Whether you are a blossoming musician or simply looking for a new hobby, getting a guitar can really change your life. That is as long as you buy the instrument that’s best for you. See, there are quite a few options available and if you aren’t exactly sure what you are doing, it can be difficult to distinguish between all the makes and models.
The good news, though, is that you don’t have to go about it alone. The guide below will list out all the important details to know so you can make the right decision. Without further ado, here are some tips to select the best guitar for yourself.
Select the Right Type
Your first decision will involve selecting the type of guitar you want to play. This can be a bit tricky to figure out if you are just looking for a hobby. If you want to play a particular genre of music, however, your choice may be a little simpler. For instance, if you love hardcore rock n roll, an electric guitar is the clear option. In case you prefer country music, acoustic guitars complement will your music tastes better.
Just to sum things up, let’s take a closer look at these guitars. On the one hand, acoustic guitars are easier to understand but also more difficult to master. While electric guitars have a lot more components, they tend to be simpler to play. Of course, the skills you learn on an acoustic guitar can be transferred to an electric guitar.
Of course, if you are going to be a part of a band, you have a third option – a bass guitar. Although these are quite similar to the guitars above, they do differ in certain areas such as the number of strings. If you are in the market for a bass guitar, The Guitar Pal’s post will be quite useful to help you select the right one.
Do Your Homework
As mentioned, there are quite a few possibilities out there and if you are a novice, you may not be experienced enough to know how to choose between them. This issue can be remedied with some research. Now, there is no need for you to read up on all the features associated with every guitar that catches your eye.
What you should do, nonetheless, is read up on what the best choices are for beginners. Thanks to the internet, there is no shortage of buyer’s guides available. Even better, you will find a few that are specially targeted towards beginner guitarists. Still, you shouldn’t stop your research with just one or two guides. Look around at several so that you have a better idea of what some of the best brands on the market are. You will often find that the more reliable options will be featured in a greater number of guides.
If possible, consider speaking to some kind of professional as well. For example, do you know any expert guitarists? If you don’t, it might still be worth it to have a quick chat with a teacher or someone else who has some experience with guitars. This way, you will be able to gain better insight into the pros and cons of each model.
Figuring Out Your Budget
After this, you will have to determine just how much you should spend on a guitar. This, to a large extent, will be determined by just how serious you are regarding your guitar playing. If you are single-minded in your pursuits, then you will be rewarded by opting for a slightly more expensive, better quality guitar. However, if you aren’t exactly sure how long you will be sticking with your guitar playing, there is no sense in spending a lot on an expensive guitar.
On average, though, you should set your budget for between $200 and $500. Know that there are cheaper instruments out there, but many of them are not really worth your consideration. This is because they often lack in the sound and quality that you are looking for.
Another thing you will come across when guitar shopping is used or second-hand guitars. Now, when you see the price tag, you may be tempted to opt for one of these. Nevertheless, as a beginner guitarist, this isn’t a good idea. See, used guitars tend to have more problems and there is a good chance that you are going to need to fix up various parts. Unfortunately, since you don’t know a lot about guitars, you may not be able to do these repairs yourself. Also, if you decide to take it to a repairman, you may end up spending a lot more money than you initially intended.
Give the Instrument a Test Run
When looking for places to buy a guitar, you will quickly discover that purchasing one online is often the best route. This is because the instruments online are often a great deal cheaper than those sold in stores. As such, you will be able to save quite a bit of money as well.
This doesn’t mean that you can make a blind decision, however. Instead, try to locate a music store close to you and handle the guitar you would like to buy. Check out the size and weight, and see just how comfortable it feels in your grasp. You should also give it a strum to see if you like what you hear as well.
Once you have given the guitar a test run, you will then be able to come to a proper conclusion about whether or not the instrument is for you. This way, you are more likely to come away with the guitar that you were meant to have.
These tips can be incredibly useful to help guide you to the perfect guitar. So, make sure to take them into consideration when you go on your shopping trip. You will be glad you did.
