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Guitar Rentals,
Books & Accessories, Repairs & Restringing
Rental Packages.
Quick, easy, convenient & Somers Guitar approved!
Rieman Music provides Somers Guitar students with
convenient all-in-one
online guitar
rent-to-own packages and UPS delivery to your
home. You can also call Rieman Music in Creston at
(641) 782-5121 or the Urbandale store at 1-(800)-962-3658. Get
quality name brand instruments and service from Rieman
Music (Central Iowa's leading music store retailer with
six locations). Rent classical, acoustic, electric and bass guitars with case & insurance for only
$32.50 a month. (1) A credit card or (2) a debit card + credit card or
(3) a
cancelled check + credit card is required to establish the automatic
monthly payment. You have three
options available at any time during the
contract:
- Rent
month-to-month with no commitment to buy.
- Rent-to-own
and receive 20% off the balance due when you are ready
to pay it off.
- Rent-to-own
until the instrument is paid off.
Books &
Accessories. Conveniently order what you need
on-line from Rieman Music or call Creston at (641)
782-5121 or the Urbandale store at 1-(800)-962-3658.
They will deliver what you need via UPS. They have
just the accessories
you need.
Repairs.
Rieman Music has 14 technicians in five stores that do
repairs. They have well over a hundred years
of experience between them. Drop off
your instrument or amp to Somers Guitar by Tuesday and Rieman Music
will pick it up on Wednesday and do the rest. They call when it is
done. You pay by credit or debit card, check or money
order and Rieman's will
deliver it back to Somers Guitar. Simple! Allow at least
two weeks turn around time.
Restringing. Somers Guitar can restring your
instrument anytime. We also have instrument
RESTRING WEEK three times a year (November, March &
June). Restringing includes D'Addario strings,
installation time,
string stretching, body polishing, truss rod adjustment
and lubricating
gears as needed ($18 for electric, $20 acoustic,
$28 classical, $30 bass, and $40 for a 12-string). We bring 30 years of
experience to the job so we will do it once and do it right.
String manufacturers are correct to say that strings
lose their vitality after about 15 hours of play. Who
can afford to change strings that often though?
For those who play weekly, we recommend changing the
strings every month at best and every 6 months in the
least. Once strings start turning dark from dirt,
oil and sweat buildup they oxidize and are hard to tune.
If you do not string your instrument correctly, it will
not stay in tune, sound as good or sustain as long.
Fretboard Cleaning
and Reconditioning. Manufacturers recommend
this be done annually. For $10 we clean the wood
fretboard of all dirt and sweat residue buildup and
recondition it with oil. The benefits are many. (1) It keeps the fretboard dirt from transferring to your
new strings as they rub against a dirty fretboard
causing new strings to last longer. (2) Helps
prevent fretboard lightening, drying and cracking. (3) Makes for a slightly smoother feel to play against,
leaving the fretboard looking dark and brand new again.
A Good Beginner's Instrument
A guitar or bass is not one
size fits all. Visit Somers Guitar (the
yellow house in Atlantic, Iowa with locations in
Carroll & Red Oak) for a free
session before you
purchase an instrument. We will correctly size the
instrument to the student. We recommend beginning
guitar students
start on a nylon string classical or electric guitar.
Their strings are two and a half times easier to hold
down verses a steel string acoustic guitar. Classical
guitars have wider string-spacing that promote better
finger independence. Don't just settle for putting
nylon strings on a steel string guitar. It defeats the
purpose.
Look for a reputable
dealer with excellent service and a qualified,
in-house, repair
person. Do not buy from a
department store or pawn shop. These
instruments are made poorly and may have damage. You
definitely get what you pay
for when buying an instrument or finding a teacher. A
poorly sized instrument develops bad habits as will many
inexperienced or self-taught teachers. A good beginner's guitar
or bass costs between $120 and $500 depending on the size, wood
type and quality. Below are things you should look for when purchasing
your first instrument.
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Do you need a 1/2, 3/4 or full-size
instrument? We
will check the finger width, string & fret stretch,
hand size and arm length with
the instrument in the hands of your student and get you
the correct instrument.
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A straight neck
with no warp. Hold the instrument in front of you
and look at the side. Compare the straight
line of the string against the angle of the neck. It should be straight with no curves. If it has a
truss rod your dealer can adjust the neck to the
proper angle.
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Low action.
A proper neck angle allows the strings to be close to the neck and easy
to hold down.
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Good quality
tuners. They should not be loose or have a lot
of play in them when you turn them.
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No cracks where
the neck meets the body or where the bridge attaches
to the instrument's top.
-
Cloudy looking
finish at the neck joint or the edges of the bridge
may be signs of stress or poor quality.
-
Ask the dealer to
stretch the strings to get the slack out or your new
instrument will not stay in tune!
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Don't forget
accessories - picks, strap, footstool, tuner, music
stand, extra strings, cord, amp & capo.
-
Shubb brand capos
are recommended because of their quality and ease of
use for kids & adults.
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For more
information see our
"Resources" page. Check the
"Before You Buy," "Beginning Guitar," "Dealers," and
"Guitar Care" sections.
Types of Guitars
Classical
guitar.
Somers Guitar
recommends classical guitars for many beginners.
This guitar is used in many genres, but is often
associated with classical, flamenco & jazz music.
It looks just like an acoustic guitar without a pick
guard. It's distinguishing marks are a sound hole
in the center of the guitar body and six strings - three
of which are made of nylon. Nylon strings require
about 60 lbs. of pressure to hold the string down and
are much easier to play. They offer a softer, more
soothing sound especially when played with the fingers
instead of a pick. Classical guitars come in 1/2 and 3/4
size for the "little" guitarist and full-size
models for the "big" guitarist. A full
size classical guitar typically has a smaller body than
a steel string acoustic guitar. The
wider string spacing on a full-size is perfect for those
with large fingers.
Acoustic
guitar.
This guitar is used in many genres,
but is often associated with old-time country, folk,
gospel, blues, ragtime & Celtic music. It's
distinguishing marks are a sound hole in the center of
the guitar body with a pick guard below and six steel
strings that help to project sound. It's perfect
for intimate settings like the campfire or small group
and can be played with a pick or fingers. It does
not require an amp which is easier on the budget.
Steel strings need 165 lbs. of pressure for a note to
sound which can make it uncomfortable for some to hold a
string down until they develop calluses. A full size
dreadnought steel string guitar typically has a larger
body than a classical guitar.
Electric
guitar.
This
guitar is used in many genres, but is often associated
with rock, blues, jazz & modern country music.
It's distinguishing marks are a thin body and a
rectangular-shaped magnetic device called a "pickup" in
the center of the body. Electric guitars project a
louder string and body sound through the "pickup" and
into the "amplifier." Electric guitars are well
known for playing "lead" or solos using a pick.
They are usually equipped with lighter gage strings
making them easier to play than acoustics.
Bass
guitar.
Bass is used in many genres to provide
the rhythmic and melodic foundation that other
instruments in a band build upon. It is often
associated with bass emphasizing styles like hip-hop,
R&B, rock, blues and jazz. It's distinguishing
marks are a longer neck, pickups and four steel strings
that are larger and wider spaced than those on an
acoustic or an electric guitar. Therefore, the
bass is well suited for those with large hands and
fingers. An amp is required to hear an electric
bass. Bass players can use either a pick or their
fingers to strike the strings with.
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