The Essentials
How To Choose Your First Guitar
If you have decided to learn to play the guitar, you will need to own one. You could borrow one provided you have access to it at all times. Choosing your first guitar can be overwhelming, but a little research and knowledge will make things easy.
There are three main types of guitars.
Steel String
Great for beginners!
Nylon String
For Classical Style.
Electric Guitar
For most other Genres.
Although the style of music you want to play, is usually the deciding factor when buying a guitar, an Acoustic Steel String Guitar is recommended for most beginners. In case you want to play western classical music, then a Nylon String Guitar is preferred. If you have been playing an acoustic guitar for a while and want to move on to other genres of music then you may want to buy an Electric Guitar.
The deciding factors
Price
Acoustic Steel String guitar prices start at about INR 2500/- and go up to thousands of rupees. Though the cheaper guitars are tempting, the construction and quality may not be up to the mark.
A good guitar is essential for an enjoyable learning experience, and you can get one between INR 6000/- to INR 12,000/ Rupees. If you are on a low budget, a used guitar is a good option, as long as you have an experienced instructor/friend to help you choose the right one.
Whatever you do, buy a nice guitar! You will enjoy the process of learning and playing.
Size
Guitars come in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 4/4 sizes. The actual size may vary in length from brand to brand. The ideal way to find a comfortable guitar size is to walk into a guitar store and strum a few guitars under the guidance of someone who already plays the guitar.
Size and age suitability.
1/4 size = 4 to 5-year-old
1/2 size = 5 to 7-year old
3/4 size = 8 to 12-year old
4/4 or a full size = 13-year-old and above.
Action
Action is the height of the strings from the fretboard. If the guitar action is too low, there will be an annoying buzz when you play, and if it is too high, you will have to put extra pressure to make the strings ring, which is a painful playing experience.
If you find the action high or low, ask the technician at the shop to adjust it, but if you buy it online, you can take it to your nearest luthier and have him set up the guitar for you.
String Gauge
The measurement of a string's thickness is called the string gauge. The tone of a guitar varies according to the gauge used. Thicker strings give out a fuller tone and are better for strumming, while thinner ones are better for soloing. Strings come in sets according to the thickness of the first and sixth strings. 9-42 means that the first string is .009 of an inch, and the sixth string is .042 of an inch, while the strings in between are of varying thickness.
There are four main string gauge categories.
Extra-light string sets start at .008, .009 and .010 as first strings
Light string sets start at .012 gauge for acoustic guitars and .010 gauge for electric guitars.
Medium gauge strings start at .013 for acoustic guitars and .011 for electric guitars.
Heavy gauge strings start at .014 for acoustic guitars and .012 for electric guitars.
Accessories
As a guitarist, you will need a few accessories to make your life easier and help you perform better.
Guitar Tuner App
Metronome App
Guitar Strap
Assorted Picks
Foot Stool
Guitar Stand
Spare Strings
