Different options when guitar hunting!
Thanks again for signing up for my live-stream lessons. In this blog I want to talk about where you can find a guitar and what the likely pros and cons of each can be.
Music Shops
The most obvious place to start looking is your local music shop as you should be able to get exactly what you want from there. There will be plenty of choice and the quality should be good as the shop’s reputation will be built upon offering great products and great service.
The drawback may be the price, although they may have some 2nd hand gear available, so that’s worth asking about.
Pros
- Great choice
- Great quality
- Friendly service
Cons
- Might be more expensive
Buying New off the Internet
You can probably buy a new guitar off the internet for a cheaper price than in the shops, but please beware that the quality can be hit and miss.
I’ve had clients who have taken this route and sometimes they get a good one, but sometimes they end up with something that even a professional couldn’t make sound any good, so I’d tend to avoid the internet unless you really know what you’re looking for and have an experienced player helping to guide you.
Pros
- Price
Cons
- Quality can be hit and miss
Buying from 2nd Hand Shops
Another fairly obvious choice, but why not take a trip out and scour your local charity shops? Although the guitars might be old, my guess is that they were a good guitar when first bought and sometimes you can find yourself a little gem!
If you find an electric guitar, it’s worth asking to check if the electrics work, so you’ll need an amp and a jack lead to do this. Even if they don’t work, you can still learn on it, but the sound will be a bit dull – however it will be enough to get started!
Pros
- Might find a gem
- Great price
Cons
- Quality depends on how well it was looked after
- Help from an experienced player advantageous
Buying 2nd Hand off the Internet
Local community groups on social media sites like Facebook, are worth checking out, as are Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle and Ebay.
As with buying anything 2nd hand, it helps if you know what you’re looking at, so if at all possible, why not ask someone you know who has some guitar experience to check it out with you as they will hopefully be able to spot any glaring problems?
Pros
- Might find a gem
- Great price
Cons
- Quality depends on how well it was looked after
- Help from an experienced player advantageous
Relatives and your Community
What about relatives? Lots of people seem to have an uncle or aunt who played at one point in their life? Or even just by asking them, they may know someone who has a guitar?
A bit of networking around your friends and family might find you something or create an opportunity of finding a guitar that either you or I hadn’t thought of!
Pros
- Might find a gem
- Great price
Cons
- Quality depends on how well it was looked after
- Help from an experienced player advantageous
Private Schools
My last idea is to try one of your local private schools. Part of my teaching week involves teaching in a private school and it is quite eye-opening for me to see the number of pupils who started learning and bought a guitar, then stopped or left the school, and simply forgot to take their guitar with them.
So why not give the school a call? Any old guitars left behind will probably be gathering dust and taking up space so they might welcome your interest.
Pros
- Might find a good, old guitar
- Negotiable price?
Cons
- Quality depends on how well it was looked after
So there you have it – my advice on where to find a guitar. So, very best of luck in your search and if you find one somewhere other than my suggestions, please share it in the comments below as my aim with this course is to make music available to anyone and everyone, so the more ideas we can share around, the better!
And remember, if you’re not sure what guitar to get, you can check out my guitar types video!
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