Now the most crucial time has arrived and that is buying you a guitar. Following is what I thought and helped me choose my guitar.
The Most Important Question...
The type of music you want to play will decide what type of guitar you need to buy. What Music does your ear bud love to hear all the time and which tune does your finger love to dance on? This is the first and the foremost question that gives you a base and a firm answer on which guitar you really need to choose with what specifications.
The music you want to play may be different from the music you enjoy listening to. For example, I like listening to a wide variety of music: Dream Theater, Def Leppard, Pantera, Pink Floyd, Kansas, to name a few. But I wanted to play nasty Rock and roll, head smashing hard rock and occasional metal. This ruled out guitars like the Flying-V, or a Gibson Les Paul, or few Ibanez RG series guitars too!
So, think about the primary type of music you want to play. Then think about the primary type of guitar used to produce that music. That tells you what your perfect first guitar will be.
- Want to play Pop, Rock, or Alternative? Select an electric.
- Ready to strum some Country, Folk, or Christmas carols? You need an acoustic.
- Jazz and Blues your thing? Focus on electric instruments.
- Leaning toward Classical or Inspirational music? Acoustic is the way to go.
Of course, all music styles will occasionally use the opposite type of guitar, to emphasize a particular sound. Don't worry about that now. That can be your second guitar!
It's that simple: the type of music you want to play leads to the type of first guitar for you!
Other Considerations
Cost
This is the main reason why most of the youths out there fail to get the guitar they want or the guitar that produces the sound their ear craves for. For an average investment you can own the guitar that you have always dreamt of. A little bit of research, an expert’s suggestion and a lot of window shopping is what you need at this point of time. For a minimal investment you can either fetch a nylon string classical guitar or a steel string guitar depends on what type of music do you want to play. If I were you then I would go for a steel string guitar as it would not only make your fingers hard but will train you to overcome the pain and frustration that comes in the learning process for all the beginner guitarists. Later on when you start feeling better and earn skills in a particular category of music you can then think about your second guitar and go for it no matter what the cost will be for the same.
Buying a guitar is like shopping for a coat–you’ll want one that fits your body type. Guitars that are too big feel awkward when you drape your strumming/picking arm over the top of the body. Guitars that are too small make you feel like........ ;).
Little people need little guitars, so there are 1/2 and 3/4 sized guitars for kids.
Ask a salesperson to help you decide if your guitar fits.
New or Used?
If this is your first guitar, I recommend that you either purchase from a trusted friend or buy new. New guitars are clean, scratch and dent free, passed quality standards before shipping, have a warranty, and probably have new strings (most music stores allow shoppers to play instruments before purchasing... so your new guitar might need new strings... if in doubt, ask!).
If this is your first guitar, I recommend that you either purchase from a trusted friend or buy new. New guitars are clean, scratch and dent free, passed quality standards before shipping, have a warranty, and probably have new strings (most music stores allow shoppers to play instruments before purchasing... so your new guitar might need new strings... if in doubt, ask!).
Color
Looks are important to most people, myself included. I want my guitars to entice me to play them. They should at least look as attractive as whatever is on TV.
Kids are especially concerned with looks, and I think that’s fine. Luckily, guitars with blue paint jobs or bodies shaped like skulls aren’t necessarily more expensive, so if you’re shopping for a child, encourage them to pick a guitar that they think looks cool. Just make sure they like the sound of it, too.
The Final Stretch!
You are making great progress! It's time to make your final decisions about the type of first guitar for you!
PS.
Remember to ask, "What price can you give me for this?" Music instruments are almost always marked high.
