7 Common Mistakes When Buying Your First Guitar

By March 02, 2019

Table of contents:

1. Choosing the wrong type of guitar

2. Choosing a professional electro-acoustic guitar instead a beginners guitar.

3. Most problems arise by selecting the wrong size guitar - Choosing a wrong sized guitar

4. Choosing a beginner’s guitar from high-end brands

5. Choosing guitar with wrong strings

6. Saving up on guitar maintenance expenses

7. Purchasing a guitar without accessories

8. Conclusion

Hello Guitar players,

We wanted to take a moment to point out some mistakes that we’ve been listening to and answering from every beginner student. We’ve heard and solved countless queries of beginners and amateur guitar player. Keeping all the queries in mind we would like to share this article with you on 7 common mistakes when buying your first guitar.

You must agree with us on this, that all of us has a unique taste in music. And we can see it, especially when we start learning to play the very first guitar or when we hear it been played live. As a beginner, playability is ‘WAY’ more important than sound quality.

Read on to know the common mistakes when buying your first guitar and you’ll get all your answers.

1. CHOOSING THE WRONG TYPE OF GUITAR

It happens quite every time, that beginners pick up the wrong type of guitar to start off. They get attracted with the guitars used by their legends or guitar displayed at the showrooms or sometimes straight up incorrect information.

We share with you basic info on three basic types of guitar for beginners

STEEL STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Good for folk, pop, country, slow rock music
Has steel strings which can be hard on young fingers
Sounds bright and loud, great for strumming chords
Light-weight but bulky

Steel string acoustic guitars are commonly used by the beginners. Considering the playability and quality, steel strings are pocket-friendly.

We recommend to not choose electric guitar as your first guitar it is not that worth, as a beginner, you should be focusing on acoustic guitar. Keep practising till your hand flow on your guitar even with your closed eyes. Then when you pick up an electric guitar, you can play like a pro.

Firstly, try to master the techniques, lessons and skills when it comes to playing the guitar. It would be a terrible idea to buy an electric guitar as your first when you should only be focusing on acoustic guitar. This wrong move could affect your view towards the guitar entirely and in a negative way.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND ON MY FIRST ACOUSTIC GUITAR?

As we know Acoustic guitar is a self-amplified instrument. The superior quality of wood and craftsmanship is required to make it sound full of tones and vibrant. Acoustics are also very fragile, and the wood of his guitar reacts with nature’s temperature and humidity. But, as our experience expensive guitars sound better and better by the time.

Yes, we get acoustic guitars and electric costing lakhs, which is likely to be hand-crafted with the best quality wood.

We would recommend guitars within the range of 8k to 15k are the best for beginners. Guitars under 8k to 15k won’t need an upgrade any sooner.

WHY ARE ACOUSTICS HARD ON YOUR FINGERS TO PLAY?

The sound of the acoustic completely relies on the string and the top wood of the guitar. Thicker the strings get, louder it sounds. When tuned, thicker strings have high tension which makes it hard to play and fingertips will start to pain initially but, after a week practice, it will get better.

Looking at the positive side

Playing with thick guitar strings will develop your finger muscles to play any guitar very, very easily.

NYLON STRING CLASSICAL ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Good for classical, flamenco, Spanish music.
Smallest size is also available– 1/4 size.
Soft on fingertips - perfect for children also beginners
Sounds mellow and soft - not as loud as acoustic
Fretboard is wider

Nylon string guitars are not much expensive as acoustics, nylon guitars are cheaper. These guitars are easy to play as they have strings made from nylon. Some see this guitar as a toy but seriously this guitar in right hands, can-do wonders and can sound like the whole orchestra in one.

WHY ARE CLASSICAL GUITAR EASIER TO PLAY?

Because the string is made out of nylon, they are stretchable, when tuned they hold very less tension which enhances its playability, and it’s good on the soft fingers of the beginners.

Some cons are

The neck of the classical guitar is wider, which might be a problem for small fingers.

Also, classical guitars don’t have fretboard marker (If you might have noticed the small white dots on the fretboard), so for beginners initially it might be a little difficult.

WHY GET A CLASSICAL GUITAR?

If you want to play the guitar naturally with your fingers instead of guitar plectrum. Very intense music can be played on classical guitar. Not just classical music but it is also meant to play flamenco music, contemporary music and many other finger styles playing.

And make sure that ‘Are you using the right finger picking style.’

You can also check our other article on 5 basics for learning classical guitar

ELECTRIC GUITAR

Smaller in size than acoustic or classical
Weights up to - 5 to 6Kg
Good for rock, metal, pop and country music
Has steel strings but still are easy to play

Electric guitars are very handy and easy to play. While less affordable than a nylon guitar and steel strings, you can get a decent beginner electric guitar and an amp for 10k to 15k or under.

WHY ELECTRIC GUITARS ARE VERSATILE?

That’s because unlike acoustic, electric guitar needs an external sound system (Guitar Amplifier) to get the sound. As we live in this digital era there are infinite possibilities to modulate and change the sound of the guitar with add-on (Guitar pedals or Guitar processors).

ARE THEY AFFORDABLE?

Electric guitars are made of solid wood body, the acoustic has a hollow body. In electric, the string vibrates over a magnet (known as the pickup, is placed below the strings on the body) which is then sent to the guitar amplifier. This solid wood construction, hardware, the design is the main concern, which means the labour may be a little higher and also the parts depends on the quality being used.

WHAT GUITAR SHOULD I BUY FOR BEGINNERS?

If you’re a beginner and don’t have a strong preference for an acoustic guitar, then we highly recommend that you buy an acoustic guitar as your first instrument.

2. CHOOSING A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR, INSTEAD OF NORMAL ACOUSTIC GUITAR

To start your musical journey, you just need a basic guitar to get your hands on. You don’t need a guitar loaded with high-end features like equalizer, pickup etc. Acoustic guitars sound great when they are miked for live performances, otherwise, none of the features is useful for your first guitar.

If you planning to play for a band may be, then you’ll require an electro-acoustic guitar or an electric guitar depending on the music genre you choose to play (If you wish to play like Ed-Sheeran then acoustic is the best and for Metallica obviously as the name suggests, ‘an electric’)

Having a guitar with features makes learning more complicated. Also, it will help to save money. This features, designs and styles are designed for professional guitarists.

3. MOST PROBLEMS ARISE BY SELECTING A WRONG SIZE OF GUITAR

Not all guitars are of the same size. They are available in many sizes to suit every individual. In general, electric guitars are smaller in size as compared to acoustics, but they weight 3 three times more. Acoustics are big, but that doesn’t mean it will be difficult to play or they would be that weighted as electric.

The standard length of a full-size guitar is 40” concert size and 41” for dreadnought acoustic guitars. This chart will help you decide on what size is suitable for you based on your height.

Guitar Size	Guitar length in inches	Age group	Height
1/4	30”	4-6 Years	3’9”
1/2	34”	5-8 Years	4’3”
3/4	36”	8-11 Years	4’8”
7/8	39”	10 Years and above	5”
4/4	40”	12 Years and above	5’3” and above

4. CHOOSING A BEGINNER’S GUITAR FROM HIGH-END BRANDS

Yes, big brands obviously have the best quality guitars, but you are a beginner, and even the big brands just have their brand name what you pay for. The beginner guitar remains the same for all. You won’t be needing the high-end looks, design and models. You need is an acoustic guitar with no bells and whistles of the brand.

If they are sold at a lower price point, it is quite possible that they were crafted using lower quality materials to appeal to new guitarists.
When you have played the guitar for years, you will want to look at brands such as Fender, Ibanez or Jackson, but as a beginner, go for the lowest ones. You can purchase a more prominent name brand, Ask guitarists friend, guitar experts, ask them what they think of the options that would suit you the best. Not necessary lesser known brands don’t have a quality guitar, they have the quality that you want with a much lower price point.

5. CHOOSING GUITAR WITH WRONG STRINGS

Basically, the string section of a guitar falls in two major categories Steel-Strings (Metal strings) and Nylon-Strings (Classical strings).

Steel strings are made from metal whereas nylon strings are made out of nylon, and the upper three strings are metal.

Never try to put steel strings to classical guitar. Unlike electric and acoustic, classical guitars does not have a truss rod (A metal rod which is placed on the neck or fretboard of the electric and acoustic guitar). So, they won’t bear the tension of the steel strings and can tend the neck to bend, which will raise the action and make it hard for you to play it and sometimes even break.

You can put nylon strings on an acoustic, but no other way around.

Strings for acoustic guitar come in different gauges from light to heavy. Lighter gauges strings for acoustic are designed to be easy on fingers because they create less tension on the neck of the guitar. But, if you play a lot of songs by using guitar techniques, these lighter strings are going to make it easier, but the volume will not be as loud as the heavier gauge strings. And lighter strings can break easily if played harder

Heavier strings can be hard on fingers initially, with timely practice it will be gone. Heavy strings strain a lot of pressure on the guitar neck. But if you can manage to move these strings as a beginner, you will be able to play any guitar easily only if you master all the basics.

6. SAVING UP ON GUITAR MAINTENANCE EXPENSES

We have been asked this question a lot “Can we use furniture polish for guitar” the answer is clear, NO. Never try to use household cleaners and furniture polish on your guitar.

The guitar is made with some different and special kind of wood, which gives you a pleasant sound and feel so the normal wood polish and cleaners are unsuitable for your precious weapon.

We recommend you to get some lemon oil for the fretboard and polishing cream for the body along with your guitar. Choose the ones which are specifically made for guitars, brands and product like GHS Fast-Fret string cleaner & Planet waves - maintenance oil, etc are very well known for guitar maintenance.

Unless you’re playing Live and sweating all over your guitar every night, you really don’t need to clean your guitar very often. If you only play or practise for a few minutes each day in the comfort of your home, a good cleaning a 3 to 4 times a year is sufficient.

7. PURCHASING A GUITAR WITHOUT ACCESSORIES

We always suggest people if you are a beginner then go for a Acoustic guitar bundles. Today we get many choices for Acoustic guitar bundles. The packs which have it all. Some of the essential accessories it includes are:

Picks – You don’t want to hurt your finger while playing the guitar, right? Picks are a triangle shaped plastic thing to hold with your fingers for better sound and playability. Guitar picks come in many different designs, sizes & brand.

A Guitar Strap – This is something that you will find very useful, especially when you are standing and playing your guitar or if you are not used to holding a guitar for an extended period.

An Extra Set of Strings – Guitar strings can break without a minute’s notice even while tuning your guitar accidentally you can break a string, so if you are prepared to replace your strings, having an extra set on hand could prove to be useful. In addition, a restringing tool can also help you get up and running again.

A Tuner – Always while playing makes sure the guitar is in proper tune, the detuned guitar will sound like a noisy instrument for you. It’s important to make sure that you always have a way to tune your instrument. This is useful for instruments that lose their tuning easily. A piece of advice: You need a tuner. You don’t need an automated tuning system that tunes the guitar for you.

A Guitar Bag – When you are learning the guitar, it is likely that you will take it with you from time to time, so you will need a bag to help keep it protected.A piece of advice: You need a case. You don’t need a case lined with crushed velvet and has a built-in hydrometer.

Some extra accessories:

A Guitar Stand or Wall Hanger– When you are at home, it is unreasonable to think that you will keep your guitar in the bag all the time, so you are going to need to purchase a stand or a wall hanger where you can keep it on display. A piece of advice: You need a guitar stand. You can’t practice the guitar in its case. It doesn’t have to have a steel reinforced self-levelling system.

CONCLUSION

These are the 7 common mistakes when buying your first guitar. So, we would like you to always check an make sure the instrument is in good condition. If you at least know how to play a single note, make sure you play each and every note on all 6 strings. Each note should have its own different sound. If it buzzes, sounds the same as the last note, or doesn’t make a sound at all, IT’S A PASS!!! If you don’t know how to play, ask your guitar tutor or call us, our guitar specialists are ready to help.

The physical store might have a lesser option available. So, buying a guitar online is the best as it has many options available and also different choices. Also, the online store has a 10 days return policy. If you are not happy with your purchase, then you can get an instant refund or replacement.

WRAPPING UP WITH

Hopefully, this article must have given you the confidence you need to be an informed buyer. We would be happy to find the best guitar for you, so don’t hesitate to call our product specialist at 91-22-61235399.

Make sure it’s fun to play