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.
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 i nformation 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 h! e may be an authority in his field, you are equally or more competent in some other area. Everybody knows something. Nobody knows everything.
About the only option for people in smaller communities or rural areas is to buy online. Buying online is todays equivalent of mail-order. If you buy online, the dealers reputation is of equal importance to the "in person" option. Don't base your choice of dealers purely on price. Customer service and clear communication is still of huge importance.
Virtually all dealers have a 48-72 hour approval period. Some of the on-line dealers offer a trial period of 1 to 1 1/2 months! As-new condition is required if you are to get a refund. This frequently includes all materials included in the case; warranty cards, adjustment tools, etc...
When you have decided on a particular brand and model of guitar, play several different examples of it. Because most guitars are made of wood, there can be variations in sou! nd. Even solidbody electric guitars are affected by the qualit! y of the wood used in their construction. There is also the factor of the the way the workmen were feeling on the day(s) that the guitar was made. And I know we've all been cautioned about cars made on Mondays and Fridays.
Now that you've narrowed it down to the "one" you need to examine it for fit and finish. Things to look for are even distribution of the finish (no lumps or thin spots), all of the components (tuning machines,etc...) attached correctly, pickups and controls all working, no sharp ends on the fretwires, smooth finish on the top of the fretwires and strap buttons securely attached.
Used guitars can sometimes present a good value if you know what to look for. Another option is to have a friend who is an experienced player help you. If you are inexperienced, your best bet is to buy a used guitar from a reputable dealer. The biggest advantage in buying used is that the original owner took the depreciation. Guitars are like cars in that they depreci! ate. A guitar that was bought a month ago is still a used guitar and the price should reflect that.
What's the best guitar for me is a question with answers as individual as the person asking it. Hopefully this information will help provide the best answer for you.
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Jim Pharis has been intrigued with guitars for the last 35 years. He has been busy in that time learning to play, teach, repair and sell guitars. More information is available at http://www.learn-fingerstyle-guitar.com/
Source: http://www.articletrader.com
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