Buying an Electric Guitar
Even the most expert guitarists find selecting an electric guitar to be a challenge. Despite your skill level, picking the right guitar for your needs can be tough, but rewarding too; a great electric guitar is a thing of beauty.
The basic composition of a guitar varies little from type to type; they all have the same elements:
1. A body 2. A neck 3. A head stock piece 4. Electrical pick ups 5. A bridge
Electric guitars need an amplifier to make the sound audible. For an electric guitar, the sound is made when you pluck the strings and the strings vibrations are sent, or “picked up” by the pickups and sent to the amplifier.
When choosing an electric guitar, the most important considerations for most are the price of the instrument and its sound.
Electric guitars can run as low as $99 up to as much as $20,000. Quite a price spread, isn’t it? The differences are material, construction and pick up quality. Beginners can get starter kits that include the guitar, an amplifier, picks, and a strap and most even include some type of instruction booklets.
Typically, an electric guitar has a wood body that is solid. This is why the sound is electrically generated via the pickups. The amp serves to increase or decrease the volume. Solid body guitars are most popular among beginners and prices range upwards from $99.
The other factors to consider are the guitar’s looks and the neck joint.
The looks of the guitar should be something that you, personally are happy with so you will enjoy playing it. Gibson’s Les Paul and Fender’s Stratocaster are the most widely chosen. Makers like B.C. Rich are known for eclectic body styles and custom paint schemes. All these makers have low end models that are very affordable, so you can easily lay hands on a Gibson or Fender for under $300. Some BC Rich models (even those with custom paint) can be gotten for around $200 in some cases.
Back to the neck joint: this is the way the neck and body of the guitar are joined together. The cheapest type is bolt on, which is easy enough to understand - the neck is literally bolted on to the body of the instrument. This is the most common style of neck joint.
A set neck has a tongue that is set into the body and glued securely to the body. This type of neck allows more note sustain and resonance through the body and is slightly more expensive to construct.
Neck through is exactly what it sounds like - the neck is all one piece which extends the entire length of the instrument. This is the most expensive type of neck joint, but these guitars have a great sound.
Whatever the reason is that you are looking to purchase an electric guitar, do your homework. Go to guitar shops and ask questions. Play each type of guitar you are considering and see which one feels best to you.
Happy playing!