How to buy an acoustic guitar: new or used from sellers
Classical and acoustic are different instruments
A classical guitar has nylon strings, a wide neck and a soft sound. It is chosen for classical music, flamenco and teaching children. A steel-string acoustic has a brighter, louder sound and a narrower neck, and suits singing along, folk and rock. You cannot turn one into the other just by changing strings: the neck, bracing and load are different.
Size matters too. Children up to 10–12 years usually take 3/4 or 1/2, and adults a full-size guitar.
Body shape and sound
A dreadnought body gives strong bass and volume, a jumbo is even bigger, while the less massive OM or auditorium shapes are more balanced and more comfortable for fingerstyle. If you plan to perform or record, look for an electro-acoustic with a pickup and built-in tuner. For practice at home you do not need a pickup. Also ask about the strings: steel strings on a classical guitar will damage the neck, so they are not fitted. New strings after buying are a cheap way to bring the sound back to life.
What to put in your request
- Type of guitar — classical, dreadnought, jumbo, cutaway, electro-acoustic;
- Model, for example Yamaha F310;
- Size — full, or 3/4 for a child;
- Condition — new or used, and what you accept;
- Player's level;
- Top material — solid or laminate;
- What is included — gig bag, tuner, strap;
- Budget and city for delivery.
Example: “Looking for a 3/4 classical guitar for a 9-year-old beginner, with a solid spruce top, used and without cracks. Preferably with a gig bag and tuner. Kolkata, courier delivery, budget up to ₹12,000.”
What to look at in an offer
A solid top (solid spruce or cedar) sounds better than laminate and “opens up” with time, but costs more. For a beginner laminate is perfectly fine. Look at the string height over the frets: if it is too high, it hurts the fingers and puts you off playing. It can be fixed by a neck adjustment at a workshop.
In a used guitar check for cracks in the top, a lifting bridge or nut, a warped neck, and whether it holds tuning in all positions. Damp is hard on guitars, so ask how it was stored, especially in monsoon months.
How BlaBlaPrice helps you find a guitar
Write a request on the home page: music shops and private sellers will answer in the chat with photos, price and terms. Each seller sees their place, so they compete for your request. It is free for the buyer, and your phone is hidden. Details are on How it works.
Want a more powerful sound? See electric guitars or bass guitars, and for a bag and strings see accessories.
