Buying Your First Guitar

Acoustic or Electric Guitar?

Buying your first guitar can be daunting.  But don’t fret, we’re here to help! (pun intended)

The first big choice is Acoustic or Electric.  Not to scare you, but it’s really five choices:

• Electric
• Acoustic w/ Steel Strings
• Classical Acoustic (Nylon Strings)
• Acoustic-Electric (Acoustic Guitar with option to plug into an amp)
• Size:  ¾ for petite people and younger children; standard for everyone else (Dreadnought is a term used for extra depth for acoustic guitars to provide more robust sounds, but not recommended for beginners)

To help you decide, here’s the decision criteria you should use:

Genre: The choice can be quickly narrowed if you already know the genre of music you want to play by matching the guitar to the musical style (rock, metal, grunge = electric;  country, folk = acoustic;  rock, blues, jazz = either;  Spanish-style, classical = classical).  The sound will be close to what you are envisioning and make playing more enjoyable and likely lead to earlier success.  (Note to parents:  If your child really wants to be a rocker, don’t force them to acoustic … it’s a quick path to frustration, quick loss of interest, and yet another piece of equipment collecting dust.)

Still not sure?

Budget:  You want to buy a quality guitar no matter which type you chose because a guitar that doesn’t produce a good sound will not get played very often and be a total waste.  But there’s also no need to start off with a $500+ guitar for a beginner that won’t know if guitar is right for them until they get into it.  Usually between $150 and $300 can accommodate most beginners with a quality guitar that will last beyond the first year of playing.  Acoustic guitars will be the lowest upfront cost because it’s just the guitar.  Electric will cost more due to the need for an amplifier, cables, and a choice of many accessories.  The combo Acoustic-Electric tends to cost the most because of the craftsmanship required for the hollow body plus the electronics and need for amp and accessories.

Used Guitars: A subset of budget.  Be very careful if you’re considering buying a used guitar.  They are delicate instruments.  Check to make sure it can hold its tune over several hours, and that there isn’t any major warping. If you’re buying used, make sure to have a trusted friend that plays guitar help you evaluate it before forking over the cash. 

Portability and Flexibility can be a deciding factor if you’re still in doubt.  The Acoustic can be easily played in a variety of environments without having to bring along an amp.  It’s nice to be able to sit in the backyard on a nice day and play for 20 minutes without having to set anything up.  While the electric guitar could be played without plugging in, it’s just not how it’s meant to be.  The need for electricity and amp limit where it can be played but can provide those unique and loud sounds. The electric guitar is the most durable, since the body is solid and less likely to crack if it gets banged around.  The combo Acoustic-Electric is the most flexible (but costly), as it can be used as a regular acoustic, or plug in to be amplified for a larger audience (even with the plug-ins it still produces an acoustic sound).

If style, budge and portability didn’t give you a clear answer … we’ll give you our guidance! 

Acoustic w/Steel Strings - our pick as best choice for the first-timer.  The portability and flexibility of musical styles that can be played on an acoustic gives it the edge.  There’s an added benefit: once you can play the steel-stringed acoustic, you can more easily switch to nylon strings or electric guitar.  Unfortunately, that’s because the acoustic’s steel strings are more difficult on your fingers.  Acoustic guitars have heavier strings and what you strum is what you hear, so it helps you nip bad habits right away, where an electric guitar may cover up those habits and let them linger.  Once you form finger calluses you’ll be glad you put in the extra effort up front! 

Some acoustic guitars have a “cut-out” to allow access to the highest frets.  For a beginner, that’s really not needed and it will give off a different sound since it removes some of the hollow area of the body.

Acoustic Recommendations: 

• Yamaha Gigmaker Deluxe Acoustic Guitar Package (standard size)
• Squier MA-1 ¾-Size Steel-String Acoustic Guitar (¾ size)
• Ibanez G Series G100 Classical Acoustic Guitar
• Epiphone PR-4E Acoustic-Electric Player Pack

Electric: It’s actually easier to learn on electric than acoustic, but it’s also easier to form poor habits because the electronics and amplifier can cover up mistakes.  While that may be good for the first 6 months, those bad habits will limit your future progress.  It’s harder to correct bad habits than creating proper form in the first place.  Remember that the amp does take up space and limits portability, so if you buy electric, make sure there’s a good place to set up the amp and guitar that can be readily available to play.  If you have to lug it out and store it before/after each session, you’ll be less likely to play it for short sessions when inspiration hits.

Electric guitars come with two types of bridges that connect the strings to the body. The fixed bridge is, well ... fixed. The other style is the floating bridge which is spring mounted. This allows a "whammy bar" to be attached to cause a wobble in the tone when pressed rapidly. The floating bridge does have maintenance headaches since it has moving parts, it will have to be adjusted periodically (or have the springs replaced), and it may also require more frequent guitar tuning. While it’s fun being able to act like Eddie Van Halen and make the fun effects with the whammy bar, we recommend the fixed bridge for beginners to remove a potential maintenance headache.

Electric Recommendations: 

• Ibanez IJX121 Metal Guitar Jumpstart Package
• Dean Playmate EVO Junior Solid Body Electric Guitar, Classic Black, ¾-Size
• Amplifier:  15 - 40 watts is plenty for home use

Buying Tips:

Music stores are the friendliest of retail environments because most people working there are passionate about music.  Don’t be afraid to find a staffer and let them know you are a first time guitar buyer.  You’ll impress them with already thinking through the criteria listed above and being prepared. 

Have someone (either a friend that’s with you, or a store’s staff member) play a selection of guitars for you so you can hear how it sounds.  And make sure you handle each of the guitars yourself and feel how it fits in your hands, that your strumming arm can easily reach around the body, and it snuggles onto your thigh.  For a first guitar, you really don’t need to stress over the types of wood it’s made from.  Solid wood tends to be better than laminate material (which are layers of wood glued together that may absorb the sounds and likely won’t last as long), but laminates are used to keep the costs down. 

If it sounds good, feels good, and fits your price range … then it’s a winner! 

If you are buying a guitar that was displayed at the store, it has likely been played many times by others.  Make sure there is no damage from being dropped/kicked/banged:

• carefully look down the neck to ensure it’s perfectly straight, any warping is bad;
• inspect the body for dings, cracks, or imperfections in the finish;
• run your finger down both sides of the neck to ensure the frets (the metal bars that run across the neck) are perfectly flush with the edge of the neck.  They should not stick out beyond the neck, nor should they be shorter than the width of the neck. 

Do NOT buy a damaged guitar, it’s not worth the headaches! 

Ask an experienced guitar player (friend or staff) if the “action” feels right to them.  This refers to how high off the fret board the strings are set.  If it’s too high, it makes it difficult to press the strings all the way to the fret board, too low and you’ll get a rattling sound every time you play.  Most stores tend to err on the too high side because it’s harder (or sometimes impossible) to later adjust it higher.

Also, ask the store to put on a new set of high quality strings (medium grade is best for beginners) and tune it.  You don’t know how many other people have abused the strings as they tried out the guitar.

The shape and color of the guitar is mostly personal style.  Get something you’ll be proud to have on your lap and you’ll be more likely to play it!

Buying Online: If you know the model you want, buying online is a fine option … IF the store has a good return policy.  Each guitar is like a snowflake, unique in its own way.  So even if you buy the same model as your best friend, it may not sound or feel exactly the same. You may have to return it because of damage, or simply because you don’t like it. Guitars are bulky, and the return shipping costs can be expensive.  Make sure you understand if you are responsible for return shipping or if the store covers it for each scenario.

If you spend time in a retail store, and the staff was helpful finding the right guitar for you, please support that store and buy from them.  If you find the same guitar much cheaper elsewhere, let them know and see if they can come close to matching a legitimate competitive price.  It is good to have the store as a future resource to help with accessories or needed adjustments.

Accessories:  check out our article on Recommended Accessories

If you’d like to join us in the 90-Day Guitar Guide, please start by taking the quick Guitar Quiz.  The Guitar Quiz allows us to customize recommendations to meet your specific goals.

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