21 August 2019
Marco Gandolfi
There are loads of different guitar types and setups, each providing its own sound and tone. Luckily for you, as a beginner, you don’t need to know all about it.
You will be learning the very basics and probably won’t know your favourite kind of sound. You will also not develop your own style or sound anytime soon either.
Thus, almost any guitar will be a good fit for learning purposes, which is an inevitable part of guitar playing. Yet, at the same time, some types aren’t suited to beginners.
You don’t want a good-looking but random instrument you know nothing about. So, we’ll tell you how to avoid brands, types and parts that aren’t exactly beginner-friendly. Also, we’ll give you some extra tips on choosing the best possible instrument at your current stage.
Acoustic, Classical or Electric?
A lot of people think that you ought to start with an acoustic guitar. Once you learn that, you may move on to electric and custom guitars.
This is a horrible idea as it forces many musicians to stop learning and playing for several reasons:
1. You should play the guitar that’s suitable for the style of music you want to play
2. An electric guitar is easier to learn on and play than an acoustic or classical guitar
If you want to play country, folk or campfire music, the acoustic guitar is a perfect fit. For many other styles, though, it can be a terrible choice.
Nylon / Steel Strings & Their Gauge
Steel strings are more versatile and all electric guitars come with them. Nylon strings, popular on acoustic and especially classical instruments, are more mellow and warm. However, they don’t resonate just as well.
As for their gauge, thinner strings are easier to play, so we recommend those. The thicker a string is, the more sustain it builds but it’s also more difficult to play.
At your stage, though, you want to make things as simple as possible.
Things to Avoid
As a beginner, you will either not be able to appreciate everything that comes with certain guitars or make your life much more difficult because of it. Here are some examples:
• 7-string, 8-string, 12-string guitars, etc.
• Low-quality tuners (you’ll have to tune constantly)
• Vibrato systems on electric guitars (Tremolo bridges and Floyd Roses are difficult to tune too)
• P90 pickups on electric (very loud)
• Modern guitar shapes (axe-shape or V-style guitars are more difficult to hold correctly)
Other than that, feel free to explore what’s on offer and choose what you like. Know that there are lots of decent budget guitars perfect for new players. If you want an expensive one right off the bat, that’s fine too.
Consider what the instrument is made of and the quality of its parts. You may have to ask for a professional opinion or do some research on your own to determine what’s worth the price and what isn’t.
Last but not least, buy a guitar that looks good and makes you want to play it. No setup, brand reputation or high-quality parts will help if you aren’t attracted to the instrument.