Buying an electric guitar: My 7 Best Recommendations 2024
Here you will find a suitable electric guitar for beginners, advanced players or kids. Below, I have summarised the most important information for you under “frequently asked questions” about electric guitars and accessories.
This text has been translated into English. Please report spelling mistakes to sebastian@musiksocke.com
What kind of electric guitar are you looking for?
Frequently asked questions:
Electric guitar for beginners
When it comes to electric guitars for beginners, the choice of models and colours is huge. Whether ST models, such as the Fender Stratocaster made famous by Eric Clapton or David Gilmour, the T model, which is used in so many ways in country music, but also in jazz, the single cut models, such as the Les Paul by Gibson, which Slash masters so perfectly, or the double cut, such as the SG by Gibson, without which AC/DC would be one trademark less. Then there are hollowbody guitars, like the legendary White Falcon by Gretsch, as well as pure jazz guitars and all the special models of the heavy metal scene.
It is important that even the cheap alternatives are easy to play for beginners. Especially at the beginning, no one wants to have painful fingertips due to strings that are too high or unreliable tuners that cause the instrument to go out of tune again and again. It is recommended to buy a complete set including amplifier, bag, strap and tuner. That way, you can get started right away without too much effort.
One of these good sets for beginners is the Epiphone Slash Performance Pack. It includes the solid Epiphone AFD Special-II guitar with a good pickup. The Slash Snakepit-15 guitar amp is also perfectly adequate to get you started. The set also includes a gigabag, strap, cable and picks. The accessories have been skimped on in this set, but beginners can start with it and then gradually get better products.
The Harley Benton ST-20HSS CA Standard Series is an affordable entry into the world of electric guitars. Many music schools use this model in lessons because at this price, it’s not so bad if the instrument gets a small quirk. The pickups are well-placed and produce a sound with bite. The electric guitar sounds the way beginners imagine such an instrument to sound. The workmanship of the frets and the tuner is poor, which is unfortunate for an instrument costing less than 100 euros. Overall, I would still recommend the electric guitar for a start. It is also available in a set with matching accessories.
Electric guitar for advanced players
Those who already have experience with the electric guitar will know exactly in which range they are looking. A lot depends on the preferred style. If you want a clean sound more often, you will probably prefer single-coil pickups, and if you love a hard rock touch, you will tend to go for models with humbucker pickups.
The same applies to the thickness and shape of the necks. Many soloists love the thin C-neck shape of the Fender, others the more powerful D of a Gibson. For good old rock’n roll, Gretsch Hollowbodys are perfect, and for the country sound, a Fender Telecaster with its incomparable twang.
Some guitarists would never want to do without the vibrato lever. Others deride this mechanical effect device as a mere help for soloists who often play half a tone too low or too high.
For those who play jazz and nothing else, there is no alternative to a pure jazz guitar. Then there are the 7-, 8- or 12-string guitars, the baritone guitars for fans of the hard and gritty style. More and more often, you see the Fanfret guitars, where the sound of each individual string is optimised by a precisely calculated slant of the frets.
Which guitar advanced musicians choose depends very much on personal taste, but also on the guitarist’s physique. Thin necks are easier to grasp for some people, others like it handier. Some people find guitars weighing almost five kilograms too heavy and go for slim instruments made of light wood, while others prefer the heavy instrument with the heavy sound.
As already mentioned, the variety on the market of electric guitars is so rich that the right instrument can be found for every special wish.
A well-proven instrument for advanced guitarists without big show effects, but solid, honest and reliable is the Fender Telecaster, which has been produced for more than 70 years. With an alder body and a maple neck in combination with the 2 New Player AlNiCo V Single Coils pickup, this electric guitar produces a powerful sound that can be used in many genres. The Telecaster is well-adjusted and directly playable from the factory.
The Ibanez AZ2204B-BK Prestige is an electric guitar for sophisticated demands. It is specially designed for elaborate playing techniques. Even the low and high registers are easy to play. The sound drifts into a deep and voluminous sound. It can be used in many genres, which is why I would describe it more as an all-rounder in this price range.
Electric guitar for kids
With an electric guitar, kids can absorb the most important principles of composition in a playful way and practise concentration and perseverance. The good thing about an electric guitar is that the amplifier can be set low, whereas with other instruments there are often only two volumes: loud or not at all. Kids love the electric guitar because it has a cool image and is a lot of fun to play.
It goes without saying that for kids, you have to go for electric guitars that fit their height. Usually, the 3/4 size is just right for electric guitars. But it would be wrong to buy a toy instrument. Electric guitars for kids must also be equipped with good pickups, have stable and reliable tuners and a good string action. Otherwise, every kid will soon turn away from his electric guitar in disappointment.
A good electric guitar for kids is the Ibanez GRGM21-BKN E-Guitar Mic in 3/4 size. The models are tuning stable and amazingly fretless. When playing for the first time, an adult should adjust the guitar well, as the factory setting leaves a lot to be desired. Otherwise, this is a robust electric guitar with a decent sound.
The Epiphone Power Player SG Ice Blue is a slim and light electric guitar that is well suited for children’s hands (size 7/8). It fits well in the hand and when the little ones can play their first chords, even experienced musicians are surprised what can come out of such a mini electric guitar. At the beginning, it needs to be tuned more often, but when everything is set, the kid has a fully-fledged instrument with a good price-performance ratio.
Electric guitar for crazy people
There have always been crazy good and expensive electric guitars that many famous artists swear by. Be it the Lucille by B. B. King, the Stratocaster by Clapton or Golmour, the Gretsch White Falcon, which not only fascinates George Harisson, Stephen Stills, Bono or Martin Gore from Depeche Mode.
And there have always been such fascinating special models as Prince’s guitars by German guitar maker Jens Ritter or the almost prohibitively expensive Princess Marcel Dadi’s by French guitar maker Franck Cheval. For these very special models, five-figure sums can quickly be called up. But you don’t have to spend that much money if you want to buy a very special or crazy electric guitar.
The Strandberg Boden Original NX 7 Charcoal from Sweden is crazy. An electric guitar without a head and with a design and string action that enables soloists in particular to play very quickly. And visually, this guitar fits wonderfully into the gloomy metal of the far north. The high-quality pickups produce a sound that can be used in a variety of genres.
How do I recognize a good electric guitar?
There are many technical details by which you can recognize a good guitar. These include, for example, high-quality pickups, stable and reliable tuners, a clean string action that should be neither too high nor too low. But with all the important technical conditions, the workmanship must be right.
You have to take the instrument in your hand and put it through its paces. Even defects in the varnish of an otherwise excellent instrument can be a sign that you are dealing with an assembly model.
Often it is not enough to test an instrument once in the shop. You can only tell whether you are dealing with a really good instrument after you have tried as many styles as possible on it. Most online shops offer a 30-day return policy so that you can try out your new electric guitar at home.
What accessories do I need?
Often, the strings with which the guitars are delivered are not necessarily the ones you prefer. So it’s good to have at least one set of your favourite strings in stock from the start. But how do you find them? The only way is to try them out! Many electric guitarists swear by Ernie Ball strings. A popular model is the Ernie Ball 2221 Regular Slinky with a gauge of .010 to .046. They are very durable and have hardly any corrosion. A good start to find your own favourite strings.
A collection of picks in different strengths is obligatory. Everyone knows that these little things have legs and just keep disappearing. There are also so many different strengths and models of picks that beginners first have to find their favourite selection depending on the type of playing. The best way to do this is to buy an inexpensive set with different picks. The favourites can then be bought individually. The Dunlop Electric Pick Variety Pack offers a good selection of different picks for electric guitars.
An electric guitar is only as good as its amplifier. That’s why it’s worth investing in a good guitar amplifier right from the start. The choice is huge and there are no limits to your budget. I can recommend the Boss Katana 100 MKII. It is reasonably priced and offers a powerful sound that typically sounds like a rich electric guitar. The Boss Katana 100 MKII is also available in a smaller and lighter version with 50 watts.
A tuner is a faithful companion and is used frequently. Therefore, it is worth spending some money and buying a tuner, especially for electric guitars, with an LED display. This makes tuning faster and also helps with precise tuning in poor light on stage or in the rehearsal room. A popular device is the TC Electronic PolyTune Clip Black Tuner. The clip makes it easy to attach and the PolyTune technology allows all strings to be tuned at the same time.
Then, of course, there is the strap. Not too long, not too short and made in such a way that it fits the instrument well and does not slip off the shoulder. It is important that the length is individually adjustable. The Fender company has some good straps in its range. All of them are adjustable and so far I haven’t had a badly made Fender strap in my hands. I find the Fender Supersoft Strap Black nice and simple. But of course that’s a matter of taste.
Even purists can’t do without an effects unit. It should at least be able to do chorus and a little reverb. It is important to have a pedal so that you can precisely adjust the effects while playing. A good multi-effect pedal for the electric guitar is the Harley Benton DNAfx GiT. It is a model for beginners with many functions and easy operation. In my opinion, it is sufficient for hobby players. For higher demands, there is a large selection of effects units, which are then in the four-digit range in terms of cost. I therefore recommend starting with the affordable Harley Benton model.
And it is obvious that no instrument should be transported over long distances without a case. Your electric guitar should always be safely stowed away. The Thomann ABS electric guitar case is not a jewel, but very robust and softly padded on the inside. In my opinion, it is the best case in this price range. If you want something fancier, you will have to pay a lot more.
If you only need protection at home or have short distances to cover by bike, a bag will do. Just be aware that even the best bag cannot compete with the protection of a suitcase. For short journeys, however, it can be just right. I prefer the Gator G-PG because it is well padded and comes with comfortable backpack straps. But there are also simpler models for everyday use.
Equally important is the stand for your electric guitar so that you can place your instrument safely. In my experience with many different musical instruments, Millenium stands are ideal for most musicians. For electric guitars, the Millenium GS2001 electric guitar stand has established itself. A stable construction at a fair price.
What are the best electric guitar brands?
In collaboration with experienced musicians, this list of established brands was created. It was especially important to maintain high quality over many years.
How much does a good electric guitar cost?
A good electric guitar costs between 500 and 2,000 euros. For beginners, good models already exist between 200 and 500 euros. The difference is mainly in the quality of the pickup and the woods used. For playing in a band, it is worth spending a little more money and buying a good electric guitar for advanced players.
My recommendation for a good electric guitar.
What is the best electric guitar for beginners?
The Epiphone Slash AFD LP Performance Pack for approx. 400 euros is suitable as an electric guitar for beginners. The set includes a sufficient electric guitar to start with, along with an amplifier. The necessary accessories in the form of a bag, strap, cable and picks are also included.
Advanced musicians are well served by the Fender Player Series Tele MN BTB for about 770 euros. The classic among the electric guitars simply sounds good and is great to play. Normally, you have to spend more to get such a high-quality electric guitar.
Here are more details on the electric guitar for beginners.
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The product recommendations made here are based on my experience and conversations with expert musicians. All products presented here meet the criteria of the checklist.
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All prices are incl. VAT plus shipping costs. The amount was estimated by me and may differ from the actual price. As an Amazon partner, I earn on qualified sales. This also applies to Thomann, Kirstein and all other partners.
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