Tips for Buying a Beginner's Guitar

 

For anyone interested in learning to play the guitar, knowing what to look for when buying your first guitar will be very helpful. As a beginner, you won't want to start out on an instrument that is above your level of expertise and could frustrate you from continuing to learn. Here are some basic things to keep in mind when shopping for a beginner's guitar.

 

First of all, the guitar you choose should be playable. This may seem obvious, but if you are buying a used instrument you will need to watch out for the condition it is in. Look to make sure there is not too much space between the fretboard and the strings or else it will be too hard to press the strings down. If the strings are too high above the fretboard, it will become very frustrating to learn to play and you might give up too soon.

 

So how do you know how much space there should be under the strings? You can take two quarters out of your pocket and put them under the thinnest string where there are two dots. If the two quarters just fit in the space, it will be playable, but you ideally want them to lift the strings up a bit. If you slide the quarters under the strings and there is still extra space, then you know the distance is too great for you to play it easily. View this site for lessons in guitar.

 

In addition, you will want to check the tuning of the fender guitars. If you don't buy it in tune, you can get it tuned. If the guitar is too cheap, then you might see that the tuning gear is exposed or the strings close to the tuners are higher than they should be. A higher quality guitar will have encased tuners.

 

Lastly, you will want to consider the size of your guitar. For children who are old enough to start learning, you will want a three-quarter sized guitar because its body is slightly smaller. The next bigger size is called parlor or folk. It's a little under a full sized guitar and could be a good fit for teenagers. Full sized guitars are best suited for adults. Sell your instrument online to fellow avid guitarists.

 

Once you have determined that the guitar you are interested in is playable, tunable, and the proper size, you can then choose your preference of wood and finishes. These don't affect how the guitar plays but are just chosen from personal preference. Since you will be putting a good bit of money into your instrument, it's nice to enjoy its appearance.