Guitar Basics: How to Buy a Guitar when You Are a New Player
My friend Anthony recently started playing the bass guitar.
He had been wanting to learn for some time, and he finally asked me to go down to the local Guitar Center to help him decide what to buy.
Although I am primarily a guitarist, I can play passable bass (and banjo), and I’m familiar enough with basses to help a brother out, which is what I did.
With my help, he was able to pick out a shockingly nice bass/amp combo for not a ton of money.
It’s great fun to be able to help a friend out like this, but unfortunately, if you’re reading this and looking to get into playing guitar, you’re probably not anywhere near me, so I can’t meet you at your local guitar shop and help (as awesome as that would be).
So while I can’t coach you through your first guitar purchase in person, what I can do is lay out some broad concepts that can help you narrow down your options and make a good choice you will be happy with for the long term.
Looks matter
Although I don’t consider myself a vain or shallow person, this is one area where looks definitely matter. I can’t stress this enough: you must love how your guitar looks.
