If you’ve stepped into the world of guitar, then welcome! From my experience, the right guitar is the one that feels good under your fingers, sounds inspiring, and makes you want to play every day, not the one that costs the most. After my own experiences and studying buying-guide resources, I’ve prepared an explanation, and an outline containing eight quality guitars perfect for beginners to consider.
How to Choose the Right Beginner Guitar
Before you fall for a specific brand or color, you should keep a few fundamentals in mind which come from expert advice.
Acoustic vs Electric
Decide which style you prefer:
- Acoustic. No amp needed, great for singer-songwriters folk, unplugged. More spontaneous.
- Electric. Requires an amp and cable, but easier to press strings, and you can go from clean to high gain.
Decide what you want to play and keep in mind the budget for the additional accessories.
Snap and Size
The instrument has to be playable:
- The scalelength and neck size. It is said that necks of smaller circumference are easier for beginners.
- Age and body height: If you are younger or smaller frame, body of lesser size or shorter scale is helpful.
- Action: Ensure that the guitar has low action and is well intonated. a guitar that is poorly set up has the potential to kill enthusiasm.
Craftsmanship and Worth
A budget beginner guitar doesn’t mean junk. You want:
- A good tuners, bridge and other hardware.
- A reputable brand or model that has had good reviews.
- One that you won’t outgrow too easily. As one guide states: “… the sweet spot for a quality beginner electric guitar sits between $200 and $700.”
- If you go too cheap, you run the risk of becoming disappointed with playability.
What applies for the growth.
Pick one you will grow with not one that will have you scratching your head a couple of months later. you can rest assured that most of the good starting options will still be perfectly usable, even as you improve.
Think about what the upgrade or resale value will be.
Accessories and Budget
Realistically, budget for picks, a tuner, and an electric amp, and case if required.
One article: “Out of all types … electric guitars are by far the most popular style used in modern music … they are easier to play … available in many sizes.”
So now we add everything together to measure expense vs value.
Emotion & Inspiration
Finally: the guitar should excite you. If you get one that you don’t like the look or the sound of, you will avoid picking it up. This one factor affects practice frequency more than any spec.
Here’s a snapshot of each guitar:
Fender FA-25 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar. This is a budget guitar for acoustic guitar professionals. Great construction. Full-size dreadnought. Great for beginners that want acoustic guitar first.
Yamaha JR-1 3/4 Acoustic Guitar. 3/4 size guitar perfect for small children or any beginner with small hands. Great for players of all ages.
Donner DST-80 Beginner Electric Guitar Kit. Beginner bundle that comes with all the necessities. Including the electric guitar which smart choice for beginners who want everything bundled.
Squier Sonic Stratocaster. This is an entry level electric guitar. Great neck and value from a well-known brand.
Squier Affinity Stratocaster. This is an advanced beginner electric guitar. Great longevity and versatility.
For the electric, the Jackson JS22 Dinky DKA Electric Guitar comes in at the next price point up. It is an outstanding choice for an upgrade, assuming you want to upgrade.
As for Recommendation for Most Beginners
If I had to pick one guitar to serve as a center point for most beginners: It would be the Squier Affinity Stratocaster (electric) or the Fender FA-25 (acoustic). Both serve price, quality and longevity.
If you are smaller framed or younger: go for the Yamaha JR-1.
If your budget is extremely tight: I suggest the Harley Benton ST-20HSS or starter bundles.
Decide first if you want an electric or acoustic guitar. This depends on your music goals and budget too. If you want electric, add an amp and accessories to your budget. For acoustic, consider the body size and your comfort.
Guitars need to be setup properly for optimal use. Make sure that your guitar has the action adjusted, the strings changed, and is set up properly so you don’t battle the instrument.
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