Choosing The Right Guitar

Choosing a guitar is really fun. You get to go to all the shops, play all the guitars you want, talk to the shop clerks and all that. It's not easy though, especially if you don't have enough money to buy the guitar you really want. Don't focus on buying the cheapest guitar you can find. In fact that is the worst thing you can do, because if you buy a guitar you don't enjoy playing, because it goes out of tune or is uncomfortable to hold or anything of that sort, it will most likely end up in your closet and you'll never play it. I know many people who have made that mistake. I'm one of them. I wanted a second guitar to play with my dad and I didn't really take my time with the choosing and bought a £200 Ibanez Gio. The strings are quite a distance above the neck, it goes out of tune easily. It's a disaster. Ibanez is not a bad brand, but some of their guitars are terrible so don't just rely on the brand

If you've never bought a guitar before and you don't know if you're going to keep playing for a long time I suggest you buy an acoustic guitar, because If you buy an electric guitar, you will also need to buy an amplifier, leads and other gear. Trust me, that is expensive stuff and you don't want to be spending that kind of money and never play. 

Before you decide which guitar you want, play as many guitars as you can get your hands on. Go to a shop and play everything there. Don't mind the people working there who are giving you dirty looks and want you to leave. You have the right to take your time and play as long as you want. Ask your friends what they think is good and what they would buy. 

Is you have the money and want to buy a good guitar that will last you, look for a good brand. Gibson and Fender are the leading brands and I have to say, they're dam good. Ibanez and Jackson are also pretty good. You can get good guitars made by other brands, but they are the most reliable. Epiphone copies Gibson guitars, but don't be fooled. They are not Gibson just like Squier are not Fender. I have a £700 Gibson SG and I absolutely love it. If you choose Gibson or Fender you are guaranteed to get your moneys worth. You will also need to buy picks, a case and a strap if you like to stand.

Look at the guitar and decide if it's well made. Check if the strings are the right distance from the neck(the smaller the distance the less pressure required to play), look at the frets and check if they're more or less right etc. Bring someone experienced with you. It will make it much easier.