Things To Check While Purchasing A New Electric Guitar

When shopping for an electric guitar you will quickly discover they come in a huge assortment of sizes, weights and styles to please and suit everyone. The trick is matching the right guitar to the player.

This guide will help you choose the best new electric guitar to purchase:

Who is the guitar for?

A guitar for a beginner is usually very different from the type required by an experienced player

• Check that the guitar matches the person’s size and that it “feels” comfortable to them
• Check to see that the string action is set to match the player. Ask your music shop to set it up properly, they have a lot experience is doing this and a properly set up string action will make playing easier and less frustrating for a beginner
•  Check to ensure that the neck of the guitar is straight and not warped or bent
• Make a quick check of the intonation by playing a 12trh fret harmonic followed by a 12th fret note to see if the pitch is the same or does it need to be altered
• Try the volume and tone controls to ensure they are easy to work. Check the pickup selector and any other control to ensure they operate smoothly, sound clean and are not too crackly or hissy
• It’s easy to tune and will it stay in tune
• What type of accessories does it come with
• Can it be used with a small solid state amp

Playing a guitar that is not set up correctly can be annoying and cause the student to become frustrated and lose interest quickly.

When a guitar that has been specially set up, taking into account a person’s hand size and movement, it makes the difference between the experience being a pleasurable exercise or a frustrating and difficult experience.

Often a student knows the sounds and the type of guitar they want to play, it’s worth trying to match these ideas up with a guitar that they want to keep them motivated an interested

Lower Price Range

There are many good options in the lower price range of electric guitars and until a person has decided that they wish to continue playing (this usually happens after 6 months) it can be hard to justify buying a guitar with a large price tag.

For people who have been playing for a while they usually know what they want and so it’s much easier to find what they want. With guitars often price equates to overall quality, often it is worthwhile paying a little more to get the best possible guitar and avoid the urge to constantly upgrade.

When you’re viewing an electric guitar it is very likely to have reviews from other players who have tried it so it’s worthwhile reading these to get a bit of an idea how it performs and if there are any issues with it that you need to be aware of before you purchase it.

When you’re buying an electric guitar it pays to take your time and make the right selection based on finding one that feels comfortable for you and is in your price bracket. Have the shop set it up properly for you and check the controls.