The Beginner’s Guide to Buying Guitars
With Christmas just round the corner, you might find that top of your child’s Christmas list is an electric guitar or bass guitar. Or a guitar may even be on your Christmas list! So, where do you start? You could go to your local high street music store to talk get advice, or you may wish to scour the internet to get a great deal. There is such a vast range of electric guitars available at all price points that it can seem quite daunting, so here’s a few tips to bear in mind when making the decision:
1. Choose the right guitar: Of course there are the very famous and reputable guitar manufacturers such a Fender and Gibson, but buying one of these guitars can prove very expensive. Look into the cheaper makes such as Squier or Yamaha. The internet is a fantastic resource for reviews on guitars, so do your research.
2. Buy additional guitar strings: Remember to buy some extra guitar or bass strings. The strings that come with a new guitar are not necessarily the best quality and may be quite old. You will always need guitar strings, so it makes sense to buy several packs, which will often save you money, especially if you buy from an online store such as bandshop.co.uk. There are many brands, but Ernie Ball and D’Addario are a good starting point as they are endorsed by professional players.
3. Buy a guitar tuner: it is difficult to tune a guitar by ear, especially if you are a beginner. This can take years of practice, and many professional guitar players use guitar tuners to get their tuning totally accurate. There is a vast range of guitar tuners to choose from, but those by Sabine and Guitar Man are very reasonable.
4. Buy some guitar picks: Although many guitarists play with their fingers, you should start by learning to play with a guitar pick (or plectrum as it is otherwise known). There are countless makes and designs of guitar picks, but you may find it easier to purchase a pick tin which contains different gauges to begin with, as you can then find what type is best for you.
5. Buy a strap: Not as essential as the other accessories listed above, but still quite important, especially for when you start gigging or practicing with other musicians.
6. Buy a quality guitar stand: Not necessarily an essential purchase to start off with, but it is prudent to buy a good quality guitar stand, such as those by Hercules, to prevent accidental damage to your precious instrument should it fall over.
7. Buy a guitar case: Or alternatively a thickly padded gig bag. Not crucial for the beginner, but essential for the rehearsing or gigging guitarist. You need to protect your instrument from damage during transportation.
8. Buy a good amp: If you are buying an electric guitar for the first time you don’t HAVE to use it with an amp, but there’s not much point in buying an electric guitar if you wont be getting the proper use out of it. If it’s a first guitar you can buy some practice amps from a variety of manufacturers and at some very good prices.
Graham Burton is an avid music enthusiast and has been playing bass guitar for over 3 decades. He helps run Bandshop, an established web-based music accessory store where you can buy a comprehensive variety of guitar straps, effects pedals, guitar strings and music stands.