Beginner Electric Guitars
When starting out with electric guitar, choosing the right instrument can make all the difference in your learning experience. As a beginner, you’ll want a guitar that’s comfortable to play, sounds good, and is reliable without breaking the bank. Here are a few excellent options to consider:
- Squier Classic Vibe Series: The Squire Classic Vibe series guitars offer classic designs for new guitarists interested in either the stratocaster or telecaster style guitars. with three single-coil pickups, providing a wide range of tones perfect for learning various styles. It’s well-built, easy to play, and often comes in affordable starter packs with an amp and accessories.
- Yamaha Pacifica Series: Known for their quality and versatility, Yamaha Pacifica guitars are often the recommended choice for beginners. While Yamaha lacks the brand value and sex appeal of Fender and Gibson, their guitars are known for a solid build, comfortable neck, and a combination of humbucker and single-coil pickups that work well with a variety of genres.
- Epiphone Les Paul Special II: For Gibson and Les Paul fans, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a fantastic entry-level option. It features dual humbucker pickups, providing a rich, warm tone that humbucker pickups are known for.
Each of these guitars offers a balance of quality and affordability, making them perfect for beginners starting their guitar journey.
Used Options
Used electric guitars are a viable option for beginners on a limited budget. According to Fender market research, 90% of people who start learning guitar quit within the first year. That means that there are a lot of used beginner guitars available for reasonable prices. You may also be able to get a better guitar for your money. The secret to the used market is doing your research. Doing your research before buying a guitar can help you avoid being taken advantage of. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- What guitar model are you interested in?
- What’s the typical selling price for that model?
- Is the seller reputable? If you’re on eBay and the seller has no transaction history, you might want to think twice about buying from them.
- Is the guitar being offered significantly lower than what it would normally sell for? If the offer is too good to be true, it probably is. Pass and move on.
If you’re interested in a deeper dive into questions to ask when buying a used guitar, check out my post on, “Buying Used Guitars“.
When I started electric guitar, I bought a used Epiphone Les Paul PlusTop Pro from Guitar Center. I spent a lot of time researching the guitar. I think it paid off. Whoever owned the guitar before me set it up. The action was low and good to go straight out of the box. There’s currently a glut of new guitars so it’s a great time to try and pick up a bargain for either a new or used guitar.
Resources
I don’t belong to any affiliate programs. so feel free to patronize your favorite guitar retailer.
- Squire Classic Vibe ’70s HSS Stratocaster – Guitar Center
- Squire Classic Vibe ’70s HSS Stratocaster – Sweetwater
- Squire Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster – Guitar Center
- Squire Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster – Sweetwater
- PAC012DLX Pacifica (Yamaha) – Guitar Center
- PAC012DLX Pacifica (Yamaha) – Sweetwater
- PAC112VM Pacifica (Yamaha) – Guitar Center
- PAC112V Pacifica (Yamaha) – Sweetwater
- Epiphone Les Paul Special Limited Edition (Epiphone) – Guitar Center. As of this post, these are on sale for $149.99 and normally $199.99.