In the first part of this article we'll look at why students decide to play the guitar. We'll also look at how to choose the best type of guitar and what to expect at the dealer.
What's the best guitar for me? This is one of the most common questions beginning students ask. What causes someone to have a preference for one guitar over another?
For many beginning players the way the guitar looks is of more importance than any other factor. Think about it. Every sighted person in the world has made decisions based on an object's appearance since they were infants. A very small group of people make judgements based primarily on sound or the way something feels when they're using it.
Another influence on many beginning guitarists is the music and fashion of the players that they listen to. This has pros and cons. The upside is that the love of a band's music can be what starts a person's personal experience playing music. That's also a problem. Pop music, like fashion, comes and goes. I'm still an avid musician. The big difference between now and 25 years ago is that I don't still wear parachute pants or have a mullet.
This brings us to another common question. Should I learn to play on an electric or an acoustic guitar. This has a more clearcut answer. Start on the one that you like the sound of the most. An electric guitar, regardless of the types of pickups that it has, won't sound like an unamplified acoustic guitar. The same is true of an acoustic. No number of pickups that are added will make it sound like an electric guitar.
Sometimes people will advise beginners to start on acoustic because there's less gear involved (no amp and cord). The common wisdom is that learning to play on the physically harder acoustic will make their hands stronger and the electric easier to play. That's dumb. If you want to sound like Jimi Hendrix, playing an acoustic guitar isn't how to go about it. On the other hand, if your dream is to play classical guitar, learning on a hand-me-down Stratocaster isn't the best approach.
So now that you've decided what type of guitar to buy, how do you narrow it down to brand and model? There is a ton of information available online . Probably one of the best user reviews is found at Harmony Central. People that have actually bought and used different pieces of gear review the item in question. Usually there are several reviews of the same piece of equipment so you'll several different viewpoints. That's all well and good but how about actually putting your hands on the equipment. If you live in or near a large urban area there are probably a good number of retailers who sell what you're looking for. Word of mouth is probably the best qualifier on whether or not you will want to deal with a particular store. Like any other transaction, trust your gut instinct. If Joe's Fine Guitars has an outstanding reputation but you feel condescended to or are treated in a rude manner, don't spend your money there. If you're a brand new player, make sure that the salesman clearly communicates with you. If you don't understand a term that he's using ask him to explain it. Remember, while he may be an authority in his field, you are equally or more competent in some other area. Everybody knows something. Nobody knows everything.
In the second part of this article we’ll look at buying online and how to inspect your new guitar before buying.
