Guitar Alley

Whether you are looking to buy your first guitar, are in the market to get another one, or just want to dream and figure out what next guitar you would buy if you had the money, here is some advice on what to consider.  After all, buying the right guitar can be an overwhelming experience with the large selections and varieties on the market.  Don’t let this discourage you, my friends.  Buying a guitar can still be a great deal of fun! No matter what your situation may be, there are four main factors to consider when finding the best guitar for you.

1. Feel (Playability)

2. Tone

3. Style

4. Budget

Feel (Playability)
If a guitar does not feel comfortable when you are playing it, it does not matter how wonderful it sounds, how amazing it looks, or how much you paid for it. After all, you wouldn’t want to play it for very long if it did not feel right. If you’re serious about wanting to learn guitar, you know that you will have to spend a long time practicing in order to get good. So, you absolutely need to have a guitar that is comfortable for the size of your hands. Here is what to look for…

Neck thickness and carve shape –You want to have one that fills your hand well when playing chords around the first few frets. Too thin can cause fatigue – too thick can make it difficult to get your fingers into position quickly and comfortably.

Neck width at the nut – This can vary from 1 3/4” to 2”. Again, your fingers will tell you if it is too narrow if they are tripping over themselves during chord changes. Wider necks are particularly suited for soloing.

Fret size – Common sizes are standard, thin, medium jumbo, and jumbo. This will affect how much your fingers (and strings) rub against the wood of the fretboard while playing.

Neck radius – This can vary from 7” to 16”. This is the curve of the fretboard when you look at it from the ends. Fenders typically have smaller (rounder) radii, which feel better when playing chords, while Gibsons tend to have flatter, usually 12” radii, which are better for bending strings.

Scale length – this is the vibrating length of the string. The shorter the length, the closer the frets will be to each other. Most Fenders have a 25.5” length, while most Gibsons are 24.75”.

Body shape – There are almost too many variations to list, but the things to consider here are neck access (single or double cutaway), flat top vs. carved top, solid body vs. semi-hollow body, and the overall shape. You want to find something that feels comfortable when sitting and standing.

Tone
I list this second, but it is nearly as important as the first factor. There are many components that shape the overall tone of an electric guitar. The main ones are the following:

Body wood - Generally speaking, guitars made from lighter woods such as Ash or Alder tend to have a brighter tone than ones made from Mahogany, which tends to be dark. Check out Warmoth.com for complete descriptions of guitar woods.

Neck wood - A maple neck and fretboard will sound more bright and direct than a rosewood fretboard on a mahogany neck.

Neck joint – The main types are bolt-on (most Fenders and Ibanez), set or glued in (most Gibson and Paul Reed Smith), and neck-through (Jackson Soloist). The tonal differences between the three are debatable, but generally speaking, bolt-on necks have more attack and brighter tone, compared to the warmer tone of set and neck-through joints.

Pickup type and placement - Humbucking pickups generally sound warmer and have higher output than single coil pickups. Single coil pickups produce more high-end treble response, usually at the cost of higher noise.

Bridge type - Tremolo bridges tend to give a more metallic, edgy tone than fixed bridges. Fixed bridges typically offer more sustain, warmer tone and are easier for changing strings and tuning.

Gauge of the strings - Heavier strings sustain longer and sound fuller than lighter gauge strings, but require more effort to fret and bend.

What specific combination of those individual components make the best sounding guitar is hotly debated among different guitarists, but it really comes down to personal preference. Trust your ears and try different amps and control settings to see what each guitar has to offer.

Style
Guitarists tend to view their instrument as an extension of their persona and want to project their personal style with its color and shape. There’s nothing wrong with that – a guitar’s looks can serve as a source of musical inspiration. However, it can actually be an impediment when trying to find the right one, since the way a guitar looks does not always reflect the tone that it will produce. So, if at first look, a particular guitar does not seem like something you would consider, just give it a try. It might surprise you and open your eyes to new possibilities.

Budget
Decide how much you want to spend – probably not more than a few hundred dollars if you are not sure if playing guitar is something that you will want to stick with. Then, try to maximize your budget by picking the features that you really want in a guitar and perhaps sacrificing cosmetics or a certain brand name. Also, do your homework in finding the lowest price. There are many online sites that you can use (e.g. Musiciansfriend.com, GuitarCenter.com, Music123.com, Sweetwater.com, and SamAsh.com). You can usually find the lowest price online and then go to a local music store and negotiate using that price.  Music stores tend to know that you can buy online and will match the price to get the sale. The advantage to you is that you can play and inspect the guitar prior to buying it.  Plus, you won’t have to wait for delivery.

Do yourself a favor and try as many different guitars as you can get your hands on –your friends’, relatives’, and all of the ones in your local music stores.  If you have just started, try to learn all of the basic chords so that you can try them out on each guitar. This way you can see if your fingers will have enough room to move around and fret the strings cleanly or if they would end up having to stretch too far for comfort.

Your research will be greatly rewarded by finding out what you do and don’t like. Finding the right guitar could mean the difference between a lifetime of rewarding playing and a few months of frustration followed by giving up.

So, don’t rush it - just listen to your fingers and ears.  Eventually, you will find your six (or seven) stringed soulmate!

Good luck & keep playing!

Mitch the Guitar Guy
MitchGuitarGuy@yahoo.com

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