Guitar Selection
I've built up an incredibly varied arsenal of guitars over the years, and I'd like to document what I've come to learn about all of them, in the hope it leads you to the guitar that's the absolute best, for you. Once armed with the intent of playing, the second step is selection of your first guitar, or indeed the selection of a new guitar with all your favourite aspects. This, like many other aspects of the instruments, is purely preference. 1. Acoustic & Electric Decide whether you'd prefer an acoustic or electric depending on what image you'd like to create, what sound you want to make and what styles you're interested in playing. Identify what attracted you to the guitar in the first place - it will swiftly answer this important question. 2. Ace of Shapes There are simply countless styles and shapes of the electric and acoustic guitar, so do your research - yours is out there. Many shapes are timelessly synonymous with genres/sub-genres of music, so that may act like a labyrinth when you're navigating a guitar store, but doing the most research into what shapes and colour schemes you like the best will be instrumental in your final decision (pardon the pun). 3. Pick It Up Once you've nailed down a couple of shapes you find aesthetically pleasing, make a note of them and the models which they are. For instance you may like the Fender Telecaster, but aside from the million styles of the shape, you may find the American Special, the most appealing. Most importantly - go and find one. Do not buy a guitar directly from the internet without first playing it. This is a recipe for an expensive disaster. You may have found the most beautiful guitar on Earth, but if it's unergonomic, too heavy or unpleasant to play, move on. 4. Find It Irresistible One of the secrets of early improvement is simply finding the guitar impossible to put down. This really amalgamates points 1-3, as if you have a guitar whose sound you like, which is aesthetically pleasing in colour, shape & design, and feels extremely comfortable to sit (and stand) with, you're going to have a very hard time putting it down. Find one that is so physically perfect and comfortable for you, that you cannot wait to pick it up and play. You'll find the playing experience infinitely more enjoyable, instantly. In Spanish 'to play' the guitar is 'tocar la guitarra' which literally translates as 'to touch the guitar', so it's easy to see why it's such an intimate experience, emphasising the connection between the player and the instrument. Keep going back to guitar shops to test out different ones, even the same one if you think you're onto a winner. Some of the fastest people to give up are the ones who have chosen a guitar that really wasn't right for them, and therefore this point cannot be stressed enough. Spend some serious time selecting your axe, and your playing will find the playing happens much more naturally. first written 27th August 2014 The Fury