Invented by George Beauchamp in the early 1930s, the electric guitar is one of the best kinds of guitars. The electric guitar is an instrument that is coveted by many. Many amateurs dream of playing these guitars. The path to perfection is not an easy one, though. You may have the intention of buying your dream guitar at the first go. However, it is best to not act in haste. As a beginner, you are bound to make mistakes and have new beginnings. It is also better to go for these electric counterparts when starting out. This is mainly due to the fact that the breadth of the neck of these guitars is lesser than that of, say, acoustic guitars. Additionally, you can even connect your headphones to the loudspeaker – this ensures that the decibels during practice do not go overboard.
Electric guitars are great tools to enhance your musical prowess. You can really rock out with these powerhouses. However, they can seem a little intimidating when you first come across them. Beginners may be befuddled at which models or types of electric guitars they should go for – and to clear that confusion is the exact purpose of the following reviews:
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Top 10 Best Electric Guitars for Beginners
 | ESP LTD M100FM |  (4.8 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Yamaha Gigmaker EG |  (4.7 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Epiphone Slash "AFD" Les Paul | (4.7 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Squier by Fender "Stop Dreaming, Start Playing" Set |  (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Epiphone Les Paul | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster | (4.6 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Dean Vendetta XMT |  (4.5 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3 |  (4.4 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B |  (4.3 / 5) | Check Price |
 | Best Choice Products Electric Guitar with Amp |  (4.2 / 5) | Check Price |
ESP LTD M100FM
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The ESP LTD M100FM is the most apt alternative for you if you are ready to bring the house down. The ESP LTD M100FM has a flaming surface made of maple. This is coupled along with a neck made of the same material, along with a fingerboard composed of rosewood having 24 frets. The body is of basswood material, making it perfect for the purpose of shredding. To top it off, it also includes a pair of pickups that are passive and humbucking. Having a Floyd Rose Special bridge, the ESP LTD M100FM is available colours like black and cherry black to enhance the grain on the maple surface. The most amazing part is that this electric guitar is cost effective and really cheap. All beginners should surely check it out.
Yamaha Gigmaker EG
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Is it high end quality and great performance that you seek? If that is the case, then the Yamaha Gigmaker EG is surely the way for you to go: and the way you absolutely must go. A part of the GigMaker collection, the Yamaha Gigmaker EG lives up to the name of the Yamaha brand of electric guitars. It has everything one could ask for. A dual channel, diverse collection of superb accessories, a fifteen watt amplifier and a lot more…the Yamaha Gigmaker EG has it all. Easily worthy of being touted as an all in one electric guitar combination – the Yamaha Gigmaker EG is a low priced yet high quality package that will help you rock out with your socks out – a definite must buy for every amateur.
Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul
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The Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul is most definitely your most suitable gamble if an all rounder electric guitar is what you ask. It is a premium electric guitar created exclusively by Slash from Guns N’ Roses. Having a dual channel ‘Snakepit’ amplifier, picks that are signature of Slash, and a protective gig bag, the Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul is definitely some great stuff. Clear and great sounds are guaranteed by the sponsorship of Epiphone Ceramic Plus. A regal touch is added with the incorporation of the top knobs of gold. Recreate the magic of the legendary Guns N’ Roses with the help of the Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul and be a pro from the very beginning.
Squier by Fender “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing” Set
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A definite beckoning call to all beginners is the Squier by Fender “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing” Set. The name itself is an invitation to all the amateurs out there to stop dreaming and start playing. It sounds great, looks great, and plays great. Therefore, it is most definitely a great tool to get you started. The set of this electric guitar pack has a variety of features that will make you want to instantly buy it off the shelf. A trio of solitary coil pickups, SP-10 amplifier, DVD with guidelines, protective gig bag and many more attractive features are a part of the Squier by Fender “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing” Set. The Squier by Fender “Stop Dreaming, Start Playing” Set has all that you need to get your engine going and wake up the Rock God within you.
Epiphone Les Paul
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The Epiphone Les Paul is a boon to all the guitarists on a shoestring budget. The Gibson Les Paul is a brand that has been synonymous with electric guitars. However, they can be quite pricey at times. The Epiphone Les Paul solves this problem by offering the tone that the Les Paul is so famous for at a quarter of the original price. The body is mahogany and so is the neck. The fretboard is of rosewood, keeping with the tradition of Les Paul that guitar players adore so much. The pickups are humbucker and add oodles of warmth to the tone. All of this, coupled with the Tune-O-Matic bridge, really makes the Epiphone Les Paul worthy of being bought and treasured. It is a combination of all of these qualities that make the Epiphone Les Paul an electric guitar perfect for beginners.
Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster
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A guitar with a legacy and a guitar with cost effectiveness are two different guitars, right? Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster is here to prove you wrong. The body is made of alder and has a firm silhouette. Three solitary coil pickups, five path switching, tuners that are die cast, a neck of maple, and a lot more…the Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster is a storehouse of goods. The Squier by Fender Affinity Stratocaster takes you back to the seventies with its classic sound and vintage aesthetic. The tuning is unexpectedly stable – this proves to be a real boon for those who are just starting out. All in all, this electric guitar is a deal that is simply too good to be true.
Dean Vendetta XMT
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The Dean Vendetta XMT is such an electric guitar that is fit for all sorts of guitar players: be it professionals or amateurs. With its string through format, this electric guitar has prolonged sustenance and is not bulky. The body is of basswood, the neck is of maple, whereas the fingerboard is of rosewood material. The neck has the bolt-on feature whereas the scales are almost twenty six inches long. One of the coolest features is the tremolo bridge with a vintage twist: this bridge helps you bend the note while making the axe scream. Other features include the two humbucker picks and the traditional Dean V ferrule design. The Dean Vendetta XMT, with its noir hardware, is a sleek looking beast that can be easily be tamed by you.
Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3
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If value for money is what you seek then the Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3 is the foremost option. This electric guitar is suitable for close to all genres of music, thanks to its clear sound, vintage style amazing diversity. This is a sawtooth electric guitar with class and style. Tuners of chrome, bridge of tremolo, a trio of ply pickguards and truss rod covers of sawtooth are just some of the goodies that are provided to you with the purchase of the Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3. The Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3 is the perfect guitar for amateurs and beginners due to its ease of use but it can be as easily made use of by a professional due to its high end quality. A guitar that sounds great, looks suave and is great to play is called a Sawtooth ST-ES-SBB-KIT-3.
Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B
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The Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B is a blessing for all the beginners out there. Prepared with the most premium quality wood, the Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B is a dual cutaway electric guitar. The fretboard is made of rosewood whereas the body is composed of basswood. The neck is of maple material. All of these contribute to create the amazingly warm sound that the Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B finally emits. The set consists of a ten watt amplifier, overdrive, and a trio band equalizer among other things. To add a cherry or two on an already really enticing cake, the Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B also offers a case for carrying, pickups and additional strings. One of the main reasons why amateurs seem to love this one so much is because of its cost effectiveness. All of the beginner’s kit can be purchased at a really low price – it is almost unbelievable. The Pyle-Pro PEGKT15B is definitely not an opportunity to be missed out on.
Best Choice Products Electric Guitar with Amp
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The Best Choice Products Electric Guitar with Amp is one of the coolest guitars in the market for beginners. Composed of wood, the Best Choice Products Electric Guitar with Amp is a lucrative offer that must be nabbed immediately. A ten watt amplifier, additional set of strings for substitution, seamless finish, and a shoulder strap…the guitar has it all. What’s more, it also comes with a carrying case that makes travelling easier. This is the perfect electric guitar for all beginning guitar players as it has all of the suitable accessories that an amateur guitarist could wish for. Thus, if you are a beginner, then it is the way to go.
Considerations:
Now that you have gone through the reviews of the ten best electric guitars for beginners, you are definitely clearer about the different varieties and models available in the market. However, the diverse range of electric guitars can often confuse a beginner as he or she may end up dazed and confused in regards of their final choice. This is a very natural befuddlement on the part of any amateur and there is nothing to fear when we are here. There are various factors to be considered when purchasing an electric guitar and we will have you go through a rundown of all of them.
- Cost:
It is best to not be too stringent when it comes to the budget for purchasing your electric guitar. Of course, the whole concept of buying a cheap guitar in order to try it out and then discard it under unfavourable circumstances is a prevalent one, but it also sets a negative precedent for your musical experience. Try to buy cost effective guitar, rather than just a cheap one. Fix a budget to purchase an electric guitar of your choice. It is not necessary for it to be extremely top notch but a decent quality is the least and basic thing to have in a guitar that you wish to purchase. Moreover, this is an investment that is going to help you in the long run. Additionally, you can also make use of a second hand guitar but make sure that it comes from a reliable source as such deals can either go really right or terribly tragic. It is really important to stick to your budget as going beyond your means may end up costing you literally and figuratively.
- Trial:
A mistake that a lot of beginners end up doing is blindly following the recommendation of their more seemingly experienced peers. This is almost like playing Russian roulette and can end you up in a terrible predicament. Do not dismiss your personal intuition just because your amateur status. It is you who will use the guitar at the end of the day. Make sure to go to the store and try out the models or at least have a good look at them. This helps you have a feel of the instrument and make an instinctive decision. Folks who are buying electric guitars online, on the other hand, should only purchase it from the official site or equally trusted counterparts. In the lust for discounts or deceivingly cheap offers, you may end up being duped by the ambiguous online forums that lie in the wait of such unsure beginners.
- Choice:
Make sure that you are sure of the genre you are more inclined towards. For instance, if you are more into country music, purchase of an electric guitar is a waste of time and money. On the other hand, many end up buying acoustic guitars as they are led by the false notion that these are easier to learn than their electric counterparts. This is a myth that must be debunked immediately: there is no guitar that is easier to learn than the other. Learning any sort of guitar has its own set of obstacles that the guitar player must overcome in order to get where he or she wants to be. Your individual preference must be your top priority at all costs. In the case of prepubescent children, though, the electric guitar is a more viable alternative. The strings of an electric guitar are more easily tackled by a child’s small hands. The progress is also more rapid in the case of an electric guitar.
- Size:
This is one of the aspects that is neglected the most prior to the purchase of a guitar. Most beginner guitar players ignore the specifications of guitar size that the respective length of their height and arm end up demanding. For instance, many an amateur may face trouble while dealing with dreadnought guitars due to their bulky and heavy frame. Since there are so many variations of electric guitar to choose from, do not hesitate to go for ones more specifically suited for you. It is best that beginners go for electric guitars of a smaller scale. Some may argue that the tone may not be as rich as the sound provided by a bigger sized guitar but that is just one of the factors for you to consider. A guitar that is smaller provides you with ease of performance and all round comfort that will make your practice sessions really seamless and smooth. For a beginner, these are the factors that should be given more weight as the main objective is to play as much as you can and the best that you can. This is another reason why the previous point is so crucial: trying out a guitar ensures that your practice is not compromised with.
- Weight:
A bulky guitar can be a pain in the neck both figuratively and literally. Many amateurs end up being impressed by the size of gigantic frame of the electric guitar and end up purchasing it right away. They tend to forget that all is not as it seems. A heavy guitar is not only bothersome to play but also ends up causing a lot of health problems such as back and shoulder aches, cramps and a lot more. It is thus essential to buy an electric guitar that fits just right in your context. What is an ideal size for you may not be for someone else and vice versa. It is, thus, prudent to not go by what others are doing and pick out one for yourself. A guitar that can be feasibly managed by you is the best guitar for sure.
- Setup:
Another factor that joins the list of most neglected factors ever is that of the setup. Many brands end up selling guitars with horrible setup: sometimes, the distance between the fretboard and the strings is more than ten feet. This is highly demoralising for all beginners and ends up being one of the biggest reasons why they can never get the hang of playing an electric guitar. This is a sad and unnecessary thing to happen which can be avoided easily. All you have to do is ask for a professional to set up your guitar. Do not avoid this step under the false impression that getting it done from a novice in the field will cost you less – there are, ideally, no additional set up charges. You only pay for buying the guitar. Any proper store will, in fact, offer to set your electric guitar up for you. Another thing to consider is changing the strings. Strings naturally rust over prolonged durations of time and as these guitars may have been locked in these stores for quite a while, it is best to be on the safer side.
- Action:
Technically, this is an aspect that falls into the setup section. However, its importance is such that it must be highlighted individually, otherwise you miss it out. Many a times, the strings are at a lot higher height from the fretboard. In a setup like this, the guitar player must have really seasoned fingers to actually play properly. For a beginner, this can be fatally detrimental to development. The amount of expertise that is required to play on such a guitar is insane and there is no way an amateur can be at that level, no matter how hard they try. This ends up casting a negative film over their learning experience and may actually drive them away from guitar playing. What is most ideal for beginner is lack of buzzing notes and close to negligible action. This is really crucial so please make sure of this as this may end up determining your entire guitar playing sojourn.
- Reason:
The reason behind you wanting to pick up a guitar is definitely something you must carefully ponder over. Fun, recreation, passion for music, self expression…find the core for your interest, as that is where you will garner inspiration from. It is highly necessary to realize what your primary and secondary goals are when it comes to guitar playing. Every reason is valid but if it is for something like impressing another person – do drop the idea. This is because of the fact that this is not a reason that is actually related to you and if you get your drive to play from such an external source, it is bound to wither away after a certain period of time. You ought to be sure of what you are doing and why you are doing it prior to making any investment. As long as you have passion, however, you are good to go because it will definitely take you places. Some introspection is most definitely needed prior to the purchase of a guitar so be sure to not discard this step, thinking it to be irrelevant.
- Inspiration:
A more sentimental but as important factor to be considered while purchasing an electric guitar is to think of where you derive your inspiration from. It is a good idea for beginners to have an idol– at least in the beginning days. This helps you have a certain direction and a specific journey or path to follow and really acts as a stimulant during guitar practice. You may even want to purchase your guitar by following this flow of inspiration. For instance, if you idolize Jimi Hendrix, then a Stratocoaster is definitely the way to go for you. However, be sure to also keep the aforementioned factors in mind during purchase. Purchase a model that fulfils all the other requirements and not just this one – this is another error that many amateurs commit. Buying a model akin to that of your idol is just something that drives you to practice regularly whereas the other factors are supremely essential for you to play effectively. So the other features should definitely not be compromised for the sake of this one.
So these are the various factors that you need to keep in mind before purchasing an electric guitar as a beginner. Happy buying and happy learning!