How to Pick The Guitar That's Right For You

Guitars - A Buyers Guide to Getting the Right Guitar

Slide Guitar 101: Choosing the Right Slide

Diving into slide guitar playing might seem like a daunting endeavor to the non-slider, and even more so to six-stringers who work only in standard tuning. There are dozens of effective tuning possibilities, guitar mechanics, scale constructions and tonal considerations to evaluate. But like any new task, breaking the process down makes it easier to tackle. And a good place to start is with slides themselves.

Oddly, since slide guitar is all about sliding on strings, the slide itself is often the part of the equation that gets the least consideration. Unless you don’t particularly care about how you sound or about playing at your best, any old slide will not do. In fact, guitarists who choose a slide that gives them the maximum potential for the approach are rare.

Most slides that are commercially available limit your ability to play. Unless a slide fits snugly enough on your finger to allow you to keep it stable without using a second finger to keep the slide from wagging loosely, you can’t use your slide for fretting, hammering and other extended slide technique moves without tying up another finger that you could be using for pinning notes or creating chords. In short, the ideal slide requires only one finger to use. Blues legend Johnny Winter, who toted a hellion-toned Gibson Firebird into all his classic, career-defining sessions, is a good example of a player who uses a tight-fitting, optimal slide for his dizzying solos and blazing single note lines. Another is modern county blues giant Paul Rishell, who applies a thin-shelled, tight-fitting pinkie slide to his resonator models to create some of the deepest acoustic music now being made in the genre.

Walk into most music stores and you’ll be hard-pressed to find such a slide, although a Johnny Winter signature model is currently in production. That’s one reason why most players settle for a wobbly piece of pipe or an “authentic” bottleneck instead of the best option. Heretic as it may seem, even Duane Allman’s beloved coricidin bottles do not entirely cut the slide mustard. Even the Winter model has the drawback of being too long to let most people bend their slide pinkie at the knuckle — which may not be a problem for the seemingly spider-pawed Mr. Winter.

Leaping past the consideration of optimum playability, there is a vast amount of slide materials to consider. And each material and its density will inform your tone and physical approach. The most popular is steel. Think of the shrieking – in a very, very good way – sound of Elmore James or, once again, Winter. Steel is bright and cutting, and, if you’re looking for something that’s less weighty than Paul Barrere’s wrench sockets, is a good choice and widely available at music stores. The sounds of a steel slide on steel strings immediately barks “blues” like nothing else, but is also highly serviceable for rock or jazz. Sonny Sharrock, the king of slide guitar jazz, applied a flat-topped lap- or pedal-steel bar slide to his Gibson Les Paul Custom’s strings, but he’s an elegant exception to the rule. For the most part, unless playing lap steel, pedal steel, bluegrass or Hawaiian style, where the guitar neck is played parallel to terra firma, we’re talking about round, pipe-shaped devices when we discuss slides.

Old-school bluesman Louisiana Red is an inveterate explorer of slide types and has tried virtually every metal, from aluminum to zinc. But the second-most-popular is bronze. Bronze will provide a marginally darker and louder tone than steel, and is heavier as well. And that brings up the issue of weight. A heavy slide will move along the strings with less resistance, although if too heavy it will require more than one finger and possibly be a chore to steady above the frets on your guitar. Conversely, thinner, lighter slides must be pushed down harder against the strings to get good sounds.

Players of metal slides often carry their slides with them in their pockets along with coins and keys, so the metal will get scars that add character when applied to guitar strings. Some even leave their slides outdoors in all types of weather to achieve a worn patina they believe will increase the friction and make for a grittier tone in their slide attack.

Parenthetically, it’s worth mentioning that slide notes should be sounded with the slide directly above the fret of the note you want to produce, verses in front of that fret, where your finger would normally land if playing conventionally.

Back on topic, heavy slides encounter less resistance when propelled along the fretboard. It’s the old principle of weight plus force generating momentum. And the other aspect to consider in slide weight besides material is the thickness of the slide’s walls. Even a slide made of glass or ceramic material will register a heavier weight if they are fat-walled. Of course, using a fat-walled slide means your slide finger is further from the strings and has less control, but every variable in slide is a trade-off, depending on what sound and approach you’re reaching toward.

Glass is the most popular of the non-metal slides, and they come in many variations: thin walled and long enough to cover all six strings; thick and stubby enough for only three strings; bottlenecks; faux coricidin bottles and even near-relative Pyrex, which is less breakable than glass. Tonally, glass is smoother and warmer. Even when used with a distorted guitar sound, there’s a certain sweetness to glass that can be heard in the playing of Gibson SG hero Duane Allman and his torchbearers Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes – all users of the coricidin bottle. Glass, especially thin-walled glass, is susceptible to breaking, which can be a danger for the more effusive guitarist. With its generally warm, buttery tonal properties, glass is especially good for acoustic guitar and sweet melodies versus Elmore James-like wailing. And thicker glass tends to bring out richer, darker, more charming tones than lightweight slides, of course.

Traditionalists may find the notion of using an actual bottleneck appealing. After all, early country bluesmen who played slide often used the top of a wine bottle sliced off with a white-hot wire or a hacksaw. But bottlenecks are uneven and often have seams, so unless you’re looking for a gritty sound (which the seam produces when it grinds on the strings) or prepared to be super vigilant of how your slide is positioned, bottlenecks may be too much bother. The next step in de-evolution is animal bones, like pork ribs and t-bones. The fabulous bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell made an album called Steakbone Slide Guitar, named after one of his favorite slide implements. Another old school favorite is the knife blade. Maybe a knife is a little dangerous to wield on stage, but that’s what W.C. Handy – the first composer to copyright blues – heard when he was inspired to jot down the first written blues melody by an itinerant guitarist swiping a blade across his strings at a railroad stop in Tutwiler, Mississippi, in 1903.

Ceramic slides have many of the same characteristics as glass slides, including, when they carry some heft, the ability to glide smoothly across the strings and make a warm-toned sound. But thin ceramic slides are even less likely to survive a slight fall than glass. One advantage of ceramic slides is that since they are formed and baked in a kiln, they can have hybrid properties that most other slides lack. Doc Sigmier of Rocky Mountain Slides in Colorado is an expert at making tone-altering ceramic slides by adding gritty material to his raw ceramic mix to induce more slide-on-strings grinding, and he can selectively rough- or smooth-finish slides or even various parts of the same slide. This is pretty rad stuff for players who like to experiment.

With the qualities of these materials in mind, listen to some of the slide players you’d like to emulate – from Son House to the Edge – and try to imagine which material would create the sounds they make that entrance you. Better yet, check out YouTube and other websites to see what kinds of slides they use, and then get to a good music store with your guitar and try some slides until you start dialing in the tones you desire.

View the original article here

Learning How to Play Guitar - Choosing the Right Guitar

The Electric Guitar - How To Buy The Right One

Guitar Adjustment (Get All The Right Advice In One Spot)

Guitar Adjustment Made Easy

In this article we will be going over the best ways to make guitar adjustments. Guitar adjustment is an important part of playing guitar. "It is kind of like the untold secret." If your guitar adjustment is not correct you will have a hard time playing and learning guitar comfortably. In fact it will actually set off the sound pitch of your guitar.

Guitar adjustment is a very important part of playing guitar. Do Not Over Look It!

All guitar adjustment instructions should be done in the order of which they are laid out on this page. If guitar adjustment is done in any other order you may spend a lot of time repeating earlier steps.

Guitar adjustment takes time so please do not get in a hurry when doing these guitar adjustments.

So let's get down to it. This guitar adjustment article will cover Fret board conditioning, Bridge Adjustment, Truss rod adjustment, Pick up adjustment, Intonation and Fret Buzz.

Guitar Adjustment - Fret Board Conditioning

How do you know if your fret board needs to be conditioned? If your frets are not shiny, or if you see an oil build up happening, or discoloring on the wood itself it is time to clean and condition your fret board.

You will need to find a guitar friendly fret board conditioner. There is one guitar conditioner that many guitar players use, called Guitar Honey by Gerlitz. Conditioning the fret board can have a great impact on your guitar. It will make it look and feel better as well as make it easier for you to move around on the neck of the guitar.

Step 1. Remove your guitar strings.

Step 2. Apply Your Favorite Fret board conditioner.

Step 3. Wipe down the fret board making sure to go the same direction as the frets on the fret board and re-apply if necessary. You may want to use a soft tooth-brush for the tight spots by the frets.

Step 4. Install new strings or use rubbing alcohol to clean the strings.

Step 5. Install strings and tune.

Do Not use rubbing alcohol on the fret board of your guitar it will take the finish off over time.

Guitar Adjustment - Bridge Adjustment

How do you know if your bridge height adjustment is wrong? If it is hard for you to push down on the string and change notes your guitar bridge maybe out of adjustment. Or if the strings buzz no matter what area you play in.

Please keep in mind that you will want to use the measurement below only to get the adjustment close. You will want to adjust your bridge to fit your playing style and comfort.

To do this you will need to get a gaping tool that measures 3/64 of an inch and an appropriate Allen wrench.

Step1. Starting at the high E string and working your way up to the low E string. Measure this gap at the 12th fret open string. If the gap is to high loosen or drop the highest of your bridge. If the height is to low you will want to tighten or raise the bridge using the adjustment screws.

Step 2. Once You get the adjustments right with the gaping tool you will want to re-tune your guitar and try it out. If it seems like the strings are still to high then you can adjust them to suit your playing style.

Guitar Adjustment - Truss Rod Adjustment

What is a truss rod? If you look up by the head of your guitar right in front of the string nut there is a hole with a bolt in it. Note: Some guitars truss rod adjustment are located on the other end of the neck by the pickups. To make guitar adjustment to the truss rod if it is located on the pick up side of the neck you will need to remove the pick guard on most guitars.

Why Does your guitar Have A Truss Rod? The truss rod on your guitar is their to adjust the bow or Ark in the neck. Your guitar neck should never be completely flat unless your playing with nylon strings. You want your guitar neck to have a little bit of a bow in it to allow for string clearance.

Step 1a. So how do you know if the truss rod on your guitar is out of adjustment? You should be able to hold your finger on the 6th fret of the low E string and play the note without any buzzing sound. If it buzzes this is an indicator that your truss rod is most likely to tight.

Step 1b. Another Great way to test if the truss rod on your guitar needs adjustment is to hold your left hand index finger on the 1st fret of the low E string and your right hand pinky on the highest fret of the neck. Then tap on the 12th fret with the index finger of your right hand. If you hear a buzzing sound that most likely means that the truss rod is to lose.

Ok, so at this point we have a good idea of what the truss rod and neck are doing. So now if your neck is fine you are done. But if either one of the steps above resulted in a buzzing sound then it is time to get the tools out and do some adjusting.

Step 2. tools you may need will include a small Philips screw driver "To remove the truss rod cover" if there is one. An Allen wrench "For fender guitars there are 2 common sizes 3/16 And 3/32 and for Gibson it will be a 5/16.

If the Truss rod adjustment is at the top of the neck and has a cove the first thing to do is remove the cover. Then insert the Allen wrench and either tighten or loosen.

Step 3. When you put your finger on the six fret it buzzed then you would want to loosen it (counter-clockwise). If the guitar made a buzzing sound when you put your finger on the first and last fret then tapped the 12th fret, then the truss rod is to loose. You will need to tighten it (clockwise).

Please always remember you only want to turn the Allen wrench 1/8 of a turn each time. Then re-check the adjustment by using the steps above (Step 1b.).

Step 4. So how do you know if it is right? You should be able to put your index finger on the 1st fret of the E string and your other index finger on the highest fret on the E string. Now you will want to look at the gap or distance between the string and the metal fret at the 6th fret. There you want to see a small gap about 1/64 of a inch or less. You may need to adjust and check several times.

If truss rod does not move Take it to the pros and have them free it up for you.

If you are having problems with the adjustment or it seems like it is so close but you can get it right on you will be better off letting the guitar sit over night and allow the neck to acclimate, then give it another try.

Keep in mind it does take time to get things adjusted right.

Guitar Adjustment - Pickup Adjustment

After you make all the necessary guitar adjustments above you will need to check that your pickups are still adjusted right. If your pickups are to far away from the strings you will not get a very powerful sound. Although if your pickups are to close to the string the magnetic field from the pickups will give off a distorted sound and destroy sustain.

To make these adjustments you will need to hold the string down on the highest fret and check the clearance between the string and the pickup.

For Fender Guitars Adjustment follow the gaping table below.

Pickup Height

Texas specials

Bass side: 8/64"

Treble Side: 6/64"

Vintage Style

Bass Side: 6/64"

Treble Side: 5/64"

Amer/Mex Std

Bass Side: 5/64"

Treble Side: 4/64"

Lace Sensors: As close as desired, allowing for string vibration

For Gibson Guitar Adjustment follow the gaping table below.

Neck Pickup: 3/32" on bass and treble side

Bridge Pickup: 1/16" on bass and treble side

You will want to use a gaping tool to get this close and then adjust it to your personal playing style. If there is too much low end when you strum a chord then you will need to lower the pick up on the top or low E string side. If there is too much treble then you will need to do the same on the bottom end of the guitar or the high e string side.

The guitar adjustment above can be done with a simple Philips screw driver in most cases.

Guitar Adjustment - Intonation

What is intonation? Is making sure that the guitar is in tune with its self. If you tune your guitar perfect and then play a chord it should still sound in tune. But if it sounds like it is out of tune or some of the notes sound sharp or flat then you know you have an intonation adjustment problem.

Tools needed to adjust intonation. Guitar Tuner and screw driver or what ever tool is used for your guitar.

Step 1. Play a harmonic note at the 12th fret on the e-string and check it on the tuner. Then you should be able to play the note of the 12 fret and check it on the tuner. If these two notes show the same on the tuner then the intonation is correct.

If one is higher or lower than the other on the tuner then you will need to make an adjustment.

Step 2. Tune the string using the harmonic.

Step 3. Play the fretted note now and check it on the tune if the fretted note is higher or sharp then you will need to tighten or bring the saddle back away from the pickup. Make only very small adjustment each time.

Step 4. If fretted note is lower you will need to loosen or bring the saddle adjustment toward the pickups. Make only very small adjustments each time.

Step 5. Re-tune open string then repeat step 2 -4.

Step 6. Make sure harmonic note is the same pitch as fretted note, them move on to the next string.

When you are done with intonation guitar adjustment your guitar should sound a lot better. You will want to check what you just did by playing a full chord like E major or G major. If guitar sounds good then you are done if not you will have to keep working with it to get it right.

Just remember that guitar adjustments like this are very important and take time. So please do not get in a hurry when making your guitar adjustments.

Guitar Adjustment - Tips

When making any of the guitar adjustment above always work in a well-lit area and Use the correct tools.

Also be sure that you take your time on the guitar adjustment steps above. If you don't it could result in damage to your guitar. (Such as scratches or broken strings)

Best of luck and have fun playing and I will see you in the next article.

Learn How To Play Guitar

Wouldn't it Be Great to Be Able to Buy a Guitar That Felt Gig Ready Right Out of the Box?

I love guitars, and there's nothing like a new electric guitar with a proper set up! I like the tone, the way it feels in my hands, and the way that I can make a guitar sound "right" for any kind of music that I play. Whether it's jazz, blues, country, hard rock, R and B leads, guitar chords, or just working on guitar tabs, all it takes is a flip of a switch, some prep, a couple twists of the knobs, neck alignment and I'm right where I need to be.

I've bought a lot of guitars over the years, and discovered that taking that beautiful new Strat or Tele guitar out of the box was always just the first step in finding the guitar that fit in my hands the way that I imagined that it would when it first caught my eye. After a close inspection I found that my new guitar wouldn't be quite gig ready until I did all of the little subtle tweaks, repairs and modifications that would make it play just the way I wanted it to when I got it out onto the gig. I'd dress the frets, get the intonation just right, tweak the pick-ups, customize the configuration a bit, and before you know it, I'd be playing a guitar that felt like it was made to be in my hands. Playing music is always fun, but when I'm on the gig with a guitar that feels just right... it's just pure guitar joy.

After a while I thought; "Wouldn't it be great to be able to buy a guitar that felt gig ready right out of the box?" As wonderful as that idea may seem, in reality it's almost impossible to pick up a guitar in a music store "off the rack" and have it play right. It just doesn't happen. There are many things that need to be done to "prep" the guitar before it's ready to play. We recommend and perform all of the following in prep for a guitar purchase before it leaves the bench at the workshop. For our purposes here I will focus only on electric instruments for now. First, let me pose a question to the beginning through the advanced guitarist.

What Is Guitar Intonation and why is it important? Do you know?

Intonation is the accuracy in which an electric guitar or bass can produce a fretted note and the most important issue with any instrument. Setting the intonation on a guitar is the act of adjusting the length of the strings (by moving the bridge saddles) to compensate for the thickness of the string and the stretching of a string due to pushing it down to the fret board to produce a note. To adjust the intonation of your guitar or bass guitar, you move the bridge saddles toward or away from the fret board until the 12th fret note and its harmonic are equal in pitch to the same open-string note, which are exactly one octave apart. Accurate intonation is critical to pitch quality. Pitch quality is essential to "in tune" playing. Poor pitch quality="out of tune" notes which in turn = poor musical presentation. Wouldn't you want to present your musical talents in the best way possible? Of course, you do.

Now, it is not necessary for a guitar player to know this at all. It is essential however that the guitar possess this quality and maintain as close to perfect intonation as possible. Buying on looks alone can be very disappointing. If however, you like an instrument for the looks but realize that you will need to have it worked on to get it playable then that is a savvy notion. It's best to speak to a luthier or guitar builder previous to any purchase. It's akin to asking a mechanic which car he would recommend-before you walk into the show room. In this way you can benefit from his first hand knowledge and experience and not have to go it alone. After all he sees the ones that breakdown more often than you or the car salesmen do.

Below, I have outlined the essential adjustments to be performed prior to purchasing and playing a guitar under optimal circumstances.

1. 4-axis Alignment of the guitar neck.

The guitar neck is checked and adjusted to insure that it is true and straight to insure proper alignment on all axis. This step insures proper action and allows for more accurate and easier guitar tuning, playing and set-up in the following steps.

2. Inspect and Lube the guitar tuning gears.

Each tuning gear is adjusted so that there is no play in the mechanism. They are then lubricated to insure smooth and even movement to make your guitar tune accurately.

3. Potting the guitar pickups.

Dip the pickups in hot wax to reduce squeal and unwanted guitar feedback.

4. Prep the guitar body.

Upon installing the guitar electronic components, great care is taken to insure that all wires are properly routed, spaced, and grounded to insure years of trouble free service with your guitar.

5. Level and polish the frets.

This insures that all of the guitar frets are level, eliminating any possibility of fret buzz due to unevenness.

6. Radius the guitar strings.

Most guitar necks have a contour over the top of the neck called the "radius". Adjust the strings to make sure the height of each string follows the contour of the guitar neck.

7. Adjusting the overall guitar string height and the action.

Once the string contour and radius of the guitar strings is set, it's time to adjust the overall height or "action" or distance of the strings from the top of the frets to the bottom of the guitar strings.

8. Set the guitar intonation

This step should be done twice. The intonation is normally set two times with a 24 hour period in between to allow the new guitar adjustments to properly re-seat.

If these steps are performed before playing your new guitar then, you won't be disappointed. Your focus can then be on the music and not the problems of the instrument. If it is "set up" properly a player will not have to "get used to" it. Everything on it will feel natural and fall right into place and the music can flow.

In summary, Guitar purchase "off the rack" can be a real disappointment. A thoughtful purchase should include consideration in buying a "custom" or "Gig-Ready" electric guitar versus a "pre-fab" instrument built on a production line. Custom guitars are individually built for a specific customer and will have all of the above necessary operations performed. All the guitarist needs to do is-Play!

Rick Mariner - Owner and founder of Haywire Value Priced Custom Guitars ( http://www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com ) and a member of The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (A.S.I.A.) as well as a guitar player. He holds a bachelors degree from University of Md. and a Masters degree from George Washington University.

Haywire developed an 8 - Point "Gig- Ready" guitar process that allows for Haywire Custom Guitars that are "GIG-READY". With many years of development and guitar set-up experience, we pride ourselves in helping to build you the "Just Right" Haywire guitar for you at prices well below market.

Guitar Gifts: 5 Tips for Selecting the Right One

It's time to start thinking about guitar gifts (already!). As the holiday season rolls around, I've noticed the impact on the guitar world. Big displays of guitar "starter packs" crowding the floor at the local guitar shop. The seemingly endless infomercials on the shopping networks of Esteban hawking his entry-level guitars. And the festive holly-covered banners splashed all over the landing pages of the big online guitar retailers. Is it just me, but didn't we just carve our Jack-O-Lanterns?

Any way, with the Christmas and holiday season upon us, what about guitar gifts for the aspiring (or actual) guitar players

on our lists? With that in mind I've put together some tips and specific recommendations for selecting guitar

gifts that will be appreciated.

A Wide Range of Choices

When it comes to guitar gifts, the good news is that there are many good choices at all price points, and many reputable

online retailers to buy from. The not so good news is that with all these options, it can be difficult to sort through them

and find just the right guitar gift. Consider these categories:

* Gear (acoustic guitars, electric guitars, amps, and guitar effects, etc)

* Beginners' Guitar Packages- everything a beginner needs to get started

* Accessories such as tuners, straps, stands, etc.

* Online guitar lesson and instructional products

* Books and Videos

* Software

5 Tips for Selecting the Right Guitar Gifts

The main considerations in choosing guitar gifts are experience level, style of music preferred, and what gear and learning

material they already own. Try to find as much out about these as possible. Or better yet, get the lucky gift recipient to

drop a few subtle (or not-so-subtle) hints on what they want..."I want a standard Fender Strat in Blue Agave please!" If you

you really don't have a good handle on any of this, no worries, here are some tips for different situations:

1. Discover Preferences- Learn as much as you can about the guitar player's stage of development, gear they own, and

musical styles they prefer, and tailor the gift accordingly. Consulting a Guitar Gift Guide will help you with this, as will checking with a family member or friend close to the lucky recipient.

2. Go with a Gift Certificate- Don't have a clue on what to get? No problem! When in doubt, give a gift certificate

for guitar gear, online lessons, or music. Price range: however generous you feel!

3. Give a Guitar Package- For a beginner who does not have a guitar , packages are available starting at about $100

that include a guitar and all the accessories needed to get going "out of the box" (including an amp if it's an electric guitar.)

4. Consider online lessons or instructional products- Every guitarist wants to learn new skills and move to the next

level. These include "Learn to Play" lessons, interactive lessons to learn songs, and in-depth lessons on particular

techniques. These are usually in the $20-40 range.

5. Books and videos are a good bet- For a reasonably priced gift, books are a great choice and can easily be

tailored to the recipient. Some categories: history of a style of guitar music (rock , blues, jazz); biography of favorite

guitar players; instruction books; guitar song (tab) books for a favorite band or style of music. Price range $15-30.

It is possible to select the right guitar gift. The key is to spend a little effort to find out about the recipient's skill

level, gear they have, and musical preferences. If you don't know much about guitar playing, or otherwise aren't able to

pick a specific gift, a gift certificate for guitar gear, lessons, or other products should do the trick.

Copyright 2005 Peter Bussey of http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com

This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and the below resource box, with active links, are included.

Peter Bussey is Editor of The Guitar Players Toolbox, a website dedicated to helping advancing guitar players improve with practical tools, tips, and information. Visit http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com for more information on Guitar Gifts, as well as variety of free resources on guitar lessons, guitar chords, guitar chord charts, song chords, and more.

See additional Guitar Articles on Ezinearticles.com by Peter Bussey:

"Basic Guitar Chords: "How to Easily Master the Guitar Chords You Must Know" "Guitar Chord Diagrams: An Essential Tool for Learing to Play the Guitar" "Guitar Lessons: A Guide to Your Options"

Buying Your First Guitar - How to Choose the Right Guitar to Give You the Best Value For Money

INTRODUCTION

Buying the right guitar to start learning on is an important step that should not be rushed. You need to consider a range of factors. I will go into detail on each factor I believe you should consider when buying your first guitar.

For many people, starting a new hobby is like trying out a new car before buying it. They aren't sure if they will like it two, three, ten years down the track and it is hard to guess if you will like it. Many people who start to learn the guitar will give it up after a short time for different reasons. For this reason, a lot of people don't want to spend too much money that they aren't sure will go to good use. One option you could take is if one of your friends or relatives owns a guitar. You could ask if you could borrow it for a short time to get an idea of whether you like the idea of playing it or not. If after a while you feel that this is the right hobby for you, come back here and read this article to give you assistance in buying the right guitar for you.

BUDGET

This is the most important issue to consider for most people. Guitars can range all the way from cheap $20 acoustics found in garage sales all the way to prestige guitars costing thousands upon thousands. You should think about how much you want to spend and stick with it. Salespeople will give you plenty of reasons to pay more than you want to, but understand that you can get a good guitar for even low prices. Consider the following points and how they will sit within your budget.

STYLE OF MUSIC

If you have in mind what musical direction you want to take, it will influence the type of guitar you buy. If you really want to play heavy metal or similar styles you wouldn't buy a nylon string acoustic because it won't help you reach that goal. Likewise if you want to play soft ballad type songs that you can sing along while playing, an electric guitar may not be the right choice for you. If you have a certain style in mind, find out what type of guitars musicians of that style play. Have a search for your favorite artist's gear to see the type of guitar they play, don't look at the model or brand of the guitar (because famous artists normally buy the top of the range products that are extremely expensive).

If on the other hand you are not sure what direction you will be taking or want to play a range of styles, the type of guitar you buy won't be as important to your decision in regards to style. Instead, focus on the below points to find out which guitar will be best for you.

Remember: you can always buy another guitar later on, so don't worry if you change directions after you buy your first guitar.

PLAYABILITY

STEEL STRING VS NYLON STRING ACOUSTICS

For a beginner, how easy it is to play the guitar will make a big impact on the rate you improve and the skills you develop. If you start off with a steel string acoustic for example, you will quickly notice that is hard to push the strings down and may hurt your fingers. Many females (and some males) will have a lot of trouble starting on a steel string guitar because it takes a lot of finger strength to play. If you are worried that this will be a problem for you, maybe you should consider a nylon string acoustic instead. Nylon string acoustics are much less of a strain on your fingers when pushing the strings down. For this reason, most teachers will recommend students start on nylon strings so their first month or more won't be too painful.

ACOUSTIC VS ELECTRIC

There is a big difference between starting on an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar. Many teachers don't recommend starting on an electric guitar for the following reason. Electric guitars are easier than acoustics to play. For many people this is a good thing. The problem with electric guitars being easy to play is that you will get comfortable playing the electric so much that when you pick up an acoustic and try to play the same music, it will most likely be a major strain. Many guitarists who only play electric guitar struggle to play acoustic. It is very hard to swap from playing electric to acoustic. Likewise, it is very easy to swap from acoustic (especially steel string) to electric. This is because of the strength acoustic guitars build up in your fingers. Once you switch to electric guitars, you will find your fingers can play with ease. So have a think about this issue and if you want to play both electric and acoustic, start off on acoustic. If you want to only play electric guitar, then the choice is simple. Later down the track if you decide you want to play acoustic as well, you may find it difficult at first, but with practice playing an acoustic can improve your playing.

QUALITY

There is a great range in the quality of guitar available today. It is similar to the car industry: you can buy a super high quality Ferarri, you can buy a rundown second hand Toyota and everything in between. What you should aim for is to buy the best quality guitar within your budget. But don't be fooled into thinking that only high price guitars are high quality. You will be surprised at the quality of guitars available at low prices. Your best choice is to bring a friend or relative (who are competent players) in with you to test out the guitar you are thinking about. As I explain below, you shouldn't rely solely on the music store salesperson's advice. Remember to stick to your budget.

BRAND

Many guitarists suffer from 'brand loyalty'. This is when they are so devoted to a particular brand that they will never buy or play a guitar with a different brand name. Don't be one of those people. It is okay to prefer a certain brand because you like the style of their guitars, but don't get sucked into thinking that one brand is better than all the rest. Every brand has their advantages and disadvantages.

Just like in supermarkets where you can choose between 'brand name' products and 'home brand' products, guitars will have well known 'brand name' guitars and unknown 'home brand' guitars. Sometimes the only difference between the guitars is the name that is printed on the guitar headstock. People pay big dollars for guitars that have the names fender, Gibson, Ibanez, PRS, Martin printed on the headstock. Although buying a brand name guitar will most likely give you a very high quality guitar, it can be a very expensive choice. My suggestion is to find a guitar that you like regardless of the brand name. If it is good quality and within your budget: go for it. Don't buy a guitar solely because it has fender written on it. If on the other hand you prefer the security of buying a quality guitar from a reputable brand, it's okay to buy one for that reason.

SALESPEOPLE TRICKS

This section is to warn you of potential issues when dealing with music store salespeople. This isn't to scare you off or to insult salespeople, it is to protect you from the people looking to make a high commission rather than give you what you want. Hopefully you will deal with an honest salesperson who genuinely wants to help you. Just be aware that they aren't all honest.

My first point you need to consider is that the people working in the store are normally excellent guitar players. So good that they can make every guitar sound good no matter how poor quality it is. In a future lesson I will explain how you can make any guitar sound great. Just be aware that a salesperson can make the dodgiest guitar in the store sound better than the $2,000 fender in the glass case. This is why I recommend that you have a go playing the guitar if you can play at least something simple and even better bring a friend or relative who can play. If they know what they are doing they should be able to tell you the problems with the guitar.

It is well known that audio salespeople use a trick to make a stereo systems sound higher quality by turning the volume up slightly louder than another one. Salespeople may use a similar trick when comparing two guitars. By plugging the guitar they want to sell to you into a high quality amp and playing it loud, it can make it sound fantastic. Some people may try this to get you to spend just a little bit extra. Don't think a great sounding guitar will automatically make you sound great. It takes a lot of work to be a competent player. Great players can make any guitar sound great and bad players can make any guitar sound bad.

My experience with buying a first guitar:

I was unaware of many of these issues when I bought my first guitar. Luckily the salesperson we dealt with genuinely wanted to help us out and made sure we got a great guitar at a good price. I had been playing my dad's old beat up acoustic guitar for a couple years and my parents bought me an electric guitar. It is a good quality guitar and I still use it today for recording and performing. So if you make a good decision, the first guitar you buy will be useful for a lifetime.

Because I started off on an acoustic guitar, the transition to electric was incredibly simple. Consider buying an acoustic even if you want to play electric guitar down the track.

SUMMARY

I have pointed out a few important issues for you to consider when buying a first guitar. There are many more factors you should consider but these I believe are the most important issues. If you take your time to find out what your best option is and then shop around for the best deal, you will save money and hopefully end up with a great instrument that can last you a lifetime.

If you want to learn guitar from the very beginning for free, check out my guitar lesson blog at http://aaronmatthies.wordpress.com/