Thinking about buying a new or used beginner electric guitar? Here’s some things to look for.

Here’s what we talked about in part one on buying the best beginner electric guitar.

• 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?

Sound familiar? Good, so let’s get to the good stuff.

Does it Stay in Tune?

The most important thing is does it stay in tune? You’d think this would be a given but it’s not. Unfortunately, if you’re not a guitar player this can be difficult to ascertain, but there are some things you can look for in quality of the components. Look at the tuning machine, are they stamped of of cheap metal or do they seem solid? Do they turn smoothly? (loosen a string first then tighten it - if you just start tightening you could break the string). Is the finish on the nut smooth or do the strings bind? You’ll notice the pitch doesn’t change smoothly and the you’ll hear a ping when as the string tightens all at once.

Is the Neck Straight.

 

Is the neck straight? You can sight down the body towards the headstock and see if the neck is twisted or not. There should be a tiny bit of downward bow in the middle of the neck - this is normal. If the neck is bowed upward, it’s not necessarily a bad sign. If the the guitar has a truss rod (a steel bar running the length of the neck) - and it should have a truss rod, the bow can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the truss rod. The frets should also look the same height when you sight down the neck. You shouldn’t notice any frets standing higher than the others.

 

Run your hand down the edge of the neck, can you feel sharp edges of the frets? Are the frets smooth and polished? The shape of the neck is personal preference, try different guitars and find what you like. Whatever the shape though, it should be smooth and polished without runs or drips in the finish.

 

Look at the components, are the knobs tightly attached? Is there any buzz or rattle when you strum it? Make sure the input jack isn’t loose. The bridge should be smooth, especially where the strings contact it, the same with the nut. If you see any runs and drips in the finish that isn’t such a terrible thing if everything else is fine - as long as they aren’t too noticeable or bothersome to you. You’ll tend to see those in the curves of the cut away, and where the neck attaches to the body, and around the headstock. Finish blemishes on an otherwise playable guitar can sometimes get you a discount. You’re buying the guitar to play, right?

 

Is it comfortable to play for you?

You’ll probably spend most of your time sitting down practicing, so see if the guitar is comfortable like that. You will probably want to stand up and play too, especially when performing. Could you stand up with the guitar for 2 hours? Again, check the neck for a feel you like. Do the controls or the bridge get in the way of your playing style? I’d rather rest my hand on a Fender bridge than a Gibson Tune - o - Matic bridge, but that’s personal preference, both bridges are perfectly fine and I have guitars with both. You may find a similar preference with a guitar you’re trying out.

Does it sound good?

Here’s the tough part, the sound of a guitar is subjective and due in some part to the amp and its settings. However the pickups are a big part of the tone. They come in two basic flavors single coil, and dual coil (humbucking). The single coils will give a more defined sound with more “bite” however they tend to be more susceptible to electrical interference (noise from fluorescent lights etc.) and can be noisier. Dual coils or humbuckers give a “fatter” sound and are less susceptible to interference. The biting Stratocaster sound is typical of single coils while the thick Les Paul is the typical dual coil sound. 

 

Ok, so there you have it - some things to look for when buying a beginner electric guitar. I know it’s kind of confusing, so if you have a friend that plays take them with you. I’ve had decent luck with Dean guitars, the Vendetta is a good guitar, probably not the best beginner guitar for the money, but good. Make sure you can check out the specific guitar you’re buying first. If you’re a lefty, make sure you go into a guitar store that has a good selection of left handed guitars. I’ve heard a lot of people say they’ve had bad luck with the Fender Squire line, I’ve got one, and it’s a good guitar, but it had been set up well, and it’s over 10 years old, so the quality may have dropped. I’ve hear people say good things about Rondo Music online, I’ve got one of their basses and it’s good quality.  The volume control won’t turn the sound all the way down, but it sounds good and is good quality. I’ve also heard good things about the Epiphone Les Pauls, and SG’s too.

In all honesty, if you went online or to a guitar/music store and got one of their starter model Deans, Epiphones, Fenders, Kramers, or Ibanezes, you’d pay about the same as going to Wally world, or any of the other big box stores and buying a beginner electic guitar you find there, and you definitely get a better guitar, and one with some resale value. So get out there and start playing guitar!