Hi New Here ... Amy

Hi,

Years ago I took violin lessons at school, then later took private guitar lessons. I guess you can say I prefer string instuments but unfortunately never mastered one. I did at one time have a piano and could not play reading music, but could ... shall I say...pick out a tune and play it. It took some time but I am determined to learn something when I want to.
 
Ok, thinking of getting a guitar. Any suggestions for someone that wants to get back into guitar? Now I don't want to break my wallet, but want something 1/2 way decent.

Oh, I need to give a great thanks to a dear friend of mine that turned me on to this site...it is great! In doing this he may be getting me back into an old or shall I say new hobby.

-Amy

Welcome Amy.

re  the guitar... it would help  our resident experts if you  could  give some idea of your  budget and what  you used to play  to give a guide to neck  size  and  body  size.
There is a huge amount of variation  in guitars. 
IMO  set a budget  with a little come and  go
Try out every guitar in the shop(s)  within  your  budget.   Find one that fits  your hand  and  body  then  having done that, find the ones  that  sound best   to your  ears.  Be prepared to  go a little over  budget   if  you cant  find the right one within  your budget.
Dont ignore second hand  guitars  but maybe  get  a 2nd pair of eyes and ears  to  look  them over for you .

 Jdub

Welcome!!

If you like warm fuzzy places, you'll like this site. Welcome!  Ott

Welcome, Amy!  I think you'll enjoy the group of wackos we call Rampers!

John gave good advice re the guitar - it's about finding one that fits you and feels good to play it - instruments are funny things - sometimes, they pick YOU.  Try the Gibsons, Epiphone, Washburn and Yamaha brands.  They make some nice sounding, yet affordable options.

Welcome Amy.I think you'll find Da Ramp is a very special place.We have a Writers Room here.Check it out if you are so inclined.

Welcome Amy. 
I didn't take off learning until I found the right one for me which is a Taylor 314ce,  let's go-hold-up-a-bank kinda price, for sure. But the Taylor GS mini is much easier on the budget, round 500 I think, and has a big sound and smaller neck size. If you're wanting cheaper, consider a Recording King, I think guitar center has them a little less than 200. They're also small and decent sound although not as good as the upper brands. 
I'll tack onto this about guitar strings. I've found that they also make a huge difference in helping me, cause I don't have man hands to work the fret like a farmer who plows the fields all day. It helps to have a smooth gliding string. I use Elixir lites and what a difference, like buttah. 
Best advice like others have said is to just go cozy up with a few and try em out. Once you find one, you could always troll Craigslist for a used one in good condition. A woman needs a good guitar, make it the best one you can get and make sure if 'feels' right!   :)

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so very much for the "welcomes".

Just one more questioned I failed to add.

I am small, 5'-1", is there a good reasonably priced guitar for those of us on the shorter side?

Thanks in advance for all of your advice.

-Amy

Welcome Amy!

As previous members have pointed out - there is a considerable price-range when it come to acoustic guitars - depending on a lot of factors: solid woods or laminates - the quality of construction etc. - and of course the brand name on the headstock.
I really would recommend trying out as many as you can in as many music stores you can get into. There's no substitute for getting an instrument into your hands - seeing how it feels - whether it's comfortable and suits your stature - how easy it feels to hold down basic chords ...
... and of course - how it sounds.
You don't need to pay a lot for a reasonable quality starter guitar (I'm English - so I don't know the prices over there ) but I gather a decent instrument should be available for around $200 upwards. If you can - try to get one with a "solid top" - ie. the top or soundboard of the guitar is made from a solid piece of wood - rather than laminated. They sound and age much better.
Julie mentioned her Taylor - which is certainly an excellent choice - though as you refer to you "short stature" maybe the "Baby Taylor"  might suit you better. http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/Baby-Taylor  
Most important of all though - try as many instruments as you can before you buy.

Good luck - and welcome to Songramp!

Welcome to the SongRamp family, Amy!  We're happy  to have you on board and part of the "clan".  :) 

Thanks for the info on the size of the guitar. I know this will come in handy when I shop.

For those of you that have kindly responded to my questions I thank you so very much.

My reason for not making a purchase as of yet is for 2 reasons. Of course lack of knowledge and that I want to make sure I get what is needed, but I also live in the country in Vermont and guitar stores and music stores aren't in every city.

I am originally from California where I am used to on-hand shopping for things...lol.

I believe I will have to drive over an hour to one of two music stores in different cities.

Again, thank you all for the advice and wecome wishes.

-Amy

Hi Amy -
Welcome to Songramp. I think you're going to really like it here. Make yourself at home. Look around, listen to some original tunes performed by members, join in when and where you'd like, and just enjoy your stay. I hope it's a long one. I've found the members to be very friendly and extremely helpful as we are all in some stage of learning and practicing the craft of songwriting. You will be impressed by what you see, read, and hear here ... here here hooray. Sorry, anyway welcome aboard.

BTW - the Baby Taylor's are a very good guitar and extremely adequate for the beginner and well beyond. I think the price ranges from between around $300 and $600 dollars depending on which version of Baby Taylor and available through Sweetwater.com although that flies in the face of personally holding and playing a bunch of guitars before purchasing (which I also recommend). Eddie (the big kahuna) recently announced that Songramp members recieve a 10% discount when buying through Sweertwater but you should probably check with him on the procedure.

That's it - have fun!

Kip

Welcome, Amy! 

Yes, Kip is right - if you upgrade to a Basic membership, you are eligble for 10% off most items at Sweetwater Sound.  I'm not sure the Taylor's are available for that, but we can easliy find out.

I don't mean to sound like I'm pitching upgrades...well, yes, I guess I DO...but the benefits far outweigh the costs...

I've just confirmed that our discount DOES apply to guitars...let's do the math:

Baby Taylor - $299
10% Discount - $29.90
Basic SR Membership: $33.00 / yr

Seems like a good deal to me...

A bargain !  

Amy - whatever you choose - it might be an idea to ask the store to include (and perferably fit )  a set of light guage strings  (10's would be ideal)  as you're a beginner. They will be gentler on your fingers and make it easier to hold those first chords down.

Nice to have you on the Ramp - see a lot of great advice from friendly folks...

Mike