re: Finally bought my first guitar

For now, my advice is to stick with the lighter strings.
When you go to heavier strings, they don't go down into the notches on the nut as far. That makes your action higher. Maybe go slightly heavier, but don't jump off the deep end yet. Just my 2 cents worth.
Maybe use your tone control, along with those effects to get a fatter sound?

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I was advised to humidify the guitar bc I live a desert basically and to not take it in to a shop until it acclimates to this new dry climate. Thoughts on this, or other general upkeep? I know you guys live in a sauna, but any info would be appreciated.

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Where I live, isn't nearly as humid as South Louisiana, but still quite a bit more humid than Denver. I don't really need to do anything to my guitars, just keep them at a steady temp, and put some polish on now and then. String and fretboard conditioner.

The guys that you work with, and the local guitar guys can probably give you the best advice on that.

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I have to ask, based on your name... did you work the bp oil cleanup?

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I did not.

Sounds like you got good info and go for it as guitar strings are highly personal critters. That's why there's so many choices. As long as the guitar can handle it go for the mediums. Just keep an eye out for any changes to neck, bridge, and belly of guitar. Your ears and fingers will tell you the rest. I use a mixed set on most of mine that's light tops and medium bottoms, but use only lights on one and mediums on another. They just sound better with them. It might also be kind of what you get use to, so take time to enjoy the learning curve your on, I'm guessing you'll get it right.

And not sure where you are, but I have musician friends from CO that battle to keep their guitars humidified. Bought a mandolin on a trip out there and not only did shop owner throw in a humidifier at the last moment, he kept repeating this is how you do it until you get back to Alabama.

I'd say your on the path to enlightenment.

I keep mine in the case and use D'Addario humidipaks when its not in use.

Summers can be humid here and the winter air is dry so I use them to be safe. It's the really dry air in winter that concerns me the most.

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Where I live, isn't nearly as humid as South Louisiana, but still quite a bit more humid than Denver. I don't really need to do anything to my guitars, just keep them at a steady temp, and put some polish on now and then. String and fretboard conditioner.

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Even here in Central AlaBam I had a top start to open up one cold winter. Right down center glue line south of bridge. Herb from Fretted Instruments said it was the dry electric heat so I believed him. Fortunately we got it time and he wouldn't even try working anything into crack. Appeared all that was needed was humidity. A couple of old folk have since quipped it just sounds older, ya made it vibrate better. Not sure of that, but now keep the moisture up when the heat goes on for long. There's still see a faint line like you mentioned.

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I also find that my Taylor holds the tuning really well if I store it in the case with the humidipaks. It usually just needs a minor tweak on the low E string and everything else stays spot on.

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When I started leaving mine out, where I can see them before I sit down, I started playing a lot more.
Most of the time, instead of sitting down on the couch, and grabbing the TV remote, I'll grab a guitar and sit on my stool and play. I rarely watch TV anymore, except for a couple of shows on History channel.
I keep a couple of dreadnoughts out lately in different open tunings ( E and D) and my little parlor guitar in open Gb, and my resonator stays mostly in open E. My Takamine, a Telecaster, and an Epiphone Wildcat all stay out in standard tuning, and 1 Telecaster that's set-up with a high strung Nashville tuning, so there's always something a little different to play with each time. Everybody may not be the same, but I think seeing the guitars definitely makes me play more.

So I read this thread a few weeks ago and decided it was time I started playing again. I played as a teenager and it never really took.
You would think living in Nashville, it would be a buyers dream to pick up a decent used guitar.
Apparently, if you don’t contact the seller within a couple hours of a good acoustic guitar posting, it’s gone. I guess people here all had the same idea with the extra time on their hands.
Finally yesterday, I drove to Clarksville and picked up a Yamaha 700 acoustic. It is in like new condition, came with a case, stand, strap and lesson books. The strings seem to be smaller and the action is nice and low with no buzz.
I spent about 30 minutes strumming the three cords I remembered (g is still a bitch) and today I woke with that familiar feeling from many years ago of the numb finger tips.
Thanks for making and contributing to this thread. It made my decision easy.
Wife (no pics) said she wouldn’t mind me playing (got it in writing) as long as I cut back on the bourbon. She did not get that in writing.
Cheers