String feel v/s guitar sound

[rpenumud]

Hi,

I am a beginner guitar player looking to buy an acoustic guitar. I have tried out quite a few in store and i have noticed that some of them are harder to strum (play chords) than others. What i mean is that there is some of the guitars are more resistant to playing chords to the extent that on some chords the pick tends to even slip out of my hands.

Is this a personality of the guitar itself or is that the behavior of the strings used on the guitar?

Thanks,
-Rj

[warfrat73]

It's partly a combination of both of those things, but mostly it's probably the setup.

Some guitars ship with medium strings, some (most) with light strings, medium strings will feel a little stiffer.

Some guitars have shorter scale length (distance from nut to saddle), a longer scale length will feel a little stiffer.

But, mostly it's probably that some of these guitars need to be set up properly. Many guitars ship with action that's a little on the high side, and need to be adjusted for individual preference.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by rpenumud

Hi,

I am a beginner guitar player looking to buy an acoustic guitar. I have tried out quite a few in store and i have noticed that some of them are harder to strum (play chords) than others. What i mean is that there is some of the guitars are more resistant to playing chords to the extent that on some chords the pick tends to even slip out of my hands.

Is this a personality of the guitar itself or is that the behavior of the strings used on the guitar?

Thanks,
-Rj

In terms of hardness or softness, there are a LOT of factors involved:

1) guitar's nutwitdh
2) neck radius
3) guitar's action
4) guitar's scale
5) string gauge
6) string tension
7) etc.

Normally, many guitars (the grand majority) need setups. Don't judge a guitar simply by the way the demo guitar feels in your hands. I've played many guitars which, at first, could only be played by Thanos; but after a good setup they feel wonderful.

[wguitar]

Welcome to AGF !

In simple terms, many guitars in stores need a proper SETUP to feel and sound their best -- and to get you the feel & sound your prefer. New players typically prefer lower string ACTION and/or lighter gauge strings, which (among other things) makes the guitar easier to play. For general reference, 12-gauge strings is sort of the standard (some use 11's, some use 13's, etc). My guidance would be to find a guitar that feels good to you from a body size and neck perspective, and talk to the store salesperson, manager, and/or guitar technician (if they have one in store) about a proper setup before buying. Also ask about the store's return policy. You'll find the folks here on AGF to be very knowledgeable and helpful, so I'd also encourage you to ask questions here before buying. For example, post the brand and model of the guitar you're looking at, what your budget is, and other pertinent info. Folks will reply with guidance, guitar suggestions, and other useful information.

All the best as you begin your guitar journey !

Cheers!

Originally Posted by rpenumud

Hi,

I am a beginner guitar player looking to buy an acoustic guitar. I have tried out quite a few in store and i have noticed that some of them are harder to strum (play chords) than others. What i mean is that there is some of the guitars are more resistant to playing chords to the extent that on some chords the pick tends to even slip out of my hands.

Is this a personality of the guitar itself or is that the behavior of the strings used on the guitar?

Thanks,
-Rj

[rpenumud]

Thank you all for the suggestions/feedback so far.

To give some more background to my question I have been playing an electric guitar at home so far for a year (squier telecaster that my son is no longer using ). So wondering if that also affects my experience with playing an acoustic guitar.

The more i play the acoustics the less of that "resistant" feel i get, i think.

Also, let me know if my ears are deceiving me or not:
There seems to be a progression in the quality of the sound from the guitar depending on its price range. The 100-200 ones that i played sounded like hitting a tin can, with the quality of the sound progressing from there. So far the best sounding ones i found were the taylor 214ce, the martin GPC 13e (might have got the model wrong). The higher priced ones were even better of course, but they are simply out of my current budget.

I liked a couple of takamines too (GD93CE-NAT and GN71CE) in the 500-700 price range. I also liked a mitchell in the 500 price range. But unfortunately (or not) these show as made in china. Whats worse is apparently takamine makes these same models in a custom spec for guitar center which is where i tried them. Also, the mitchell is apparently a guitar center store brand (from my limited search on the internet).

I wonder if i should stay away from the china models? They sounded good, but based on reviews i have read i am not sure of their durability/build quality which i cannot gauge by just looking at the new ones in the store.

Also, for the same nut width that is on my current electric, i found that i was accidentally hitting neighboring strings, when finger-picking on some of the acoustics. Does this have to do with just me playing badly or the string type/gauge/how the strings are laid on the fret board?

Also, if anyone has played the martin GPCX2AE (which is really hard to find these days), i would like to know how it sounds compared to a taylor 214ce. There are youtube videos on both and it is hard to pick either one based on those videos.

Thanks,
-Rj

[rokdog49]

My Gibson J45 is the easiest of my guitars to play.
I believe it is a combination of the string height, neck profile and shorter scale.
If I ever had a custom guitar built, that is the neck I would want.

[Oldguy64]

If your budget is in the Taylor 214 area,
See if you can find a Gibson G45.
They are recently discontinued, and the prices are already creeping up on used ones. So find a new one.
For the price of a new 214, also look at a Takamine Professional series.
The P3DC is an absolute killer.
The new Alvarez Masterworks Series is also pretty great stuff.
My “elderly” MD70CE is holding up well. If you choose it. Buy it without electronics and add a K&K, or something else that tickles your fancy.
You will still be all in well under $1000.