Monday, December 4, 2006

How to Buy a New Guitar

So, you want to know how to buy a new guitar. Whether you are just
learning to play the guitar or you've been playing for some time,
choosing to buy a new guitar can be one of the most exciting experiences.

You will soon learn that people have their own opinions about the type of
new guitar to buy. You will need to consider what is important to you.
In addition, learning how to buy a new guitar is similar to buying a new
pair of shoes. They are better once they have been used a bit.

In guitar terms, they need to have a good "setup."

There are essentially three types of guitars on the market: electric,
acoustic, and classical. You can also find acoustic guitars that have pickups.
These are properly called acoustic-electric guitars.

If you're are just learning to play the guitar you may be interested
in purchasing a brand new guitar instead of a used one. You may think
that there is much more trouble associated with purchasing a used guitar.

You shouldn't have to worry about the general condition, but there are some
tips for how to buy a new guitar that can save you a headache and point you
in the right direction.

Getting Your Money's Worth

One aspect of new guitars that you will learn quickly---they're not cheap.
As with anything you buy, the highest price doesn't necessarily correspond
to the best. When you are considering how to buy a new guitar, the best deal
that you want to secure is one where you get a quality guitar with the lowest
prices possible. Quality in terms of the guitar relate to its construction and tone.

When you look at the construction, notice the wood that is used. Inspect the
entire guitar and look for peeling or chipping. Also look closely to notice the
shape of the guitars. Guitars are typically kept in storage areas.

If a guitar spends a significant amount of time in such an area, it is very
possible that the wood may become affected so that the instrument loses its shape.
Now that you are learning how to buy a new guitar, you will be able to tell the
difference in a new guitar that is worth its price tag and one that is not.

Checking the Action

If there is one aspect of guitars that separate them from each other, it's tone.
Another tip for how to buy a new guitar is to refrain from judging a guitar
simply by its looks alone. You need to take it down from the shelf and listen
to its tone. If you are just learning to play, you don't have to worry that you
don't know enough to test out the tone. You can tell if a guitar has good tone
by simply strumming a few strings on it. Action is an important thing to check as well.

Action refers to the amount of space between the strings and the fretboard.

When you play a note, you have to press down on the strings so that they touch
the fretboard. If there is too much space between the string and the fretboard,
the action is considered high. If there is very little space between the two,
the action is considered low. Either extreme can affect your guitar playing.
You want to aim for an action that is somewhere in the middle.

The tips presented here are only a few to show you how to buy a new guitar.
The more time you spend talking to other guitar enthusiasts you will learn
more about new guitars.