what should you play/check when trying out a new quitar?

bigseal · Post by **bigseal** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:00 pm

i've been doing a lot of research over the past few weeks, and have narrowed down my choices for a new guitar. this is the first time i've ever bought a guitar, and i'm not quite sure what to play or check out on the guitar when i'm at the shop.

is there something specific i should do? or should i just play some of the stuff i normally play and see which guitar feels/sounds better when i play it?

what do you guys do when trying out a guitar at a shop?

Taylor614 · Post by **Taylor614** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:14 pm

You are exactly right. Just play a few guitars and play stuff that you play now on the guitar you have. Whichever one sounds the best and feels the most comfortable is the one you should get. Hope that wasn't too confusing.

mangold · Post by **mangold** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:31 pm

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=28021

bigseal · Post by **bigseal** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:29 am

praisedave wrote:http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=28021

thanks, i've actually seen this, and it was a big help in guiding my research. however, that is not the answer to the question...

i'm asking what you play, when you sit down with a guitar at a shop, to get a full idea of the tone and playability.

6_strings_for_life · Post by **6_strings_for_life** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:23 am

bigseal wrote:
praisedave wrote:http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=28021
thanks, i've actually seen this, and it was a big help in guiding my research. however, that is not the answer to the question...

i'm asking what you play, when you sit down with a guitar at a shop, to get a full idea of the tone and playability.

play stuff that you know very well. Play stuff that you know what its sposta sound like. Im sure that you have a tone or a sound that you are trying to achieve with this new guitar. By playing stuff that you know exactley how it should sound, it will make it easier to narrow the guitars down as far as their overall sound. hope that helped.

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:12 am

just play "smoke on the water" as loudly as possible over and over again.

sfmartins · Post by **sfmartins** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:17 pm

First clear out with yourself what you want for the tone. Then play songs to test that tone you're searching for.

Tone can be: more bass, more treble, more balanced, more projection, higher fingerstyle clearness, etc.

And, of course, play it unplugged.

Pay also attencion to the room where you try the guitar. It might enhance its sound, comparing to the place where you'll usually play it.

dmb66 · Post by **dmb66** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:00 pm

As mentioned above, make sure it's unplugged before plugged in if you are looking for an acoustic electric. Pretty much no matter where you go, if you ask to hear it plugged in, they are gonna put you through a very expensive amp that probably isn't gonna sound like the amps most of us can afford. For instance, I was at guitar center two weeks ago, asked to hear one plugged in, and of course they put me right into a Bose personal amplification system. Sam Ash did the same thing but it was a very expensive Marshall. Just a heads up, hope it helps.

Kahn · Post by **Kahn** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:06 pm

check to make sure the finish isn't blemmed too

mlb1399 · Post by **mlb1399** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:07 pm

Check for dings.

Play different style of songs to see how the bass sounds and how the higher pitched strings sound. I never make a decision to buy the 1st time.

My process is this:

1. Go in with an open mind and play 10-15 guitars and reduce that down to 2-4.

2. Come back a week later and play those 2-4 guitars. Reduce those down to 2 guitars.

3. Do some research online to see what comparable costs are and look at the specs from the website.

4. Go back in again and play them.

5. Make a decision.

6. Then go in play it one more time then buy it.

I'm currently on step 5. Tryin to decide between a Martin D35 and Taylor 414ce. I think I posted a thread on it over a month ago.

I don't move fast. This is a big decision for me. I play the guitar every day so I like to make sure it is the one for me.

dmbvideos · Post by **dmbvideos** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:23 pm

mlb1399 wrote:I'm currently on step 5. Tryin to decide between a Martin D35 and Taylor 414ce.

Dude, no question. Martin D-35.

sfmartins · Post by **sfmartins** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:29 pm

dmbvideos wrote:
mlb1399 wrote:I'm currently on step 5. Tryin to decide between a Martin D35 and Taylor 414ce.
Dude, no question. Martin D-35.

Kahn · Post by **Kahn** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:55 pm

sfmartins wrote:
dmbvideos wrote:
mlb1399 wrote:I'm currently on step 5. Tryin to decide between a Martin D35 and Taylor 414ce.
Dude, no question. Martin D-35.

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:08 pm

i would say to steer clear of an acoustic/electric for now if you are new to playing. Most likely if you are just starting you won't need them yet, so you can get more guitar for the money without electronics and add a pickup later down the line when feel like playing in front of people or just want to plug into an amp at home. Take your time playing a variety of instruments and decide what type of playing you want to do. If you want more heavy strumming, most likely you will go towards a dreadnought, if you want it more for fingerstyle, then most likely you will lean towards a smaller body guitar.

When you do buy a guitar have them set it up for you, which they should do for free. This means adjusting the action to your liking and checking the guitar over for defects, etc. A lower action is easier to play, but too low can cause the strings to buzz. Too high can make it more difficult to play.

Sort Of A Protest Song · Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:26 pm

Maybe bring a buddy with you and get him to play both guitars while your back is turned? That way you won't be biased when deciding which on sounds better