Purchasing a Guitar Part 3-The Electric

Purchasing an electric guitar for the first time is an amazing experience. There is almost an endless amount of colors, shapes, configurations, and sizes. A person could literally stay at a music store all day just trying out guitars. There are a few things I would recommend when it comes to purchasing an electric guitar.

Many of the same thoughts that I wrote about in the acoustic guitar purchase 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.

Here are three areas that will apply to all guitar purchases.

• Is the guitar attractive?
• Does the guitar size fit your body?
• Does it sound good to you?

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 a lot of competing brands.

Most people love the Gibson Les Paul look. They are beautiful guitars, but I cannot get used to the neck. It seems like Fender and Ibanez have faster necks that are built for blues and rock.

One 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 to the younger generation and has been used by countless musicians. It can have a great sound and play like a dream. But the downside is if you are sitting, it may slide off your leg. You can use a strap or play classical style, however, it is awkward for a lot of guitarists.

 

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 which 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 does not move and does not have a place for a whammy bar. It is nice because if you break a string, most of the other strings will stay in tune. You can also save a little money since the hard tail is less complex and therefore less expensive than other bridges.

Locking Tremolo

The second type is a non-locking tremolo system. These were originally found on guitars that were made before 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 nut. One popular brand is the Floyd Rose. This is the type I have used over the years and have mixed feelings about it. The advantage 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 uneven tension on the bridge. Once a string breaks and the bridge moves, you have to switch out the guitar.

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 are powered by a battery and passive pick-ups are not. The advantage of an active pick-up is that it is a bit more powerful and the tone can be a little more even when adjusting the volume. You will need to unplug the guitar when you are done playing or it will drain the battery. Which brings me to the disadvantage. If the battery dies, you may have to change the guitar out or have a fresh battery ready.

Passive pick-ups are less powerful, but have more tonal options. Most songs throughout history are recorded using passive pickups. However, my favorite guitarist, David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, uses active pickups. Deciding which pickup is right for you is decision that may come down to tone and whether you want to deal with a 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 pickups 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 the 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 are interested in taking lessons, please contact me, I look forward to hearing from you!