Gear Talk - Part one for the newbies

Starting a series on gear. Each post which will have gear related thoughts will precede with "gear talk" Hope this helps.

Okay so where do we start? If you're a beginner or just about starting to think that you might want to play the guitar. Well the starting point is obviously this:
You need to get yourself a guitar.

Now that by itself is a pandora's box. Choices in the market, kind of hands you have, budget, kind of guitar ...

First and foremost. Take advice from your teacher and get him or her to make a selection. Now that's an assumption that you've got a teacher already. If not, no worries. Here's the long and short of it.

First of all, walk into a guitar shop. Ideally if you had friends who play even a bit check the credentials of shops they've been to. They'll tell you, oh that @#@ is a swindler, the other fellow has no choice etc etc.

Once you got a reasonable shop. Go there. Before that, two things you need to fix for yourself:

1/ How serious are you about this. I mean really. Every newbie wants to play like a god sure. That's air guitaring and its great no expense. This you're gonna pay. So you want to just strum around or you think you're a little bit more serious than that? If its the former, just get a plain acoustic, if its the latter, go for an acoustic with pick ups.

2/ What's your budget? Around 3 K will get you a decent acoustic, around 6K will get you one with pick ups and a tuner.

Once you're through the above and you walk in. Ask for either, ask the chap to TUNE THE GUITAR to standard tuning. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Once its in tune hold it. Hold fret 12 with your left hand and strike with a pick on your right hand. Does it ring out out clear or is there some buzzing noise? Play from fret 12 - 18. If its okay then I guess it passed that test.

Next just play with the strings with just your pick. Leave the left hand aside. Are you okay with the sound? Try and few guitars with the same thing which guitar seems to have more resonance? pick up the one that rings out the clear plus of course your own choice.

Brands? Givson, Pluto, G&B, Granada are kinda ruling the roost.

Make sure you inspect the guitar physically for any damage on the body or frets.

Bingo. Another thing you could get done once you've decided on your guitar, change the strings. Get a set of 12's (string gauge 12 - 52) these are thick strings and give you a clear ringing sound. to start with you will be learning open chords and nothing better than make them sound nice and warm as well.

Have fun.