10 BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS

Our 10 BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS are here to help you to make a wise decision, avoid frustration, plus save you time, and money as you search for the just the right instrument to meet your needs.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #1:

Know what you're looking for.

There are four basic types of guitar:

ACOUSTIC - The word means “to hear” and refers to an instrument that can be heard without amplification. Acoustic guitars can have either nylon strings or wound steel strings.
CLASSIC - One of the oldest types of acoustic guitar. It is designed with a wider neck to facilitate finger-picking techniques.
ELECTRIC - An instrument that needs to have amplification in order to be heard.
ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC - As the name implies, these guitars can be played with or without amplification.

So, just how much should you be prepared to spend? The good news is that it doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg! You should find that spending somewhere between $100-$300 will be enough to get you started. Of course, be sure to keep in mind as a general rule: the better the instrument, the higher the price.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #2:

Buy a guitar that is best suited for the style of music you want to play. Below are some suggestions, but please keep in mind that these are only recommendations. Buying a guitar is a very personal decision, so feel free to think outside the box!

Musical Styles:

• Alternative: any of the 4 basic types are suitable
  
• Blues: any of the 4 basic types are suitable
  
• Bluegrass: acoustic steel string, acoustic/electric
  
• Classical: acoustic nylon string classic guitar
  
• Country: acoustic steel string, acoustic/electric, or electric
  
• Fingerstyle: acoustic, acoustic/electric, classic
  
• Folk: acoustic, or acoustic/electric
  
• Folk/Rock: any of the 4 basic types are suitable
  
• Jazz: any of the 4 basic types are suitable
  
• Ragtime: acoustic, acoustic/electric
  
• Rock: usually played on an electric
  
• Metal: electric
  

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #3:

If you're a beginner, be sure and take advantage of package deals. This will give you an opportunity to get started without spending a lot of money first. Package deals usually offer a guitar and some extra goodies (such as a strap, pics, case, tuner, etc.) at an affordable price.

• The Yamaha GMDLX for example, is a fantastic package which provides all the accessories needed to start playing immediately. The package includes a solid spruce top guitar, gig bag, digital tuner, DVD guitar lessons, strap, strings, and picks all for one great low price!

• Ibanez IJX40 Jumpstart Electric Guitar Package includes axe, amp, cord, instruction book, gig bag and more. Jumpstart has name brand, good stuff that you can still use when you get good yourself.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #4:

Children and adults with small hands should consider a 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar. Also keep in mind that electric guitars, and nylon-stringed acoustic guitars, are easiest on the fingers.

• The Yamaha CGS102 1/2 size Classical Guitar is a perfect instrument for small hands. Constructed with the beautiful tonal woods and meticulous details of a full-sized Yamaha guitar.

• Martin Little Guy LXM is a nice affordable steel string acoustic guitar for small hands. A good choice for those who are interested in learning how to use a pick to strum the guitar.

• The Ibanez GRGM21 GIO Mikro Electric Guitar has a 22.2 in. body scale, 24 frets and 2 humbucker pickups. It's great for little rockers or can make a nice travel guitar for adults looking to save space.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #5:

You will find some safety in sticking with companies that have already established a good reputation for quality merchandise and excellent service. Some well known name-brands are Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender, Ovation, Gibson, Martin, and Taylor. I often recommend Yamaha guitars for beginners because these instruments are usually well made and there is a wide selection of models to choose from. With Yamaha, you are bound to find just the right guitar for your skill level and price range that will be easy to play, stay in tune and sound good too. Later, when you're ready to go professional and start you're concert tour, you can upgrade if you need to.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #6:

Often people will put their unwanted guitars for sale on consignment at local music stores, so be sure to ask questions about this when you're shopping around. If you live in or near Montana's beautiful Bitterroot Valley, THE MUSIC BOX has a nice selection of brand-name guitars and amps to choose from plus CDs, sheet music, accessories, and more. This is a friendly family-run business located at 612 N. 1st, Suite 2 in Hamilton. Their toll free number is: 1-800-559-5491. Please mention that you were referred through my website here at ABC Learn Guitar!

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #7:

Ask music store owners if they are planning to have any upcoming promotional sales. They may offer to put your name on their mailing list so you can stay informed and take advantage of any special offers or discounts they have in the future.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #8:

Look through classified ads and check college campus newspapers and bulletin boards. I found a great deal on a "like new" Yamaha classical guitar this way. Students are often in need of extra money to pay for tuition and books. Because of this they will often sacrifice musical instruments they are no longer using.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #9:

Buying a guitar online can be another great way to save money, but always be sure to find out what the company's return policy is. Zzounds has a 30 day return policy which should give you enough time to evaluate the guitar and see if it's everything you hoped for. They promise to beat competitor prices, so you can be sure to get a good deal. They also offer a money back guarantee and free shipping on most items, so If you're not fully satisfied with your purchase you can return it or simply exchange the guitar for another one.

BEST GUITAR BUYING TIPS #10:

Enter contests that are being promoted online when you have the opportunity to do so. This is a great way to get some free gear if you win. Merchants generally require a valid email address in order to contact the winner and send updates of their products. You can always remove yourself from their email list after the contest is over if you want to.

Thats all, see u again..

Hints for Buying a Second-Hand Guitar

Often cheaper than a new guitar and just as ready to rock out, a second-hand guitar could be the perfect addition to your collection or the perfect thing to start you off, but how do you know that your potential purchase isn’t a potential dud?

The truth is that some fantastic guitars, while expensive when new, are relatively cheap second-hand. Sometimes you can find a custom or a limited edition guitar that someone is selling quickly for the cash and you can often get a real bargain if you know what you are looking for. It really pays to do the research before thinking about buying a second-hand guitar as some sellers will push their price up to cash in, especially if they know they are selling to a beginner who may not know much about guitars.

So, as a beginner who may not know much about guitars, what should you look for when inspecting a second-hand guitar?

Let’s just say that you have found a second-hand guitar in the musical instrument section of the weekly classifieds and you are quite keen to go and take a look at it. Below is a list of hints that will help you when inspecting the guitar and talking to the seller:

When talking to the seller, ask them the following:

• The make and model of the guitar – It is best if you can do some research on the guitar model to find out the asking price elsewhere, both new and used, and whether or not other people are experiencing problems with it.
• About the condition of the second-hand guitar – If they are honest, the seller may tell you about any damage that is undetectable upon rough inspection.
• How long they have had the guitar – If they have had it for a long time, they should have a good knowledge of its history of use, repairs and maintenance etc. If they are not forthcoming with that sort of information, they may be trying to pull one over you.

When inspecting the second-hand guitar, check the following:

• The overall condition – Look the guitar over and make note of any obvious damage – second-hand guitars often take a bit of wear and tear and if its just small scrapes and scratches then the guitar will probably be fine. Look for rust also , not on the strings, but on the hardware that is holding the strings and the pickups. If there is any rust in these places… run! It’s not worth it. What good is a guitar that may fall apart on you in the near future? Trust me – leave it alone.
• The neck of the guitar – the neck is really important. Here are some areas to look at:
• Make sure that the neck is not warped or out of shape in any way.
• Check the area where the neck joins to the body of the guitar – look for cracks where it may have been broken in the past.
• In the same fashion, check the area where the neck joins the head of the guitar.
• Check the action – Action is a word that describes how close the strings are to the fret board starting at the head of the guitar all the way down to the bridge. It is preferable to have the strings very close to the fret board as to make it easier to press them down (not so close that they are touching of course). If the strings are nice and close to the fret board all the way along, you would say that the guitar has a good action. Pictured right is a guitar with poor action. Notice that the strings sit quite far off the fret board. Guitars with poor action are harder to play and don’t sound very good. You can fix the action on your guitar by taking it to a guitar technician, but it will cost you between $20 and $50.
• The Intonation of the strings. Intonation is a word that describes the accuracy of each individual note that the guitar can produce on any string. If the intonation is correct, every note on the guitar will be the correct pitch – If it is out, the guitar will be impossible to tune and it will sound horrible. To roughly check the intonation, play the E shape barre chord on each fret of the guitar. As you move towards the bridge of the guitar, you should hear the chord keeping its pitch – if not, the intonation is out and you will need to get a guitar technician to work on the problem.

If the second-hand guitar you are looking at is an electric, you must plug it in and see how it sounds through an amp. Ask the seller if you can play it through your amp and if you don’t have one, ask someone if you can borrow theirs. Try the following when testing an electric guitar through an amp:

Turn the amp up to a fair volume level and then play with the volume and tone controls by turning them to full and then back to zero. Test the pickup selector by flicking its switch back and forth. Carefully listen to any sounds that are being made while doing these things. You are looking for scratchy sounds or clicks that might indicate old or worn electrics.

• Strum a single chord and while the chord is ringing start playing with the controls like before, still listening for scratches or clicks or any other nasty sounds. Guitar technicians can fix these problems and most guitars need to be done about once every 5 - 10 years. Just be aware of this fact or you could find yourself spending more money than you first intended.

Check the sound of the guitar – Before you buy, you want to know that the guitar sounds like it should? Once you have tested the guitar sound, go to a music store and ask to play on a new model of that guitar. If at all possible, use a similar amplifier to the one that you tested the second hand guitar on, and see if you notice any BIG differences. There is a simple rule that I like to follow: If you’re not happy with the guitar sound… Don’t buy it!

The most important thing to remember when shopping for any guitar is... Don’t shop impulsively. A guitar is a major purchase and you want to get the right one. Leave yourself time to go away and think about the purchase. If you have doubts when checking out a second-hand guitar, you are probably better to leave it and hold out for something that better suits you.

If you are new to the guitar and a little worried about testing guitar in public – don’t worry. It is important to remember that you are not there to showcase your playing ability – you are there to discern whether your proposed buy is a good deal or not so just go for it.

If you are still worried, take an experienced guitarist along with you when you are looking at a possible purchase. See if you can persuade a teacher or a friend – most musicians love to help newbies. Not only will they be able to offer helpful advice – they will be good moral support when it’s time to pick up the guitar and test it out in public.