How To Buy Your First Acoustic Guitar
If you haven’t been gifted your first guitar by your brother who is off to college or a dying aunt who has willed you her unused Signature acoustic guitar, then you’ll probably have to make your way to the music shop to buy a guitar. Whether you are buying the guitar for yourself or your child, it can be a great, fun filled experience. Before you set out on your guitar-buying excursion, Music Central has prepared a few guidelines to help you choose the perfect guitar for you.
Budget
Acoustic guitar prices vary depending on the brand you choose. Nowadays, International brands like Yamaha, Fender and Cort have made the prices more affordable for even a beginner. And so we would suggest you buy a good guitar right in the beginning to avoid various hassles that come with buying cheap guitars.
Size
Guitars come in different shapes and sizes just like us. If you are buying a guitar for your child, then you need to buy a guitar that complements his/her size so that your child will be able to hold it comfortably while playing. Go through the chart below to determine which is the right size for your child.
Accessories
The new guitar needs a good home; a gig bag or hard case. Think of picking up the former, as it is lighter and easier to cart around especially for kids. Other essential accessories that you require are a set of picks, a capo, a guitar strap, a book notation stand, guitar stand, and a string-cleaning product.
Guitar
If you aren’t familiar with guitar lingo, take a guitar-playing friend to the shop to help you buy the guitar. Few things to note:
The action (height of the strings above the fretboard) should be closer to the fret board.
Check the resonance (sound that your guitar makes when you strum) of the guitar. The more vibration you feel while strumming the better the resonation.
Do an individual check of the strings on the frets, from the first fret all the way up to the last fret. Check whether they are touching other frets while playing.
As tempted as you are to skip the store visit and go online to buy a guitar, don’t. It can be a fun activity for you or between you and your child. The store salespeople, who most probably are musicians themselves, will take you through the brands and the different woods used to make the guitars so that you can choose something that you really like.
Now that you are armed with a few tips on buying your first guitar, we wish you happy guitar hunting. If you need any help, Music Central’s guitar teachers will be happy to assist you. Email tunein@musiccentral.in or call us on # 91 98207 61170
