by Kiran Roy, Guitar Hall – The Guitar Boutique
Most importantly, only select a guitar you know is fully inspected and adjusted for easy playability, accuracy in tuning, intonation and tone production.
Many important issues rest on the quality and playability of your instrument. Always get the facts. Ask what has been done to make the instrument easy to play. There is no greater impedance to progress, developing proper technique and the enjoyment of learning to play than a poorly constructed instrument or one that is not correctly set up.
Choose the kind of guitar that interests you the most. This way you will be more motivated to play.
Many people mistakenly purchase an inexpensive acoustic guitar from the regular shops(shopkeepers are just too happy to pass off their faulty guitars to beginners) for starting out when they really need a proper guitar. Often they are afraid they or their child will not stick with it. This is almost like buying a guarantee for failure. Guitar Hall stamps that guarantee! A cheaply made acoustic guitar will certainly lead you to quit within a few weeks of starting out because it is physically just too hard to play and coupled with the fact its not what you really wanted in the first place.
Select the right size guitar.
A guitar that is too large will make it difficult for you to make the proper reach with both the right and left hands. Having your arm as high as your shoulder to reach over the guitar can become uncomfortable and at worst painful. Over reaching for the first fret puts your fingers at a great technical disadvantage because their muscles are already stretched out making it difficult to properly move your fingers on the fingerboard.
Select a guitar that does not sell at the bottom of the price barrel.
This may seem a little difficult without giving you numbers but the old adage is almost always true, “You get what you pay for”. Sometimes you even get less. As a general rule, cheaply made guitars are not really playable or adjustable. They are not worth your time or money.
Avoid guitars and packages that promise to be a tremendous value for an amazingly low price.
The old saying,“ If it sounds to good to be true, it probable is”, is a good guide. Do not fall into the so-called major “Brand Name” trap.
Most major brand name companies compete with minor brand name companies for the entry and intermediate level player. Smaller brand name companies rely less on media advertising and more on dealer support and knowledge. These companies may even specialize in the entry and intermediate entry levels where as the major brands specialty is higher priced professional instruments. Obviously the cost of media advertising is included in the overall cost of the instrument. You may end up paying more for the brand name while the quality is the same or paying a competitive price for an instrument of less quality. A brand name guitar does not guarantee it to be a better guitar. As a side note, many major brand guitar makers provide free guitars to recording artist to use in concert, which is a very effective marketing tool. The fans that play guitar or want to begin playing the guitar associate the name brand with their favorite performers, not realizing that the expensive instruments they use share very little (except the name) with the entry level models.
Select a guitar with a finish and color you enjoy.
Having a guitar that not only plays and sounds well but also appeals to you visually can greatly contribute to your motivation to play and practice.
Be sure to include an electronic tuner when you select your guitar.
A tuner is about as important as having picks and strings. Keeping your guitar tuned to standard pitch is important for several reasons. First, guitars are manufactured and set-up to withstand the tension of standard pitch, which produces the best musical tone. Second, guitars are initially set-up and adjusted for standard pitch and third, standard pitch is the musical standard for most instruments. If your guitar is tuned too high above standard pitch the excessive tension can damage your instrument and at the very least break your strings.
Only select a guitar you know is fully inspected and adjusted.
- Choose the kind of guitar that interests you the most.
- Select the appropriate size guitar
- Avoid the cheapest guitars available
- Avoid guitar and guitar packages at amazingly low prices.
- Do not rely on big brand names alone.(Big brand guitars are even manufactured at small time workshops in India, which are passed off as made in Korea,China,Indonesia,etc)
- Select a guitar with a finish/color you enjoy
For more details on Guiar Hall, visit www.Guitarhall.in (call 09833518423 for enquiries)
or visit ThinkVidya for Guitar classes in India, Guitar classes in Delhi, Guitar classes in Mumbai or Guitar classes in Bangalore.
