Copyright (c) 2006 Mike Hayes

Buying a guitar is like buying a car - everybody has a different reason for choosing one over the other.

Choosing a guitar is highly subjective. For instance, an instrument that sounds good to you might not sound good to your friend, or a larger size body guitar. So who's right?

As you might have guessed already, the answer is no one, and everyone.

But there are a few things anyone thinking about buying a guitar should do.

* First, take a friend along who knows about the instrument.

* Second, take plenty of time and try a large selection of types and styles.

* Third, even after you have decided on a specific model,compare different guitars of that same model- two instruments can be made by the same manufacturer, with identical features and specifications, and still look, sound, and feel different.

* Fourth, consider what style of playing you want to learn. For example, a guitar well-suited to fingerpicking may not necessarily be the best choice for, say, flatpicking.

When you have finally settled on the guitar (hopefully the dealer will be one of the many who know the instrument and want to help you make the best decision possible), look for a quite place and play it. It is very difficult for anyone to hear what they sound like when someone across the showroon is testing out a drum kit, and the person next to them is jamming on a bass with a keyboardist who like to play with the organ's volume all the way up-all the while the phone is ringing off the hook. And besides testing the guitar yourself, ask your friend to play it so you can hear how it projects-how it sounds to your listeners. Play it lightly and vigorously. Fingerpick it, flatpick it, and strum it. Test the sound all over the fingerboard. Take your time, and explore the instrument.

One of the most important things for a beginner to look for when choosing a guitar is the action, because when you first begin to play, your fingers tend to get sore if the strings are too high. The result, is that often the person gets discouraged and maybe chooses not to pursue practicing.

Even if you are an absolute beginner, you should make aestheic decisions. Choose an instrument that pleases you, one that looks good.

The shopper should also run their hand up and down the neck to make sure that they don't get cut by a fret. If there are a lot of sharp frets that generally means the wood has shrunk a lot, and the frets would need re-dressing. You can actually get hurt if the fret work is bad.

Always choose a guitar that is comfortable to play. Sit down and see if it "fits" you.

If you are thinking about buying a used instrument, bring along a knowledgable person. Some of the older instruments are very good , and you might be just as well off buying one of them. But sometimes they can have faults that only an experienced player or technician can see. Beware of warped necks, cracks, and necks pulled loose from the body. Sometimes, for instance, used instruments have been left in a car too long, and the glue melts and the neck pulls loose and it eventually glues itself back in a strange place.

So to sum up, whether you buy a new or used , brand-name guitar, make sure that it sounds good and it's built well. Take along someone who knows about guitars when you first go to buy one-it could save you a big headache later. A guitar can look good, and then come apart in a few months. And above all , for you people who are really into learning the guitar, you don't learn to play it over-night, there are no short cuts to learning how to play. It takes practice, practice, practice. You have to have a passion for the guitar, and it's something you either have or you don't.