The primary choice you have to make when purchasing a beginner acoustic guitar is deciding what kind of music youre going to play. A nylon-string classical guitar is best suited for playing classical, Latin and some kinds of folk and pop music. A steel-string guitar works best for playing rock, country, and some pop and folk music. Its up to you to play the various kinds in order to decide the sound you want for your beginner acoustic guitar.

Many instructors recommend a guitar with nylon strings as a first beginner acoustic guitar. The reason is that those strings are not so hard on the guitarists fingertips. However, if your idea of great music is rock and more rock, a guitar with nylon strings will never produce a tone that will satisfy the rock idol in you.

If you want to learn to play music made by steel strings then the obvious choice is a steel-string guitar. Yes, your fingers are going to hurt for some time, but youll develop calluses after a couple of months of regular practice. The same is true if you wish to play classical guitar music. Dont be persuaded to get a steel-string is all you want to play is classical music.

If you are shopping for a more classical nylon-string guitar, you should remember that these guitars are called classic for a reason – they all have the same relative dimensions. Their bodies are smaller and their fingerboads wider, which produces a distinctive classical sound. It is the feel and the tone to these classical guitars that varies. As is true when buying any guitar, you need to try out several of them before choosing the beginner acoustic guitar that you are going to buy. The steel-string model of beginner acoustic guitar that people usually start out with is the six-string dreadnought guitar. There is only a slight variation between dreadnought guitars and they provide a sound that novices are often seeking.

The tone of the beginner acoustic guitar is determined by the type of wood it is crafted out of. A spruce top is the most common for a beginner acoustic guitar. A solid top is better than a two-piece top, because it is more durable so be sure to keep an eye out for that. Mahogany, rosewood, or spruce are probably the options you will find for the back and sides. A mahogany back and sides will provide a lighter tone. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, mahogany is your best option. Rosewood provides a heavier tone when it is used for the back and sides.

When buying a beginner acoustic guitar, another thing you want is a fairly low action. The “action” is the term for the area between the neck and the strings. An action that is too high can slow your progress by shifting your focus and causing you to lose your concentration.

It is very important to invest in a high quality electronic tuner if you are just beginning to play guitar. The ear takes time to develop and the beginner just doesn’t have it yet. If you can tune your beginner acoustic guitar quickly, you will have more time to play, which is really what the beginner wants to do.