Before you walk into your local music store ready to plop down your hard-earned dough on a new guitar, you need to take stock of what you're doing. You need to ask yourself some tough questions about buying a guitar - and you need to do so now.
Start developing your purchasing plan by answering some specific questions about exactly what you want in a guitar - and how much you can spend to attain it. Narrowing your scope doesn't mean that you can't change your mind after you get to the store and see all the nifty instruments available or that you can't let on-the-spot inspiration and whim play a significant part in your final decision. ("I just can't decide between these two guitars... oh, what the heck! Just give me both of them!") But you do need a point from which to depart.
In focusing in on the instrument of your (practical) dreams, ask yourself the following questions before buying a guitar:
1.What's my level of commitment? Regardless of your current ability, do you realistically envision yourself practicing every day for the next five years, pursuing a dedicated program of guitar excellence? Or do you first want to see whether this whole "guitar thing" is going to stick? Just because you can afford a $1,000 guitar doesn't mean that you should necessarily buy it. Before plunking down any cash, honestly determine the importance of the guitar in your life and then act responsibly according to that priority. (Or completely ignore this advice and go crazy, you guitar-playing rebel, you!)
2. What's my spending limit? The answer to this question is critical because, often, the more expensive the guitar, the greater its appeal. So you need to balance your level of commitment and your available resources. You don't want to have to give up food for six months and live in a cardboard box just because you got carried away in a moment of buying fever at the music store. You can very easily overextend yourself - especially in these days of generous credit limits. If you don't set a limit on how much you can spend, you can't know whether you exceed that limit... or by how much.
3. Am I a "new-guitar person" or a "used-guitar person"? You're going to have a much easier time comparing attributes among new guitars. And all the retail and discount prices of new instruments are pretty much standardized - which is not, however, to say that all the prices are the same; stores usually discount at different rates. Expect to pay between 10 and 35 percent off the "list" price (manufacturer's suggested retail price) when buying a guitar at a music store and a slightly higher discount if you're going online or mail order. Big chains offer better discounts than smaller pop stores, because they buy in quantity and get a better price from the manufacturer.
Singer and songwriter Jim Byrne has been a guitar player all his life. His songs has a twist of bluesy folk, country, Americana and Scottish. Discover more useful tips that will help you when buying a guitar, as he offers some great all-around advice for beginner and advanced players alike. Visit Jim's website for more guitar playing and songwriting tips and to download two of Jim's latest songs for free => http://www.songsbyjimbyrne.com/freemp3music/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment