Guitar Buyers’ Easy Guide

Purchasing a guitar is an exciting thought. It also throws a lot of questions in the buyers’ mind about what type of guitar to be bought, what styles of music can be played on it etc. Let us shed some light on these points so that you can buy wisely.

Many variants of guitars are available and they all feel and sound unique. Buying an unsuitable guitar for your intended music style will make it sound contrasting. The precise type of instrument for you is the one that matches the style of music you would like to play. So, it is critical to have some idea about the type of music that you want to follow before you buy your guitar.

Guitar purchase is definitely an investment. Your instrument should serve you well and also for years to come. So, when it comes to deciding upon a purchase, you must perform few basic researches, spend sensibly and pick an instrument with best value that matches the price-tag. Never compromise on quality because of the affordability, but better enquire about the wood, electronics, components and craftsmanship. A further reading on various instrument quality aspects can be found here.

Classical Guitars:

Classical guitars are made primarily for classical music players. Apart from classical music, classical guitars are featured in an assortment of styles like Jazz, Flamenco, Pop, Folk and so on. Usually, classical guitars have a wide fretboard and they feel comfortable for your fingers. They are rather easy to play as their strings are mainly of nylon and have less string tension.

The minimal string tension on classical guitars mean that you don’t require to press hard with your fingers to play notes. Your fingers are less likely to get aching as you start out.

Classical guitars are played with the fingers on your right hand instead of a standard pick.

Steel-String Acoustic Guitars

Steel-stringed acoustic guitars have more a crispier tone owing to the fact that they use steel or metal strings. Their bright sound makes them most suitable for genres like Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Blues etc. Steel-string acoustic guitar players generally use a pick or plectrum to play.

Anyone can efficiently learn to play on a steel-string acoustic guitar. The steel strings require more pressure with your fingers. So, you have to be more cautious with your finger-posture and techniques to prevent soreness on your fingertips or excessive pain on your wrist.

Steel-String Electro-Acoustic Guitars

Electro-acoustic guitar is fundamentally an acoustic guitar that can connect to a mixer or amp via a cable. They are similar to standard acoustic guitars beside a few extra features. The capability to connect the guitar to an amplifier enables you to use various guitar pedals. It also facilitates you to achieve diverse tones that are impracticable to get from a standard acoustic guitar.

An electro-acoustic guitar feels precisely the same to play, similar to the conventional acoustic guitar. If you have plans for gigs and performances later, the added advantage of plugging your acoustic guitar to an amp or effect pedal will give you an assortment of tone options.

Electric Guitars

Nearly all prevalent genres of music today use an electric guitar. The principal choice for so many musical categories such as Blues, Country, Rock, Punk, Metal and Jazz would be an electric guitar sound. It would be difficult to spot a hard rock or heavy metal band without an electric guitar in it!

String tension on an electric guitar is usually less than that on a steel-stringed acoustic guitar. Some electric guitars require more expertness to handle. If an electric guitar is on your wish-list, remember to buy a good guitar amplifier & some instrument cable too.

Remember About The Size

Another aspect to be considered before you purchase a guitar is ‘buying the sized guitar for the age’. Guitars are manufactured in several sizes to befit the player’s age & needs. Most conventional guitar sizes are Full Size, Three Quarter (³/₄) and Half Size (¹/₂).

If further advice is needed for deciding what’s the best guitar for you, our expert sales team at Musicians Corner is ready and available.