If a potential guitarist wishes to learn to play guitar, there are several choices that should be made prior to a purchase. First, he must decide on what type of music he would like to play and how he wishes to play (self enjoyment, professionally, etc). There are also cases when a parent is buying the instrument for a child. Decisions in this area will determine what specific type of guitar and to an extent, the quality of the guitar one should buy.
A Guitar for beginners
If the purchase of the instrument is for a child and depending upon the age, a parent may wish to buy a basic, inexpensive instrument, as children readily lose interest in things. If the prospective guitarist is an adult, it would be more suitable to learn on a slightly more advanced and better quality instrument. If one is expecting to take lessons, then often the music teacher will help a student and who may in fact, sell the guitar to the student. In cases where a guitar novice wishes to purchase an instrument directly, it is advisable to bring a friend who plays the instrument and can offer some guidance.
Unless you always purchase new things as a practice, it is recommended to purchase a used guitar, rather than a new guitar. The reason is this: unless the instrument was abused, it will sound and play just as good, if not better, than a new instrument. If a guitar is made of quality tone woods (spruce, mahogany, rosewood or maple) they tend to improve in tone over the time. Just think of Stradivarius.
Musical Taste Dictates the Guitar Purchase: Classical Guitar, Jazz Guitar, Rock and Folk Guitar
A guitarist-to-be will have in mind the type of music he or she wishes to play. Typically, if a student wishes to pursue classical music, the choice is obvious: purchase a classic guitar, which is strung with nylon or metal wound over nylon strings. If the student is interested in playing rock music, a solid body guitar is typically sought. If a prospective guitarist wants to play folk music, then a steel stringed 6 or 12 string guitar is advised. If the student is interested in jazz guitar, then typically an arch top electric guitar (semi hollow body) should be purchased. While any guitar type can be used to play any type of music, certain guitars do not sound as well for certain types of music. For instance, try playing rock music on a classic guitar!
Each of the guitar types has a distinct sound and tonal feel:
- Classic Guitar, has a soft, but clear sound
- Jazz Guitar, a round, yet syrupy electronic sound
- Folk Guitar , a metal, acoustic soft sound, but sharper than a classic guitar
- Rock Guitar, typically a sharp, electronic sound, often electronically altered
What to Look for in Purchasing a Guitar
When a student guitarist purchases an instrument, it's better to purchase a higher quality instrument than an instrument of lesser quality. A well made guitar will always have a better tonal quality than a poorly made guitar, Second, it will be easier to play, physically. There are also several things that well made guitars have in common:
- The wood on the back and sides will be made of good tonal, solid hardwoods: rosewood, maple or mahogany or even Hawaiian Koa.
- The top of the guitar on well made classic and folk guitars are usually made from spruce. Although many fine jazz guitar also have used spruce on the top, as well.
- The finger board is made of ebony, although some guitar makers may use rosewood.
- The tuning machines are metal on most well made guitars, while classic guitars may use a very high quality plastic or even bone.
- The finish of the guitar has a fine, very smooth feel.
- All strings ring clearly both on open strings and up and down the fret board.
- Low action: the fret board is low, requiring minimal finger pressure to depress a note or hold a chord.
All in all, the guitar to purchase is the one that feels best for the student.
Brands of Guitars: Martin, Fender, Gibson, Larravee, etc
When purchasing a guitar, it is advisable to buy a well known, quality guitar from a reputable manufacturer, such as Martin Guitars, Gibson Guitars, Fender Guitar, Larravee Co., and Guild Guitars. Obviously for the high end professional, there are luthiers that specialize in ultra high quality instruments: Mortoro Guitars, Benedetto Guitars, Buscarino, Martin Custom Series, etc. If one purchases a good, used instrument from a quality manufacturer, normally, it's possible not to lose any money when selling it and upgrading to an even finer instrument. Even a relative neophyte on the guitar might consider buying one of the classic, old guitars, budget permitting. It's a good investment. Most of the best rock, folk and jazz guitars are made in the U.S.A. Many of the finest classic guitars are made in Europe. Japan has been making some fine instruments, as well.
The ultimate decision to purchase a guitar lies with the student guitarist. If it feels comfortable, has a rich sound and it has a quality look and feel to it, this may be the right guitar. It's always best to purchase a better guitar than one would initially expect. Typically one should buy a guitar that could be easily resold, if there is a possibility that the student will want to eventually purchase a better instrument. All in all, the decision to purchase one guitar over another is entirely personal because in all likelihood one may own this instrument for many years.
Nick Schklair - Nick Schklair, author, writer and business consultant has published a work on business startups in today's economy.
