Err I don't know if this is the right place so please move/lock if not.
How long have you people been playing the acoustic guitar?
I just started a couple days ago and I'm just doing exercises to form calluses so it won't be as hard once I start playing chords.
The guitar I got was from a friend and he hasn't touched it for about a year now ( was just gathering dust but i cleaned it and stuff)
My problem is I can't play the chords, I'm trying to learn the 3 basics, G, C, and D. But i always get that unclear sound because one of my fingers is muting the one below. Does this get fixed a or you find a way later on? I'm positioning my thumb halfway or below the neck so I'm pretty sure my thumb positioning is right. Did you guys go through this when you first started? How long did it take to fix that problem?
Oh and how long did it take you guys to form calluses?
Sorry for the rant I just felt that I needed experiences from other players
I picked up the guitar when I was about 12, but only really started practicing when I turned 14. I'm 17 now :0 I play my acoustic here and there.
I do have a question for you, though. How high or low is the action on your guitar? (how far are the strings from your fretboard). Changing the action can drastically change how much hard or easier it'll be to press down on the frets.
You should always try to practice with your thumb on the back (middle-ish) of your guitar neck, but there are chords that are just easier to play with your thumb over the neck. A lot of classical guitar players frown upon it, but hey, this ain't classical :B
Honestly, you just need to practice getting the strings to ring out as clearly as possible. There's no need to rush yourself. Callouses take a little while to build up when you start playing, and how I remember how painful they were when I first started getting them!
I know you're a beginner, but an easy way to build callouses is to go up and down the fretboard chromatically. In other words, you'd go up on the E-string like this...
E ---1---2---3---4
then you'd move to the A-string and do the same thing...
A---1---2---3---4
Keep going until you're at the e-string, and then begin moving up a fret...
(high) E---2---3---4--5
and go back down. Repeat the steps, and MAKE SURE you're getting your notes are sounding clear. Set your (if you own one) metronome very slow and work your way up.
Everyone goes through these struggles when they first start playing. When I first started playing, I got so frustrated that I decided to stop. After a few years, I wanted to start again. So really, my advice to you is to just have fun playing the guitar! Don't make it such a hassle when you first pick it up. When you feel like you've got the basics down and are ready to move on, start practicing seriously.
if you have anymore questions, just ask :]
It's really difficult with a steel-string guitar because it hurts somewhat but with nylon-strings, it's rather easy and not as hard/painful (lol). 
Not having them cut will give it a buzzing sort of sound because your nails are keeping you from pushing your finger any harder on the strings.
