Buying your first guitar can be an exhilarating experience. It can also be a very confusing one. With all the brands and specifications out there, it can be easy to get lost. You also have to consider your skill level and how much you can afford to pay for a brand-new guitar. However, when you understand the basics, finding a great guitar should be a breeze. Here are a few tips for beginner guitarists on a budget.

Know That You Aren’t Simply Buying a Guitar

While your guitar will be the centrepiece of your audio equipment, know that you’ll have to buy much more than just a guitar to get started. An electric guitar, as good as it is, will be pretty much useless without a few crucial pieces of equipment. Make sure that you factor in the price of an amplifier and a few cables as well when buying your guitar. You also have to save up for an eventual effect paddle as well.

Be Prepared to Pay for Quality

While it may be true that if you gave a great guitar player a mediocre guitar, he’d still be able to make it sound good; if you gave them the choice, they’d probably pick the best guitar they could find. Not only will a great guitar make the learning curve less steep, but it will make you sound much better as well. So don’t be afraid to spend a little more on a good amp and guitar at the very least if you can.

Look at What Your Favorite Guitar Players Are Using

Imitation in this case can be a great way to find a great guitar for you. One of the best ways to find the perfect guitar with the kind of sound you’re looking for is by looking at what guitars your favorite guitar players are playing with. If you like a particular guitarist, it’s not only because of their technique, even though it plays a large role in it. It also has to do with the type of guitar they’re using.

Two different types of electric guitars can have completely different sounds. For example, if you grew up idolizing Jimmy Page and want to sound like him, then you wouldn’t want to buy a Stratocaster. However, if you’re more of a Jimmy Hendrix type, that may be just what the doctor ordered. Don’t be afraid to do your research, finding out what guitar top players play takes all but a few minutes since brands are often just as popular as the guitarists that play them.

Choose a Guitar According to Your Musical Tastes

If you can’t find a hero to pattern your style from, you should pick a guitar that fits the style of music you want to play. While you can always make guitars work for any situation, they all have their little quirks that make them better for certain genres. For instance, if you’re thinking of playing heavy metal, a Stratocaster HSS would be much better because of the humbucker pickup that is situated on the bridge position. But for punk or Blues, a Telecaster might be better because of its smoother sound.

Buying a new electric guitar can seem like a daunting task at first, but once you know your way around, finding one that fits you should be easy. With these few tips, you should find a great guitar in no time.