No i'm not breaking out into a Whitesnake song.. but rather I am back to thinking about buying a guitar.. again.....

 Thanks to Jason H, for planting the thought in my head by buttering me up and saying all the right things, I am back to seriously considering purchasing a guitar, and trying to learn to play it.

 As I have noted in the past I have always had an issue with your standard guitars, be it electric or acoustic, I just can't play chords on them.  Thinking that it was a neck width issue, I started to do some digging on the internet.  What I have found in my research is that it is not neccesarily the width of the neck that is the problem for my tiny hands and fingers, it's the scale of the neck.  I read that your normal guitars come with medium sized frets and 25" or so necks.  What apparently I need to look for is what they call "Small Scale" guitars, with a neck scale of 22.5, which I think would be about 20 frets.  Then I may not have such and issue with playing chords.  See, on a normal size guitar, I understand I have to stretch,but my fingers are so short that they end up laying accross the strings, and of course then I don't have the right chord.  It's really irritating..

So I started to look on the net for small scale guitars.  What I found was the best bet for starting out, cost wise (since I am new, I don't want to get too expensive), is either Daisy Guitars $200-300, or the Squire Mini Strat $99-150.

So far I am leaning towards the Mini Strat for two reasons. 1. Cost  2. It's not in the shape of a friggen flower, butterly or a heart....  Don't get me wrong, cute, yeah.. but i'm 37 not 13... LMAO!

So what I want to know from all you guitar gods out there is what you have heard about either Daisy or Squire Mini, and if you have any short scale guitar recommendations.

Now those of you that have known me for the past year I KNOW are thinking why do I want a guitar so bad, why don't I just concentrate on singing... Well... because I have ideas too, and I want the chance to be able to write.  Even though I play piano, I have a very difficult time writing with it, I know that is odd, you heard a allot of people say it's the best writing tool.. But not for me.. 

I have the desire so much in me that I just loaded up my prize winning from the Sarzo contest, the Acid Studio, and am looking at using loops.  Of course all this I would want real skilled musicians to replace or work with my ideas whether its loops or a guitar idea....

So let me know your honest thoughts, and please, be kind.

:O)

I bought my daughter a Daisy Rock guitar - the Strat style, not the flower one. I regret getting it as it's not a good value for the money - very shoddy workmanship on it - the guitar will not stay in tune and the intonation is horrendous.

Should have gotten a mini - strat. She does spend her time playing my beat up ol'Yamaha acoustic. I would recommend an acoustic guitar to start out on - you'll get much more out of it than an electric. Your fingers will get much stronger due to the added pressure you'll need to fret an acoustic and you'll be able to hear what you're doing with much more clarity. Check out Dean Guitars - they have a decent (yet very cheap) short scale guitar that may be what you need. It's called the Playmate series - a whole bunch to choose from. Good Luck :) 

www.deanguitars.com

Wow lots of great info !  Thanks You guys!

Yeah.. I do realize I need to touch feel and see if I will be able to do this.  It is all a bit overwhelming of course, and I am going to have to be hasty in my decision.  I certainly do not want to spend money just to end up right back where I am.  ahhh decisions decisions.. One reason why I like the idea of the QChord and the EA thing that ViDanci brought up is the ability to play chords right away, and know what they are.  There is nothing worse than me, for example, playing something and being asked, what chord is that, and I spend a long time trying to figure it out, only to figured the wrong one.  

Man, some days I just feel like I am chasing my own tail.. lmao..

Another option:

If you are comfortable with the neck width of a standard guitar but you need some reduction in "scale length" (the length of the strings from end to end) you could fit a "capo" onto a standard guitar.

A capo at the first fret will reduce the scale length by about 1.5 inches. Capo at the second fret - the scale length is reduced further by about 1.25 inches, and so on.

Advantages: You will have a wider choice of guitars. After some time playing you may find your finger stretch improves and then you can move the capo back a fret to lengthen the strings.

Disadvantages: Tuning a guitar may be a little more difficult if a capo is fitted. But with a modern digital guitar tuner that should not be a problem.

Again very very good advice, from everyone.. And I am still undecided.. here is what happened today.

I went downstairs, where I access to some goodies.  A Bass, an Acoustic and a Charvette Floyd Rose (uhuh), and a Korg N1.  

I picked up the acoustic, after struggling trying to position myself to where I was comfortable with it and we stopped fighting eachother, I decided to move my fingers about.. um.. um... but.. um.. hmmmm .. Dammit!  I didn't even know where to start.. I don't even know where a stupid chord is on this.. so I am plucking trying to pick it by ear, cursing "where is the chord book".  Then I set it down.  Next.. the Charvette... mmm ok.. lets see um.. ok.. yah.. power chords... jig jig jig jig jig jig jig.. hmm ok.. what next.. I'm bored.. where is that damn chord book?

Next.. the Korg N1.... oh .. look.. a chord, another, oh another, more more more !!!!! Chords Chords Chords more chords.. woohooooo i;m playing.. woohooo.. oh ... oh .. a SCALE.. woohoo!!!

So then it dawns on me, probably as it dawned on me before.  I know the piano, I may not know the chord structures, or names, if you asked me.. but the point is, I know what keys will sound good together, much as a experienced guitar players knows how to play his instrument.  I then say to myself, do I really want to spend time trying to play something new, or keep using the one I know.  I am sure you know my answer.  The issue now is that my keyboard, is downstairs, and is full size, and 90 lbs.. my recording stuff, upstairs.   But then I thought.. I have this software, what about.. tada.. VST? Midi?? hmmmm New words in my vocabulary.  

So now I am again at a rethinking stage.  I can practice my piano and say hello to my lost friend.. we have missed eachother.  The last time we spoke was when she wrote "Where Were You" with me. (At least the idea)  Ahhh..  Good times..  So whats to say I don't open my doors wider, and use my pc and Acid to my advantage, and try my hand at VST, Loops, or the like.  It could open my mind huh?????

I told you my mind was racing.. but it was Billy's comment that got me really thinking.   I should know and instrument before I buy it.  I don't know the guitar, and it will take time to learn.  I really don't want to take the time, I want to write, today.  And I already have instruments I know, piano and violin, that are rusty, but I could, if I wanted to do it,  brush up....

Thanks to everyone for their input.. it really helped me!  So now I am on the quest to figure out what this VST shit is about.. lmao  If you have any links, please send them! 

:O)

Real Guitar - www.musiclab.com/products/realgtr_info.htm 

Vir2 - Acoustic Legends - www.vir2.com/vir2/products/acousticlegendshd/index.html

Prominy LPC -http://www.prominy.com/les.htm

EW Quantum Leap - Minstry of Rock (more than just guitars) - http://www.eastwestsamples.com/details.php?cd_index=1032

Hope this helps.  I haven't used any of them but the demos sure look promising (like they always do!) and some are more expensive then the real thing.

Jess! You can do it! I picked up the guitar in Dec, and wrote my first guitar song in a day! I played it 2 weeks later live on stage! I learned simple chords on youtube. justinguitar.com . You will love it. I still stink, but I've written 4 songs on guitar now (I always wrote with the piano before that)

if you care to see my first try, here it is. It's bad, but It was a couple of weeks of experience. lol

http://juicerocks.com/videos?task=videodirectlink&id=33

But Tricia, you're a "Master Melody Maker" to begin with and you already understand music notes.  It would take me a lot longer, learning from scratch.  But I swear, one day I will play some kind of instrument :).  Go for it Jess, you have a really good ear for music.

Later...Casia

Unfortunately me and the guitars don't get along, and I am too damn impatient to try to sit and learn and all that jazz....ha ha .. Sooooooooooo

I actually bought another keyboard and have begun working with midi.  I have one up that actually is turning into a pretty kick ass rock tune, and I will just keep trying my hand at it.  I started playing piano in 83, so I have the skill and knowledge behind it, I just need to work the bugs out, but then ya throw in this midi learning woah!  lmao.... It will come...I hope!

And Tricia...I watched the video, not bad at all.  I can guarentee you that after two weeks I would be sitting up there going duh duh duh duh...Great job!!! AND great song!  Let me know if you would like backing vocals ever, I would be honored to sing behind you on that!

-Jess

actually Jess, I would love that!!!!!!!         Here is the project!

http://www.musicianscollaboration.com/forum/index.php?topic=5269 

 I tried some, and I didn't feel good about them. Thanks so much for the offer! :)