Guitar Talk with Wolf Trap Guitar Instructor Glen McCarthy

Buying a guitar kind of reminds me of buying a car. There are economy models and then there are luxury cars. What's the difference? Both models will get you from point A to point B. You know the difference, the ride might be quite a bit nicer in a luxury vehicle. In a way there are similarities in guitars. You need to try before you buy. Set a budget. Is the instrument a comfortable fit? Go to your local "brick and mortar" store. I do not recommend buying a guitar on the Internet. With acoustic guitars there are basically two types: Nylon-string guitars (classical) and Steel-string guitars. They have a different sound and feel. Try out different guitars. Traditionally a nylon-string is played finger-style and a steel-string is played pick-style. Entry-level guitars are made with laminated wood and they are priced between $100-$300. The next step-up guitar will have a solid wood top with laminated wood for the back and sides; these run for about $200 and up. Solid wood guitars start at around $600 and the sky is the limit. Have fun shopping, enjoy the ride.

Glen McCarthy
Chair - NAfME Council for Guitar Education
Chair - American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Guitar-in-the-Schools Task Force
Adjunct Professor George Mason University School of Music
National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Guitar Education Team, Teaching Guitar Workshops

Glen McCarthy currently teaches Beginning and Intermediate Group Guitar Lessons at the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. For more information on Classes at the Center for Education visit www.wolftrap.org/classes.