How to Choose and Buy an Acoustic Guitar
Knowing how to choose the right guitar and how to identify a bad
one will save you from countless headaches, not to mention
finger aches. Also, choosing the right acoustic can be tough,
especially these days, when there are so many styles to choose
from.
Acoustic guitar bodies come in basically the same shape, with
some variations, but they do vary in size, colour, wood-type,
style, and extra features. You can even buy an acoustic guitar
so small that fits into a hiking backpack.
The most common type of guitar in use today is the folk-style of
guitar. This is the guitar you will see played around most
campfires and parties, and is the one found in most music
groups, church choirs, and in the corner of most homes.
Guitars come in a very wide range of prices, but when it comes
to instruments, in general, you get what you pay for, especially
when you buy new. There's a difference between getting a bargain
and buying cheap.
But whether you buy new or used may be determined by many
personal factors, and each has their own pros and cons.
Buying new, gives you a warranty and, hopefully, a return
period, if for some reason you're not totally satisfied with
your purchase, or something goes wrong.
Under 'normal' circumstances, a used guitar can usually be
purchased cheaper and has already gone through its "break-in"
period.
Commercially built guitars are usually mass manufactured.
"Custom-made" guitars are exactly that. They are custom built
and tailored to your specifications by a highly skilled guitar
maker.
Prices for a custom-built guitar vary considerably, depending on
the skill level of the craftsperson you contract the job to,
but, as a rule, they are generally quite higher than a
commercially built guitar of "similar" quality. Each custom
built guitar is unique and therefore hard to compare in price to
a commercially built guitar.
Understanding some of the parts of a guitar will definitely help
you when it comes to the Pre-Purchase Checklist.
BODY: This is the part with the sound hole in the front. It is
where the strumming is done, and it can vary in size. The actual
size, shape, type of wood, coating, and general build of the
body also affects how the guitar will "sound", whether it's a
rich and warm sound, or a thin and 'twangy' sound. The body
tends to be the part that also gets scratched, damaged, and
generally banged-up the most.
NECK: This is the long piece extending from the body and ends at
the 'head' of the guitar where the 'Tuning Heads' are, also
known as 'machine heads'. The strings travel from the 'Bridge'
on the body, across the sound hole, along the 'Fret Board',
which is attached to the front-side of the neck, and finally
arriving at the tuning heads where they are wrapped around
tuning posts. The tuning heads are then turned by hand, which
then turns the posts, making the strings tighter or looser, thus
affecting their 'tuning'. Necks tend to warp and twist if not
looked after, or if the guitar is left propped against a heat
source.
BRIDGE: The Bridge is normally located on the front of the body,
by the sound hole, and on the side of the hole opposite to the
neck. The strings are usually fed through the bridge first
before they cross the hole and travel up the neck to the tuning
heads. The bridge is like an anchor-point for the strings. Metal
bridges are best, but on most acoustics they are either hard
plastic or wood. Bridges have a tendency to crack and split over
a long period of time.
FRET BOARD: The fret board is glued to the front of the neck.
This is the part you press the strings onto to make chords or
play individual notes. Because it's glued on separately, a fret
board can be made of a wood that's different from the neck.
The strings travel over the fret board and the distance they are
above the fret board makes a difference to the playability of
the guitar. If the strings are too far above the fret board,
then they will be hard to press down, making the guitar hard to
play.
When a beginner plays a guitar, initially his or her fingertips
are very soft and need to be hardened. A guitar with the strings
too far above the fret board, also known as having a 'high
action', will cause the player's fingers to hurt so much that
they are likely to put the guitar away in discouragement and
possibly stop playing altogether.
STRINGS: Acoustic guitar strings, come in a wide variety of
'flavours'. They can be made out of nylon, brass, steel, or a
combination. Nylon strings are usually only found on Classical
guitars and Student guitars, because they're easier on the
fingertips. They have a rich, warm sound to them.
Strings sets come in different 'weights', or sizes. Strings that
come from a package marked 'Heavy' are usually quite thick in
size and sound "beefy". Strings that are light, or extra light,
are very thin and usually have a brighter sound to them, but are
also quieter sounding than heavy strings.
String choices are purely personal taste. Light strings are
easier to press than heavy strings but also sound quite
different. The more often strings are played, the dirtier they
get. If a cloth isn't run over and under them, from time to
time, the sound becomes very dull.
No matter where you buy your guitar, if you know what to look
for, and spend a little extra effort in your search for that
'perfect' guitar, not only will your fingers thank you, but also
your ears, and all those who will come to join you around the
campfire, or even go to see you in concert. Who knows?