1. The price                  You have to shop within your budget. What can you afford to spend on a shredding device?

2. The brand             Some people are loyal to specific brands. Some only want a guitar that they like, and brand is secondary.

3. The place of birth    Where did the instrument originate from. This will tell you a little about the quality of your purchase.

4. Test drive it               Make sure to tune it, and play it for a while and then see where it is as far as staying in tune. A tremelo system will make it harder to stay in tune, but a standard bridge should get the job done.

5. Pain in the neck         Is it a bolt on neck or does the neck go straight through the body. The difference is one piece of wood verses two. Now most say neck through sound better, but if your neck is slightly warped, when it's a bolt-on you can easily replace the neck.

6. Pick-ups?                 Does it have active or passive pickups? The active need a battery to function, and they will be more sensitive and responsive, as opposed to the passive being what's the word? Passive, right!

7. The look                   let's face it that when it comes to guitars you have to shop for     one that looks cool to you.

8. The feel                       Once you begin playing, it has to fit to your body comfortably or you will grow to hate it.

9. the warranty              Does the manufacturer stand behind it's product. Guitars are wood and glue. There isn't much that can hurt them except: heat, humidity, and moisture.

10. Snow tires or traveling cases?         With your purchase, try to get them to put a case in with the deal. Hard shell cases are very expensive, but if they have one possibly, jump at it. Gig bags offer no protection from the elements.