How To Find And Select Your First Guitar

By: Barbara Salerno

Learning to play guitar is a major decision, and getting a good
starter guitar involves more decisions still. If you're shy
about committing to a purchase of a brand new instrument, here
are a few ways you can obtain a guitar:

If you have a friend or a relative who plays, ask them if they
have an extra guitar to loan or sell to you. Maybe they will
even give you some instructions on guitar playing. If you have
any musician friends or relatives, ask if they have a spare
guitar that you could borrow or buy. Most guitar freaks like
myself have more than one guitar, and you can only play one at a
time! So ask around first.

If you can't borrow, but don't want to commit to buying just
yet, you can rent a guitar. Most music stores rent out
instruments to beginning students on a weekly or monthly basis.
This is an affordable option because it requires a weekly or
monthly rental fee. If you then find that learning the guitar is
not for you, then at least you won't be stuck with a guitar that
you bought and now no longer want! And if you don't like the
instrument you rented you can try another one instead.

When you go to rent a guitar, explain to the store clerk that
you're just starting out and ask about their rental policy. Make
sure you can change the instrument if the first one doesn't work
out for you.

Ask about a repair policy, just in case you accidentally damage
your rented guitar. Try out several of the guitars in the shop
-- window-shopping will not do, you need to have a comfortable
feel for the guitar. You should be looking for a guitar that
isn't too wide or too large to hold, that you can hold
comfortably in your lap with enough room for the strumming arm
to hang down and easily strike the strings. Your elbow of your
strumming arm should be able to hang down from the edge of the
guitar in a relaxed fashion. Comfort is key! You will be
spending hours and hours in guitar practice, so make sure you
feel comfortable holding and playing the guitar. If you fall in
love with a particular guitar, so much the better! Practice will
be fun and not a chore, which will make a huge difference in
your mastery of the instrument.

If you decide to buy a used guitar you need to make sure it's
playable and doesn't have flaws that will impede your guitar
playing. Small chips or nicks in the top, neck or body can be
overlooked, because that is normal wear and tear. Belt buckles
can scratch up the back side of the guitar body, but just
scratches or nicks won't affect the sound or playability of the
guitar.

What you need to look for are cracks, big dents, poor action,
buzzing, and warped guitar necks. Do not buy a guitar with
cracks in the body or top, or dents that go through the surface.
The top, whether flat or archtop, must be free of any cracks and
should be flat and not warped or curved.

Does the guitar buzz when played? Buzzing can come from a
problem in the tuning pegs, the nut, too low an action, a warp
in the neck, or an uneven bridge. Do not buy a used guitar that
buzzes unless the store can have it fixed. Sometimes buzzing
requires only slight adjustments to be fixed, but sometimes it
may indicate a major problem with the guitar that you don't need
to deal with. Buzzing in a new guitar can usually be remedied
with a few slight adjustments, but buzzing in a used guitar is
bad, unless the store can fix it before you buy it.

Buzzing can also occur when you don't press down your finger
properly on the fret to produce a note. Since you don't yet know
how to play, ask the store clerk to play the guitar for you to
make sure it doesn't buzz.

Try the guitar out. Do the strings stay in tune? If not, there
can be structural problems with the tuning machines and you
definitely do not want to deal with that. Play the guitar for
several minutes in the store, or ask someone else to play it so
that you can determine whether the strings stay in tune. It's
like buying a used car: you don't want to inherit someone else's
headache. Generally, a reputable guitar store will take care of
problems with used guitars before they place them for sale. But
pay attention if you are buying used guitar: check the guitar
out from headstock to bridge. If something seems amiss, look for
another guitar! If you buy on eBay or another online vendor,
make sure there is a return policy.

Next, check the action. When you press the strings down against
the fingerboard with the fingertips of your playing hand make
sure there isn't a lot of space between the strings and the
fingerboard. The space between the upper fingerboard and the
strings is called the "action,"and it makes a huge difference in
the ease and speed of playing. A small distance between the
strings and fingerboard (without buzzing) is very desirable for
the beginner guitarist and in fact for all guitarists.

A large distance makes for very difficult playing and can
discourage the beginner altogether. You'll need to develop hand
strength to play in any case, so don't make it harder than it
already is by getting a guitar with poor action!

You also want to check the guitar neck. A warped neck will be a
real problem; it ruins the action and makes the guitar hard to
play. Sight down the neck of the guitar from the headstock
looking toward the guitar body, as if you were looking down the
sight of a rifle. There should be a very slight curvature or dip
near the body, not a big one, and the fingerboard should appear
even from side to side.

If the guitar is otherwise comfortable, sounds good, fits into
your body easily, and looks halfway decent, then it may just be
the one for you. Follow your gut feeling on this: if the guitar
feels really right, and has no major flaws, and you feel drawn
to it, there's your answer. After all, the guitar is going to
become your daily companion that you spend a lot of time with,
so make sure you can make friends with it easily. If you're
buying a used guitar from a shop, ask if there is any return
period, just in case you find something wrong with it when you
begin to practice.

The used guitar should come with a case or at least a
lightweight gig bag. A cardboard box is not an ideal storage
place for any guitar, used or new. If the case in not included
then try to bargain for a new or used hardshell case, which is
the toughest, most durable type of case, complete with felt
inner lining and a durable exterior. A regular guitar case is
cheaper than a hardshell, and will do fine if you are not in
transit a lot with the guitar. Or you can probably get a new
"gig bag," which is made of a lightweight plastic material, for
about $20-30.

When you buy a new guitar, follow the above guitar tips just the
same. Just because it is fresh from the factory doesn't mean it
is perfect! Check the action, the neck, and the body for flaws.
If the guitar buzzes, it may need some setup work so ask the
vendor about that. Buzzing is not necessarily a sign of a major
problem and can be corrected with some adjustments, but you
shouldn't have to make them yourself. Finally, when buying a new
guitar definitely inquire about a return period, and a warranty
for parts and labor in case something goes wrong. Find out if
you can bring the guitar back to the store where you bought it,
or whether you would have to ship it back to the manufacturer
directly. And until you are sure you want to keep the guitar,
save the box it was delivered in! Having to return a brand new
guitar is difficult enough without having to buy a guitar box to
return it in.

Once you get your guitar, practice, practice, and play it as
much as you can! Playing the guitar is a fabulous hobby that
will reward you with years of enjoyment in exchange for practice
and dedication.