A lovely place to begin
An acoustic guitar asks very little of you. There is no amp, no cables and no fuss, just an instrument you can pick up on the sofa and play straight away. That ease is exactly why so many of our students in Brinscall and the villages around Chorley start here.
Nylon strings or steel strings?
There are two main families, and the difference matters more than the colour or brand.
- Nylon-string (classical) guitars have a wider neck and soft strings that are gentle on the fingertips. They are lovely for fingerstyle playing and a kind first choice for younger children.
- Steel-string guitars are brighter and louder, the classic singer-songwriter sound. They feel a touch firmer under the fingers at first, but your hands toughen up within a few weeks.
Get the size right
Guitars come in fractional sizes, and a guitar that fits makes all the difference to a beginner. As a rough guide, a 1/2 size suits younger children, a 3/4 size suits many 8 to 11 year olds, and most teenagers and adults are happiest on a full size. If you are unsure, bring your child along to a lesson and we will help you judge it.
Check the action
The “action” is the gap between the strings and the fretboard. If it is too high, pressing the strings down is hard work and beginners get sore fingers and give up. Press a string at the first and twelfth frets: it should feel comfortable, not like a battle. A good local shop can lower the action for you cheaply.
The little extras
Add a clip-on tuner, a spare set of strings, a soft case to protect it, and a guitar stand so it lives out in the room rather than hidden in a cupboard. An instrument you can see is an instrument you will play.
Try a few in person
We really do recommend visiting a music shop in Chorley or Preston to hold a handful of guitars before you commit. Once you have one you love, our acoustic guitar lessons in Chorley will get you strumming your favourite songs in no time. Book your first lesson whenever you are ready.