New Nighthawk - making it easier to play for a beginner

[marcusmac]

Hello Everyone,

 

A new member here and soon to be the owner of a new Epiphone Nighthawk. I have little to no real training or experience playing guitar. I have an acoustic with which I took about 10 lessons with, but never really improved enough to stick with it. Knowing myself as I do, I will loose interest in anything that I work at and show no improvement (golf for instance). So, I am going to go back in the pool and try an electric. I feel I will do better with the electric because I feel it is easier to play.

 

What I would like to hear from experienced players is what can I do to make the guitar easier for me to learn on once it comes off the wall at the store. I have done some research and I think I will have it restrung with Ernie Ball's Extra Slinky String Set (8 -38). I know they tend to break easier but I don't think I'm going to be stressing them too much as I learn cords and such.

 

I'm also thinking I have to have the neck waxed or oiled so my hand slides easy. I'm not very aware of how to treat the neck with the strings in, but if you can educate me on this one I would appreciate it.

 

I'm going to have the shop lower the action as much as they can so its again, easier to play.

 

If there are other adjustments you can suggest, I would appreciate all the insights.

 

Thank you,

Marcus

[midiman56]

Hey, Marcus ... welcome to the Forum. Lot's of good folks in here with lot's of knowledge and a real willingness to offer support to new players.

 

That being said, I am a 40+ year veteran of this thing we call guitar playing. At various times, I've made a full-time living at it or just had it as a hobby that I truly love. I also happen to be the owner of an Epiphone Nighthawk ... so let me start out by congratulating you on your choice, The 'hawk in one of Epi's best IMHO.

 

Now ... on to the "rough stuff" ... there really are no "short-cuts" to learning to play the guitar! No matter what you try to do to make it easier, please be prepared for at least a couple of months (if you practice faithfully ... longer if you don't) of slow progress, frustraition, and a little bit of pain. There's really no way around it ... sorry. The rewards will be there if you stick it out. I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy the instrument ... and I'm sure many of the members here will agree with me.

 

So, on to your plans for your new guitar: Since the Nighthawk is a 25.5" scale guitar, your choice of an .08 set off strings is somewhat feasable. Too thin for me, personally, and I think you're gonna spend an inordinant amount of time re-tuning the thing, but I guess until you build up your fingertips, it'll be okay. Evenyually, I think you'll want to step up to something a little beefier. Do get yourself a good setup from a reputable guitar tech ... that's a must even for experienced players ... it'll get your strings nice and low without the buzzing and note "choke-off" that too low an action will cause. Skip the oiling of your fretboard! The rosewood on the Nighthawk is extremely smooth and comfortable. You'll need to treat it eventually (I live in the desert so I do it twice a year), but don't turn it into a grease-ball in hopes that it will make playing easier. Seems you'll be learning chords initially, so the amount of sliding around you'll be doing will be minimal.

 

If I may make one other suggestion: PLAY SONGS THAT YOU LIKE!. There is sheet music available for just about any type of music that suits you. I myself basically learned to play with a copy of "The Beatles Complete Songbook". It had the chords charted and was truly a huge help to me. The bottom line is, playing music that is familiar to you is a great way to judge your progress, and will simply be more FUN than slogging through scales and exercises in some Mel Bay book.

 

So there you go ... my 2 cents (maybe I gave you a nickle's worth). Just remember: If everyone COULD do it ... then everyone WOULD do it! Also remember, you have us here for support ... or just to vent if you feel you need it. Good luck!

 

Jim

[marcusmac]

Thank you for the replies. I will take the suggestions and the support.

 

Marcus

[Gordy01]

Like Midiman said, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

The hardest part in my opinion was working through the sore fingertips. At first it can be downright painful. This only lasts for a little while though, as the callouses will develop, and playing gets easier.

 

The more you play, the easier it gets.

[eggs]

If your fingers ain't bleeding, you ain't learning...

 

Welcome Marcus... & 'Nighthawks' Rule

[strat-o-steve]

Using the lightest strings you can find, with the lowest action for reasonably clean playing will make your job of learning chords alot easier. When you get to starting vibrato and bends, you will probably have to raise the action a touch for it to feel right. That's the beauty of guitar. There is not really a wrong way to set one up as long as YOU like the feel and sound. I personally have high action on all of my guitars because I bend and beat the strings like an ape. I try to use lighter touch, but I get excited and play harder, so I must have the higher action to compensate for my heavy handed style.

[hawkfanatic]

As was said, when you start it is normal to have some discomfort till your fingers develop callouses. I wouldn't bother with an 8 set, i'd start with 9's. The hawk is one of the easiest guitars to play that i have ever owned, and i've been playing since 1970 so you can bet i've owned a LOT of em ! a 9 set on a NK is extremely easy to play, and going lighter than that IMO isn't a good idea for several reasons. It's your call, but thats my recommendation.

 

Anyways, congrats on the NH. It's not only one of the easiest to play i've owned with one of my fav necks ever, but truly one of the best guitars i've owned at any price. I'm a dyed in the wool fender guy all the way, and till this NH i have tried uncountable non fenders mainly gibsons and gibson types like epi LPs and such, and this is the first one i can pick up over my strats most any day. Others i'd get tired of and end up selling because the fenders just do so many things better to my ear and the feel wouldn't be perfect for me either. But the NH holds it's own perfectly in every way. If I wasn't a impossibly dyed in the wool strat man the NH would w/o a doubt be my main guitar. IMO you're starting out on a great guitar. I really would start with 9's tho, and personally i'd eventually go to 10's, at least long enough to see if you prefer them.