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How to Choose a Guitar for Purchase
Choosing a guitar is an exciting, but sometimes confusing undertaking because of all the
variables that you might feel are involved.
What brand is best?
What type woods?
Should I get an electric or acoustic?
What style…size…string-type…color and then what about all the things you don’t know about
guitars, right?
Let’s simplify the process a bit.
Firstly, you probably have an idea whether you want an electric or acoustic guitar. Acoustic
guitars are those guitars (typically with a sound hole) that are loud enough to be heard without
amplification. Sure you can hear an electric when not plugged in, but it sounds pretty wimpy
without an amp.
To seemingly complicate the matter, we have acoustics that can be plugged in for amplification,
making them electric, and there are semi-hollow electric guitars, making them “acoustic” to a
degree. The style of music and how you will be playing will often times be the determining
factor as to what type of guitar you will want to get. Usually the heavier the music, the more an
electric will suit you.
There are not a lot of “Screamo” bands playing acoustically these days and not a ton of bluegrass
players shredding a Les Paul through a Marshall stack.
With that being said, the rules have been broken so there is nothing holding you back from doing
either of those or anywhere in between. Let’s talk a bit about the differences between the two
before going any further.
Acoustic guitars don’t need an amp, so they are nice and portable. The action (distance from
string to fret board) tends to be a little higher than electrics and the strings are typically thicker,
making bending and intricate licks/noodling more difficult. They sound great playing open
chords and fingerpicking.
On the other hand, electrics usually have lower action making soloing and subtle movements
easier. I’m asked a lot about what beginners should start with. For different reasons I would
choose both, but most of the time, I would say an acoustic would be my choice. There is less to
be distracted by with an acoustic and you can play so many different styles easily on the
acoustic. When directing a student to a new guitar purchase, the main variables for me always
come down to: budget, feel and sound (in no particular order).
Trying a bunch of guitars in your price range will give you a great education on feel and sound.
I KNOW you want the pretty red guitar, but don’t pick the guitar because it’s red if it sounds or
plays poorly. The prettiness will get old. Poor sound or feel does not go away.
If you have a $300 budget, there is no need in seriously looking at the $1000 guitars, although
knowing what they feel and sound like would be helpful to your education. I have some
expensive guitars and some “cheapos.” Sometimes more money gets you “more guitar” and
sometimes more money just makes you think you are getting a better guitar.
I recently played two different classical (nylon string) guitars. One was $5000 and the other was
$100. Can you guess which one sounded and played better? You would be surprised.
For one, I was not in the mood to drop $5000 on a classical, so that price range was not a
consideration. However, if I did not look at the prices or brands, the $100 guitar played and
sounded as good as the $5000 model. Now, this does not always happen, but it happens. There
are some great cheap guitars and some terrible expensive ones. Higher prices usually equate to
better woods, craftsmanship, etc., but manufacturers are getting really good at producing good
guitars at cheaper prices.
DON’T let the price alone dictate a guitar purchase. You will be sorry. So, figure out what your
budget is and try to stick to it. You can get an acceptable $150 acoustic or electric if you know
what to look for. I have guitars priced from $100 to several thousand dollars, but none were
purchased regarding price alone.
Let me clarify: more expensive guitars TYPICALLY equate to better guitars, but be careful in
using price to determine a guitars worth.
Feel is an important variable in choosing an instrument. In fact, there are so many other
variables other than the guitar itself that dictate sound (strings, pick, technique, etc.), whereas
feel is a harder thing to change on a guitar. For smaller folks and kids, there are ¾ and ½ size
guitars that might be easier to play chords on. There are different full-sized acoustic bodies like
jumbo, dreadnought and parlor as well. But you don’t need to know the names.
Use your common sense. If a guitar body is too big, try a smaller one. Electric bodies usually
run much smaller than acoustics.
String action is also important as high action (string height) can make chording and fretting
difficult and discouraging. The only way for you to know what is “normal” or “high” is to try a
bunch of guitars. Try some expensive ones too, so you can get an idea for different price ranges
and what the extra money may or may not buy you.
Keep in mind that string action can usually be adjusted, if everything else works for you. Many
electric guitars have adjustable bridges. Acoustic guitar bridges can be “shimmed” or trimmed
to give optimal action. Most guitar necks are also adjustable.
However, neither of these adjustments are ones that I would suggest beginners to attempt. I
prefer to have an expert adjust them, however with experience and trial/error you can get pretty
good at this type of thing. Okay, so all that said, make sure the “feel” of the guitar is the best out
of all the guitars that you try.
Sound is the other important variable. Different woods and their ages, string types, pick type
etc., are some of the variables that dictate sound of the guitar. Make sure that you are comparing
apples to apples, such as comparing guitars with the same pick, playing the same songs, etc.
Even playing in different rooms will make the guitar sound differently. If playing several
electrics, make sure you are playing them all through the same amp with the same settings. A
bad sounding guitar through a great amp will typically sound better than a great guitar through a
bad amp, so USE THE SAME VARIABLES!
Buying a first guitar is best done at a store where you can get an education in the process. Don’t
be afraid to ask questions, try a bunch of guitars and get what you want. Be polite, but you are
getting ready to spend some money, so don’t be rushed or talked into something that does not
resonate with you (feel, sound and budget). It’s okay to consider other prices and find out about
different woods, etc. but ultimately it’s what YOU are most happy with, not the sales person.
Take brand names with a grain of salt. There is not a best guitar, only what’s best for you.
There may be more suitable guitars for specific jobs, but keep an open mind. That is, don’t buy a
guitar just because of the name. I have brand name guitars that you would know and others that
you would not, but I love them all for different reasons.
BUDGET, FEEL and SOUND… repeat the mantra after me… BUDGET, FEEL and SOUND…
BUDGET, FEEL and SOUND. Now go fall in love with a guitar!

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How to Choose a Guitar for Purchase

What brand is best?

What type woods?

Should I get an electric or acoustic?

Let’s simplify the process a bit.

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