Guitar and Accessories The Ulitmate Guide

New students often ask what is the best guitar for a beginner to use. Is one particular type better, or easier to play than another?

This is an important question to answer since the instrument you choose is meant to be your close partner for the next several years, or maybe even life, so you want to be sure you can get along with each other.

The idea of getting a new guitar is very exciting to most students. Just one step inside the music store can be a dazzling experience when confronted with the shear multitude of stringed instruments hanging on the wall. It can be a little overwhelming too.

With all the different models, shapes, sizes and colors there are to choose from, how does a person know which guitar is "best" and right for them? The answer to this question can seem even more daunting for the beginner who doesn't even know how to play anything yet.

Identifying your musical goals is a crucial step toward finding the best guitar and making the right decision. It can also save you a lot of money in the long run. Its helpful to consider the style of music are you most interested in learning how to play. I suggest you think seriously about this before whipping out your wallet and making a purchase that is based primarily on "love at first sight."

Now, I need to qualify this suggestion a little bit before going any further. My own first musical "partner" was a Classical guitar. In case you may be wondering, I did not have any interest at all in learning how to play instrumental "classical" music when I was a teenager. I just wanted to learn how to play my favorite songs; the ones that I heard on my albums and on the radio.

Was this the best guitar for the job? Maybe not, but since it was a gift, I gladly accepted it!

Was I able to achieve my goals using a Classical guitar? Yes. I just learned how to play classic rock music instead. =)

I used this guitar to learn and play songs from groups such as... Led Zepplin, The Moody Blues, Ten Years After, The Beatles, Yes, The Rolling Stones, Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Jimi Hendrix, and many others...

And it was probably the best guitar to have for playing some my favorite folk/rock songs by artists such as... Neil Young, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Joni Mitchel, Elton John, etc... because many of these songs used a fingerpicking style and that is what the classical guitar was designed for.

As it turned out, fingerstyle guitar became one of my favorite genres to play! Eventually I did become interested in learning how to read music and play classical guitar too.

Things don't always work out that well for others though. I have often seen students struggling with a guitar that was difficult for them to play for one reason or another. Sometimes the body of the instrument is too big and they have trouble positioning there arm over the soundhole comfortably.

Another problem I see is when the action is too high and the student is unable to press the strings down on the fretboard in order to get a clear tone.

But one of the most common problems I see has to do with intonation. If the intonation is poor, the student will be unable to create a good sound on their guitar no matter how well they can play. This can lead to discouragement and frustration which may keep the student from having the desire to play at all. It will also be hard for the student to hear the correct pitches, which is so vital to developing a good musical ear.

Poor intonation is usually the result of buying a cheap guitar. People often make the mistake of sacrificing quality for "affordability" in order to save a few bucks. However, those who do this will usually end up spending more money than intended simply because they will soon need to buy another one.

Believe me when I tell you that if the guitar is inadequate at the beginning it will only hinder the student who has any serious musical ambition. Its okay to look for a good deal, I always do, but please don't waste your time and money on a guitar that will only have to be replaced shortly after purchasing it.

There are several different ways to test whether or not the intonation is okay on an instrument you may interested in buying. Here is one method I often use...

1. Tune the guitar
2. While holding an E major chord at the first fret, strum one string at a time.
3. Listen to the tone of each string.
4. Do the tones blend? Does the guitar still sound in tune? If so...
5. Move to an F major barre chord and repeat the process.

Continue this process of moving the major barre chord shape up the neck one fret at a time, strumming each string, and listening to the blend. If at any point the guitar sounds bad, or like it is out of tune, then the intonation is probably off.

*Note - This test will only be accurate if you are able to hold and play a barre chord correctly. If you unintentionally bend the strings while playing the barre chord, the guitar will sound out of tune, but the intonation may be fine!

If you are not able to do this test yourself, ask someone at the store if they will do it for you while you listen.

Another simple test you can do yourself is to play each note on each string as you move up the fretboard...

0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---
0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12---

Again, you must make sure that you are pressing the string down without bending it. Listen to the sound of each tone as you move up the neck in order to determine if the intonation is good. Check for any buzzing, ringing or dullness in the sound too.

If you find a guitar that you really like (or have already bought one) and the intonation appears to be off, don't fret. Many guitars have adjustable necks that can be tweaked until they are brought into tune. Adjustments can also be made if the action is either too high or too low.

Here is a summary on how to find the best guitar that is just right for you...

1. Buy a guitar that is geared toward your musical interest and goals
2. Make sure the guitar is a good fit for your physically
3. Check that the action is neither too high or too low
4. Check that the intonation is good along the entire fretboard
5. Choose quality over an "affordable" poorly made instrument

Keep these tips in mind when you are looking for a new guitar. They should help make your decision easier and the final outcome much happier. No regrets!