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Buyers Guide |
Asking someone to recommend a guitar to buy is like asking someone what car they should buy. There are simply too many factors to consider to give a 100% accurate answer, as a guitar is a personal preference. What style of music do you play? What is your budget? How big are you? etc. So before reading this I want you to realise that my biggest recommendation would be to go and try some guitars out at your local guitar shop first. However, I also realise that this is difficult as you won't really know what feels good! Therefore I have done the research for you and picked my top 3 budget, 'good all rounder' guitars. But first the classic question... Electric or Acoustic? I hear this question almost daily!! I also hear parents telling their children that they 'can move onto Electric if they are still enthusiastic in 6 months'. This is a sure fire way to kill your child's enthusiasm immediately! I personally feel it is a much better decision to buy an electric guitar first and then if the enthusiasm is still there in 6 months, then they can have an Amplifier!! It will be much kinder to your ears too! After this when the players ears have matured they will probably want to buy an acoustic anyway to properly develop. One thing that is misunderstood is that it is much easier to play an electric guitar so I actually think it is better to start on electric. Of course this only matters if you want to play electric. The Acoustic guitar gives an amazing sound and if it that is what you are after then you should, of course, buy an Acoustic first. Acoustic I should point out at this time that I will be talking purely about steel stringed Acoustics. Nylon guitars are used predominantly in flamenco and classical guitar - something my knowledge is limited on and my number 1 rule of teaching is 'do not insult your student by trying to teach something you do not feel extremely confident in teaching'. Therefore if it is nylon strings you are after then there are numerous resources on the net for research. The Acoustic guitar produces sound from vibrating strings been picked or plucked. The strings resonate through a hollow, wooden body and produce noise. When buying a guitar make sure you choose one with a spruce top. Spruce is number one for strength-to-weight ratio woods in the World. You should also go with a guitar that has a mahogany body. Mahogany adds resonance and produces a warm, but not too warm sound ideal for versatility. Below are my top 3 budget Acoustic Guitars 1. Takamine G320 Dreadnought Acoustic - Link An amazing guitar for the price. Takamines are regarded as one of the best high-end guitar manufacturers in the business so it goes without saying that their budget models are to be respected too. This model is, in my opinion, the ultimate beginners guitar as it looks good, sounds great and you will be playing it for years without the need to upgrade. 2. Washburn D10S Dreadnought Acoustic - Link The Worlds best selling Acoustic Guitar for a reason. For this price this is the only guitar that rivals the Takamine. The craftsmanship is superb and if you are looking for a diverse, all round instrument then this really could be the one for you. The price usually includes a hard case too. 3. Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic - Link If it really is budget you are after then this guitar could be the one for you. It is a no-frills guitar but Epiphone have a policy of not sacrificing quality for economy. That being said it is a real budget guitar and although it is great to learn on, in a few months you would be looking to upgrade. If however, money is an issue then this is my recommendation. Electric Like the Acoustic, the Electric Guitar uses the vibration of its strings to create sound. However on the electric there is no hollow body or sound holes so to get volume from the guitar you will need an Amplifier. The guitar has magnetized pickups that convert the sound into electric current. There are even more options and decisions to make when buying an electric so I have narrowed the choice down to 3 which was bloody hard!! 1. Squier Affinity Stratocaster - Link The Fender Stratocaster is the most famous guitar in the World. Used by some of the greatest guitarists ever. Most notably THE greatest guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix. There are countless copies of this guitar but the Squier is Fenders own copy. I actually started out on this guitar myself back in '92. The guitar is made of alder creating a warm tone. The maple neck gives the distinctive bright sound and the 'Strat' has 3 single coil pickups, so if it is heavy rock you are after then this probably isn't the guitar for you but if versatility is your thing then you can't go wrong with the Strat. 2. Epiphone Les Paul - Link The only guitar to rival the legendary status of the 'Stratocaster' is the 'Gibson Les Paul'. Like the Squier this is Gibsons own copy version of their more expensive guitar. The Les Paul is a much heavier instrument, creating more sustain. It has dual humbuckers (basically 2 single coil pickups stuck together) that gives it a much thicker sound perfect for rock music. It is not as versatile as the strat but can still hold it's own and when it comes to rock music, nothing compares. A top buy. 3. Yamaha Pacifica - Link When I was studying at the Guitar Institute, the Yamaha was the guitar that the College chose to endorse. So when we would break a string, something would go wrong or we would forget our guitars (hey we are Musicians!!) we would be given this guitar to do our performances with. Sometimes I would break a string on purpose just because I loved the feel and tone of the Yamaha. A great guitar that continues to amaze me that Yamaha sell it at such a low price. The guitar features a hybrid of single coils and humbucker pickups that, you guessed it, gives it unbelievable versatility. The neck is a good size and although the body is based on the Fender Stratocaster, the Yamaha is very much it's own guitar. Highly recommended after the top two. |
Justin Brown - info@justinbrownguitar.com |
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