Tips for Buying Cheap Electric Guitars

Whether you're just starting out playing the electric guitar, or you're looking for a cheap electric guitar to practice with or carry around to gigs, finding a quality instrument at a good price can be a bit overwhelming. With all of the different types off guitars out there, how can you know if you're getting a decent guitar for your money?

Luckily for you, there are a number of great electric guitars at cheap prices. It's just a matter of knowing what to look for and where to find it.

In the past, the only inexpensive electric guitars available were also pretty low quality. They sounded cheap. Today, even though you may not be able to buy a cheap electric guitar that will make you sound like Van Halen, you can still find some pretty good quality and very nice sounding instruments at amazing prices.

But if you are just starting out with the electric guitar, and aren't sure what to look for, it can be easy to make the wrong choice. There are still plenty of poorly made and overpriced "beginners" guitars floating around.

So, what is important in the quality and sound of a guitar?

• The type of wood

• How the body is made

• The electric pickups

• The bridge and tuners

• The strings

Guitars can be made from many different types of wood, including maple, basswood, ash, poplar, alder, and mahogany . While they all give a slightly different timbre to the sound of the guitar, most will sound just fine for a cheap electric guitar.

While you may want to consider how the type of wood will affect the sound, the only types that you really want to avoid are medium-density fibreboard, plywood, chipboard, or other really cheap, processed woods.

The body of the guitar is ideally made from one solid piece of wood. However, only very expensive, high-end guitars have one solid piece of wood. Most are made of two pieces, glued together at the center, and guitars made of three pieces are not uncommon. It's a good idea to avoid any guitar with more than three pieces of wood in the body. You can look along the back of the guitar for seams, but these can often be hidden, so do your research about the particular brand and model if you aren't sure.

The bridge is where the guitar strings connect to the body of the guitar. The tuners are the knobs that you turn to change the pitch of the string. On most cheap electric guitars, the hardware is in chrome.

The pickups are the part of the guitar that detects the sound from the strings, so they are very important in determining how the instrument sounds.They type and quality of the strings also has a big effect on how an electric guitar sounds. Luckily, strings are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. You can change the tone of a guitar quite a lot by putting a new set of strings on it. And, in fact, when you buy a cheap electric guitar, it often comes with very cheap strings, so it's a good idea to immediately put a nice new set on.

Often, the finish of the guitar has a big effect on the price. Guitars with glossy finishes, and fancy fret inlays may look absolutely beautiful—but a plain guitar can sound and play just as good for a few hundred dollars less. That's not to say that you should avoid a cheap electric guitar that looks nice. Just be aware that these things can greatly affect the price, but not the quality, of the guitar.

It's important to have some idea of what to look for, to avoid buying a guitar with major flaws. It's a good idea to feel the frets along the edge of the neck. You should be able to run your finger smoothly along the side without feeling like you're getting cut. If the frets feel sharp or jut out past the edge of the neck, then the guitar is not very well made.

Listen closely when you play. When you play a string with normal force, you shouldn't hear any buzzing from it. This sound is called fret buzz. It can be caused by the strings being too close to the frets. If this is the case, then the bridge can be adjusted to compensate. However, this makes the strings farther from the fretboard, and harder to play. Any electric guitar has to have a good balance between lack of fret buzz, and good playability. Excessive fret buzz can also mean that the neck is warped.

Also, this may sound tedious, but test every fret! I once bought an inexpensive guitar only to discover later, that due to a very slight warp in the neck, the notes on the 13^th and 14^th fret sounded the same!

Cheap hardware is another major concern. If the pickups and bridge are made of plastic, then definitely walk away. If you hear any signs of bad electronics in the pickups, such as crackling, then that's another sign that this isn't a good deal.

A guitar with a body that is made of more than three pieces is also something you should avoid.

However, when you're looking at a guitar, it can be difficult or impossible to know how well made the body is, what type of wood was used, and how good the electronics are. If you have any doubts, then do some research online. Chances are that you can find some information and reviews specific to that model of guitar.

You've no doubt seen numerous online stores, such as musiciansfriend.com, or amazon.com that have cheap electric guitars for sale. And you've also probably stepped inside of real-world music stores. But which can offer you a better overall deal?

Both have their pros and cons. If you buy online, you can often find great discounts. You have a chance to compare lots of different models in great detail, and can browse reviews. Many online stores also offer good package deals. You do, however, have to think about shipping costs. You also can't negotiate, and can't try out the guitar first.

At a music store, you can try the guitar. This is a very important part of the process of buying a guitar. You should always play it first. You need to know if it feels comfortable for you. At these stores, you can negotiate in person. Often, especially at smaller stores, you will be able to talk the price of the guitar down a bit. These stores may not advertise packages, but you can negotiate for things that are included. If buying at a store—take your time! Don't let sales people push you. You can always check online to make sure that the same guitar isn't for sale at musiciansfriend or another major online store for a lot cheaper.

Most importantly, don't make any rushed decisions. You can always try a guitar out in the store, and then look up the make and model online to see if you can find more information or a better price.

You might think that guitars from the big brand names, like Gibson or Fender, would be too expensive for a beginner. And while many of their models are quite pricey, they do offer some great deals on cheaper electric guitars.

If you have your heart set on a Gibson guitar, you can check out their Melody Maker. This is most likely above the budget of most people, though. Epiphone, which is owned by Gibson, offers some very high quality guitars for under $150. These cheap Epiphone electric guitars are high enough quality that you can keep playing them for years before you will want to upgrade to a more expensive model.

Fender, also, has some great inexpensive guitars. They offer a value pack, with a Fender Strat, an amp, and all of the other accessories you need to get started, for around $200. Not a bad deal for a name as highly regarded as Fender. You can also check out Squire guitars. Squire are made by Fender, and they offer a great range of electric guitars in the $100-$200 range.

Some other well known names that are worth checking out are Yamaha, and Ibanez.

Once you've made a decision about the type of guitar you want to get, you have to start to think about all of the accessories that you will need.

With an electric guitar, the essentials are:

• A gig bag
• An amp
• A cable
• A tuner
• Extra strings
• Picks

Other things that you may want, depending on what you play and whether you carry your guitar around a lot are:

• A hard case
• A capo
• A guitar stand
• A shoulder strap

With all other these extras that you will need to buy, the cost of your cheap electric guitar can suddenly nearly double! That's why, in a lot of cases, it's a good idea to look at package deals. Big online stores like amazon.com and musiciansfriend.com offer a lot of packages that include many of the essentials along with the guitar.

If you are buying your guitar from a music store, you can usually also negotiate some kind of package, where the seller will add a small amp, cables, and a case. This can be a good option if you want to customize you package, but be careful—if you don't know the original price and quality of the things that are being added to the package, you could end up paying more than if you bought the things separately or as part of a package at an online music store.

You can also find cheap amps, cables, and other accessories online.

The most important things to remember about buying a cheap electric guitar are

• You don't have to settle for a low quality guitar
• Always play the guitar, or a similar one, first
• Do you research and make sure that the manufacturer uses reasonable quality materials
• Take your time. The perfect guitar is out there.

Happy playing!