Selecting and purchasing an acoustic guitar can be a daunting task. Here are some tips for the next time you go out to buy a guitar.
- Give the guitar a good once-over. Look for damage to the instrument, warped neck, warped body, etc. Make sure the bridge isn’t pulling away from the body, and make sure there is no structural damage to the guitar.
- Check to see how the guitar feels. Is it a good size for your body? Will it work well in your therapeutic setting?
- Observe how the guitar plays. Does it feel good? Is the action low? Action is how far away the strings are from the fret board. Higher action usually means it’s more difficult to play.
- How does the guitar sound? Consider having someone else play the guitar and see how it sounds from out front.
- Consider laminate top versus solid top. In general, a solid top will have better tone, but a laminate top may be more durable. Solid tops are typically found on any guitar over about $300. A solid top is more susceptible to weather changes and will probably require more care, such as humidification.
- Can it be made to play better? The guitar shop might be able to do additional setup work, such as straightening the neck, lowering the action, etc. Also, always ask them to throw on a new set of strings.
Matt Logan, MT-BC
Matt Logan, MT-BC works as a PRN music therapist with Iowa City Hospice, and provides private music lessons and music therapy sessions in private practice as Matt Logan Music.
Matt is involved in many other music-related projects. He is the founder and manager of Music Therapy Source, a website that provides music therapy information and insights. He also started A Perfect Lullaby, a website focused on teaching mothers how to use lullabies effectively with their newborns to help regulate stress behaviors and foster infant-caregiver attachment.
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Thanks for all of the expert advice, Matt! I’m DEFINITELY going to reference this when I purchase my next guitar!
(Also, is it bad that when you said, “That just spells trouble”, I went into “Music Man” mode and couldn’t stop singing? If you don’t get this reference, be very thankful. The song will get stuck in your head for days….)
At my internship site, we use a Takamine G series (NEX – GS430S), which I cannot reccomend highly enough. My supervisor said she chose it because of it’s slim body design, because (and I just thought this was absolutely genius), we do a lot of sessions on units where space is limited, so holding a piece of sheet music on our knee is essential. A slim body means you have more knee space, and that really does help! So, keeping in mind really specific needs you have for your guitar is also a great idea. I am seriously already saving my pennies for my own G series- the tone is awesome!
thanks so much for this very helpful post- guitar shopping can be daunting! Keep the guitar tips coming!!
::) (including great song ideas for adding more complex and interesting chords)
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