Buying An Electric Guitar Advice
(for beginner)

This subject is actually lengthy. Presented here is a simple and crucial guide that could help those who are new to guitar playing and are deciding to buy a first electric guitar as to which is best for you.

Choosing an electric guitar is complicated and very individualized process. It’s also expensive, so if you’re on a budget, you don’t want to spend your hard-earned dollars on something that’s just so-so.

Unlike when playing an acoustic guitar, truly enjoying your electric guitar requires an amp, so even if you’re a first time buyer, you’ll likely want to invest in both.

Take your time to read through this. It will really help you to understand and appreciate the crucial points when selecting to buy your first electric guitar. Be excited.

For better perspective you may want to watch the following informative videos on;

How an electric guitar is made
Courtesy of Godin Guitars

How guitar strings are made
Courtesy of D'Addario Strings

Buying your first electric guitar or buying the first guitar for your child is not always an easy thing and can be an emotional ordeal, especially when you are unprepared for what you are looking for.

Everyone will have a different set of criteria when it comes to choosing a reasonably good first electric guitar. Chances are that you may not be able to satisfy all of them at once. It pays know how o choose a reasonable good starter electric guitar.

Consider inexpensive sets if you’re buying for a younger kid or if you’ve never played guitar. You can find very basic starter sets with both a guitar and an amplifier for as low as $120.00 brand new, but the quality of these is typically poor. Even though they could be better, these basic sets are enough to get started, play around on and have some fun.

The anatomy of an electric guitar

What To Look For..

Body Style

Electric guitars come in three basic body styles: solid-body, semi-hollow, (or semi-solid) and hollow-body.

When sustain, loud amplification and lots of effects are required, solid-body guitars are a good choice. Semi-hollow body guitars are useful when the more of the acoustic sound of the guitar with high levels of amplification are needed. Hollow body, or "jazz" guitars provide the acoustic sound of the guitar but can be prone to feedback at high levels of amplification.

Neck

Choosing what type of neck your guitar should have is dependent on the size of your hand: necks come in a number of shapes such as C-shaped, thin, wide-thin, etc

Set Neck vs Bolt on

Some people believe that a set neck has better sustain than a neck that is bolted on. This may have an effect on which instrument you choose, but if you want a legendary Fender Stratocaster, the neck is bolt-on, period. Conversely, if you choose an ever popular Gibson Les Paul, it comes with a set neck.

Scale Length

Scale length influences both the tonal quality of the notes produced and the tension of the string at a particular pitch. Scale length refers to the vibrating length of the string, which is determined by the distance between "nut" and the bridge "saddle." Fret placement is a ratio based on scale length so longer scales have more distance between frets.

Number of Frets

Most electric guitars come with 22 frets, however, if you like to play in the high register, a 24-fret neck will give you the full octave above the twelfth fret.

Body Finish

With electrics, the type of finish does not affect sound as much as it does on acoustics, but you needn't worry about it in either case. Guitar makers take this into account when they build the instrument.

Bridge

There are two main types of bridges for guitars; tremolo bridge and stoptail bridge. The tremolo bridge (or whammy bar) allows you to "dive" or bend all the strings at once, (good for Metal styles) but they can throw strings out of tune. The stoptail bridge is more stable as far as tuning is concerned and because it is fixed into the body, some players feel that it provides more sustain than the tremolo bridge, which "floats" above the body.

Pickups

Most guitars have two pickups, one close to the neck, which provides a thicker sound, and one close to the bridge, which produces a more treble "twangy" sound. A 3-position switch allows you to choose between pickups or blend them. Some guitars have a five-position switch, which blends the pickups and changes their phase relationship to produce "glassy" tones. A third, or middle pickup is also available on some guitars for more sound blending options.

Tuning machines

The type of tuning machine your guitar has is very important. This is what allows you to fine tune and hold pitch. Enclosed machine heads resist rust and airborne corrosives, and therefore don't require as much maintenance or replacement as open tuning machines.

Wood

Choice of woods naturally affects the tone and weight of a guitar, but so do a number of other factors. This is all taken into account by the intentions of the designer. More expensive woods don't necessarily mean a better sounding guitar.

Tonewoods : Sonic Signature

There are a number of factors that determine the tonal properties of wood. In addition, tonewoods respond differently in the hands of different makers. They can also take on different characteristics when used in different models of guitars - even those built by the same maker. Whether a particular wood sounds good or bad ultimately depends on who is doing the listening, so any attempt to sort out distinctions can only be subjective.

Sika Spruce

Spruce is the standard material for soundboards, the most commonly used species being Sitka. Its high stiffness combined with the lightweight characteristics of most softwoods, makes it a natural for high velocity of sound.

A strong fundamental-to-overtone ratio gives Sitka spruce a powerful direct tone capable of retaining its clarity when played forcefully. This makes Sitka an excellent choice for top wood for players whose style demands a wide dynamic response and a robust, meaty tone.

On the other hand, the lack of complex overtones in Sitka can produce a somewhat thin sound when played with a light touch - of course, depending upon the design of the guitar and the other choices of wood in its construction.

Mahogany

When used as a top, mahogany has a relatively low velocity of sound (compared to other top woods), considerable density and a low overtone content producing a solid tone, and responds best at the upper end of the dynamic range. Mahogany-topped guitars have a strong "punchy" tone that is well suited to country blues playing.

While rosewood guitars may be thought of has having a metallic sound, mahogany guitars sound more wood-like. The harder, denser examples of these woods can take also on the characteristics of the rosewoods. Mahogany back and sides tends to emphasize the bass and the treble.

Mahogany necks help to create a warmer, more "woody" tonal range. The same holds true when mahogany is used as bridge material.

Koa

Koa has been used for soundboards since the1920s. This hardwood has a relatively low velocity of sound, considerable density and a low overtone content. Therefore, it tends to produce a solid tone that responds best at the upper end of the dynamic range. Koa has a somewhat more "midrangey" tone that works well for playing rhythm and truly shines in guitars made for Hawaiian-style slide playing.

For back and sides, Koa tends to behave much like mahogany in terms of adding tonal coloration, but its emphasis is again more in the midrange.

Brazillian Rosewood

All the rosewoods contribute to tonal coloration. Brazilian rosewood is known for its high sound velocity and broad range of overtones, and is also characterized by strength and complexity in the bottom end and an overall darkness of tone in the rest of the range.

Strong mids and highs also contribute a richness of tone to the upper registers. Rosewood guitars also have a pronounced reverberant-like tone quality. Brazilian rosewood has tremendous clarity in the bottom end and sparkle in the top. When used for necks, Brazilian rosewood adds sparkle and ring.

Maple

Maple, as a result of its greater weight and lower sound velocity, can be downright flat sounding, a blessing in disguise when a guitar is amplified at high sound pressure levels. This is why maple is the wood of choice for electric guitar tops. West coast big leaf maple is the softest and lightest of the maple family, with a wood grain that resembles waves. Aside from a visually breathtaking pattern, the wavy fibers of "curly" maple reduce the long grain stiffness and vibrate more freely.

Lastly, an electric guitar is never complete without an amp. So, if you are shopping for a first electric guitar you want to browse through some popular Electric Guitar Packages. Guitar packages are great saving value guitar packs. Electric guitar packages usually include an electric guitar, a guitar amp, case or gig bag, tuner, strings and strap.

Back to:

How an electric guitar is made (Vid)
Anatomy of an electric guitar
Body style | Neck | Set neck vs bolt-on
Number of frets | Scale length | Body Finish
Pickups | Bridge | Tuning machines
Tonewoods | Wood
Koa | Maple | Mahogany | Sika Spruce | Brazillian Rosewood

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