Have you ever wanted to play the
guitar, but don’t know where to start?
Well here is your starting point.
This blog will give you information and advice gathered over 40 years from
myself and some of my family members who have played, sold, and admired guitars
since 1974. The Williams’ family has
owned and operated the Music Outlet in
Sevierville, Tennessee since then and continues to provide the area with a huge
selection of instruments, lessons, and accessories for every player from
beginner to expert.
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| Image courtesy of Taylor Guitars |
If it isn’t obvious already, the first step
you need to take is getting a guitar to play.
Don’t just barrow one for a few days from a friend, get one that you
will be able to keep and play at your own discretion. This is very important; you must be able to
practice with it everyday.
When searching for your first
guitar, there are a few helpful tips to ensure you choose one that is right for
you. First things first, every guitar
player will tell you that you should always feel/play the guitar before you buy
it. Now I know your thinking, “…but I
don’t know how to play yet”, but you can feel the instrument and know whether
or not it is comfortable to you. Find a
seat in the store and hold the guitar.
Notice how your arms extend over the body and to the neck. Do you feel restricted, or that you are
forcing yourself to reach the strings?
Does the guitar sit on your lap naturally or does it want to slide
around? By trying a few different shapes
and brands, you will start to see that some do feel better to you then others.
The next thing to remember with
guitars is that name matters. This
doesn’t mean that you have to buy a Gibson or a Taylor right of the bat, but
you should get a “decent” name brand. I’m
sure you have shopped at Wal-Mart or someplace like it, and seen First Act or
Esteban guitars. These brands always
have their instruments in packaging where you cannot feel/play them. Remember the first tip? Well these instruments do not play, feel, or even sound good. If you can get to an
instrument shop, you will see some well-known names like Fender, Yamaha, or
Ibanez as well as some not so well known.
These brands have a history of reliability, playability, and durability
that has allowed them to stay in business through the years. More importantly, they have many models that
are inexpensive and made just for beginners.
Remember these simple tips when
looking for your first guitar and you will be better prepared for making your
purchase. However, if all else fails, ask a player. If you have a friend or family member that plays and can go to the store with you, they can help guide you to a good instrument. Many stores have experts on staff to give advice and any guitar store will have plenty of patrons eager to talk guitars with you.
