7 tips to help you recognize a good guitar
Guitar buying tips for beginners and advanced players
Avoid mistakes when buying a guitar.
What do I have to consider when buying a guitar? How do I get the best possible instrument for my money? Questions that mainly concern beginners when it comes to their first guitar. However, even advanced players may not know all the essential criteria when buying because personal taste and the playing profile play crucial roles in the instrument's overall impression.
Nevertheless, there are a few points that you should first check with a guitar to get a first impression of the quality it offers. In the following article, we have listed seven features that should help you be on the safe side when buying your guitar.
>>> SenniGuitar.com - String music gears <<<
Which guitar should I buy? Information on this is available from our sales advisors:
1) Checking for manufacturing defects
Before you get an impression of an instrument's sound and playability, it is worthwhile to look at the exterior of the selected model and check for any errors. This includes inadequately glued attachments such as the bridge on acoustic guitars. But the body-neck transition should also be inspected in detail. It should be ensured that screwed necks sit in the neck pocket without play and that glued necks are connected cleanly and correctly.
The surface structure gives a first impression of how conscientiously the instrument has been processed. Suppose there are any imperfections in the paintwork or in the wood's general condition, which may even be a hindrance when playing. In that case, it is advisable to look around for another instrument. Small optical flaws in the paintwork, on the other hand, do not necessarily have to be a knockout criterion with inexpensive instruments, provided that the instrument makes a good impression in the other points, which we will examine in more detail in a moment.
If the instrument has a high price, however, there should be no paintwork defects.
>>> SenniGuitar.com - guitar Amps <<<
2) The factory setting
The right factory setting is without question important for a positive impression. If this is not the case, some tonal and playful potential may be lost. Of course, you can still get a lot out of a guitar with a subsequent setup. Nevertheless, a manufacturer who stands for good quality should deliver their instruments ready to play.
You can find out how to get the perfect string position and the right tuning in our workshop:
3) The nature of the frets
This fact can be assigned to the first two points. Nevertheless, I would like to point out separately that badly processed frets unfortunately come under your fingers again and again with new guitars. For example, if the frets are not appropriately polished, this hurts the feel of the game. The fret edges should also be neatly rounded, and the frets must also have a uniform height. Otherwise, a spotless setup of the string position is not possible.
The frets must have a uniform height for a good feel and a clean sound and neatly rounded at the edges.
>>> SenniGuitar.com - guitar Effects <<<
4) intonation
Several points belong to the subject of intonation. You can quickly check for yourself whether the instrument is the octave. To do this, compare the harmonics on the 12th fret of each string with the fingered note at the same point. If there are deviations here, the guitar is not adjusted correctly. This can usually be made up for but should be the case with a manufacturer who demands quality ex works. You should entirely refrain from buying if the frets are not placed completely clean on the fingerboard. In this admittedly rare case, the so-called bundle purity is not guaranteed. A subsequent correction is very time-consuming. Sometimes, by the way, inferior strings or strings that have been played back can cause intonation problems. If you like the instrument itself, it is worth trying again with a new set of strings, especially when buying a used instrument.
5) Wood used
How a guitar sounds and what potential it also has in its ongoing tonal development depends mainly on wood choice.
In general, one can say that an acoustic guitar's body should be equipped with a solid top, as this is very important for the vibration properties. All the better if the instrument is made entirely of solid wood. However, you will not find this feature on inexpensive guitars. For example, whether you prefer spruce or cedarwood depends on your taste. The only thing that helps here is trying out.
With semi-acoustic models in the electric guitar sector, fully laminated bodies are not uncommon, even in higher price ranges. If you are looking for an electric guitar in solid body construction, some wood types have established themselves in this version, depending on the model. Alder or ash are used for instruments expected to have a lively sound and tend towards Fender's classics. The Gibson Les Paul, which is very popular in the rock guitar landscape, is mostly mahogany. Maple or mahogany necks and rosewood fingerboards are also classic and proven combinations. So if you meet these materials, this is the first indication that you are on the right track in sound technology. Nevertheless, there are many deviations or crossings here too, which can also sound very good.
CITES species protection agreement: Classification of essential types of wood in musical instrument manufacture and trade
With acoustic guitars, a solid top is essential for good vibration behavior.
>>> SenniGuitar.com - Electric Guitars <<<
6) vibration properties
Now you have to prick up your ears at the latest. How does the instrument react to decaying notes or chords? Do you have the feeling that the sound of all strings is reproduced cleanly and evenly? Does the instrument respond sensitively to dynamic playing styles? If this is not the case, even the best setting will not help. The same applies here to look for another guitar.
The assessment of these points is without question the hardest for a beginner to answer. Here it helps to consult an experienced player if necessary. We will come back to this point in conclusion.
7) Hardware used
The hardware of a guitar should, of course, also be checked carefully. This includes the pickups and electronics, string holders and bridge, the saddle, and of course, the tuning mechanisms. So with electric guitars, check whether all potentiometers work correctly and without any background noise and check whether the pickups are appropriately shielded. Classic single-coil pickups are an exception here and are typically more prone to interference. Also, piezo pickup systems should ideally not have any noise or have very little noise development. If the strings have been stretched beforehand and still often get out of tune, this may be due to the mechanics or the saddle or the bridge. These problems should also not arise with a good quality guitar.
>>> SenniGuitar.com - Acoustic Guitars <<<
Last but not least, I would like to point out that it can't hurt to have read up on the following topics in advance:
Which type of guitar best suits my ideas?
Which manufacturers are considered to be renowned within the budget that is available to me
In addition to customer reviews on the Internet, there are many reviews on these topics on our site, which were made by experienced musicians and provided information about the advantages and disadvantages of the respective instrument.
As already mentioned in the article, the sound assessment and the playability assessment in detail require a specific essential experience.
Despite the tips mentioned here, it is highly recommended for beginners to take their teacher or an advanced player from their circle of friends with them on the shopping tour.
I wish you all the best in your search for your instrument!
Comments
Post a Comment