Buying Your First Guitar

Buying Your First Guitar

For further Information & Advice : 01926 833389

It is amazing how many people feel that they should start to learn guitar on an acoustic. Of course there is nothing wrong with playing an acoustic guitar, unless your favorite guitarists are players such as B B King, Dave Gilmour, Steve Vai and Jo Satriani (All widely accepted 'electric' guitarists). In other words, if you want to play acoustic - buy an acoustic! If not, then invest in an electric guitar. Although swapping between the 2 styles of instrument is not a major problem, each has specific 'characteristics' which should be explored from the start of the learning process. I.E.. Electric guitars generally have lighter strings so bending strings is a common technique associated with electric guitar more than acoustic.
Among other reasons, the acoustic guitar is a great instrument to play if your main ambition is to 'strum chords'. Chords form the main outline or structure of a song and when played in time with the lyrics it can be a very rewarding experience. Many people do not wish to go further than this as playing well known songs (stereotypically 'around the campfire!') can be extremely satisfying. If this sounds like you - Buy an acoustic. The acoustic guitars tonality is much more suited to strumming songs than an electric guitar.
2. Make sure the guitar is 'set up' correctly.. Setting up a guitar is a term that basically means 'hand finishing'. Every guitar that is manufactured for sale is mass produced. Guitars are not like keyboards (every keyboard you purchase of the same model will 'feel' exactly the same and will perform the same role). If you buy 10 guitars of any model type, all 10 will 'feel' different. It is for this reason the guitar should be set up before sale (to make those 10 guitars feel the same). Unfortunately it is very rare to find a music shop that openly explains this to their customers. You have been warned!
Of course every guitar sold from Regent Guitars is set up before despatch, totally free of charge - this kind of service is almost unheard of in guitar retail. For example, if you purchase an Aria STG003 (as shown above) at £119, it will come with a free set up and certificte signed by the tachnician valued at between £35-£50! For more information on setting up a guitar - click here, and use the back button on your browser if you would like to return to this page. . If you really want to spoil yourself, click here!

3. Does your amplifier have reverb? If you are buying an electric guitar, you will also require an amplifier to produce the sounds. My main piece of advice here is to make sure the amplifier has a 'reverb'. This may add approx. £20 -£30 to the initial start up costs but is definitely worth the investment. For more detail on what reverb is, please click here and use the back button on your browser to return to this page.
Finding a suitable budget. The team at Regent Guitars are all specialists in their field, including acoustic, electric and bass guitar. If you would like to discuss your budget call the shop on 01926 833389 or email our sales manager who will either answer you directly or ensure the appropriate member of the team gets back in touch. email us. However, as a rough guide... Up to £100 Any electric guitar and amplifier starter package will fall well short of our recommended guidelines. Guaranteed. £100 - £150 Superb acoustics can be found at this price range if set up correctly. The TW28 by Tanglewood is ideal at £129 and the Vintage V400 offers some excellent colour options and is superbly made also at £129. However, you will find a far higher percentage of 'dogs' (the guitar techs words - not mine). Always take someone along with you who can give you independent advice and test the playability of the guitar for you. As far as an electric guitar goes - Yes, you can get started at this price range but freally, a half decent first guitar alone will cost around the £100+ mark - For a full package, look to the next price bracket...
£150 - £250 Our best selling package is the Aria STG003 with Peavey Blazer (or Marshall MG15CDR). It comes in at £219 and offers you everything you need to get started on a firm footing. A superbly playable guitar that looks awesome, a market leading amplifier and quality accessories to go with it - and don't forget - the all important set up and certificate which comes totally free of charge too. The Fender Squier package still remains popular at £239 with those who "just" want the Fender logo on their gear!!
4. Don't get fooled by 'Freebies' We - like most other shops - give away bits and pieces with the guitars we sell such as a strap, lead, plectrums, carry case etc.etc. but you need to know that very often, what is being given away is not for the best interests of the customer but to make the package 'appear' more appealing. The question you must ask yourself is. 'Do I trust who I am buying this guitar from?' Things to look out for include:- Free lead. Is the lead going to last? How much does the lead they give you retail for? Many guitars come shipped with a lead in the box. (We remove them and exchange them for a better quality lead as the free ones don't last .) Free Tuitional Video. Can the retailer recommend the video personally? There are hundreds of videos available for beginners but only a very small percentage are worth watching. What is the point of a free video if it is of no tuitional value! (Click here to see a great tuitional book and CD that we recommend very highly. There is also a sound file that you can download to get an idea of its content. Use the browsers 'Back' button to return to this page). Free Pitch Pipes. You will have ours of frustration with one of these. Invest in a good tuner or insist that you have a tuner added to the package. Remember that all of these 'free items' have a price. Would you prefer lots of freebies that may end up not being too useful at all or would you prefer that money to be invested in the instrument itself? Hope this helps you and please remember to email me (Richard Cholerton - Proprietor) if you require any further assistance. Don't forget to have a look at our recomended starter pack pages for a few more ideas. Good Luck!