Really boring beginner techie stuff

marc1t · August 2017

hi
im a real beginner after getting what looks like a nice Ibanez electro accoustic on eBay paid £80 like new. But I have no idea really seems to sound nice.
Sorry for the really boring basic questions

1. Is it worth taking it to a shop & getting it checked out for set up? String hight?
2 Is it worth changing the strings no idea how long they've been on there there are a couple of tarnish marks in places they are Dadorio strings, are they any good? What are the best strings? What diameter?
3. Any other stuff I need the guitar came with a padded bag & a couple of basic books & I bought some thin bendy pics on advice from the shop. What about capo's string windy thingies?
Cheers for any advice

Winny_Pooh · August 2017

Setup will cost near as much as the guitar. Daddarios are excellent, if the solid treble strings are still shiny and the undersides of the wound strings are not pitted where they contact the frets they will be fine for now. Play and see if the string height and tension is ok. Good string height is 2-3mm between the top of the 12th fret and bottom of the thinnest string. If its too hard then you can go to a thinner gauge set. Your local shop will be able to see whats on there currently and sell you a set one gauge lighter (eg 12s to 11s, measured by the thinnest string)

A capo is essential if you want to play acoustic songs. Songwriters use them to move the key higher and still be able to use the basic open position chord shapes like C, D, Amin, E etc

Lozboy · August 2017

Welcome to the forum.Your wonderful guitar journey has just begun.Theres loads of info on the net and Youtube.I would check it out ASAP anything your confused about then ask on here.Do not spend any money until your absolutely sure.
All Winny_Pooh advise is great.If you do not have a tuner then that would be first on the list.

ICBM · August 2017

marc1t said:

1. Is it worth taking it to a shop & getting it checked out for set up? String hight?
2 Is it worth changing the strings no idea how long they've been on there there are a couple of tarnish marks in places they are Dadorio strings, are they any good? What are the best strings? What diameter?
3. Any other stuff I need the guitar came with a padded bag & a couple of basic books & I bought some thin bendy pics on advice from the shop. What about capo's string windy thingies?

1 - yes, definitely. When it's being set up, the thing that will make the most difference is actually the nut height, which is the hardest of the three main adjustments for a beginner to assess or correct - and the most likely to be too high on a new guitar, so a professional check-over is always a good idea.

2 - probably not before 1! Usually a set-up will involve taking the strings off, and it can make things more difficult to take off a new set and then try to refit them so you don't waste them. If the shop sells the type of strings you want to use, it's polite to allow them to include the new set in with the price (they will make a small profit on them, every little counts in shops these days); if you use something esoteric it's better to take the strings in with the guitar.

D'Addario strings are excellent, they're one of the most popular brands and very consistent. Most shops will sell them as well. If you're an outright beginner it's not wrong to use the lightest strings available, which will usually be 10s. This will make it easier to play - and less painful on your fingertips, before they develop the hardness they need over time. Many people will say that light strings give a poor tone, which is true up to a point, but it's better to start with something you can play without it hurting. You can always change to a higher gauge later.

3 - a capo is very useful but not absolutely essential. There are several different types and no easy way to advise which is best, a lot of it is personal preference and familiarity, but any of the basic types work well enough. A string winder is less useful, at least initially - it's more so if you're changing strings very regularly if you're gigging, really. The (arguably) best way of fitting strings doesn't rely on turning the key a lot anyway.

A tuner is essential as Lozboy said - although if you have a smartphone, you can get apps (many free) which work pretty well. If you have an iPhone the Polytune one is brilliant, and only £3… sadly there isn't an Android version.

Have fun and don't give up if it hurts a bit to start with

.

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Really boring beginner techie stuff

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