Anyone learning to play guitar?
 

About a year ago I bought a relativley inexpensive Fender acoustic, Ibanez electric and a small Fender amp. I started learing via an ap called Justin Guitar. I can play a few songs, strumming and finger picking. I do not read music but have gotten fairly well reading Tabs. My rhytham and candence are crap and shy away from anything requiring an F chord. Latley I do not seem to be progressing much anymore and am considering looking for a local teacher. I also want to buy something but not sure if I should get a better amp or guitar. I have seen a Gibsons and Mexican Strats at pawn stores but do not know enough to make a knowledgeable decision. I am leaning towards getting a PRS SE Custom.

Any guitar players here?

Raises hand sorta.
The type of guitar is what feels good to you first and foremost. Sound comes way later.
Learning the piano and music theory helped me progress alot if that's your thing.

Simple is best. A good acoustic that fits you, that feels good in your hands and up against your body. One that you like playing and that sounds good to you will work wonders. If the guitar is to hard to play or the sound isn't pleasing you'll look for excuses why not to practice. However, if you like the feel of it and it's easy to play without having to frig around with cables and switches and amp settings you are likely to practice more. Leave it out where you spend most of your time. You'll find yourself picking it up and trying that F chord until you get it right.
I wanted to be the next great slide guitarist. Funny thing is I found my own style which I later learned was called "Finger Style".
I'm no pro, can't read sheet music nor tabs. I've learned what little I know from listening. Mostly, I just make it up as I go.
This was me some fourty years ago, finger picking my DoBro. And then about ten years ago with my harp guitar.

I started playing guitar (and later bass) nearly 50 years ago. My first couple of cheap guitars were not set up well and were very difficult to play. Once I started taking lessons, my teacher urged me to get the guitar I was playing properly set up by a professional who knew what he was doing (and not by me). Compared to what I was fighting with, a properly set up guitar practically plays itself.

Played religiously until about 2010. Dropped it and get super frustrated because my mind and coordination are no longer in sync for the technical bits. Can still remember most of the licks but, they come out a sloppy mess.

A couple years ago I grabbed a PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo. An amazing guitar. I'm a firm believer of buying new gear regularly. You get that mini-kick that makes you want to keep playing and can easily pull you out of a slump. I was never in the Fender/Squire camp. Ibanez and Gibson were always where I hung with a brief dip into the ESP selection.

If you have the means, consider grabbing Rocksmith instead, it's an old PS3/PS4 game. You plug your guitar into it and can learn and play along. It's a great tool to use and sometimes can be a good break from tabs and playing over youtube videos.

Another thing is consider a multi effect board. Yes there is a ton of people who will go into the digital-vs analog... but, never mind that. When starting out just playing with new effects and sounds can be an amazing thing to get you out of a slump. Today you can get cheap digital boards that have drum beats, recorders and thousands of effect built in vs having to buy individual pedals and equipment. Something like a Line-6 or BOSS multi package can be picked up used on ebay for cheap.

Like: https://www.ebay.com/itm/25592815887...Bk9SR6zSqKy2YQ

Keep it fun.

+1 for getting Rocksmith
I'll also add it's available on Windows too.
But you doo have to purchase the Realtone USB cord if you get it digitally.

Yea i was going to mention that. It's available on Steam. I own it, but haven't used it yet because right after I bought it my musician son (mostly Sax but plays just about everything) took the only electric guitar in the house with him.

Better than my brother who took my Fender bass with him to COL.

Thanks guys I will check it out

I first started a billion years ago (over 27 years ago now, that's gross to think about) and I started with a piece of junk $100 acoustic 3/4 size. Like you, never had a lesson and just learned tabs in magazines.

If you need inspiration to advance some, pick some harder songs for sure. Sometimes it's nice to go after something crazy just to get your brain to think about it all a little differently. A new guitar can do the same thing because every guitar sounds different.

I definitely think you should just try songs outside of your wheel house. I just did the same thing recently and it was a fun exercise in how much I hate my brain. Try "GOAT" by Polyphia. I got to 75bmp before I gave up. 107 is the target. But it'll get you think differently about the guitar and how you approach it and that can help get you out of a rut.

Sidenote: I had a bunch of guitars at one point but whittled them down. I have just one taylor 314ce now, one emerald x20(carbon fiber), a PRS 24CE, and my old Cort Japanese Gibson knockoff.

I wanted to learn, logic dictated that I should buy something that I like looking at as this will keep me going... Well, the guitar gently weeps in its hardcase in the corner of my living room...

So, had a brainwave, buy a training gadget made-up of 6 strings to harden my fingers and mess around without having to take out the guitar.. again managed to use it for a few weeks and now it collects dust..

What's wrong with me...

You are normal. The stat is 90% of people who pick up the guitar quit within 3 months.

Today I learned that I am normal!! Thanks to Dadhawk.. I will now be picking up my guitar to play the darn thing to ensure that I move into the abnormal spectrum..

I had 3 years of lessons as a kid.
Today I can play... nothing
Why?
Because my grandparents that paid for the lessons insisted on a country music teacher.
The only lasting result was a passionate hatred of all country music.