acoustic guitarsI didn’t learn to play guitar the first time around, which was about 40 years ago but finally, once I was 47 I learned and the feeling of satisfaction was indescribable. Let me be the one to tell you that it’s a great feeling showing something about playing guitar to someone else.

I have never owned a new acoustic guitar but I have had two good Yamaha acoustic guitars and it takes a good guitar, not an expensive one, to get the quality sound you need to keep on learning. And that leads to a question:

What Do I Need In Good Acoustic Guitar

For me the number one thing I need to know about an is if the tone is quality. If it doesn’t sound good to me I look for something else. I also want a guitar that fits me, it needs to feel right in my hands and on my lap. I also want a guitar that looks good to me, so it needs to fit my taste.

While checking out the sound and appearance I have to think about staying within my budget. I have known too many people who end up selling their guitar for far less than they paid because it was too much.

The two Yamaha acoustic guitars I’ve owned were both at a really good  price and have served me well. I have certainly got my money’s worth as both cost me less than $100.

Note: All the time I was learning to play my used $40 guitar I figured I would be buying a new guitar but instead I bought a second Yamaha acoustic guitar from a friend buying a new guitar, for just $75 and still play it today, ten years later.

When Buying A New Guitar

The first thing you need to do is look for music stores in your neighbourhood that carries a good collection of acoustic guitars and make a list of the guitars that catch your interest. If possible, bring a friend or family member who have a good ear and who know something about acoustic guitars. For me that means Jason, Gary or Robert, my local guitar heroes.

If you have multiple guitar stores or even a pawn shop be sure to check them all out to see if there is a guitar that makes you happy, within your budget.

Where you knowledgeable friend comes in handy is checking the workmanship of the guitars you are looking at. A guitar with a price that’s too good to be true is likely too good to be true, don’t get sucked in.

Check Local As Well As Online Guitar Stores

I always prefer to buy local, when it’s within my budget. However, when buying a new it might be wise to check your local guitar shops to find the guitars that interest you and then compare prices and deliver costs online. Let your local guitar store owner know if you are going to buy online because they may bring their price down closer to the online price you’ve found.

Guitar Showcase’s Gary Wineroth and Jack van Breen let us hear and see the differences between the various types of acoustic Guitars and dispel some old myths about what’s best for beginners.

When buying the best for beginners, never settle for one made of very cheap materials. Surely, it would have lesser quality of workmanship and many defects on its finish. Worse, the sound would be greatly affected if the materials used for the guitar were subpar. Most importantly, never pick a guitar just because its color or design impresses you. Three features should be your main basis when choosing a guitar: the sound it makes, the way it fits in your hands, and its workmanship.

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