Your body and all its unique aspects including your brain will ultimately determine which guitar you prefer and for many of us its not just one, however there are common denominators to most of the guitars we choose.

How do you know what you prefer if you have limited experience?

May I suggest starting with what inspires you to play, because if this doesn’t happen the rest won’t. Guitar is a difficult instrument because of some of the unfamiliar positions we use and the pain and frustration needed to endure and to overcome in order to enjoy it, which is why only about 10% of the people who starting playing keep playing. You have to really want to play this instrument to succeed at it.

Size and shape matter, however we can adapt quickly if we have to so I wouldn’t suggest getting too hung up on the ergonomics, but they do help by compensating thereby making it a bit more forgiving when learning. The type of music you want to play will also have a big impact on the type of guitar you will choose. If you want to play classical or finger style, a flatter radius and wider fretboard dominate these types of acoustic guitar designs with wider string spacings.

The body shape of a guitar and its tone (how it sounds), as well as the aesthetics are important for inspiration and impact our strumming hand, but for many players it’s all about the neck. Guitar players focus a lot on developing the fretting hand, which supports the neck and is probably why it’s so important. I suggest playing as many dissimilar guitars as you can before buying one and don’t break the bank on your first one because your preferences will change as you progress.

Some Common Neck Shapes

I believe the neck should be your primary concern when picking a guitar. Your hand shape will have a lot to do with which neck will work best for you. Also consider how much you are willing to adapt to get familiar with a shape. Some players have no trouble switching from from C shape to D to U to V etc.. The fret board radius and type of fret wire are also variables like tall or wide or stainless or nickel, there is lots to consider. It’s my recommendation that if you’re starting and this is your first guitar, buy a new one because the fret wire won’t be worn out and hard to play. Buying new and getting a good setup will give you the best chance to progress past the early barriers that cause many to pause or give up playing. It’s unlikely you will find the ideal profile the first time but if you’re close to a large city you can go to many stores and ask to hold as many neck shapes as they have to see what they feel like. Just tell the sales person you’d like to try all the different neck shapes that they have. There are many profiles, shapes, radius and spacing options to consider but most important is what inspires. All neck shapes are available at most all price points so don’t think you have to spend a lot of money to get a particular profile, radius and fret wire. As I said earlier, your preferences will likely change in the beginning but it won’t take long to realize what those are, so don’t invest too heavily at the beginning until you’re sure about what you want.

More Variations of the Above