electric guitar

Buying Your First electric guitar

There are a few absolutely essential pieces of equipment that are needed to play the electric guitar.

A Guitar This one should be obvious, but read the section on choosing the right guitar for more information about which features to look for when buying your first guitar.

An Amplifier (Amp) Some guitar amplifiers come with built in speakers and some don't. A Set of Guitar Strings

A Guitar Pick

Guitar Carrying Case It's pretty hard to move your guitar around without damaging or detuning it, so a hard guitar case or soft "gig-bag" are an important piece of equipment.

An example of a good quality, affordable guitar kit is the Vintager Guitar Pack.

Choosing the Right Guitar

The most important and possibly most intimidating part of putting together your first electric guitar "kit" is selecting the guitar itself. Music stores have walls full of guitars with a wide range of quality, features and price tags. Body Construction

Although electric guitars derive a lot of their sound quality from their electronics, the construction of the guitar's body is even more important. As common sense might dictate, a solid-body electric guitar will produce a stronger more solid tone than a hollow-body guitar. A second consideration is the guitar's size. A "standard" electric guitar has 22 frets, meaning each string is capable of producing 22 different notes. However, many electric guitars, particularly those marketed to beginners are smaller in size. Finally, the last important feature of an electric guitar's construction is the bridge. The bridge is the part of the guitar where the strings attach to the guitar body. Although the bridge won't have a large effect on other aspects of the guitar's sound like those listed above, a floating or vibrato bridge really makes guitar playing more fun and expressive.

electronics

Another essential element of a guitar's sound is the system of electronics it contains. The most important element of an electric guitar's electronics is its pickup (or pickups). The position and quality of the pickup(s) in the guitar will have a large impact on the guitar's sound. The best option for a beginner (and many more advanced guitarists) is a guitar with multiple pickups. This allows the guitarist to choose the appropriate sound for the type of song being played, and greatly increases the guitar's versatility. Guitars can range in price from about forty dollars to several thousand. The next important task is selecting the right amplifier to go with your new guitar!

Choosing the Right Amplifier

The sound you here from an electric guitar actually comes from the amplifier, which is connected to the guitar by an instrument cable. Therefore, the quality of the amplifier is as important as the quality of the guitar itself in determining how the guitar will ultimately sound. Power

When reading about a guitar amplifier, the first thing that is always listed is the power rating. The power of a guitar amplifier is measured in watts (abbreviated W). Features

While almost all modern electronics, including guitar amplifiers to some extent, have phased out vacuum tubes and replaced them with transistors, it is still widely accepted that vacuum tube amplifiers produce better tone, better distortion, and better all around sound quality. Effects

The last major element to consider when buying a guitar amplifier is the built in effects it includes. The process of buying an electric guitar can be confusing, but it should be fun, too.

Source: Nick DeLong

electric guitar Facts - Read Up Before You Plug In!

Platinum Quality AuthorAlmost everyone dreams of owning an electric guitar, but how many take the time to learn important electric guitar facts? If you're serious about buying an electric guitar, there are some basic facts you should know.

Unlike ordinary guitars, electric guitars are not hollow- this is the main reason why they come in so many different shapes. If you play an electric guitar that isn't plugged in, the sound will be barely audible. The most important of all electric guitar facts is the pick-up. The 'jump' is also very important in buying an electric guitar. Plug in and play the guitar first, and experiment with a few riffs. Some of the most popular brands of electric guitars are Ibanez, fender and ESP. Remember that you need to have your electric guitar facts straight before you can find that perfect guitar.

Source: Logan Young