'll quit if you don't enjoy what you're playing. Pick the instrument you want to hear.
Do I need lessons, or can I learn online?
Most beginners can get to an intermediate level entirely through free online resources. JustinGuitar.com is the universal recommendation — Justin Sandercoe has built the most complete free beginner curriculum in any instrument. After 6-12 months, a few in-person lessons to fix bad habits is high-value. But you don't need lessons in week one to get started.
How often do I need to change strings?
Every 3-6 months for casual players, more often if you play daily or sweat a lot. The signs strings are dead: they look dull or grimy, sound 'thuddy' instead of bright, and stop holding tuning. New strings make a $250 guitar sound like a new $400 guitar — it's the cheapest tone upgrade available.
How long until I can play a real song?
About two weeks for a 3-chord song played slowly, three months for it to sound listenable, six months for it to sound good. The chord transition is the hard part — your fingers physically learning to move between G, C, and D is what your first month is about. Once that's smooth, songs unlock fast.
My fingertips really hurt — am I doing something wrong?
No, that's universal. The skin on your fingertips is going to develop calluses over the first 2-3 weeks of regular practice, and that process is mildly painful. Don't tape your fingers — that delays the calluses. Practice 15 minutes, take a break, come back later. By week three the pain is gone. By month two you can play for an hour without thinking about it.
Should I tune by ear or use a tuner?
Use a tuner for at least your first year. Tuning by ear is a real skill, but it's a separate skill from playing — and an out-of-tune guitar will make every song you play sound bad and discourage practice. A $15 clip-on tuner removes the problem entirely. You'll naturally develop the ear over time.
