TONY MARTIN’S GUITAR WORKSHOP

 

 

BUYING YOUR FIRST GUITAR

 

You may want to learn the guitar but you don’t have any idea of what to buy.  The first thing you need to consider is the size of the body.  If it is for a small child (8 to 12) I recommend a three-quarter-size nylon string classical.  The neck is the right size for a child’s hands and the nylon strings are easier to play than steel strings.  The width of the neck is important.  If it is too wide a small hand will have difficulty reaching the top strings.  A full size classical guitar has a wide neck (mainly because in classical music you don’t often play chords) so remember the size of the body and the width of the neck.

If you are an older person, try a steel string acoustic if you are not learning the classical guitar.  Steel string guitars come in many sizes. 

Price is another thing to consider.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your first guitar.  You may decide that playing the guitar is not for you and also expensive is not necessarily the best.

 

When choosing a guitar here are some helpful tips on what to look out for.

 

· Look for any damage.  E.g. Splits, cracks or scratches.  These may cause problems in the future.

 

· Check the joins.  Guitars are glued together. Check that the bridge has not come away from the body.  Turn the guitar over and see that there are no gaps between the neck and the body.

 

· The ‘Action’.  Make sure that the ‘action’ (the distance between the neck and the strings) is not too high.  Push your fingers down on the strings.  If it feels too hard to press down then the ‘action’ is too high and it will be difficult to play.

 

· Buying.  If possible, take someone, who knows about guitars, along with you.  Perhaps your guitar teacher or a friend who has been playing for some time.  Ask your teacher if he/she could recommend a good music shop.  Second hand guitars are fine.  Just make sure that it hasn’t been stolen or has money owing on it.  Ask for a receipt.

· If you want to learn on an electric guitar remember that you will need an amplifier.  Ask your music shop for a good package deal. Eg. guitar, amplifier, strap, lead, picks, a bag or hard case.

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TIPS ON GUITAR CARE

 

1. A guitar or any musical instrument is an extension of your own personality, and the voice of your soul within.  Treat it with respect at all times.

 

2 Avoid picking the guitar up by the neck.  This could cause the neck to go out of alignment.  Whenever possible use both hands, one hand on the heel (where the neck meets the body) and the other on the base of the body.

 

3. Change strings regularly, new strings bring out the best sound in your guitar.  To protect your strings give them a wipe with a lint free cloth after every playing session.  When you change the strings it is also a good time to check the neck and body for fret wear, cracks, splits and tarnish build up on the nut.

 

4. Don't leave your guitar in direct sunlight, close to heaters or hot pipes, in a room subject to extreme changes in temperature, in the hands of a young child and last but not least don't lend it to anybody, chances are you'll never get it back in the same condition.

 

5. When storing for long periods of time, loosen the strings so there is no tension on the neck.

 

6. Return the guitar to its case or bag after you finish playing it.  This protects it and keeps the dust off it.  Dust can damage the electronics and wiring.

 

PICKS/PLECTRUMS

 

Picks are made from a wide variety of materials. 

A few of them are:

Plastic, nylon, metal, tortoise shell and copper.

Picks come in all colours, shapes and sizes.  There are many gauges such as:

Soft, medium, medium-heavy, heavy and string busters.

Buy more than one type of pick to decide what feels the best when you are playing and picks are also easy to lose.  My tip to get you started is a flat, regular size, medium gauge pick.

Thumb picks are for finger-picking style guitar playing which you can learn later.

 

GUITAR STRINGS 

 

If your guitar is an acoustic or acoustic/electric the wrong strings can make a real

difference to the sound and feel.

When buying strings these are the things to consider:

Acoustic/Electric

 

The gauge (Thickness) strings are numbered from 1 to 6.  There are 3 gauges… light, medium and heavy, usually mentioned on the packet.  The first string in the light gauge should read 010 and the sixth string 047.  I use and recommend GSL 010. to 047. Phosphor Bronze because they are bright, feel good, last longer and sound great.  When you hear the sound of an acoustic guitar it is the sound of the wood vibrating through the sound hole and the strings bring out the natural sound of the wood.  Also if you have a pick-up installed, whether it be a sound hole or bridge pick-up, Phosphor bronze sounds best.

 

Electric Guitar Strings

Strings for electric guitars come in these various different sizes.  X. Light, Light, Medium, Medium/Heavy, and Heavy and there are so many brands to choose from.

The one thing to remember is the scale length of your guitar.  This is the distance between the nut and the bridge.  If you have a Fender Stratocaster or a Telecaster guitar the scale length is 648mm. (25 and a half inches).  If you have a SG or a Les Paul Gibson style the scale length is shorter.  So what does that mean?  It means that if the first string on a Strat is 009 it will be the same as a 010 on a Les Paul.  The gauge must be heavier on a Gibson.  I use Fender Super Bullets 010 to 046 on my Telecaster and 009 to 046 on my Stratocaster.  On my 335 (pictured right) I use Ernie Ball Custom 010 to 050.

 

Classical Guitar Strings

Classical Guitars use nylon strings. Never put steel strings on a classical guitar because classical guitars do not have a Thrus rod (tension rod) in the neck to compensate for the tension of the steel strings.  If steel strings are put on a classical guitar the neck will bow, the bridge and the neck will come away from the body and the strings will damage the soft frets.  There is only one type of nylon string and they are known as ‘Regular’.  They come in gold, silver, red, black and frosted with plain or ball ends.  Nylon strings need time to settle so you may need to keep tuning them for a while.

Change you strings regularly, wipe them with a lint free cloth after every playing and don’t be afraid to ask your local music store for advice.