How To Buy Your First Guitar
A friend of mine is all about playing the guitar. I was impressed with the songs that he could play and the fact that he taught himself was amazing. I figured if he could do it then I could. However, it was much more difficult then I had imagined and I soon gave up. I prefer to stick to my piano. However, I was able to learn how to buy the very first guitar you will use and am passing on my knowledge!
you need to purchase a beginner guitar – which is fairly inexpensive. You should keep the budget around $200 to $300 for any type of guitar. You don’t have to stick to a brand new guitar so you might want to consider a used one if you have a very limited budget. Used dealers and local pawn shops are the place to go for used guitars.
To make sure that you are choosing the right type bring someone with you who has experience or go to a music store and ask someone who knows that they are talking about. Ask them what brands and what types of guitars you need to say away from. When it comes to the used ones your little helper will be able to tell if the guitar is properly tuned or not. Your untrained ear will not be able to determine this. If no one is there to check it for you make sure that the store clerk does what they can to verify that the guitar is set to the right concert pitch.
Pick up a few guitars and try them on. Try strumming on them while standing up and sitting down. This will help you to buy one that you are comfortable with and that is not too large or too small for you.
Put your index finger behind the first fret on the largest string. This fret is the raised metal “line”. Then pluck the string hard. Listen out for any buzzes, odd noises, or pops. Make sure to check behind each fret on each string. If you notice any bit of sound that does not sound normal or musical then ask the clerk to adjust to and retune it. If that doesn’t help then you don’t need to get it.
Before purchasing make sure that your new guitar comes the right guitar gear. This mean it should come with a warranty, new set of strings, a tuner, and a gigbag. Above all else have fun!
