Randy120

I wanted a 12-string acoustic guitar for a long time. I also wanted a Martin. Of course Martin guitars don't come cheap. This made in Mexico Martin 12-string costs $749. This is no luxury model. The HPL (High Pressure Laminate) body is made of paper and epoxy heated under pressure. The wood pattern is literally a print out. What I like: Solid Sitka top. The guitar sounds very good. Easy to play for a 12-string. Body edges are rounded. Neck is solid wood and it has nicely rounded edges also. Nice gig bag. Built in Martin electronics with tuner sounds very good through the Fishman Loudbox Mini. Martin DC-X2E 12-string Acoustic-electric Guitar - Brazilian Rosewood Pattern | Sweetwater

Gary is correct. You can start with the CAGED keys because they are constantly used for guitar. Learn the octaves so you can find all the A's etc. You will find the patterns repeat. Play a pattern in A move two frets now you are playing B with the same pattern. You can always add more keys later. Three notes on a string is a really good learning tool.

Still here since 2010. I did a lot of learning, but I would not say I mastered Steve's course. He got me playing though. I am still working on it.

I played the Mini again last night. I am starting to think this is a great little guitar. The setup on it is perfect. The materials on the 50th anniversary are high quality. It looks and plays great!

Last night, I connected the Mini to my Fishman Loudbox Mini, and the sound quality was impressive with the ES2 pickups. I never plugged in the old mini with the slide-in pickup due to the annoying buzz. The guitar's weight is only 3 pounds and 14 ounces, which made playing while standing quite comfortable.

I had a Taylor GS Mini Mahogany, but I traded it for a Grand Pacific. Mine was one of the first Mini's so it didn't have the pickup. The add on pickup was easy to install, but the sound was noisy so I traded it. I decided I still liked the small travel guitar for many purposes. I found this nicely upgraded Mini so I grabbed it. I just received my new Taylor GS Mini-e 50th Anniversary. This model has several upgrades to the standard model. It has a layered Rosewood back and sides, torrefied Sitka top, diamond inlays, gold tuners, upgrade nut/saddle. If you are looking for a smaller acoustic guitar the GS Mini should be on your list.

But what if the power fails? For this reason, I would pick the acoustic. No amp required. Steve, Good point about nylon strings being easier in the long run. I might go with my Taylor Grand Pacific, but I also have a Taylor nylon string Tns24ce.

Anthony Fesmire is a good insructor.

@matonanjin Yes, Beato is a great resource. I watch his YT videos each week. The Beato book is a very deep supplement to the music theory Steve is teaching. The Ear Training program is excellent with real time testing and feedback. Of course it isn't good to overload yourself when focused practice on your current material is the best course.

Six strings? How about 40? I had to find out what this strange instrument is. Just for fun!

Are you looking for new learning materials? Rick Beato is selling The Beato Ultimate Bundle for $99. These are online products. There is a lot of learning here. You get the following: The Beato Book Interactive The Ear Training Program The Beato Beginner Guitar Course Quick Lessons Pro - Guitar Course I am spending my time with his ear training course now. This is one of my big weakness. The sale goes on for 2 more days. The Beato Ultimate Bundle

My condolences to you.

It never hurts to work on a technique that pushes you. I have explored some of the exercises myself. For myself I play a lot of fingerstyle which is mostly me winging it, and it still sounds great. On the other hand I would not call my technique precise. If you want just a certain sound you need be precise. If you want to play Stairway to Heaven then there is a very specific path to follow. I know because I have the Led Zeppelin Box Set Authentic Guitar Tab which shows the magic. I took the time to learn the fingerstyle for Stairway along with the 6 other sections, it was challenging and great fun to hear that sound come from my guitar. Steve taught me several other fingerstyle songs including If, Hallelujah, and Dust in the Wind. I play fingerstyle to change up song sections too. Have fun with it!

Well done. Don't give up on fingerstyle.

@Matt_B You have at least a couple years of material. The time estimates are just that. You are not in a race. You can complete the course on your own timetable. Practice and play every day. Learn to play songs with your new skills. Be relentless! Play like you mean it!

Desi Serna is a good source. Fretboard Theory

Yes a bass! I think it is a natural addition for guitar players. The skills overlap in many ways. I doubt my bass skills will ever catch up to my guitar skills. Guitar is still my main instrument. Too late! I just purchased the Ampeg Rocket Bass RB108. I wanted a dedicated bass amp. I have the Boss GT-1 multi-effects pedal so I have plenty of amp modelling and effects,

@Eracer_Team-DougH Yes exploring the low end. There are many new things to figure out for playing and recording.

My new guitar is a bass. We had some sad news here recently. Earcraft Music in Dover, NH is closing after 50 years. Earcraft was a Taylor Preferred Dealer, and it had a wide selection of musical instruments. If I had more money I would have purchased more. As they say in the biz "Everything must go"! I wasn't planning on buying another instrument, but I figured I would buy one more instrument from Earcraft. My first choice was an F-Style Mandolin which was gone by the time I arrived. My second choice was the Yamaha TRBX304 Bass guitar. It was $90 less than the current Sweetwater price so I purchased it. It is a very cool little bass, handsome, with some nice active pickup EQ too. I don't even have a bass amp yet, but I have my eye on the Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-108. I played bass with Rocksmith 2014 on the Xbox Series X with a full surround system. I took the basic bass lessons and my guitar skills had me to 90% note accuracy in a hurry. I had a blast playing along with Lenny Kravitz and the Ramones. I was a little sore after playing. Big bass strings are definitely a challenge. I mainly purchased the bass to add some new sounds to my recordings. Next up an electronic drum kit then we be rocking. LOL!

That's a handsome guitar.

Vinny makes great picks. I personally would not spend $35 on a single pick. I purchased his acoustic and electric sample packs years ago and they are still in service. My V-Picks are all clear; nothing fancy. I think their best feature is they slip less than most other picks I have tried. A pick that stays firmly planted works best. One of the pointed picks is now rounded, other than that the picks are still going strong for 10 years. I recommend V-Picks for anyone. They are not all expensive and they last a long time. V-Picks

I recommend not thinking you will learn fast. You will learn based on your effort. Stay focused on Steve's course. Minimize the temptation to grab every piece of guitar info out there. Steve is enough for the next couple years if you just focus on the course. Say the notes like Steve recommends, it will help in the end. Learn and play songs right away. There is nothing better to learn and encourage you then hearing the sounds coming from the guitar. Don't stare at your hands all the time. It is ok when learning a new form, but not for playing. Pro's look at their hands only during something technical. You should be a strumming chord monster in the next year. Don't stop because you think you are stuck. You are still learning. Move to something else then come back to what you think you couldn't do. You might be surprised. Let it rip. Play with reckless abandon after you learned the basic technique of course. Feel the music and have fun with it!

I don't have the pedal, but I have the Polytune clip-on tuner which is great. I love the fact you can see all 6 strings at the same time. I agree with Eracer_Team-DougH the Polytune pedal or clip-on is hard to beat. Boss makes great pedals including tuners. Peterson has a strong reputation for its tuners also.

@Gary Nelson I think you would be very satisfied with a Player Tele. If I had my way I would buy a USA model, but we are talking several hundred dollars more and then you have to get even more expensive to get a case included.

That is a lot of money for a no name guitar. It looks nice enough, but for that kind of money you have a lot of choices. Epiphone has some great choices in that price range. I just purchased a nice MIM Fender Player Stratocaster for that price. The no return policy should be a red flag especially since you haven't seen the guitar. Good luck with your choice.