This blog is about buying guitars, just in case you're thinking of giving one as a Christmas present.  Like with anything else you purchase, you need to consider who will be using the gift.  In other words, what's the lucky recipient like?  Is it a kid?  A husband or brother or boyfriend?  A girl, maybe?  And here's the biggie - how much is this person interested in guitars and making music?

Let's get the kid thing out of the way first.  Yeah, a guitar is a great gift for a youngster, and for a number of reasons.  Learning to play music is an art, and we should all get our kids involved in as much art as possible.  Still, you need to think about what the kid is like before you buy.  How old is this little rug rat?  If he's a six or seven year old, or even younger, you need to think more seriously about a toy guitar. And there's some really interesting ones out there to pick from.  I bought my grandson an electronic guitar at Radio Shack about ten years ago, and it's still in my shop.  He played with it some, and it was built of rugged plastic and survived.  It still works, and it does some fantastic things.   I paid about fifty bucks for it, I think.  Don't get the kid a cheapo guitar advertized as a player.  Just because it has strings on it doesn't mean it's playable.  Wait until the kid is a few years older, then buy  a guitar that's worth learning to play on.

If you're buying for a ten or twelve year old, then think about something that's decent . . . you know, maybe something in the range of $100.00.  You can find a nice enough guitar that's plenty good enough to learn chords and music on.  No, it's not likely to be a lifteime thing (it just cost a hundred bucks, remember?), and if the kid takes to the guitar, you'll be buying more of them.  Save buying the expensive one until after the kid shows more interest and when he/she can play a little.  In a year of two you can get them a better axe, but hold off on that a while.

Now . . . if we're talking about someone who is older, perhaps a teenager or above . . . don't start with a cheapo.  It's a waste of money because messing with a piece of junk will kill anyone's interest in learning to play a stringed instrument.  If you're buying an electric guitar, I strongly recommend the lower priced Fender guitars.  Fender offers stratocasters and telecasters for only a few hundred bucks all the way up to the thousands.  I've seen some $400 Fenders that play very well . . . and are worth the money.  And they are fairly simple work on and modify.  There's a zillion Asian made electric guitars out there, so you've got lots of brands to pick from . . . but don't overlook the Fender.  If by chance you're in the market for an expensive electric, something like a nice Gibson, then get some help in buying.  Find a big guitar store and tell them what you have in mind.  Don't go out there and spend several grand on a guitar nobody will play.  In fact, it's not really a good idea to give an expensive guitar as a surprise gift.  Most guitar players who've moved into that class will let you know what they want . . . so feel out the recipient before buying.

As for acoustic guitars, pretty much the same is true.  You can find lots of decent acoustics for well under five hundred bucks.  You'll have to decide between steel stringed or nylon stringed instruments.  If the recipient is a beginner, you might want to strongly consider the nylon stringed guitar.  But most guys want steel strings, and again, you've got lots of Asian guitars to pick from.  Get on the internet and do some shopping before you just walk into a store and start looking around.  Shop ebay and see what's available, and that way you'll get some ideas about prices.  If you're buying for a serious guitar player, don't try to surprise them.  Feel them out, and you'll get a handle on what they like.  Again, don't waste a lot of money on an instrument that will never get played.

Guitars are beautiful instruments and make great presents  . . . but only if the recipient is musically inclined.  The world is full of unappreciated guitars that spend most of their lives in a closet . . . not a good thing for anybody.  My first guitar was a gift, as was my second.  Had it not been for people buying them for me, I might never have taken an interest in them.  I became a guitar builder because my wife gave me a kit one Christmas . . . and that started it all.

So . . . a guitar is not a bad idea for a present.  Just use you head a little.

D. Paz, 12//15/07