If you are in the process of buying your first electric guitar, it is often difficult to know what to look for. There are many factors to consider when deciding on what kind of guitar to buy, and we hope this post will help you make an informed decision. In this buyer’s guide, we cover everything you need to know before purchasing and also look at 10 of the most popular electric guitars for beginners
1. Epiphone SG Special VE
- Authentic SG sound and feel
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Very affordable
Epiphone’s SG Special VE (Vintage Edition) is perfect for music lovers who want to start their electric guitar journey with a real SG (Solid Guitar) on a minimal budget. This guitar is only about $200 but sounds a lot more expensive. It is also a beautiful instrument that will let you start learning about what you can do with an electric guitar.
Naturally, it is not as full-featured as the Gibson original or Epiphone’s SG Standard. It comes with a bolt-on neck less electronics, but also includes several premium features such as the LockTone Tune-o-Matic bridge and Stopbar Tail Piece. Also included are twin open-coil humbucking pickups that will output everything from jazz to heavy rock.
The Epiphone SG Special offers a solid poplar body and a mahogany-like okoume neck with a rosewood fretboard. The neck’s satin finish and tapering makes it easier for novices to play and learn, while the 24.75″ scale length helps keeping the string tension at bay.
2. Yamaha Pacifica PAC112V
- Versatile set of pickups
- Smooth, easy-to-play maple neck
- Lightweight alder body
For at least two decades, the Yamaha Pacifica series has been a go-to electric guitar for many new beginners. What sets the Pacifica apart is lots of value considering the price point, including impressive playability and features that beginners can take advantage of. With a 25.5″ scale length, it is similar to a Stratocaster in more ways than one.
One of the biggest selling points of the Yamaha Pacifica PAC112V is the trio of pickups. Located on the neck and middle are two single coils, while the third is a classic Alnico Humbucker. These pickups help you create anything from deep, growly rock sounds to crisp and light country tones of country. The Pacifica features a five-position switch with coil tap, which allows you to move around the strings and pickup selection.
Most owners consider the PAC112V comfortable to play, even people with smaller hands because of the smaller fret radius. However, it does weigh about 11 pounds, meaning that it weighs slightly more than the average beginner electric guitar.
3. Squier Classic Vibe ’60s Stratocaster
- Classic strat look and sound
- Fender-designed single-coil pickups
- Good build quality and solid materials
Squier is Fender’s low-cost brand aimed at beginners, or anyone who wants a Fender instrument without the high-end Fender pricing. This budget brand has come a long way since its inception and now offers several Stratocaster and Telecaster (and other) classic Fender guitars in different price ranges.
The Classic Vibe series is a step up from the entry-level Bullet and Affinity lineups, but still much more affordable than their Fender-branded counterparts. In addition, the Classic Vibe Stratocaster comes in 50s, 60s, and 70s models with slightly different characteristics.
To describe them in (overly) simple terms, the 50s Classic Vibe is the most bright and crisp-sounding, whereas the 60s model lean more towards a Texas blues SRV sound. The more recent 70s model is the crunchiest of the lot, as it’s also equipped with a bridge humbucker. Regardless of your choice, you get a significantly better-than-average beginner guitar at a very reasonable price.
4. Schecter Omen-6
- Beginner metal guitar
- Great tone and sustain
- Comfortable to play
Schecter specializes in metal guitars, so if heavy riffs and shredding are your main reasons for learning to play, it’s a brand worth looking into. The Omen-6 is Schecter’s entry-level model, but that’s not to say it’s a low-end guitar. It is solidly built using high-quality parts and has the potential to stay with you for years to come.
It also sounds as good as it looks thanks to its dual Schecter Diamond Plus humbuckers, which offer plenty of punch for your power chords without sacrificing clarity for soloing. The bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with jumbo frets offer fast action and a smooth feel.
5. Ibanez RG Standard RG450DX
- Great tonal range
- Suitable for rock, metal
- Comfortable for new players
The Ibanez RG450DX is part of the RG series, which is arguably the most recognizable line of guitars from Ibanez, all with the same typical design. Of course, this being Ibanez, there are plenty of different models in the series, ranging from entry-level options to custom $3,000 axes. The RG450DX is among the former, but still a step up from the Gio models.
What makes the RG450DX suitable for beginners is that it offers a broad range of sounds thanks to the trio of pickups. This will let you experiment a great deal when shaping your tone the way you like it. Although it’s mainly intended for rock and metal, it will also handle other styles. Another highlight is the Wizard III neck, which has a slim and comfortable shape that is easy to get used to.
5. Ibanez RG Standard RG450DX
- Great tonal range
- Suitable for rock, metal
- Comfortable for new players
The Ibanez RG450DX is part of the RG series, which is arguably the most recognizable line of guitars from Ibanez, all with the same typical design. Of course, this being Ibanez, there are plenty of different models in the series, ranging from entry-level options to custom $3,000 axes. The RG450DX is among the former, but still a step up from the Gio models.
What makes the RG450DX suitable for beginners is that it offers a broad range of sounds thanks to the trio of pickups. This will let you experiment a great deal when shaping your tone the way you like it. Although it’s mainly intended for rock and metal, it will also handle other styles. Another highlight is the Wizard III neck, which has a slim and comfortable shape that is easy to get used to.
6. Jackson Dinky Arch Top JS32
- High output pickups
- Great for aspiring metal guitarists
- Compound radius fretboard
While on the topic of rock and metal guitars, we should also mention the Jackson JS series, which are all popular choices as first guitars for metal aficionados. While the brand Jackson might not be as well-known as Fender, Gibson, or Ibanez, it is easily one of the top five metal guitar manufacturers.
The JS32 is very reasonably priced for what you get, i.e. a well-built guitar with two high-output humbuckers and a Jackson-branded (but licensed) Floyd Rose locking tremolo. It also features a poplar body with an arched maple top, and a bolt-on, graphite-reinforced maple neck.
Additionally, it has a 12″-16″ compound radius maple fingerboard that flattens toward the heel, which improves playability and comfort.
7. Gretsch G2622 Streamliner
- Well built entry-level semi-acoustic
- Classic Gretsch styling
- Highly playable, thin neck
Moving from beginner metal guitars to something more suitable for beginner jazz, blues, or rockabilly players, Gretsch would be among the top of our list of alternatives. More specifically, the recently launched G2622 from the entry-level Streamliner series.
From just looking at it, it’s hard to tell that this is one of (of not the) most affordable of Gretsch’s semi-hollowbodies. The G2622 Streamliner comes in a vintage styling, with an arched maple body that is fitted with a weight-relieved spruce center block. The latter helps produce the typical hollowbody tone, while also reducing this guitar type’s (also typical) feedback.
All in all, the Gretsch G2622 Streamliner offers really good value at its $449 MSRP and is a great point of entry for beginners who appreciate the style and sound of a hollowbody.
8. Ibanez Artcore AS73
- Popular and affordable hollowbody
- Classic-sounding pickups without the hum
- Slim neck with walnut fretboard
The Ibanez Artcore AS73 is another semi-hollowbody that is suitable for beginners as it offers a well-rounded feature set and a fat tone without the need for a fat wallet.
Ibanez launched the Artcore series in 2002, with the goal of offering quality semi-acoustic electric guitars in an affordable price range. It managed to do just that and was (and still is) a smashing success. There are now well over a dozen Artcore guitars in the market and the AS73 is among the most popular.
The Artcore AS73 uses a linden body accompanied with a sustain block for a brighter tone and acoustic resonance. Its two “Classic Elite” humbuckers are more versatile than they look and are more than capable of handling rockabilly, blues or even rock, without being prone to humming.
9. Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster
- An attractive vintage-style Telecaster for less
- Smooth C-profile maple neck
- Quality Fender-designed pickups
Telecasters may not be among the most common first guitars for beginners. Nevertheless, having mentioned the corresponding Stratocaster from Fender-subsidiary Squier, this Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster should also make the list – not least because it’s a quality instrument at an attractive price point.
A good choice for learning to play styles like blues, jazz, rock, pop or country, the Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster offers two standard single-coil pickups that will produce the iconic tele twang. It features a pine body and a maple neck with a maple fretboard. The neck is C-shaped and comfortably slim.
10. Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’60s
- Faithful recreation of a '60s Les Paul
- Sounds as good as it looks
- Alnico ProBucker pickups
A genuine Gibson Les Paul Standard is not located in the price ranges where the vast majority of beginner guitar players would be looking. However, a Les Paul Standard from Gibson subsidiary Epiphone will get you very close to a real ’60s Les Paul for a fraction of the cost.
The Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’60s is essentially what the name says – a recreation of a ’60s-style Standard. It features a resonant mahogany body with a maple top, and a mahogany neck with an indian laurel fretboard. Like the original, it is equipped with dual ProBucker pickups, with the one in the neck position being slightly overwound. The tone is served fat with typical Les Paul sustain.
