Ever wanted to play guitar? Confused about getting your new or used guitar and want to get the best electric guitar for the money? Well, then read on. You probably don’t want to spend a lot of money, but you want the best electric guitar for the money.  One that will play well and make you want to keep playing, right? Most people will tell you a beginner doesn’t know the difference between a good and not so good guitar so why spend the money on a good beginner guitar? The problem with that kind of logic, is that an instrument that is sub-par will be difficult to play and lead to discouragement. There should be a basic level of quality to a beginner instrument.

I’d encourage you not to purchase one of the guitars at the big box stores. Several of my students have brought some of those cheap guitars for me to tune/install strings and most were unplayable by me. Some of the electric ones have been of a decent quality guitar, but the acoustics were barely playable. So don’t chance spending money on a sub par guitar when you can get much better quality for a comparable price at a music store.

Here are the things to look for, in what I consider order of importance.

• Do the tuners stay in tune?
• Is the neck straight with polished frets and no sharp edges?
• Are the components finished well, no cracks, rough edges, loose knobs etc?
• Is it comfortable to play for you?
• Does it sound good?

Okay, you might be asking, “what does all this stuff mean?” “How do I tell the difference between a good guitar and a not so good guitar?” Well, In the next post, I’ll go into detail about some of the specifics to look for and things to avoid, so tune in next time for what to look for in a new guitar.

Buying a Beginner Electric Guitar, What to Look For, Part Two.