Knowing hw t choose th right guitar nd hw t identify a bad one, will save u frm countless headaches, nt t mention finger aches.Acoustic guitar bodies m in basically th m hourglass shape, with m variations, but th d vary in size, color, wood-type, style, nd extra features. Yu n vn buy n acoustic guitar small tht fits int a hiking backpack.
Guitars m in a vr wide range f prices, but whn it m t instruments, in general, u gt wht u pay for, ill whn u buy new. There's a rl difference btwn gtting a bargain nd buying cheap.But whthr u buy nw r ud m b determined b mn personal factors including ur budget, nd h h thir wn pros nd cons.
Buying new, giv u a warranty and, hopefully, a return period, if fr m rn you're nt totally satisfied with ur purchase, r mthing g wrong.Undr usual' circumstances, a ud guitar n uull b purchased cheaper nd h lrd gn thrugh it "break-in" period.Commercially built guitars r uull mass manufactured. "Custom-made" guitars r xtl that. Th r custom built nd tailored t ur specifications b a highly skilled guitar maker.
Prices fr a custom-built guitar vary considerably, depending n th skill level f th craftsperson u contract th job to, but, a rule, th r generally uit higher thn a commercially built guitar f "similar" quality. Eh custom built guitar i unique nd thrfr hrd t compare in price t a commercially built guitar.FOR THE "TECHIES"Understanding m f th parts f a guitar will dfinitl hl u whn it m t th Pre-Purchase
Checklist.BODY: Thi i th rt with th sound hl in th front. It i whr th strumming i done, nd it n vary in size. Th tul size, shape, type f wood, coating, nd general build f th bd l affects hw th guitar will "sound", whthr it's a rich nd warm sound, r a thin nd twangy' sound. Th bd tnd t b th rt tht l gt scratched, damaged, nd generally banged-up th most.
NECK: Thi i th lng piece extending frm th bd nd nd t th head' f th guitar whr th Tuning Heads' are, l knwn machine heads'. Th strings travel frm th Bridge' n th body, r th sound hole, lng th Fret Board', whih i attached t th front-side f th neck, nd finally arriving t th tuning heads whr th r wrapped rund tuning posts. Th tuning heads r thn turned b hand, whih thn turns th posts, making th strings tighter r looser, thu affecting thir tuning'. Necks tnd t warp nd twist if nt looked after, r if th guitar i left propped gint a heat source.
BRIDGE: Th Bridge i nrmll located n th front f th body, b th sound hole, nd n th id f th hl opposite t th neck. Th strings r uull fed thrugh th bridge firt bfr th r th hl nd travel u th neck t th tuning heads. Th bridge i lik n anchor-point fr th strings. Metal bridges r best, but n mt acoustics th r ithr hrd plastic r wood. Bridges hv a tendency t crack nd split vr a lng period f time.
FRET BOARD: Th fret board i glued t th front f th neck. Thi i th rt u press th strings nt t make chords r play individual notes. Bu it's glued n separately, a fret board n b made f a wood that's diffrnt frm th neck.Th strings travel vr th fret board nd th distance th r bv th fret board makes a difference t th playability f th guitar. If th strings r t fr bv th fret board, thn th will b hrd t press down, making th guitar hrd t play.
Whn a beginner plays a guitar, initially hi r hr fingertips r vr soft nd nd t b hardened. A guitar with th strings t fr bv th fret board, l knwn hving a high action', will u th player's fingers t hurt muh tht th r likl t put th guitar w in discouragement nd possibly stop playing altogether.STRINGS: Acoustic guitar strings, m in a wide variety f flavors'. Th n b made ut f nylon, brass, steel, r a combination.
Nylon strings r uull nl found n Classical guitars nd Student guitars, bu they're easier n th fingertips. Th hv a rich, warm sound t them.Strings sets m in diffrnt weights', r sizes. Strings tht m frm a package marked Heavy' r uull uit thick in size nd sound "beefy". Strings tht r light, r extra light, r vr thin nd uull hv a brighter sound t them, but r l quieter sounding thn heavy strings.String choices r purely personal taste.
Light strings r easier t press thn heavy strings but l sound uit different. Th mr ftn strings r played, th dirtier th get. If a cloth isn't run vr nd undr them, frm tim t time, th sound bm vr dullTHE PRE-PURCHASE CHECKLIST- Bfr u buy a ud guitar, cost-compare gint th price f a nw one, unl th guitar i uit old. Yu uld l compare it ud price t thr ud prices b ging t n online auction nd ithr searching fr th m r a similar guitar.
- Check th vrll condition f th wood fr cracks, scratches, splits, dents,and chips.
- Al check th lacquer finish fr cracks nd splits.
- Check th neck/fret board fr warping nd twisting. Yu n d thi b holding th guitar flat n it back, with th sound hl facing upward.
Bring th guitar u t eye-level, with th neck running w frm u nd th edge f th bd lmt touching ur face. Lt ur eyesight skim r th front f th bd nd dwn th fret board. Yu huld b bl t if th neck i twisted r bowing.
- Tune th guitar, r hv th seller tune it fr you.
- If u knw hw t play but fiv r ix chords thn play them. If u don't knw hw t play, k th seller t play thm fr you. Thi check ensures tht th neck f th guitar i nt warped, vn thugh u couldn't physically it. If th neck i warped, nd th guitar i properly tuned, thn m f th chords will sound good, but thr will sound thugh th guitar i nt tuned. If thi happens, check th tuning again. If it persists, thn don't buy th guitar.
- Check th bridge f th guitar. If it's made ut f wood r plastic, make ur it's nt cracked r splitting. Th bridge nd t b rock-solid, a lot f pressure i exerted n th bridge b th strings.
- Check th tuning heads. D th turn easily, r r th vr stiff nd hrd t turn. Evn with th high tension f th strings, a quality guitar will hv tuning heads tht r fairly easy t turn.
- Check th action' f th guitar. Ar th strings a fair distance frm th fret board? Ar th easy r hrd t press dwn t vriu points n th fret board?
- If u r buying th guitar fr yourself, nd u knw hw t play, vn if you're a beginner, thn play th guitar.
- Hw d it feel?
- I it easy r hrd t play?
- Cn u fit ur hnd rund th neck/fret board comfortably t play chords?
- I th guitar a comfortable size nd shape fr ur body? I it easy t hold?
- If u plan t play standing up, k fr a guitar strap.
- D u lik th sound, th color, etc?
- If u don't play, hv mn l play it fr u tht u n judge wht it sounds like.WHERE TO BUYBuying a guitar frm a physical retail music store llw u t test drive' th guitar nd k mr questions u front.
Buying online r frm a catalog m bring u mr cash savings.N matter whr u buy ur guitar, if u knw wht t lk for, nd spend a littl extra effort in ur search fr tht perfect' guitar, nt nl will ur fingers thnk you, but l ur ears, nd ll th wh will m t join u rund th campfire, r vn g t u in concert. Wh knows?
John Corbett
Gitarren Bodies
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