Buying Your First Guitar - Part 1

(Shawn Bradshaw | Posted 2005-01-07)

So you have decided to learn how to play the guitar. Or maybe you are buying a guitar for your son or daughter and have no idea what to get, or where to start. This article will focus on giving you some ideas about what to look for, and what to avoid in an entry-level guitar.

Electric or Acoustic?

Should your first guitar be an electric or an acoustic? The answer really depends on your budget, and on what type of music you want to play. If you are buying a guitar for a 16 year old kid who listens exclusively to heavy metal, don't buy them a classical acoustic guitar, buy them an electric guitar. They are not interesting playing folk songs by the campfire, they want to rock. If they can't play the type of music they are interesting in playing, they will not practice and lose interest.

There is an old wife's tale that says, "always start on an acoustic guitar". This is just not true. In reality, an electric guitar is much easier to play. So usually a beginner can make progress quicker on an electric guitar. Now in turn it is easier to switch from an acoustic guitar to electric because of this. You will also build more finger strength and develop your calluses easier on an acoustic, since the strings are thicker and a little harder to press down. In the end you may own both an electric and an acoustic guitar. But for your first guitar, you can start with either one. We will look more closely at electric guitars in part 2 of this article. Even if you have decided to get an electric guitar, don't skip directly to part 2. There is a lot of general information about making your first guitar purchase here in part 1.

Buying an acoustic guitar

Acoustic guitars come in basically 2 varieties. There are steel string and nylon string guitars. Nylon string guitars are used mostly for classical or flamenco music. Some people think it is easier to play a nylon string guitar, since the strings do not irritate the tips of your fingers in the same way that steel strings will. But the neck of a classical nylon string guitar is wider, and can make it a little more difficult to play some chords.

Steel string guitars are harder on your fingertips at first, but after a couple of weeks of practice your fingers will toughen up and that will not be a factor. The neck of a steel string guitar is also a little narrower than a nylon string, and therefore will make some chords a little easier to play.

Another thing that you need to take into consideration is the size of the person who is going to be playing the guitar. If this guitar is for a child, you may need to get a smaller guitar. They do make acoustic guitars in 1/2 and 3/4 sizes. If a child is so small that they would need a 1/2 size guitar, hold off until they are a little older. They are just too young to effectively learn to play guitar. A 3/4 size is good for kids who are 8-11. Kids this age will have trouble reaching around the big body of a full size acoustic guitar.

Full size acoustic guitars also come in a few different styles and sizes. Most nylon string classical guitars are relatively the same shape, and the body is a little smaller than their steel string counterparts. The most common style of steel string acoustic is called a "Dreadnought". There is also a smaller body steel string that is sometimes referred to as a "Concert" size. Adults with smaller hands and arms should consider trying to find a smaller body guitar. Especially female guitarist will have more trouble reaching their right arm around the big body of a Dreadnought guitar. The neck of a Dreadnought and a Concert guitar will be the same; the only difference will be the body size.

Below are some graphics to give you an idea of the size difference between a Dreadnought, Concert, and 3/4 size acoustic guitar.

Dreadnought

Drednought acoutic guitar

Concert

Concert acoustic guitar

3/4 size

3/4 size acoustic guitar

Solid wood vs. laminate soundboard

One thing to consider when shopping for an acoustic guitar is the material that the soundboard is made of. This is the front of the body of the guitar. Since this is where most of the sound is derived from, the material the soundboard is constructed from will make a big difference. The most common material for the soundboard is spruce. You can find entry-level guitars with a solid spruce soundboard. There are also inexpensive guitars that instead have a laminate top. This is where the manufacture will take a couple of different thin layers of wood and glue them together. This is much less expensive for the manufacture, and therefore is one corner they often cut. If you are looking at a description of a guitar, look for where it says "solid spruce top". If it just says "spruce top", that a little trickery on the part of the manufacture. If it just says, "spruce top"; it is laminated with the top layer being spruce.

A solid wood top is not the only element to look for in a guitar. In fact if an entry-level guitar has a solid spruce top, then the manufacture may cut corners in other areas to keep the price down. So don't let the material of the soundboard be the only determining factor in your purchase. If you are opting for the cheaper end of the price scale, it is going to be more difficult to find one with a solid spruce top.

Check out the guitar

If you have a friend that plays guitar, bring them with you when you are shopping. Having someone's opinion that plays guitar is helpful. But even if you don't play or have someone with you who plays, check out the guitar that you are purchasing. Play each fret on every string and check for buzzing, or ask the salesperson to do this. Play the open 6th string, and then the12th fret with an electronic tuner and make sure they are both registering the note E. If they are not, you may need some adjustments made to the guitar, or there could even be some major problems that can not be fixed.

Ask the sales staff to make sure the guitar's neck is properly adjusted. If the strings are very high off of the fret board, they may need to also file down the bridge saddle to lower the action (the height of the strings above the fret board). How much the music store may be willing to do for free depends on the price of the guitar. If it is a $50 guitar, then the answer is probably not much. Also play each string open and turn the machine heads (tuning pegs) slightly in each direction. Make sure they turn smoothly, and the pitch of each string changes smoothly as you turn them. Also make sure there is an adjustable neck (truss rod), some really cheap guitars do not.

Where to buy

Where you purchase your guitar depends on where you live. Some urban areas have many music stores, while some rural areas may have only one.....or none. Different stores carry different brands, and have different levels of customer service and competence. Ask around for the reputation of the stores in your area. There are also some great deals to be found from online retailers. You may be able to find brands and styles that are not available in your local area. You may need to have some small adjustments made after it arrives, but the price and selection may out weight that factor. Be sure and check the return policy of any place that you purchase a guitar, both brick and mortar stores and online retailers.

What brand? (Acoustic)

There are many different brands of guitars. There are even some lessor known "off brands" that make a decent entry-level guitar. Here are a few common acoustic guitar brands to help you get started, but by all means do not limit yourself to these.

Takamine, Jasmine (by Takamine), Yamaha, Washburn, Ibanez, Fender, Epiphone, Alvarez, Seagull, Sigma (by Martin)

In part 2 of this article we will explore what to look for in an electric guitar, as well as more general information about making your first guitar purchase. Even if you have already decided on acoustic guitar, look over part 2.

Buying Your First Guitar - Part 1

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