Buying Acoustic Guitar?
Buying a guitar is an experience filled with joy and mysteries- you are introduced to the realm of instrumental music at its best while you have plenty to choose from in the garden which tends to confuse even the experts sometimes. So let’s say you are determined to get an acoustic guitar very soon and there is nothing out there that can change your mind. So if you are a beginner and are looking for expert advice on how to choose a guitar, I am here to guide you through the complete process so that you would have no difficulty in buying the right acoustic guitar for you.
So buying a guitar is quite an overwhelming process with a lot involved in it. However, every decision you make is going to be determined by budget, quality and skill level. Here is how you can start narrowing down to the best available options.
Start with Purpose
What kind of guitar player are you? How would you like to learn guitar? These two questions are very important in the process of buying a guitar. For example, if you are a beginner and want to learn guitar as just a hobby and it does not matter how much time it takes, there is no point in spending a grand for your guitar when a $150-200 one would be more than sufficient. And if you happen to be an intermediate player or far beyond that, money shouldn’t be a problem at all as now you would need to expand your skills and for that, you would need a quality guitar that oozes brilliance.
Budgeting
That’s right. Don’t rush into buying a guitar or else, you would be overwhelmed by the complete thing. Thus, budgeting is more important than anything while buying a guitar as there is no way you would be able to learn peacefully if you do not invest smartly in your guitar. However, the final budgeting should be done at the time of choosing the guitar from selected options so that you end up with the best without digging a hole in your own pocket.
Checking The Guitar Out
One of the most important parts of buying an acoustic guitar is checking the instrument out. And if an expert is not accompanying you, you need to do this yourself. Here is how to begin-
- Wood– Your guitar is made from wood and the type of wood is going to decide the durability as well as the quality of the tine that you are going to get from your guitar. Some of the commonly used woods in acoustic guitars are as follows-
- Cedar- Cedar is soft, producing bright tones. It is usually used in making the back and sides of a guitar and is a vital part of flamenco guitars.
- Cocobolo- Cocobolo is a tropical Mexican wood that is used just like Cedar.
- Ebony- Ebony is a strong wood that is generally used to make fret board but is also used for body which makes the guitar sturdy and durable than most.
- Granadillo- One of the most scarce and expensive woods that is used for making guitar body. Produces a ringing sound and adds to the quality of tone.
- Mahogany- Mahogany is a dense wood which has a slow response rate. It is usually just used for making the tops and it generates high end tones that are appropriate for folk, jazz and blues.
Some other notable woods used in guitar making and are brilliant as well are- Rosewood, Maple, Spruce and Walnut.
- Body Design- According to the size and the body design, the acoustic guitar can be broadly classified as jumbo, concert style, dreadnaught, small box and traveller. The jumbo as the name suggests are big and have a loud tone that resonates better than all other designs. Very large soundboards with square bouts and wide waists are what make a dreadnaught. Tone is exquisite in dreadnaught and is much easier to handle than a jumbo. Bright sound and an absolutely punchy mid-range are the specialties of the concert style guitars. They are usually smaller than the jumbo guitars. The small box guitars were designed for beginners as their sound box is relatively thinner and are much easier to play on. Traveller guitars are usually very light and are very durable as they are fit for easy pack and carry. Such guitars are only recommended for people who travel a lot and not for beginners. Small Box and Dreadnaughts should be more preferred by the beginners in body designs.
- Action- Action is crucial in every guitar, be it an electric guitar or an acoustic one. The right action can be helpful whereas if the action is too high, any beginner would face a tough time trying to get the notes and chords right. However, low action doesn’t always help either. Too low an action can really mess things up as you would be getting constant buzzing and ringing sounds which would tarnish the quality of sound and tone of your guitar. Thus, try the guitar on your own and see that the action is low, but not too low.
- Strings- Acoustic guitars come with two types of strings- the nylon and the steel strings and needless to say, both of them are very different and produce distinct quality sounds that are irreplaceable. The nylon strings and steel strings are not interchangeable so choose wisely. The nylon strings produce a soft and mellow sound and the nylon string guitar has a wide but short fret board. On the other hand, steel strings produce a sharp crisp sound and the fret board is longer than the nylon string one. Nylon string guitar is appropriate for classical playing style while if you are more into country and rock, jazz and blues, steel string guitars are the right pick for you.
Never shy away from asking. If you are beginner, you are bound to face problems and confusions which is why you need to research properly and take advice whenever possible to end up with the best suited guitar for yourself.
