You have decided that you want to learn how to play the guitar, but you are not certain which guitar is the right one to buy.  Don’t worry, this is pretty common with every new musician and something that you will learn.

It is not a good idea to purchase a really expensive guitar for practicing, beginner guitars are more suited for this purpose.

Learning to play guitar is fun and easy to do but the fact is, it is not for everyone. If you purchase a really expensive guitar and decide not to pursue your lesson, you will have wasted a great deal of money on a guitar you may never play again. It is much more practical to buy a less expensive guitar until you are certain that this is something you intend to continue doing.

Finding the perfect beginner guitar for yourself is really quite easy if you follow these buying tips:

 

Tips for Buying a Guitar

 

Create a realistic budget for your purchase.

A guitar in the range of 200-300 dollars is a good starting point. Used guitars are a very good option and can be found at your local pawn shop or guitar store. If your lucky enough you may end up with a pretty good guitar for a relatively cheap price.

Bring a guitar player with you.

Bring a friend or family member who actually plays guitar with you when you are making the purchase because they can test the guitar for you. Older or cheaper guitars are often poorly constructed and have terrible sound quality.

Electric or Acoustic?

Many guitarists choose to learn the basic chords and notes on an acoustic guitar because they believe that it makes it easier when playing the electric. You will need to decide which guitar style is best for you and if you will purchase one or both.

It’s all about the feel!

Try a number of guitars and see how they feel when you hold them.  A guitar should feel natural in your hand and you will begin to see the difference as you try each one. When you hold the guitar place your index finger directly behind the first fret (the metal line) on the fattest string and pull on the string with a bit of force as this will give you a feel for the amount of pressure you will need to produce sound.

Borrow one

The most practical way to deal with this issue is to borrow a guitar until you have taken enough lessons to get a feel for the touch and sound of a guitar.  After a few lessons, you will be more comfortable in choosing what guitar is right for you. If you are still not sure, you can always ask your instructor to help guide you in the right direction.

Never judge a guitar by its looks, judge it by its sound. While some guitars may look cool, it does not mean that they are actually god ones.  If you purchase a beautiful guitar that has terrible sound, you will never learn how to properly listen to the music and/or learn the proper notes.

The West Island Music Conservatory music store has one of the largest selections of guitars in all of Quebec. Call us at 514-428-5080 or visit us at our location:

 

Plaza Pointe-Claire 

269 St-Jean blvd,

Suite 101

Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 3J1