So you’ve finally decided to take your passion for music to the next level, and now you are ready to invest in your first guitar.
Owning a guitar can drastically change your life as an aspiring musician. The right guitar doesn’t just help you learn the basics better, but it can also take you to places you never imagined.
Guitar legends all have their humble beginnings. But it’s amazing how they still remember their first guitars no matter how successful they may be – proof that you too can be a guitar hero with the guitar you are about to buy.
Not only that, but a guitar also defines your tone and your style, making it one of the most important investments you can ever make for yourself.
However, choosing your first guitar is no easy feat. With so many styles and specifications involved, it can be very overwhelming – especially for a beginner like yourself.
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Read This Before Buying Your First Guitar
We know that guitars don’t come cheap, and you wouldn’t want to waste all that cash for a guitar that doesn’t work for you. Luckily, there are a few pointers on how to buy your first guitar for beginners. Take a look at the guitar buying guide below for more information.
Read: Best Beginner Acoustic Guitars
Electric Versus Acoustic Guitar
By now, you should already know that an electric guitar sounds very different from an acoustic guitar. But apart from the sound, you also need to consider how these guitars can affect the way you learn how to play.
A classical acoustic guitar gives you a clear sound, making it the perfect choice for any beginner who is keen on learning how to be precise with their tone. Acoustic guitars also make a great beginner guitar because it doesn’t come with all the fancy whistles and bells.
Read: Best Beginner Electric Guitars
Alternatively, beginners can explore personal styles with an electric guitar. The sound you can produce is much more flexible, and there is a variety of playing styles to try out as well.
In the end, there is no right or wrong way to choose your first guitar. It all depends on your personal interests and goals as a musician.
Strings And Calluses
Another thing you need to consider when choosing between acoustic and electric guitars is the guitar strings. An acoustic guitar comes with two guitar string options: nylon or steel.
Most guitar teachers would recommend nylon strings to beginners because it is less demanding to play. Meanwhile, the steel-stringed acoustic guitars may be louder in sound, but playing with them may cause calluses in the long run.
On the other hand, electric guitars are all steel-stringed. If calluses don’t bother you at all, and you are genuinely interested in playing the electric guitar, then go for it.
Choose According To Your Style
People will tell you a lot of different things. They will recommend you to try acoustic first and then go for an electric guitar after you’ve mastered it. On the other hand, some people will also tell you to go straight for the electric guitar – most guitar legends do anyway, and they must have done something right to get where they are today.
In the end, it all boils down to what you want in your guitar and what your needs are at the moment. Remember that you can’t copy the experience of others and make it your own. Your guitar is yours alone, so you should make it a personal experience.
Read Customer Reviews
This piece of advice is for anyone who is thinking of buying a guitar online: read a lot of reviews. Look at customer feedback on the online shops you are looking to buy from, and you can also read review blogs like ours for tips on how to buy your first guitar.
Take note of reviews that talk about the overall feel of the guitar; it’s not enough to focus on the hardware and its overall appearance. Sure, it may have a fantastic body and all the knobs just how you like it. But if it doesn’t feel right and if it doesn’t make you want to play the guitar all day, it’s not the right guitar for you.
When you can, consider visiting a shop that has the guitar you want in their store. Try playing with it first before purchasing online.
Knowing Guitar Parts Is Important
How do you know which type of styles best fit you? It will be a lot easier to decide if you study the different parts of a guitar.
The first thing you would want to look at is the neck of the guitar. There are three major guitar neck shapes. You have the C-shape necks; these are guitars with a rounded neck. There’s also the V-shape neck with the pointed edge down the middle. And then you also have the U-shaped guitar necks. These necks have a square-ish shape with rounded corners.
Another thing you need to look at is the fretboard. Guitar fretboards come in different wood materials, and it can affect the way a guitar sounds. You also need to consider fret count and fret sizes. Guitars usually have 22-24 frets. But the main point you need to be careful about is the fret size. If you have smaller hands, then it would be a waste of your money to buy a guitar with a jumbo fret size.
Buying Used Guitars Isn’t Bad
Buying a second-hand guitar can go wrong. But on the bright side, you might be able to get a good deal if you’re careful enough. Some people have the impression that buying used guitars isn’t worth it. But on the contrary, you can still get a valuable guitar with a cheaper price tag.
A lot of things can go wrong even if you are buying brand new. If you do not do the steps above, you might still end up with a guitar that you don’t want to use.
Do your research and create a checklist of your priorities.
The quality of the sound and other conditions that might affect the way you play should be at the top of that list. If you are sensitive about how your guitar looks cosmetically, you might want to add that to your list as well. Remember, the key is to feel and play the guitar in person before deciding on your purchase.