8/20/02
The wrapup continues. Not much news--I mean, listening to a whole lot of Fugazi and Stone Roses records doesn't make for great copy. But I do have another advice question:
NY or Hoboken/Jersey City guitar teacher? Beginner guitar book? Beginner guitar? (And which is better: acoustic? electric with practice amp?) Guitar shop in metro area?
I used and endorse the New School's guitar classes, especially if you can get into one of the ones taught by Terre Roche or Monica Passin, who are both superb teachers. They're $415 for 12 hourlong classes, which is less than you'd pay for private lessons and, at that level, will teach you just as much. As a bonus, another $10 or $15 lets you rent a guitar for all the classes, meaning you don't have to lug your own to the classroom. If you've got a class, you don't need a book.
For a beginner guitar, you want an acoustic, and actually you want a pretty bad/cheap one--check to make sure the intonation's okay at the higher frets, but beyond that, if you learn to play on a a clunky piece of crap that will rip the hell out of your fingers, any time you ever pick up a better guitar--or an electric guitar--your playing will flow like mercury. (Relatively speaking.)
I don't remember where exactly I got my guitar, but it wasn't the greatest experience. If I had to pick one guitar store in NYC that seems less obnoxious than others, I'd say Matt Umanov Guitars on Bleecker St. Also, they repaired my bass last year, and did a fine job of it.