Choosing a guitar to buy can be tricky, especially if you’ve recently started playing. When buying a guitar, it helps to have an approach. This is important for a couple of reasons: First, having a repeatable system means you’ll be able to apply it to any instrument that you are considering. Second, it reduces the anxiety many people may feel when they’re trying to figure out if a guitar they like is worth buying, a deal or a steal, or a ripoff or purchase they will regret. After all, guitars are ultimately very personal decisions, and the same instrument that works for one person may not feel great to someone else. In this guide, we’ll discuss an easy, 3 step approach to buying your first guitar.
The Sleazy Guitar Salesman is a Thing of the Past (Thankfully!)
In the days of brick and mortar guitar buying only, high-pressure sales was the norm. Beginners were especially subject to pushy, manipulative salespeople; I have personally experienced this, and ended up buying a handful of guitars that I didn’t like, and ultimately sold. Today, with online shopping the norm, today’s guitar stores are happy to have people trying and buying. High pressure sales tactics are largely a thing of the past, and online retailers typically have very reasonable return policies.
Sitting comfortably at home browsing online, we have expanded options, but the paradox of choice comes into play—i.e., having too many choices is sometimes worse than having too few.
How to Choose A Guitar
Here is the framework that I use to help me make good guitar-buying decisions. I use these steps for buying online and in-person. These steps will help you choose a good guitar whether it is your first, or your 100th.
1. Decide if you really want the guitar, and WHY
The “why” is important here. If, for instance, you listen to a Van Halen track and decide that you simply must have a rock guitar with a hot humbucker in the bridge, then so be it. But if the reality is that you don’t play a lot of Van Halen-type music, you can probably scratch your itch with that Strat or Les Paul you already have, and save yourself the trouble. In my own case, there are guitars that I have looked at online for years, but have never purchased… I guess I don’t really want them. Only you know the answer.
2. Determine if the guitar is overpriced
It’s very easy to find relative valuations of guitars now. Reverb and eBay will show you past sale prices, and if the guitar is new and widely available, you can check retailers’ sites such as Sweetwater and Musician’s Friend to validate if a price is fair.
3. Check how long the guitar has been for sale/listed
If what looks like a perfectly good guitar has been on Reverb for two years, the seller is either hiding something, or it’s overpriced. Very possibly, it’s been returned for an issue. If you do choose to pursue a guitar that’s been sitting, make contact with the seller and get the story.
Fit, Finish, Feel—and Of Course—Tone!
If your answers to #1-3 are positive, the next step is to evaluate the actual guitar you are buying. If buying online, you’ll need to evaluate the guitar when you get it, of course. There’s simply no substitute for actually playing a guitar, because even with extremely high quality guitars from excellent makers, the feel and tone will vary among guitars of the same model.
When judging a guitar, we suggest that you evaluate it based on the following attributes. These represent the design specs of the guitar, the materials, and the workmanship.
1. Playability
How does the guitar feel to you? This includes the neck shape, fret size, playability, and overall “vibe” you get from the instrument.*
Some ways to determine Playability:
- Is the guitar set up well from the manufacturer?
- Does the neck adjust easily, and is it stable?
- Are the fret ends smooth?
- Is the fingerboard edge rounded off or is it uncomfortably pointed?
2. Tone
Is the sound pleasing to you? Keep in mind that there are many ways to manipulate the sound of an electric, and far fewer for an acoustic. A good electric guitar will have a pleasing sound even when it’s not plugged into an amp, and no amp can make a lousy guitar sound good.
- Does the guitar intonate well?
- Does the guitar stay in tune?
- Is the tone balanced? Or is it boomy or thin?
- Is the low and midrange clear, or is it muddy?
- Is the high end bright and thin? Or clear and warm?
3. Appearance
Although music is heard and not seen, we’d be lying if we said appearance didn’t mean something. Color and quality of finish work is important, because even though we should be concerned first and foremost about tone, none of us wants to play a guitar that doesn’t look good to us.
- Does the color and finish look good to you?
- Can you find any blemishes in the finish? (a few small imperfections may be ok, but that’s your call).
- Is the neck finish smooth to the touch, or is it tacky?
4. Workmanship/Fit & Finish
- Is the neck joint tight?
- If the guitar has binding, is it applied evenly?
- Are the fretboard inlays applied straight and cleanly?
- Are the strings aligned with the pole pieces on the pickups?
5. Size & Weight
Anyone can play any guitar, but it’s good to keep relative dimensions in mind. If you’re not a big person you might not need or want a honkin’ big jumbo-size guitar. Some people are weight sensitive as well, and seek out lighter guitars for this reason.
*Guitars almost always benefit from a pro setup, so if you love everything about the guitar but have a few reservations on playability, you’d be wise to find a good guitar tech and have it set up to your liking. See our article Guitar Repair: How To Find a Good Shop
Making The Deal
If you have used the GK 3-Step Framework and you feel good about the guitar you are considering, it’s time to make an offer. You can often haggle for a lower price, especially on a second-hand guitar. But even if you pay full price, the objective is to get a great guitar, not “win the deal”—so don’t let an extra 5% cost keep you from a guitar you’ll love. Look for a reasonable return policy; 14 or 30 days is awesome, but even three days is ok if you have the time to play the guitar a lot in that timeframe.
Conclusion
At GK we know some people would never approach buying like this, instead preferring to take their chances and return or resell as needed. I personally don’t have the time and energy for that, and would rather make a good decision upfront that minimizes the chances of a bad purchase.
One more thing I might add is the need to be realistic. For example, when you hear about someone who has “owned over 80 Les Pauls”, it’s a good bet that there’s something else going on. They are either hopelessly consumed with Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S), or they are looking for something that can’t be had in the price range they are operating in. Or worse, they’re looking for something (hint: tone!) that can’t be bought. Happy Playing!