Verified answer

When you're starting out, any guitar that you can get your hands on is good enough.

Check ebay, visit junk stores, keep looking until you find something that you can afford.

If it can be tuned to the standard tuning for guitars, then it is OK.

Guitars can vary an enormous amount in quality. Some of them may have wider or thinner necks... some of them may have harder gauged strings that require more effort to press down on.

Basically, as long as you can tune the guitar and play chords that sound right, then you're ok, at least for learning purposes.

I'll be honest, getting a cheap guitar from the internet is a risk... but if there's no other option, if you can't save up a few more dollars and buy one locally, then you might as well try your luck.

I have played guitar for over 20 years. I started with a pretty dodgy guitar that I got from my brother. I got used to the wide neck, and playing basic chords on it.

Then, when I first played an electric guitar, everything seemed incredibly easy.

Get your first guitar, however you can, and practice the "open chords".

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/24-common-op...

Learn G, and A, and D, and C... you will find that you can play a whole lot of hit songs just with those chords... then learn some others, including the minor chords.

When you are ready (and this will take a few months...) have a go at "barre chords". These are chords that are played higher up on the fretboard, basically by using your index finger across all of the strings to re-define the end of the fretboard. Once you get to that stage, your guitar playing will really take off.

You other answererers... I recognise your point of view, yes, ideally you want to start with a solid reliable instument. But I know what its like to have to make a start with whatever limited options you have financially. With guitar, my experience has been that you can at least make a start with the learning experience even if the guitar is pretty bad. If it is good enough to let you fret some chords and strum some tunes, then that is a valuable start, and in a couple of years you can apply that start to a half-decent instrument. The key is the motivation, and the enthusiasm. People who really want to be guitarists will generally find a way to get there, one way or another.

I have friends who LOVE to record old dodgy guitars because they enjoy the microtonal dissonance of them. It's called ART. Be an artist first, and a guitarist second. Your imagination is what will make the exercise worthwhile, not your ability to mimic Eric Clapton.

NO!

Didn't 'thumb down' the Event answer, only due to some other 'learning' advice. That will come eventually, and it will ALL be up to you.

But... a $25 guitar won't be pleasant to say the least when you have no idea what is available and WHY there are cheap guitars on the market.

Its a toy. (For little kids, huh?)

Or, should be labeled as such, and just a novelty in being presented as a guitar. Odds are good, it will be uncomfortable to play, if not meant to just last under a year before something goes wrong with its materials.

Never buy a guitar from a retailer, very risky over the Internet and a 'good' guitar will cost closer to $100.00 Really.

You should get to a music store (since you DO have a background with piano) or GC, and try out the makes and models offered up. Never a retailer.

Then... you WILL know what the heck the differences are, the quality ranges and even why the prices are 'suggested' for every guitar in question.

Take someone with you who is already a player if possible, to help you in your choice of instruments.

Okay?

Sorry, but for that price, you are buying a child's toy shaped like a guitar. The chance of it being actually playable or holding together for long is quite small.

No, "any guitar" is not good enough for a beginner. In fact, although you don't need professional quality sound, you need a guitar that is easy to play even more than an expert does! Poor quality instruments are one of the reasons many beginners become discouraged and quit.

The cheapest adequate steel-string acoustic would probably be the $100 Epiphone DR-100. This price tends to be an approximate cutoff between playable guitars and junk. A better price range for a beginner would be $150-300.

Your first guitar should come from a brick & mortar store specializing in musical instruments, not from a department store or big box store, and definitely not from a dodgy online vendor. Use your Wal-Mart card for something that isn't a total waste, instead - they're not the place to buy a guitar!

good to see your enthusiasm for guitar ...the thing is guitar is like mp3 player .will you like to hear a song which is recorded badly sound badly i guess no .so as its your first guitar try to get at least a decent guitar at the price range around $80-100 .You can also search for used guitar which could be found in less price .best thing about acoustic guitar is older guitar sound sweeter than the newer gutiar .so i m afraid in your decision cz it might make to leave the guitar & never look back if it sound really bad .so wait a little bit save some money & buy a good brand beginner guitar which will not only encourage you in learning guitar it could eve take you to whole new level .so happy new year .best wishes for your musical life in future

I generally recommend Yamaha guitars in that price range. They tend to have good build quality and sound good for the money, and they actually have a couple of models with solid spruce tops for less than $300. In that price range, all-plywood construction is more common, but a solid top is better if you can get it.

you can always look at craigslist.com for used guitars (just be careful) or you can ask around for them. guitars are expensive and if i were you, i'd save up 75-100 dollars and try to get a great deal at guitar center (a store)

Try the toy aisle in toys r us