It’s Already Almost Spring! So Let’s Go Buy A Guitar!

It is still cold outside, but soon it will be the new school year, which means it’s the season to start fresh with a new instrument!

Choosing a guitar is a difficult task for both beginners and advanced players.
Beginners may think that they can easily buy a guitar that suits them if they don't mind spending a lot of money.

However, for those who have been playing guitars for a long time, even if they have a large budget, it is difficult to find a “partner” because there are so many choices out there.

Now to the main issue. When a beginner buys a guitar, what should he or she get?
It may be a little difficult to put it into words, but if you like it, you will just know.

As a rule, beginners should choose from how it looks.

This is because in many cases, the motivation for wanting to play the guitar comes from watching a video of a favorite guitarist and being attracted to the guitar he or she is playing.

Other reasons may be that they happened to walk into a music store and became interested, or that they joined a club and admired the guitars of their seniors, or that they recently watched videos on YouTube, etc., or searched the Internet.

A few years ago, many guitarists were influenced by the anime Bocchi Za Rokku (Bocchi the Rock!) (and bought a Gibson Les Paul Custom Type or a YAMAHA Pacifica. The Pacifica is still selling well today.

I was impressed by Ritchie Blackmore's music and saw a white Stratocaster he played in a color page of a magazine, so I bought a copy model with the same look.

Anyway, “looks” is an important factor in choosing a first guitar.

Take a look at the [Guitars] category on the Sound House website.
They are categorized as Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, semi-acoustic, full-acoustic, Jaguar, mustang, shaped guitar, multi-string guitar, signature model, etc. It should be easy to find a guitar of your choice.

When you open the Sound House website, you can select a guitar specifically and easily visually.

If you click on the image of a guitar, you will see a list of guitars in that lineage.
I chose my Ritchie Blackmore model from the signature guitars.

Most of the guitars on the market fall into the above categories, so you are sure to find your favorite guitar from this list.

⇒ Click here to go to the Guitar page

Many people wonder about the color of a guitar. I recommend to go with your gut choice or the guitarist you admire, but if you are not sure, I recommend sunburst (brownish), white, or black, which you will never get tired of.

Also, there’s the price.

The reason I am writing this article before the spring season is because I believe that if you start saving money now, you may have a wider selection of guitars to choose from.

If you can save some money, you can increase your budget by saving your pocket money or taking a part-time job during spring break. If you are a student, spring break is relatively long. I once bought a Japanese-made Fender guitar with the money I earned from a short-term job for a month.

I knew what kind of guitar I wanted and had saved up enough money.

The next thing I want you to think about is the sound. Even if you choose a good looking guitar, it will be worthless if you plug it into an amp and the sound it produces is not what you expected.

Let's look at the “Pickups” section on the Sound House guitar website again. There are two main types of pickups: single coils, which are long and narrow, and humbuckers, which are square.

The difference between these two pickups makes a big difference in the sound of an electric guitar. Single coils have a relatively delicate, clean sound. On the other hand, humbuckers have a powerful, fat sound.

This is a rough explanation, but the basics are the above.
Most guitarists prefer one or the other. There are guitarists who prefer both, but there are also a few who think, “I'm more of this kind of guitarist.” Personally, I have been a single coil guitarist from the beginning.

The sound also depends on the type of wood used. Generally speaking, the more expensive guitars are made of better woods.

If you compare wood to a human being, it is the body itself. The parts can be compared to clothes. Parts can be changed, but in principle wood cannot be changed. Therefore, I recommend that you do your own research or ask the person in charge at a guitar store.

For example, if you say, “I like the sound of this guitarist’s guitar,” an experienced shopkeeper should be able to help you find what you’re looking for.

Also, the lighter the guitar, the better.

I heard a master builder of a certain store say at a seminar, “A light guitar is good for enjoying at home, but it lacks the punch necessary for large scale live performances.

Guitarists are mainly performing at live houses or school festivals. A guitar that weighs more than 4 kilograms is considered to be heavy. This is what most guitarists say. If it is light, it is comfortable.

I have decided on the look and sound of the guitar.
The key to choosing the right guitar for your first time is the playability.

What kind of playing style do you want? Do you want more of the characteristic electric guitar that has arming with all your might? Do you want a thick neck? Thin neck? Do you want to change tones with your hand? Do you want to specialize in fast playing? Do you want to be able to change the volume easily?

The first thing beginners should consider is whether it is easy to sit down and play. ← This is surprisingly important. You will feel it when you’re practicing for a long time.

Also, some people may say “I have small hands, so I want a narrower neck. I’m so envious of people with big hands.” It is because stretching the fingers usually solves the problem.

I have small hands for a guy, and I know that a certain famous jazz guitarist's hands are not big either.
To the contrary, there are players overseas who have large hands and are troubled by them. Some players in other countries are seriously worried that they have difficulty playing the higher frets and wish they had thinner fingers.

Playability is something you will learn as you get used to playing, but even if you are a beginner, it is important to decide whether or not to have a tremolo arm. The look will change drastically, and although it is possible to install an arm later, it will cost at least 50,000 yen, and the sound will also more or less change.

Let's try to make learning guitar as enjoyable as possible. Nowadays, it is difficult to obtain comprehensive knowledge about guitars because there are not many bookstores, but the amount of information is the same as it was in the past.

I recommend that you go to the book section of a music store and ask for specialized guitar magazines and other publications. E-books are also fine, but I prefer books that cover as wide a range of guitars as possible. I don't think you need a book that is too guitar nerdy yet.

An example of books I look at when choosing a guitar

However, playability is a profound choice, so guitarists who are particular about it may pursue it.

This is because there are some guitarists in their 20s who got into guitars from Bocchi the Rock, fell in love with guitars, bought guitar magazines and magazine books, looked at columns on the Internet, and became expertly acquainted with the world of electric guitars in only a few years.

That's all I have to say.

Choosing a guitar is difficult but fun. They become a good friend and lover to you.
The joy you feel when you get your favorite guitar is exceptional and the feeling of walking down the street with a guitar case on your back makes you feel like a hero so much that it's hard to describe.

Let's go play the guitar!

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