Review: Gibson Guitars

Here at Review: Gibson Guitars, we already gave you some great tips on buying new guitars in part 1. We’ve also given you a lot of insight into the world of Gibson guitars. But you are probably looking for more, which is where part 2 of this how-to comes in. In this section we will discuss choosing the perfect guitar, how and why you should bargain, and some personal experience with buying Gibson guitars.

Choosing the perfect guitar

In part 1 we left you in the guitar shop after you tried out both high end and low end guitars. After getting a feel for what makes a guitar great and comparing the differences between guitars, you are probably still wondering how you are going to choose the perfect guitar for you. There are a lot of details to think of, and in the end it will probably come down to your gut (and your wallet). The main thing to keep in mind when choosing the perfect guitar is to keep in mind what your needs are. If this is your first guitar, stick with a big name brand. Obviously I would say you should be buying Gibson guitars, but as a beginner you will probably be well off with any of the bigger names. If this isn’t your first axe, focus on how you will be using it. A performance guitar needs to be rugged, though you may be looking for something flashy or cool to wow your fans. It really comes down to personal preference, so if you fall in love with a guitar and you can afford it, buy it. But don’t just walk up to the counter and pay full price, you still have a lot of work to do.

Do not pay full price

As with many big purchases, you can bargain on price with guitars. Need any other equipment? See if you can get it for free, or conversely see if you can knock the price of the guitar down if you buy the rest of your equipment from that particular store. If you are new to playing guitar, see if you can get a deal on lessons or some song books as well. Whatever you do, do not pay full price. The only time I’ve paid full price on any of my Gibson guitars was when I found one cheap online and it was going to be a practice piece anyway. Even then, I probably should have tried to get a better deal.

Personal experience

If you’ve gotten this far in your trek to buy a new guitar, you have a new toy to play with. To me there is nothing more exciting than plugging in a new guitar for the first time. As far as personal experiences go, I’d have to say one of my most recent Gibson guitars, a Les Paul Standard Electric, was one of my most successful purchases. The reason it went so well was that I followed most of the rules outlined above; I knew how much I wanted to pay, did a ton of research, sat down and played the guitar before I bought it, and then knocked the price down pretty significantly before taking it home. But what made this guitar purchase so amazing was how quickly I fell in love with it. As I said before, most of buying a guitar comes down to a gut feeling, which should not be ignored.

So there you go. This should be enough to get you on your path to buying the guitar of your dreams. Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments. I want to learn what your tips and tricks are too!