How to choose the right guitar for a beginner

If you’re a beginner, you probably have no idea how to choose the right guitar for you, so you need to know some selection criteria. First you need to decide what type of guitar you need: an acoustic or an electric guitar? Or maybe classic? How to choose a guitar for a beginner?

Classical guitar used for classical music, flamenco and some blues compositions. This instrument is perfect for studying in a music school.

Pros:

• Soft strings that are easy to press. This will make learning easier in the initial stages, as your fingers will hurt much less.
• Wide arrangement of strings, which will reduce the likelihood of a miss, and this very often happens at the beginning of training.

Cons:

• You can only play on nylon strings, because installing metal ones will damage the instrument.
• Faint sound.

Acoustic guitar used for performing blues, rock, chanson, pop compositions and just yard songs. Perfect for songs around the fire and playing in a group.

Pros:

• Loud and rich sound. Due to the fact that the body of an acoustic guitar is larger and metal strings are used instead of nylon, the sound becomes deeper and louder.
• Versatility. An acoustic guitar can be played in many genres, and the variations in models will allow you to choose the instrument that is right for you.

Cons:

• Only metal strings can be used. Nylon ones will sound too quiet due to the structure of the body.
• The strings are harder to press than on a classical guitar, which is why your fingers will hurt more and longer at the beginning of learning.

Electric guitar used for playing styles such as jazz, blues, rock and pop. The electric guitar is mainly played in groups.

Pros:

• Possibility to customize the sound for yourself. You can adjust both the sound volume and its timbre using processors and guitar “gadgets”.
• Easy to press the strings.

Cons:

• High price. Typically, an electric guitar costs more than an acoustic or classical one, and to play it, you at least need a combo amplifier.
• Attachment to electricity. To play an electric guitar, you need a power source. So it is not suitable for playing outdoors. Even if you try to play it unplugged, the sound will be too weak.

Having taken into account all of the above and having chosen which guitar you want to purchase, you can safely go to the store. You should not immediately buy an expensive guitar, since very often interest in music disappears after several lessons, and the money spent cannot be returned. But you shouldn’t buy a cheap and low-quality guitar, because playing such an instrument will bring more disappointment and may discourage you, even if there was one. Therefore, you need to choose a guitar so that its price is within reason, and the quality allows you to play it without any discomfort. Here are some tips on how to choose a quality guitar:

General criteria:

• The neck must be straight. There are several ways to check this. First, you can place the guitar’s soundboard against your shoulder and look along the neck along its edge. The neck must be perfectly straight. Any irregularities or distortions indicate a defect. Secondly, you can press the string (first or sixth) at the first and sixth frets. The distance between the string and the neck in this segment must be the same, otherwise the neck is considered crooked.
• There should be no damage to the body of the guitar.
• Check your guitar’s tuning. To do this, play the string in the open position and compare it with the sound of the string clamped at the twelfth fret. The pitch of the sound must be identical. You can also compare a harmonic on the same fret with an open string.
• The strings should not rattle or make any extraneous sounds. Check every string at every fret.
• Check the headstock and tuners. They must be completely intact.

Acoustic guitar and classical guitar:

• The distance between the strings and the neck should not exceed 3-4 mm.
• Get a wooden guitar, not a plywood one.
• The distance between the wood fibers on the body should be 1-2 mm.

Electric guitar:

• There should be no rust on the metal parts of the tool
• Check the tone volume controls and pickup selector switch.
• Check the status of the jack input. Plug in the guitar and play it, the cord should not come off.
• Check the guitar against the background. No strangers should be present during the game

Among other things, just play it, listen to how it sounds, whether it’s comfortable for you to hold in your hands. Also, to the advice on how to choose a guitar for a beginner, you can add that before you buy the model you like, try several copies and choose the most suitable instrument. Remember that there is no better advisor in choosing a guitar than yourself.. The seller may not be entirely respectable and try to sell you a low-quality product, while your friends will choose a guitar that they like. You need to choose either yourself or with an experienced teacher who can help you choose your instrument.