Guitar Buyer's Guide To Electric Guitars

Knowledge is preparation when you want to buy a good electric guitar. We've already looked at the parts of the acoustic guitar so we'll just concentrate on the parts that are specific to the electric guitar.

Parts of the Electric Guitar

First of all, the electric guitar produces sound differently from an acoustic. Magnetic pickups convert the vibrations of the strings into an electrical signal, which is then amplified. The input jack is where you plug in a cord that connects to an amplifier. Sound along the length of the vibrating string differs due to the amount of movement of the string. Pluck a string close to the bridge and it sounds brighter and thinner, pluck it closer to the neck and it sounds more full. The placement of the pickups reflects this. A pickup closer to the bridge picks up that brighter tone, and one closer to the neck the fuller tone. The pickup selector lets you switch pickups singly or in combination to achieve different tonal qualities.

The vibrato or tremolo bar smoothly alters the pitch of the strings by releasing or adding tension. Unlike the saddle of an acoustic, the electric guitar has separate adjustable saddles for each string.

Because they use pickups, electric guitars don't need to have a hollow body, though there are hollowbody and semi-hollo body electric guitars, and many manufacturers offer solid body models with resonance cavities in order to make them lighter and give them better resonant characteristics.

Hollowbody electric guitars commonly have an arched top, hence the nickname archtops. These are prized by jazz guitarists for their full tone and bass response, but they have problems with uncontrollable feedback when played at high volume. A semi-hollowbody has a solid center below the pickups to allow cranking up the volume without feedback.

Electric guitars have three different kinds of pickups, single-coil, humbuckers, and piezo. Sometimes a guitar has only one type, sometimes two, and sometimes all three. The single coil is pictured above, with humbuckers shown on the hollowbody guitars shown below. Single-coil pickups produce a bright, sharp tone that is preferred by many guitarists. The simplest type can produce a hum due to interference with some electrical fields. Humbuckers are designed to cancel out that hum by combining two coils wrapped opposite each other. The two coils produce a more powerful signal and a tone that's more smooth and round. Some humbuckers allow you to use only a single coil in order to get a brighter sound. Piezoelectric pickups are typically found in the guitar's saddle. They have a weak signal that requires an onboard preamp to boost the signal to the amplifier. They can be used in combination with magnetic pickups or separately, and produce a unique sound. The signal is often modified for synthesizer effects or to make the electric guitar sound like an acoustic.

A Hollowbody Guitar

Note the sound holes on the sides of the guitar's top. These are known as f-holes, and are similar to the sound holes of instruments in the violin family.

A Semi-Hollowbody Guitar

The distance between the guitar's bridge and the nut is called the scale length. Many manufacturers, including Fender, ESP, and Ibanez, produce guitars with a scale length of 25 1/2". This longer distance requires higher tension in the strings, which causes a high, trebly tone. Lighter strings are commonly used to compensate for the playing difficulties of the higher tension. Gibson, Dean, and other manufacturers produce models with a scale length of 24 3/4" with lower tension, easier playing, and a fuller, more bassy tone. There are other scale lengths, such as the 25" on PRS guitars.

Electric guitars may have a bolt-on neck, a set neck, or a neck-through design. Bolt-ons, such as on most Fender guitars, set the neck in a slot and hold it there with screws. It makes repair and replacement of the neck easier, as well as being cheaper to produce. Set necks, used by Gibson guitars and others, are glued into the body, normally with a tenon extending far into the body. Neck-through guitars use a single piece of wood from the head all the way to the tail. This design produces incredible sustain, and is generally more expensive.

The two types of bridges on an electric guitar are called tremolo and non-tremolo or hardtail, and the bar on a tremolo bridge that is used to create a pitch variation is often called a tremolo bar or whammy bar. Tremolo is correct because of common usage, but the term is actually misapplied. Tremolo is a regular, repeated variation in volume, not pitch. The proper term for regular variation in pitch is vibrato. The tremolo bridge is designed to allow the player to smoothly vary the tension of the strings. It's quite an engineering marvel to allow that slackening and tightening of tension and have the strings come back in tune when you release the whammy bar. Some popular systems incorporate a locking nut where the neck meets the head of the guitar to help keep the instrument in tune.

So that's a look at what goes into the construction of an electric guitar. These are some of the things you should look for, so you know what options are available when you're deciding which guitar you should buy.

Determining an Acoustic Guitar's Quality

Your knowledge of the parts of the acoustic guitar will help you find a good quality acoustic guitar to buy. Nothing beats the ear for determining the quality of sound from an instrument, but it's difficult to tell the difference in quality between various materials unless you've either heard them compared side by side or you've heard and played both high and low quality instruments many times. You need a basis for comparison, some sort of reference point.

Photo by Jason Gulledge

The Many Faces of the Guitar

The soundboard of the guitar is often referred to as the face or the top. The quality of this piece is perhaps the most important factor in determining the sound of the acoustic guitar. The job of the acoustic guitar's top is to amplify the tiny vibration of the strings by transferring it to the hollow interior of the guitar, a resonant cavity called the sound box.

An acoustic guitar top may be solid or laminate. A laminate top is made from thin plies of wood pressed together. Plywood, in other words. It's much cheaper and the sound quality is lower than a solid top. A more expensive guitar will have a solid top and back, and the highest quality instruments are solid wood throughout. Most of the sound, however, is transferred by the top, so that's the most important factor when considering the quality of construction. If you have the cash, by all means go for solid construction throughout, but when quality versus expense is a factor, you may find the best value is in the material of the top.

Types of Wood Used in the Guitar

The type of wood used in the construction of an acoustic guitar also effects the tone and sustain. What's "best" depends on the kind of tone you're looking for. Cedar brings out the brightness of upper registers, and is favored for classical and fingerstyle players. Mahogany and koa boost the midrange when used for the back and sides, adding projection to the top. Walnut is similar to mahogany. Sitka spruce is favored by many for the top. You've just got to use your ears to determine what sort of sound you prefer.

Rosewood is the most common wood for the fretboard. Ebony is a stronger, more dense wood, and preferred by many. It has a very fast, slick feel to it, enhancing playability.

Photo by ggvic

The Guitar's Saddle, Nut, and Pins

I've greatly improved the sound of many a guitar by simply replacing these parts with a better material than the plastic or cheap synthetic that is commonly used. If you can find a guitar made with these superior materials, or whose owner has already made improvements, so much the better. Bone is a higher quality material. Elephant or walrus ivory is even better, though the conservationist in me cringes at the idea. I'm told that the West African hard ivory trade is strictly controlled in order to greatly reduce poaching... but still. An even better material, and without the cringe factor, is fossilized mammoth or walrus ivory.

Replacing the saddle will give you the best sound improvement by far. Replacing the nut is more for durability, and the pins so they match the other parts.

Composite Guitars

It should also be noted that composite materials research has produced some brilliant new materials for guitar construction, and this area will only improve. I have no doubt we'll be creating synthetic materials that meet or exceed all the characteristics of the best natural materials used in the construction of guitars, and at much lower expense. Ovation already produces some very high quality, great sounding guitars made with composite materials.

Guitar Buyer's Guide to Guitar Parts

In order to be sure you're getting a good deal on a guitar you have to have some knowledge about the parts of the guitar. Acoustic and electric guitars differ, so first we'll look at the parts of the acoustic guitar.

The guitar has three main sections: the body, the neck, and the head, also called the peg head or the headstock.

The shape of the body is defined by the skinnier part called the waist and the sections that flare out from that, known as the bouts. The front of the guitar's body is called the soundboard. In the soundboard of a hollow body guitar you'll find the sound hole. The pick guard is to protect the soundboard from scratches, and provide a decorative flourish. Anchoring the strings to the body is the bridge, which transfers the string's vibration to the soundboard. That vibration is amplified by the hollow body and exits from the sound hole. On the bridge you find the saddle, a ridge of bone or plastic that spaces the strings and improves transfer of the vibration. Bridge pins hold the string in place on the bridge.

The heel is where the neck joins the body of the guitar. Glued onto the neck is the fretboard. The frets are wire inserts that divide the neck into half-step increments of the chromatic scale. They mark where the notes are played. Decorative inlays in the fretboard help you locate your position on the fretboard more easily. At the top of the neck is the nut, which spaces the strings evenly as they leave the neck on the way to the tuners.

The head or headstock is where the tuners, also known as the tuning keys or machine head, are located. The strings wrap around the posts and are tightened to the proper pitch by turning the tuning keys.

Pictured above is an acoustic guitar showing some variation from the traditional design. This acoustic has a cutaway in the upper bout. The cutaway allows better access to the higher frets. Note also the numerous sound holes in the soundboard, and their unusual placement.

So that's the whirlwind tour of the major parts of the acoustic guitar. Later we'll have a more detailed look at how the construction and materials used for various parts of the guitar affect the sound quality.

Choosing The Right Guitar To Buy

If you're wanting to buy a guitar, odds are you already have some idea of what kind of guitar you'd like to own. If you want to play classical musc, you can certainly learn on an electric or steel string acoustic, but you really ought to buy a classical guitar. The sound and structure of a classical guitar is very different from an electric or an acoustic with steel strings. The nylon strings of a classical guitar have a unique timbre, and the neck is wider.

Photo by pasotraspaso

Or maybe you want to play jazz. Traditionally, you would buy an archtop jazz guitar. The hollow body adds resonance, richness, and fullness, and it sounds great played clean, without distortion or effects, as is the common jazz style. These days, however, great jazz players often simply play a nice solid body electric. The technology has changed a lot since the old days, and you can get a fantastic jazz tone from a solid body. One advantage of the archtop is that it sounds great even when it's not plugged into an amp. If you want to play rockabilly... well, buy an archtop guitar. You'd just look silly playing rockabilly with anything else.

If you're buying a guitar as a gift for someone else, you really ought to find out what sort of music they'll be playing. If your eleven year old nephew wants to be a rock and roll star, you know he's looking for a solid body electric. In that sort of situation you want to buy an inexpensive guitar, but if you get one that's poorly constructed it will sound awful and be a frustrating experience for the poor kid.

Photo by mrbill

The sound is the important thing. Are the notes in tune all over the neck? Do they go flat on the low strings on the higher frets? Do the notes sound clear? Is there any buzzing noise? The only way to know is to get the guitar in your hands. That means going to a music store. If you're looking at electrics, ask if they'll let you plug it in. If not, walk out and go to another store. You have to hear the guitar. And if you're buying a guitar for yourself, you need to get your hands on different models and see how they feel. Aside from the quality of sound, you (obviously) want to buy a guitar that feels comfortable. If you don't play at all and have never even fretted a note, you may have to get someone to help you check out the sound and give you advice on how comfortable it feels.

But once you've chosen a specific style and model of guitar to buy, a music shop may not be the best place to actually buy the guitar. Brick and mortar music stores have fairly high overhead, and generally speaking, you'll pay more for a guitar there. You're likely to get a better deal buying from an individual. Check around for the best price. There are good deals online. You may find a fantastic deal somewhere like eBay.

The Guitar Buyer's Guide is Now Open

Photo by rockesty

Hello there, and welcome to The Guitar Buyer's Guide. Here you will find lots of useful information and tips on what to look for when buying a guitar, and finding the best guitar for the best price. If you want to know how to get the best deal on a guitar, you've come to the right place!

The Best Guitar Value

Buying a guitar can be very confusing, and finding the right guitar can be a bit tricky. Hopefully this site can help clear up any confusion and make the process of finding a great guitar for sale much easier on you and your wallet.

You want the best guitar value for the price, and that means different things for different situations. If you want to buy a guitar for your nephew who is just learning how to play a guitar, that's not the same as buying a new guitar for accompanying your cousin's jazz combo on weekend gigs.

Photo by fictures

But when you want to get a great deal on a new guitar, the process is always very similar and quite painless, and you don't need to know everything about the instrument to find a bargain price for a great guitar. Just a few simple steps will help you find a guitar for sale that will be a delight to play and won't cost you an arm and a leg. You'd look pretty silly trying to learn to play guitar with one arm while hopping around the room anyway.

Over the coming weeks and months The Guitar Buyer's Guide will become a very useful resource for anyone interested in buying a guitar.