It is different for everyone. That moment when you decide to become a guitar player. It may have happened when you to went see your favorite band. It may have been listening to a great recording or seeing a video or any number of things. For me, it was seeing KISS in concert and listening to Foreigner's first album. It doesn't matter how you got here, but welcome to the club! Now you have to go out and buy your first guitar, which can be a daunting task for someone who knows very little about guitars. Let me offer some helpful advice that I have gleaned from over 30 years of playing guitar and teaching guitar to beginning students like you.
1. Stay Away From Department Stores
Today, guitars are big business. Everyone is trying to make money selling them: Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sams, Costco and many other stores like them. My advice: don't buy your guitar here! I can't tell you how many times my beginning students show up to their first guitar lessons with a guitar bought at one of these places. More often than not, there is a problem with the guitar. These problems are hard to detect by a person who doesn't know what to look for, and they often interfere GREATLY with the learning process itself. I have seen them work fine, but the odds are, you will buy an instrument unsuitable to learn on. Many students quit guitar because the guitar they are trying to learn on makes it harder for them, so don't make that mistake.
2. Visit Your Local Independent Guitar Store
The price of a guitar at the local guitar shop is about the same price as the guitar at Target. The difference: it won't have problems and dollar for dollar will be a better instrument! Most local guitar stores survive on reputation and word of mouth. They inspect each guitar when it comes in, make sure there are no problems with it, and make minor adjustments to it if necessary before putting it on the sales floor. If there is a problem, they ship it back to the manufacture. They don't do that at Walmart! In addition, if something does go wrong with it after you buy it, they will make sure you get taken care of, often assisting you with your warranty claim.
The local shop will also carry used instruments, which is a great way to get a better guitar for less money. Stores usually take these instruments on trade, and inspect them very carefully. An acoustic guitar that sells new for $300, might sell used for $175-200 and look brand new. My preference is to always buy used if I can.
3. Stay Away From Craigslist
Craigslist is a great place to find a great deal on a great guitar IF you know what you are looking for. That is a big IF! I have seen many students get ripped off paying too much for a damaged guitar, because they didn't know what to look for. I have also seen students pay more for a used guitar than it would have cost to buy the same one new. Go you your local music store and avoid all that headache.
4. Choose A Realistic Budget
The saying "You Get What You Pay For" is true when it comes to guitars. How much should you spend? The guitars your favorite bands are using on stage every night are the $2500-$4000 variety. Thankfully, you won't have to spend anywhere close to that to get a good beginning guitar. If you are buying an acoustic guitar, plan on spending between $150-$250, without a case. My experience has been that a guitar in that price range is a good quality guitar that sounds nice and will last a lifetime. When you get good enough to play on stage somewhere, you will have to buy a better one, but you don't need that kind of quality to start out on. A case will cost you $60-$100 extra and really isn't necessary. Of course, if money is no object, shoot for the $500-$1500 guitar.
If you are buying an electric guitar, you will have to factor in the cost of the amp.. One of the main complaints my beginning students have is with their amps. They don't like the way they sound. Often this is because they bought a tiny $50 amp, just to save money. They end up buying something else later. My advice is to plan on spending $100-$150 on your amp and you won't need to buy another one until you join a band!
If you follow these basic guidelines you should have a great experience buying your first guitar. You will get a great guitar that will make the learning process easier. Now, if you are like every other guitar player I know, this won't be your last purchase. You're a guitar player now, welcome to the Club!
JJ Green is a guitar player and guitar instructor based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has performed all over the US and had the great honor of performing for President George W. Bush and his family. He owns The Guitar Academy ( http://www.theguitaracademyco.com/ ) in Colorado Springs, where he specializes in teaching guitar lessons to beginning guitar students. JJ has taught over 30,000 private lessons and is an expert in his field.
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