low action acoustic guitars for beginners

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sparky123

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so, now i'm 64 years old and have just started playing guitar. currently have an older cheap kona acoustic, but, my fingers are hurting from trying to press the strings. anybody got a thought on a beginner acoustic or acoustic electric with low action under 400 us dollars?
 
Do your fingers hurt because you're old, or because you're just new to playing guitar? Even youngsters complain about their fingers hurting when just starting out. As you get better and more relaxed it gets way easier.

If it's a setup thing, you can get that fixed. If it's an old man thing, you could try a classical guitar.
 
Lighter strings and a truss rod adjustment could help. I'm not familiar with that guitar, so I don't know how workable they are.
 
if you learn to play and get pretty good on a cheap guitar with heavy strings and high action...you'll be able to play the shit out of a decent guitar with low action.
If you don't get good on the cheap guitar. You won't have wasted money on something expensive that you will let sit in the closet.
 
not the replies i was looking for, but, what the hey. the old kona strings are a good 1/4 inch plus above the fret board. yes i am new to guitar and expect the hurt. looking at the takamine gd10-ce . supposed to be low action and within my budget.
 
Takamine has always made decent stuff. But seriously, the action problem you are having could possibly be fixed with a couple twists of the truss rod. However, getting a nicer guitar tends to help motivate people to play more...
 
I agree with what has been said, maybe someone could do a guitar set up for you? Also most modern string sets will advise you on tension to help with selection.
 
Action and string tension is determined by the factors mentioned by the fellows above. String gauge, neck bow, saddle height, scale length of the instrument...maybe a thing or two I'm forgetting to mention.

I'd suggest bringing your guitar to a tech, explain your situation, and he can get you all hooked up. It'll cost the price of a new set of strings and whatever the tech charges for a setup. Around here it costs me about $25 plus strings. it could cost more if he has to do something out of the ordinary like file the nut slots or replace some parts. If your instrument is properly adjusted, you'll enjoy playing it so much more.

If it's all set up well and you're still having trouble, then it ! may be time to look for a shorter scale instrument or a nylon string guitar.
 
I play mainly acoustic and I would recommend going to a few stores and actually playing a bunch of guitars. Especially at your price range, it's like picking through the lumber pile at Home depot.
 
Cheesehead1 said:
I play mainly acoustic and I would recommend going to a few stores and actually playing a bunch of guitars. Especially at your price range, it's like picking through the lumber pile at Home depot.
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+1. With the cheaper end of guitars, each individual guitar can play completely differently from the next. Even if it is the same brand and model. It really is best to play a bunch and pick the one that feels the best to you.
 
sparky123 said:
so, now i'm 64 years old and have just started playing guitar. currently have an older cheap kona acoustic, but, my fingers are hurting from trying to press the strings. anybody got a thought on a beginner acoustic or acoustic electric with low action under 400 us dollars?
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Sparky, do your fingers hurt while you're doing the fretting or long after? If it's long after, go see a doctor and get checked for tendonitis or arthritis. If it's while fretting or shortly after, then it's normal.

As for low action on cheap guitars, that's hard to find, but as mentioned you can go to a lower string gauge to help with tension. You can also take down the bridge and reset necks on acoustics, but you'd have to weight the cost of that. Something easy to do that will reduce a little tension is playing in Eb instead of E, so down-tune your strings. Down-tuning and using a lighter gauge could result in more buzz, though, so be aware of that. It's a delicate balance.

I agree with everyone who said to go try a bunch because they all vary. But imo first thing is to find out if the pain is something serious.
 
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If you can afford a nice playing guitar and are not dwelling on resale value, then try out and buy one of the higher end acoustics. The action may be much lower and almost feel like a heavy-stringed electric. I've played my friend's Yamaha and Takamine - both in the +1000 Canadian range. I can't recall the exact Yamaha model but it was acoustic/electric with tuner etc etc. His Takamine P2DC which he recently bought has a nicer action and feel around the neck. It also has a much better preamp - smoother, and better direct level control which is nice for recording. I've never gigged with them but for recording that's my take on each.

Thinner picks are a must but especially if you string below 12's.
 
sparky123 said:
not the replies i was looking for, but, what the hey. the old kona strings are a good 1/4 inch plus above the fret board. yes i am new to guitar and expect the hurt. looking at the takamine gd10-ce . supposed to be low action and within my budget.
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If the strings are that far off the fretboard, I think it may be more than a neck adjustment required, and that would be damn near unplayable.

It is difficult to recommend a suitable guitar for you, because guitar players have their preferences; guitars that they can work with . . . or not.

For a long time I persevered with a budget Yamaha acoustic which I managed ok, but I just couldn't develop any fluency with it.

A little while ago I bought myself a Taylor, and the transformation was immediate: it sounded great, it was smooth and easy to play, and I was able to do stuff that I had not been able to do before.

jimistone said:
if you learn to play and get pretty good on a cheap guitar with heavy strings and high action...you'll be able to play the shit out of a decent guitar with low action.
If you don't get good on the cheap guitar. You won't have wasted money on something expensive that you will let sit in the closet.
Click to expand...

This is partly true . . . but there are some cheap guitars that are virtually impossible to play, and developing any technique is extremely difficult.

People learning guitar often by cheap guitars for the reasons jimistone said, i.e. good money is not wasted on a lump of wood sitting in a closet. But cheap guitars are often not suitable for beginners, and hinder more than help.
 
Hey Sparky, I'm and old fart too so I know going into the guitar shops can be weird with all the younger hot shots pretending to know everything and ignoring you anyway. Don't let that bug you. Just take your time and admire the wares. Grab whatever you want to try out and enjoy the experience. With $400 In your pocket you should be able to find a decent to great playing instrument new or used. It's not like when we were kids and cheap acoustics were often total crap. The manufacturers are turning out really nice guitars in that range these days. I agree with the idea that you will be more inspired with a new (to you) guitar and you'll probably take it home and shine it up and just sit it across the room and admire it for a while. It will make you want to touch it and you'll have a great time advancing your playing. If you have a friend that plays take him/her with you so they can help check out the action, neck straightness, intonation up and down the neck. Good luck and go drop some bones on a new best friend!
 
Oh boy. Cheap and good. Don't quite go together.

However, in the lower price range, Yamaha has always been decent. Like others have said try some out.

Try to find something nice from the get go rather than having something set up.

A 'real' setup that adresses All issues contributing to high action isnt just adjusting the neck and will cost you.
 
$400 can get you into used Seagull/Simon & Patrick territory, often very nicely made for the price point.
 
I was thinking Seagulls, too. But play them all, tone can vary among the different models. Find the one you like.
 
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