The first time is always unforgettable – first love, first heartbreak, first win in a competition, first time traveling etc. When it comes to music, it unites all of us. Everyone has a song on their playlist that gives them an uncontrollable whiff of emotions, memories, and feelings.
If you play an instrument yourself you will understand what a satisfying feeling it is to be able to not only listen but to create music as well. We have made some research for you and prepared the list of the Best Beginner Electric Guitars. We will make your very first experience with your very first instrument unforgettable, as choosing can be really tough due to many options. Here are top products that we recommend to you.
What’s The Best Beginner Electric Guitar
| Image | Guitar Model | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Squier by Fender Contemporary Stratocaster HSS |  (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Yamaha Gigmaker EG |  (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | ESP LTD F10 Electric Guitar with Gig Bag |  (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Epiphone Les Paul | (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster |  (4.6 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Dean Vendetta XMT | (4.6 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3 |  (4.5 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B |  (4.4 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
 | SX RST 3/4 CAR Short Scale Red Electric Guitar Package |  (4.3 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
Squier by Fender Contemporary Stratocaster HSS
While searching for the best starter electric guitar it’s important to understand that you don’t really need an expensive guitar as your first instrument. Though it might be tempting to get your hands on an iconic model, it would be nonsensical to actually splurge for one. The reason is simple – your skills won’t be enough to use the full potential of it, and you’ll end up ruining something that could have created masterpieces. As you mature and become more professional, you can, of course, start considering a high-end model. But before that, something like a Squier Contemporary Stratocaster HSS will be a perfect match.
It has three pickups: the bridge position features a ceramic zebra humbucker, while the neck and middle positions have ceramic single-coils. The neck has a ‘C’ shape and is made out of maple. The simplicity and flexibility of the neck is one of the reasons why this puppy is so perfect for beginners. It also features tall and narrow frets, which make it easier to hold down your fingers and learn chords more easily. It’s also noteworthy that Contemporary Stratocaster HSS has a tremolo bridge with block saddles that create a sustaining, dimensional sound. What else could you ask for as a beginner?
Pros:
- Smooth fretboard
- Easy to play
- Excellent sound
Cons:
- Bridge might have a rough part which can break your high E string
Yamaha Gigmaker EG
This guitar comes in an all-inclusive package. It gives you the opportunity to start playing right away. In the package you get a 15-watt Yamaha amp, quick-start DVD, picks, straps, strings, and tuner, so once you get it, you are ready to rock out. This is a great starter kit for learning to play the guitar. The instrument comes in a variety of colors, black, red, blue and Old Violin Sunburst. Yamaha Gigmaker EG has a very simple layout, 3 pick-ups, one humbucker bridge, and 2 single coils. It has a five-way selector switch. The neck is very slim and lightweight which makes playing easier for beginners. This is definitely a fantastic value for money and one of the most popular products among the best beginner electric guitar packages.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Beginner Friendly
- Bundle
Cons:
- Agathis Body
- Nothing but the basics
- String Buzz
- Tuning Stability Issues
Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul
Looking for the best electric guitar for beginners? This beautiful instrument is inspired by the guitar Slash played in the Guns N’ Roses multi-platinum album. Slash himself helped to design the instrument. The pack comes with a Custom Gigbag with a Snake pit logo and Slash Signature Dunlop to text picks. Epiphone also included award-winning E-media online lessons and a guitar strap and cord. However, in this case you need to purchase an amplifier separately, as it does not come in package. Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul is equipped with new Ceramic plus Hum bucking pickups with a AAA Flame Maple top with a cherry Mahogany back. It also has a very cool feature – built in shadow tuner, which makes the process easier. The instrument is very lightweight. It has a clean tone and impressive sound.
Pros:
- Looks like Slash’s Les Paul
- Affordable
- Comes with a Bundle
Cons:
- Underwhelming humbuckers
- String buzz
- Tuning Stability Issues
ESP LTD F10 Electric Guitar with Gig Bag
Even though beginners don’t require anything extraordinary, they’re still in need of something that stands out from the crowd. When you’re just starting out, you’re all about telling the whole world what you’re doing, which means you do want something that looks equally as cool as it sounds. I’m not saying that every single beginner is like that, but the majority are and there’s nothing bad in that. After all, there are wonderful guitars that can cater to your needs easily. ESP LTD F10 is an amazing option for everyone who’s just starting out. It comes with a gig bag, which makes it easier to carry around.
You can take this puppy anywhere – to your friends’ houses or your teacher’s studio. But there are even more virtues. This fella has a basswood body with a maple neck and a queer, yet eye-pleasing design. It features ESP Designed LSH-100N single-coil in the neck position and ESP Designed LH-100B humbucker on the bridge. Even though you won’t find any bells and whistles with ESP LTD F10, you sure as hell will receive a fantastic guitar for your beginner needs.
Pros:
- Wonderful sound
- Beautiful design
- Great value for money
Cons:
- The construction might have some flaws
Epiphone Les Paul
Bundles and packages exist to make people happy. What better way to make a musician happy than by giving them a brand new Les Paul as part of an all-inclusive package that comes with everything they may need. Gig bag, guitar strap an amp and the other small details are all included with this fine-looking, a well-playing marvel of an instrument called the Epiphone Les Paul. Whether you opt for the beautiful sunburst or one of the solid color options, this iconic design-bearing guitar will prove to be one of the favorite items for any beginner. Especially, judging how the entire pack comes with a very nice guide to learning your first tricks on the guitar. Great stuff, really – one of the best electric guitars for beginners.
Pros:
- Great Sound
- Beautiful Design
- Reasonable Price
Cons:
- Everybody has one (probably)
Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster
Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster is another affordable beginner electric guitar. It is available in 7 different colors: Slick Silver, Race Red, Competition Orange, Surf Green, Sunburst, black and 2 color sunburst. It comes equipped with three Single-Coil Stratocaster style pickups which provide the timeless Strat tone. The maple neck with 9.5 in radius maple fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets – designed specifically to perfectly fit the human body, lets you feel connected to the instrument. It has a Synchronous Tremolo Bridge and master volume with 2 tone controls with 5 position pickup selector switch. Stratocaster has the perfect balance of versatile tone capabilities, comfort, and gorgeous aesthetics. This instrument will definitely make your first experience with electric guitars unforgettable.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Great First Guitar
- Comfortable and Easy to play
Cons:
- Nothing much beyond the basics
- Not too flexible in sound
- Beginner oriented
Dean Vendetta XMT
One more contestant among best starter electric guitars is Dean Vendetta XMT. It has Paulownia body with a natural finish and bolt-on construction, Dual Dean humbuckers with volume and tone controls, three-way toggle, 25.5-inch scale, 24-fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and dot inlays. The instrument sounds very bright but if you tone it down a bit you will get a very nice, warm sound. It has pretty good pick-ups. This guitar is equipped with a whammy bar as well. You might want to replace the strings as they are really thin and floppy. Overall, this is a great entry-level instrument for beginners and is perfect for intermediate or even advanced players who are tired of shelling out big bucks for guitars, it is much better than what you would expect for this price.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Decent Sound
- Vintage Tremolo Bar
Cons:
- Limited Flexibility
- Easy to Outgrow
Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3
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Looking for the best electric guitar starter? This kit includes ChromaCast Padded Gig Bag, Chromatic Tuner, Guitar Strap, 10′ Cable, 15 Pick Sampler, Guitar Stand, Online Lesson, & Sawtooth 10-Watt Amp. It comes in a variety of colors. Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3 is good if you are just starting out. It has Maple c-shape neck with a Rosewood fingerboard, 21 medium jumbo frets. The instrument is basically very decent quality, so if you’re on a budget and want to start playing guitar, this is a great choice. It’s light, very smooth, well made and sturdy. An included amplifier is good for practice. The sound of the instrument is impressive, in comparison to price. However, you might want to upgrade the guitar as your playing skills develop.
Pros:
- Cheap
- Decent Tuning Stability
Cons:
- Sycamore Body
- Generic Design
- Mediocre Sound
Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B
Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B is a perfect learning guitar. The strings are durable and it holds tune pretty well. However, it has a bit of background hum, because the coils are low-end, but it’s not loud enough to cause trouble. The instrument comes in four different colors: sunburst, red, grey, and black. The pack includes a 10-watt amp with a 6.5 Inches speaker, 3-band EQ, and overdrive, picks, a carrying case, extra strings, and a tuner. The guitar itself is constructed with some high-quality materials, in order to get better quality sound: basswood for the body, rosewood for the fretboard, and maple wood for the neck. The instrument sounds good and clean. It will definitely impress you with performance, especially if you keep in mind the price.
Pros:
- Stratocaster Imitation
- Basics Bundle
- Handcrafted
Cons:
- Easy to dent, scratch and break
- Neck Stability Issues
- Tuning Stability Issues
- String Buzz
- Beginner Exclusive
SX RST 3/4 CAR Short Scale
This guitar comes in an all-inclusive package as well. The body of the instrument is contoured for long-hour comfortable play. It is very light and is about 3″ shorter and 2″ more narrow than a full-size guitar. It is perfect for people with back issues. It will perfectly fit a person who is between 4’2″ and 4’10”. SX RST 3/4 CAR Short Scale Red Electric Guitar Package has an impressive range of sounds thanks to three powerful single-coil pickups, one volume control, two-tone controls, and a five-position pickup selector switch. The amp has good sound and although it doesn’t sound super loud on high, it’s just right for playing in the house, and for a beginner.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Part of a Bundle
- Perfect for Beginners
Cons:
- Not for professional use
- Tuning Issues
Tips for beginner guitar players
When it comes to choosing your very first guitar, there are several things you need to think about really carefully before making a purchase to get your hands on the best electric guitar for beginners:
- Know it all – First of all, you need to know your budget, as there are unlimited options. If you are looking for best starter electric guitar, you can find pretty good options, however, you might want to consider changing it sometime as you will gradually learn more and the instrument should grow together with you. You need to learn more about how the guitar is constructed; which part is responsible for making sound the way it is and some other stuff beforehand.
- Do not buy cheap – Keep in mind that there is a big difference between cheap and affordable products. You need to find an affordable but not cheap and crappy one.
- Have a vision – You need to see very clearly what are you going to use this guitar for, is it just for fun? Are you planning to use it for Garageband? Maybe concerts? The purpose of the guitar plays significant role in choosing it. For example, the 10 G amplifier that comes with most of the all-inclusive guitar packages is considered a bedroom amp, therefore it will not do good job for concerts, however, it definitely is enough to annoy your parents and neighbors as well.
- Should you upgrade? – Another important thing about purchasing guitar is that you need to make up your mind about whether you plan to change and upgrade it in the nearest future or not, because once again, as you develop your skills and learn how to play better and better, your need to have an instrument that will give you the opportunity to grow will grow as well. It is always a better idea to find something a bit over your budget, because the change in price can be very slight, but the product itself can have some pretty good upgrades.
For parents
If you are a parent, trying to get your child interested into music, we advise you to purchase guitar of the size that suits your child. We reviewed above one of the guitars that you might want to check out – SX RST 3/4 CAR Short Scale Red Electric Guitar Package. The standard measurements are:
- 30-inch guitar length for ages 4-6
- 34-inch guitar length for ages 6-9
- 36-inch guitar length for ages 9-12
- Standard size for ages 12 and up
So, you bought a guitar, then what?
Well congratulations, you did almost half of the job as it is tough to choose a suitable instrument. It is like when Harry Potter was unable to find the perfect wand, but once he did he connected with it in the best way possible.
- There are a lots of tutorials on the internet that can guide you through your learning process and give you the idea of guitar itself, basic chords, strumming patterns, etc. You are able to purchase a specialized DVD as well which has guitar lessons from a professional musician. Such kind of DVD is included in the all-inclusive packages of some instruments from the list above, so that makes the job even easier. But in any case, you can always find a tutor and learn everything from the primary source, but you should not forget that at the end how well you do absolutely depends on you, your persistence, and your motivation to learn.
- There is a debatable rule of 10.000 hours needed to learn to play on a new instrument. One thing is 100% true – the learning process is really tough and takes a long time. You need to be patient and give yourself some time. Don’t have an expectation that you will be a rock star right away; start with something simple and you will slowly get better. There are many simple chords, so start with them instead of struggling with barre chords right away. Some of your favorite songs that are too complicated are simplified for beginners and there are tons of tutorials on YouTube and other websites. You should find patience and strength to struggle with fear of failing and make sure you don’t give up. If you practice day by day you will improve and rock out.
As far as children are concerned, there is a lot more work to do. As a parent, you would really love to see your child perform, express their emotions, developing musical skills. That is why we would advise you to ask your child which guitar does he want more -classical or electric? What color does he want it to be? That will get him even more interested, excited and eager to learn. This motivation is extremely important because learning process is long and difficult, especially for children. It takes a lot of practice and time, so your child should be prepared for it mentally in the first place.
Do keep in mind that if you are not purchasing an all-inclusive guitar pack, you will need to purchase amplifier and cable separately. You might also need picks, a strap and a bag for carrying the instrument safely.
When looking for the best electric guitar for beginners, you should pay attention to the technical details of it:
- Body style defines how the guitar is constructed and determines the resonance it has. There are three types of bodies: Hollow, Semi-hollow and solid. The hollow body is perfect if you plan to play jazz, soft rock, blues, country as it has a very resonant and rich sound. Solid-body fits more hard rock, heavy metal, punk as they do not resonate but give you harsh notes.
- Body wood: If you plan to have your very first guitar for a long time, you better pay attention to this feature as well. Most of the beginner guitars are made of cheap wood, it is good but when you are experienced you need to have more exquisite instrument. Going from cheaper to more expensive are: Basswood, poplar, alder, paulownia jumping to pine, mahogany, swamp ash, etc.
- Neck: It is very important to have a comfortable neck. It needs to be smooth and silky to let your hand easily glide.
- Pickups: There are two kinds of pickups – Single coil or Humbucker. Single coil pickups tend to have brighter, crisper tone, they are more likely to have sort of “biting sound”, whilst Humbuckers have “thicker” and warmer sound.
- Bridge: Electric guitars have two sorts of bridge-tremolo and fixed. Tremolo bridge can be dunked, and crazy sounds made etc. but maintenance is harder and more fiddly. A fixed bridge is not ‘floating’, and cannot be dunked as far and this allows for very quick easy string changes, and easy allowance for drop tuning, together with higher grade tuning stability.
- Frets: Usually electric guitars have anywhere from 21 to 24 frets. They need to be extremely comfortable. When you play guitar on regular basis frets eventually wear down, especially those that are not the best quality. In that case you will hear a fret buzz, so be aware.
Conclusion
To sum up this article, we have given you the list of the best beginner electric guitars. If you would like to start playing an instrument the minute you get it, we would advise you to purchase all-inclusive packages and jump right into it. Alternatively, amplifier and other accessories are always sold apart. As far as the instrument is concerned, you can choose any from the list that fits your needs and expectations. Choosing your very first beginner electric guitar can be tough, but with the right instrument you will be able to rock out very shortly.
