Ya finally made it. First, let's talk about guitar in general. A good guitar must follow and obey these guidelines.
There are absolutely NO exceptions to this rule. It's YOUR guitar. YOU control it. YOU'll be playing it. YOU paid for it. YOU need a good one.
This guideline is for one purpose. COMMON SENSE. Pardon me, for that, but it's true. Picture yourself buying a guitar. You don't try it out in the store. (First BIG mistake). You take it home and crank it up with your old Gibson amp...yeah...the good one. You place your fingers on a standard G chord. You hold up your pick, and you strum individual notes, instead of the chord as a whole. E=fat, bluesy ; A=short, jumpy ; D=sounds muted ; G=Just plain LOUD!...Ya get the idea. Try it out. Of course, different strings WILL change the sound, but what if your guitar needs better bridge-work? What if the "bridge-head" needs to be resized and/or recut? Don't buy a guitar on impulse. See if you can test it on different amps. This may also help you decide on what to look for in an amp.
Question for ya...What's the use of a guitar without strings? Answer? When you come up with an answer, then email me. Until then, I will discuss some "stringy" issues. :) Strings are essential for guitar-playin'. Different strings suit different needs. No, I haven't tried every type of string, but I have found the ones the suit my tastes. I currently use D'Addario Strings. I'm in the process of switching to D'Addario XL. Extra Light strings are excellent for bending. Have you ever had the urge to bend strings with one finger like BB King? or Chan Kinchla from Blues Traveler? Well, These kinds of strings are essential for your guitar wants! They are easy to bend, fairly easy to string, and last a long while. The only downside is that they get out of tune easily. But, then again, what would you expect from strings that you can bend 2-3 frets?
Here are some popular strings, and my short review of 'em.
Ahh....the link between the guitar and the amp. The universal tool. A good cord isn't fancy. An excellent cord has a basic shape. NON-COILED. Ohh sure...the coiled 5-in. cords look nice, but try to do a 10-yd. "chicken-walk" with one of them. I guarantee you won't get very far, until the cord comes flyin, pops you in the face, and leaves the audience to bear the horrendous sound of the screeching "feedback". YOU NEED A NEW CORD. I use 10-ft., solid black, straight cords. I keep a SPARE coil, but I hardly ever use it.
This topic deals with "add-ons" such as effects pedals, whammy bars, and other "wanted" items. I don't really have any pedals, so I can't give my guidance on anything like that, but there are other things that I would like to briefly touch. Straps can be found in ANY guitar store. I guarantee it. You should try out a strap to see how comfortable it fits, and you should get one that matches your guitar. I think this is the first time I've dealt with "looks". :) I have vinyl straps. they are easier to move spontaneously, rather than having to put down your guitar and reline the strap. You can just reach behind your back and push to lower your guitar. I usually do this right before I stand up in the middle of a song. Raising the guitar is a little trickier. I have to sit down, and readjust it by using both hands behind my back.
Now we get to some fun utilities...WHAMMY BARS!!! They are fun. They add to your music. They get you frustrated, because you have to retune your guitar every 5 minutes. Don't get "whammy-happy"...You can tear up your strings, and might even have to readjust your springs inside. I'm not a guitar repair man, so I can't give you better advice than to take it to the shop. Your "string-bridge" (yeah the little silver thingie at the base of your guitar) should be even with your guitar body. Your guitar could be severely damaged if not attended to right away. Mine has a slight slant, but not too bad.