Your First Guitar
One could write a 200-page book on the perilous subject of buying a first guitar for beginners. Rather than go off on that long journey, we will offer several practical tips.
The two most important factors that come into play when buying a starter guitar are PRICE and PLAYABILITY, so we will address these issues here.
Whether you want to learn and are buying one for yourself, or are a parent who wants to buy one for your child, chances are you will be looking for something inexpensive. The problem that arises here is that in the world we live in, "cheap" means to "junk". This is certainly the case when it comes to guitars, however, recent developments in manufacturing methods and strong competition between makers has resulted in a flood of fairly good guitars at reasonable prices. So long as you are willing to spend just a little bit more than what the cheapest models are going for, you can strike a good balance between price and quality.
As far as quality goes, factors that affect playability are most important. The most important factor by far is the "action" of the guitar; this relates to how hard it is to press the strings down on the fingerboard to play the notes. The second most important factor is how the guitar is "intonated" so that the notes are "true". There is no practical way to describe to a non-guitarist how to check for these factors, so see our recommendations in "Do's and Don'ts" below.
Many, many would-be guitarists started and eventually gave up because they had cheapo guitars that were hardly playable at all, and they thought it was impossible for them to progress, as if they "didn't have it in them". The guitar itself is actually at fault, but they had no idea. This is where the "action" factor kicks in.
Do's and Don'ts of buying a starter guitar:
As mentioned above, action and intonation are of imperative importance, so we suggest that you DO BRING AN EXPERIENCED GUITAR PLAYER with you (if you know somebody) when you go to the music store to make your purchase. If you must go it alone, let the store clerks know your concerns and that you would appreciate their recommmendations; they will be more than happy to oblige a customer who is looking for a good guitar rather than the cheapest item possible. Also, if there are other customers trying out guitars, and they sound like they know what they are doing, don't be shy about asking them for recommendations. Most guitar players are very sympathetic to the needs of beginners.
DO NOT buy the cheapest guitar available, even if it "looks nice" and has all kinds of accessories thrown in as a package deal. The cheapest guitar in the shop is is disposable junk, guaranteed, period.
DO NOT buy a guitar at a large national chain department store. These are all junk. All of them, period. Go to a big department store for shower curtains and small appliances. When you want to buy a musical instrument, go to a music store.
Furthermore, in relation to the department store guitars mentioned above, DO NOT BE FOOLED by the fact that the package on the cheapo starter guitar package says "MADE BY [SOME FAMOUS FINE GUITAR MAKER]". Yes, the famous fine guitar makers do make fine guitars.....for $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 or more. The bottom line is that they are in business to make money and they are not going to sell you a fine guitar for $100 or $200.
DO NOT buy guitars from late-night television infomercials. Sure, the guy who is pitching them plays like a champ, and the one they are selling sure looks a lot like the one he is playing, and it surely must be a bargain because they throw in a whole closet full of cool accessories. If he really, truly believes in his own heart and mind what he says on TV about these cheap toy guitars, then he should send you his $7,000 guitar and keep one of the pieces of crap for his own use. Don't fall victim to this chicanery!!!
CHECK GUITAR REVIEWS to educate yourself about particular models that you may be considering. HARMONY CENTRAL GUITAR REVIEWS is one of the best places online to read reviews of thousands of guitars, listed by manufacturer and model. Guitar Center also has reviews of most products for sale on their website.
DO NOT be put off by the fact that a guitar was made in Japan, Korea, or Mexico. There was a time in the not-so-distant past that most products produced in these countries could be regarded as cheap garbage, but streamlined manufacturing techniques and competition/market factors have had a huge positive impact on quality. Some Korean "unknown" or "off-brands" are now producing guitars for under $300 that will rival most American-made guitars that sell for $1,000 or a bit more. DO stay away from Chinese stuff, though ;)
Beginner Guitar Recommendations
Here we will make a few can't-miss recomendations for starter guitars. These are by no means the only ones you should consider; as mentioned above, do reasearch, check reviews, etc.
ACOUSTIC GUITARS: YAMAHA offers several affordable guitar models priced at under $200 that offer great value. They play well, sound good, and are very durable. This is also one of the most common brands; most medium to large music stores will have several selections in stock. Musician's Friend has a wide selection of Yamaha guitars for sale online, and they also post user reviews for most models available on their website.
CLASSICAL GUITARS: Beginners get a break here: certain "action" and construction factors that come into play with electric and steel-string acoustic guitars are not so critical here, so your chances of getting a good guitar at a reasonable price are much better. Again, YAMAHA is a solid recommendation. One other maker that is worthy of strong recommendation is PRUDENCIO SAEZ, model #PS-8 in particular. This is a hand-made guitar of very fine quality, usually priced at slightly over $300. It is available online at Music123 and you can read reviews here: Prudencio Saez PS-8 Reviews.
ELECTRIC GUITARS: FENDER produces a budget line of guitars called SQUIER. These offer good value for the money and will serve you for years if well cared for. I also very highly recommend RAVEN WEST Guitars. They offer a good selection of Korean-made electric guitars mostly in the price range of $300 to $350 that will rival almost any American-made guitar costing two to three times the price. They also sell their guitars on EBAY for lower prices than listed on their website. I own several Raven West models myself, in addition to several "fine" guitars from Gibson, Fender, and other premium brands, and I can honestly say that I like the Ravens just as much as the more expensive "finer brand" guitars; they offer tremendous value for the money. Read the Raven West Guitar Reviews at Harmony Central.
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