In many ways, we are living in guitar heaven today.
There are countless brands and styles of guitars, almost all of which you can purchase with the click of a button. And these guitars come in all shapes, sizes, and, importantly, prices.
In one sense, this is great: you can get literally whatever you want whenever you want it. In another sense, it’s not so great: with so many options, it can be easy to feel paralyzed. How can I make a good choice? How can I know I’m buying the best guitar when there are so many out there and I can’t try them all?
This is a big question that deserves a longer answer than I can provide in this article, but I do want to tackle one portion of the answer today.
I want to give some advice on how to choose the best guitar for you based on your needs and budget. And instead of suggesting various brands, which is always going to be subjective, I’m going to stick with price ranges.
But first, it’s important to consider a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself if you are in this predicament.
How much do you want to spend?
This is the biggie. There is no right answer to this question; it’s all about your comfort level. Some people adopt a “go big or go home” approach and buy a Gibson Les Paul straight out of the gate. I have a friend who did this. He decided he wanted to learn to play the guitar, and he wanted a Les Paul. So he dropped over a grand on a nice, new Gibson.
Other people have a harder time justifying spending that kind of cash. Maybe their discretionary funds are more limited, or maybe they just can’t bear to spend four figures on one guitar. I’ve been playing for decades, and I don’t own a guitar I spent more than $600 on.
Price is all about comfort level: how much are you willing to pay for an instrument? With price points ranging from just a few hundred dollars to upward of $10,000, it’s wise to give this some thought before pulling the trigger on a new guitar. And remember, if it feels uncomfortable, it’s probably too much.
How much (and where) do you plan on playing?
I’m primarily a living-room guitarist. While I am good enough to be in a band (and it’s something I’d like to do when my kids are out of the house), it’s just not a big priority for me now. I do play in church once a month, though. I need an instrument that is good enough to work in that setting. That’s why I play Epiphone, PRS SE, and Danelectro guitars, to name a few. They do the job and I enjoy playing them. They are quite literally “good enough.”
Now, if I were a professional musician, you can bet your bottom dollar I would acquire the absolute nicest, most expensive guitar I could possibly afford. That’s because now it’s no longer about simply enjoying playing or volunteering for the occasional worship service. Now my guitar is a necessary tool to make my living.
In my actual job, I’m an editor and writer, and when I started I bought a very nice MacBook. Yes, a lower-priced Windows-based system would have done the job, but I didn’t want to take any chances with my livelihood — I wanted the best tool for the job.
How good do you want to get?
I suppose this is similar to the last question, but it’s worth asking yourself how good you plan on becoming. Are you happy with strumming cowboy chords in your bedroom? If so, there are plenty of very inexpensive guitars that would suit you perfectly. Do you want to become talented enough to start a band or record albums? In that case, you are going to want nicer gear. Is your sole aim in life to become a professional musician? If that’s you, it probably makes sense to up your budget considerably if you can.
Do you care about resale value?
High-end guitars tend to retain value over time better than cheaper guitars. It’s entirely possible to purchase a four-figure guitar, play on it for several years, and then sell it for a profit. I can honestly say I’ve never had that experience with a lower-end guitar. I have made most of my money back, but I’ve never personally come out ahead. But that’s okay, because I’m not purchasing guitars as an investment — but that may be an important consideration for you.
Finding the best bang for your buck
Another way to look at the monetary aspect of how to choose a guitar is to consider the optimal return on investment. This strategy takes the above questions and tries to boil the answers down into a single overriding value or expectation.
In fact, you can sum up this idea pretty easily as follows:
- If affordability is your top concern, look for a guitar in the $200-$300 range.
- If getting the best value for your money is your top concern, look for a guitar in the $500-$600 range.
- If the brand name or resale value is your top concern, look for a guitar selling for $1,500 and up.
Possible purchasing scenarios
Let’s finish by looking at a couple of scenarios to see how we can apply these ideas.
Josh, a new guitarist
Our first guitar buyer, Josh, is a teenager who’s just getting into the guitar. He’s been playing his older brother’s Mexican Strat but wants one of his own. He’s managed to save up $400 but doesn’t want to spend it all. Although he wants to get much better and be in a band someday, right now he decides price is the most important factor. He looks around and finds a used Squier Classic Vibe Strat in good condition for $300.
Amy, an intermediate player
Our next buyer, Amy, has been playing the guitar for a few years and wants a better instrument. However, as a young 20-something, she doesn’t have a lot of discretionary income. She decides to take her time and save up enough money to purchase a slightly used PRS SE Custom 24 at $600. She knows it’s a very serviceable, quality instrument that she can use for many years.
Ron, who wants a “lifetime” guitar
Our last buyer, Ron, is in his 30s. He recently received a very nice bonus at work for selling over his quota. Not needing the cash for anything pressing, he decides to treat himself to a nice new guitar. (Importantly, his wife is on board with the idea!) He decides that he wants to buy an American-made instrument. After looking at his options, he orders a brand-new Gibson ES-335 from a local dealer. He also manages to get a discount by talking to the owner and ends up paying just under $3,000. He knows it will be a joy to play and a reminder of his past success, and should he ever have to sell it, he will likely make his money back.
A game where everyone can win
In each of the above scenarios, the person thought about their situation and bought the right guitar for them and their budget. The surprising part is, everyone was happy with their purchase — but this is because they considered their budget and values before pulling the trigger. They knew what they were willing to spend and why, and as a result, they were able to narrow their search and find the right guitar.
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