Now that you’ve decided to play an electric guitar, it is great to know that there are so many to choose from. You can choose from the Big Three-Gibson, Fender and Martin-or opt for the next pack of quality six-strings like ESP, Epiphone, Yamaha or Ibanez Guitars. No matter what you buy, be sure to check out these tips.

Check out the neck and body’s wood material
Different types of wood produce different tonal quality. If you are not sure which kind of tone you want, be sure to talk to a luthier- a guitar craftsman- he’ll know better. The guitar’s neck is a conduit of vibrational energy. The denser the wood, the slower is the transmittal of sound. Most of the woods used for guitars are: Mahogany, Koa, Rosewood, Maple, Ebony and Alder. Maple is a very dense wood ideal for necks but can be heavy for a board. It has a flat sounding tone which is great for high-powered amplification. Alder on the other hand is very lightweight. When used as a board, it produces higher sustain and resonance.

What kind of pick-up you like to choose?
Pickups transmit the vibrations from your string to the speaker through an amplifier. Different pickups have varying tones. Single-coil pickups have one coil of wire. It is very sensitive to electrical noises and radiation coming from computer monitors. It has a very clean and clear sound. If you want to sound like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan; then, this one is for you. Humbucker is the first electro- magnetic pickup. A humbucker uses two coils wrap around two poles stationed at opposite end; or a set of magnets in between a single magnet. One coil produces the sound and another one cancels out the noise. A humbucker produces a thicker over-all sound. You may combine both a single coil and a humbucker. guitar parts

Check out the hardware of the guitar
Hardware refers to all the metal objects aside from the pick-up. For strings, you might want to look how it feels under your hands. If you feel that the strings are a little hard, maybe you should replace them with a lower gauge. Check the tuning pegs. This device holds your strings in place. Look for any loose knobs mounted on the guitar’s body. They should never be loose or tight. You might also want to consider how many frets you want for your guitar. There are guitars that reach up to 24 frets. If you like to play with higher register, this kind of guitar is for you.

Consider a beginner’s set pack
A set-pack consists of the guitar, amplifiers, gig bag, strings, straps, cables, headphones and educational materials (DVD, printer material or both). Fender and other guitar manufacturers have guitar packages for as low as $200-perfect for beginners. If you are trying to find a present for your kid, this is an ideal one.

Lastly, you need to try them out. It is the only way to know the perfect guitar for you. Big name brands are famous not only because of the technologies attached on their guitars but also the quality that comes with them. So, to save a lot of time, it will be better if you start checking what these big brands have to offer before looking on other options.