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Guitar Gift Ideas: Is Buying A Beginner Guitar Package A good Idea?
by John Mackinnon
So your favorite guitar player wanna-be has asked for a new guitar and you aren’t sure exactly what to do. This article will discuss the pros and cons of buying beginner guitars that are bundled with all of the equipment needed to get started.
Electric Guitars Bundles For Beginners: ($150 - $350) These are designed to supply a rank beginner with all of the items they will need to get started in learning to play the electric guitar. These kits generally include the guitar, amplifier, guitar-to-amp cord, padded guitar bag, a tuner, strings, strap to support the guitar while standing, picks (plectrums), instruction book and or a limited set of beginner lessons on dvd.
The guitars in these bundles are usually very low end versions of some of the famous classic designs like the Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster for example. These guitars look great and are fun but, are not designed to last a long time. Also, they do not have many of the adjustments that more expensive guitars have which means that they can be difficult to keep in tune.
One major word of caution is to not purchase a kit that has a guitar with a Wammy Bar (also referred to as a Vibrato Bar). This Bar is located low on the body of the guitar and is used to loosen all 6 strings at once then theoretically return them back to their original tension while strumming. This raises and lowers the pitch of all the strings simultaneously and produces a great effect.
The problem with a low end guitar model is that just one touch of the Wammy Bar and the guitar is completely out of tune and unplayable. This an obvious problem while in the middle of a song because it becomes necessarily to stop and re-tune before continuing the song. More expensive guitars have complete string locking systems built right for preventing this problem.
Acoustic Guitar Bundles For Beginners: ( $100-$250) These bundles are usually less expensive than their electric guitar cousins because they do not require an amplifier. Again, these are low grade models that will not sound nearly as good as more expensive guitars but can be passable for learning. Guitars that cost about $200 and up by themselves are usually much better sounding guitars for beginners.
Acoustic Guitar Humidifiers: ($10-$20) A small inexpensive humidifier is not usually included in these bundles but really should be. In extremely dry climates (a sustained humidity of below 40%), acoustic guitars can easily dry out and warp. Many guitars have been completely and irreversibly ruined this way. These simple humidifiers are usually clipped over the sound hole when the guitar is in its case.
Consider buying a spare set of strings for the new guitar because the higher pitched ones break regularly. Over time all metal strings corrode and begin to sound lifeless and need to be replaced anyway.
A word of caution about buying guitars for very tiny hands.
Young children, under 10 or 12 may be too small for a full sized guitar. Guitars are also available in a ¾ size and ½ size. To help a beginner get over the initial awkwardness and discouragement of learning to play, it is important that the guitar both fits them and sounds as good as possible. Remember that the better the experience the more likely a young student will not quit.
The Most Important Guitar Accessory
One important gift idea is to purchase a complete and thorough guitar lesson dvd set. There are some amazing video courses out there that are taught by some of the top guitarist / teachers in the world. These is available for a fraction of the price of a randomly selected local instructor. The current generation of beginner guitar players is so accustomed to using computers, watching TV and recorded dvds that this method of learning can be a natural fit. Since not all guitar lesson dvds are crated equal consider checking with websites that compare guitar lessons.
Beginner Guitar Packages John Mackinnon has posted links to specific brands of bundled guitar packages and accessories listed in the article above. Also, to learn which Guitar lesson dvds are gems and which to avoid before you buy... Go to Video Guitar Lesson Reviews

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