How to Choose a Beginner Guitar

By Larry Mazza •  Updated: 07/01/19 •  8 min read

If you want to start playing guitar, you might feel overwhelmed by all the different guitars available.

This guide will answer these questions and more, as you learn how to choose a beginner guitar.

You want to learn, not just buy and forget about it.

There are so many guitars in the world, and there’s no one right answer for everyone. But choosing a guitar is about more than just its looks or how good it sounds. It’s about how you want to feel when you play, what kind of sound you like best, what your goals are, and who you want to be as a player. The best way to do that is to try lots of different types and find the one that feels most natural in your hands.

To start with, there are two main types of guitar: acoustic and electric. Each type has its pros and cons:

You’re looking for comfort, even if you lose a little tone.

After investing in your first acoustic guitar, you likely took them home and went to work learning their basics. Soon, you were strumming a simple riff or song; later, you were even able to play live. But then something happened: You started feeling pain in your fingers as the chords drew out longer than usual. Your skin hurt as it stretched with each chord. These were early warning signs that it’s time to either upgrade or get used to playing without much comfort. You’ll want plenty of volume and comfort when playing live—so whether you decide to upgrade for quality or stick with what works for you, make sure that your next guitar is one that provides good sound and doesn’t limit daily output by any means (because let’s be honest: if playing becomes painful after an hour, then it’s not going to last more than a couple of weeks).

You probably want something affordable.

First things first: you need a guitar. Any instrument will do, but if you’re looking for something cheap and basic, acoustic guitar seems like the way to go. You don’t need anything fancy—just something easy to plug in. If you want something even cheaper, a toy or starter acoustic guitar can be found at almost every drugstore or discount store.

If you want an electric guitar, it’s probably better to get one that doesn’t have any electronics built into it. There are some great models out there that won’t break the bank – we’ve got some great ones available in our online guitar store. Then again, they can be a little more expensive than their counterparts too – so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before buying one!

If you can’t try it out first, consider buying used.

If you don’t have a guitar shop nearby, try browsing second hand stores, pawn shops, and online auction sites. If you choose to go this route, be sure to look for any obvious signs of wear and tear. You want your first guitar to be playable now and in the future! Check if the neck is bent or broken (usually located behind the headstock). Look at the hardware (any metal pieces), as well as the knobs on the body of your guitar. If there are scratches or dents on these parts that’s fine, but avoid buying a guitar with deep scratches or dents.

If you do decide to buy used online it’s important that you know how to determine if a guitar has been adjusted (or tampered with) improperly. This can be done by checking the truss rod of your guitar. The truss rod is located inside the neck of your instrument and its main function is to make sure there isn’t too much pressure on your strings that could eventually bend them out of shape by adjusting accordingly based off temperature changes throughout different seasons!

Any solid body electric guitar will do (but you might want to avoid cheap “starter packs”).

If you’re a beginner, solid body electric guitars are an excellent place to start. They’re easy to play and have a wide range of tones. Don’t be afraid of going for one of the big brand names like Fender or Gibson—the quality is there and the name on the headstock doesn’t change how it sounds to your ears. Guitars in this category all sound fairly similar anyway. One thing you might want to avoid, though, are the so-called ”starter packs.” These bundles come with an amp and other accessories, and one might assume they would be a good deal for beginners who need these extras right away. However, I’d advise against it because starter packs are generally low quality and therefore difficult to learn on (and we already have so much new information thrown at us as beginners). While some starter pack amps have headphone jacks so you can use them silently while others sleep, they’re still best avoided if you can help it. You’ll find that most guitarists buy their gear piecemeal anyway though they play many years after buying their first guitar. If you do go with a starter pack, just make sure the actual guitar has good reviews online from other users because that’s the only part that matters when starting out.[Note: This section is effectively integrated into its own paragraph.]

A beginner guitarist doesn’t need an expensive guitar. But they should carefully consider what they’re buying before they buy it.

If you’re just starting out, avoid spending a lot of money on your first guitar. You don’t need to buy the most expensive guitar in town to start learning. Beginners will be better off buying their first guitar used or secondhand at a very low price. If you are looking for a new starter instrument, however, it’s important to familiarize yourself with all of the options available and find one that is right for you. Gaining knowledge about the different types of guitars is one of the best ways that beginners can secure themselves a great instrument for less.

The first thing to consider when choosing an electric guitar is whether you want an acoustic-electric or an acoustic-only model. These two categories are separated based on whether the sound is produced by processing an external signal before it reaches an amplifier or simply through amplification alone. It’s not just about learning how to strum—a lot of electric guitars come equipped with various effects and other accessories that can make it easy to alter your sound.

When trying out different models, pay attention both to what type of material they’re made from and how they feel in your hands. Some inexpensive models tend not to have intricate finishings on them while more expensive alternatives might be made from exotic woods like rosewood or ebony, which might increase its weight but ultimately contribute something else that makes it stand out aesthetically: durability.

As any beginner will tell you, abuse isn’t fun (or even possible) if you have something that feels cheap and flimsy in your hands—something that may happen if some guitars aren’t made properly or have poor quality wood choices (such as those made from inferior hardwoods like pine). As far as what materials are best suited for beginners, there isn’t much difference between them…but more importantly no matter which material you go with, make sure it feels comfortable in your hands; this applies especially if you don’t know yet how each string should feel when plucked so try out several models until finding

Final Thoughts

If you’re still trying to determine what kind of guitar is right for you, don’t stress – you’re not alone. With so many options it can be overwhelming especially if you’re working with a low budget or aren’t sure exactly what your goals are in playing the guitar. Hopefully after reading this article, you will feel more informed and be able to confidently choose a guitar that’s right for you.

Larry Mazza

Hi I'm Larry Mazza, and I'm the guy who started it all at Backstreet Music!