So you want to buy someone a guitar for Christmas?
Yes, it's that time of year again and your son / daughter / significant other has intimated that they quite fancy having a go at learning the guitar. This is a good thing, obviously! The trouble is, the internet is full of the most bewildering range of guitars and you don't know where to start. Fortunately, we may be able to help...
What type of guitar is best to learn on?The first question is there are a few different overall types of guitar - electric, acoustic, classical and bass being the four main ones - and you're going to need to pick one to start with. So which is best to start on?For very young children, the first question really comes down to whether they can cope with metal strings, which can be tricky for a youngster. Up the the age of 8 or 9, we recommend a classical style guitar with nylon strings(technically the top three are nylon and the bottom three metal wound around silk). They're relatively easy to hold and press the strings down on and there are a lot of small sized ones out there. For under 6s we recommend the ukulele: the chord shapes are similar but they're physically much smaller and there are only four strings to contend with.If the guitar is for someone older then we recommend going for the type of guitar that most interests the prospective player. There are pros and cons to the different types of guitar but ultimately the best guitar to start on is the one you most want to pick up and play. If your ten year old has been delving into his older brother's music collection and and has his heart set on playing Smoke On The Water, there's no point sitting him down with a classical guitar and a book of scales! Have a chat to the prospective pupil and try to gauge what sort of music they want to play.Classical guitar is the guitar variant traditionally taught in schools, although that has changed a lot over the last couple of decades. Classicals have less string tension which makes them a little easier on the hands although they also have rather chunky necks, so for a beginner what you gain in soft strings you lose in finger stretches. Go for a classical guitar if the beginner is taking classical lessons or wants to play classical repertoire or Latin style folk.Acoustic guitars are similar to classicals in appearance but have metal strings and are more heavily constructed to cope with the extra string tension. Acoustics are the best choice for strumming chords, blues and folk fingerpicking, and as a tool for songwriting. They're also great in that you can pick them up and play without plugging in and they're easy to carry round with you for the same reason.Electric guitars and basses are a little more complicated in that they really need to be plugged into an amplification, which makes up a big part of the sound, so there's a little more kit involved and you're tied to using that equipment when you want to practice. That said, for many playing a loud electric guitar is the raisin d'etre for many guitarists. If you want to play rock guitar then electric is the way to go. Basses are a little more specialised and generally if someone wants to play bass they will ask specifically for one.
Ok, I know what type of guitar they want. But there are so many models and so many price points!This is true, but the good news if you're buying for a beginner is that choosing a first instrument need not be too much of a minefield. You essentially want an instrument that is not specialised (ie can play a range of different types of music) and is of sufficient quality not to impede their progress in the first stages of learning.As it's a first instrument, you probably don't want to spend a fortune and nor should you have to. That said, when you pick up a guitar for the first time you're trying to toughen up your fingertips and train your hand to do unfamiliar things and it doesn't help if the instrument is creating problems that make it harder than it need be. We make a point of avoiding the most basic instruments - although we could sell a lot of them - because we want you to have an instrument that is going to be pleasurable to learn on and give the beginner the best chance possible. Spending between £100 and £200 (depending on type) gets you an instrument that will be good to learn on and last a long time.Acoustic instruments can be made from a number of materials but the important detail at this level is whether they are made from sheets of solid wood or from plywood. Solid timber produces a better tone for various reasons, whilst plywood is cheaper and easier to work with. The bodies of most entry level guitars are made from plywood but you might want to consider a guitar with a solid wood top, which will cost a little more but sound much better.
So what do you recommend?For classical guitar, we recommend the Admira Alba, which retails at £99 with a bag, for absolute beginners. These are Chinese made guitars but made to the high standard of the company's Spanish instruments and they have a relatively strong, sweet sound. More importantly the playability and tuning stability are excellent which gives the beginner a huge advantage over the many slightly cheaper instruments that are commonly sold online. If you wanted something with a better sound we recommend Strunal, a Czech company who make a beautiful entry level classical with a solid Cedar top and laminated Oak back and sides for £199. The solid top helps a lot in terms of sound quality and they look lovely as well.For steel string acoustics, our favourites are the Crafter range of guitars which start at £189 and have solid tops. These are made in Korea by a very experienced company whose quality control is great and they play and sound remarkably well, holding their own against substantially more expensive instruments. The slightly smaller T/CD is the most popular model and they also do a traditional large body model called the D/SP, and a significantly smaller model called theLite Cast that is ideal for smaller hands (adult or junior - one of our instrument dept staff has bought one of these and she's in her 30s!). On a tighter budget we do a range of Aria guitars that are made entirely from laminated materials but that are still comfortable guitars to play. Again the biggest selling one is the slightly smaller AF20, with a larger AD18 also available and a 3/4 size for youngsters which will suit 8-10 year olds.For electrics the easiest way to approach it is to buy a ready made pack that includes everything needed to get started. Fender, one of the best known manufacturers, make just such a pack that includes a Squier branded version of their best selling Stratocaster, a small amp and all the additional bits and pieces. It's a well made guitar and the amp is perfectly reasonable for a beginner. If the guitar is for a young player they also offer a 3/4 size version of the same guitar aimed at 8-10 year olds - it doesn't come in a pack but we can put the elements of the pack together for you.
It's that simple then?It pretty much is, yes. There is obviously a huge range of instruments out there but much of that comes further down the line - for now you're trying to give someone a good start and to that ends it's not too difficult to pick something that will do the job admirably. So good luck!
Strunal classical guitar, Squier electric guitar and Crafter acoustic:
What type of guitar is best to learn on?The first question is there are a few different overall types of guitar - electric, acoustic, classical and bass being the four main ones - and you're going to need to pick one to start with. So which is best to start on?For very young children, the first question really comes down to whether they can cope with metal strings, which can be tricky for a youngster. Up the the age of 8 or 9, we recommend a classical style guitar with nylon strings(technically the top three are nylon and the bottom three metal wound around silk). They're relatively easy to hold and press the strings down on and there are a lot of small sized ones out there. For under 6s we recommend the ukulele: the chord shapes are similar but they're physically much smaller and there are only four strings to contend with.If the guitar is for someone older then we recommend going for the type of guitar that most interests the prospective player. There are pros and cons to the different types of guitar but ultimately the best guitar to start on is the one you most want to pick up and play. If your ten year old has been delving into his older brother's music collection and and has his heart set on playing Smoke On The Water, there's no point sitting him down with a classical guitar and a book of scales! Have a chat to the prospective pupil and try to gauge what sort of music they want to play.Classical guitar is the guitar variant traditionally taught in schools, although that has changed a lot over the last couple of decades. Classicals have less string tension which makes them a little easier on the hands although they also have rather chunky necks, so for a beginner what you gain in soft strings you lose in finger stretches. Go for a classical guitar if the beginner is taking classical lessons or wants to play classical repertoire or Latin style folk.Acoustic guitars are similar to classicals in appearance but have metal strings and are more heavily constructed to cope with the extra string tension. Acoustics are the best choice for strumming chords, blues and folk fingerpicking, and as a tool for songwriting. They're also great in that you can pick them up and play without plugging in and they're easy to carry round with you for the same reason.Electric guitars and basses are a little more complicated in that they really need to be plugged into an amplification, which makes up a big part of the sound, so there's a little more kit involved and you're tied to using that equipment when you want to practice. That said, for many playing a loud electric guitar is the raisin d'etre for many guitarists. If you want to play rock guitar then electric is the way to go. Basses are a little more specialised and generally if someone wants to play bass they will ask specifically for one.
Ok, I know what type of guitar they want. But there are so many models and so many price points!This is true, but the good news if you're buying for a beginner is that choosing a first instrument need not be too much of a minefield. You essentially want an instrument that is not specialised (ie can play a range of different types of music) and is of sufficient quality not to impede their progress in the first stages of learning.As it's a first instrument, you probably don't want to spend a fortune and nor should you have to. That said, when you pick up a guitar for the first time you're trying to toughen up your fingertips and train your hand to do unfamiliar things and it doesn't help if the instrument is creating problems that make it harder than it need be. We make a point of avoiding the most basic instruments - although we could sell a lot of them - because we want you to have an instrument that is going to be pleasurable to learn on and give the beginner the best chance possible. Spending between £100 and £200 (depending on type) gets you an instrument that will be good to learn on and last a long time.Acoustic instruments can be made from a number of materials but the important detail at this level is whether they are made from sheets of solid wood or from plywood. Solid timber produces a better tone for various reasons, whilst plywood is cheaper and easier to work with. The bodies of most entry level guitars are made from plywood but you might want to consider a guitar with a solid wood top, which will cost a little more but sound much better.
So what do you recommend?For classical guitar, we recommend the Admira Alba, which retails at £99 with a bag, for absolute beginners. These are Chinese made guitars but made to the high standard of the company's Spanish instruments and they have a relatively strong, sweet sound. More importantly the playability and tuning stability are excellent which gives the beginner a huge advantage over the many slightly cheaper instruments that are commonly sold online. If you wanted something with a better sound we recommend Strunal, a Czech company who make a beautiful entry level classical with a solid Cedar top and laminated Oak back and sides for £199. The solid top helps a lot in terms of sound quality and they look lovely as well.For steel string acoustics, our favourites are the Crafter range of guitars which start at £189 and have solid tops. These are made in Korea by a very experienced company whose quality control is great and they play and sound remarkably well, holding their own against substantially more expensive instruments. The slightly smaller T/CD is the most popular model and they also do a traditional large body model called the D/SP, and a significantly smaller model called theLite Cast that is ideal for smaller hands (adult or junior - one of our instrument dept staff has bought one of these and she's in her 30s!). On a tighter budget we do a range of Aria guitars that are made entirely from laminated materials but that are still comfortable guitars to play. Again the biggest selling one is the slightly smaller AF20, with a larger AD18 also available and a 3/4 size for youngsters which will suit 8-10 year olds.For electrics the easiest way to approach it is to buy a ready made pack that includes everything needed to get started. Fender, one of the best known manufacturers, make just such a pack that includes a Squier branded version of their best selling Stratocaster, a small amp and all the additional bits and pieces. It's a well made guitar and the amp is perfectly reasonable for a beginner. If the guitar is for a young player they also offer a 3/4 size version of the same guitar aimed at 8-10 year olds - it doesn't come in a pack but we can put the elements of the pack together for you.
It's that simple then?It pretty much is, yes. There is obviously a huge range of instruments out there but much of that comes further down the line - for now you're trying to give someone a good start and to that ends it's not too difficult to pick something that will do the job admirably. So good luck!
Strunal classical guitar, Squier electric guitar and Crafter acoustic:
Posted On: Dec 1, 2015
Categories: Guitar Department , Guitars