How to buy your first guitar

Buying your first guitar can be very stressful. Entering a guitar store for the first time you realize how little you know and how bad you are compared to the rest of the people in the store. Well keep in mind that you are just starting out, and these people are there to intimidate you in order for you to believe them and spend more :) So the first tip when buying a guitar is to, if possible, go with someone you know who has played guitar for years. Have them help pick you out a good guitar. Asking the clerk for help is probably a waste of time because they will either push you to an expensive model, or point you to the crappy beginer model that will frustrate you to death. The goal for a beginner in my opinion and experience is to start with a guitar they can grow into. Unless you are the type of person who quits easily, or is not overly interested in the guitar in the first place, dont skimp and get something you will hate! Also, dont go nuts and buy something you dont need. You probably dont need a $3000.00 guitar when starting out, because you're not out playing gigs.

1. What is the guitar made of? The type and quality of wood used in a guitar determines how nice it sounds and how long it will last. Cheap guitars actually use plywood for a top. This method will over time pull apart, leaving you with a junk guitar. You should look for a spruce or cedar guitar, they are probably the best for a beginner guitar that will last for awhile, mahogany and curly maple are both popular and attractive.

2. Is the guitar a comfortable size for you? If you choose a big dreadnought style body guitar, keep in mind it will be big and bulky and possibly heavy depending on your build. So keep in mind the comfort level you will have when holding and playing the guitar.

3. Is the neck the right width? Make sure you are ok with the width of the neck when placing your hand around it in a playing position. If you have smaller hands you may not be able to wrap them all the way around the neck, making playing difficult. Keep looking for a guitar that better suits your hand style if you think it will be a problem.

4. Does it sound crisp when playing it. Strum the guitar a few times, and make sure it has a nice rich sound. You dont have to be a pro to determine if the tone of the guitar suits your liking. Just strum the open strings and see if it has a solid sound. Make sure nothing rattles on the guitar. Make sure you can press down the strings without too much strain. Check that that artwork and finer details of the guitar are not cheaply pasted on and already falling apart.

So what is a reasonable price range for a begginer acoustic guitar? I spent about $200.00 on myn, it was probably a little cheap and I wish I had spent more, but at the same time im not regretting it to the point of throwing it out the window. So I would recommend spending no less than $200.00USD and no more than $600.00USD. That should give you a fairly healthy range of guitars. Some names that I have heard very good things about include Seagull, Martin (one of the best and probably most expensive brands), Walden (on the lower end), Guild (expensive as well) and then you have your Yamaha. I am sure others can direct you towards some good brands. I wont say stay away from anything because I dont want to go there in this article. It comes down to a personal choice, what guitar sounds good to you.

Check the action - how easy it is to push the strings down to the neck of the guitar, and how high the strings are off the neck. Neck and frets: The perfect neck is a quarter-sawn cut, of good strength, and with density that's consistent along its length. A neck that's not particularly stiff will have difficulty standing up to the tension of the strings (typically 135-175 lbs. for a flattop, depending on string gauge), and may need a lot of extra support from the truss rod inside the neck. The one-piece compression truss rod, which is most widely used, has the unfortunate side-effect of squeezing the neck lengthwise as it forces the neck straighter. When the neck has different densities along its length, this compression produces humps and dips in the even curve you'd like to see, irregularities we affectionately call an 'S-curve,' or the dreaded 'double-S-curve.' Other necks, which may be acceptably stiff, may have an uneven grain pattern which causes them to hump or twist with no collusion from the truss rod; yet others are too stiff, only dimly aware of the tension of the strings, and may settle into a contour that's too straight or convex (back-bent). Any of these irregularites can range from trivial to severe, and all can be masked, somewhat or entirely, by a high action. Try to look down the neck of the guitar and see if it bows at all either up or down. If so, then you may want to move on to the next guitar. Keep in mind you are allowed to pass on any guitar at any time.

Make sure the wood of the guitar has the right protection. Acids, oils and moisture will discolor and eventually degrade wood, and can undo glue joints. Additionally, the finish functions as a moisture barrier, of varying efficiency, to buffer the effects of humidity changes. Traditional finishes include shellac, varnish, and nitrocellulose lacquer. More recently, acrylic lacquer, catalyzed lacquer, polyester, or polyester/urethane combinations are favored, for reductions in both labor time and environmental emissions. All these finishes can be used and do a an adequate job, however to cut costs some companies dont even apply them. The traditional finishes take many hours of sanding, re-sanding, rubbing and polishing; some of the newer finishes harden almost instantly, and often the only levelling they get is at the buffing wheel. The result is unnecessary finish thickness on many production guitars , and even on some from small builders. You can view that thick finish as a lamination, serving to damp the vibration of the top and back. Thick finishes are to be avoided, and there is enough variation from guitar to guitar that it's worth your while to develop an eye for it.

Buying an electric guitar is even more stressful than buying an acoustic. Now you not only need a good solid guitar, but also an amplifier. Add to that the fact the guitar has electronics makes for a fun time :) But then again, you get to learn more about guitars, so it can be fun experience. There are a few schools of thought on buying an electric guitar. You can go with a really expensive Fender, or Gibson (USA made) and be happy but broke. Or you can go with a knock off from Mexico, Korea or China, such as a Mexican Fender, Epiphone or Squire. Lastly you can go with a Japanese model, which experts say is a middle of the road, though japanese models these days run about the same as USA made. I have talked to professional guitarists who play in internationally recognized groups who have recorded with Mexican Fenders and have no complaints. So it really comes down to finding something you like. Play all the guitars and you will eventually find the one you like. I ended up with a Korean made Tokai, it is very solid and I have no complaints.

The amplifier search is also fun. I ended up with a small Marshall amp. In the amp world you have another major choice. Tube amps or solid state amps. Experts will claim that the tube amps are the only way to go because they give a softer warmer sound. However I have known experts who have changed their minds on this subject. So again its what sounds best to you. Try a bunch of amps and descide from what you hear and what you like. I choose the solid state marshall because electric guitars are expensive and I have blown my budget. I again have no complaints because I dont perform infront of live audiences and it is loud enough for my basement room :). Solid state amps also tend to last longer, and arent as susceptible to breaking as tube amps. Tube amps are actuall tubes that can burn out if you leave your amp on too long. Being an OAF I descided I would be leaving it on lots by mistake and sure enough I have :) So keep that in mind when you descide.

Once you descide on solid state vrs tube you have to descide on how many watts (how much juice you want). The more watt's the louder the amp can go. However, I would not use Wattage as a good scale for how good an amp is or how powerful it is. If you are looking for a banging amp, play on it and see how it sounds at high volume levels. Just because the label says 100000 watts, doesnt mean it sounds good.