What Guitar to buy.

[jorgemac]

That is a very complex question and hard to answer.

I’ve been purchasing guitars my whole life and each one is going to the perfect guitar for me. That seems to be true for a few months then,,,, I’m looking around again. If I was starting to play after a long absence from picking, I would research the different styles, shapes and tones of guitars in my price range. There are some good beginner guitars available for under $1,000,better intermediate guitars under $2,000 and great guitars above that. Do you play at all? If you can play a simple tune or 2 you can test a lot of different guitars at your favorite music store.

I usually buy used instruments that are in great shape because someone purchased it but gave up because of the the work involved to learn to play guitar.

I listen for tone 1st and foremost. Then the guitar action- does it need a setup to play smoothly? Do you have any friends that play who can help you?

You can’t go wrong with beginner Taylor, Larivee, Yamaha,Takamine ,,, I could go on and on but if are serious about learning you need to find a guitar that you will feel comfortable with. Are your hands big or small. What kind of music do you enjoy? What stye of music are you interested in learning?

[MattTX_24]

I definitely echo what Jorgemac said..

If I had a $1,000 limit, I would probably do an entry-level Taylor… but that is purely my subjective opinion. I just love the way they play and sound… and their guitar necks feel good on the hands. My first and only guitar is a Takamine G series, and I bought it for about $450 around 20 years ago. It has done me well and I love the way it sounds more and more each year. My buddy has a Yamaha and those seem to be a popular pick as well.

Whatever you pick, definitely go to a store that will let you play around with several until you find one that just feels right. The right guitar should just feel right in your hands.

Some models are larger/smaller and might be easier to play based on their size. For instance, some of the smaller-sized guitars will have slightly smaller fret sizes/etc, which could make it easier for your fingers to play the chords (depending on your dexterity/hand size).

At the end of the day, it is whatever just feels/sounds right to you! You could ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers and everyone would be right 🙂

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by  MattTX_24.
• This reply was modified 3 months ago by  MattTX_24.

[jorgemac]

Matt, The first guitar I purchased was a Takamine Back in 1971. A few years later I lent it to a friend and… haven’t seen the guitar or her for years. It was a beautiful soulful sounding guitar. Much better tone than I deserved when learning to play.

[Moose408]

I started with a Yamaha guitar and it served me well for several years. It was under $250

[jumpinjeff]

The best guitar is the guitar you love. If you don’t love one, pick the cheapest you can find with a sound you like and start dating other guitars. If you don’t know why you should love one, stick around, keep playing your inexpensive one and you will begin to develop preferences.

[ronbon172]

My best suggestion would be to find a local musical instrument or guitar store, and look for someone who will give you the time to try and not push you to buy. Do not go to Guitar Center as it’s an awefule experience. Hint, if the guitars seem to be in tune when you try them, you’re in a good shop. I was almost going to buy an Eastman PCH which was very comfortable and sounded good, just for the purpose of TAC, but then bought used from a friend. Try different styles and figure out which best suites you, eg. dreadnaught, concert, orchestra…

Good luck!

[Skyman911]

Some really good advice here. I went through a number of different guitars when I first started, mostly because I didn’t know what I was really doing, or looking for. My personal opinion is, but the guitar that fits you the best. You’ll be spending a lot of time playing it, so it should be comfortable, especially the neck shape and feel. Some are thick, some are thin, some have wider string spacing, and the list goes on. So many factors to consider. So I would take the advice of going to a good music store (not guitar center) and try out some guitars. Don’t buy anything that day, and go home and think about it a bit. Go back again and play the ones you liked. You’ll probably know your answer then. Try not to be brand specific. Many less expensive guitars play and sound just as good as the expensive brand names.

[jorgemac]

Skyman, good advice. Keep it simple.

[Ken F]

I went to my local music store and I ended up with a Yamaha. It has a nice sound. Now I need to make it play music. Thank you all for your advice.

Ken

[jorgemac]

Many years ago when buying a 1st guitar for my granddaughter as a surprise gift as she was fascinated watching me play. I played many different entry level guitars for hours. I kept coming back to the cheapest one as it seemed to speak to me. I kept thinking that I can’t buy the cheapest one. I have to keep looking for a “better” guitar. I ended up buying the inexpensive one for her. If the guitar “speaks to you” that is the one you want. She still plays the same guitar all of the time.