How To Buy a Guitar

By Peter Zitars

Are you wondering how to buy a guitar? Do you want to buy a beginner guitar, but don't know where to start?

Buying your first guitar -or upgrading to a better instrument- is as exciting as it is confusing. "What kind of guitar should I buy?", "What's a good guitar for a beginner?", "How much should I spend?", "What's a good value?": these are questions that everybody asks when they are looking for a guitar.

Before you read the following advice on how to buy a guitar, I must tell you this:

If you can't afford to buy a guitar now, and you really want to learn to play guitar, use any guitar you can get your hands on! You can get a better guitar later, and the information here will help you make the best choice.

I started to learn on a cheap guitar my mom bought for my brother while I was a kid at cadet camp. The strings were so high off the frets, I could stick my finger between the strings and the fretboard! The guitar wouldn't tune well and it sounded terrible. I used that guitar for a year, before I could buy my own.

Another time, the only guitar I had was given to me by a friend. He found the guitar in a dump, and it's neck was broken off. I used fiberglass cloth and resin to reattach the pieces: I don't recommend doing that! The strings pulled the headstock farther up the more I tightened them. So I put nylon strings on it for less tension. The guitar volume suffered because of the nylon strings, but at least I could play.

That was the only guitar I could afford for a couple years. Now I own lots of nice guitars.

The point I am trying to make is this: PLAY! Don't put it off. Excuses won't teach you, only playing will.

You may be looking for a guitar for yourself or your child, or to buy a beginner guitar for someone dear to you.

It takes time to learn how to play guitar, and the right guitar will make learning quicker, easier and more pleasurable. Take your time, investigate. There is no better way to learn how to buy a guitar!

DON'T buy a bad guitar, just because it's cheap!

The better a guitar's quality is, the more pleasure you will get from it. The strings will be easier to press down and the guitar will be easier to play. Your music will sound more beautiful and that will inspire you to keep playing.

Be careful at auction sites, you can find a lot of junk there. If you want to buy a beginner guitar at an auction site, make sure that they are a reputable dealer that sells real guitars, not dollar store junk.

Cheap guitars sound, how can I put this? Terrible! If you have to pay $5.00 for a set of guitar strings, try to imagine what a brand new guitar that sells for $5.00, including strings, sounds like! They sound dull, the notes don't have any sustain,(that means that they don't ring long), and the notes sound muddled together. Not only that, they are hard to play, and impossible to tune, and they can turn off even the most determined individuals. These "guitars" are no more than toys! So what if they have a guarantee if the shipping there and back costs more than the guitar?

It is understandable that you want to save money when you buy a guitar, but buying junk isn't the way to do it. Don't buy a new guitar, on impulse, at a department store. There probably won't be anyone there that can answer any questions you have, and the selection is poor.

Most of the new guitars they sell at pawn shops aren't very good. A pawn shop can have good deals on used guitars, but you should have some experience, or have someone experienced with you before you buy a used guitar.

Find a good deal on a guitar by taking your time and shopping around. There are respectable music stores online and on the street. Online music stores are a great way to compare prices, and read reviews.

If you find the guitar you want at an online music store, and it is less expensive than the one you saw at the store, you could show the store owner a printout of the guitar and price. You never know, maybe you can get the price lowered for you!

After your playing improves, upgrade your guitar and your music will improve instantly. By then you'll have more experience and the "how to buy a guitar" question will seem less of a mystery.

Some ways to save money when you buy a beginner guitar are: buy used (be careful and have someone that knows how to play well, go with you), rent from a music store or teacher, or borrow one from a friend.

One more time: The better your guitar sounds, and the easier it plays, the better your music will sound! The better the guitar's playability is, the easier it will be for you to learn.

If you plan to go to a store to check out some guitars, ask a friend that's an experienced player to go with you. There are many things to look for, and an experienced guitarist can help you avoid wasting your money on something that might make you quit, before you even get started.

"How to Buy a Guitar" was written by Peter Zitars from Introduction To Guitar.com.

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