beginners guide to buying a guitar.
There are countless types and models of guitar on the market so when it comes to buying your first guitar, the novice guitar player can find themselves completely bamboozled. Although it seems like your local guitar shop has so many to choose from, there are many thousands more available to you online. So for a structured approach to buying guitars, you first need to choose between an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar.
Obviously if you love the sounds of those power chords in your favorite rock music and love those screaming lead guitar solos, then you will want to buy an electric guitar. When you are looking at the prices don’t forget that you will need some extra money to cover the guitar cable and at least a practice amp.
Don’t be pressured into buying an electric guitar though. There are still some beautiful songs and sounds produced by acoustic guitars and they are much more easy to take around with you. There is nothing better than having a sweetly strummed or plucked acoustic guitar on that bush retreat.
Just as the range of guitars can seem endless, so can the range in prices. There are some well known brands and models that typify the history of the guitar such as the Gibson Les Paul or the Fender Telecaster and you will pay a lot more for these. You can however buy guitars that are copies of these original vintage guitars that are cheap to buy and provide a solid guitar experience.
Your choice here is a trade-off between various priorities which will depend on what type of person you are. It is no different to buying a car. Some people buy cars for the prestige and high end performance while others buy a car that gets them from A to B. It is common for guitar addicts to dream about buying a guitar that makes their friends and even strangers go wow as soon as they hear what type of guitar it is. This won’t interest some other people who will be happy with a guitar that sounds “ok”.
One of the benefits of buying a well known model of guitar is that there will be no end of reviews available on the web. If you’re going for an unknown brand then you will probably need to source this information for yourself. Which guitar you choose will come down to image, feel and sound. Image is easy and you will know straight away whether it is right for you. If you go about your day wearing chains and studs, then you probably won’t want that little pink acoustic number.
The quality of the sound from the guitar is really an individual taste. If you are just beginning you probably won’t even notice the subtle differences in tone and sustain that comes from different guitars. Even if you do notice the difference, one tone is not necessarily better or worse, just different. Guitar bodies made from Mahogany, Rosewood and Maple all produce different tones and people will have their own preferences.
The balance and playability of the guitar is important because of the hours you will spend playing it. Balance and weight are factors and it is a good idea to make sure you are comfortable playing in both a standing up and seated position. The weight and shape of the guitar will influence how it feels for you. Also check the action of the guitar. In other words how hard is it to press the strings down to the fretboard as you move up to the higher frets. The action can be altered but you would hopefully buy a guitar that felt good out of the box. Many people spend hours looking down the neck of the guitar to ensure it is straight but the truth is that it should have a slight forward bend, known as neck relief. This ensures that the strings don’t buzz when pressed.
Only you will know which guitar is right for you to buy. Regardless of your playing ability, you should buy the best guitar you can afford and be proud of it. There is no such thing as a guitar being too good for a beginner. Expensive guitars aren’t any harder to play. In fact the action is often much easier than cheap guitars and they generally have a whole new sound way above the cheapies. I have one very expensive guitar in my collection and I get as much enjoyment out of looking at it as I do from playing it. It is a beautiful thing.
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