When you’re just starting as a beginner guitarist, choosing the right guitar is the first thing you need to do. A lot of people end up buying the wrong guitar.
Today we’re here to solve this problem! We will give you all the factors you need to know before purchasing your first guitar. Every guitar has something special about it.
However, you do not need the whammy bar in the beginning, do you?
Whether you want to spend big or save up for a budget-friendly guitar, we got you! Investing in a premium acoustic guitar under $1500 may not always be feasible in the starting.
On the other hand, buying one under $500 may be a hit or miss! Our goal is to guide you on the things you need to know before buying your first guitar.
A guitar needs to be an extension of you and your talent. So read on to find out your thoughts on choosing a guitar for beginner guitarists.
A Sneak Peak On Choosing A Beginner Guitar
When buying your first guitar, keep this checklist in mind:
- Do you want a new or used guitar?
- What is the Build Material?
- What Size fits best?
- How accessible is the Fretboard
- Full Acoustic or Acoustic-electric
- How does it feel personally?
Understanding Beginner Guitar Types (Acoustic)
Before choosing a guitar you need to first decide two things.
First is the budget as that will be the first level of filter. Second is the type of guitar you want to buy.
Once this is set, we recommend visiting as many guitar stores as you can to get an in-hand feeling of different guitars. This way you can get a proper understanding of the neck type, body type, and size that you’re the most comfortable with.
Any guitar can honestly be a beginner guitar. However, if you have smaller hands you’re better off with a smaller guitar. When buying an acoustic guitar, you have a few options to choose from. Among them, classical nylon string and steel string guitars are the most popular choice.
Classical Nylon-String Guitars
Although a lot of people will not mention this, nylon-string guitars are a great choice for beginner guitarists. The nylon strings are easy on your fingertips. Your finger needs some time to get used to the feel of a fretboard. So these strings are easy on them.
These guitars have a warm sound. They usually have slim bodies making them easy to hold. One thing you will need to get used to is the relatively wider neck. Although classical guitars are for best for finger pickers, beginners can get used too! Another thing about a classical guitar is that you can find a good one on the cheaper end of the scale.
Steel-String Guitar
The steel-string guitar is the most popular choice among guitarists of all levels. They sound bright and are available at many price points. However, the string may not be the easiest on your fingertips. They come in different body shapes and sizes offering variation for beginners. Additionally, steel-string guitars have slimmer necks than their classical counterparts. This makes moving across the fretboard much easier.
How To Pick A Beginner Guitar? – A Complete Checklist
A good guitar can make your journey to learning the guitar much smoother. Budget guitars are usually made from low-cost materials that do not age well. Alternatively, a more expensive guitar with too many features may not come of use to you until much later.
Here’s a checklist of things you should look out for when picking out a beginner guitar.
- Do You Want A New Or Used Guitar?
There is a hot date between buying a new budget guitar versus an older, more expensive one. What truly matters is how the guitar feels overall. Yes, a new guitar will be fresh and untouched. However, guitars sound better with age. A new budget guitar will never have the same premium tonewood that a used premium guitar will have.
Do remember, you do have to know a guitar pretty well to decide whether a used guitar is in good condition. There are many criteria that you can check to ensure it is. On the one hand, a new guitar will have the latest technology. On the other is the joy of playing one that is discontinued and highly sought after.
If you plan to get a used guitar try to follow these methods to check its condition:
- Tuning: The thing about older guitars is wear and tear. With time, the parts that make up a guitar such as a truss rod, tuning machines, and bridge can go out of shape. This affects a guitar’s ability to stay in tune. Tune the guitar and play a few chords to check if the tuning drops.
- Neck: always check the neck of a used guitar. If the neck is bent or out of shape. It can hamper the playing experience. Regular maintenance from a professional can solve this problem. Try to stay away from guitars that have an excessively bent neck
- Action: Check the string distance from the fretboard for used guitars. A guitar with high action makes playing tough on the fingers, especially on the higher frets. Too low action, on the other hand, can cause buzzing.
- What Is The Build Material?
A guitar’s build material heavily affects how it will age over time. The better the build materials the better the quality. Sitka spruce is a great tonewood that most guitars come in nowadays. As a beginner, you do not have to worry about any fancy tonewood. You should get a guitar that feels solid. Opting for a more premium tonewood is never a bad thing as long as you can stay within your budget.
- What Size Fits Best?
If you are still young, maybe in your teens, it is best to not invest in a guitar that is too big. While bigger guitars sound better, it will be difficult to be comfortable with it. If that isn’t an issue, we recommend trying out different guitars to find the perfect fit. For smaller guitarists, we recommend sticking to travel-sized ½ or ¾ sized guitars. They are small and very portable too if you plan to carry your guitar around.
- How Accessible Is The Fretboard?
Especially for beginners, your fingers need to be able to freely move across the fretboard. When testing a guitar, move your fingers along each fret to see if you can play clear notes. Guitars with a slim neck will be the right way to go if you have smaller hands
- Full Acoustic or Acoustic-electric?
Acoustic-electric guitars provide the option of amplification but usually cost more. Often, a purely acoustic model may sound better than its electric version. If you have an amplifier, consider choosing a purely acoustic guitar and add separate pickups as needed. This approach not only saves money but also potentially allows you to invest in a higher-quality acoustic guitar.
- How Does It Feel Personally?
This may not be the most important factor but the personal feel of a guitar is important. It dictates how much you are attached to it. If you have a great guitar that you don’t enjoy playing, it’s a waste of money. So before buying a guitar make sure it feels right in your hands.
FAQs
What type of guitar is best for beginners?
For beginners, acoustic guitars are the best learn the building blocks of the instrument. If you still want to plug into an amplifier there are great acoustic-electric guitars you can look into at a slightly higher price point.
Can I teach myself guitar?
The guitar is such an instrument that you can learn it totally on your own. The basics can be covered in a month or two max. With time and dedication, you can dive further into the instrument without a tutor!
So, Which Guitar Will You Pick?
We hope now you have a better idea of what kind of guitar you want. When starting your musical journey a good guitar can take you a long way. You can opt for either a nylon-string classical guitar or a steel-string acoustic; either one is a good choice. Select a guitar that fits your budget and looks great while doing it. Starting with the right guitar will motivate you to unlock new achievements on your journey!
