Now that Christmas is upon us, many parents will be buying their sons or daughters new electric guitars. Since for most kids this will be their first guitar, I decided to make a list of general guidelines to follow when making this purchase. This is something I wish I'd had when I got my first guitar 25 years ago. I'm going to focus on low-end guitars because most parents are wary of spending $300 plus on a guitar with a chance that the kid won't play it after a few weeks.
1. Never buy a guitar you can't pick up and hold. Which means don't buy a guitar online, don't buy a guitar at Wal-Mart or similar store, and avoid starter packs. Stick with guitar stores.
Guitars, especially entry-level guitars, vary from guitar to guitar, sometimes drastically. It's better to pick one up and look at it, even if you can't play it. If you can't play, ask one of the techs to plug it in and play it. Have him or her try out all the switches and knobs. Give it a once-over yourself, too. Look at the hardware and look for major defects in the paint and woods. This is important: Run your thumb and index finger along the sides of the neck. If there are a lot of sharp edges on the frets, pick another one.
Most department store guitars are crap anyway. They usually come in boxes, too, so you can't pick them up and check them out. Besides, most guitar stores sell beginner guitars, and you won't really save much money buying one at Wal-Mart.
Starter packs also come in boxes, and you can't pick the guitars up to examine them. Also, the amplifiers in most starter packs are really bad. You'd do yourself and your kid a favor by getting a better starter amp. Of course, you'll have to get a strap, a cord, a tuner and some picks, but rolling your own starter pack is always a better idea, even though it may cost a few more dollars. Speaking of tuners, the ones in starter packs are also not good. I'll go more into tuners later on.
2. Get a guitar with a solid bridge, if possible. Beginner guitars should never have tremolos (whammy bars for those who don't know guitar speak) but unfortunately a lot of them do. I have a Fender Stratocaster, and the standard tremolo is such a pain to keep in tune that I have it disabled. But if your kid likes Stratocasters, they all come with one. If you get a guitar with a tremolo, have the guys at the guitar store disable it for you. This can be done non-destructively, meaning it can be easily changed back. If you don't know the difference between a tremolo bridge and a hardtail bridge, ask the salesman. More reasons to buy a guitar at a guitar store instead of Wal-Mart.
3. Buy a guitar that fits your kid's size. If your kid is small and has small hands, get a guitar with a shorter scale. The scale is the length of the string from the bridge to the nut. Shorter scales have the frets closer together and are easier to play for those with smaller hands. Unless your kid is really small, though, don't get one of those "micro" guitars. They'll outgrow them faster than you can say "I just threw away 100 bucks." Gibson-style guitars have shorter 24 3/4" scales. In the entry-level market, look for Epiphone brand guitars like the Special II, SG Special and Les Paul 100 (Epiphone is owned by Gibson and are "official" copies) or similar ones like the Ibanez GART50 or the ESP LTD EC50.
If, however, your kid is bigger or they can handle a longer scale, you can get any guitar you want. Fender style guitars have a 25.5" scale. Squier is Fender's budget brand, so if your kid is more of a Fender fan you can find what you want in that brand, or in other brands like Yamaha, Ibanez and ESP.
4. Buy a guitar that fits your kid's musical tastes. There are, in general, two types of guitar pickups - single coil and humbucker. Single coil pickups are thin and have one set of six round magnets under each string. These are common on Fender/Squier guitars like Stratocasters and Telecasters. Humbuckers are essentially two single coil pickups side by side and are standard on Gibson/Epiphone guitars. Single coil pickups are generally better for country, blues, Rolling Stones-style rock or punk. They don't handle high gain (distortion) well and aren't good for heavy rock or metal. In fact, if your kid wants to play country, go get him a nice Squier Telecaster and move on to #6. Humbuckers are generally better for classic rock, hard rock and metal. They can be used for blues, too, but they have more mid-range tones and sound better with some dirt. If your kid likes metal, try to stay away from guitars that only have single coil pickups. If you're confused, though, go by the next tip...
5. Humbuckers are better than single coils. If #4 confused you, remember this. You are better off buying a guitar that has at least one humbucker. Unless your kid is married to the classic Stratocaster three-single-coil look, get one with a humbucker in the bridge position. It will still get you the classic single-coil sounds in the neck and middle but will give a little more power in case he or she gets into heavier music as they get older. Squier makes a few models like this (called HSS for humbucker-single-single), and so does Yamaha with their Pacifica guitars (excellent guitars, by the way).
6. Get a small amp that is simple but has a good variety of tones. A 15-20 watt solid state amplifier is a perfect size for a first amp. You want an amp that has features but is simple to use. Complexity may turn off your kid to playing and then you've really wasted money. Most amps in this range are "modeling" amps, which means they mimic the sound of other, larger amps.
There are a lot of good amps in this range, but to me the Line 6 Spider IV 15 and the Marshall MG15FX 15-watt amps stand out. I have a Line 6, and it's a dead-simple amp to use. Plus, it's extremely easy to customize, which your kid will need to do because the standard programs are a little over-the-top with effects. The Marshall is a great sounding amp and really gives that classic Marshall tone on a budget, and it's also easy to use. In fact, I sometimes wish I would've got the Marshall instead of the Line 6. There are other good beginner amps like the Roland Cube and the Orange Crush, but do yourself a favor and try out the Marshall and Line 6 first before moving to the others. But whatever you buy, make sure it has a headphone jack for silent practice (a parent's best friend) and a CD/MP3 input so your kid can play along with his iPod.
7. Don't just look at Squier and Epiphone guitars. Unless your kid wants that famous Les Paul or Stratocaster name, look at other brands, too. There are some great entry-level guitars from other manufacturers. Ibanez makes excellent low-end guitars in their Gio range, like the aforementioned GART50, and I don't think there's a better entry-level heavy metal guitar than the GRGA32. ESP makes good entry-level guitars in their LTD range, especially the "50" models - the EC50 mentioned above (Les Paul style), the Viper 50 (SG style) and the V-50 (Flying V style). The Yamaha Pacifica is a great Strat-style guitar. Dean's XM guitars (Vendetta, ML and Evo) are inexpensive metal guitars. So don't limit yourself to Strats and Les Pauls.
8. Buy what your kid wants. If your kid likes the looks of a guitar, he or she will want to play it. If there are a few that they like, tell them to pick out the one they think looks the best. Also, have them sit with the guitar. Even if they can't play, they'll get a feel for it. Have them sit with it on both legs (ask the salesman for help if they don't know how to hold a guitar) to make sure it fits them and it feels comfortable for them. But one thing is for sure - if you buy a guitar that you like, not what they like, that's one guarantee that you just wasted your money.
9. Get a chromatic tuner. Basic tuners just allow you to tune to the standard notes on a guitar - EADGB (the top and bottom strings are both E). This is fine for a beginner, but once your kid gets to intermediate level, he or she may want to change tunings. A chromatic tuner will allow them to do that, and they don't cost much more.
10. Stick with standard heavy picks. There are a ton of picks out there in different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. For a beginner, stick with the standard pick shape and get heavy picks. Heavier picks are more precise and don't flex as much, which is better for a beginning guitarist. You can get either the standard cellulose picks like the ones made by Fender or you can get some Dunlop tortex picks which are made of a grippier material that doesn't slip as much.
11. Entry level guitars are good, but don't forget used guitars. Many people will say to avoid entry level guitars and go for the next level up, but I've played my share of bottom feeders and they aren't bad. There's just a higher chance of finding a bad one, which is why you should always buy a guitar you can touch. However, there are always good values in used guitars. But the first rule is even more important here, because not only could a used guitar have factory defects, it also could have been abused by its previous owner. Stick to guitar shops if you can, but if you decide to get one from the local classifieds, bring it into a guitar shop so they can go over it.
That's it. Remember, to roll your own starter pack, you'll need a guitar, a case (gig bag is fine), a strap, picks, an amp, a cord, and a tuner. If this long post is a little confusing (I do tend to ramble), just remember these basics: shop at a guitar store, don't buy a guitar you can't pick up and hold, get a guitar with at least one humbucker, and buy a guitar your kid will want to play. The salesman can help you with the rest.
I hope this helps anyone who's looking to buy a guitar this Christmas. Done right, you can be buying your child something that will be a part of them for the rest of their lives.
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