Guitar prices can vary wildly depending on whether you’re buying new, used or a beginner’s guitar. You can spend $1,000 or more on a top quality professional guitar. And if you want that kind of an instrument there’s no reason to think it’s not worth the price. But if you’re looking for a more budget-minded instrument, you have plenty of choices.
Acoustic guitars typically cost less than electric guitars. At least this holds true for an acoustic and an electric of the same quality. A guitar’s price does usually represent its quality. So a low to mid-range quality acoustic will probably be cheaper than an electric guitar of comparable quality.
A low quality electric guitar can be much cheaper than a high quality acoustic guitar, however. The high price of a guitar doesn’t always mean it’s the instrument for you, but it does indicate a higher quality overall.
If you’re just starting out, you can buy a top of the line guitar, whether acoustic or electric. And if you know you’ll be learning and playing for years, it’s certainly a good investment. But like anything that you practice often, you’ll get better.
As you get better, you’ll learn more about guitars and your particular instrument. And this added knowledge might lead you to another instrument that’s much better suited to you and your playing style. For this reason, it’s a good idea to look at guitars priced lower for your first instrument.
The price of a guitar to start out with should probably be around $300, give or take $150 to $200 or so. And if you decide to buy a used guitar, the cost can be even lower than that. Looking at flea markets, yard sales, estate sales and online auctions and classifieds, you might find a great guitar to start with for $100.
Even if most good quality guitar prices are out of your price range, you shouldn’t invest in an instrument that’s not at least decent quality. Buying a cheap, as in cheaply made, instrument can sabotage your learning and your enjoyment.
A poorly made, cheap guitar can have multiple problems. The strings might not stay tight, so the instrument won’t stay in tune. The saddle might be loose and there might even be issues like cracks and a warped neck. Some cheaply made instruments are barely passable as toy instruments, let alone instruments to learn on.
A guitar’s price isn’t the only expense you’ll have when buying an instrument, either. Don’t forget the other things. There’s the cost of picks, strings, and learning materials. Electric guitars will also require an amplifier.
You may also want to factor in the price of guitar lessons. If guitar costs are too high and lessons are out, it might be much more difficult for someone to learn how to play. But choosing a lower cost guitar, especially shopping for a quality used guitar, can leave funds leftover to buy some private lessons and/or a video learning course, and other accessories.