Best Electric Guitar For Beginners: Our 6 Favorites [2023]

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Looking for the best electric guitar for beginners? Ready to start playing guitar and learning in style?

If you’re looking for the best electric guitar to start playing, there are a lot of great options for you. Beginner electric guitars actually come at a decent price range and it can be very easy to get a hold of a guitar that’s great for learning on.

If you’re ready to start playing electric guitar, and you’re looking for the perfect instrument to get started on, look no further. Below is our list of the top electric guitars for beginners in 2018.

Top Beginner Electric Guitars – Quick View

ImageModelSummaryPrice
Les Paul Special-II LE Guitar A great looking electric guitar that offers an excellent combination of quality craftsmanship, style, and affordability.Check Price on Amazon
Fender Squier Short Scale (24") StratocasterA great beginner package by one of the most trusted guitar manufacturers.Check Price on Amazon
Yamaha Pacifica Series PAC112VAn affordable beginner guitar with a killer tone and a great looking design.Check Price on Amazon
Jackson JS32 Dinky DKA-MA sleek looking electric guitar with a great tone and a lot of versatility.Check Price on Amazon
Fender Modern Player Telecaster PlusOur top electric guitar choice features a great modern look, high-quality craftsmanship, and an affordable price tag.

Check Price on Amazon

Squier Vintage Modified ’51A vintage model guitar from the popular Squier line that has a great look and sound.

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What to Look For in the Best Electric Guitars for Beginners

There are certain things you need to look for. The guitars on this list will all do well for beginners. The choices below will offer everything you need to get started while playing a high-quality beginner electric guitar.

However, you should be aware of a few things when it comes to choosing which electric guitar is best for you.

Playability

The best beginner electric guitar needs to be easy to play. Beginner guitar players haven’t developed the strength in their fingers or the know-how to handle a difficult-to-play guitar. On some guitars, the frets will be harder to press down on than those on others.

Ideally, look for an electric guitar with low action. This means the strings will lay closer to the fretboard and will require less pressure from the fingers to play a note or chord.

This is ideal for beginners, so make sure that you find a guitar that offers this extra ease of playability.

Brand

While exceptions exist, it is often better to choose a well-known and trusted brand when it comes to choosing an excellent beginner guitar. Well-known guitar brands such as Yamaha, Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and Ibanez will usually have a higher bar when it comes to quality standards and craftsmanship.

A well-made guitar will also be a very playable guitar. A quality guitar will be sure to be crafted well and perfect for beginners to learn with and use.

Choosing a lesser-known brand can sometimes be cheaper but you often don’t know what you’re getting. If you choose a less popular brand make sure to do your due diligence. Find out as much about them as possible before making a purchase, to make sure the brand is reliable and the guitar is the real deal.

Style

Style can refer to many things when it comes to a guitar, and there are several features you’ll want to consider when you’re looking for the best electric guitar for beginners.

If you’re reading this article, you likely already have a preference for an electric guitar over an acoustic. Similarly, there are other decisions you’ll want to make depending on your individual interests.

Some electric guitars will be somewhat better suited for certain genres, such as metal or country. Other guitars will be fine for any genre or style of playing. Additionally, there are many types of electric guitar looks you can choose from and many different color options as well.

Consider whether you will be eventually playing the guitar on stage at some point or whether you’ll mostly play at home. This may change what type of aesthetic you decide on.

How Much Should You Pay For a Beginner Electric Guitar?

If you’re in the market for the best electric guitar for beginners, you’ll need to think about your budget. Electric guitars, in general, vary by a very big range of prices, but the best electric guitars for beginners will typically stay under $500.

It’s best to spend only between $100-$500 on a very first guitar, although many advanced guitars can go for thousands of dollars. Additionally, be aware that there are a lot of electric guitar options under $100.

However, you need a quality option that will stay in tune, be fun to play, and will grow along with your new skills. It’s recommended that you don’t spend any less than $100 on your first beginner guitar.

Look for a good mix of price and quality and consider some of the options below for the best chance at getting a guitar you’re happy with.

Are Acoustic Guitars or Electric Guitars Better for Beginners?

This question often comes up when someone is considering starting to learn how to play guitar. As a beginner guitar player, the best choice will always be to go with the type of guitar you’re most excited about and interested in learning.

If you can’t get enough of metal or punk, you may want to start learning on an electric guitar. If you’re a big fan of Bob Dylan or Taylor Swift, on the other hand, the best acoustic guitar or the best acoustic-electric guitar might be the better choice.

It’s important that you find a way to stay motivated when you are first learning to play guitar. The best way to do that is to follow your passions and interests and remember why you started playing in the first place.

With that being said, there are a few other things to consider.

The electric guitar is actually physically easier to play compared to the acoustic guitar. Strings are smaller on electric guitars whereas acoustic guitar strings are a bit heavier and harder to press down on. On the other hand, an electric guitar is slightly less convenient, as you will need to power up an amp every time you’re ready to practice and play.

Overall, though, the choice comes down to your own personal interests and preference.

Keep in mind that even if you choose to get an electric guitar, there are some ways to make it sound more like an acoustic. Be sure to check out our post about playing acoustic songs on the electric guitar to learn more.

Our Choices For the Best Electric Guitars for Beginners

Eager to get started on the electric guitar? Here are our favorites.

1. Les Paul Special-II LE Guitar – Our Top Pick for the Best Beginner’s Electric Guitar

Best Epiphone guitar for beginners

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II LE Guitar is another excellent electric guitar for beginners. This bundle offers everything you need to start learning guitar with style. That includes a clip-on tuner, a guitar cable, a guitar strap, medium picks, and a gig bag.

The guitar offers a great sound and tone and comes with two classic humbuckers that are located at both the bridge and the neck of the instrument. Whether you’re interested in getting very clean or overdriven tones, the guitar will give you what you need.

The guitar features a solid mahogany body and top, and a slim maple neck. The guitar also has a 24.75 scale length and a gorgeous rosewood fretboard.

If you’re looking for an instrument that’s in line with the Gibson Les Paul at a very affordable price, then this Epiphone guitar is the choice for you.

Overall, this electric guitar offers an excellent mix of quality craftsmanship, affordability, and style. If you’re looking for the best electric guitar for beginners, this is another worthy choice.

2. Fender Squier Short Scale (24″) Stratocaster

Fender Squier Guitar

The Fender Squier 24″ Short Scale Stratocaster is a great electric guitar for beginners and comes with all of the extras that a budding guitar player will need. It comes with a beginner DVD, a cable, a tuner, a strap, and guitar picks.

The instrument has a slightly shorter scale than other guitars, but beginners aren’t likely to notice the lost 1.5″. This starter electric guitar has a C-shaped maple neck, 20 frets, and 3 single-coil Stratocaster pickups.

While this instrument is on the entry-level side of Fender’s offerings, the brand offers some great quality. The extras included in this package as well as the guitar itself aren’t likely to disappoint even the pickiest of beginner players.

If you’re looking for a great electric guitar as a new guitarist, this is a great option to consider.

3. Yamaha Pacifica Series PAC112V

Best beginner's electric guitar

The Yamaha Pacifica Series PAC112V is a good beginner guitar that offers very good value to players. The guitar offers an excellent sound, a killer tone, and an amazing package that looks great.

This guitar features a solid alder body along with a maple neck and a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. Another plus is that this guitar has several styles and color choices.

For the electronics, this Yamaha guitar also comes with three Alnico V pickups made by Yamaha. The guitar’s humbucker and its two single-coil pickups offer a lot of versatility with the electric guitar’s tone. Additionally, more sounds can be achieved with the included whammy bar.

Overall, this vintage-style guitar is a great choice for new guitarists. If you’re looking for the best electric guitar for beginners, you couldn’t ask for a better guitar to start learning.

4. Jackson JS32 Dinky DKA-M

Best guitar for beginner guitar players

The Jackson JS32 Dinky DKA is another great electric guitar that you can go with if you’re a beginner to the instrument. This Jackson beginner guitar has an excellent look and an attractive and stylish design.

The guitar features sharkfin inlays on the 24-fret fretboard and has very low action, making it ideal for beginners. The guitar also has a basswood body as well as a maple neck and fretboard.

The electronics of the guitar are also great and offer the instrument a great tone and a lot of versatility. This Jackson guitar has a Floyd Rose tremolo system in the bridge and has two high-output humbucker pickups. The pickups are selected with the three-way switch, and you can choose from each pickup or use both simultaneously.

Overall, this Jackson guitar has everything you need to get started. If you need the best electric guitar for beginners, this is another great option and you’ll love the sound this stylish guitar offers.

5. Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus

Best electric guitars for beginners

The next best beginner electric guitar that comes in as our favorite is the Fender Modern Player Telecaster. The Fender Modern Player Telecaster comes at an excellent price tag and is the perfect choice for new guitarists. However, it has some of the qualities a more experienced player would appreciate as well.

The guitar has a very iconic look and has a single-cutaway solid pine body. The guitar’s C-shaped maple neck is very comfortable and easy to play and features 22 jumbo frets on a maple fretboard.

This electric guitar offers a versatile tone and electric sound due to the three separate pickups that influence the sound in varying ways. The guitar features a Tele single-coil pickup at the guitar’s neck, a humbucker at the bridge, and a Strat single-coil pickup in the middle. A five-way switch on the guitar is used to select the pickup used and helps you to create many great electric sounds.

Overall, this is one of the best electric guitars for new guitar players and has a great modern look. It offers high-quality craftsmanship and features everything you need on a first guitar. It more than deserves a spot on our list of the best electric guitar for beginners. Especially if matched with a killer tube amp, this guitar is sure to give an amazing tone.

6. Squier Vintage Modified ’51

Best electric guitar for beginners

The Squier Vintage Modified ’51 is our next best beginner electric guitar choice and is one of the best from the popular Squier line of guitars. This is a vintage model guitar that has an excellent attractive design and is very playable.

The body mirrors the Stratocaster, and mixed with the Stratocaster headstock gives a distinctive look. The double-cutaway guitar also has a maple neck and fretboard with 21 medium-jumbo frets.

The guitar features a standard Strat single-coil pickup in the neck and an open-coil humbucker on the bridge. The guitar can create some great tones and has a versatility that electric guitarists will love.

Beginners will also be happy to learn that this guitar comes at a very affordable price that will be great for getting started with.

Overall, this is another great choice that looks great and sounds just as amazing. This is one of the best starter electric guitars available today.

Choosing the Ideal Electric Guitar for Your Needs

If you’re ready to get started playing guitar then you’re making a great decision that may just affect the rest of your life.

It’s important to choose the best electric guitar for beginners so that you’re sure to set off on your journey on the right foot. By choosing one of the above electric guitars to get started with, you’ll have the best chance at creating a lasting love for playing the guitar.

Looking for the best electric guitar pedals to go with your beginner electric guitar? Check out our list of the best cheap guitar pedals for electric guitar now.