Guitar Advice
Hello! Thanks for asking!
A. Stores and addresses
B, Ideas on buying a guitar or bass
1. Sound
2. Feel
3. Looks
4. Size
5. Electric vs. Acoustic
6. Price
7. Catalogue
C. Playing “Lefty” vs. “Righty”
In looking for a guitar, locally, here’s a few very good stores and contacts.
The Guitar Center, (919) 872-0331, is on 3100 Capital Blvd. with more and different brands available, and even better prices. I know Guitar Center from Los Angeles, and they are an extraordinary store, and gave great service as well. What's not to like? May be worth the drive.
And there’s Sam Ash, a major catalogue outlet, competing with Guitar Center. It’s directly across Capital Blvd. 3131 Capital Blvd, Raleigh. (919) 855-9581.
Since you're in the area, Harry's Guitars is in downtown Raleigh, on 556 Pylon Drive. (919) 828-4888. Also very knowledgeable, with many different brands. Their only drawback is limited hours.
What to buy? For acoustic guitars, there are two basic rules. Also, if you're left-handed, see the asterisk at the bottom of this discussion, where I say, "Normally."
One quick comment on “extra charges” that are an occasional nasty surprise: most new guitars require a small amount of “Set Up.” Some stores do this for free, once, some charge from $35.00 to $50.00 for it! It’s NOT fun to bring a guitar home and then have the wrestle the strings to meet the fingerboard, to then send MORE money when you thought you were done and were stretching the budget already... So be warned and ask about this. ☺ Some stores will also give you a free set of strings – IF you ask – because a guitar on the shelf may have been sitting for quite a while. (Normally you’d change strings about every three months.)
Please note: Sad to say, many of the brands coming in from overseas have recently lowered the quality of their beginner guitars drastically. Construction is hit-or-miss, causing the guitars to sometimes never be able to be tuned. Tuning pegs crumble in your hands after about a year of playing. No possible resale value out of the instrument! To get a quality instrument that worth playing now, but still at beginner price, do two things. (Please keep in mind that I hate spending someone else’s money, and I, myself, have three musical kids in my family. Cash is at a premium, and we sweat these same issues as you do! ☺ )
#1. Does it sound good? This is the only really important rule. The important piece of wood on a guitar is the top piece, the "face" or "sounding board," which has the sound hole in it. If this is quality wood, then the guitar will sound richer and fuller as years go by. And of course, the price of the guitar will rise according to the quality of the wood. If it's "too good" a price, then it probably has a plywood top, and will always sound just the way it does today. It's good to think in terms of a starter guitar, and then later, pick out the one you want to graduate into.
#2. Does it feel good? The neck of the guitar needs to feel comfortable in your hand, your "neck hand." For right-handers, this'd be your left hand, and vice versa, normally*. Guitar necks are different in how thick or thin they are, from front to back, or from side to side. How comfortable it is to you is uniquely individual. There is no right or wrong. Equally excellent guitars will feel different to different people, and only experience over time will tell you which is best for you. One thing a beginner could do is simply play lots of different guitars in a store, seeing if you like one that's thinner or thicker from side to side, and shallower or deeper from fingerboard to the back of the neck. You may not know. Many folks may not even notice.
An inexpensive guitar can often “fight you”. It can play so badly that even an experienced guitarist has a hard time with it. And a beginning guitarist may quit because it’s too difficult. When that happens, I’ll often have the student play one of my guitars so they can see the difference. Then they know it’s not their inability, just the guitar they happen to have.
If there were anything further, it might be these:
#3. Does it look good? Does it look "cool" to you? Most just look like guitars generically, especially if they are acoustic guitars. But you may want to look around, and see if you prefer one look over another. Especially if something does NOT look good to your eyes!
#4. Full size guitar or smaller? Some younger folks simply can't reach that very first fret, and need a half-size or three-quarters size guitar. They are available. Beware though of "toy" guitars. Very few folks make good smaller guitars.
The helpful thing on smaller guitars usually though is the size of the body. The neck and fingerboard aren’t actually that much smaller. But it can be so hard to get your arm over the body of the bigger guitar!
This is the part of life where the old adage of “You get what you pay for,” comes very truly into play. Beware guitars from non-guitar stores. They are universally terrible, especially in workmanship. So they’ll never tune properly or hold a pitch. And they can’t be adjusted. They are a complete waste of money and no trade in value at all. Sigh, …
#5. Electric or Acoustic? Actually, that's simple personal choice. You can learn even as a beginner on either. (Don't let your kids read this though! YOU choose for them based on your own tastes and tolerance for noise level!) ☺ Some electric guitars are far better quality and sound at a lower price! But they have those pesky volume knobs which can go up and up! The only trick is buying or renting as small practice amp as well. This isn't very expensive at all, but does add an extra $65.00 to $75.00 to the overall price. So an acoustic or an electric may wind up being the same price.
The only question then is ... which do I WANT to have and play? You might want to ask, "What am I going to play on it? Play in a band with friends? What kind of guitars do they use in the music I listen to?"
Actually, everyone should have an acoustic guitar, even if they regularly play electric mostly. It allows for a whole different sound and style, and you'll feel limited if you don't have one. It just doesn't matter which you get first. Except maybe to the parents. Perhaps a little parallel example might explain best: if you're not familiar with it, let me pass a famous Chinese proverb. "If your neighbor offends thee, buy his son a drum." So if you buy an electric guitar, stop and pick up some Tylenol on the way home. Aided by the fact that most practice amps now have a headphone jack! Invented by a suffering parent, no doubt. ☺
Similarly, there is a difference between "Acoustic" and "Classical" guitars. There is no real difference in the dictionary, but we all call it a classical guitar is it has nylon strings on it. It's an "Acoustic" guitar when it has steel strings... And it's an electric when you plug it into an amp. But you can switch nylon strings onto your acoustic guitar, and then it would be a "Classical!" And many Acoustic guitars also have electronic pickups, which makes them ... I'm so confused!
EVERYBODY gets a steel stringed acoustic, unless they specifically want to play Classical music, or occasionally, folk.
#6. What justifies the different levels in prices? Like most other products in the world, guitars are a business and a market.
A. Quality of wood used. Listen to how it sounds, and ask questions of the salespeople.
B. Quality of metal parts. This means the pickups and tuning pegs, etc. In other words, the very sound of your electric depends on this... Hint, hint, hint. Listen to how it sounds.
C. Quality of workmanship. On a lesser expensive line of guitars, a particular model, etc., quality can vary dramatically. I've seen guitars of the exact same brand and model come through a store, made on the same day, and one is wonderful, and the next awful! Again, does it sound good, does it look good, does it feel good? Ask a salesman for an opinion. They're usually honest! Amazing, isn't it? Compare any guitar to another in a similar price range, or different guitars in the same model. Ask what more you get for buying the next one more or less expensive. Buy them the way you'd buy a car!
D. Name brand. Sometimes it's worth it, and sometimes it's not. This changes over time, as companies do better or worse in their sales and the world's opinion of their products. For example, some name brands now were great steals last year, and now everyone knows their quality! Some raise the price way high for prestige value, but have a lesser priced line that is similar in quality and wood. Gibson sells Epiphone that way. Martin sells Sigma. Ovation has Matrix and Applause. Etc.
#7. Buy through a catalogue? NEVER!!!!! Well, almost never! There's no service from them, no relationship, no advice, but you CAN get a good price. Just know that if you don't like the neck that comes with the guitar, you're stuck. If the workmanship on that particular one is poor, you're stuck. Or you'd have to ship it back at your own expense, and wait for a replacement.
* “Lefty/Righty”
"Normally." By which I mean, because of the development of instruments, people playing the Kithara and lap harp held the instrument with their less-clever hand (the left hand for all us righties) and plucked a lot with their more natural hand. As the instruments developed, the "neck" hand grew busier by far, but we were used to using our less-natural hand on it!!!! So a righty would probably be smarter learning and using a "lefty" guitar! It puts the smart hand on the difficult job! But just try to get me to change though after playing since 1971! (I can play a lefty guitar upside down, like a reverse strung guitar.)
But! IF you're a lefty (A Southpaw!), and just learning, play a righty guitar. You get all the advantages, and NO drawbacks at all.
#1. You can play anyone else's right-handed guitar.
#2. There are discounts on right-handed guitars and almost none on left-handeds. Because they make so few of them. Add $100.00 for a left-handed guitar of the same model.
#3. There is virtually NO market for buying or selling a used left-handed guitar.
#4. You'll play better as a "righty" - quicker and easier than any "righty" player!
#5. Guitar is almost the ONLY instrument that people play in two different manners. There are no "lefty" violins or violinists. No Lefty pianos or flutes or clarinets. Now, that may be discrimination, but there it is. :)
Be that as it may, some “Lefties” just don’t feel comfortable playing “Righty”. There’s no harm and no foul. It’s just not as convenient socially and financially.
Now the same “natural” advantages of playing SHOULD be true for righty's; they should play lefty. But until everyone switches over, the advantage is yours! ☺
Please feel very free to give this to friends, and e-mail or call and ask questions.
A. Stores and addresses
B, Ideas on buying a guitar or bass
1. Sound
2. Feel
3. Looks
4. Size
5. Electric vs. Acoustic
6. Price
7. Catalogue
C. Playing “Lefty” vs. “Righty”
In looking for a guitar, locally, here’s a few very good stores and contacts.
The Guitar Center, (919) 872-0331, is on 3100 Capital Blvd. with more and different brands available, and even better prices. I know Guitar Center from Los Angeles, and they are an extraordinary store, and gave great service as well. What's not to like? May be worth the drive.
And there’s Sam Ash, a major catalogue outlet, competing with Guitar Center. It’s directly across Capital Blvd. 3131 Capital Blvd, Raleigh. (919) 855-9581.
Since you're in the area, Harry's Guitars is in downtown Raleigh, on 556 Pylon Drive. (919) 828-4888. Also very knowledgeable, with many different brands. Their only drawback is limited hours.
What to buy? For acoustic guitars, there are two basic rules. Also, if you're left-handed, see the asterisk at the bottom of this discussion, where I say, "Normally."
One quick comment on “extra charges” that are an occasional nasty surprise: most new guitars require a small amount of “Set Up.” Some stores do this for free, once, some charge from $35.00 to $50.00 for it! It’s NOT fun to bring a guitar home and then have the wrestle the strings to meet the fingerboard, to then send MORE money when you thought you were done and were stretching the budget already... So be warned and ask about this. ☺ Some stores will also give you a free set of strings – IF you ask – because a guitar on the shelf may have been sitting for quite a while. (Normally you’d change strings about every three months.)
Please note: Sad to say, many of the brands coming in from overseas have recently lowered the quality of their beginner guitars drastically. Construction is hit-or-miss, causing the guitars to sometimes never be able to be tuned. Tuning pegs crumble in your hands after about a year of playing. No possible resale value out of the instrument! To get a quality instrument that worth playing now, but still at beginner price, do two things. (Please keep in mind that I hate spending someone else’s money, and I, myself, have three musical kids in my family. Cash is at a premium, and we sweat these same issues as you do! ☺ )
- Make sure you have a good warranty – most do – and make sure you have a “Full refund if returned within 30 days” policy offered by the store. That way you can bring the guitar to someone like me, and they can praise you or warn you off. This is an area where the store and the salesmen, usually honest, are struck by the American desire to “buy cheap” – if they don’t carry that level or guitar, which is where most of their sales are, their competition swamps them and they are out of business.
- Therefore, consider spending at least $200.00 for a beginner guitar, electric or acoustic. That way, you get quality, have none of the headaches, and you can resell later or trade-up when the time comes. IF NECESSARY, PUT OFF PAYING FOR LESSONS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO ADD TO THE PURCHASE PRICE AND GET QUALITY. (And I’m a teacher!)
- Everyone who hasn’t done this comes to regret it.
#1. Does it sound good? This is the only really important rule. The important piece of wood on a guitar is the top piece, the "face" or "sounding board," which has the sound hole in it. If this is quality wood, then the guitar will sound richer and fuller as years go by. And of course, the price of the guitar will rise according to the quality of the wood. If it's "too good" a price, then it probably has a plywood top, and will always sound just the way it does today. It's good to think in terms of a starter guitar, and then later, pick out the one you want to graduate into.
#2. Does it feel good? The neck of the guitar needs to feel comfortable in your hand, your "neck hand." For right-handers, this'd be your left hand, and vice versa, normally*. Guitar necks are different in how thick or thin they are, from front to back, or from side to side. How comfortable it is to you is uniquely individual. There is no right or wrong. Equally excellent guitars will feel different to different people, and only experience over time will tell you which is best for you. One thing a beginner could do is simply play lots of different guitars in a store, seeing if you like one that's thinner or thicker from side to side, and shallower or deeper from fingerboard to the back of the neck. You may not know. Many folks may not even notice.
An inexpensive guitar can often “fight you”. It can play so badly that even an experienced guitarist has a hard time with it. And a beginning guitarist may quit because it’s too difficult. When that happens, I’ll often have the student play one of my guitars so they can see the difference. Then they know it’s not their inability, just the guitar they happen to have.
If there were anything further, it might be these:
#3. Does it look good? Does it look "cool" to you? Most just look like guitars generically, especially if they are acoustic guitars. But you may want to look around, and see if you prefer one look over another. Especially if something does NOT look good to your eyes!
#4. Full size guitar or smaller? Some younger folks simply can't reach that very first fret, and need a half-size or three-quarters size guitar. They are available. Beware though of "toy" guitars. Very few folks make good smaller guitars.
The helpful thing on smaller guitars usually though is the size of the body. The neck and fingerboard aren’t actually that much smaller. But it can be so hard to get your arm over the body of the bigger guitar!
This is the part of life where the old adage of “You get what you pay for,” comes very truly into play. Beware guitars from non-guitar stores. They are universally terrible, especially in workmanship. So they’ll never tune properly or hold a pitch. And they can’t be adjusted. They are a complete waste of money and no trade in value at all. Sigh, …
#5. Electric or Acoustic? Actually, that's simple personal choice. You can learn even as a beginner on either. (Don't let your kids read this though! YOU choose for them based on your own tastes and tolerance for noise level!) ☺ Some electric guitars are far better quality and sound at a lower price! But they have those pesky volume knobs which can go up and up! The only trick is buying or renting as small practice amp as well. This isn't very expensive at all, but does add an extra $65.00 to $75.00 to the overall price. So an acoustic or an electric may wind up being the same price.
The only question then is ... which do I WANT to have and play? You might want to ask, "What am I going to play on it? Play in a band with friends? What kind of guitars do they use in the music I listen to?"
Actually, everyone should have an acoustic guitar, even if they regularly play electric mostly. It allows for a whole different sound and style, and you'll feel limited if you don't have one. It just doesn't matter which you get first. Except maybe to the parents. Perhaps a little parallel example might explain best: if you're not familiar with it, let me pass a famous Chinese proverb. "If your neighbor offends thee, buy his son a drum." So if you buy an electric guitar, stop and pick up some Tylenol on the way home. Aided by the fact that most practice amps now have a headphone jack! Invented by a suffering parent, no doubt. ☺
Similarly, there is a difference between "Acoustic" and "Classical" guitars. There is no real difference in the dictionary, but we all call it a classical guitar is it has nylon strings on it. It's an "Acoustic" guitar when it has steel strings... And it's an electric when you plug it into an amp. But you can switch nylon strings onto your acoustic guitar, and then it would be a "Classical!" And many Acoustic guitars also have electronic pickups, which makes them ... I'm so confused!
EVERYBODY gets a steel stringed acoustic, unless they specifically want to play Classical music, or occasionally, folk.
#6. What justifies the different levels in prices? Like most other products in the world, guitars are a business and a market.
A. Quality of wood used. Listen to how it sounds, and ask questions of the salespeople.
B. Quality of metal parts. This means the pickups and tuning pegs, etc. In other words, the very sound of your electric depends on this... Hint, hint, hint. Listen to how it sounds.
C. Quality of workmanship. On a lesser expensive line of guitars, a particular model, etc., quality can vary dramatically. I've seen guitars of the exact same brand and model come through a store, made on the same day, and one is wonderful, and the next awful! Again, does it sound good, does it look good, does it feel good? Ask a salesman for an opinion. They're usually honest! Amazing, isn't it? Compare any guitar to another in a similar price range, or different guitars in the same model. Ask what more you get for buying the next one more or less expensive. Buy them the way you'd buy a car!
D. Name brand. Sometimes it's worth it, and sometimes it's not. This changes over time, as companies do better or worse in their sales and the world's opinion of their products. For example, some name brands now were great steals last year, and now everyone knows their quality! Some raise the price way high for prestige value, but have a lesser priced line that is similar in quality and wood. Gibson sells Epiphone that way. Martin sells Sigma. Ovation has Matrix and Applause. Etc.
#7. Buy through a catalogue? NEVER!!!!! Well, almost never! There's no service from them, no relationship, no advice, but you CAN get a good price. Just know that if you don't like the neck that comes with the guitar, you're stuck. If the workmanship on that particular one is poor, you're stuck. Or you'd have to ship it back at your own expense, and wait for a replacement.
* “Lefty/Righty”
"Normally." By which I mean, because of the development of instruments, people playing the Kithara and lap harp held the instrument with their less-clever hand (the left hand for all us righties) and plucked a lot with their more natural hand. As the instruments developed, the "neck" hand grew busier by far, but we were used to using our less-natural hand on it!!!! So a righty would probably be smarter learning and using a "lefty" guitar! It puts the smart hand on the difficult job! But just try to get me to change though after playing since 1971! (I can play a lefty guitar upside down, like a reverse strung guitar.)
But! IF you're a lefty (A Southpaw!), and just learning, play a righty guitar. You get all the advantages, and NO drawbacks at all.
#1. You can play anyone else's right-handed guitar.
#2. There are discounts on right-handed guitars and almost none on left-handeds. Because they make so few of them. Add $100.00 for a left-handed guitar of the same model.
#3. There is virtually NO market for buying or selling a used left-handed guitar.
#4. You'll play better as a "righty" - quicker and easier than any "righty" player!
#5. Guitar is almost the ONLY instrument that people play in two different manners. There are no "lefty" violins or violinists. No Lefty pianos or flutes or clarinets. Now, that may be discrimination, but there it is. :)
Be that as it may, some “Lefties” just don’t feel comfortable playing “Righty”. There’s no harm and no foul. It’s just not as convenient socially and financially.
Now the same “natural” advantages of playing SHOULD be true for righty's; they should play lefty. But until everyone switches over, the advantage is yours! ☺
Please feel very free to give this to friends, and e-mail or call and ask questions.
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