What To Look For In A Guitar

So you're at your local music shop and you're ready to test out some potential instruments. What do you look for in a guitar?

1. Feel. How does the guitar feel in your hands? Are you comfortable? Is it a good weight? How wide is the neck? Can you fingers move smoothly around the fretboard? These are all very important questions. If you've been playing for awhile you'll know immediately whether or not a guitar feels good for you. For beginners, try holding a few different guitars to see the differences between them. This should give you a good idea about what you're going to be most comfortable with.

2. Sustain. Sustain is essentially how long a note rings out for before it fades off. To test the sustain of a guitar, fret any note and pick the string. Let the note ring out until it fades away naturally. Test the sustain on as many notes as possible, making sure that they are all even. If some notes drop away sooner than others, consider this a warning sign and avoid the guitar.

3. Action. A guitar's "action" refers to the distance between the strings and the fretbord. To test the action of the guitar, hold the down the high E string (1st string) just behind the first fret and pick the string. Does the note buzz or sound muted? If so, there could potentially be a problem with the action. Make sure to do this test on all six strings. If you're finding it difficult to push the string down, the action may be too high. Since action can be adjusted, it's not a reason to outright ignore the guitar - just talk to an employee about the issue and listen to their advice.

3. Intonation. Intonation refers to a guitar's ability to play in tune. One way to test intonation is to pluck a string at the 12th fret, and then play that same string open. The notes should sound one octave higher. If you're a beginner guitarist and can't distinguish an octave, use an electronic tuner or bring a more experienced musician with you. If the guitar isn't in tune then this will obviously affect the intonation, so make sure to tune the instrument first.

These are some simple things to look for in a guitar, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Whenever possible, purchase an instrument that is still sealed in it's original packaging. Be very wary of floor models which have been subject to use and abuse by lots of interested players.

After you have tested the feel, sustain, action, and intonation of the guitar, inspect the guitar construction to make sure everything is in order.