How to Buy a Guitar BERGEN & ROCKLAND COUNTY GUITAR LESSONS 551 • 404 • 2238 BEGINNER to COLLEGE AUDITION PREP - IN YOUR HOME

HOW TO BUY A GUITAR

You may be thinking of buying a guitar for someone or for yourself.
If you don’t know how to do it,
you may go home with a less-than-perfect choice.
Here are things to keep in mind:
please note: this list is in a random order,
not the order of importance or succession -
read the whole thing before you shop

• Have an open mind. If you go to a guitar store
and think you already know what you want
because of something you’ve read or heard
(I’m not including those of you who have gone
to the store & played the guitar you want to buy already)
you may miss out on opportunities to purchase
a guitar more suited to your needs, taste & bankroll.
If you are very experienced and have a
particular brand of guitar you prefer,
it’s fine to start there. But if you’re inexperienced,
DO NOT SHOP BY BRAND ALONE.
Gibson & Fender are not the only guitar companies
making instruments worth playing.

• If at all possible, take a knowledgable person with you.
I don’t mean someone who has a guitar.
I mean someone who knows you,
your needs and knows guitars.
Your teacher, if you have one,
would be the first choice.
If your teacher is unwilling to
at least TRY to coordinate a time
to go to look at guitars with you —
you might have the wrong teacher.
If we're approaching a major holiday season,
the less “free time” your teacher may have.
Be reasonable about when you ask him/her
to help you shop for a guitar.

* If you are going to spend more than $800 or $900,
DO NOT PLAN TO GO HOME
WITH A GUITAR THE 1ST DAY YOU SHOP.
If you’re in the market for a “serious” guitar
— the $1,000 and up range,
you really don’t want to be motivated by impulse.
Lay off the caffeine, don’t go hungry
and don’t go in uncomfortable clothes
(remember guitar shops need to maintain
a consistent temperature and humidity level
for the guitars, so shopping in an all wool Aran sweater
or leather pants or skirt may look good,
but you’ll be hot and not in the best frame of mind.)

• The guitars you will be looking at/handling/playing
are not yours until you pay for them.
Don’t wear zippers, snaps, necklaces,
oversized belt buckles etc.
that can scratch the guitars.

• Play every fret of a guitar
you are considering purchasing.
If there is a buzz on any fret that you are
CORRECTLY DEPRESSING,
ask someone else to play the fret.
If it buzzes for them too, you should not buy
THAT PARTICULAR instrument.
If a sales person/repair shop person tells you
the neck needs a slight adjustment,
let them do it and play every fret again.
If you have no buzzes, fine.
If there are, ask for a different guitar
of the same model out of stock
and begin your process again.
If they tell you that’s the only one
and they will lower the price for you
— you are NOT INTERESTED.
Look at other instruments.

• Do not purchase a 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar
for children.
Usually those guitars are not thoroughly tuneable
and will be a frustrating experience
for the child and their teacher.
If the child can’t hold a “real” small profile guitar,
they should wait to begin playing
unless you will pay a guitar maker
to measure and custom build
a guitar for your child.

• If you play with a pick, take 1 or 2 with you. :-)

• Take someone who plays guitar
so when you are close to a decision
of what you’d like to buy,
you can hear THEM play it.
You don’t hear your acoustic guitar very well
when the soundboard is facing away from you.

• Play several instruments.
Don’t purchase by your eye’s sensibility.
In the decades I have played guitar,
I can probably count on 1 hand
how may truly “ugly” guitars I have seen
that I’d consider buying.
It’s about sound and playability.
After those requirements are met,
you can think about comparing the appearance
of candidates for purchase.
(Aside: I have a student named Amanda,
who, when going to get her first guitar,
thought she wanted a purple one. NO JOKE!
Well, it was a process, but when she left the guitar store,
it was a natural wood acoustic she finally selected
and she’s glad.)

• Consider the kind of music you think you will be playing.
If you are going to be playing primarily jazz,
you may want to look at brands other than Fender
and Ibanez for an electric guitar.
If you are going to play with your fingers,
you should consider a nylon string guitar
even though you think you want a steel string.
If you are going to play for more than personal entertainment,
consider an acoustic-electric with either steel or nylon strings.

• Don’t buy the cheapest thing you find
that’s called a guitar.
Cheap guitars are like cheap shoes
or cheap medical care.
In guitars, you get what you pay for.
That isn’t to say not to buy a guitar
with a discounted price.
It is to say, you usually can’t get anything
that is really tunable for less than $180 to $200.
If you’re spending much less
you will probably be sorry.

• Once you’re in the $400 - $600 range on a acoustic,
you are usually paying for details,
like tuners or pick ups etc.
Be well educated on your needs
and the value of “premium” parts
to you and your personal needs.

Buying online? Only do it if:

1) You alreaday know the reputation of the seller/company
and you can have at least 30 days to return for REFUND,
if you desire.
READ THEIR TERMS & CONDITIONS CAREFULLY.
Optimunly, someone you know has
done business with them before.

2) You have played/heard/seen the instrument
you want to buy at a guitar store
or a friend has one that you have played.
3) You absolutely cannot get to a guitar store
to purchase the instrument
or the price break is significant.
Be careful that you are sure of the model
or model number of the instrument
you are considering.
Some companies make extremely low priced look alikes
to their quality instruments.
Don’t forget that you get what you pay for.

I hope these tips help you or your loved ones
get a guitar that suits your or their needs.
You might want to print this out
for when you go guitar shopping.

GutiarTechniqueTutor.Com

home of the

Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast