Buying your first guitar can sometimes seem like a traumatic experience. There are so many guitars to choose from and the price range is enormous. One of the first steps in your decision making process will be whether to buy an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. This decision should be based on the type of music you like and that you will hope to play.



If you like your heavier rock'n'roll music or particularly like lead guitar then your choice will likely be to buy an electric guitar. And don't worry. There is no rule that says beginners can't start with an electric guitar. Just remember to listen to how it sounds on the type of amp you will buy.

Your other choice is obviously to buy an acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars remain very popular due to their natural sound and portability. Acoustics are great for that finger picking technique you will likely want to try at some stage.

Just as the range of guitars can seem endless, so can the range in prices. There are some well known brands and models that typify the history of the guitar such as the Gibson Les Paul or the Fender Telecaster and you will pay a lot more for these. You can however buy guitars that are copies of these original vintage guitars that are cheap to buy and provide a solid guitar experience.

As with everything in life your choice will depend on your budget and how important you feel about the choice. For the beginner guitarist, it is like buying a watch. One person may buy an expensive watch because it is a thing of beauty and impresses people. The next person buys a cheap watch because it tells the time. The same applies to guitars in your choice of a beautiful quality instrument or just one that sounds ok and lets you play.

If you're not buying strictly according to name and known quality then your choice comes down to balance, playability, sound and look. The look is an easy one to cover off. You want a look that matches your type of music and your personal style. If you're a big hairy guy with numerous tatoos and body piercings who thrashes out heavy metal songs then you're not going to be happy with a lilac colored baby acoustic.

The guitar tone is something you alone can decide whether you like. It is personal taste that some people like a more full well-rounded sound while others prefer a more hard edge attacking sound. If you're not comfortable playing it yourself when you go to buy the guitar, get someone else to play some different songs and listen carefully to the tone.

The feel of the guitar and how simple it is to play normally rate highly as you will be attached to it for a long time to come. Try the guitar out. You don't have to play some technical masterpiece. Often just a clear strum on different chords gives you a good indication. Try your chords at different positions at higher frets to see how this feels. What is the action of the guitar like? Do the strings sit a long way above the fretboard at the higher frets or is it still relatively simple to play a clear sounding chord. If you aren't comfortable doing this, take a friend with some experience with you when looking to buy your guitar for their views. Make sure the guitar feels comfortable to hold and play both sitting down and standing up. You should also check that the parts do not vibrate and that they feel reasonably solid.

Overall, you have two main choices when buying your guitar. You can buy a more expensive guitar and you know that you are getting a good product. If you are buying a cheap guitar, you probably need to take someone with you with at least intermediate level skills so they can report on its playability and sound. As always make up your own mind. Don't let the salesman make it up for you.