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Question: Are certain types of guitars better for certain types of music!?
I want to learn how to play guitar and I really like bluegrass and bluesy/country sounding stuff!. What kind of guitar would be best for this!? Keep in mind that I am a total beginner so I want to buy a relatively inexpensive guitar!.

also, I am left handed!. I'm conflicted about how to go about learning guitar!. My mom says to restring a right handed guitar upside down, but I've read online that to do that you have to replace certain parts of the guitar to accomodate the new string formation!. I dont want to learn how to play right handed because I feel more comfortable holding a guitar left handed!.

I'm a total beginner, so if you have any advice you can give to a left-handed, novice, wannabe bluegrass/blues playing guitarist then that would be awesome!.
Thanks everybody!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
you can learn slide guitar, if so buy a resonator!.

you can also learn the acoustic blues, buy a steel string acoustic!.

you can also get a semi-hollow guitar, thats the best one to get!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

From the sounds of things if your wishing to learn the bluegrass/Country style music i would reccomend when your just starting to just get a straight acoustic!. You could check out some Epiphone brand acoustics because they can be really good!. Alternatively you could pick up a semi-acoustic which is an acoustic which can be amped!.

On the matter of you being left handed if you check websites you can generally find custom made Left handed guitars which dont cost alot more then just a standard right handed guitar!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you never mentioned if you wanted acoustic or electric, so for bluegrass and country i'd say acoustic!.

check out Epiphone's guitars!.!. they're a budget version of Gibson, and they last a lifetime!. almost all of Epi's guitars you can get in LH or RH!.

good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you want to go for an elcetric I'd go with a Squier affinity telecaster they have those in left handed as well!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

one word: fender telecaster guitar!.

they look over simplified but have great versialte tone!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

marty stewart, vince gill and numerous others play fender strats and teles, they make lefty modelsWww@QuestionHome@Com

My mother plays one by sounds only!. no pages or sheets!
I can't play anything but drums! some electric riffs thoughWww@QuestionHome@Com

It sounds like you should get an acoustic guitar, or possibly an acoustic-electric (which is simply an acoustic guitar with a built-in pickup)!. Most bluegrass players use an acoustic guitar, specifically a dreadnought shape!.

Many lefties play righty and in general that's a good idea!. Your hands each have a task to do and it really doesn't matter which hand does which task!. Plus, there's a much greater selection of righty guitars and instructional books and videos!.

With all due respect to your mother, she's wrong about making a righty guitar into a lefty!. The main reason you can't do it is that acoustic guitars are braced asymmetrically since the bass strings exert more tension than the treble strings do!. If you switch the strings then you are exerting more tension on the lightly braced side, which will eventually warp the guitar!. There are a host of other reasons: the pickguard will be on the wrong side, the nut and saddle will have to be swapped, and if the saddle is intonated then it will have to be replaced and still may be at the wrong angle!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

For bluegrass stuff try Hobgoblin music!. Just do a Google search to find your local store - in my experience they are really helpful!.

Now, the right handed left handed debate: you'd be surprised by how many "lefties" play right handed (again check out the net for a who's who!.) Stringing a right handed guitar for a southpaw isn't just as easy as putting the strings on upside down!. The nut (the bit of plastic that the strings go over at the tuning peg end) will need to be replaced to cope with the change as the slots in it are cut for the varying thickness of the strings!. It's not a big job though but given that there are now so many leftie guitars available at good prices you may as well get one that's right from the get go!.

Personally I'm blessed (or cursed) with being able to use both hands pretty much equally - though that isn't as rare as it would seem either!.


Oh, nearly forgot!. When going for an acoustic always look for a "solid" wood model (that doesn't mean it's like a solid block of wood - it means it's not ply wood) Solid bakes, sides and tops will make for a sweeter sound!. Go for the best you can afford!.Www@QuestionHome@Com