Looking into an electric guitar for beginners can be a minefield. There are a lot of options to choose from and you want to make sure you pick the right one!
Which electric guitar for beginners is for me?
With just about every brand out there offering their own starter pack or beginner guitar, it’s hard to choose. You’re going to want something that suits you. The two main things to look at are sound and feel.
Neck size
Many beginner guitars will have a very medium or average sized neck, but you want one that fits your hands. It’s ideal to get your hands on a guitar to figure out what you like. Some people with big hands like thick necks, but likewise some like thinner necks. It’s purely personal preference.
Generally, you can find the information as to whether a brand uses thicker or thinner necks online. But a rule of thumb tends to be that Gibson style guitars, like Les Pauls will have a thick neck. Fender style guitars, like Stratocasters, are often a mid-point. Then guitars like those made by Ibanez or Jackson will have a thinner neck. Most of the time a company using a similar body shape to a guitar will also replicate the neck shape too!
Sound
You can go incredibly in-depth worrying about guitar tone. Some will swear that certain combinations of wood will sound better than others. With an electric guitar for beginners the main thing you want to think about are the pickups. A pickup is what “picks up” the sound from the strings and sends it to the amp. Almost like a microphone. You can find these under the strings on the body of the guitars. They are magnetic bars, usually with circles under each string.
There are two main types of pickup, single-coil and humbucker. Single-coils look like one “bar” with six dots on, where humbuckers look like two of these connected. Single-coils can sound very bright and clean, where humbuckers sound thicker and warmer. So, pick a guitar which has pickups that suit how you want to sound!
Of course, some guitars have both pickups! So you can always have the best of both worlds.
Should I get a pack?
Sometimes the best value for money option is to get a pack. This means you get a guitar as well as an amp, and usually some extra accessories! The amp within a pack is usually quite basic, often having a clean sound, a drive sound and a basic EQ. If you want something with more features and sounds you would be better off buying a guitar and amp separately.
If you’re coming into the guitar with no knowledge of what you’re looking for, a pack is often the best option! Rocket offer a comprehensive pack which has everything you’d need to get started.
Which electric guitar for beginners is best?
The problem with picking a guitar, is that there isn’t a “best” option! The important thing is to get something that suits you. Most will start out on a “Stratocaster” style guitar, which is a perfectly fine route to go down. It’s a versatile design which can last a long time and give you a good understanding on how electric guitars work.
But, if you check the points that I have made here, and get a guitar that fits your requirements, you can’t go wrong!
