Acquiring a guitar: your questions answered
(I was going to talk about guitar tuners today, but there are some questions that keep popping in comment threads about guitars. So we’ll talk about guitars today and get to tuners later!)
OK, you’ve made the decision to play the guitar. There’s just ONE little problem: you don’t have a guitar to play. While I am not currently hip to the guitar market to do a true buyer’s guide (maybe I can do that later!), I CAN offer you some answers and maybe point you in the right general direction.
Acoustic or electric? Nylon or steel string?
The idea here is that maybe there’s a type of guitar that is better suited to beginners. You could make a case for either - electric is slightly easier on the fingers while acoustic is more versatile, etc.- but think about your ultimate goal. When you picture yourself playing guitar, what do you picture yourself doing? If it’s rocking out with a band, go for electric. If you want to strum your guitar and sing songs, go acoustic.
Nylon vs. steel string is similar. Do you want to be Segovia or Joni Mitchell? Go nylon (if you want to go Segovia, this blog might not be for you!). Otherwise go with the steel string.
NOTE: If you already have access to a solid guitar, whatever kind it is, you might consider playing it for a few weeks before making a decision. The beauty of guitar is that all of the theory and most of the techniques apply regardless of what kind of guitar you’re playing
OPTIONS FOR A GOOD FIRST GUITAR:
- Beg, steal or borrow! OK, maybe not steal (this is a “positive” blog site). But if you know someone who has an extra guitar, maybe they will let you borrow it for a few weeks. The key though is that it plays well and holds tune.
- Pawn shop prizes: You could score in a major way at a pawn shop. Or you could overpay for a dud guitar. Unless you have a friend or relative who is pretty knowledgeable, I would probably seek other options.
- Buy a “starter” guitar: Many big music stores are selling guitars in cardboard boxes for $100 or less. This is actually a great option because they are new guitars. They are set up, they hold tune OK and they play pretty well. The downer? They do not hold value at all, so if you plan on selling it to buy another guitar later, bear that in mind.
- Pay a little more: This option is obviously not in everyone’s budget, but if you can pay a little more, your investment will go a long way. You will be buying a guitar that either you will want to keep and play (or that you can let somebody else borrow!). It will hold value OK, so if you get serious about guitar and decide to sell it and get another guitar, this is an option. In the $200 range there are a lot of decent acoustics, and electric “starter” kits that even come with a little amp. In the $400 range your options really open up. You can get nice acoustic OR electric guitars that you’ve actually heard of! (You can even get the Mark Lee Signature guitar for $499. Sorry, had to drop that one in there!)
Hopefully this will get you headed in the right direction. Let me know how it goes. Also feel free to ask any questions!
If you enjoyed this post you might like these:
- A guide to guitar tuners
- Look what I got in the mail this week: The PRS Angelus acoustic
- Guitar for the Absolute Beginner #3: Every Anglican Does Get Baptized Eventually, and other tricks to memorize string names
- Guitar Heroes: Frank Hannon and Dave Rude
- What’s your “desert island” guitar?
