The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the fingers/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar (for an acoustic guitar), or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.

Categories as per age for kids
We would normally recommend children be at least 13 years before they try an Electric Guitar, because of the extra weight and the sharp steel strings.

How to find the right instrument online
Before you even think about budget, brand, wood, neck, pickups, etc. , FIRST take a good look at your hands.

Step 01: Ask yourself - do I have small hands, big hands, small fingers, long fingers, etc.? This is the first step in choosing a guitar, because if you have small fingers and you are choosing a wider fretboard, chances are it will be unplayable (mostly  in case of children), you will need to put in extra effort and modify your playing technique to accommodate a wider fretboard. And vice versa for large hands and small fretboards.

Also if you are buying an acoustic guitar, it is also important to understand the climate in general of the place where you live e.g. is it too humid? Or is it too dry?

Have you noticed that during rains our home doors get swollen and get stuck while closing? Similarly a guitar made of wood will absorb moisture or dry out… So buying a hygrometer will help you understand the moisture levels and keep your guitar healthy.

Step 02: Post the physical examination, the next step should be the budget, don’t allocate the total budget to the guitar, but keep some for the accessories (many a times a bag/carrying case/tuner may be included) like a guitar maintenance kit, picks, guitar strap, stand, this will help you make a complete package.

Check out Furtados online website  https://www.furtadosonline.com/acoustic-guitar/1084, They have a wide range of brands and guitars for all budgets.

Key things to look for

• Check the guitar in general – check for any cracks, scratches, bumps in the body, check the joints of neck to body, gently shake the guitar to see if anything is rattling inside, check if the paint/finish is even and there are no bumps.

• Check the fretboard - Are the frets leveled? You can do it with a metal scale. Are any damaged? You will have to eye-ball this one. Are any frets sharp? Run your palm across the neck of the guitar and check if any of the frets have sharp edges, as these can cut your fingers while playing. Also check for fret buzz

• Check the action - What's the "action", you ask. Action is the space between the fretboard and the strings. You'll want this to be as comfortable as possible. The better your action, the better your "playability" some like the action higher and some like it low. Don’t adjust the truss rod if you don’t know what you are doing, you may end up damaging the guitar.

• Check the pick-ups – (assuming its electro-acoustic) – Check if they function well and are not creating any unwanted sounds or buzz, etc. Take a flashlight and check inside the guitar body and check all the electrical connections.

Finally, if the guitar passes all these tests, you are good to go and Rock on !!!

Remember that if you treat your guitar with love and take care of it, it will love you back ....and do take it to a luthier (Guitar repairer) from time to time for setups.

Hope this helps you find the dream guitar and make lovely music together.