Tips for Buying an Acoustic Guitar

New Guitars
Whether you’re buying your first guitar, upgrading, or simply adding to your collection, your first priority is to do your homework. Get an idea of the price ranges you will be attracted to and set your budget. Take an experienced guitarist with you if possible. Test out new guitars to find bargains. Check the frets for buzzing. Make sure that the neck is not warped. Check that all of the volume and tone switches are in good working condition.

Do some research. Guitar magazines are a good place to find out prices and specifications on different models of guitars. Add to your knowledge by browsing through your local guitar shop. Shop the internet for the most competitive prices. Get information on the manufacturers and read product reviews.

Second Hand Guitars
Although online auctions can offer low prices for used equipment, it usually better to play before you buy. Great sources for secondhand guitars can be found in the musical instrument section of the weekly classifieds.

Some fantastic guitars, while expensive when new, are relatively cheap secondhand. Sometimes you can find a custom or a limited edition guitar that someone is selling quickly for the cash and you can often get a real bargain if you know what you are looking for.

Does the seller volunteer information about any damage that is undetectable upon rough inspection. How long have they have had the guitar? What repairs and maintenance has it had?

Look for obvious damage. Some wear and tear such as small scrapes and scratches are fine. Look for rust on the hardware holding the strings and the pickups. If there is rust, then pass.

Make sure that the neck is not warped or out of shape in any way. Check the area where the neck joins to the body of the guitar – look for cracks where it may have been broken in the past.

Check the action, how close are the strings are to the fret board, starting at the head of the guitar all the way down to the bridge. It is preferable to have the strings very close to the fret board as to make it easier to press them down (not so close that they are touching). If the strings are nice and close to the fret board all the way along, you would say that the guitar has a good action. The action is considered poor when the strings are too far off the off the fret board. This can be fixed by your local guitar technician for $30 to $50.

Check the pitch or intonation. If the intonation is correct, every note on the guitar will be the correct pitch. If it is out, the guitar will be impossible to tune. Play the E shape barre chord on each fret of the guitar. As you move towards the bridge of the guitar, you should hear the chord keeping its pitch. If not, the intonation is out and you will need to get a guitar technician to work on the problem.