Before we actually get into playing the guitar we should first learn how to choose a guitar. Some of us have guitars thrust upon us, (the lucky few), and some of us cry until we get one, and still , some of us have to earn one. No matter what your situation, this is absolutely the first and most important decision you will make towards playing an instrument. I believe that this initial choice can have a lifelong impact upon whether or not you will play any instrument
guitar, or otherwise.
It seems like every body and his uncle has written some sort of article about picking and choosing the right instrument. Heck it's a logical first step therefore a little discussion seems only proper.Whether your instrument is a guitar, bassoon, or oboe one obvious fact stands out. First,you've got to like the way it sounds , then you have to like the way it feels. Think about your first car, it was looks, then practicality. For guys, it's looks,sound,feel, and then practicality. You may sit in a car, but a guitar sits on you. The way a guitar feels in your hands is a very intimate experience. The way in which you press down upon a string is the single most defining factor when making an initial judgement upon whether or not you actually like what you are doing with this instrument. The way a guitar feels as you press down the string is called"action". As a teacher I have seen many a player come and go due to poor action. Typically you'll hear something like;" It hurts my fingers" by a young or old student then after a short while they're gone, never to return.
First some terminology is in order.
To the right you'll see three pictures : the first is a 12 string acoustic guitar, the second an electric guitar, and the third the back of an acoustic guitar.
In all guitar types, parts of the body are pretty much called the same thing. The upper part where you tune the strings is called the headstock. The long part the strings sit over is called the neck. The big part on the bottom is called the body. Although acoustic to electric may look different the part on the body where the strings attach is called the saddle and the saddle attaches to the body via the bridge (see bottom picture).
Here is where it gets interesting. The action a guitar has is dependent upon two things. The first is the neck. The neck must attach to the body in a very precise and not straight at 180 degree angle. Too straight and the neck can cause the strings to buzz. Too much less than 180 degrees and the action will be too high and unbearable to play. Very often on used guitars the neck will start to separate from the body and a slight crack or gap may appear at the heel or where the neck meets the body(see pictures four and five to the right, you can see where the lacquer has chipped as a result of the neck separation).
The other major cause of poor action on the guitar is at the saddle and bridge (See picture to the right). If either the saddle or bridge are set too high off the body of the guitar the strings will also sit too high of the neck making the guitar hard to play. This can commonly be found on new guitars or guitars that were never set at the guitar shop. When guitars are made at the factory they are not set at optimum playability due to shipping. Guitar strings are very rarely shipped with tightened strings, particularly on better guitars. the reasons being many but primarily because the guitars are still green so to speak and neck movement is to be expected, especially during shipment. When a prospective player goes into a store it's hard enough to find a salesman ,much less a knowledgeable one who would be aware of the fact that the guitar needs to be set up. Even if it was a new player wouldn't know the difference. This is true for both electric and acoustic guitars. A new player needs to be aware of one thing when seeking a new or used instrument, BRING YOUR TEACHER OR EXPEEREINCED PLAYER TO HELP. As a teacher I often tell my students to bring the guitar to their lesson and often the salesman at the store would find a way to oblige.
Fast forward thirty years and this father of three is watching Van Halen or some other great player and he says to himself "Man, I wish I could do that. If only I would have stuck with those guitar lessons." Meanwhile little does he realize he didn't let himself down, his first guitar did.
Guitars: 101
