Picking out your "perfect" electric guitar!

Most people who are looking to join the immense community of guitar players are full of questions about "The best guitar brand" or "What guitar does So and So (Curt Cobain) play?" I myself was in this position not too long ago, and I felt overwhelmed by all the guitar brands out there. I tried to read reviews of guitars, which are very useful but not conclusive, and listen to sound clips of them, but I still felt in over my head. After making a few costly mistakes, buying guitars based solely on these things, I finally learned what to do to pick the best guitar for an individual.

First off, the best way to choose what guitar is right for you is to go to a music shop and try out various kinds of guitars. One aspect you want to take note of is the feel of the guitar. Some fret boards are very smooth, which allow for very quick transitions of notes, and some boards have a "harder" feel, which can allow people to feel the frets better when playing. Another aspect of the feel of the guitar is the type of body it has. Some bodies are so awkwardly shaped that I found them hard to play all the notes, and some are so heavy that I felt like I was going to fall out of my chair.

Once you decide on what kind of feel you like, the next step is to listen to the sound of the guitars. Now to all of those novice guitarists don't be intimidated by not being able to play a guitar like a rock star because most music stores are more than willing to let you plug up a guitar and play around with it. If you aren't even to the point of "playing around" then you may ask someone else in the store to play something on it. (You would be surprised at how much music enthusiasts are pleased to help you out.) After scrutinizing the various tones of the guitars, decide which ones are best for the style of music you are wanting to play.

After you make these decisions, the final step is to get a guitar that fits your budget. You don't want to spend a thousand dollars that you can't afford on a name brand guitar, when a much cheaper off brand guitar in your budget will satisfy all your needs. Don't forget that as you learn to play the guitar more seriously you can always upgrade to a more expensive guitar. Another factor you need to consider when buying an electric guitar is that you still will need some cash to purchase an amp, which I will cover in an article soon to come.

Now with some of the information I have provided you are ready to go out and choose the perfect electric guitar for you. Go forth and join the wonderful world of music!