The Guitar You Reach for When Nobody’s Watching

You have five spare minutes. There is a guitar within reach, and a little piece of music has wandered into your head. Which guitar do you pick up?

That ordinary moment deserves a place in an instrument search.

A showroom can bring out a very particular version of a guitarist. You remember your fastest passage. You become strangely concerned about the person three stools away. You play something designed to announce that you have, in fact, played a guitar before.

Meanwhile, the instrument is waiting to tell you whether you will enjoy sitting with it on an unremarkable evening, working out a chord or singing the same verse twice because you like it.

Give that version of yourself an audition, too.

When I pick up a guitar, I pay attention to how it feels in my hands and how comfortably I can move up and down the neck. A guitar has to make sense while the music is moving. The first chord tells you something; the trip to the next one tells you more.

Begin in a position you actually use. If you usually play seated, find a suitable seat and settle in. If you use a footstool, support, or strap, include it when possible. Notice where the guitar wants to sit. Does your forearm rest comfortably? Can you reach the strings without pulling your shoulder into a position you would rather leave? Does the instrument feel balanced, or are you spending part of your attention holding it in place?

A familiar body shape or a famous name cannot answer those questions for your body. Even a beautiful instrument can ask you to make adjustments that deserve a closer look. Take a pause between passages and notice how you are sitting. Sometimes the pause tells you what the impressive lick kept you too busy to hear.

Next, play something simple enough that you can pay attention to the instrument. Choose a short melody you know, a few ordinary chord changes, or a fingerstyle pattern that feels familiar. Include some quiet playing. Let a note finish ringing. Travel to a part of the neck you use in your own music, then come back.

Listen for what happens at the volume you naturally make. Does a gentle touch give you a sound you enjoy? Can you hear the melody within a chord? If you accompany your own singing, sing a little and notice how the guitar sits beside your voice. The useful question is how the instrument behaves in the music you want to make.

If you are comparing several guitars, give each one roughly the same five minutes. Keep the passage, playing position, and musical intention as similar as you reasonably can. You can certainly wander afterward. A familiar starting point helps you remember which differences came from the guitars and which came from suddenly playing a completely different piece.

Include the ordinary movements: reaching a chord, releasing it, shifting position, beginning again. These are the small moments you will live with long after you have forgotten the showroom’s background music.

If something feels difficult, ask about it. String height, string choice, and setup can affect the playing experience. Body size, neck shape, and reach raise other questions about fit. Someone knowledgeable can help you distinguish a setup issue from a feature of the instrument itself. An adjustment may help, but it is worth knowing what is possible before making a decision. Persistent discomfort should bring the audition to a pause, with a chance to ask for guidance.

Now give the guitar a job description. Perhaps it will accompany songs on the porch. Perhaps it will travel to lessons, take part in a fingerstyle recording, or join friends around a table. Tell the person helping you about that setting. Mention how you play now and what you hope to explore next. These details make the conversation much more useful than trying to find an instrument that somehow does everything for everyone.

Before you leave, write down one inviting feature, one obstacle, and where you can picture yourself using each guitar. “Comfortable to hold, unfamiliar string spacing, good for quiet practice” will help you remember the encounter more clearly than “nice.”

Leave a little room for affection, too. An instrument can have a sound or a feel that makes you want to stay another minute. Pay attention to that invitation, alongside the practical questions.

At FlintMeryl Music, that everyday musical life is a useful place to begin the instrument conversation. Tell us how you play, where the guitar will spend its time, and the fit questions on your mind. Contact FlintMeryl Music for instrument guidance as you consider your next guitar.

If your next step also involves learning, find a local or online instructor through FlintMeryl Music’s affiliate list.

Andy LeGrand — LeGrand Music Studios

Robert Higginbotham — LeGrand Music Studios

Kaylie King — LeGrand Music Studios

Bo Davis — LeGrand Music Studios

Jay Manley — LeGrand Music Studios

Jess Kerber — LeGrand Music Studios

Five spare minutes are a real part of a musical life. Choose a guitar you are happy to spend them with.