The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments. Every day, many people make the decision to finally learn to play the guitar and go to the record stores. But not all of them know how to choose the right guitar and what to look for in the first place.
Correct strings
The choice of a guitar is, oddly enough, to start with the strings. There are two fundamentally different types of strings: nylon and metal. Metal strings are believed to have a cleaner and brighter sound, but learning to play them is much more difficult as they require a lot of clamping force from the guitarist. Also, without professional calluses on your fingertips, pinching the strings will be quite painful at first. At the same time, nylon strings sound only slightly softer and softer, which is why many beginning musicians choose them.
Note that you cannot use metal strings on a guitar that is rated for nylon. The fact is that the tension on metal strings is much stronger, so a guitar that is not intended for them can deform. If you put nylon strings on a guitar designed for "metal", then you will hardly be able to produce any high-quality sound: the difference in tension is too great.
Guitar selection
Having decided on the strings, you can proceed to the choice of the guitar itself. Keep in mind that it is better to buy a good instrument right away than to learn to play a cheap, poor quality guitar. In addition, good guitars can be found in almost any price segment. When choosing, you should not be guided solely by appearance, and even more so order your first guitar over the Internet. It is much better to come to a music store, hold the instrument in your hands, evaluate the sound.
The hallmark of a quality guitar is the one-piece top deck (front surface of the body with a resonator hole). These guitars sound cleaner than those with plywood tops. In addition, it reduces the likelihood of deformation of the tool due to moisture.
Examine the body and neck of the guitar carefully: there should be no scratches, mechanical damage, chips and, of course, cracks. In addition, the surface of the neck should be flat. To check this parameter, hold down any string on the first and last frets: the distance from the string to all frets should be the same.
In any case, if you choose your first instrument, it is better to take someone from your acquaintances more sophisticated in music for help. However, do not forget that you are buying a guitar for yourself, so you should still have the final say. Learning to play an instrument that you personally do not like is much less enjoyable and interesting than learning to play “your” guitar.
