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Tekaran,

Welcome to Chordie!  You'll find a abundance of resources and experts here!  About finger picking, you should start dabbling into it now!  It's not an expert technique.  The basics for playing an acoustic is different between left and right hand.  Although both hands play the same instrument, both hands also play independently to make music. 

Learning finger picking should be part of your daily playing!  Even Electric!  There are several types of picking, including Travis picking and Chicken picking.  Do some research on the net or on this site.  You'll be picking in no time! 

Also, listen to finger picking artists, like James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Dan Fogelberg, Jim Croce, etc.  You'll learn different techniques between each one!

Good luck!

I too, have recently gone back to the elixir strings.  My last set was a D'addario, and the tone went dull after a few plays.  Luckily, I still had a set left from my Ebay purchase last year.  And, wow!  That elixir sound was sure delightful to hear once again.  In my view, the sound and tone stay true longer than other strings.

You can also consider the Fender Squire line as well.  They are comparable to the LP Special.

Norm,

Make sure that your electronic tuner is set to the standard 440hz, if you're doing standard tuning.  Electronic tuners have options for other tuning styles, where other signals apply!  Just my two cents!

Depending on how much you're willing to spend for that "better" guitar.  For a good midrange (price) guitars, I would suggest Ovation, Takamine, some Martin and Epiphone.  Of course, if you have the funds, a nice Martin, Taylor, Guild, Gibson are also good investment.

etc,

I should have been more clear.  The 12th fret is the start over point, similar to where the nut is at the top of the neck!  So, you can put a capo on the 12th fret, you can play the same chords as you would at the nut.  That's why the double dots are there. 

Yu,

Up strumming, to me, helps with keeping the timing throughout the song.  Even though you may not strike the strings.  If you watch Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, his strumming hand  consistently strum up and down.  But, he only makes contact (some times) only on the down strum stroke. 

Another good reason to strum up, also, is when you play reggae songs.  Take Bob Marley and UB40 for instance.  Most of their songs uses only the up strum to create that "Island" sound! 

Zax,

Welcome to Chordie!  Regarding your question, it really depends on your budget and your future plans.  Are you planning on joining a band or do gigs?  If so, a 50 to 100w amp would do fine.  If not, then a 30-40w amp would do the trick. 

One thing you didn't mention was what guitar are you playing?  Acoustic or electric?  For acoustic, several brands like Crate and Roland are good.  For electric, Fender, Vox, Line 6, Marshall, Peavey are some brands to look at.  If you're playing electric, invest in a good tube amp!  It might a bit pricey now, but you won't be disappointed with the sound.

Good luck!

SG,

If you're a casual player, a Mexican made one would do just fine.  Of course, if you have the money, an American one would be a good investment.  For me, the not-ready-for-prime-time player, I will have to stick with the cheaper one for now.   It sounds good and plays well for me!

Yu,

I couldn't agree with you more.  I too, work in the computer field, and we tend to get too analytical about everything we do.  No fear, however.  It's good to be organized, but letting go is the main reason for playing an instrument in the first place.  Once you can let go of the "mechanical" aspect in playing, you'll start to allow your creative side to shine. 

The Neil Young's song is a good one to practice with.  I would suggest, also, that you get yourself a metronome and practice strumming to the same beat timing as the song (but without playing the song.)  This will help you work your timing and chord changes.  Once you're more comfortable with one speed on the metronome, try increasing it a few beats per minute (BPM).  This will help you with quicker chord changes accuracy and speed. 

Like the others here have said, practice at least 30 minutes a day for a few days.  Then take one day break, and then practice again.  This will help reinforce habits, but not burn you out.  Hope this helps.

Yu,

Glad to hear you're practicing and learning progressions.  My feedback, to you, would be to just sit and play and not get too analytical about playing.  Playing an instrument,  although could be mechanical, is more feel and confidence of one's ability to create music through one's instrument. 

Of course, one also needs to have a measuring stick of some kind to provide feedback.  And, the best measuring stick here would be your confidence and being able to play those progressions without reference and/or having to question whether or not you did it right. 

Having said that, however, I would think that setting milestones is a great motivational tool.  Milestones can be anything that may seem unreachable now, but can be accomplished in let's say, three to six months.  You also mentioned hammer down on chords.  I wouldn't be too concern with this for now.  Focus on your chord progressions, timing, and strumming.  Knowing these three will get you from starting to finishing a song.  That, to me, is a milestone! 

I'm sure others will have additional thoughts.

Good luck!