How to buy a guitar

This article will familiarize the reader with the process of buying a guitar. The article will be most beneficial to those buying their first guitar, or to those buying a guitar as a gift for someone else. The article assumes little or no knowledge of guitars in order to aid the non-musical person in buying a guitar.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Money
• Basic knowledge of what is desired by the person who will play the instrument.

1. 
   Buy a guitar

   Determine which basic type of guitar you want.
   
   This is a choice between two types: Acoustic or electric. An acoustic guitar is the type that is not (typically) plugged into an amplifier, and is also the type you most commonly see country artists playing. The accompanying image shows an acoustic guitar on the left and an electric guitar on the right.
   
   Note that if you choose to purchase an electric guitar, you will also likely wish to purchase an amplifier to make the guitar louder and easier to hear. Also, amplifiers are what provide the distortion heard in all varieties of music -- most notably rock and heavy metal.
   
   The type of music you wish to play/create and the sound you want are two of the biggest factors which influence how to buy a guitar.

2. Determine your price range.
   
   Guitars can vary dramatically in price. You can get a pawn shop special for as little as $50 or a Gibson Les Paul typically for $3000 or $4000, depending upon the specific model. Literally, when it comes to guitars, the sky is the limit.
   
   The best thing to do is to determine your price range and then seek out deals that fit within that range. Then buy a guitar!

3. Find out where to get deals within your price range.
   
   As mentioned previously, guitars are available in nearly any price range. This can be an easy decision, as once you break out of the cheapest range possible, the same places can serve your needs.
   
   $0-$100: Pawn shops. Guitar/instrument stores will typically not carry instruments within this range because typically these are the instruments which have some wear and tear on them and are showing their age a bit.
   
   $100+: Guitar Center (or your local instrument dealer/small music shop). Typically you can buy a beginner's level guitar (either acoustic or electric) within this range. These are usually very suitable beginner guitars and are of beginner quality and feature range.

4. Hit the stores of interest to you and play some guitars!
   
   Now you have established what basic type of guitar you are looking for and you also have a price range set, so all you have to do is go looking for "the one".
   
   I highly recommend NOT purchasing a guitar without first playing it (even if you can't play, and even if you are buying for someone else). This is because even if you can't play, you can still tell if a guitar is noticeably broken or has playability problems. For example, if the neck is cracked, you can see this. If the back of the neck is splintered rather than smooth, you can feel that.
   
   Here is a short list of things to look for in a quality first guitar:
   
   1) Nothing broken. Make sure the neck is not cracked and not separating from the body of the guitar. Check for any obvious loose parts (knobs, frets, etc.)
   
   2) Playability. This will be difficult if you can't play, but if nothing else you can at least tell if the guitar is playable at all. Make sure the back of the neck feels smooth and not rough. Make sure frets are sunk into the fretboard and not coming loose. Make sure all the parts feel secure where the strings go into the body of the guitar. Lastly, make sure all the parts feel secure where the strings attach to the top of the neck (the headstock).
   
   3) Brand name. Fender, for example, makes a specific line of guitars for beginners. On the acoustic side, these typically range from about $100 to $200. On the electric side, these are also typically within that range and are also typically a model known as Squier. Note that the Squier model doesn't necessarily denote a beginner's guitar, but they are usually in the most affordable price range which is typical of a beginner. Brand name isn't as big of a deal as quality and playability, but certainly can be a factor.
   
   4) General care. Does the instrument appear to have generally been cared for? Does this even matter to you? It may not, depending on exactly why you are wanting this guitar. If it does, this is certainly something you want to consider when buying a guitar.

5. Wheel and deal.
   
   I'm sure most readers are aware that pawn shop prices can be negotiated. But what most readers may not be aware of is that even prices in stores (Guitar Center included) can also be negotiated. This usually isn't difficult to do either, and just requires not being afraid to try. For example, I purchased a Fender Blues Deville Reissue amplifier (typically a $900 amp) for just $800 simply by asking what they could go down to.
   
   So don't be afraid to wheel and deal! It may help make buying a guitar more rewarding!

Tips & Warnings

• Study up. Read about guitars on sites like www.ultimate-guitar.com. Read reviews about guitars on www.musiciansfriend.com and www.guitarcenter.com.
• Avoid ordering online. Yes, you can get some good deals online but usually these instruments have been kept in a warehouse and not very well maintained and cared for. Also, you are not able to play/inspect the instrument before buying.