It is a difficult task to buy a guitar especially if there are wide options to choose from. Knowing the right features and the style of your choice can give you a definite idea on how to buy a guitar that suits your personality. The different guitar available in the market is a factor for many guitar enthusiasts to be confused in buying the right guitar for them thus, ending with not being able to produce a good decision in buying one. As a beginner, it is frustrating to have different options for a single guitar and not knowing how to find the right one for you.
Make sure you examine the guitar for obvious faults. Used guitars will always have little scratches in their finish. This is not an issue as they can normally be buffed out. Besides it gives the guitar character to have a little wear and tear. But examine the body and neck of the guitar closely for cracks in the wood. Also look for dents on the bottom of the body, the end of the body and around the headstock. Dents in this area are also an indication the guitar has been dropped. Small dents on the face of the body are not usually an issue.
Now lets take a closer look at the neck. Electric guitars have three types of necks: bolt-ons, glue-ons and straight thrus. Straight-thrus are the most robust as this is where the neck makes up the centre part of the body of the guitar. So the neck actually runs from the base of the body all the way through to the headstock. There are not many guitars with necks like this, Carvin still make them and the Gibson Firebird that was made in the sixties had a straight through neck.
After identifying your type of music and identifying the right guitar for you, it is also important to test the quality of the guitar you wish to purchase. Knowing how to buy a guitar is important for this will determine what kind of music you can produce with the guitar you purchased. One can check every music stores and look into different newspaper and online ads for the brands and the reviews by other users for you to have a comparative basis in choosing what guitar to buy.
Check the harmonics of the guitar by using a guitar tuner. Play an open string and tune it to the tuner. Play the same string, fretted at the 12th fret and ensure the tuner reads exactly the same as it did when you played the string open. If it doesnt than the harmonics are out. Harmonics can be tuned by adjusting the bridge but if they are out then the guitar will sound in tune when you play an open chord but out of tune when you barre a chord further up the neck.
The last step that you need to remember in learning how to buy a guitar is to consider the amount that comes in buying it. You may find a good guitar at a cheaper cost in a different music store. The tendency of a person is to buy the first guitar that he sees in a store after evaluating its features. Remember that a same guitar can be offered in a different store with a lower price. The best thing that you need to do in determining how to buy a guitar is scout for the prices of the guitar you want and negotiate with the sales person.
Make sure you examine the guitar for obvious faults. Used guitars will always have little scratches in their finish. This is not an issue as they can normally be buffed out. Besides it gives the guitar character to have a little wear and tear. But examine the body and neck of the guitar closely for cracks in the wood. Also look for dents on the bottom of the body, the end of the body and around the headstock. Dents in this area are also an indication the guitar has been dropped. Small dents on the face of the body are not usually an issue.
Now lets take a closer look at the neck. Electric guitars have three types of necks: bolt-ons, glue-ons and straight thrus. Straight-thrus are the most robust as this is where the neck makes up the centre part of the body of the guitar. So the neck actually runs from the base of the body all the way through to the headstock. There are not many guitars with necks like this, Carvin still make them and the Gibson Firebird that was made in the sixties had a straight through neck.
After identifying your type of music and identifying the right guitar for you, it is also important to test the quality of the guitar you wish to purchase. Knowing how to buy a guitar is important for this will determine what kind of music you can produce with the guitar you purchased. One can check every music stores and look into different newspaper and online ads for the brands and the reviews by other users for you to have a comparative basis in choosing what guitar to buy.
Check the harmonics of the guitar by using a guitar tuner. Play an open string and tune it to the tuner. Play the same string, fretted at the 12th fret and ensure the tuner reads exactly the same as it did when you played the string open. If it doesnt than the harmonics are out. Harmonics can be tuned by adjusting the bridge but if they are out then the guitar will sound in tune when you play an open chord but out of tune when you barre a chord further up the neck.
The last step that you need to remember in learning how to buy a guitar is to consider the amount that comes in buying it. You may find a good guitar at a cheaper cost in a different music store. The tendency of a person is to buy the first guitar that he sees in a store after evaluating its features. Remember that a same guitar can be offered in a different store with a lower price. The best thing that you need to do in determining how to buy a guitar is scout for the prices of the guitar you want and negotiate with the sales person.
About the Author:
Matthew James knows a lot about sound and stereo and has been mixing music for over a decade. For further information about stereo and sound, visit his website about used guitars and check out the online guitar lessons.