How to Buy a Guitar, Part 2: Where & How Much

Guitar Woods

A solidbody electric guitar's wood can affect its tone, but not as much as the pickups for a newbie. This is something of a controversial topic, as some people say they can hear the difference between different types of wood, while others say it barely matters. Mahogany (seen above), alder, and ash are some of the more popular woods used for the guitar's body; nearly all necks are maple (it's strong, easy to work with, and plentiful); the fingerboard can also be maple (brighter) but you'll also see ebony, pau ferro, or rosewood as you move into mellower tone territory. In budget or starter instruments, you will commonly find bodies made of basswood, agathis, and even pine.

A Realistic Budget

Now that you sort of know what you are looking at and what you are looking for, it's time to consider your budget. You don't need to spend a ton, but if the instrument isn't well made or doesn't feel good to you when you play it, you will not want to keep playing. As a rule of thumb, "I like picking this up and playing this every day" quality starts at around $200 -- though you can go as high as $600 and still be in the realm of "good first guitar" instruments. Sometimes you will find that one super cheap instrument that happens to have been made on a good day, and you might like how it feels and sounds enough to want to upgrade parts of it over time. For some people, that's their primary hobby! But generally, remember that you are making an investment in yourself, and this is the primary tool you'll use to achieve your goal.

A lot of affordable guitars come from China, Korea, or Indonesia. Yours might too!

Many starter instruments are made in Mexico, Korea, Indonesia, or China. Mexican instruments generally cost a little bit more but are often praised for their relative quality, especially when the price is compared to American-made or Japanese-made guitars, which generally go for double or triple the cost of a starter guitar. For a student buying their first instrument, you don't need to go that far unless you happen to get a great deal through a friend or something; it's usually not worth the investment until you know if you like playing guitar at all. But if a guitar made to high standards falls into your lap by either bargain hunting or good fortune, by all means, enjoy it!

Play It In Person

There are lots of places online to buy instruments, but when you don't know what you want, any hands-on time is extremely valuable. Head to the local music store and start picking up things and playing -- even if you cannot play.

How your hand feels here is super important.

That sounds impossible, but I'm really talking about ergonomics. Regardless of brand, pickups, or even budget, your hands will tell you what you need to know. Don't worry about playing songs; just put your hand around the neck. The carve and shape of the back of the neck will vary dramatically between manufacturers and designs; do you like how it feels in your hand? Some necks feature a glossy urethane finish, while others have a duller satin look -- which one feels better, if either? Put a strap on the guitar and feel how it hangs from your body; sit down and put it on your knee. Do you like the balance, the weight? Like anything else you put on your body, ask yourself: Does it fit you? Some things will feel awkward when you do them the first time, but these physical factors are something you cannot change, whereas everything else -- pickups, tuners, amplifier tone -- can all be altered. But if the neck feels like a club instead of an extension of your hand, or if it feels like a slab of wood that you have to fight in some way to hold, you will not want to play that guitar. That's why I urge you to judge ergonomics and feel above all other factors.

The gap between the strings and the frets contributes to a guitar's comfort and playability.

Another element that affects your ergonomics is the guitar's setup. If you'll allow a quick dive into jargon, a guitar's action is the height of the strings relative to the fretboard; if they're too high, it will be difficult to play, but too low and it will make buzzing sounds. Several small adjustments to different parts of the guitar contribute to the action, and a good technician can set up a guitar for maximum playability for $50 to $75. Don't assume every guitar you play in a shop will be perfectly set up, but don't reject something that might just need a tweak if you are digging the other elements. If you are haggling, it's not unreasonable to ask for a guitar to be set up before you bring it home.

Once you've done some hands-on research, look around on Amazon, Musician's Friend (which is owned by the same company as American retail chain Guitar Center), and Music 123 if you're in the US, and you'll see just how much stuff is out there. In the UK, you can also browse GuitarGuitar, Gear4Music or Anderton's, and in Europe, peek at Thomann.de -- plus there are plenty of regional and international sellers on Reverb.com. Just don't forget that there is probably a friendly and hard-working person trying to make a living at an independent music store in your neighborhood! Give your local music stores a visit; they might make their living on private lessons more than selling instruments, but you never know what they might have hanging on the wall.

In the next section, we'll get into specific models we'd recommend for your first guitar. In the meantime, do some window shopping of your own and see if your picks match ours!

Dan Amrich started his music journalism career at Guitar World and Country Guitar magazines and is the co-creator of Princess Leia's Stolen Death Star Plans. He joined the Rocksmith team in 2014.

"Mahogany Wood Background #5" by Maliz Ong is licensed under CC0 1.0

Headstock, neck, and action photos by Katrin Auch. Used with permission.

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