What Should I Know About Buying My First Guitar - Part 2

What are my options?

You have an idea of what you're looking for. Here's a comprehensive look at what's out there. I still recommend going to your local guitar store and talking with some people there. Don't just talk to salesmen, but anyone who has a guitar and who's willing to listen. You're a beginner musician and other musicians love to talk music and give advice, especially to beginners, Take Advantage of That. In fact that's what I did. I spoke to a guitar salesman named Mike at a store near me. Mike talked me through a lot of the guitar stuff I didn't know but he also said things I had read online already. I learned new stuff and found out if advice I read online was good or bad. Either way its a good start to talk to people and start engaging in the instrument you're about to learn. 

As I said in my previous post, all guitars have a sound. Different shapes, sizes, strings, wood types all have different sounds. Two guitars might look similar but sound completely different. So you have kept it simple, kept it inexpensive and made it your own. Here's two more great tips to focus on.

1. Comfort - It has to fit you. Anything that's a little annoying now will become more and more annoying later. So if it's just a little too big or the shape feels weird on you lap, try others and don't settle.

2. Sound - The size, shape, wood, strings, they all change the sound of a guitar. But at this point you don't need to get too into that. BUT you want to buy a guitar that will sound good because you are going to be training your ear to hear music in a new way. It's important that you hear the right stuff from the beginning. 

The Big Question: Should I Get an Acoustic Guitar or an Electric Guitar?

I have asked around and I have been all over the internet and I have tried both and here's my answer to that question: 

There is no right answer. It depends on what you're looking for.

Here are the comparable differences I have come across.

The Difference between Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar for Beginners

ACOUSTIC GUITAR	ELECTRIC GUITAR
Cheaper	A little more pricey
It's harder to develop finger skills because the frets are further apart and the strings are higher	With lower frets it's easier to develop beginner finger techniques
It's better to learn strumming technique on an acoustic guitar	If you wanna learn licks and start jamming solo's and doing shows quick, go electric guitar
Less gear and no need for electricity	Quicker access to pedal and sound changing devices gives you an instant array of effects to choose from

Next Blog will be more specific and we'll look into good brands for beginners.