Thursday 23 April 2015

How to choose the right guitar

Assuming you have started your guitar lessons and is looking to buy a guitar. For a start, you need to decide on a budget. What other factors do you need to consider when buying a guitar? Choosing the right sized guitar is important, especially for kids. A correct size guitar ensures a comfortable playing posture, and that helps in building momentum and motivation. On the other hand, a wrong size guitar cause one to play in an awkward positions, causing one to lose interest and usually one will buy another guitar, or give up playing.

The following points are some factors one need to consider before buying a guitar.

Price of the Guitar
Guitars can cost anything from 2 digits figure to as much as 5 figure sum for vintage and limited edition guitar models. Having a budget which you are willing to pay narrows down your options down, and allows one to dive on the range of guitars that fit one budget.

Test as much guitars within your price range
Price does not indicate the quality of the guitar entirely, as there are affordably priced guitars that are built well and produce decent sounds. A few strums or pluck on the guitar is often good enough for one to judge the quality and sound the guitar produces. If you like the sound, take note and then try other models.

Corect body style
Now, guitars come in different body styles – from jumbos, regular size to travel size. For people play acoustic guitars, the body style influences the sound projection and tonal quality. Some body styles feature a single cutaway design that gives you access to the higher frets, while others will have semi-parabolic back, which will yielded the most efficient guitar body. Whatever the case, when it comes to body styles, one has to determine whether one wants good sound quality vs playing comfort.

Strings of the Guitar
Guitars in shops are not restrung as often as those used often by guitarists, so an excellent guitar could produce a dull and poor quasound due to its worn out strings. Singapore’s hot and humid weather is often the main cause of corrosion on the strings of the guitar, especially when the guitar is left in open environment. Guitar strings can have a very direct influence on the sound of the guitar, even more so for acoustic guitars.

Built material
Now, guitars are usually made from wood, and certain types of wood produce certain type of sounds. Makers of guitars believe that the material used for the guitar top is the most important for deciding tonal quality. Depending on what you are going to use the guitar for (live, recording, or casual playing), some wood material may produce a more balanced sound, hence more suitable for recording in studio.

Finally, what guitar to choose is a personal decision. What may feel good and right to you may sound awful to another person. Be sure to test the guitar out and ensure you feel comfortable and sounds is right before commiting to buy one. If you are buying for someone else, it is best that the person playing the guitar be with you during the purchased.

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