Just starting out on guitar? Uncertain about which guitar you should to buy? Scared of walking in to a guitar shop and pretending you can play? You are not alone!
Choosing a guitar is pretty easy. Honestly!
Let me guide you through my 3 step process:
STEP ONE: Style
What style do you want to play? Electric, Acoustic, Jazz, Rock, Metal? Who's your favourite band or guitarist? Slash, Gilmore, Buddy Holly? What are they playing? Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul, Semi Acoustic?
Style is the most interesting part of this process for shizzle and it is going to keep you inspired to play and practice. This step will give you an idea of where to start looking for a guitar.
STEP TWO: Budget
The world of guitars if a vast Universe of choice. Technology and manufacturing has progressed so much that whatever style of guitar you have chosen, there will be a guitar in that style i your budget. Yippeee! Here's an idea of the different budget brackets so you don't over spend unnecessarily.
I have rather broadly dropped purchase prices on to four budget levels. Within each budget level there is not going to be too much difference in quality between guitars in that price range.
Budget Level one: £99.00 - £199.00 (don't go any cheaper - trust me!)
Budget Level Two: £200.00 - £499.00
Budget Level Three: £500.00 - £899.00
Budget Level Four: £900.00 + (anything above this price is subjective value - handmade, exotic woods etc...)
STEP THREE: Test Drive!
This is where you walk in to a scary guitar shop full of what appears to be well seasoned players who are all very judgmental about you and they are all waiting to laugh at your feeble attempts to play Smoke On The Water! Good Luck!
Ok, so I will now tell you the truth - these folks work in a guitar shop because they love to play and also to see others enjoy music too. Tell them the style and budget you have in mind and try at least 3 different guitars before you make a decision. Guitar manufacturing being what it is today, you won't need to check for a straight neck build, fret alignment and all the other crazy stuff that used to be part of buying a guitar. So long as it plays well and you get a good feeling about the shop then go for it!
Now the deal - make them an offer on the guitar (always worth a shot) and ask for extra value such as a free set up or some spare strings. A set up is worth taking and I would suggest you play the guitar for a couple of weeks before they set it up properly for you. This gives the instrument time to adjust to your playing and the climate of your home.
Unless you really know what you are looking at - go to a shop in person for your first guitar rather than an internet sale just because the price is less!
Happy Hunting,
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