My Monthly Guitar Question

[Shaka]

I pop in from time to time. Scale length is the big deal here. Whether you go electric or acoustic go with a shorter scale length instrument. My best recommendation is a Baby Taylor. You can find them used for under $300. They are 3/4 scale length and are great for beginners and experts alike. I love to fingerpick on them.

If you have to go cheaper than that look at a Yamaha Jr. The problem with going cheaper is that the guitars in this range oftentimes have issues and will need a good going over by a tech before they will play decently.

[Joe Public]

Mission accomplished here. Thanks for the input, everyone.

[falafel]

Mission accomplished here. Thanks for the input, everyone.

Sorry I'm late, but if there's still time, you should consider one like this:

[USUC]

I pop in from time to time. Scale length is the big deal here. Whether you go electric or acoustic go with a shorter scale length instrument. My best recommendation is a Baby Taylor. You can find them used for under $300. They are 3/4 scale length and are great for beginners and experts alike. I love to fingerpick on them.

If you have to go cheaper than that look at a Yamaha Jr. The problem with going cheaper is that the guitars in this range oftentimes have issues and will need a good going over by a tech before they will play decently.

I'm thinking of buying a Baby Taylor for my kid who is showing interest. But his interests change every 2 hours. However, I don't have my acoustic guitar any more. If I buy this, and he doesn't take to it, how does the scale play for an adult? Is the balance weird or is it easy to get used to?

[Shaka]

I'm thinking of buying a Baby Taylor for my kid who is showing interest. But his interests change every 2 hours. However, I don't have my acoustic guitar any more. If I buy this, and he doesn't take to it, how does the scale play for an adult? Is the balance weird or is it easy to get used to?

I love them. They are great for fingerpicking and also flat-pick pretty well. I wouldn't hesitate to go this route.

[USUC]

I love them. They are great for fingerpicking and also flat-pick pretty well. I wouldn't hesitate to go this route.

Excellent. Thank you. Martin has a version as well but the Baby Taylor sounds more alive.

[Shaka]

Excellent. Thank you. Martin has a version as well but the Baby Taylor sounds more alive.

High-end Martin's are great. However, a lot of brands have better price point guitars than Martin.

[Sleeping in EQ]

I'm looking for some good busking songs from the 60s through the early 90s.

Any genre.

[Shaka]

Oh man, shouldn't be too hard find fun songs to play from that date range. Are you using any tools like a looper?

[BigPiney]

My daughter wants a ukulele for her birthday. Does it really matter what I get her? She is 13.

[Sleeping in EQ]

Oh man, shouldn't be too hard find fun songs to play from that date range. Are you using any tools like a looper?

Yes, I am.

I have Boss's RC-30 loop station. The good one, not the one that's too complicated for live use. My effective singing range is G or F# (on the low string) up to C# in the 5th octave.

[Moliere]

My daughter wants a ukulele for her birthday. Does it really matter what I get her? She is 13.

Very little experience here other than my daughter bought a really cheap ukulele from amazon and it was pretty bad. Hard to tune and the sound was poor. She gave up on it quickly until we visited someone with a nice ukulele and she got to play it. The difference was amazing. She saved up some money and bought a nicer model and has since enjoyed playing it.

Same with guitars. I had a cheap $80 guitar given to me for Xmas one year. I played it off and on but the action was high and the sound was shallow. I finally picked up a decent guitar about a year ago and I love playing it and spend a half hour each day just messing around in it. Made a big difference to have a decent model.

Plus, good ukuleles aren’t that expensive.

[BigFatMeanie]

My daughter wants a ukulele for her birthday. Does it really matter what I get her? She is 13.

My 15 year old daughter wanted a ukelele this past Christmas. While you can get really cheap crappy ukes around $20 or less, a decent uke is in the $60-$70 range. I didn't think she would do anything with it but I didn't think the $60 was a big deal either so we went a $60 uke. She has surprised me by spending quite a bit of time learning it and regularly sings and plays. The $60 has turned out to be a good investment.

[Shaka]

My daughter wants a ukulele for her birthday. Does it really matter what I get her? She is 13.

Yes but you do not have to spend that much. https://www.mimsukes.com/. Friend of mine from a BYU ward.

[Shaka]

Yes, I am.

I have Boss's RC-30 loop station. The good one, not the one that's too complicated for live use. My effective singing range is G or F# (on the low string) up to C# in the 5th octave.

Singing range is no big deal as you can adjust to fit. Superstition done on a looper is impressive. Don't Stop Believing, California Dreaming, and any number of nineties pop/rock bands (Toad the Wet Sprocket, Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms) are a good well in which to dive.