A bit of advice for people taking up the guitar

Buying your first guitar

Where to buy

If you are about to buy your first guitar or are buying one for your child, you don't want to spend a fortune until you know that you or your child are going to stick with it. That said you also don't want to buy a nasty cheap guitar that either doesn't stay in tune or when in tune at the open strings, is out of tune by the time you go five or six frets up the neck.

My personal opinion is not to buy a cheap guitar package from someone like Argos. The first reason is because a lot of the cheap guitars that you get aren't very good. I'm not saying that all the guitars that shops like Argos sell are rubbish because some are undoubtedly very good value for money. The trouble is that you don't get to test the guitar before you buy it. Even if you did you probably wouldn't be able to tell if it was any good. Secondly you can't get any help or advice about the guitars from a member of staff.

I would also avoid buying your guitar online for the same reasons as above i.e. You can't talk to anyone or test the guitar. If you do buy it online i advice using a well known service or from a website with a store you can visit if you have problems! A friend of mine bought an effects board online and had problems with it. He then found out that it was a faceless company probably run from a warehouse in Europe somewhere and there was no one to talk with to resolve the problem.

I would personally go to a reputable music shop where there are people who know about the guitars they are selling. In a good music shop they will give you advice for free and let you test the guitars before buying them. If later you have a problem with the guitar, it needs setting up or new strings fitted, you have a shop to go back to. I personally think this is worth paying a little more for!

A few bits of information on guitars

The guitar that's best for you depends on the type of music you want to play. Below are pictured two of the most common types of guitar.

	On the left is a Fender Stratocaster.
	This is one of the most popular guitars and has been made famous by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. It usually has 21 frets and 3 single coil pick-ups. It is ideal for Blues, Country, Pop, Funk, Reggae and moderate Rock.
	On the left is a Ibanez guitar.
	This is one of the most famous guitars in the Rock and Metal world and has been made famous by the likes of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. It usually has 24 frets and 2 Humbucker pick-ups which give it a much more cutting tone. Humbuckers played through a heavily distorted amp will give you the classic Heavy Rock and Metal sounds.

There are many other types of guitar but they mainly have either single coil pick-ups, which normally give a smoother more mellow tone great for Blues, Funk, Reggae, Soul etc. or Humbucker pick-ups that are ideal for Rock and Metal playing. Some guitars have a combination of both to make them more versatile.

What i would suggest

If you are into Blues, soul etc. then a Strat type guitar will probably suit you. If you are into Heavy Metal shredding then you are better of having at least one Humbucker on your guitar and at least 22 frets. I personally recommend working out the maximum amount of cash that you have to buy your guitar, decide what type of guitar i.e. more mellow, full on rock or a bit of both, and finally visit as many shops as possible and get them to demo the guitars they have within your requirements. Unfortunately if you have a tight budget you may only be able to afford a Strat type guitar as most cheap guitars seem to be modelled on this.

A few bits of information on guitar amps

If you have enough in your budget an amp with two channels would be best. This means one channel has a clean sound and the other a distortion sound. The clean is the clear and more natural guitar sound and distortion is the more noisy Rock sound. Foot switchable is preferred, then if you are playing a song that changes from clean to distortion you can do this whilst playing. As for in-built effects, if you can afford an amp with them great. If not most guitarists buy an effects unit of some description eventually anyway.

Hopefully this page will help get you started. If you need any other free advice please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail. Details are on the contact page. Good luck and have fun.

Top