Honest Opinion Needed on Brand of First Guitar

AdamLlewellyn · #1 10-29-2020, 12:14 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new not only here but to the guitar world in general. I picked up the first instrument of my life 3 months ago (genuinely never played an instrument before then). Said instrument is a Stretton Payne acoustic guitar, I paid £170 for it, so I'm under no illusion that it's of top-tier quality, but as far as low-budget guitars go, how is Stretton Payne as a brand? Upon receiving it a leaflet included detailed how it's made from 100% recycled wood, I'm ignorant as to whether or not this is detrimental to the sound quality. I've had a few guitarists give me vastly different opinions on the brand, so looking for an objectively true opinion on this brand. Thank you all in advance, and I look forward to experiencing the journey of learning guitar with like-minded peers... (even if at 27 I'm a little late to the party).

Earl49 · #2 10-29-2020, 01:01 PM

Hi Adam, and welcome! You expressed the price in pounds so we presume you are in the UK. Most of us will not recognize this brand, so probably cannot help you much -- most of us are in the US across the pond. But we have a number of UK members who might be more useful.... As for recycled wood, that can mean several things. It could be chipped wood that is pressed into boards, which would be like particle board or plywood, and not very conducive to good tone. Or it could be salvaged and repurposed solid wood from other uses (like old floor boards or timbers). That well-aged wood could be very good indeed. Or it could just be meaningless marketing-speak.

At 27 you are far from "too late" to start the guitar journey. In fact, the only time it is too late to start is when you are staring up from underneath the turf, or when your hands get too arthritic to play.

musicman1951 · #3 10-29-2020, 02:11 PM

Your guitar is fine. Enjoy it and play with joy. At some point you may find yourself with some extra money and an itch for an upgrade. Until then keep on keeping on. As long as it plays reasonably well it really doesn't make much difference which guitar you play for a while. It's about the music, not the instrument.

MThomson · #4 10-29-2020, 02:19 PM

Don't worry about any other opinions on sound quality. If it sounds good to you, and makes you want to play it, it's a great guitar. Get stuck in, enjoy it and let your ears develop. It's great fun.

Tony Burns · #5 10-29-2020, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Your guitar is fine. Enjoy it and play with joy. At some point you may find yourself with some extra money and an itch for an upgrade. Until then keep on keeping on. As long as it plays reasonably well it really doesn't make much difference which guitar you play for a while. It's about the music, not the instrument.

Good advice , maybe add -when you decide that your a guitar playing lifer- to buy better -play alot of guitar and judge them by their sound not their price .
Another piece of good advice is to buy it used , and buy a guitar thats up the ladder a bit -its more exspensive when you go from guitar A to B to C -etc
than it is to just go as high as you can comfortably afford ( that is when its the right time for you ) and not buy many but the one.

Rev Roy · #6 10-29-2020, 07:42 PM

Does the guitar sound good to you? Is it easy to play? If the answer is “yes” then you’re good to go. For now. Starting with a guitar that rewards your efforts with an inspiring tone and that’s fun to play will help you stay committed to the journey. Then somewhere down the road you’ll likely want to upgrade to a higher-end guitar. Especially if you hang around AGF for long. We’re world class enablers.

FingahPickah · #7 10-29-2020, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamLlewellyn

Hi everyone, I'm new not only here but to the guitar world in general. I picked up the first instrument of my life 3 months ago (genuinely never played an instrument before then). Said instrument is a Stretton Payne acoustic guitar, I paid £170 for it, so I'm under no illusion that it's of top-tier quality, but as far as low-budget guitars go, how is Stretton Payne as a brand? Upon receiving it a leaflet included detailed how it's made from 100% recycled wood, I'm ignorant as to whether or not this is detrimental to the sound quality. I've had a few guitarists give me vastly different opinions on the brand, so looking for an objectively true opinion on this brand. Thank you all in advance, and I look forward to experiencing the journey of learning guitar with like-minded peers... (even if at 27 I'm a little late to the party).

When Tommy Emmanuel is asked: "What guitar should I buy?"
He responds: "The one that makes you happy".

With regard to vastly different opinions:
"All generalizations are false; including this one" - Mark Twain

rstaight · #8 10-29-2020, 08:11 PM

Welcome to the forum. Has long as you are happy and easy to play, that's all that matters.

Duck916 · #9 10-29-2020, 09:06 PM

As you gain experience, you will learn what's important to you. For now, I'm sure this guitar is fine.

The player is far more important than the instrument. I can assure you that, head to head, me playing a top-of-the-line Martin against Tommy Emmanuel playing a $50 garage sale special, Tommy would sound far better.

Silurian · #10 10-30-2020, 02:09 AM

Hi Adam,

Welcome to AGF. As others have said playability is the most important factor at this stage.
It may be worth having an experienced guitarist have a look to see if your guitar is "set up" to play easily.

There are a handful of Brits who post fairly regularly here. I'm in South Wales.

All the best.

Ludere · #11 10-30-2020, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silurian

Hi Adam,

Welcome to AGF. As others have said playability is the most important factor at this stage.

It may be worth having an experienced guitarist have a look to see if your guitar is "set up" to play easily.

There are a handful of Brits who post fairly regularly here. I'm in South Wales.

All the best.

Welcome Adam!
Too old at 27? Not by a long shot ...

I also recommend you get an experienced player to take a look at the “set up” on your guitar.
Set up just refers to some adjustments that can be made to make the guitar as easy to play as possible, while potentially bringing some improvements to its sound as well.
I wouldn’t get too concerned about it, but playability is one aspect that can make it more fun and more likely to be something you’ll want to keep doing.
I also agree that if you’re happy with your guitar, that’s all that matters.

Have fun and ask questions! The folks here at AGF are a wealth of information and they generally enjoy sharing the wealth!

EZYPIKINS · #12 10-31-2020, 06:38 AM

Yes yes yes. Setup is key. With a proper setup, it could serve you well for years to come.
You would be better off at this point, to spend a little on a setup. Verses allot on a new guitar, which will likely need a setup anyway.

madmoggy · #13 10-31-2020, 06:39 AM

Hi Adam
Im in the UK and Ive not heard of Stretton Payne before, but the important things are how it sounds and how it makes you want to play it, much more important than how much it costs. Im lucky in that I own a couple of more expensive guitars but one of my favourites is still a Washburn that I paid less than £300 and have had for more than 25 years. It feels good, looks good, makes me want to play it and in the right hands sounds very good. The only bad guitar is one that makes you not want to play.
To me it would make no difference if its recycled wood or not, if it does the job thats all that matters.

NotveryGood · #14 10-31-2020, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmoggy

Hi Adam
Im in the UK and Ive not heard of Stretton Payne before, but the important things are how it sounds and how it makes you want to play it, much more important than how much it costs. Im lucky in that I own a couple of more expensive guitars but one of my favourites is still a Washburn that I paid less than £300 and have had for more than 25 years. It feels good, looks good, makes me want to play it and in the right hands sounds very good. The only bad guitar is one that makes you not want to play.
To me it would make no difference if its recycled wood or not, if it does the job thats all that matters.

Good advice. Its a curse for some of us that whichever guitar we have, of any budget, we have an uneasy feeling that we should be playing something else, and sometimes we lose that simple thrill of playing because of it. Enjoy yours!

Music-N-Yarn · #15 10-31-2020, 07:09 AM

Welcome Adam.

I am over 50, and bought my first guitar in May of this year. Trust me, 27 is far from late to this party.

I bought an inexpensive guitar, and had it set up. That set up makes a good world of difference when learning to play. I am teaching myself out of a book that goes from beginner to beyond. Guitar is not my first instrument. I figure if I make it to the end of the book, then I will have a good idea what type of playing I enjoy the most. Lurking around here will also help me decide what I want to look for in my next guitar.

Have fun!