This is an important decision that should only be made after careful consideration of all the options. The wrong guitar or a poor-quality guitar can eventually turn off even the most enthusiastic of students.
*Cost: The quality and type of instrument you purchase depends on how much you can afford to spend. If you think it's more than a passing fancy, it’s often a good idea to spend as much as you can afford to get a decent instrument. A cheap guitar is going to be harder to play, won’t stay in tune as well, and won’t sound nearly as good as a guitar made with a even just a little more quality.
*Style of music: Do you want to play Rock? Country? Jazz? Metal? Campfire sing-alongs? The guitar you buy should fit with the style of music you want to play.
First- a word of warning: Guitar store salespeople want to sell you something! Consider their motive($$) when they are giving you advice. It doesn't matter to them if you get the right guitar. They’ll often steer you to a more expensive model. Bring a guitar-playing friend to help make your selection. Do some price comparisons online. Going to the music store armed with price information makes it easier for you to get a bargain. At the very least, the salespeople may be less inclined to try to tempt you with a higher priced item if they know you did your homework.
Most guitars under $1000 (yes- one thousand bucks) are made in Asia or in Mexico. The quality of some imported guitars is really improving. Not at all like the poor-quality student guitars many students bought in the 1960's and 70's. Still, many imports are junk, so make sure to do your homework!
Here are the basic guitar types and their features:
Nylon String- also called a “classical” guitar. I do NOT recommend these for my students. The necks are too wide for smaller hands. Most nylon string guitars sold as cheap student models are poorly made imports. Because they usually lack bracing or neck supports, these guitars often do not last very long. These are not sturdy guitars. Nylon string guitars are suitable if you plan to seriously study flamenco or classical music. Otherwise choose a different guitar. tip: NEVER put steel strings on a classical guitar. You will ruin the guitar.
Steel string acoustic: A very versatile guitar for beginners or advanced players. You can play all kinds of music on an acoustic guitar (also called a “flat-top”). Some rock styles, blues, country, jazz, and bluegrass all sound good on an acoustic. Quality increases with price- but there are some decent acoustics out there in the $200-$300 range. (I found my brand-new Epiphone at a guitar show for $260) Entry level brands include: Washburn, Yamaha, Epiphone, Ibanez, Fender Top brands include: Martin, Taylor, Gibson ·tip: for a younger student- consider a 3/ 4- or half-size guitar. The smaller scale is much easier for little hands to play. _______________________________________________________________________
Electric Guitar: If your goal is to play rock, blues, or with a band, or country lead guitar then you need to buy an electric guitar. So consider the style of music you like, your favorite players, etc. when making your decision. Each of the main styles of electric guitar has it’s own unique sound. Here’s a look at the more popular electrics:
*Telecaster- style -Made by Fender. This is the “original” electric guitar design. It’s been around since about 1950. It’s hardly changed at all since then. It is the guitar of choice for Rock, Blues or Country lead guitar players who favor the Tele’s twangy single-coil pickups and biting tone. I own several of these guitars. Rockers who use Tele’s include: Prince, Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Chrissie Hynde.
*Stratocaster- style – The most successful electric guitar ever made. With it’s distinctive double-cut- away, this is the guitar that symbolizes rock and roll. First made famous by Buddy Holly in the fifties. The Fender STRAT was responsible for the Surf-rock sound AND the Psychedelic rock sounds of the 1960's. A very versatile guitar. I play a Strat-style guitar I built myself. Stratocaster players include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vince Gill, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Eric Johnson, and many more. Features 3 single-coil pickups and (usually) a tremolo-bridge (whammy-bar). I recommend this style of guitar for a beginner because it is so versatile. Fender sells an Asian-made budget brand called “Squier” which costs $150-$200. With a little tweaking these can be fairly decent guitars for students. Fender's American-made line of Telecasters and Strats are priced from $800-$1500 depending on the features. _______________________________________________________________________
*Les Paul style- This style of guitar features two DOUBLE-COIL pickups which are called “humbuckers” because of their noise-cancelling properties. These guitars have a distinctive “fat” tone. Great for all rock styles (including metal) and jazz. Even many Strat-shaped guitars have two humbuckers for that Les Paul sound.
The Les Paul is the Crown Jewel of the Gibson Guitar line. Gibson Les Pauls are INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE. They can run anywhere from $1500 to $6000 and higher. This is a high quality instrument for the serious player. (And for beginners or collectors with a lot of money.) I own a Les Paul Custom that I have had since high school. I LOVE IT! They are made in the USA. Some critics of Gibson say the high prices are not justified. I say if you can afford it and you want it, buy it!
Other makers of dual-humbucker guitars include Paul Reed Smith, Ibanez, Dean, LTD, Hamer...
Gibson sells a budget brand called“Epiphone” which often runs in the $100-$600 range. Epiphones are made in Korea. Like Fender's budget models, they do not use the same quality tonewoods or the same quality hardware found on their more expensive cousins. But many players feel they do deliver the Les Paul sound for a lower price.
Les Paul players include: Les Paul himself (he designed it!), Slash, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Dickie Betts, Ace Frehley, Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Warren Haynes…and Me.
A few words about amplifiers: After buying your new axe, you’ll want to plug it in and turn it up. But which brand of amplifier to buy? Again- this depends on the style of music you want to play.
Blues and Country players most often use Fender tube amps. They have that legendary "Fender" sound. It's a magical tone that's almost impossible to describe. But you'll know it when you hear it. Pure bliss. I own two- a 1986 Concert (1x12) and a 4x10 Blues Deville. I love them. But Fender tube amps are pretty expensive (over $1000). Fender also makes a budget line of solid-state amps. Prices start at about $100 for a small practice amp. Try to get one with built-in reverb. It costs a few bucks more, but a little reverb adds warmth and depth to your sound.
Rock players have tended to favor Marshall amps over the years. A Les Paul played through a wall of Marshall amps defined the “arena rock” sound for the the past 30 years. Marshall has a line of expensive TUBE amps (Full-stacks, half-stacks, and combos) as well as a more budget priced line of solid-state amps. Marshalls are known for their thick, crunchy, overdriven distortion sounds.
CRATE amps are really popular with younger rock and metal players. These are solid-state amplifiers. They are also fairly inexpensive. And LOUD.
Peavey was for many years the choice for young rockers on a budget. The top guitar-god of all time, Edward Van Halen plays and endorses Peavey guitars and amps. ($big bucks endorsement deal$) But remember, he made all that great early Van Halen music with a guitar he threw together from spare parts. (lesson #23: if you suck, it might not be the guitar's fault.)
The Line6 Spider II is a fantastic amp. It comes in several sizes and prices. I use one of these in my lesson room. Groovy little amp!
DON"T FORGET: Before you leave the music store with your new baby, make sure you buy a guitar tuner. If you're good at making deals you might even get them to throw one in for free. If not, they are very inexpensive, usually starting around $15-$20 for a basic model that will keep you in tune.
OK. I've made up my mind. Now how do I know if the guitar I am considering is a piece of junk? First of all- when trying an electric- don't let the salesman turn the amp to "super-shred-heavy-metal- distortion." This is an old trick. Fuzz settings can hide all sorts of problems in a crappy guitar. Set the amp to "clean" first.. if you like how it sounds, then turn on the fuzz. Before trying it out, make sure it is in tune. Ask a salesman to tune it if you don't know how.
1. Play the guitar. How does it sound? Try the different pickup settings. You should notice a difference in the tone as you switch between pickups. The volume should remain the same while switching between pickups. If one pickup is much louder the pickup heights may need tweaking, or there may be a problem with the wiring. How does the switch feel as you use it? Is the knob loose? Is the switch noisy? 2. Play a few chords up and down the neck. How does it feel? Are the strings hard to press down? If so, the action may be set too high. The string slots may need lowering. 3. Run your fingers along the edges of the fingerboard. Are there sharp little metal fret edges sticking out? If so, this is a sign that not much effort was made "dressing" the frets. Or the fingerboard may have shrunk a little from humidity changes. 4. Listen for fret buzz. (If it is an electric guitar, set the amp to a "clean" setting). If you hear a metallic buzz when you pick or strum the neck or action may need adjusting. Just make sure the buzz you hear isn't a result of your poor chording technique. (beginners often get buzzy sounds)Play up and down the neck, checking at each fret for buzzing. If you encounter buzz at just a few frets, it may mean the frets are uneven. 5. Wiggle the guitar cord where it plugs into the guitar. Is it loose? Does it make crackly noises through the amplifier? 6. Turn the volume and tone knobs. Do they make noise when you turn them? 7. Look inside acoustic guitars for evidence of sloppy work- usually in the form of glue drips and glops around the inside bracing. 8. Check the bridge on acoustic guitars. Are there any bulges in the top of the guitar near the bridge? Is the bridge lifting away from the top of the guitar? Bridges are glued on, so if you see any cracks, ripples or bulges, put it down and try a different guitar. 9. Check the neck joint on acoustics and set-neck electrics. Are there any cracks in the finish where the neck meets the body? If so, you don't want this guitar. 10. Check the tuners (machine heads). These are the metal knobs used to tune the guitar. You want a decent quality tuner, since a guitar that won't tune is pretty useless. Turn the knobs. The gear action should feel smooth. Listen for a "pinging" sound as you turn the tuners. This would indicate a string is getting caught up in the nut ( the white slotted part the strings rest in). This is an easy fix, but it can be annoying when trying to tune. 11. Cosmetic check- carefully inspect the guitar for imperfections in the binding, finish, neck to body joint, inlays, etc. You will most likely find some things that aren't quite perfect. You need to decide if the imperfections matter to you or not.
13. Do some online research. Do a Google search for the model you are considering. See what other players say about it. Just remember, no guitar has been made yet that satisfies every player. And besides, guitarists are a pretty picky bunch (get it?). So take each review with a grain of salt. Does the reviewer care about the same things YOU care about in a guitar? Does he share your objectives. Are his criticisms the same things YOU would complain about if it was your guitar?
** Just about any guitar you buy may need some tweaking or set-up to make it play and sound it's very best. Sometimes this is done at the store. Often you will need to bring it to a guitar tech (like me) to make a few adjustments. click here for my repair page
