A Simple Guide To Help Pick Your First Guitar

So, did you finally feel like striking up a tune and are now confused about picking your first guitar? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with this article.

Whether you are planning to join a rock band, play your favorite tune to impress someone, strike a pose for a picture, smack someone on the head (waste of such a good guitar), or just want to learn to play it, whatever your reason we are here to help you find your first guitar.

Not only are there different types of guitars but they also come in different sizes. Size is a critical factor as not all guitars will fit you, if you buy a bigger guitar than what’s suitable for you, you won’t be able to press the strings over the neck properly. This might frustrate some people and make them quit, crashing their dreams of being a dashing strummer. So always check the size first and see if it feels comfortable in your hands.

Types Of Guitars

As we mentioned earlier there are a variety of guitar types available for you to buy. The major categories are acoustic and electric guitars, there’s a third type too which is a combo of the previous two types, hence making it a semi-acoustic guitar.

And in the above-mentioned types, there are more sub-types to be found. In acoustic guitars, for example, there is steel stringed and classical guitar to be found, likewise, you will find divisions in the other guitar types too.

What’s The Best Guitar Type For A Beginner?

Now that you have an idea about the types of guitars available, it is time to single down on one specific guitar type. If you were thinking classical guitar then you are wrong, while it works for some it won’t for most people, especially beginners. This is because of their thick necks which will decrease the player’s reach to the fretboard. Beginners and thick necks are a very bad combo.

So the simple solution is to go for a steel-stringed acoustic guitar as its neck is the perfect size for beginners to start with. And if you are wondering why we are leaving the electric guitar entirely out of this, then we have a very simple answer. They are complicated, they can be tuned in a multitude of ways, hence a beginner might feel frustrated with them. Even if you want to learn an electric guitar, it is always advised to start with an acoustic guitar first before moving to an electric guitar, so you get all the fundamentals right.

What’s Best For You?

Now you know what type of guitar to go for, but if you are wondering what exact guitar to get, you are in the right place. Here are the three things you must take into consideration before locking on to any particular guitar.

Feel the guitar

Yeah, you read it right, feel the guitar. Hold it in your hands and make sure it feels comfortable to hold. Check if you can reach around the guitar with ease, if not that’s a big red flag. Strike a chord or two, try playing it in different positions, and see if you are comfortable with it in all of them. It should feel comfortable in your palm and rest comfortably on your thigh.

Size and Shape

Just like humans, guitars come in various shapes and sizes. If you are buying the guitar for a child or someone petite then never get them the full-sized guitar. Get a suitably sized guitar if you do not want to make your learning experience harder than it should be.

Budget

Decide on a budget beforehand, this will help narrow down your choices, hence making it easier to find one quickly. And even if you can afford to splurge on an expensive guitar, we recommend you not to, remember that you are buying this to learn. You can buy an expensive guitar and switch to it after you have the fundamentals down.

Should You Buy Your Guitar Online Or In-Store?

After reading the previous section, this question should be self-answerable. If you want to find the right guitar for you, it is always best to personally feel it and make sure you are comfortable with it. If you can do this online we would tell you to buy one there, but sadly you cannot.

If you still want to buy it online then the next best option is to go to an offline store, find a guitar suitable for you, note down its details, and order it online. Yeah, such a hassle, you can just buy it in-store at this point.

Now we have armed you with enough information to pick your own guitar, we hope this helps you. In case you need help with learning to play the guitar, you can always contact us to find the best guitar trainer for you.