Taylor guitar for beginner

[mercy]

A guy asked me to teach him. I have done this in the past for pay and have discovered that the thing that causes people to quit is their guitars are standare (long) scale. So I always recommend a short scale guitar. I know that Taylor has a bunch of short scale guitars but it needs to be a starter price. I saw one in Guitar Center one time that had a fullish size body but extra short scale.
What would you recommend? Other brands ok too

[ChalkLitIScream]

Taylor is a premium brand and you’d spend a lot for their beginner guitars.
The GS mini is a hit with the smaller body and short scale (and thinner nut width) while having incredible tonal output for its size.
Plenty of used ones to find local as well.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by ChalkLitIScream

Taylor is a premium brand and you’d spend a lot for their beginner guitars.
The GS mini is a hit with the smaller body and short scale (and thinner nut width) while having incredible tonal output for its size.
Plenty of used ones to find local as well.

+1 for this ^^^^^^

[LikeASir_]

Not a Taylor but maybe an E1OM? Great starter guitar and it's 24.9 scale

[AZLiberty]

Alvarez Artist in their Folk size. (short scale OM/000)
On sale at MF:
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...20folk&index=3

Martin Dread Jr. (dread shaped 000 with a extra short 24" scale)
You can usually find these fairly affordably on Craigslist.

Taylor Academy is short scale, but the 1 11/16 nut makes it harder to play.

[ataylor]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

Taylor Academy is short scale, but the 1 11/16 nut makes it harder to play.

Plenty of folks have learned to play on guitars with a nut width of 1-11/16 and below (keep in mind how many people start out on electric). It’s just as likely that someone might find 1-3/4” a tad too wide at the nut.

More important than the minutia of nut width and scale length is going to be the setup. For someone getting started at what appears to be adult age, I’d be inclined to recommend a Yamaha FG800 and a good setup.

[gocamels]

Originally Posted by ataylor

Plenty of folks have learned to play on guitars with a nut width of 1-11/16 and below (keep in mind how many people start out on electric). It’s just as likely that someone might find 1-3/4” a tad too wide at the nut.

More important than the minutia of nut width and scale length is going to be the setup. For someone getting started at what appears to be adult age, I’d be inclined to recommend a Yamaha FG800 and a good setup.

I agree. A good setup to ease the learning curve (and callous formation) for the fingers of the left hand is more important than just about anything else. I've definitely seen more people give up because it was too hard to press down enough to make a chord sound right than just about anything else.

[LikeASir_]

Originally Posted by gocamels

I agree. A good setup to ease the learning curve (and callous formation) for the fingers of the left hand is more important than just about anything else. I've definitely seen more people give up because it was too hard to press down enough to make a chord sound right than just about anything else.

As a beginner, any guitar will work as long as it’s set up. I started playing on a used $50 Fender Squire and it was fine. Played that for 2 years and once I knew I was serious, I made an upgrade.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by mercy

A guy asked me to teach him. I have done this in the past for pay and have discovered that the thing that causes people to quit is their guitars are standare (long) scale. So I always recommend a short scale guitar.

[size=2] Hi mercy

I see it a bit differently.

I think beginners give up/quit because guitars are strung with too heavy strings, and the action is too high. If you simply drop the string weight to .010-.047, and lower the action, they may not sound rich, but they will be as manageable as a short scale guitar.

Short scale guitars will accomplish the same thing, but they cost a lot more than Plain-Jane full-scale guitars. You have to restring most beginner student's guitars anyway (most students I took on arrived with less-than-optimal strings on their instruments).

I've changed many a beginner's strings to .010s and tweaked the truss rod to lower the action (bring on the hate please…we're talking beginner guitars here).

In a few months we would bump them up to .011-.052 (Custom light). Some were serious enough to go another weight or two, but most were really happy with the .011s.

They wanted to learn to play guitar to accompany themselves on some tunes, and the ones who wanted more we certainly move up in appropriate weights of strings, and more advanced techniques (and better guitars).

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

[size=2] Hi mercy

I see it a bit differently.

I think beginners give up/quit because guitars are strung with too heavy strings, and the action is too high. If you simply drop the string weight to .010-.047, and lower the action, they may not sound rich, but they will be as manageable as a short scale guitar.

Short scale guitars will accomplish the same thing, but they cost a lot more than Plain-Jane full-scale guitars. You have to restring most beginner student's guitars anyway (most students I took on arrived with less-than-optimal strings on their instruments).

I've changed many a beginner's strings to .010s and tweaked the truss rod to lower the action (bring on the hate please…we're talking beginner guitars here).

In a few months we would bump them up to .011-.052 (Custom light). Some were serious enough to go another weight or two, but most were really happy with the .011s.

They wanted to learn to play guitar to accompany themselves on some tunes, and the ones who wanted more we certainly move up in appropriate weights of strings, and more advanced techniques (and better guitars).

I STILL play 11-52’s.
But a good set up is the key.
Eventually, you start buying better guitars.
But initially, a decent guitar, with a good setup will get you thru the first couple of years.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by ataylor

Plenty of folks have learned to play on guitars with a nut width of 1-11/16 and below (keep in mind how many people start out on electric). It’s just as likely that someone might find 1-3/4” a tad too wide at the nut.

It's the combination of short scale and narrow nut. I really can't tell the difference between a 1-11/16 and 1-3/4 on a standard scale. Change to a short scale and a simply open A chord gets cramped.

[phavriluk]

A Taylor GS Mini is as close to a safe choice as I can think of. Well made, consistent build quality, playable out of the box, plays well, sounds good, easily resold.

[AndrewG]

Taylor's entry-level stuff is relatively expensive for what you get, and doesn't compare well with many imported brands of equal or better quality, and for a lot less money. It isn't what I would recommend to a beginner. Something from Yamaha or Alvarez, definitely.

[mercy]

Thank you all for the great ideas, and any brand was fine. Ive copied them and will be researching them.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by mercy

Thank you all for the great ideas, and any brand was fine. Ive copied them and will be researching them.

You're welcome. I'll admit to a bias, but maybe start with the Yamaha FS series? They are smaller bodied and have a reduced scale. Top of that range will get you change from $400.
Here's a demo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQw4gCuJItE&t=504s