Buying your first guitar should be a smooth, fun, easy-going experience. And, it can be when you take the time to learn about which guitar models, styles and brands fit the best with your own personal playing approach…
7 Tips for Buying Your First Guitar
1). Decide what you want. There are; electric guitars, acoustic steel strings, acoustic nylon strings. For the beginner, the nylon or Classical guitar tends to be the best choice. If you can, meet with a guitar instructor that either works out of their home or out of a music studio that does not sell instruments.
2). Go shopping to several music stores and meet with store clerks, getting them to show you all of the many styles and brands. Sit with several different models and decide which ones feel the most comfortable. Remember that you’ll be sitting for hours with your guitar during practice – so you will want a guitar that is very comfortable to hold.
3). Acoustic Vs. Electric. While shopping weigh your options and your favorite styles of music with what your tastes in guitar music lean toward.
4). Take someone along with you when you go shopping who really knows a lot about guitars. This could be a friend, however someone who is a teacher with a good many years of experience would be better. Even if you had to pay someone a fee to meet you at a music store, it might be well worth it down the road.
5). When shopping for electrics be sure to play the guitar through an amp. that has a 12 inch speaker and is pushing around 80 watts. This type of amp will give you the best idea of what the guitar can really do.
6). Salespersons: Can you trust them?
Salespeople on commission may try and up-sell you. But, that being said, commission-based employees will also quite often take more time to sell you the right product, as well as, get to know you a little better.
Salespeople who do not receive commissions will generally not bother trying an up-sell on you. However, they also tend to not take too much care in getting to know you, what you want, or even what your name is for the next time you walk in the store. This all adds up to the importance of you (as a buyer) knowing exactly what you want when you go shopping.
7). Rent Before You Buy: Most large music stores have a rental department, so if you can, rent a number of different guitar types and models prior to making the actual purchase. That way you will have played several styles, shapes and brands before you settle in upon which brand and model works the best for you. It all adds up to a more informed final decision.
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