Buying your First Acoustic Guitar
As a guitar teacher and Luthier, I often get asked for advice on buying a good starter acoustic guitar.
For many beginners, buying your first acoustic guitar can be a bit of a daunting task, especially when you consider there are so many different makes and models.
So I have put together some advice to help you get one step closer to choosing a suitable first acoustic guitar.
Things to consider when buying your first acoustic guitar
Whats your budget?
Where to buy from?
What make and model?
What size?
Budget
New acoustic guitars come in all price brackets, from £50 to £5,000 and upward. When buying your first acoustic guitar its important to buy a guitar that you will be able to learn on. Buying a £50 special will not deliver an instrument good enough for you to ever play. Cheap guitars are a false economy and many of which are shoddily made and constructed of poor materials and impossible to tune.
Spending a large amount of money on your first guitar is also a bad idea. This is because you may decide after playing for a few months that its not for you, then you end up with a very expensive wall ornament.
Buying a guitar from a price range of £250 – £500 will deliver a branded instrument that works, sounds good, stays in tune and you will be able to play and progress with.
Here are a few recommend brands that build good quality guitars in that price range of £250 – £500.
- Epiphone
- Yamaha
- Seagull
- Fender
- Ibanez
Purchasing
You really need to find a reputable music shop and try out a few for size. As with people, guitars come in all shapes and sizes and it’s virtually impossible to recommend a “one size fits all” option. Acoustic guitars sizes include: Parlor, Dreadnought, Grand Concert, Grand Auditorium and Jumbo to name but few…
There are not really any good music shops in the area with a good selection of acoustic guitars. However if you pop to Birmingham there is a great choice with companies like Guitar Guitar.
Once you have your new guitar, it will probably need a setup and a check over. Most new guitars need a setup when purchased, as the manufactures do a rough setup at the factory knowing that you will want to change it to your own preference. I am happy to setup your new guitar to make it as easy as possible to play to start learning.
If you need any more advice or for me to take a look at a acoustic guitar you are about to purchase, then please get in touch