Getting Started With Guitar

Taylor Baby Taylor Mahogany Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural

Lisa’s favorite little guitar, the Taylor Baby Taylor Mahogany Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is great for young beginners, great for traveling, and it sounds so sweet. The X-braced mahogany top adds midrange punch and a slight bluesy edge. Genuine ebony fretboard and bridge plus laser-etched rosette add luxurious visual vibe. $299.

Taylor Baby Taylor Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural

Lisa’s second favorite little guitar, the Baby Taylor Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar gives you sweet, full voice and open tone from an ultraportable 3/4-scale instrument. A solid Sitka spruce top, sapele arched back and sides, ebony bridge and fretboard, and laser-etched rosette look great and add crisp projection. (Why second favorite? Lisa likes the red-ish color of the mahogany top) $299.

Martin LXM Little Martin Acoustic Guitar Black

Also a terrific little guitar by a highly regarded manufacturer, the Martin LXM "Little Martin" Acoustic Guitar is a perfect choice for travel, practice, and beginning students. Small, modified 0-14 Martin body features a wood-pattern HPL top with "1-style" Sitka spruce bracing, Micarta fretboard and bridge, 23" scale, Stratabond modified low-oval neck, and Martin's patented neck mortise. Gotoh nickel-plated tuners and C.F. Martin script logo adorn the headstock. The LXM includes Martin heavily padded gig bag. $279.

Yamaha GigMaker Deluxe Acoustic Guitar Pack Natural

A good starter guitar from a reliable manufacturer, the Yamaha GigMaker Deluxe Guitar Pack is built around the FD01S acoustic guitar with chrome tuners and a solid spruce top for singing resonance and sustain. Includes gig bag, digital tuner, strap, extra strings, and an instructional DVD to get you off to a running start. $199.

Fender DG-8S Acoustic Guitar Value Pack

Another reliable starter guitar, the Fender DG-8S Acoustic Guitar Value Pack has everything you need to learn to play guitar. It includes a natural-finish Fender dreadnought guitar with a solid spruce top, Fender's best chromatic tuner, a gig bag, shoulder strap, picks, guitar strings, string winder, and a Fender instructional DVD in 5 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese). $199.

Fender SE Special Strat with Squier SP-10 Amp Value Pack Black

A reliable starter kit for electric guitar fans, this Fender SE Special Strat Value Pack includes a Squier SE Special Stratocaster electric guitar and an SP-10 amp, plus an instrument cable, electronic tuner, instructional DVD, guitar stand, gig bag, and picks.The Squier SE Special Strat Electric Guitar combines 3 single-coils and 5-way switching for great tonal range. It also has a solid agathis body with shell pickguard, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot position inlays, die-cast chrome tuners, and standard fulcrum tremolo bridge.The Squier SP-10 amp controls include volume, treble, bass, and an overdrive on/off button that delivers tube-like tone. A headphone output allows silent practice. 10 watts drive a 6" speaker and the amp has a tough textured vinyl exterior. $199.

Taylor 114-E Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

A super-sweet upgrade, the Taylor 114-E Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar will change your expectations about what a serious entry-level guitar can embody. Features a solid Sitka spruce top and laminated sapele back and sides, and Taylor's ES-T system. $749.

Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500RCCE Fingerstyle Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural Satin Gold

This is the guitar Lisa uses to teach guitar lessons online. She loves it! An airy resonance results from all solid woods, including gorgeous premium solid rosewood back and sides. The mahogany neck of the Masterbilt Fingerstyle guitar has a '50s V-shape and is graced with a precision-crafted wider 1-3/4" rosewood fretboard for easy fingerstyle playing. E-Sonic 2 preamp system amplifies the beauty of wood. Multi-bound body and headstock and gold hardware add visual splendor. $799.

Taylor 314ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural

Lisa’s all-time favorite guitar ever, the Taylor 314-CE Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar is a beautiful classic that sings loud and proud but nestles easily on your knee. Solid Sitka spruce top for that famous Taylor wide-open tone slightly darkened by sapele back and sides. Gorgeous ebony bridge and fretboard, black binding, and satin finish with a gloss top make it a striking presence onstage. The Expression System electronics with Dynamic Sensors and tone controls capture top and string vibration like never before. A seriously beautiful investment in your music. $1649