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December 01, 2004
Buying a guitar
I've been in the market for a new guitar for a while.
During that time I've been trying out guitars a few places. For the most part I was disenchanted with guitars in the whole. Except super expensive ones and those with Buzz Feiten systems (heartily recommended!). My ears are sort of sensitive. I can generally hear that a perfectly tuned synthesizer is out of tune. Which irritates a lot of people. But that fact is - they are. Our tuning system is a compromise. Perfectly tuned instruments are not in use anymore, and would be deemed out of tune by most people. I just have the kind of ears that let me hear every little nuance. Which of course makes shopping for a guitar a frustrating experience. You see, guitars are generally out of tune, the further down the neck you get. To my ears, the Buzz Feiten guitars are way better, though I've heard people who've played guitars for years don't always like them. But the ones I've tried are light years better than conventional guitars.
In the end I found a guitar a liked, actually, I found two. I did go home with one after a while, but during the process I had the chance to try out two guitars who were supposed to be virtually identical. Just a difference in finish. But they were very different. I had expected that. They're made from different pieces of wood, so there will be individual differences.
But what I found out, was that the particular store I shopped at (one of the best in Norway), also had a guitar workshop. The main guy at the store told me that each guitar they took out of the packing materials were given a once over before it was hung on a hook in the store. If it didn't pass the initial inspection, it would be adjusted. That could entail adjusting the neck, to bring the strings and the neck in the optimal position, and they sometimes also remove the strings and sand down the bridge a little. Not every guitar is adjusted in this fashion, but I suspect the one I bought had been tinkered with. It's a very well adjusted guitar. Plays beautifully.
OK, so you're wondering what my point is with this blog?
The point is that if you (as a newbie) are shopping for a guitar, it matters where you buy it. Get it from a place where they adjust the guitars. The same make and model can be very different, depending on where you buy it!
Posted by Ann at December 1, 2004 09:12 PM
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Comments
You never told me you played guitar. ;-)
Posted by: Doug at December 2, 2004 03:13 AM