Buying your First Guitar
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The purchase of a guitar is a strange and ridiculously complex process. Guitars come in all shapes and sizes, and literally all price ranges, particularly if you are willing to buy second hand. If, like me, you prefer to know where your instrument has been before you lay hands on it, then go to a music shop. This way you can be sure that your new guitar is factory-fresh. Provided it doesn't have a label saying "second hand" on it, obviously.
Guitar shops
Like all specialist shops, guitar shops are frighteningly technical with worryingly talented salespeople lurking everywhere. Follow these tips, though, and hopefully you will come out the other end with a functioning guitar.Tip One: Try to remain focussed on the task. For first time buyers, entry into a music shop can appear daunting. Most music shops do have guitars in every conceivable place, at every conceivable price. Caution is advised,as you probably don't want to buy any useless guitar accessories at this early stage.Tip Two: If you have never played guitar before and you are not sure if you are able to keep up the practise, then your beginner level guitar should probably be acoustic, as these are often cheaper. My advice is not to buy a guitar cheaper than £60, however, as at this price there is a serious risk that there is something wrong with it. Aim to pay about £100-£150. If you want to go straight ahead with an electric, it is much more expensive as you will require leads and amplifiers, but it is cheaper in the long run if you are certain you will continue playing.Tip Three: If you have any guitar-playing friends, take them along. These are the people who are most likely to be able to deal with technical lingo such as "string guage" and "action". They will also be able to warn you if, for example, the nut- the bridge at the end of the neck- is poor quality or the neck is bent.Tip Four: Most guitarists, paricularly at beginner level, prefer a guitar with a low action. This basically means that the strings are easy to press down. However, if you have never played guitar before, then it is hard to tell in the shop if the strings are hard to press down or not. Refer to tip three, or ask a shop assistant to make sure.
Second Hand Guitars and Mail Order
Of course, if you are willing to buy second hand... then luck has a lot more to do with it. Guitars are cheaper this way, but there is also a greater risk of being ripped off, or being sold a guitar that simply doesn't work. Second- handers are often advertised in second- hand goods newspapers such as Loot or Buy-Sell, or in guitar magazines, but caution is advised. It may be best not to do this unless you have a firm background knowledge of guitars, and know exactly what you are looking for. You can also buy guitars mail order, which is very easy and usually successful, but there is a risk that it won't be up to scratch or won't be what you expected, as you don't get the chance to try before you buy.
