Major Dos and Don’ts of Buying a New Electric Guitar

 When buying a new guitar, there are several things that can make—or break—your experience. In this article, I discuss how to buy a guitar without breaking the bank or your experience.  

DO: Test the guitar several times. When I got my first electric guitar, it was a Christmas gift from my parents. My mom had gone and bought it used, (and no, I’m not complaining that my mom didn’t put thought and care into buying it: she did) and she didn’t check to make sure it played well, so she didn’t know that it had several issues, including warped fretboard, broken wires, and other issues that we never fixed. So, when I went to get a new electric guitar, I made sure to play several guitars (more on this later) but when I played the one I would eventually get, I made sure to play it several times and different things to ensure it played right and how I wanted it to play. 

DON’T: Take the seller’s word. When it comes to buying used or new, never take the person’s word for it. While it might look like the seller is telling the truth, it can often have significant issues that aren’t visible from first glance. Always, always, always test the guitar out for yourself. 

DO: Have an open mind. While it’s ok to have an idea of what you want from a guitar, it’s always an inventive idea to keep an open mind when buying a guitar. When I bought my current electric guitar, a Fender Squier Telecaster, I made the mistake of falling in love with the Tele too early, and while it is a great guitar, it’s left me wanting something with humbuckers to play heavier, darker tones. I did play multiple guitars, trying to keep an open mind, but I was so bent on a Telecaster that I just could not accept something different.  

DON’T: Buy a one-size-fits-all guitar. The Fender Stratocaster with a humbucker is the perfect example of this. Buy a guitar that can play the music you want to learn, and while a one-size-fits-all can do this, it can end up sounds too bright and too dark at times as you struggle to find the right sound. Instead, go through the music you want to learn, determine the tone, then buy a guitar that is built for that tone, and if you want a guitar with a different tone, buy a guitar built for that tone. 

DO: Buy an amp with the guitar. While this might seem like an obviously one, it’s extremely important. You can ignore this one if you already own an amp, however, I highly recommend testing the guitar on an amp similar to the one you have, if not a version of the one you have. This allows you to hear what the guitar sounds like as it would with your own setup. For a beginner amp, I’d recommend something lower end, and like with guitars, go and test them before you buy to ensure it works. 

DON’T: Buy a bunch of effects pedals right away. First get used to the sound of the guitar without the pedals, then if you want to have a different sound, then go buy one at a time to get used to different sounds. Even if you know what pedals you want, hold off until you get used to certain sounds before you go and distort it with different pedals. Now if you want to play certain sounds and you know what is going to happen and you can’t get what you want without modulation, then go buy one pedal at a time until you get the sound you want instead of buying a ton of pedals and only using one or two. 

DO: Start out with a cheaper guitar. I know, I know, I’ve thought the same thing. If I have a super nice guitar, I’ll sound better. But the truth is, don’t waste a ton of money on a starter guitar. If you’re still playing regularly for months if not years, then you can upgrade to something nicer. But do not splurge on something expensive if you’re only going to play off and on before forgetting about it. I’d recommend a Squier, Epiphone, or a used guitar, but always, always, always test it out. 

Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two about buying a new electric guitar today, and you can go and apply it to your guitar playing experience.