Advice for beginners on choosing a guitar.

[Larry]

In an attempt to come up with some actual intelligent answers for new players...

I thought maybe we could do some brain storming in this thread.  It is very common for new players to ask questions like. "What's a good first guitar?" As many of you know that can be a very subjective question.  There is no right or wrong answer.  It depends.  It depends on what kinds of music they like.  It depends on how serious they are about learning the instrument.  You don't want to buy a $1,500 guitar for someone who is going to lose interest in 2 months.  Instead of answering by saying "I'd pick a ____ over a _____ brand." or "Don't buy a _____ brand"  Maybe it would be cool if some of the seasoned veterans could list things they look for in their guitars and why they are important.  As a newbie, it's impossible to grasp the vast differences from one guitar to another.  To a beginner they are thinking, "They all have 6 strings, what's the big deal?"   When a newbie speak of good quality, they are thinking of a product "Not breaking".  When a veteran thinks of "good quality" they are thinking of a guitar that "plays in tune and stays in tune".  Obviously not breaking down in the middle of a gig is important, but it's more than just the quality of the parts.  It's a matter of how well the parts work together to make an instrument.

I'm sure I'll have more to say on this subject later, but for now, add your thoughts.

[plank831]

I really don't care about the guitar's intonation, strings, and string action, when I'm looking for one, since I can easily change those stuff.

I look at body, the wood they use, the finish and the overally appeal it has. I also look at the neck, how easy it would be to slide my hand through it, and how easy I can grasp it. The frets need to be right for my hands, not too big not too small.

Pickups are important, a guitar can have a great body, neck, etc, but if the pickups suck, then the guitar will probably suck.

I'd like the tuners to be nice and stiff, locking if possible, to prevent accidental detuning.

That's about it.

[Mushroony]

Ok, good initiative.

What I would do, being a 'just ok guitarist', with alot of interest in gear-related stuff  , are the folowing things:

- I personally would avoid FLOATING trems (unless you REALLY REALLY REALLY want one) on guitars that cost less then 500$. Especially Licenced Floyd roses and CERTAINLY the ibanez edge III trem.
The Jackson LFR's (i do NOT say this as a fanboy, but as a person that has missused a Jackson LFR for over 6 years in the past), are pretty deicent though. Why not? Because normally LFR's on low end guitars just make your guitar going out of tune, and a floyd is hard to restring and tune in the first place. And they reduce the sustain enormously. So: Nothing good for a new guitar player that doesnt know what he's doing.

- The thing i do look for is how the wood resonates when you play unplugged. The more you can feel it resonate against your tummy, the better.

- I also look for fretbuzz and dead notes. Play each note on the fretboard (unplugged) and see if it rings clearly (dead notes) or makes unwanted noises (buzz). I also check the sustain of the notes higher up the fretboard (unplugged). They shouldnt die immediately.

-Now the the more important questions: Play it, not for 5 mins, but for an hour at least. Does it feels comfortable? Do you like the neck profile? Does the neck gets sticky? Do you like the scale? Do you like the tone? Does it hang comfy on your neck? Does the neck dives forward if i dont hold it with my left hand? (= bad). Does it gets out of tune after playing for an hour with alot of bending and tremolo use?

And now the most important thing of all:
Do i like my amp? If not: change that first, because 80% (or even more) of your actual tone, is coming from the characteristics of your amp. A 5000$ Suhr will still sound like a squier through a horrible amp. But a squier can sound pretty deicent through a nice tube amp.

So the amp (imo) is more important than the guitar. Once you have an amp that you are happy with, go for a new guitar.

*EDIT*

Pickups are important, a guitar can have a great body, neck, etc, but if the pickups suck, then the guitar will probably suck.
 

I cannot disagree more.
Pickups can be replaced easily. The body and the neck of a guitar makes it good or makes it suck. Not the pickups.
A new set of pickups isnt that expensive. And its a very common upgrade with low budget guitars. Thats the first too go on many guitars of new guitarists.

*EDIT*
Found this on the internet:

How to try out guitars

Before you select a guitar, there are a few things you need to think over.
-The style of music you play.
-A budget you can live with.
-How long you've been playing. If you've ever owned a guitar before.
We all gravitate towards the guitar that looks the Hawtest, but looks and color, shouldn't be your first concern.
Wood type, bridge type, pickup configuration, guitar weight, brand reputation, and UG member recommendations should all come into play.
You need to have in mind, a few guitars that suit you best, before you even walk into the store.

Walking into The Store:

Wait, you've already blown it! Are you sure you're in the right place? Most of us only have a couple of options.
Ideally you live in an area with large chains, and local shops. Keep in mind that large chains pay their workers with commission. A money driven worker will not be working towards your best interest, no matter how nice he seems. Local shops might be able to offer you a better deal, but they don't carry as large a selection.
It's good to get prices online, some stores will even match competitor's prices, but whenever possible, physically play as many guitars as possible. Keep in mind that in most cases, the recommended list price for a guitar, is about twice its actual selling price.
In addition, when you are trying to get more guitar for the money, It might be worth your time to look into local pawn shops, classified Ads or to check out Ebay. There are some good deals out there, you just need to know where to look.

Take a Friend:

Guitar stores can be overwhelming. When possible, bring a guitar playing friend with you, preferably someone with purchasing experience. You want him to be objective and to run interference for you, if you run into any pushy sales associates.
Start off by finding the models and styles in your price range. If you aren't happy with the choices, at least you'll create a basis for comparison.
If you have a favorite type of pick, make sure you have one in your pocket. You want to feel as comfortable as possible.
There's no reason to call over a sales associate just yet, because you should start off by playing your choices acoustically.

Testing a Guitar:

Once you're certain about the model, you're ready to test some guitars. Don't be afraid to ask for one off the wall. When they don't want one played, they will usually tag it, but it's a good idea to leave the top shelf guitars alone unless they are in your price range. Let the sales staff know you're serious and they will be more willing to work with you on a good deal.
To make things simple, I've made a checklist.
Before playing...
-Sit down in a quiet area and feel the guitars weight. Make sure it's balanced, and suited to your size.
-Move the knobs and switch. Make sure they are tight.
-Go to the input jack, see if it wiggles.
-Lift the guitar to your face. Check the headstock and neck joint for small cracks or chips.
-See if the neck looks straight.
-Shake the guitar. Listen for loose parts.
-Look at the fretboard. Make sure there are no wood imperfections, raised or crooked frets. Make sure the frets don't poke through the side of the board.
Before plugging in....
-Strum and fret each string. You're listening for fret buzz.
Keep in mind, guitars aren't always set up prior to placement on the selling floor.
Sometimes they aren't even tuned. Action and fret buzz are USUALLY adjustable, but the guitar shouldn't buzz and rattle everywhere.
-Check the guitar's harmonics. Compare tones at the 12th. See if the guitar is intonated.
-Make sure the board isn't too wide for you. See if you can reach the higher frets.
-Make sure the bridge saddles are level, with no sharp points.
-Make sure the tuners don't feel loose.
Amp it up...
-Ok, find the pain in the ass sales guy. You'll need a guitar cable, and an amp,
JUST LIKE THE ONE YOU HAVE AT HOME!!!!
Don't Let him plug you into a $1,000 amp. You're testing the guitar not the amp.
-If possible, have a riff ready. If you're tagged as a complete noob, you'll get less respect.
-Use the switch. Select the neck pickup. Select the bridge. Listen for crackling noises.
Roll the knobs and listen for noise. Touch and lift your hand off the bridge, listen for buzzing that stops when you ground it. If you're into Metal, and are looking at a humbucker guitar, expect to hear less noise than if you were testing a single-coil guitar.
-Check the pickups with the amp on clean and with gain.

Questions to Ask...
-Hopefully you already know the wood type of your choice guitar. You need to make sure the salesman knows that you've done your homework.
"Do you have any other Mahogany guitars in this price range, you could recommend?"
-Let the salesman know that you've noticed any imperfections.
"I like this ibanez, but I'm picking up fretbuzz through the amp. Do your guitars come
setup?"
-Spend a while playing the guitar. Look upset even if you like the guitar.
"What can I get this guitar for?" "Does this guitar come with a case?"
You want to walk out of there, with as many free extras as possible. Especially if you've found anything wrong with the guitar. Any minor flaw, might work as a bargaining chip.
- "What's your return policy?"
Final thoughts...
IF YOU LIKE THE GUITAR ON THE SALES FLOOR, TAKE THAT GUITAR, NOT ONE FROM THE STOCKROOM. Unless it's a floor model, you should still get a box for it. You just don't want to take the time to find the perfect guitar, only to end up with a lemon in the end.
Also keep in mind, stores make a lot of money off of purchase insurance. In almost every case, it's not worth it to buy protection on a guitar. Except for the neck, every part is easily replaced. In addition, any flaws would be apparent within the usual 30 day return time frame.

Good Luck

[Larry]

I really don't care about the guitar's intonation, ...since I can easily change those stuff.
.

You can adjust the intonation and improve the setup, however some less expensive guitars will never intonate properly.  It could be the nut, the bridge the frets, the neck or a combination of any of them.


P.S.

Don't take this as if I am putting you down, but this post was inspired by your post saying you were saving up to buy your first REAL guitar.  While your opinion is welcome,  the intention of this post is looking for opinions from people who have had more experience buying and playing guitars.

[Larry]

Plank, I used to rely more on aesthetics and how a guitar looks than playability.  And most of those guitars that I bought based on looks never get played.  The one that gets played the most is the one I put off buying for almost a year because I hated the color.  However every time I went into the store and played it, it just felt perfect.  It stayed in tune.  The action was great.  I liked the pickups. I loved the way it fit my hands.

[Larry]

Pickups are important, a guitar can have a great body, neck, etc, but if the pickups suck, then the guitar will probably suck.
 

I cannot disagree more.
Pickups can be replaced easily. The body and the neck of a guitar makes it good or makes it suck. Not the pickups.
A new set of pickups isnt that expensive. And its a very common upgrade with low budget guitars. Thats the first too go on many guitars of new guitarists.

Don't discount how much of a factor your amp and pedals have on your tone. 

[breakfastime]

For me, there's a couple of criteria involved, and a weird little process:

First, there's the first impression:  Does the guitar jump off the wall and grab my attention?  why?  Is it just because it reminds me of the one from that Warrant video?  Or because when I see it, I think "James Burton!"  or "Jeff Beck!" ? Seriously, I associate certain guitars with certain players (most of us do, admit it), and those feelings can be good or bad.  They can certainly affect my interest in an instrument. Certainly, if I think "Jimi Hendrix!" when I see a guitar, it's definitely gonna at least get played some, if not purchased.  If I think "Brian Setzer!" when I see an old Gretsch, I'm at least gonna give it a strum before choking on the price tag. 

Usually, there's a wall full of nondescript axes, and the eye scans the room.  Maybe one or two guitars in a room will grab the eye and make me look twice. A lot of times, I won't go straight to the axe in question.  Instead I'll visit with one or two 'runner ups'.  Then when I grab 'the good one', I have at least a reference to the 'next coolest' guitar in the room.
The lesson here is: If I'm gonna play a guitar in a shop, I'm gonna play at least a couple of guitars in the same room.  The funnest part of guitar shopping is...the playing.

A lot of times I walk in and walk out because nothing looked that exciting.

Next, after the initial selection process, is the closer inspection: taking the guitar down off the wall and looking at it real closely before getting it into playing position. Note the details of the instrument, and now may be a good time to look at the price.  Ever see a guitar dealer inspect a guitar? He looks at the back, the neck, nut, tuners "...is that a headstock repair? or just bad paint?  How do the frets look?  How do they feel?" ...all before he flips it over and starts playing the thing.
The lesson here is: don't just start playing the guitar because you're in love with it and have already purchased it in your mind.

Sounds crazy but I once watched a guy buy a guitar with a broken neck (as in-it needed to be repaired) because he never really inspected the guitar.  He just grabbed it and started playing....walked right up to the cash register, still playing.  Seriously.  More money than sense.

The fun part is the playing.  Hopefully there's a decent amp in the room.  Plug it in and see how it holds a tune.  Play with different settings, etc.  Turn all the knobs and flip all the switches.  Look more closely at the frets and pay attention to the intonation.  Are the frets in good shape, or do they have grooves worn in them?  Is the bridge too rusty to intonate with?  Will you need to put any more money into this thing, or is it 'right' as it is? Compare it again with one of the runner ups while you're at it.  Once I've decided if the guitar is really any good (really just takes a few seconds, but...)

Another visual inspection for smaller details while I mull over the big questions:  Can I afford this?  Do I really need it? How will I use it?  Wall-hanger or gigging axe?... or do I just want it?  Will the guy give me a better deal?

So the last lesson is: is this the right guitar for you?  Is it something you need to get a certain sound for the gig?  Or is it a backup for a guitar you already own? (both perfectly legit reasons to buy, if the guitar is good)  Do you just want it because it's purple?  Or looks like Slash's?  (again, both good reasons-but only if you can afford the guitar with no problem)

Well that's kind of my process.  Keep in mind, I don't have a lump sum of money to play with, so I tend to be a bargain hunter. I buy maybe one big purchase a year.  Maybe a guitar, maybe an amp. 
But often I'll go help a friend shop, and I'll look the place over and find the best instrument for him, considering whatever circumstances (is he a beginner?  a guy looking for his first electric?  Maybe he wants a Tele but doesn't know what makes a 'good one'?).


There's a lot of things to consider.  Really, the prerequisite is BUDGET. And then it's up to the shopper to determine what is the right purchase.  Hopefully, some of these pointers can help in that process. 

[Larry]

BT you make a good point about trying other guitars (runners up)  Once I was on a mission to buy a Historic Les Paul.  I was looking for a '58 to be precise.  I went to several shops in St. Louis and ended up at Eddie's Guitars.   I was playing through a Gibson Historic and the guy asked me if I wanted to try a Heritage.  I had already told myself I was going to buy a real deal Gibson and nothing else would do.  However when I played them side by side, I liked the Heritage better.  It sounded identical through the amp.  It played better, it looked better.  It didn't have Gibson in the headstock, but it was $1400 cheaper.  $1400 LESS for a guitar I liked MORE.  I found it really difficult to make myself spend that much more just to get a Gibson.

[plank831]

I really don't care about the guitar's intonation, ...since I can easily change those stuff.
.

You can adjust the intonation and improve the setup, however some less expensive guitars will never intonate properly.  It could be the nut, the bridge the frets, the neck or a combination of any of them.


P.S.

Don't take this as if I am putting you down, but this post was inspired by your post saying you were saving up to buy your first REAL guitar.  While your opinion is welcome,  the intention of this post is looking for opinions from people who have had more experience buying and playing guitars.

it's all goods, i never had experience of buying a  guitar in a long time. The last time I bought one, I just picked it out, since my parents were in a hurry.

Now I'll be more careful.

[Larry]

. The last time I bought one, I just picked it out, since my parents were in a hurry.

I have never ever heard that one before.

[Tommy Malice]

I avoid wammy bars, mainly I look for humbucker, ballsy sounds, body wood, how many frets and, well, whether it looks good or not!

You could have a guitar that plays like a dream, but looks like a dog turd and, well, I wouldn't buy it. Stupid, I know.

[Larry]

Ugly guitars have character.

[Tommy Malice]

Ugly guitars have character.

 

[Larry]

Ugly guitars have character.

 

[Tommy Malice]

Ugly guitars have character.

 

They're not ugly! THey're awesome!