Your very own first guitar is a special instrument which probably stays with you for life. How to choose your first guitar however can be an overwhelming experience and for this reason aspiring guitarists are often advised to do some research before deciding which guitar suits them the best.

How to choose your first guitar largely depends upon the type of music you play. If classical, folk or country is your style or you just love to play with your friends then you should go for acoustic guitars. Acoustic guitars come with nylon strings and steel strings as well. If however you are more into music like pop, alternative, heavy metal or blues then electric guitars should be your choice. The experienced guitarists often suggest that it is better to buy an acoustic guitar as the first guitar. This is because the acoustic guitar is difficult to play; it exposes the flaws in the technique thereby giving the player a chance to improve and also enhances hand strength. Nylon string acoustic guitars make a better first guitar as it is easy to push the strings down and so the strain on the fingers is considerably less. Once you have learnt the ropes of playing an acoustic guitar, switching over to electric guitar is quite simple. One advantage of electric guitars as a first guitar is that they are easier to play and put less strain on fingers.

The next factor to consider when choosing the guitar is the size of the player. There are different shapes and sizes of the guitars available and you can choose one according to your height and built. There are small sized guitars for kids depending on their age and there are guitars for adults. The adults can choose from the standard size, mini, jumbo and dreadnought. Because of their shape and build, jumbo and dreadnought are meant for big guys while mini are best suited for smaller people. Some manufacturers make guitars especially for women and teenage girls.

Your first guitar should also be aesthetically pleasing as well. Nowadays guitars are available in different shades of colors both sober and lively to match the personality of the player. Brand is equally important when you are buying a guitar. Most players go after big names such as Gibson, Fender, Martin, Ibanez, Washburn and Ovation etc but there are lesser known brands too which are equally good as the big brands. To choose your first guitar, you should check the information available about the guitars online. Some guitar websites also have a list of celebrities who play their guitars. If the style of a certain celebrity inspires you, you can always buy the guitar he/she plays.

Price is another factor which is crucial when you are choosing your first guitar. Besides being playable and affordable the aspiring guitarists also want their guitars to be sturdy and durable. The online sales portals give fabulous deals on both new and used guitars and are the best place to buy a quality instrument within your budget.

Conclusion

The guitar is a wonderful instrument; it is easy to play and is kind of a fashion statement as well. However those who are really interested in playing the guitar often face the dilemma of how to choose the first guitar? Choosing a guitar becomes easy if you are knowledgeable about certain factors such as the kind of music you enjoy playing, size of the guitar, brand and most importantly price. Fortunately lots of information about guitars is available online which can help you choose your first guitar. See our authors section below for in-depth information on choosing your first guitar.