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Are Handmade Guitars Really Better?

The first decision that a potential guitar player must make is whether they should start by playing an electric or an acoustic guitar.  This is not a decision that is as easy as one might think.  The versatility and options of the electric guitar are nice, but they come at a price – both in actual cost and in core sound quality.  The acoustic guitar, similarly, may have the “easy setup” (no additions needed) but it lacks much of what electric guitars offer.  For those who have settled into the decision for acoustic guitars, an additional question remains: should you buy factory made or handmade guitars?

Handmade guitars are not the cheapest option.  Factory made guitars are dominating the market, and are available for considerably smaller amounts of money at any local Walmart or Target superstore.  It should be obvious that these lower end options are not going to provide the best sound quality, but there are mid-range and high-price factory made guitars as well.  What sort of difference is there, really, in the sound quality of handmade versus factory guitars of comparable prices?

Handmade guitars are more pricey and as a result, unless you're investing in top of the line equipment, you will get similar sound quality for a similar price.  If you are intending to invest in top of the line products, a handmade is definitely advisable.  Even if you're not, though, there are some other advantages to handmade guitars.  The materials tend to be easier to repair, it's a more personal option that will have a more unique sound, and more features and options are available with most custom or handmade models.