Beginning Guitar Review

Tips For Buying A Used Guitar

It doesn't matter if you are adding another to your collection or if you are just starting to learn the guitar and are looking for an instrument to play. There are tons of used guitars out there that would be perfect but the problem becomes how to tell if you are getting a good quality used guitar at a great price, vs. just getting taken...

The simple truth is that some really expensive new guitars are really relatively inexpensive when you buy them secondhand. Also, if you know what you are looking for, you can often times find some really great deals from people that are in a position where they just need some quick cash. As a beginner you really need to do your homework before buying a used guitar; a lot of people will raise their prices when they know they are dealing with a beginner often times to take advantage of them. Learning to play the guitar is only one of the things you will need to learn about your guitar, you must also learn how to spot a good quality instrument as well.

If you are hear then you are most likely a beginner and as a beginning guitar player probably don't know a lot about guitars yet. Now, you are likely wondering what you should look for in a used guitar. For examples sake, let's say you are clicking through your local Craigslist listings and you come across a secondhand guitar for sale. You really want a guitar so you call the seller to set up a time to look at the guitar. Below is a small list of things you should discuss with the seller when you go look at the guitar.

• Make and Model of the guitar.
• It it a good idea to get this information before actually going to see the guitar. This way you can do a little research to find out what similar guitars are selling for. You should check both new and used prices to get a good idea of what the guitar is really worth. You can also search the Internet to find personal reviews on the particular guitar to ensure it is a quality instrument with no major manufacturer defects.
• Be sure and ask about the condition of the guitar. If the seller is honest, they may tell you about any damage the guitar may have that is not easily noticeable when you visually inspect the guitar.
• Ask the seller how long they have had the guitar. They should have a good idea of any repairs and maintenance the guitar required as well as it's history of use. Also, ask why they are selling the guitar. In many cases they will either need some quick cash or they want to upgrade and buy a more expensive guitar. Basically try to make sure they are not selling because something is wrong with the guitar.

By now I know you are getting really anxious to get in a little guitar play, but when you go to look at the guitar there are a few specific things you should always check. A few of the major things to look at are the overall condition of the guitar and rust. Look for any obvious damage, with normal use a guitar will usually get a few small scratches and even some tiny dings which shouldn't be a big deal; however, make sure there are no major cracks or holes. When looking for rust, don't worry about the strings, just make sure there is no rust on the hardware holing the strings or on the pickups. Below is a list of areas you should also look at.

• Make sure the neck of is not warped or out of shape at all.
• Make sure the neck goes straight up from the body of the guitar when looking at it from the side. Also, look down the strings and make sure there is a slight bow downwards part way down the neck.


• Check the areas of the guitar where the neck joins the head and body. Look for any cracks or scratches where the neck may have been broken at some point.
• Check how close the strings are to the fret board all along the neck.
• You want the strings to be really close to the fret board all along the neck, this is considered "good action" and it will be easier to play than one where the strings are high off the fret board.
• Being a beginner, this may be a little tough but try to check the intonation of the strings.
• Basically intonation is the accuracy of each note played on any string. If the intonation is correct then all the notes will stay in pitch regardless of where on the fret board they are played. A rough way to check the intonation is to play an E shape barre chord on each of the frets and listen to see if the chord keeps it's pitch. Like I said, I know this will be tough because you are just beginning guitar.
• If you are looking at an electric guitar, you need to either plug it into the sellers amp or borrow an amp to take with you. Turn the amp up and they work all of the volume and tone controls as well as switching the pickup selector. You want to listen for any clicking or scratchy noises when working the controls. This could be a sign of warn electronics.
• One last thing to do before you buy is go to a music store and ask to play on a new model of the used guitar you are looking at. Try to use a comparable amp so you can really have a good comparison between the sound of the new model vs. the used one.

Most importantly, don't be impulsive when looking to buy a used guitar. After looking at the guitar, give yourself some time to think about the purchase. Also, take the time to look around at other used guitars for sale. Give yourself a choice, don't just buy the first one you see, if you do you may miss out on a really good deal...

What Type Of Guitar Should I Learn On?

Have you ever asked a friend if you could borrow their guitar for a while? If so, I would guess it was either a classical acoustic guitar or possibly an old steel string acoustic guitar. In fact, when just starting out and beginning guitar, these acoustic guitars are excellent choices to learn how to play the guitar on.

The biggest reason for these acoustic guitars being top choice for learning is because electric guitars require all kinds of extras. Things like amplifiers, leads, speakers, and electricity. With an acoustic guitar, all you need is a pick.

Possibly the greatest thing about learning how to play the guitar on an acoustic guitar is the fact that you can't turn it up really loud. It is best to play at a level that you can easily hear your mistakes (and your neighbors can't!). While the acoustic is the easiest and least expensive one to learn on, if you don't really know what type of guitar you would like to learn on just think about what kind of music you want to play.

Pick a song you would like to play and really listen to just the guitar parts of the song. Are the guitar sounds soft and clean or are they heavy, distorted, and harsh? Generally speaking, the softer cleaner sounds are made with an acoustic guitar and the heavy distorted sounds are created with an electric guitar and amplifier. Once you decide what style of music you want to play, that should tell you what type of guitar you should get to learn on.