The Best Beginner Guitar is....

Is there really a best beginner guitar?

First you need to decide What Type of Guitar you want to learn.

Do you want to play Acoustic Guitar?

Learn Electric Guitar?

or play Bass Guitar?

These questions can be answered by looking at the kind of music you want to play on your guitar.

I'm taking a wild guess but I suspect that most of you out there want to play either the electric bass or the electric guitar. If so then you'll get a great head start with this program which will teach you no matter what level you are and gives you access to lots of different teachers, with every guitar style covered in depth!

Hopefully a few of you will choose the acoustic guitar, as I believe it's a beautiful instrument that deserves to be morewidely used. And it's also a good instrument to start beginners on, as no matter how loud you play an acoustic guitar the neighbours aren't going to ask you to MOVE!! :)


How Old Do You Need to Be to Start the Guitar?

You can start your child pretty early on the guitar as you can get 1/2 scale (that's half the size of a normal guitar) (up to 6 years) or 3/4 scale guitars (up to 10-12 years).

Just remember that if they're starting very young (5-8 years old) they'll have to start on an acoustic with nylon strings. You really don't want your young child to come to you with bleeding hands from playing on metal strings! For the Young Guitarist look no further...

Costs?

For an acoustic guitar you're looking at £40($80)- upwards

For an electric guitar it's from £60 upwards ($120) - upwards

For an electric bass it's around £60 upwards ($120) - upwards

When you're looking to buy any kind of guitar there are some important facts you need to bear in mind.

1. You need to make sure you are comfortable with the instrument. Most of the time guitars in the store are not 'set up' right, meaning that the neck is probably bent slightly and that the strings are too high or too low on the fretboard, making it feel uncomfortable to you.

However, you could be playing a GREAT instrument if it's set up right, so my advice is go to several stores and play the same guitar. If this is not possible, and you are seriously considering buying the instrument, tell this to the shop guy and ask him to 'set it up' for you. Most stores will do this, though some may not.

2. Make sure the electronics are all working,

3. That the neck is straight and above all that you feel a 'connection' with the guitar.

4. You also have to make sure that you buy within your price range, set yourself a limit and don't go over it.

5. I would not advise buying second-hand from E-bay without actually seeing and playing the instrument.

Don't forget a cool guitar strap



Strings

Of course all guitars need a set of strings but how often do you need to change them?

Acoustic Guitar When you change strings is dependent upon how often you play, your playing style, your care of the strings, and the effect your hands have on the strings. The short answer to this question is between 15 to 30 hours of play! Here's why: As you play, the strings will collect dirt and oils from your hands. This causes the strings to become dead and to vibrate unevenly along their length (also causing tuning problems). Dirt and oils get into the windings and down inside to the core of the strings where it can cause corrosion of the core. If your hands are dirty or if your hands perspire when you play, this will shorten the string life. Wiping the strings off each time you are finished playing will help prolong their life. Also if you bend strings or play hard this will cause flat spots on the strings especially at the fret locations, shortening their life.

Here is a video clip of an acoustic guitar to show you what is possible with lots of practice!

Electric Guitar It's best to change strings when they have lost their brilliance, they sound a bit too mellow or intonation isn't right. It is not recommended that a broken string is replaced in a well used set. The new string is likely to sound much brighter than the others. Learning the guitar fretboard is also very important. Find out why...

Here is a video of some impressive playing on the electric guitar.

Bass Guitar When you change them is up to you. A friend of mine changes them every month. Some Bass players change them every set. Some don't EVER change them, and some change them EVERY take in the studio! Generally, strings sound brighter the newer they are.

Once you have decided on which guitar to buy you will need some instruction. I have created a unique product to get you reading music quickly

Amps With so much attention focused on which guitars give you which sound, which guitars look the nicest, and which play the best, the lowly guitar amplifier is often ignored, especially by novice guitarists. This is a big mistake for guitarists looking to find a great sound. The fact of the matter is; a sub-par guitar played through a great amp can still sound fairly decent, but even the best guitars, when played through a bad amplifier, sound awful.

If you're considering buying your first amplifier, price will obviously be one of your primary concerns. Guitar amplifiers range in price from under $100, to multiple thousands of dollars.

But don't immediately go for the cheapest amp. Remember the amp has as much to do with the sound of the electric guitar as the the guitar itself. For more information about guitar amps click here.

Something else to consider is foot pedals for your guitar. Here is a guide to what each guitar foot pedals does

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