If you’re thinking about teaching yourself to play guitar, congratulations are in order. Learning any instrument is an admirable undertaking, and there are few instruments more rewarding to learn than the guitar. Unlike many of its instrumental counterparts, the guitar yields a satisfactory tone and a clean note only to a practiced hand, and playing your first passable chord will be an important milestone in your musicianship. It is an extremely satisfying feeling to master the basics, and there is a nearly inexhaustible source of musical challenge awaiting you once you start learning more difficult pieces.

If you’re just starting to learn how to play guitar, and haven’t yet taken the plunge to buy your first starter guitar, you’re probably tempted to start with the cheapest guitar you can find. While frugality is certainly important, there are a few things you should consider prior to committing to any particular instrument. You want to make sure that your guitar learning experience isn’t hampered by a low quality instrument.

There are plenty of decent quality cheap guitars to be found, but you can only find them by trying them out in person. Never buy a sight-unseen (or “sound-unheard”) guitar, no matter how good a deal you think you might be getting. Your new guitar should sound great, feel comfortable in your hands while you play in both seated and standing positions, and have no dead spots.

Once you’ve selected your guitar, it’s time to shift your focus to cool points. Guitar straps are a great way to express your individual style and taste, and there are hundreds of different styles to choose from. Leather guitar straps are usually extremely comfortable, particularly if they come with a lamb’s wool backing. Some even come with battery-powered LED lights to spice up your performance even further.

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