In this article we are going to discuss how to buy the best guitar for beginners in 2023. This article will help you buy what is best for you.
When I was a beginner trying to buy my first guitar the first question that crossed my mind was “how do I buy my first ever guitar?” or how to buy the best guitar for beginners. Buying your first instrument is the first step of the long journey of learning and practicing. As a beginner this decision can be an intriguing one because there are a lot of types, models and manufacturers of guitars to choose from.
When you have made up your mind on buying a new guitar, one decision you’ll have to make is, choosing between acoustic or an electric guitar, in my condition my first ever guitar was an acoustic guitar. A Pluto acoustic guitar which I played for 5 years (still in one piece) until I got my first electric guitar.
While there are hundreds of options for you to choose from as a beginner one important aspect for you to keep in mind is that you need to find a guitar that sounds great, feels good to play and has a great look, yet everyone has their own preferences and the main goal is that the guitar must inspire you and it makes you want to keep practising.
The purpose of this guide how to buy the best guitar for beginners is to narrow down the process of purchasing your first beginner guitar.
Buy The Best Guitar For Beginners
ANATOMY OF A GUITAR
Head-stock: The head stock is located at the end of the neck, it holds the tuning pegs, different manufacturers have different shapes.
Tuning Pegs: The guitar strings goes through the tuning pegs. It allows the player to tune the strings.
Nut: the strings pass though the nut to the head stock. It maintains string alignment over the neck.
Neck: Neck is a single piece of wood that is connected to the body of the guitar, it is either glued or bolted on the body.
Fret-board: The fret-board is a piece of wood that is glued over the neck of the guitar. Rosewood, Maple-wood and ebony are few types of wood used on the fret-board.
Frets: They are the small piece of metal that is embedded on the fret board. Usually there are 21 to 24 frets on a guitar.
Strings: There are 6 metal strings on an acoustic guitar(nylon strings in a classical guitar).
Neck Joint: Neck joint is located behind the neck where it meets the body.
Body: The body of the guitar consists of the upper bout (top part of the body),lower bout (lower wider part) and the waist bout (narrow part).
Sound Hole: It is the opening on the top of the body, the sound hole help the acoustic guitar emit sound efficiently.
Sound Board: The upper part of the body is called the sound board. The quality of the tone and sounds depends on the sound board.
Pick Guard: Also called as the scratch plate, it protects the guitar from damage while strumming using a pick.
Saddle: The saddle allows the strings to uniformly align over the fret-board.
Bridge: The bridge holds down the strings at the lower part of the guitars body.
Buying An Acoustic Guitar For Beginners
Before we begin we need to understand the types of acoustics available in the market.
- Acoustic guitar (steel strings)
- Classical guitar (nylon strings)
Acoustic Guitar
In your initial stages of your guitar playing journey many people would suggest you on getting an acoustic guitar instead of an electric. The reason being ,able to play it right away. while play an acoustic guitar you wont be needing any accessories unlike the electric guitar.
Acoustic guitar uses steel strings which gives out a bright tone and a loud sound. With the acoustic guitars mellow tone output it makes it ideal for folk music, country music , rock and various genres.
Advantages of acoustic guitars
- Ideal for beginners
- Amplifiers not required
- Bright tone for playing chords and notes.
- Acoustic guitars have a natural sound
Disadvantages of acoustic guitars
- Limited sound effects
- Steel strings can be hard on your fingers
- Bulky in size
Classical Guitar
Classical guitars are pretty much an acoustic guitar but they are smaller in size making them easier to play. Classical guitar uses nylon strings.
Nylon string are generally thicker which makes it easier for your finger tips than the steel strings. These guitars are great for beginners. They are good for finger-picking technique. When it comes to the sound the classical guitar is not as bright as the steel stringed acoustic guitar.
buying An Electric Guitar For Beginners
Get an electric guitar for more flexibility . With an electric guitar you can play in any styles. Electric guitar requires additional components like amplifier and an instrument cord.
Electric guitars come with built-in controls like volume and tone nobs, more number of frets , pickups, different types of bridges,thinner strings, narrow neck, smaller body which makes it easier to handle.
They are widely used in Rock, Pop and Metal genres.
Advantages of an electric guitar
- Easier to play
- Various sound effects to explore
- Playing the electric guitar wont hurt your finger
- The amplifier makes the guitar louder when connected
Disadvantages of an electric guitar
- Requires amplifiers and cables
Hopefully this article, how to buy the best guitar for beginners has given you an idea on purchasing your first guitar.
Best Guitar For Beginners