Purchasing an Electric Guitar

Purchasing an electric guitar for the first time is an amazing experience. There is almost an endless number of colors, shapes, configurations, and sizes. A person could, and probably should, literally stay at a music store all day trying out guitars. There are a few things I would recommend before making a big investment.

Many of the same thoughts in the acoustic guitar purchase blog holds true with the electric as well. I will list them but feel free to click on the link “Purchasing a Guitar Part 2-The Acoustic” for more details.

There are at least four areas that will apply to all guitar purchases.

• Are you attracted to the guitar
• Does the guitar size fit your body
• Does it sound good to you
• Does it feel good to play

There are a few other important considerations that will apply a bit more to the electric guitar:

• Appearance: Style, Shape, and Color
• Floating Bridge/hardtail/standard tremolo/locking nut
• Electronics

Style and Shape

Style is the first thing that comes to mind when considering an electric guitar. There are many styles to choose from which sometimes will or will not match the genre you are pursuing. A person could show up with a flying V to a jazz combo, but you would probably get a few strange looks. Fender and Gibson are the industry standards but there are so many competing brands.

I personally loved the Gibson Les Paul look but after playing them, I could not get used to the neck. I always tend to purchase a Fender and Ibanez.

There is an important point in the last article that is worth repeating…make sure to get a guitar that you are attracted to. This will make paying for it and playing it much more enjoyable. There are too many guitars out there to have to settle.

Another important consideration is the Flying V. This is a guitar that looks amazing and has been used by countless musicians. It has a great sound and plays like a dream. But the downside is, if you are sitting, it likes to slide off your leg. You can use a strap or play it with the V section resting on your leg, however it may be awkward for some guitarists.

Electric Guitar Bridge Systems

The next thing I look for is what type of bridge do I want. There are many types of bridges, but I will focus on the three main types. First is the hard-tail that is anchored onto the guitar and does not have a whammy bar. The second is a standard tremolo that uses a whammy bar, but only moves one direction. A third common option is the floating tremolo system.

Hard Tail

The hard tail is nice because if you break a string, most of the other strings will stay in tune. Another advantage that is helpful to new guitarists is that when a note is bent, the rest stay in tune. You can also save a little money since the hard tail is less complex and therefore less expensive than other bridges.

Standard Tremolo

The second type is a standard tremolo system. These are originally found on guitars that were made up to the late 70’s. They offered musicians a lot of cool effects like dives and vibrato. Artists like Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, and Keith Richards use this style. The problem they have is that the strings can go out of tune due to the releasing and stretching of the strings.

Floating Tremolo

The third type is a floating tremolo system that locks at the head such as the Floyd Rose. This is the type I have used over the years and have mixed feelings about it. The advantages are all the tricks a guitarist can do such as fluttering and diving without going out of tune. The big disadvantage is if a string breaks, the whole guitar goes out of tune. This is due to the tension that is needed to keep the bridge floating. Once a string breaks, the bridge moves since there is less tension on the bridge.

Electronics

The next thing to check for are the electronics. There are truly too many variables to cover all of it in this article. However, I will hit on the important one. Should you get a guitar with active or passive pick-ups?

Active Pick-ups

Active pick-ups are powered by a battery and passive pick-ups are not. The advantage of an active pick-up is that it is more powerful and the tone can be a little bit more even when adjusting volume. Just remember to unplug the guitar when you are done or it will drain the battery. Which brings me to the disadvantage. If the battery dies and you must remove the pick-guard to replace it, it can be a nightmare at a gig. Most guitars have a separate battery compartment on the back or side of the guitar, but the older models that are fitted with new active pick-ups may not.

Passive Pick-ups

Passive pick-ups are less powerful, but have more tonal options. Most songs are recorded with passive pickups. However, my favorite guitarist David Gilmore of Pink Floyd uses active pickups. It is a very tough decision that may come down to the battery. Active pickups are more expensive, but are quieter, have more sustain, and have no loss of high frequency with a long cable. Yet passive pick-ups are more affordable, natural sounding, and have better dynamic response.

Conclusion

These are just some areas to consider and research when looking into purchasing your first electric guitar. The bottom line is: how does it feel, look, and sound? An amp can compensate for a lot of the weaknesses in a guitar, but it won’t be able to polish a turd.

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for a lesson, please contact me.

Guitar for a Beginner Student

One of the best ways to help your son or daughter become successful in their lessons is to pick the right guitar for a beginner student. I don’t blame the parents who inadvertently chose something hard to play since parents generally don’t know what to look for in a guitar. They are just excited to get their child into lessons. But I know that without a full set up and new strings, or a new guitar, the student will not want to take guitar lessons for very long. And they will absolutely dread practicing.

Price Recommendation

I recommend spending at least $200-$300 if you are getting a new instrument-especially for younger students. If you are worried about spending the extra money for something they may not continue with, remember it is important to give them the best chance for success. Fender makes a very nice, inexpensive beginner guitar that will help make their lessons something they look forward to.

The Fender Squier is Perfect for New Students

Electric Guitar

To make things as fun as possible for the younger students, try a ¾ sized Fender Squier. These are perfect! As I type, Amazon has a package with a guitar, amp, picks, strap, cable, tuner, and strings for $279. This is exactly what I would recommend. For a teen or adult student, the same set up with a full-size guitar is $329. Well worth the investment and the guitars come in variety of colors. This will most certainly help their musical journey.

Acoustic Guitar

Acoustic guitars are nice, but probably the hardest to learn on. This is because the strings are so much thicker. They can begin to hurt the fingertips and be difficult to get a good tone on when starting out. If you prefer to use and acoustic, one idea would be to put light or extra light gauge strings on the guitar. This will help tremendously in giving the student a positive experience.

Guitars to Stay Away From

I am sure that First Act makes a guitar that could be decent. But in my opinion and experience, their intonation is generally off making the instrument sound out of tune. When the intonation is off, the guitar is out of tune as soon as a finger is placed on a fret. This happens even when each string has been perfectly tuned. I cannot remember ever playing a First Act guitar that sounded good. It can cost a lot of money to fix, more than the instrument is worth.

Also, by purchasing a cheap guitar, you may have to upgrade shortly thereafter anyway. This means spending even more money than would have been necessary.

Here is a link to a page where you can check out the ¾ size Squiers. Enjoy your journey, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

How Often Should I Practice

One question I get all the time is “how often should I practice?”  My recommendation is at least 20 minutes three times per week. For brand new students, sometimes it is better to stop earlier if your fingers get sore…especially for the younger kids.

The key is not to get overwhelmed by how much practice time you must put in. By shooting for 20 minutes, you are more likely to pull out your instrument. Just pulling out the guitar can be the beginning of an hour-long practice session without even realizing it. Getting the instrument into your hands can be so much fun that you may not want to stop.

Practice the Day of Lessons

One important recommendation is to practice after you get home from a guitar lesson. By doing this, everything will be fresh in your mind and you can then reinforce the skills or songs right away. In addition, if you do have a question, it is easier to text or call your teacher then so he can address it and either send additional information or help you through it.

Keep Your Instrument Visible

Another helpful hint is to keep your instrument in a stand. This way, your guitar will stare you down. Just having to open the case will sometimes stop a student from practicing.

Another idea is to put your instrument next to the couch. If you have an electric guitar, it is a lot of fun to noodle around while watching tv. It is amazing how fast you can become just by doing a few finger exercises or simple riffs while watching your favorite show.

Dedicate a Specific Time

Having a practice time helps tremendously as well. Making it a part of a routine is a great way to remember to pull out your instrument. Right after school can be a perfect time to schedule a practice session.

As a parent, it can be a bit more difficult to find the time and/or energy to practice. Having lessons on a regular basis can help with this. A parent can then get in some consistent practice time that works the best with their schedule. For those very busy parents, it may be a great idea to consider a full hour lesson each week. You can literally achieve your goal twice as fast and help make up for the lack of available practice time.

Final Motivator: Build Your Brain Cells While You Sleep

Some final thoughts…The interesting thing about practice is that your brain will processes the information from the previous day while you sleep. You will then be much better at that skill the next day.  That is why we are sometimes able to play riffs and chords better the next day than while we were practicing.

Hope you found these suggestions helpful. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Feeling Nervous About Starting Lessons

I always look forward to meeting new students, especially if they are feeling nervous about starting lessons.  It is nice to see them relax after about 10 minutes-once they begin to realize how easy learning guitar is.

The guitar is simply and amazing instrument, and the speed in which we learn how to play it is completely up to the student. Private guitar lessons are so different from a college class. There is no fixed time line and a very flexible path of learning. Whatever the student’s goal is will determine the speed and direction.

Unfortunately, there have been several occasions where my students have aced the college jazz band audition only to quit after a year. This is sometimes caused by the rigid programs and endless commitment to practicing. I think there are occasions where certain students will excel at an intense program. However, most people seem to want to have an artistic approach to playing music rather than an academic approach with that type of intensity.

After years of teaching, I believe that if the focus is on the areas the student is interested in, they will stay inspired. When I demonstrate how to play something, they can see that it is something they can do and it drives them to pull out their guitar at home. Intrinsic motivation is by far a a more positive force, in my opinion, than extrinsic.

Everyone Has Different Interests

Some people do find enjoyment in the deep theory and how everything fits together. This is incredibly fun to teach and can open a lot of creative doors for song writers. But it seems that most students would simply like to learn how to strum their favorite songs for friends around a campfire. Pursuing what the students is interested in will keep them motivated while they learn other things along the way.

Final Thoughts

In the end, music is a place where you can lose yourself sometimes for hours. When students enjoy the lessons, they continue taking lessons and those relationships are very rewarding. Watching a student grow musically is amazing. Everyone has their own journey with their own time line, never let nerves stop you from learning a new instrument.

If you have any questions about lessons, feel free to contact me.