Which guitar will be right for you?

At some point, all musicians have to buy an instrument. For us guitarists, it can be tough figuring out which guitar is right for us. There are so many different brands, models, styles. It can be really overwhelming, especially for people who don’t really know what they’re looking for yet. 

There are a lot of things to consider when buying a guitar, but one of the first things I recommend taking into consideration is are you serious about playing? If the answer is no, then I wouldn’t recommend investing in a more expensive guitar, but if the answer is yes, you might want to consider looking into the higher end guitars. Maybe not for an initial purchase, but just to keep in mind for the future. 

No matter how serious you are about guitar, don’t buy something super expensive right off the bat if you’re just starting out. Look for something a little cheaper that will get you by while you’re still learning.

For you beginners out there who are looking for a simple, cheap acoustic guitar, I recommend guitars like the Fender CD-60 Dreadnought, or the Ibanez AW54OPN. They’re good acoustics to get you started on your learning, but if you’re looking for an electric guitar, start looking at Epiphone guitars. They have quality guitars for cheap prices. I suggest the Epiphone Les Paul Special ii or the Epiphone SG Special P-90. There are tons more good guitars for beginners, but those are just a few that I know will be helpful for beginners. 

But if you already own a guitar and you’re looking to buy a newer one to help you progress, I suggest looking at brands like Gibson, Ibanez and Fender for electric guitars, and if you’re looking for acoustics, I recommend brands like Taylor, Gibson and Martin. 

When it comes to actually buying the guitar, as an experienced player you need to look for certain things in a guitar. With electrics, I recommend finding guitars with a cutaway in the bottom ride side of the body. You’ll see this often on Fender guitars like the Strat or Jazzmaster. This will help make the guitar more comfortable to hold and play. 

You also need to check for intonation issues such as string buzzing, choking notes, etc. You should check for those things. That’s why it’s so important to try to play a guitar before buying it. If a guitar has all of those issues, it’s probably not worth buying. Also check to make sure that the action isn’t too high or low, but there is a bit of personal preference in that too. 

My dad used to own two Yamaha Pacificas PAC12 guitars, a blue one and a black one, before we sold them. They’re nice beginner guitars. If anyone has thought about Yamaha as a possible option for their first guitar, I recommend them, but you should not use them if you’re making a living off of music. 

When looking at what kind of guitar to buy (I’m talking about electrics), you need to assess what style of music you’re going to play on it the most. You’ll hear a lot of people say stuff like “Telecasters are best for country” and “SGs are best for rock and metal.” Whilst those guitars are very popular and often associated with those genres, we can achieve many tones using pedals, amps and effects, but if we’re talking about clean tones and using the pickups without effects, SG’s work really well for country, and telecasters can be used for rock. Both can achieve the right tone for country and rock. 

So when you hear that a certain guitar is the best for a certain genre, take your time and think it through. This is another reason why playing the guitar you’re looking at buying before you buy it is important. 

If you are looking to buy an SG, beware of the head dip where the headstock is heavier than the body. If you’re looking at buying a guitar like a Les Paul (one of the most popular guitars of all time), they are very heavy. 

Also, beware of bolt-on necks. It’s where the neck of a guitar is bolted on instead of actually being attached to the body. The reason this is something you should look for is because bolt-on necks don’t produce as much sustain as a set neck because it’s held together by bolts. 

Also make sure to ask guitar store workers any questions you have about a guitar. They’re going to give you their honest opinion on the guitar(s) and help you find the right guitar for you. 

I hope that this helps you in your guitar buying process. It can be stressful trying to find the right guitar. If any of you are curious about what guitars I own, here they are. 

• Taylor 210ce
• Takamine F310S 
• Yamaha TRBX174 Electric Bass Guitar Blue Metallic
• Stratocaster (We call it Frankenstrat because it’s multiple guitar parts put together to make an awesome sounding strat with humbuckers.)
• Taylor Baby Mahogany (BT2e)
• Takamine GC5CE-NAT