Researching guitars before buying and not jumping right into a purchase

There are endless possibilities that can arise from the fact that you know how to play the guitar. With intricacies such as genres, styles, scenes, cults and all in all preferences related to playing the guitar, a guitar player should have no trouble finding their own niche. However, with the decision to learn how to […]

guitar

There are endless possibilities that can arise from the fact that you know how to play the guitar. With intricacies such as genres, styles, scenes, cults and all in all preferences related to playing the guitar, a guitar player should have no trouble finding their own niche. However, with the decision to learn how to play the instrument comes the tribulations of settling on a specific type of guitar. Luckily you’ll have only three types to pick from: classical, acoustic and electric.

Many novices choose electric, but it’s widely believed that it’s easier and more convenient to start with an acoustic guitar. Before you go running off trying to find the best one, you should know a few things about guitars and why different types can be better for different settings.

Perks of going unplugged

Acoustic guitars are (of course) not as loud as electric, and this is a major benefit for those who live in apartment blocks where there are neighbours to be more conscious of. Regardless of how nice and understanding neighbours might be, they all have a limit and it’s important for your future practices and ease of rehearsing that you don’t go over it. You probably won’t sound great when you start out, making it significantly harder for people to put up with your practising than if you were versed in the art of finger-picking.

Different styles for different players

Speaking of finger-picking, there are of course multiple guitar-playing styles to consider and exercise on the guitar. Picking and plucking the strings with your fingers is pretty hard if not utterly impossible to do on electric at the same level an acoustic model allows. And there are other techniques that are predominant in certain music genres that just don’t translate well with an electric guitar, even though a good processor or even clean amp can help you get a very acoustic-like tone.

The reverse scenario

The opposite can also be true, however, so it’s important to identify what kind of music you aim to play on the guitar. If you want to be a mariachi or play flamenco music, an acoustic guitar would be a better buy. The electric guitar will naturally be more in tune with the hard-sounding riffs and licks of heavy metal or the glam jams of ’80s rock bands.

Once you figure out all these details, you can start your journey towards finding a guitar and mastering it. Doing your research beforehand will not only save you a lot of time and worry, but also a good amount of money, depending on how heavily you invest right from the start.