How to Shop for Your First Guitar

Buying your first guitar, or buying the first guitar for your child can be intimidating. But with an organized approach it's much easier. One of the first things to consider is the type of music that will be played, and the location. If it is country music, folk music, or unplugged classic rock an acoustic guitar is going to serve you well. If you are into rock, hard rock, death metal, or just enjoy electronic devices then you will want an electric guitar and amplifier.

One mistake that is made frequently is to decide to buy the cheapest nastiest guitar you can find for the first guitar, and then see if "it takes". The problem with this is that if the guitar is poorly constructed it will be hard on the fingers, and won't stay in tune. So it will sound bad, and be physically more difficult to play. This situation sets the stage for discouragement. You want to plan on paying at least $300 for a decent guitar, and if its an electric, there will be an additional need for an amplifier. Practice amps are easy to find for around $50, and are very suitable for the learning stage of the game.

Many places will offer package deals that are not advertised. It is a common for salespeople to have the ability to make a deal in order to get the sale. Don't be afraid to try to negotiate a lower price, especially if you are buying several items.

Acoustic guitars should be made of solid quality wood on front and back, not plywood. Many of the cheaper brands use plywood, so thats an important factor in getting a quality guitar. Another thing to consider is the tone and size you want. Acoustics come in three sizes: parlor, dreadnought, and jumbo. If you are buying for a child you want to purchase according to what they can manage physically. If you are an adult you want to consider that the smaller guitars have a brighter tone, while the larger guitars have a deeper tone.

One example of an excellent beginner guitar is the Martin "Backpacker". This guitar has a small body but a full size neck, costs between $200-$300, and can use either steel or nylon strings in case you decide to study some classical music along the way. The volume is enough to sound good without any amplification, but well suited for practicing levels. And this guitar has the quality that will make it a keeper even after your skills are sharp enough for performing.

For an in depth collection of reviews and articles on Acoustic guitars, go to http://www.gearwire.com

If you are shopping for an electric guitar you also want to pay attention to the quality of wood in the construction. Another area that you may find compromised in a cheaper electric guitars is the quality of the pickups and hardware. The good news is, these are all replaceable down the road. For an excellent review of the qualities of different woods used in guitar construction go to http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=guitar_neckwoods.

An example of a good quality beginner electric guitar is the Epiphone G310. It features quality construction and fewer difficulties with the hardware than most other guitars in this class. And at around $200-$300 it is in an appropriate price range for a beginner guitar.

But whether you decide to go with an acoustic or an electric, you need to pay special attention to the "action" on any guitar. The "action" is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. If the action is too low, there will be buzzing. If the action is too high, it will be more difficult to play, and it could even bow the neck of the guitar. On a good guitar the action can be adjusted, so if you are not happy with it, ask the salesperson to adjust it for you. After adjustment you should not hear any buzzing. If you do, don't buy the guitar.

Another issue is whether the guitar will hold it's tune. If you don't know how to play or tune a guitar, don't worry about it. Ask the salesperson to tune the guitar for you, and to play it a bit. Listen to the intonation of the guitar to get a feel for the tone. Pay attention after they have played a few songs to see if they are going back and constantly retuning. If they are, it may be a good indicator that the guitar is having difficulty holding its tune.

The most important thing that you can do is research. Do your homework. Use all your resources.
Start with the internet. www.gearwire.com, and www.Harmony-central.com are good places to start.
Do the bulk of your factual research on the internet for a quick informative overview. But remember you cannot substitute the experience of being able to hold the guitar, see it, and hear it in person. Its the only way to find what is going to appeal to you. So do your internet homework, and then go out to some guitar shops and get some hands on action.

Once you understand what you want and why, then you can start your quest for the best price. You may find it on-line, but if you let the local shop owner know the competitive offer, you may be able to get a lower price at the store.