Buying Guide: How to Choose your First Electric Guitar
Choosing your first electric guitar can be overwhelming with so many options available. This guide highlights key factors to consider to help you find the perfect starter guitar.
Choosing your first electric guitar can be a daunting task, with hundreds of models available on the market. Which one fits your needs best? While there is no universal answer to that question, we'll outline the most important aspects to consider when selecting your first guitar.
First, it's important to mention that brand does matter. You’ll likely want to start with a budget guitar. Not every brand can maintain decent quality at a low price. Harley Benton and Fender are two manufacturers known for their excellent price-to-quality ratios in budget guitars.
Soon, you might want to join a band and perform live. Some budget guitars offer great sound and are suitable for both practice and live concerts. Therefore, durability is as crucial as sound quality. Some Fender models are known for their sturdiness and have proven to be reliable companions for years. With this in mind, we've compiled a list of five guitars that are excellent choices for beginners
Harley Benton ST-20 BK Standard Series see price
The ST-20 is a well-built, versatile guitar. It comes with three single coil pickups, which make it perfect for any genre, especially jazz, blues and rock. Their sound is very close to the one of the classic Fender Stratocaster.
It features a Modern C profile maple neck. Many guitarists prefer this neck shape since it allows you to place your thumb comfortably and slide it without any issues.
The surface of the neck is extremely smooth, which contributes even more to the playability.
Fender Squier Bullet Strat HSS RW BSB see price
The Squier Bullet is an extremely durable and well-sounding beginner guitar. It has that special sound only Fender guitars have.
If you’re a fan of Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, or Jimi Hendrix, then the HSS Bullet Strat would be probably the best starter for you.
Its pickups are not the most expensive ones, but they still have that recognizable signature Fender sound.
Many professional musicians report that it is almost impossible to distinguish a Bullet Strat from an American Standard Strat when performing on stage.
Fender Squier Bullet Strat RW BK see price
This is a modified version of the Bullet HSS with a sound that is more oriented towards blues, jazz and classic rock.
It comes with three Fender single coil pickups, which gives it that slight vintage Fender flavor.
Harley Benton TE-70 Rosewood Deluxe Series see price
The TE-70 strives to re-create the sound of the classic Fender Telecaster.
It features a rosewood fretboard, which adds a lot of warmth to the tone. Its three-way toggle switch allows you to choose between the two pickups. The neck pickup features a mellow, more bass-oriented sound, perfect for lead notes. The bridge pickup sounds rather bright and slightly more aggressive -- It might even work with hard rock and metal when used with the right amp.
While the TE-70 is considered a budget guitar, many guitarists agree that it looks and sounds really close to a real vintage Telecaster.
Talking about aesthetics, it has a very clean and polished finish; it is a very comfortable guitar overall. Its light weight adds to its playability and comfort.
Harley Benton ST-20 SB Standard Series see price
Finally, the Harley Benton ST-20 SB is a special edition ST-20 that comes in a stylish, high-gloss Sunburst finish. This color scheme is very popular, and it has rather deep historical roots. It was originally intended to imitate an aged French polish finish, as applied to violins and other classical instruments.
This golden finish can also be found on many iconic vintage Strats.
While you might choose to upgrade to a more professional model in the future, it is always good to keep the sturdy starter guitar as a workhorse for live performances and as a backup guitar.
Good luck on your musical journey!
About George Cassadrian
One of the two lead singers of Mobvibe, George is an avid songwriter with a refined taste in retro music and beautiful electric guitars.
Contact George Cassadrian at georgecassadrian@musicngear.com
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