Some things you should know about selecting an guitar

The following information is critical in selecting your guitar and even more so if you’re selecting it for your child. Having an appropriately sized and adjusted instrument is not only the best way to start, it is essential for success. Many important issues rest on the quality and playability of your instrument.

There is no bigger roadblock to progress in developing proper technique and the enjoyment of learning to play than a poorly constructed instrument or one that is not correctly set up.

Many people mistakenly purchase an inexpensive acoustic guitar as a first instrument for themselves or their child because they are afraid they will not stick with it, or somehow "acoustic" music seems simpler. This is almost like buying a guarantee for failure. A cheaply made acoustic guitar will most certainly lead you or your child to frustration, and ultimately to quitting, because it is physically just too hard to play.

I recommend a moderately priced electric guitar for learning.

 
Tips for selecting a suitable guitar:

Select a guitar that does not sell at the very bottom of the price barrel. The old adage is almost always true, “You get what you pay for”. Sometimes you even get less. As a general rule, cheaply made guitars are not really playable or adjustable. They are not worth your time or money.

Also, the less expensive a suitable instrument is, the more setup and adjustment will be required to get it into good shape for easy playability. EVERY guitar requires a proper setup and adjustment initially.

Buying from a larger store will likely get you a guitar that was simply taken out of the box and put on the rack without any setup or adjustment at all.
Buying from a smaller store may subject you to brand bias and higher markup, and depending on the store, the instrument may or may not be properly setup.

I recommend leaving your new guitar with me overnight for a professional setup and adjustment. It is well worth the nominal charge ($20-$25). I am also available on request to go with you to help select a suitable guitar at your choice of music stores.

Some examples of potentially suitable, moderately priced ($100-$200) starter guitars include:




 

Some examples of good mid-line ($300-$700) guitars include:

 


 

IMPORTANT- I DO NOT recommend less than full size guitars, as they cannot be setup to play in tune. They are closer to toys than real instruments. If a child’s hands are not big enough for a full size guitar, you may be better off waiting until they are.

 

Amplification

Electric Guitars require amplification. It is definitely beneficial to have some built in effects and signal processing to help the student “sound like” the song they are playing. A small practice amp is suitable for starting out, and later if the student plans on playing with others (a drummer, in particular) a louder and more powerful amp will be required.

Some suitable practice amps with built in processing are:

Roland Micro-Cube (what I use in the teaching studio, and at $125 it is a great little amp)
Line 6 Spider
Peavey Vyper
Fender DGEC

Be sure to include an electronic tuner when you select your guitar.

Keeping your guitar tuned to standard pitch is very important. Guitars are manufactured and set-up to withstand the string tension of standard pitch, which produces the best musical tone. If your guitar is tuned too high above standard pitch the excessive tension can damage your instrument and at the very least break your strings. As opposed to excessively high tension, allowing your guitar to fall too far below standard pitch can cause the neck to move backward resulting in unacceptable string buzz against the frets. But most importantly, a guitar tuner actually helps to develop the musical ear much more quickly than learning to tune by ear alone. A guitar tuner saves valuable time and frustration so you can stay focused on your music. An untrained ear may not be able to selectively detect the slight pitch differences in an out of tune guitar. Often your guitar will seem reasonably tuned when in fact it may not be. You may not even tune your guitar as often because it seems OK. The problem is your ear becomes accustomed to less than adequate tuning which prolongs your ear training development. When you use a tuner daily your ear quickly becomes accustomed to accurate tuning and you are more apt to notice when your guitar is even slightly out of tune. As a result your ears develop much more quickly.

 

Fender Standard Stratocaster
Fender Standard Telecaster
Washburn WI-64
Epiphone Les Paul
Epiphone Dot
Gretsch Electromatic
Epiphone G-400

Fender Squier Stratocaster or Telecaster
Oscar Schmidt OE-30
Washburn WI-14
Ibanez GIO

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