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Main » 2013 » October » 29 » How To Buy Louis Vuitton outlet An Acoustic Guitar by Kevin Sinclair -
10:23 AM How To Buy Louis Vuitton outlet An Acoustic Guitar by Kevin Sinclair - |
How To Buy An Acoustic Guitar by Kevin Sinclair -
Knowing how to choose the
right guitar and how to identify a bad one, will save you from countless
headaches, not to mention finger aches.
Acoustic guitar bodies come in
basically the same hourglass shape, with some variations, but they do vary in
size, color, wood-type, style, and extra features. You can even buy an acoustic
guitar so small that fits into a hiking backpack.
The most common type of
guitar in use today is the folk-style of guitar. This is the guitar you will see
played around most campfires and parties, and is the one found in most music
groups, church choirs, and in the corner of most homes.
Guitars come in a
very wide range of prices, but when it comes to instruments, in general, you get
what you pay for, especially when you buy new. There�s a difference between
getting a bargain and buying cheap.
But whether you buy new or used may
be determined by many personal factors, and each has their own pros and
cons.
Buying new, gives you a warranty and, hopefully, a return period,
if for some reason you�re not totally satisfied with your purchase, or something
goes wrong.
Under �normal� circumstances, a used guitar can usually be
purchased cheaper and has already gone through its �break-in�
period.
Commercially built guitars are usually mass manufactured.
�Custom-made� guitars are exactly that. They are custom built and tailored to
your specifications by a highly skilled guitar maker.
Prices for a
custom-built guitar vary considerably, depending on the skill level of the
craftsperson you contract the job to, but, as a rule, they are generally quite
higher than a commercially built guitar of �similar� quality. Each custom built
guitar is unique and therefore hard to compare in price to a commercially built
guitar.
FOR THE "TECHIES"
Understanding some of the parts of a
guitar will definitely help you when it comes to the Pre-Purchase
Checklist.
BODY: This is the part with the sound hole in the front. It is
where the strumming is done, and it can vary in size. The actual size, shape,
type of wood, coating, and general build of the body also affects how the guitar
will �sound�, whether it�s a rich and warm sound, or a thin and �twangy� sound.
The body tends to be the part that also gets scratched, damaged, and generally
banged-up the most.
NECK: This is the long piece extending from the body
and ends at the �head� of the guitar where the �Tuning Heads� are, also known as
�machine heads�. The strings travel from the �Bridge� on the body, across the
sound hole, along the �Fret Board�, which is attached to the front-side of the
neck, and finally arriving at the tuning heads where they are wrapped around
tuning posts. The tuning heads are then turned by hand, which then turns the
posts, making the strings tighter or looser, thus affecting their �tuning�.
Necks tend to warp and twist if not looked after, or if the guitar is left
propped against a heat source.
BRIDGE: The Bridge is normally located on
the front of the body, by the sound hole, and on the side of the hole opposite
to the neck. The strings are usually fed through the bridge first before they
cross the hole and travel up the neck to the tuning heads. The bridge is like an
anchor-point for the strings. Metal bridges are best, but on most acoustics they
are either hard plastic or wood. Bridges have a tendency to crack and split over
a long period of time.
FRET BOARD: The fret board is glued to the front
of the neck. This is the part you press the strings onto to make chords or play
individual notes. Because it�s glued on separately, a fret board can be made of
a wood that�s different from the neck.
The strings travel over the fret
board and the distance they are above the fret board makes a difference to the
playability of the guitar. If the strings are too far above the fret board, then
they will be hard to press down, making the guitar hard to play.
When a
beginner plays a guitar, initially his or her fingertips are very soft and need
to be hardened. A guitar with the strings too far above the fret board, also
known as having a �high action�, will cause the player�s fingers to hurt so much
that they are likely to put the guitar away in discouragement and possibly stop
playing altogether Louis Vuitton
outlet.
STRINGS: Acoustic guitar strings, come in a wide variety of
�flavors�. They can be made out of nylon, brass, steel, or a combination. Nylon
strings are usually only found on Classical guitars and Student guitars, because
they�re easier on the fingertips. They have a rich, warm sound to
them.
Strings sets come in different �weights�, or sizes. Strings that
come from a package marked �Heavy� are usually quite thick in size and sound
�beefy�. Strings that are light, or extra light, are very thin and usually have
a brighter sound to them, but are also quieter sounding than heavy
strings.
String choices are purely personal taste. Light strings are
easier to press than heavy strings but also sound quite different. The more
often strings are played, the dirtier they get. If a cloth isn�t run over and
under them, from time to time, the sound becomes very dull
THE
PRE-PURCHASE CHECKLIST
- Before you buy a used guitar, cost-compare
against the price of a new one, unless the guitar is quite old. You could also
compare its used price to other used prices by going to an online auction and
either searching for the same or a similar guitar.
- Check the overall
condition of the wood for cracks, scratches, splits, dents, chips, etc.
-
Also check the lacquer finish for cracks and splits.
- Check the neck/fret
board for warping and twisting. You can do this by holding the guitar flat on
its back, with the sound hole facing upward. Bring the guitar up to eye-level,
with the neck running away from you and the edge of the body almost touching
your face Louis Vuitton. Let your
eyesight skim across the front of the body and down the fret board. You should
be able to see if the neck is twisted or bowing.
- Tune the guitar, or have
the seller tune it for you.
- If you know how to play about five or six
chords then play them. If you don�t know how to play, ask the seller to play
them for you. This check ensures that the neck of the guitar is not warped, even
though you couldn�t physically see it. If the neck is warped, and the guitar is
properly tuned, then some of the chords will sound good, but others will sound
as though the guitar is not tuned. If this happens, check the tuning again. If
it persists, then don�t buy the guitar.
- Check the bridge of the guitar. If
it�s made out of wood or plastic, make sure it�s not cracked or splitting. The
bridge needs to be rock-solid, as a lot of pressure is exerted on the bridge by
the strings.
- Check the tuning heads. Do they turn easily, or are they very
stiff and hard to turn post by haiyan902. Even with the high tension of the
strings, a quality guitar will have tuning heads that are fairly easy to
turn.
- Check the �action� of the guitar. Are the strings a fair distance
from the fret board? Are they easy or hard to press down at various points on
the fret board?
- If you are buying the guitar for yourself, and you know how
to play, even if you�re a beginner, then play the guitar.
- How does it
feel?
- Is it easy or hard to play?
- Can you fit your hand around the
neck/fret board comfortably to play chords?
- Is the guitar a comfortable
size and shape for your body? Is it easy to hold?
- If you plan to play
standing up, ask for a guitar strap.
- Do you like the sound, the color,
etc?
- If you don�t play, have someone else play it for you so that you can
judge what it sounds like.
WHERE TO BUY
Buying a guitar from a
physical retail music store allows you to �test drive� the guitar and ask more
questions up front. Buying online or from a catalog may bring you more cash
savings.
No matter where you buy your guitar, if you know what to look
for, and spend a little extra effort in your search for that �perfect� guitar,
not only will your fingers thank you, but also your ears, and all those who will
come to join you around the campfire, or even go to see you in concert. Who
knows?
Happy playing.
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