Guide to Buying a Guitar
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor
As an amateur musician who has had one-too-many rock star dreams, I still own - among other music-related instruments and memorabilia - three guitars (two electric and one acoustic). While I got really lucky in acquiring my guitars (got my acoustic and first electric from uncles for no charge at all, and my second electric with the excess money of my education loan) I think I can part some valuable info to beginners who seek to get their hands on guitars without knowing head or tail about them.
Here’s a guide on how to get your hands on a guitar that’ll serve your musical needs and be a joy to play as well.
Electric or Acoustic?
This is the biggest question you need to ask yourself, as they are two very different beasts. Electric guitars might offer versatility and a wide tonal range, but no electric can ever imitate the natural timbres and tones of a finely crafted acoustic guitar.
Make up your mind - if you intend to play music that requires the need for an acoustic guitar, then plop some money for one. Don’t bother getting an electric guitar if you don’t require its capabilities and tones - you’ll find yourself spending too much money on things you don’t need.
Budget
Be realistic. No beginner should ever spend thousands on their first guitar - it’s just not right, no matter how you look at it. I’ve seen total amateurs spend thousands on guitars I still can’t afford, only to really suck at playing their instruments. If you’re a total hack, then there would be no difference in owning a branded thousand dollar guitar or a twenty dollar battery-operated toy axe.
Spend only what you can afford to spend on a guitar. Save your bucks to get a nicer axe when you have put yourself through your paces with your first guitar. For a first electric, I would recommend someone to not spend more than RM1500 on a guitar (inclusive of amplifier) and just about RM300 for a decent acoustic.
Brand?
As a beginner, don’t bother with the name on the headstock of the guitar. You would suck on a nameless acoustic as much as you would on a RM15,000 Paul Reed Smith anyway.
Get serious with playing, practice and don’t bother with brand names for the first few years of playing an instrument. If you can afford a nice first guitar, then by all means go ahead - but personally I firmly believe in putting in hard work on an acoustic guitar, for finger strength and stamina, for the first few years of playing. I know this; I had to play on my Yamaha acoustic for no less than three years before I got my first electric guitar - and I still thank my lucky stars for not having an electric as my first guitar.
Getting a Kick-ass Guitar
So you think you’re ready for the real deal. You walk into a guitar store and…well, you don’t really know what to get next. What do you do?
While most acoustics come in the same body shapes, acquiring an electric guitar can be a pain in the ass if you haven’t done your homework on stuff like neck and body shapes, neck and body woods, and pickups and pickup configurations.
You can read up on these items online, or get some books on guitars, but generally you should get an electric guitar that is comfortable for you to play on. You should test out as many guitars as you possibly can, and choose the one that fits your style and budget the best - buying a guitar on a whim or just by the way it looks would prove to be a catastrophic mistake.
A general rule would be to get a guitar that you can see yourself playing on for at least the next five years, and if you can imagine that with a certain guitar then that piece of wood and steel is your musical dream come true.
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