Choosing A Guitar For Beginners
There are different types of guitars, at different prices. Some look the same but cost a lot more.
Here I will help guide you through which guitar is best suited for you to get started playing.
Why some guitars are more expensive than others but look the same?
If you think that all guitars that look the same but cost a different amount are the same, then think again.
Guitars can be different prices for a lot of reasons including:
- What type of wood is used.
- How it is built (is it mass produced, or carefully assembled?)Where in the world it was built.
- Quality of the components (cheap tuning pegs, Bridge, Pickups)
- Brand name. (Just like clothes, trainers, tv’s, phones, a brand name can add to the expense)
The list goes on.
Let’s start with the main types of guitar and why they look different. All the following guitars have similarities. (6 strings, tuning pegs, a bridge, neck etc). So they can all do the basics.
Classical
(wider neck, nylon strings more ideal for playing with fingers), and flat fretboard. They lack a scratch plate which protects from plectrum scratching the guitar and can have a slightly smaller body emphasizing a warm, mellow tone.
Acoustic/Electro Acoustic
Steel strings for brighter and louder sound, narrower neck compared to classical and slightly curved fretboard, scratch plate to avoid pick/plectrum damage. They don’t require an amplifier, although a semi acoustic sometimes called an electro acoustic can have pickups inside and jack socket to allow it to be plugged into an amp or pa.
Electric Guitars have no sound hole, but have magnetic pickups which sense the string movement and send that to the amplifier to make the sound. They have typically thinner solid bodies and narrow necks, with a range of tone and volume controls.
NOTE: Both Acoustic and Electric guitars have a metal truss rod that goes through the neck to give it strength. A classical guitar does not have this so DO NOT use metal strings on a classical guitar as it can lead to the neck bending and snapping/breaking.
So which guitar to choose?
Aah the ultimate question, which some guitar players would say buy them all haha. Unfortunately this is not practical, and I would also guess not what you want to hear. So here is my best advice.
It depends what you want to learn!
Obviously if your aim is to learn guitar solos, rock style stuff etc then purchasing an electric might be for you. (extra purchases would be an amp, and maybe think about headphones)
Ideally Acoustic guitars are typically more suited to strumming chords playing tunes and melodies.
Classical guitars are as stated more for finger style guitar (although acoustic can do this just as well) can sometimes be best suited to young beginners as the nylon strings are easier on the fingers.
So it’s really up to what you want it to do, but they are ALL able to do the basics. They all have 6 strings, tuned to the same notes. You can learn to play chords on all if them, they are just geared towards different musical genres.
I hope that guide helps you understand the difference.
If you are starting guitar, my advice would be to ask family and friends if they have one first, so you can try one out, have a go if you can. Otherwise, don’t spend a fortune to start. You don’t learn to drive a car in a Porsche (well most of us mere mortals don’t).
That doesn’t mean buy the cheapest one either. I find that lots of toy shops and other non musical places sell awful cheap guitars that are NOT very good quality. (They can be difficult to sound anything other than twangy, and hardly stay in tune. It’s not a thing about it being cheap, it’s that they are usually not fit for purpose). So check out a music shop.
Below are listed some guitars that are good for a beginner. I have attached links where I can. Talk to people about their guitars and try a few guitars out.
3/4 size Guitars
Classical
Palma
Hohner
Herald.
Acoustic steel strings
Electric
Full size
Classical
Yamaha c40ii electro classical
Acoustic
Electric
There are lots out there, and if you know someone who plays then maybe get them to come along to a guitar shop. Remember these are just ideas for beginner guitar players. As you develop as a player you will get your own ideas and own style. This is just to get you started!
I hope this helps!
Cheers
AJ
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