A Guide to Buying Guitars – part one

Buying a guitar should be easy these days. There’s virtually unlimited choice in terms of style and price when the time comes to buy your first guitar. In the musical instrument world, the term ‘choice’ has never been so meaningful. Couple it with ‘availability’ and ‘value for money’ and you have the three key elements that when combined, form a template upon which to base the buying experience. To translate this into guitar purchasing  terms, when you’re in a music shop and you’re looking to buy, ask yourself, ‘Are there plenty of different models to choose from?’, ‘Can I take  it away today?’, and ‘Am I getting a good deal?.

When I started out there wasn’t that much of a choice - all cheap or beginner’s guitars were frankly rubbish, but if that’s all your parents could afford , then that was what you got. However, that didn’t stop me spending hours after school in the local music shop staring at the Fenders and Gibsons, all of which were totally unaffordable of course, or pouring over catalogues and music magazines with a single  thought in mind: “one day”.

That day eventually came and went and so began a lifelong obsession with all things guitar related. A long spell in music retail behind the shop counter has enabled me to observe first hand and be personally involved in many thousands of people, beginners and pros alike, buying guitars. The old adage  ‘people buy from people’, was invented for guitar buyers. There has to be trust in the person selling to you, because you want to walk out of the shop - after spending what may be some very hard earned cash- with not only a quality guitar but the right guitar for you.

The guitar is not a difficult instrument to learn, you can play a lot of songs with just a few chords. At the same time you will be developing new skills, in both playing technique and ear training. You will be inspired to write your own songs - a creative process that can be rewarding both artistically and financially - and you will make new friends and have some fun! If you think about the type of guitars that are suited to the different playing and musical styles and apply those pairings to your own buying choice, you’ll be on the right path. One thing to remember though is that buying a guitar just like the one played by your favourite artist will not make you sound like them. However, it may be a good place to start.

Most guitars are bought new. This is always the safer prospect. There’s a warranty from the shop, which is then obligated to correct any faults that may occur, and you get the latest model, all shiny and untouched. Buying a guitar second-hand, or ‘previously-enjoyed’, can be advantageous, but more often it’s not. It may be ‘played-in’, already have a few knocks and scratches, and you may save a bit of cash, but please beware. The downside is that you really don’t know what the previous owner put it through, you don’t know for sure what modifications may have been made to it, and you’re unlikely to get any sort of proper guarantee from the shop. Buying second-hand should really be left to the more experienced player. But don’t worry, soon that’ll be you!

Come back tomorrow for part two of A Guide to Buying Guitars