If you’re planning to learn guitar, you’ll need your own instrument in order to practice regularly in between your lessons to make steady progress. Below is some advice on purchasing a first guitar.

Should You Buy An Acoustic Or Electric Guitar?

There are 2 basic types of guitars - acoustic guitars and electric guitars. You should decide which one suits you best.

Acoustic guitars produce sound from the vibrations of their strings which causes the guitar’s body to resonate and project sound from the “sound hole” in the front of the instrument. No electric amplification is needed for an acoustic guitar.

Acoustic guitars can be divided into two basic categories - Steel String Acoustics and Nylon String Acoustics.

Steel string acoustic guitars are commonly used to play country, bluegrass, folk, pop, jazz and blues. Nylon string guitars are primarily used for classical and flamenco style music.

Electric guitars produce sound from the the vibrations of their strings which are picked up by magnetic “pickups”. The pickups convert the vibrations into electrical energy which is sent to an electric amplifier. You can hear an electric guitar without using an amplifier, but the sound is very quiet without one. Electric guitars can make the clean sounds similar to an acoustic guitar, but can also produce distorted sounds with their amplifiers. The ability to create distortion is what makes electric guitars the primary choice for rock and metal music styles.

Some guitar teachers say beginners should learn on a steel string acoustic, as its heavier strings are harder to press down and will build more strength in a student’s fingers early on. Other teachers say an electric guitar should be used first because its lighter strings are easier to play allowing the student to focus on learning without too much physical struggle (the same argument is made for nylon string guitars).

So which type of guitar should you buy? You should buy the type of guitar most suited to the type of music you enjoy and want to play. While there is merit to various arguments of acoustic vs electric for beginners, the bottom line is that a new guitar student will make progress the more they practice and play. Guitar students are going to practice more on an instrument that lets them play the music they enjoy.

If you’re really into folk music or acoustic fingerpicking music, the slightly thinner clean sound of an electric guitar won't give you the same satisfaction as the full tone of a true acoustic guitar. Likewise, a student who primarily wants to play heavy metal and learn ripping guitar solos will probably lose interest in playing if they’re learning on an acoustic guitar.  

Where To Buy A Guitar

You can buy guitars at a music store or from various online vendors. I recommend purchasing your first guitar in person at a music store. Buying a guitar in person allows you to look at a variety of guitars, hear how they sound and and feel how they play in person.

Guitar Size

Acoustic and electric guitars come in a variety of body styles and sizes. It’s important to choose a guitar that isn’t too big or too small for you to comfortably hold and play.

Guitar Features

There are a wide range of different features guitars can come with. It’s best to try a bunch of instruments and see what you prefer.

Acoustic Electric - Many acoustic guitars sold today are actually “acoustic electric” guitars. They are regular acoustic guitars and don’t need an amplifier, but, they have a special pickup so the guitar can be plugged into an acoustic guitar amplifier for situations where a regular acoustic guitar wouldn’t be loud enough.

Built in Tuner - Some acoustic guitars have built in guitar tuners so you don’t need to carry a separate tuner with you in order to tune your guitar.

Pickups, Knobs & Switches - Electric guitars come in a variety of configurations. Some may have a single pickup. Some may have 2 or more pickups.

There are “single coil” pickups and “humbucking” pickups (humbuckers look like 2 single coils stuck together). Single coil pickups generally can produce very nice clean sounds and are good for rock with mild distortion. They can sound a bit thin compared to humbuckers. Humbuckers generally are favored for music with heavier distortion. Humbucker clean sounds are usually a little harsh compared to single coils.  A guitar may have combination of single coils and humbuckers.

Electric guitars will have different configurations of knobs and switches to control the volume, the tone and to switch between pickups.

Vibrato/Tremolo Arm (Whammy Bar) - The vibrato arm, or whammy bar, on some guitars allows you to change the pitch of notes up or down by moving the arm. Guitars with a vibrato arm can be a little trickier to tune than guitars without one.

Guitar Prices

New guitar prices range from less than $100 for an electric guitar starter pack with guitar and amplifier included up to many thousands of dollars for a hand built guitar made from exotic woods and other expensive materials. While you don’t need to spend thousands on a good beginner guitar, you can expect to spend around $300. Guitars priced substantially less that that can have issues staying in tune, among other things, as the components used are very low quality.

If you buy a used guitar, you can get a get a great guitar for much less than you would pay for a new one.

Looks

While the sound and and playability of a guitar are the most important things when purchasing a guitar, you should also get something that looks good. Guitars come in a huge assortment of colors and body styles to suit every taste. You’ll be more motivated to play if you have a guitar that looks cool to you.

Accessories For Your Guitar

In addition to the guitar itself, you’ll need some additional items in order to learn guitar.

Guitar Picks -  Picks are for picking & strumming the strings. Picks are usually made of plastic. They come in a variety of shapes and thicknesses. You can get a few different types when you start off playing to see which one suits you best.

Guitar Strap - A strap is is needed if you want to stand up while playing your guitar. Many people like to use a strap even if they sit while playing guitar as well.

Guitar Tuner - You’ll need a tuner in order to keep the strings in tune. There are different kinds. Many people like to use the type that clip on to the guitar’s headstock. Some acoustic guitars come with built in tuners. You can also download a guitar tuner app for your smartphone.

Amplifier - An electric guitar will require you to buy an amplifier to hear the instrument and get the most enjoyment out of it. Guitar amps come in a huge range of sizes & prices. If you’re looking for an amp to enjoy while practicing at home and don’t need something very loud, you can find nice basic practice amps in the $100 range. Costs go up when you add features like built in effects or need something louder in order to play in a band with a drummer, etc…

Guitar Cable - An electric guitar will require a guitar cable to connect your guitar to the amplifier.

Gig Bag/Case - Many guitars will come with a soft, padded case called a “gig bag”. More expense guitars may come with a hard shell case. It’s important to store your guitar in a gig bag or case when not playing in order to avoid accidental damage.