Does anybody have tips on learning a guitar after bass?

Tips on learning how to play the Electric/Bass Guitar?

• I promised myself this summer, when I had free time, I'd start learning how to play the Electric and Bass Guitar. Funny thing is, I know NOTHING about guitars! But I refuse to give up. It's something that I gotta know how to do. I'd love some tips on the two, like How to start out or Which to start out with. Perhaps some information on the many different types of guitars would be nice, too. A silly thing I've been kinda confused on is this: Do you Buy the Guitar BEFORE you learn how to play it, or do you learn the basics online and then buy the guitar? Silly, I know, But when you over think the question, like I do, you get pretty confused. Any tips would be lovely, and thank you for all the tips I may receive~ Super Excited~

• Answer:

  You probably shouldn't try to do both. They're very different. I've never known a good guitar player who was good on bass, and vice versa. (I'm a good bass player and a so-so guitar player at best. I only play the guitar when I'm writing music. It's tough to do that on bass.) If you want to sing along while you play, stick to guitar. No only is a bass not much good for accompanying yourself, it's harder to sing along with. That's because on a guitar, you can just strum chords. On a bass, you're playing individual notes all the time, so it's tougher to get your brain's right and left lobes working together. You'll need the instrument first. The most difficult part is getting your fingers to do what you want them to. Only a lot of repetitious practice will accomplish that. Electric guitars are easier to play than acoustic, but of course you need to plug it into an amp to get much sound. A cheap guitar will be harder to play than a more expensive one. In general, you'll need to pay at least $350 for a decent one. I like Ibanez and Takamine acoustics. Seagulls are supposed to be good, too. I hear the Epiphone Hummingbird is nice for the money. A lot of electrics are pretty good. Most are copies of Fenders or Gibsons. If you want a sharp, twangy sound, go for the Fender style. If you want more warm and fuzzy, try a Gibson. Hope that helps. Good luck. Your fingers are going to hurt until you build up some calluses.