Let me start off by saying that, there is no shortage of information to be found and emphasis given to follow as guidelines on how to pick the best electric guitar for beginners. Some of them will be met and others aren’t, because as we all know every guitar are not the samely made, priced and are leveled differently.
Choosing a beginner guitar should still rely heavily on feel and hearing it live. Then mix it with some of the proper information we get to be our guide before we can really say that now we are sure and fully realizing what is most appealing to us, and of course not to forget knowing how far our budget can go on a buying a guitar.
With that being said, and assuming you know a little on how to play the guitar. There is still no substitute buying the guitar by going to an actual guitar store than purchasing the guitar online. This is for the obvious reasons that on a guitar center, you have the privilege of picking up the guitar and amplifier you want, to try and hear it out.
Another thing that you could do especially if you are a complete beginner. Not having to play even just a single chord yet, and to overcome the fear of entering a guitar store. It would be a lot better if you knew someone who happens to play the guitar for quite sometime now. Asking for his/her help in assisting you throughout your guitar selection process.
Moving on to the guitars. The best electric guitars for beginners listed here are just some of the plausible guitars to be picked, not only by beginners to get them started learning and playing, but also for seasoned guitar players to play with as well. The list is based on the available information you can find on these guitars to do some research first on their performance, components, and price points to fit reasonably on the budget.
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Epiphone Les Paul-100
- Combination of mahogany with maple top for the body
- Bolt-on SlimTaper mahogany neck
- 22 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard marked by inlay dots
- Set of sealed chrome tuners
- Tune-o-matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece
- Pair of humbucker pick-ups are placed at the neck 650R and bridge 700T controlled by a 3-way toggle switch, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs
Epiphone is a sister company of Gibson that also makes the famous Les Paul and SG models. It is offered in a much cheaper price for a beginner can easily save their money for.
The core design of the Epiphone LP-100 is derived from the 1952 Les Paul that gives the guitar its classic look and feel of a proper Les Paul. It has a mahogany body with a maple top in cherry, vintage sunburst and ebony finish protected by a removable scratch plate. Unlike other LP models, the neck on this guitar is bolt-on and the headstock is less angled that many says it is more capable on keeping the guitar in tune without losing much sustain. 22 medium size frets rosewood fingerboard garnished by inlay dots tops the neck.
The LP-100 gets its creamy warm tone from two hum canceling humbucker pick-ups. Epiphone’s 650R for the neck and 700T humbucker for the bridge. Each humbukers pick-ups has a separate volume and tone knobs for better control on the sound output and 3-way toggle switch for pick-up selection. The guitar is also equipped with a tune-O-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece just like any other Les Paul.
Squier Standard Stratocaster
- S-type body made of agathis in solid color finish, antique burst or with a flame maple veneer top
- Comfortable C-profile maple neck
- Available in 22 medium jumbo frets rosewood, laurel or maple fingerboard marked by dot inlays
- Set of chrome die-cast machineheads
- Vintage style 6-saddle tremolo bridge for vibrato effect
- SSS pick-up configuration controlled by a 5-way pick-up selector switch, master volume, and 2 tone knobs
Iconic to Fender and now also to Squier, the Stratocaster model from both brands is without a doubt are always going to be top pick electric guitars to be played by beginners and veteran guitar players alike for its ergonomically crafted S-type body that is perfectly matched with its famous headstock design.
For body tonewood of the Squier standard models. It is made from agathis in solid color, flame maple top and antique burst polyurethane finish partially covered by a 3-ply pickguard. The C-shape satin finished neck can either be in all maple, or can either in a rosewood or laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets fretboard marked by inlay dots.
What makes this guitar extra special among other Squier by Fender strat is the guitar is equipped with alnico single coil pick-ups for the neck, middle, while the bridge is optional to go for alnico single-coil or humbucker. Controlled by 1 master volume, 2 tone neck/middle and 5-way switch blade for pick-up selection. Hardware on the guitars are 2-point synchronized tremolo with block saddles for bridge and standard style die-cast tuners.
Gretsch Electromatic Jet Cub
- Made of a chambered basswood with an arched laminated maple top protected by a scratch plate
- Bolt-on neck is constructed using maple
- 22 medium jumbo frets rosewood fingerboard with neo-classic thumbnail position inlays
- Set of die-cast tuning machineheads
- Adjusto-matic bridge with stop-tailpiece
- Gretsch dual-coil humbuckers controlled by a master volume, master tone and a 3-position toggle switch for pick-up selection
Before Gibson and Fender established a name. Gretsch was already making guitar history in the 1930s and has been the go to guitar for musicians notably in the 50s to 1960s. It lost some of its steam during the 1970’s due to various reasons and that made Gretsch enter a business agreement with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation under the terms that Gretsch would still retain ownership while FMIC would handle most of the development, distribution and sales that stands until today.
The Gretsch Electromatic Jet Club is an entry-level guitar of the brand. It has a chambered single cutaway basswood body with an arched laminated maple for top protected by a scratch plate. The Electomatic Series comes in three colors, the fire bird red, silver and black. The neck of the guitar is made of maple coated by a gloss polyester finish with a 22 medium jumbo size frets rosewood fingerboard marked by neo-classic thumbnail as inlays.
It has two humbuker pick-ups, Gretsch dual-coil humbuckers for the neck and bridge controlled by 1 master volume, 1 master tone and 3-way toggle switch. Keep the strings in perfect pitch are the adjusto-matic bridge and die-cast tuners.
ESP LTD MH-Series MH-10
- Superstrat guitar that has a comfortable arch top body made of basswood
- Neck is thin-U shape crafted in maple
- 24 extra jumbo frets engineered hardwood fingerboard complete with inlay dots
- Set of chrome die-cast tuners
- Bridge is TOM string through body
- Hum canceling LH-100 humbuker pick-ups controlled by a master volume, master tone and 3-way blade
Long before becoming a major brand, and started signing in artist likes of James Hetfield, and Kirk Hammet of Metallica etc as endorsers. ESP started out as a small shop in Tokyo Japan selling quality replacement guitar parts that eventually transitioned from just making parts to a guitar line. The guitars made by ESP got its big break in the trash metal seen of 1980s that it carried out until to this day.
The ESP LTD MH-10 has a Superstrat basswood body with an arch top in glossy black finish without a guard plate. It has a extra thin-U shaped maple neck for shredding layered by a 24 extra jumbo frets engineered hardwood fingerboard complete with inlay dot markers. Powering the guitar are two ESP Designed LH-100 humbucking pick-ups for the neck and bridge controlled by a volume, master tone and a 3-way toggle switch for pick-ups selection.
To take care of fine tuning and perfect intonation of the guitar are a set of chrome die-cast tuners and TOM string through body bridge.
Yamaha Gigmaker EG Electric Guitar Pack
- Yamaha Pacifica 012
- Agathis body in violin sunburst, black, metallic blue and metallic red
- C-shape maple neck
- 22 frets sonokeling fingerboard
- Die-cast tuners and tremolo style bridge
- SSH pick-ups configuration controlled by a 5-way pick-up selector switch, master volume and push/pull tone knob
- Package includes the Yamaha GA15 15 watts amplifier, clip-on tuner, soft gig bag, strap, picks, cable and quick start DVD
The Yamaha Gigmaker Pack in particular is dub by many as the perfect beginner electric package. It features a Super-strat body design electric guitar made of solid agathis which provides the needed tight low ends, firm mids and mellow highs tones. For the bolt-on neck and headstock it is crafted using maple with a 22 fret sonokeling fretboard fitted with white position dots.
Pick-ups on the guitar are two single-coil pick-ups for the neck and middle, humbucker for the bridge controlled by a 5-way pick-up selector switch, a master tone and master volume control knob to muster a wide range of sounds. Functional and heavy duty die-cast tuners and tremolo bridge keeps the guitar in perfect pitch and for the needed vibrato effect when using the whammy bar.
Gigmaker pack comes with an amplifier and basic accessories like a gig bag, cable, strap, plectrums, clip-on digital tuner and instructional DVD to get start playing out of the box. The amplifier included is Yamaha’s 15 watts amplifier with an overdrive effect for switching from clean to dirty tones which is essential for practice and small jam sessions. Main controls are volume, bass, middle, and treble controls with separate volume, gain and a channel switch from clean to overdrive.
If you’re a beginners on a small budget or for the reason of you just wanna start in a conservative way by just spending a few bucks for a decent electric guitar and small practice amplifier that you can play around the house and will already enable you to learn well with. An electric guitar package is the right one for you.
Small Scale Electric Guitars For Kids
- 3/4 scale Ibanez GRGM21 MiKro
- Double cutaway poplar body
- GRGM thin maple neck
- 24 frets maple fingerboard with dot inlays
- Set of chrome die-cast tuners
- Ibanez adjustable F106 bridge
- Two Infinity passive ceramic humbucking pick-ups with a master volume, master tone and a 5-way pick-up position switch blade
- 2/3 scale Jackson JS1X Dinky Minion
- Double cutaway poplar body
- Comfortable thin maple neck
- 24 jumbo frets amaranth fingerboard
- Set of sealed chrome die-cast tuners
- 6-saddle string-through-body hardtail with block saddles bridge
- Jackson designed humbukers pick-ups on the neck and bridge controlled by a 3-position switch, master volume and tone
- 3/4 size Squier Mini Strat
- Hardwood body in torino red, black and pink
- C-profile maple neck
- 20 medium size frets laurel fingerboard
- Set of tuning machines are sealed standard die-cast
- Bridge are 6-saddle vintage-style hardtail
- SSS config pick-ups controlled by 5-way blade style switch, master volume and master tone knob
For kids who wants to start out playing the guitar as their after school or weekend activity, and the preferred instrument is an electric guitar paired with a small practice amplifier. The Squier Mini Strat together with Ibanez MiKro and not to forget Jackson Dinky Minion are the best short scale electric guitar to buy that they can really learn well with.
Each guitar are assembled from wood and components with an entry level category. The body to neck size, shape and weight can very well fits small children to play comfortably standing or in sitting position. They are also good travel guitars for adults not only because of the size, but also with its big sound depending on the amp being use.
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