Congratulations! You've picked the coolest instrument. There's a ton of different guitar brands and models, so it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out what to look for. Here's some guidelines for shopping for your first guitar, as well as some specific recommendations.
General Guidelines
Go to your local Guitar Store
You can potentially find a lot of good deals on Craigslist or Marketplace, but when you're a total beginner you won't know which red flags to look for. With guitar stores you can try out a bunch of different guitars to see which one is right for you. There are a lot of different specifications a guitar can have (type of wood, pickup configuration, etc.), but the most important thing is to find one that is comfortable to hold and feels inspiring to you. To quote Harry Potter, "The wand chooses the wizard". Same concept here.
Guitar Size
For younger kids, it's important to find the right size guitar. Most guitars are "full size", but a half size or 3/4 size might be ideal for starting out. When sitting with a guitar, you should easily be able to reach your left hand all the way to the head of the guitar.
Setup
Guitars have a lot of moving parts that often have to be adjusted, and if it's not set up properly even the most high-end guitar can be practically unplayable. Always ask stores if they'll do a free or discounted setup on a guitar that you buy from them.
Strings
Strings will sound pretty dull after 3-6 months, especially if a guitar has been played every day by whoever is in the store. Changing the strings right away will significantly improve the tone and tuning stability, and luckily guitar strings are dirt cheap compared to other stringed instruments. For electric guitars I recommend D'Addario strings, I use the NYXL model but all of their electric strings are great. For steel string acoustic I recommend Elixers, and for nylon classical guitars I recommend Savarez.
Most stores will restring your guitar for free if you buy strings from them, but you should learn how to restring it yourself. There are a lot of YouTube tutorials showing how, and there's really not much that can go wrong. Buying a string winder will speed up the process, and keep in mind that new strings will go out of tune quickly for the first day or two, but as they adjust to being at full tension they will stabilize.
Important! Never put steel strings on a classical guitar, they will permanently damage it. If you're not sure which type of guitar you have or which type of strings they need, bring it in to a guitar store and they'll quickly be able to tell you.
Gear Recommendations
Electric Guitars & Amps
The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable guitars, and can be used for just about any genre. Their Squier series is perfect for beginners, bringing extra affordability to the classic sound.
If you're playing jazz, I'd look for either a semi-hollowbody or archtop guitar. You'll typically find entry level models from Ibanez or Epiphone.
For amps, I recommend the Boss Katana. This is a modeling amp, meaning it can replicate the sound of several different famous amps, and it also has a ton of built in effects, so you can get any sound you can think of without having to buy extra effect pedals. They come in a few different sizes, depending on whether you're just practicing at home or taking it to band practice. Great for any style of music.
Steel String Acoustic & Nylon String Classical Guitars
For acoustic and classical guitars, I think that Yamaha makes by far the best sounding instruments at the lower price ranges. I also really like the Cordóba Protégé classical guitars, and Luna acoustic guitars.
Accessories
Guitar Case - This is a must-have, aside from keeping your guitar safe from scratches and dents it'll keep the temperature stable if the outside temperature is much higher or lower than inside, which will prevent the wood from cracking.
Guitar Picks - These come in all shapes and sizes, I'd recommend getting a variety pack so you can see which type you like the best.
Clip-on tuner - Guitars usually need to be tuned every day, these types of tuners are the simplest to use. I prefer Snark brand tuners over any other.
And finally, a Guitar Teacher! There are tons of apps and video tutorials out there, but having a guitar teacher will help you progress and meet your goals much faster, as well as help you develop good technique and practice habits. I teach at my studio in Portland, Oregon, as well as online all over the world. Send me a message on my website if you're interested!
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