Buying Your Guitar - a Guide For the Aspiring Poor

[Reverend Mark]

A guitar can be your lifetime companion, a dark addiction, or a moderately-pricey part of your décor.

So - Why Do You Want a Guitar?

* Why not a new phone or nice jacket, instead? Think a guitar would be nice to have? It takes space in your room, and time in your life. It's not particularly liquid when you gotta get cash. Many folks can finger a chord or melody, but when they want music, out comes the iPod. Somebody else will always have a better instrument, and the ability to play you into quivvering dust.

* Caveat - Don't get any instrument if you are unwilling to invest several hundred hours of learning up-front, and commit to practicing for the rest of your life...

* Will a guitar be your buddy, a piece of your image, or will you merely while away the idle hour? Many cultures (including ours) consider music and magic to be related. Whether you agree or not, guitars have many parts that work together; so individual instruments appear to have personalities! People who own a guitar have unique relationships that develop over time. Will this be a casual acquaintance or a marriage? Will it challenge you to do new things? Will you bicker and seek revenge on each other?

* How about a ukulele? Or a harmonica? Or bongos? There are cheaper alternatives, and other axes that garner more respect in particular musical traditions. Example: in bluegrass the guitar almost never takes the lead, but there's always a demand for banjo, mandolin or fiddle. Pay for lessons or have YouTube show you how a favorite song goes, then wail away in your room. BUT... some day you'll have to let somebody play along or listen; that's when your choices have to make sense.

* Speaking of which - what do you plan to play? When I ask people what they want to learn they'll say "jazz", or "blues", or "like Hendrix". Good, good stuff, all with incredible history that Howard Alden, Derek Trucks, or Jimi himself inherited. But if you only listen to things when they're hot, you'll always miss the wave. You're gonna have to spend a bunch of time listening to things you may not like and certainly won't understand. Can you take an analytical approach to what you hear? (And, while you're at it, look into what guitars your heroes play: electric, classical, steel-string acoustic? What does each sound do for/to you?)

Will This Be Your First Guitar or Second?

* I find it strange, but plenty of folks had a "Value Pak" or "Seen on TV" instrument that just didn't work out for them. And still they want to learn to play. I guess they learned what they DON'T want...

* Was that first guitar hard to play, did it sound bad, was it too loud/quiet? You need the answers before you invest some major dollars. Maybe you just need new strings ($10) or a set-up ($75) and can save a can of money.

* Perhaps it wasn't yours. Now it's gone, there's a guitar-shaped hole in your soul. Or it was a value electric, and you want to bossa-nova? Use the little bit you know to help you find something that you'll really dig playing.

Baseline Stuff

* Make sure the guitar has a straight neck. Pluck each string at every fret - listen for rattles or buzzing. Look at getting a guitar with an adjustable neck (truss-rod or bolt-on).

* Inspect the frets to be sure they're even across and along the neck, and not too worn down.

* Tuning machines with large keys and solid mechanisms are a must.

* Play each string to be sure they're equally loud.

* Avoid low-cost tremolo (whammy) bars which may keep your guitar out of tune.

* Check for chips and dings (not a problem), cracked wood (warning), warped top, unglued joins (no-go).

* Play every instrument you can get your hands on. Ask friends, salespeople, and even strangers in the store to play them, too. Listen hard to what each instrument can do, and also listen for what it doesn't do.

* If you can possibly afford it, pay a guitar teacher for half-hour to evaluate your final choice(s).

How To Set Financial Targets:

* There are two ways of creating budgets: the pie-crust and zero-based. In the first method, you add-up your money, then cut-out anything that costs more than you have to spend. The second method looks at the cost of instruments with a range of features and accessories you might like, so you can make a decision about which you can afford.

* Resist the temptation to cheap-out as much as you fight over-spending. A poor-quality instrument can be difficult to play, or sound unappealing. In either case, you will avoid playing it.

* Except for the upper range of instruments (waaay out of reach), guitars are "commodified". If you find an on-line price, you can almost always get a local store to match it. On-line stores usually offer a more extensive array of brands and models. But going local gives you access to advice and services, and perhaps discounts on strings, music, or lessons. You can also try to talk the store into giving you a discount on the guitar - good luck!

* Wherever you get your guitar replace the strings as soon as you get it. Consider using a heavier-gauge of string (harder to finger but more powerful tone) - and certainly use the best you can afford. Most local stores will put the strings on your just-bought guitar for free, even if they make you buy the strings.

* You're going to buy an electric? Be aware that the amplifier will chew up as much of your budget as the guitar. And that there are a whole `nother list of decisions to make (eg: tube/solid state). You need to get something powerful enough for your venue (bedroom, practice studio, street-corner, club, stage). And know the sucker takes another hand to carry, and it can be *heavy*.

* Other out-the-door costs include tax (and shipping costs), new strings, and any setup work you want done. You'll also need some type of carrying-case, and a stand (keep your guitar on its stand at home so you can pick it up any time.) Add a strap to play standing-up, an extra set of strings, and a capo to keep your voicing if you change keys. If you don't have a piano, you may want a tuner. This all adds sixty dollars or more to the price (plus the case, some of which go for $100 or more).

* Look into buying used. An acoustic guitar's sound develops over years, making some older instruments worth much more than their original price. But buying used often means dealing with an individual instead of a business with a reputation to maintain. The potential for anything from a fantastic deal to a rip-off means you ought to have someone with knowledge and experience on your team.

Realities of Ownership

* The new baby is home! It's time for post-purchase depression to kick in. No matter how nice your instrument is, it doesn't play itself; hard work begins now. You have to rearrange your schedule and develop new practice habits, deal with painful fingers and frustration, struggle with understanding a theory of music (and there are many), and confront your own inadequacies. And it's sooo easy to blame it on the guitar...

* "There is no road but the practice road..." Amen! You can practice at the laundromat. You can practice while watching TV (hey! baseball was made for this). You can practice while reading. Practice on the treadmill, or while you drink your morning coffee. But practice you must.

* Remember - your eyes won't help you play the guitar. Put your mind into your fingers. Let your feet tap all they want. Your ears will tell you how things go, and whenever you do something wrong.

* Be persistent about learning. Watch guitarists. Ask people to demonstrate things you like. Make new guitar-playing friends. Play along with recorded music. Add one new thing every time you practice.

* Finally, growth will be uneven. Sometimes you rip along learning new stuff and getting noticeably better, then you stall for weeks or months. When that happens, try changing your direction. If you've concentrated on your left-hand fingerings, now work on learning new strums. Listen to new types of music. Play for your friends. Study harmony. Just continue to press onwards.