How to choose an electric guitar for beginners?

It's hard to even imagine how many people in the world want to learn how to play the electric guitar. And they all feel a sense of confusion when it comes time to choose their first tool to practice. They have many questions in their heads, many of which will be answered in this article.

Guitarists with experience are advised to immediately consider buying an electric guitar model that is suitable for the direction in which the aspiring musician wants to practice.

For a beginner, first of all, it is important to decide what will be interesting for him to play the electric guitar (for example, in a group of like-minded people):

• solo parts (lead guitar);
• bass parts (bass guitar);
• rhythmic accompaniment (rhythm guitar).

The choice of the model of the instrument and accessories to it depends on this. And the decision must be made in advance, and not at the moment of contemplation of tools of different types and functionality in the store. To do this, you should understand your musical taste, and then collect information from fellow guitarists, on guitar sites and forums on the Internet about which instruments are best suited for learning in the preferred manner or style.

Having identified the options for models of different manufacturers of electric guitars, as well as linking them to your financial capabilities, you can safely go to the store selling musical instruments for a guitar.

It is the responsibility of the consultant to review suitable models, listing features and benefits, and to demonstrate how they work. It only remains to choose what is more suitable not only in terms of functions, cost and sound, but also in terms of appearance.

A beginner guitarist needs a good guitar, but this does not mean at all that he should by any means seek to buy an expensive brand instrument... The first tool may well be a model, the cost of which does not exceed $ 200-250, which has an acceptable quality, but without any additional "bells and whistles" that are absolutely superfluous for initial training. Later, each student will finally establish themselves in their choice, so the second guitar can be an instrument with a finer specification, the acquisition of which will require special equipment and completely different investments.

Below is the top of the best models, both among inexpensive electric guitars and in a number of prestigious ones, where prices are an order of magnitude higher.

Among decent budget bass guitars for beginners, the cheapest model is the Cort Action Bass V, which has:

• poplar body;
• maple neck;
• rosewood fingerboard;
• five strings;
• bridge type EB6 (5);
• active electronics.

This model has 24 frets and a bolted neck. Not a bad option for training. Other Cort Action models differ in body material and color, otherwise they are all almost the same.

Novice guitarists should not buy solo or accompanying electric guitars at a bargain price from their hands, since it is unlikely to be a serviceable instrument with a good sound.

Let's list the inexpensive electric guitars that can be bought for beginners for the first time.

• Aria STG-003... Suitable for classic rock lovers. You can play solo and rhythm, but only on the scale of club parties (albeit after some modifications). Learning from such a model is quite reasonable: in this sense, it is very good.
• Cort G110. Designed for both solo performance and overdrive rhythmic accompaniment. It "sins" with incontinence, has a bad tremolo, but sounds great for its budget class. On such an instrument, they manage not only to study the art of guitar in a quality manner, but also to perform at concerts. For beginners, such a guitar will be indispensable: it is durable and durable.
• Schecter C-7... This model is used for hard rock. A very comfortable and durable neck that can handle large gauge strings. Many guitarists refine the model to a higher class, but beginners won't need it yet - they have enough to learn what is available on the guitar around the state.

If a beginner has the means to buy something better, then he can be recommended more serious tools from the same budget line, but twice or three times more expensive than those listed above: Jackson JS22, Swing Jeff-Watson-NAT, Yamaha SR400S and others.

Choosing the coolest brand guitars for beginner rockers Fender, Gibson, Ibanez and some others with a price tag of 3 thousand dollars and above is not worth it even if the money has nowhere to go. The reason is that such instruments need to be protected for another level of skill in the game.

Expensive for our compatriots can be considered tools with a cost of over 700-800 dollars. At the moment, there are several models of high-quality electric guitars that are suitable not only for beginners, but also for experienced musicians.

• Schecter Damien Platinum-6 FR SBK... Body - mahogany, neck - maple, fingerboard - rosewood, fittings - chrome. It has 24 frets and a Superstrat design.
• VGS Pro HF-1 Eruption Satin Black. Materials: body and neck - mahogany, fingerboards - rosewood. Chrome plated hardware, Les Paul design. Has 22 frets.
• New Epiphone 2020 "Inspired by Gibson" guitar series. The series combines the experience and ideas of Gibson and Epiphone, accumulated over the years of joint existence (since 1957). And one of the models in this series is the electric guitar Epiphone Les Paul Modern - an almost complete copy of the Gibson Les Paul Modern. Materials: body - mahogany / maple, neck - mahogany, lining - ebony. Has chrome fittings, 22 frets. Design - Les Paul.
• FGN (FUJIGEN) J-Standard Odyssey JOS2CLG OLP... Japanese instrument with Superstrat design. Japanese build quality and great sound. The body is made of linden, the neck is made of maple, the fingerboard is made of rosewood. The fretboard has 22 frets.

But you need to understand that buying only the musical instrument itself is not limited to. To play an electric guitar, you need a whole set of accessories, which neither the guitar nor the musician can do without.

Along with the electric guitar, you should buy the necessary "guitar player kit", which includes a number of additional accessories.

Let's just list what novice rockers or guitarists of other genres using an electric guitar really cannot do without.

• Sound amplifier with speaker system. Without it, the guitar sounds very quiet and indistinct. For practicing at home, many buy a combo amplifier ("combo"), which can not only amplify and output the sound to the built-in speakers (speakers), but also convert it, including with overdrive (distortion effect). A combo is a great way out for a beginner guitarist, given the cheapness of some models ($ 50-100).
• A set of strings. Factory strings should be replaced with a new set immediately. The most popular are strings of caliber # 9 and 10. For those who like “hard” rock, you can start with # 11. Good strings for electric guitar models are available from Elixir and D'Addario.

• A set of picks of different thickness... This consumable has a low price, so you need to empirically choose the most convenient for yourself. To play bass, picks are needed thick and hard, on a solo - much thinner and softer, on a rhythm - of medium thickness and the same hardness.
• Guitar cable connection to the amplifier.
• Tuner for fine tuning the instrument. It is better to purchase not a simple guitar version, designed only for the classical E-A-D-G-B-E guitar tuning, but a chromatic one, which allows you to tune the strings to any possible sound within reasonable limits. Rockers love to play low pitched tunes such as Drop D or Drop C.

• For "quiet" lessons and rehearsals at home, you must definitely buy headphones connected to the combo... The musician himself will hear the real sound, and the household will only hear a quiet strumming or mosquito squeak of thin strings.
• Strap for easy play while standing... You need to get used to such a game from the school period.

In addition, you need to take care of convenient and safe transportation or storage of the tool. To do this, you must have a case (or case) in which you can pack the instrument if it is being transported or carried.

Guitar pedal effects are not worth thinking about at first. Having learned to play, you can understand which ones are needed.

To choose the right guitar along with a combo amplifier, you need to adhere to some criteria when shopping at a musical instrument store. Let's list the main ones - mandatory.

• The guitar must meet all the requirements of the buyer in terms of appearance: shape, color, dimensions and weight. It is necessary to try it on like clothes: is everything comfortable, are all the frets available for the left hand, is it too heavy, does it look harmonious with growth in a standing position, and so on.
• Check the sounds of all strings at each fret (make sure the saddles are fine-tuned, all notes sound clear), turn each knob and try out the electronics. That is, you need to connect the instrument to an amplifier (better to the one you have chosen for yourself), at the same time checking the operation of this important device.

• The neck and what is on it must be carefully checked: evenness, strength of attachment to the body, height of strings (above the XII nut - 2 mm), smoothness of the lining and sills.
• The strength and condition of the fittings must be perfect. Nothing dangles, does not squeak, the tuning pegs do not create difficulties when scrolling, but they also do not give a reverse when the strings are stretched. You should wiggle the pickups for a good fit, bridge, tremolo and even strap mount.
• Inspect carefully the body, neck, and fingerboard material. Even the smallest cracks, varnish smudges or traces of gluing must not be allowed.
• Nut slots must match the thickness of the respective strings.
• The complete set of the guitar complies with the documents without fail. Remember to check for the neck adjustment key.