Whether it's an expensive model or a cheaper one, the electric guitar is a musical instrument that can give you years of enjoyment, when you take care of it properly.
Steps
Step 1. Check how the guitar resonates
This is the number one thing to look for. It has more to do with wood than anything else. Pickups can be changed for a really small amount of money, but wood makes the guitar. Check the sustain length, as this depends on the wood the neck is made of and how it is installed which is a very, very important aspect of the guitar's sound.
Step 2. Don't judge by the price
There are expensive guitars that have brick resonance and cheap guitars that really sing. The old Fenders that sell for hundreds of dollars today started life as cheap solid body guitars.
Step 3. Try the guitar and get an impression of how it "sings"
When you pluck a string, you should be able to get a vibration in the wood that you will be able to hear throughout the guitar. It should take a few seconds.
Step 4. Understand that most new guitars need to do a setup for the buzzing of the strings to be ok - just get them fixed
It won't take long to try the guitar to make sure there is a correct setup. Keep in mind that the neck may be adjusted, as well as the level of the strings. The strings should also be tuned to both the 5th and 12th frets (use a tuner).
Step 5. Remember that the guitar neck is very important; it has to fit in your hands
You have a number representing the width of the nut, which sets the distance from the E string to the E string. The other characteristics of the shape of the back of the handle:
- For big hands: Gibson 50s style, fender C / U shape.
- For thin hands: 1960s Gibson style, standard thin / V fender shape.
- For really thin hands: Ibanez wizards, etc.
Step 6. Keep in mind that guitar and amp go hand in hand
They will need to sound good together. Pickups have a LOT to do with this as they adjust the “gain” that goes to the amp or pedal.
Step 7. Look at the types of pickups used
The humbuckers were designed as a refinement of the single coil pickups. The type of pickup is not as important as how it matches the wood it occupies. Players of all styles of music use all sorts of pickup combinations. It's all in the "voice" of the pickup, the wood of the guitar and the preference of the body style, although, if you have a certain tone in mind, you will need to find the pickups that suit that tone; humbuckers give you more of a growl when put to the test, and single coils (the Fender ones specifically) have a more "dull" tone, great for the blues.
Step 8. Consider the output of the pickup
It makes a difference. The “high output” pickups push the tube amp harder to achieve a distorted sound. If you have a tubeless guitar amp, this “high input” effect is lost; It still gives your pedals a lot of trouble, but the overall effect on a solid state amp is all about volume. The "vintage" style pickups have low to medium output. With these pickups you will tend to have more definition, which is due to the fact that they are "not" built to push an amp hard.
Advice
- Don't get stuck in a "best guitar = best guitarist" loop. If you get stuck, a better guitar won't help you. Practice! Practice! Practice!
- First do some research. Reading, online shopping, comparison sites and auction sites are all resources.
- Don't act ahead of time. If you see a guitar that costs 99 euros in the supermarket, there is probably a reason why it is so cheap!
- The kind of music you want to play is more of a style than something found in a guitar. However, neck shape and pickup combinations can make a difference.
- Always remember that just because a guitar is more expensive doesn't mean it's better! Many very common brands will raise the price of their tools, while you could make a much better deal by betting on something else. Don't be fooled by brands!
- Be inspired! Think about what music you will play or learn. If you want to enjoy rock and play loud music, maybe a jazz guitar is not the right choice? But remember, if it's your first guitar, don't buy a very expensive guitar! You may decide later that the guitar is not the right instrument for you!
- Ask a luthier (a guitar repairer / builder) to help you choose a guitar. Vendors will sometimes get extra for selling a certain brand's guitar, and a luthier can tell you which model has more problems than the others.
- Set your budget: pedals, amps, strings, pickups and still pedals cost money, it's easy to get carried away.
- Ask to try the guitar you are looking at on your amp or setup if they don't have your amp in stock.
- Consider a guitar used as your first guitar - you can get more for your money.
- Don't get stuck looking for a shade. They don't make pedals and amps magical - they make a splash!
Warnings
- Many inexpensive guitars you will find in large stores often have problems with frets and intonation, so avoid them if you are looking to buy a real guitar. Also, even though the starter packs may be cheap, but they look like good products, don't be fooled. Amps often give you limited control over the sound and aren't worth that money.
- Any review or article about an instrument is just one person's opinion, one person's favorite guitar may be someone else's least favorite. When you shop around it is essential that you buy the guitar following your opinion of it, not someone else's.
- Be careful when buying from an online store like eBay. Don't be fooled by someone's comment on a product. Read at least five different reviews and then ask other musicians you know about the guitar. It is generally best to try the guitar in the shop before you get an idea of it.
- Brands won't save you from a bad guitar. You really have to test the guitar.
