How to buy a guitar: A guide to your first guitar
Are you looking to buy your first guitar?
If you are confused and cannot decide how to properly choose a guitar that will be a perfect choice, then do not worry!
In this blog, we will cover everything that you need to keep in mind while purchasing a guitar.
Whether you are a parent and buying a guitar for a child or you are a beginner and looking for a good beginner guitar and don’t know how to buy a guitar? or even if you are a seasoned player and looking for your next guitar purchase, there are some common points that need to be kept in mind to pick the best instrument for yourself.
What guitar is best for beginners?
The most common phrases that we hear are –
- What is the best guitar for beginners?
- Types of guitar for beginners
- Best first guitar
- Size of guitar for adults
- Good guitars for beginners
And the answer to all of these questions is- it depends on each situation and individual.
For example- A full sized acoustic guitar might suit and work best for a large person with long hands and fingers but for a child or a smaller person it might be too bulky.
Similarly, my choice could be an electric guitar but yours can be an acoustic or even a nylon string classical guitar.
While buying your guitar it is also very important that you feel good while holding and playing the instrument, if the instrument doesn’t inspire you to play it more then it beats the whole purpose of buying it.
So, to answer your question: How to buy a guitar?
Make it absolutely clear in your mind which type of guitar that you want, the size, the colour, whether an acoustic or an electric etc.
Once you have that clarity, now we can work on the things that you should look for while purchasing your guitar.
Before we move on to the details, let’s clarify something.
Acoustic vs Electric guitar for beginners
This is by far the most common question a guitar teacher gets-
I am a beginner. What guitar should I buy: an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar?
There’s no single answer for it.
Because the fundamentals are the same, what you learn on acoustic guitar and an electric guitar will be the same at beginner’s level. If you want to buy an electric guitar as a beginner then there’s nothing wrong with it and vice versa.
But you should keep the following points in mind before making your decision.
Acoustic guitar
The most widely recommended guitars for beginners are acoustic guitars, and the reason behind that is that it is just a pick and go type of instrument. There is no added equipment that one needs to buy with it, for example the amplifier, the cables and others. This also saves a lot of money because the amplifiers and other accessories are quite expensive.
The sound that an acoustic guitar creates is loud and crisp enough to be heard and examined properly thus helping the student to work on the techniques in a more detailed manner.
But the downside of acoustic guitars for beginners is the neck, which is usually a little thicker than an electric guitar and the fretboard is a little wider thus making it more difficult to play for a beginner.
Electric guitar
If the budget and the style of music that you want to play allows you to get an electric guitar then it is the best first guitar for beginners. The reason why it is the best starter guitar is because of the ease of playing. The neck is thinner, the fretboard is smoother and the frets are narrower which makes electric guitar super easy and fun to play.
Electric guitars also come in many shapes, sizes and colours which makes it more appealing while buying a guitar for a child and making it go to guitar for newbies.
While, the ease of playing, mass appeal and versatility are the plus points which make electric guitars a good choice, there are few drawbacks of electric guitars as well.
Most importantly, electric guitars produce a very faint sound when played, you need an amplifier to hear the sound properly and the amplifiers are usually expensive too.
Read our blog, If you want to find out more about choosing an amplifier as a beginner.
The other negative side of picking an electric guitar over acoustic guitar is that the electric guitars are much heavier than acoustic guitars and for the strumming style of music electric guitar may not be the best option.
So, you must be clear on the following questions so far, How to buy a guitar? Electric or Acoustic? Types of guitar for beginners and more.
Points to keep in mind while buying a guitar
Okay if you have decided which guitar you are going to buy, let’s look into the details on actually how to buy a guitar and the details that you should look for while buying the guitar.
If you are buying your guitar online then this might not apply because you won’t be able to physically play the instrument before it arrives at your door. But assuming that you are going to a store and buying the guitar.
The size of the guitar
The size shouldn’t be too big or too small for you, it should sit in your lap comfortably because you will be sitting and practising the instrument for hours and if it is not comfortable then it’s a problem
The ability of the guitar to stay in tune
Cheap guitars usually go out of tune very easily and very often and being a beginner playing such a guitar is frustrating because you might think that I am playing right but still it doesn’t sound good. Well it could just be your instrument’s tendency to go out of tune easily.
The action of the guitar
The action is the distance between the fretboard and the strings of the guitar, if the action is too high it becomes difficult to press the strings and this is a nightmare for the beginners. If you don’t know how to buy a guitar then this detail is often overlooked and later creates trouble for you when you practice.
If the action is too low, the strings create a buzzing sound which is a buzz kill (lol).
The best guitar for beginners is the one with the perfect action or strings height, not too low or high.
The action is usually adjustable via the truss rod but if it’s too high or low then it might be a red flag with that particular piece.
The Neck
Talking about the action, the most important part of the guitar is the neck, if it is not straight and curved inside like a bow or outwards like back bow then it is a red flag.
It’s like glazing the blade while buying a new cricket bat, if you’re into cricket.
But if you’re a beginner and do not know how to check it then please ask for help from a professional.
The electronics and the fine details
The last point on how to buy a guitar but most important one-The finishing, electronics and the fine details are what makes an instrument a quality piece or a terrible piece.
All the good guitar companies spend a lot of money when it comes to the detailing part of the instrument, most expensive gears are usually expensive because of the craftsmanship behind it, the attention to details and sometimes hand made detailing work.
If the guitar that you’re looking for looks terrible because of the finishing work and the electronics then chances are the instrument will not last long enough.
Avoid the guitar with cheap, terrible condition electronics and fine details, such as volume knobs, saddle, tuning pegs, the pick ups, bridge and the paint work.
Read this blog, To know more about the anatomy of a guitar.
Closing thoughts
I am sure, after reading this blog you must now have an idea of the things to keep in mind while buying your first guitar.
Remember, it is a journey, some days you might feel an acoustic guitar is the best option for you when you are sitting with your friends around a barbeque camp and some days you might feel like rocking out on an electric guitar and channel your inner rockstar.
But keep the things that we have mentioned in your mind and buy the guitar which will serve you in the long run and inspire you to keep playing it. If you have any more questions check out our FAQ section below.
Good luck!
FAQs
Let’s go through some of the frequently asked questions about buying a good beginner guitar
How to buy a guitar?
You can purchase a guitar from a physical store which sells musical equipment or you can look for a guitar in the used market, however be careful while purchasing a used guitar and third you can also purchase a guitar through any online website such as Musicmaster, Amazon and Furtados music if you are in India.
We would suggest you go to the store to play the instrument before buying it.
Should beginners start with an acoustic guitar or electric guitar?
Best guitar for beginners depends on the interest and the type of music that you want to learn, while an electric guitar is generally easier to play for a beginner because of the neck thickness. It has limitations like faint sound, requires an amplifier, increased cost and more. You can choose either, the fundamentals that you learn will be the same.
Do I need an amplifier with my first guitar?
If you are buying an electric guitar then yes.
An amplifier for an acoustic guitar is not required, as the sound produced by acoustic guitars is loud.
What guitar should I buy?
Once you have decided whether you want an electric or acoustic guitar then you can look for some respected companies which manufacture guitars according to your budget.
Some good beginner guitar companies available in India are- Fender, Yamaha, Epiphone, ESP LTD, Cort, Ibanez and more.
What accessories do I need with my first guitar?
Typically, you would need a plectrum or a pick, a strap or belt, Hard case or soft case to keep the guitar safely. An amplifier and cables if you’re buying an electric guitar.
