Will You Go for Fender or Gibson for Your First Guitar?

It took some time, but now you’ve got a handle on the guitar. After months of practicing and finding the time to pick up the instrument at odd times during the day, you’re confident in your skill level. By no means are you the most adept or accomplished guitarist in Toronto, but you have grown as a musician since you first played. Compared to the way you first started with stiff hands and hesitant fingers, you’re practically a master at it. But you’re still learning, too, absorbing new chords, solos, and melodies every day. While you still see a lot of areas to improve upon, there’s one thing for certain. It’s time to get a new guitar.

The guitar that you have now – the one that helped you get acquainted with the instrument – isn’t quite up to your standards anymore. What was at first appropriate for you novice attempts has now become a modest or ill-fitting guitar. Perhaps you bought it off of your uncle who lives in the Beaches and who used to play the guitar in his high school band. Or maybe you had to go online and search out a gently used electric guitar on Craigslist or Kijiji. Wherever you got your first guitar, it’s likely not what you would have bought for yourself. It was probably the cheapest and closest option to you in Toronto. In fact, it’s probably not what you would even call your second or third choice.

But now that you’ve built-up some skill to your name and you know learning the guitar isn’t just some passing fancy, you don’t feel so bad about spending some of your savings on a brand new guitar. You’ve been dedicating some of your weekends searching out the best selection of guitars in Toronto. After looking from store to store and checking brand after brand, you’ve come to the realization that you have one major decision. You have to choose whether you’re a Fender or a Gibson guy or gal.

With either option, you’ll be in good company. The talented Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix have played Fenders, one of the most famous names in stringed musical instruments. These guitars are known for their ease of play, flexibility of sound, and creativity of its makers, which makes it a popular choice for enthusiastic amateurs like yourself or music veterans like the artists mentioned above. A Fender will offer you great play ability, with a sharp and electric sound best suited for pop and rock songs. But even jazz, punk, country, and R&B artists have been known to play around with a Fender.

Gibson, another celebrated name in stringed instruments, has such artists as The Edge, Jimmy Page, Dave Grohl, and Chuck Berry on its list of players. But since the Gibson line of guitars was founded in 1902, their guitars have been the companion of many artists. The Gibson guitar embodies a vibrancy that’s synonymous with innovation, ingenuity, quality, and play ability. With a rich, full-bodied sound, they’re a great option for any player – whether you enjoy a little jazz, blues, pop, or rock ‘n’ roll.

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to one brand in particular, finding a model will be easy. All you’ll have to do is keep in mind the kind of sound you want and the limit of your budget as you shop. Don’t forget to devote time in the music store to get a full understanding of each model’s individual resonance, so take advantage of better music stores’ open policy for testing their instruments. You’ll know the one when you hear it!