How to Buy Your First Guitar

Do you have a child who wants to learn to play the guitar? Or did you always want to play the guitar but never got around to it? Well the first step is to go out and get yourself a guitar to get you started. In this article I will walk you through how to make your first purchase and what to look for in a guitar.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The first thing to consider is: "Am I right handed or left handed?"
   
   I would recommend everyone play right handed. You will have far more options when it comes to instrument selection and unless you can pick up a guitar and play instantly left handed it will not make a difference in the long run.

2. Second thing to consider is: "Do I play acoustic or electric?"
   
   It really makes no difference from a learning perspective its more about choice of style and sound but anything that can be played on an acoustic can also be played on an electric (for the most part). For a beginner I would recommend playing electric because it is easier on the hands although it is a slightly more expensive option because you will have to get an amplifier as well.
   
   So you've made the choice to buy a right handed electric guitar. Before getting into the nuances of the guitars playability you need to decide body style and sound you are looking for.

3. Ask yourself; "What do I want my guitar to look like?"
   
   When choosing a body style or body shape you should consider something that is aesthetically pleasing but also should give consideration to playing comfort. As a new player you will be spending many hours wailing away on your new axe so you want it to be comfortable as well as stylish.
   
   Guitars with sharp points such as BC Rich guitars tend to do what you would expect a point to do, stick you. A Flying V may look awesome and be your dream but not for a first guitar because you can't really play them sitting down. Also consider the weight of the guitar because when you do play it standing up a heavy guitar can be uncomfortable.
   
   The bottom line is buy something that is comfortable to play.

4. Ask yourself; "What do I want my guitar to sound like?"
   
   There are 2 basic types of pickups that are generally available in the beginner guitars.
   
   The first are the single coil pickup, know for their thin bluesy sound made popular by the Fender Stratocaster. The main down side to this type of pickup is that they hum a lot when played through an amplifier.
   
   The second is the double coil pickup or humbucker. They get a fuller more heavy sound and guess what, they don't hum.

5. The final and most important items to consider are string height or action and tuning.
   
   String height or action - can be seen by laying the guitar on its back and looking at the string height where the neck meets the body of the guitar. Obviously the closer to the neck the easier it will be to play. This is one reason why I recommend buying an electric guitar over a steel string acoustic or a nylon string guitar. The inexpensive acoustic guitars are usually very difficult to play because the strings are very high off the neck.
   
   Tuning - Generally inexpensive guitars do not stay in tune very well. So either bring someone with you who plays or ask the salesman at the music store to play the guitar for a while to see if it stays in tune. Keep in mind generally a guitar needs to be tuned every time it is played.

Tips & Warnings

• The better the quality of the instrument the more enjoyment you will get out of playing and the more likely you will be to stick with it.
• You can get a quality instrument and amplifier new for around $200.
• Consider buying a use instrument to keep the price down.
• Name brand does not always equal quality. Most guitars in this price range no matter what name is stamped on them are made in factories in China. So stick to the tips above and you will get a quality instrument.

[warder11]

on 2/17/2009 Finally the article I have been looking for.