Is Cort a good guitar or would a Freshman (not sure of spelling) be better?
823647
Cort is the second largest guitar maker on the face of the planet, and they are sold under many names. They are pretty nice for the money.\n\nOn the other hand, Freshman guitars stopped being built in the mid-1960s (according to the 2007 Blue Book of Electric Guitars) and were very cheap below-student-quality guitars. They originally sold for less than $100, and weren't even worth that.
798222
i was 10.  now 23.  my mom started to teach me, and now i think i'm pretty good. but from what i hear, everybody plays guitar nowadays. it didn't take me very long because i really liked music and i liked it so much i just played constantly. i started with an acoustic and i think it would be pretty good to start with. it's basic and you can find cheap ones to see if you like it. plus you won't have to get an amp for it. good luck.
984723
his guitar teacher would be the best person to ask.\n\nhe'll know exactly what level your son is at and what guitar would suit him best =)
841342
Check out the Daisy Rock line of guitars. They're generally built on a little bit smaller scale (for smaller hands), though they're not small enough to be considered a child's guitar. They come in a ton of models and colors, and some of the money from some of the models go to breast cancer research.\n\nAnd even though they're a "girl's" guitar, they're awesome. They feel good, play easy and sound great.\n\n\n\nEDIT: The only reason I point out Daisy Rock is because you felt the need to mention "guitars for girls". The people below who've mentioned checking out all guitars are completely correct - any guitar that you like is the "right" guitar for you. Some tend to have thinner necks, some have fatter necks, some weigh more, some are more expensive, etc... Just see what you like. \n\nAnd just for the record, Daisy Rock doesn't make "crap"...
984487
See if you can check them out in person at a Music store.  Some guitars are "brighter" sounding than others and everyone has thier own personal preference when it comes to guitar sounds.\n\nI know some places that companies cut corners is tuning keys - try to get all metal tuners.  I have seen with chromed plastic knobs that don't last very long.\n\nLooking at the features listed on the site tho, it looks to be a decent starter guitar.  But you only know what it looks like, not sounds, feel etc....\n\nGood luck and enjoy.
81058
really, it shouldn't matter what name is on the guitar, its what it sounds like, and how it plays that counts. gibson les paul is a good all around guitar, while fender, paul reed smith, gretsch and Rickenbaker all make excellent blues/slow rock guitars. If its hard rock/metal he likes than B.C rich, Ibanez, Jackson or ESP make a mean sounding guitar thats sure to please
410580
I too use a MusicMaster (1978) for some songs in a few of my regular bands. From the list of bands you mentioned (I have seen Switchfoot and Sanctus Real live), one uses a MusicMan Stingray (Switchfoot) and the other two use Fender Jazz Basses. You can get a made in Mexico Jazz bass for under $500, but make sure you try it out first (at a store) because they do not have a really uniform build quality, unlike Ameriacan made Fenders. If you think you will be playing other types of music in the future, you might want to get a more modern instrument (something with an active preamp) like a Yamaha or something similar. Make sure you try out differnt types and makes of basses until you find something that feels good to you. I know of bassists that own $5000 basses but their favorite is a $1200 fender they picked up at a pawn shop. It is all about how you feel. If the instrument helps you express your ideas and feelings, and feels and sounds like "you", go for it, even if it a cheap Squire or Rogue.
101259
preferably. i learnt to play when i was 19, and it hurted by shoulders and back alot. but i think its not impossible to learn and be good at it if u have the will...but its definitely not an easy instrument to master, compared to the guitar and piano. good luck!
387438
Nirvana is pretty good, and it's cool that you like them enough to learn alot of their songs. My recomendation, learn the more popular Nirvana songs, and your favorite songs, and then branch out to some other artists. If you ever play guitar for your friends, I am almost positive they would rather hear a variety of music rather than just nirvana over and over again.
344508
My advice:  I wouldn't go PRS, but I wouldn't go Squier, either...  \nIf you are truly just starting, get a good middle-of -the-road piece. I don't know what your budget is, but I'd stay somewhere around the $500 range.  Get a guitar that will last you into your first gig, if that's your aspiration.  I've seen a lot of guys try to save money early on by buying low-end equipment (whether it be guitars, amps, cabinets...) and, 9 times out of 10, they will become disappointed with their choices, and sell it or trade it.  Either way, they would've been better off waiting and saving their money for something that would've lasted longer than 6 months to a year.\n\nGood luck...\n\np.s.  giantdwarfbat:  You make a good point, but did it occur to you that the 'helpful' sales rep may just want you to buy a piece of **** just so you would come back when it was time to upgrade?  Believe me, I've seen it a hundred times.  Musician sales reps only 'really' help two kinds of people.  Repeat customers,... and other musicians.
321108
i would say that classical guitar is a very good stepping stone because it teaches the fundamentals of music and the technical sides of playing in a very thouraough and simple way to begin with. it also gives you a control on your playing which is essential for all instumentalists. it displines your playing too so you can always try and know what you are doing. mostly all western music comes from classical music directly or indirectly so its a very good idea to learn classical guitar.
681238
If he is going to play trumpet at USC, make sure he has a good horn (not his original student horn).  A Bach Stradavarious is a great trumpet for college level players.  If he already has a professional Bb trumpet, get him a trumpet in another key.  If he is planning on playing classical trumpet in college, he would probabaly find a C trumpet useful, or maybe an Eb.\n\nIf you don't want to purchase another horn or any accessories, I would recommend buying him tickets to see Winton Marsalis or The Canadian Brass in concert (they have some shows coming up in California).
737566
Oh yeah - I have a Schecter guitar and it's beautiful.\n\nFP
849816
It's the same which one u start on.they have different playing technique.The acoustic is easier is because there is less things to buy.so when u have tried it you can find out whether u want to pursue it further.
829966
With guitars, you get what you pay for. If you're looking for a good beginner guitar, try a Yamaha Pacifica. While they're not the best in the world, they are awesome for someone starting out.
603519
its ok man-but you really ought to use a bit of self discipline and save another $100 and get yourself one of the fender squire series-this may not be what you want to hear but you WILL regret it if you buy a starcaster-fender do make fairly good guitars but dont be swayed by the name because you have to play waht you are comfortable with and not the name on the headstock-cheap acoustic guitars like that will do you a big dis-service cos they will hurt your hands and make some of the more difficult chords really difficult or impossible to grab-a good sign to look out for is the"action"-how close the strings lay to the fretboard-the closer they are,the easier you will find it to play-also-try for light gauge phosphur bronze strings as they sound a load sweeter and wont be too hard to play.i appreciate that you are on a budget,but when it comes to playing the guitar there really is no substitute for a quality piece of kit so good luck and keep rockin
587763
I have a Fender, it's great.  But that would depend on your style and feel for the guitat.  If one were better than the other I think musicians wouldn't use the "other"