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Find the Best Electric Guitar to Start With!

Great Beginner Electric Guitars at a Glance:

Rank	Feature Image	Rating	Relative Price
#1 Best Beginner Guitar Squier Affinity Stratocaster Beginner Pack		(4.7)	$$$
#2 Best Budget Package LyxPro Electric Guitar Complete Beginner Starter kit		(4.4)	$$
#3 Best for Hard Rock Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Package		(4.4)	$$$
#4 Best Vintage Starter Pack Maestro by Gibson Electric Guitar Starter Package		(3.9)	$$
#5 Best Standalone Instrument Ibanez GRX70 Electric Guitar		(4.4)	$$$

Purchasing your very first electric guitar, either for yourself or for your child, can be very exciting. It can also get a little confusing if you’re not familiar with some of the terminologies, or simply don’t know what to look for.

Luckily for you, seeking out the best electric guitar for beginners has resulted in a few good choices available in today’s market, coming in a variety of prices to fit various budgets.

In Review: The Top 5 Electric Guitars for Beginners

1. Overall Best Beginner Guitar: Squier Affinity Stratocaster Beginner Pack

Best balance of build quality, playability, sound versatility and reputation.

AFFINITY SERIES STRATOCASTER HSS PACK (371824009)

You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to have the look and feel of a Fender Stratocaster. In fact, you can get a low-end version of this guitar, and it is made by Fender, so you know it is going to be a quality instrument, even if it is inexpensive.

The Fender Squier was introduced to the world in 1982, and is mainly produced overseas, at factories that are mainly located in China and other parts of Asia. They are able to manufacture these guitars with cost-efficient materials, and bring the savings to you.

This is a bundle package, so not only do you get the Squier Affinity guitar, you also get everything needed, including virtual lessons, to jump right in and start playing. All the student needs to do is tune it up and it is ready to play, right out of the box.

Read What Squier Starter Strat Pack Customers are Saying >>

Key Features

• This bundle package comes with the Squier electric guitar, and all of the necessary accessories. The bundle includes the guitar, a 15G practice amp, instrument cable, shoulder strap, and extra guitar picks
• This guitar has a lightweight body making it a great choice. It has one humbucking pickup and two single-coil pickups, which provide a broad range of sounds plus that classic Stratocaster tone
• The Squier Affinity Stratocaster has a master volume control and a master tone control, with chrome finish hardware. The tuning machines are standard die-cast, and there is a three-ply, white pick guard

Squier Affinity Stratocaster Pack Review

What Do Squier Affinity Strat Owners Think? >>

Summary

Most kids would love to start out on a real Strat, but this is just way too much money to spend on a beginner. The Squier Affinity Strat Starter Pack is the ideal compromise, because you still get the Fender quality, and the Strat style, without the regular Strat price.

This bundle package is a great deal, with everything the student needs, and it is a guitar that they can learn and grow with.

2. Best Budget Package: LyxPro Electric Guitar with 20w Amp Package

Offers the most complete range of included accessories.

LyxPro 39 inch Electric Guitar Kit Bundle with 20w Amplifier, All Accessories, Digital Clip On Tuner, Six Strings, Two Picks, Tremolo Bar, Shoulder Strap, Case Bag Starter kit Full Size - Red

Let’s face it. One of the coolest guitars on the planet is the Fender Stratocaster, but who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a guitar for a kid who is just starting out, and might not even stay interested in playing?

Get them a great little guitar that looks just like a Strat, but comes in a bundle kit that costs less than $200? That guitar is the LyxPro electric guitar, and it comes in a bundle package with everything they need to open the box and start playing.

This is a full-size, 39-inch electric guitar that is ideal for both beginner and intermediate players, so it is a guitar that is going to grow with your young learner. It has a solid wood body, with a neck made from Canadian maple and a rosewood fretboard.

Check LyxPro Electric Guitar Customer Reviews >>

Key Features

• This guitar has S-S-S pickups, along with a one-way tremolo and a pickup switch. It also has separate volume and tone controls. All of the controls are laid out as they are on a Strat, so they are familiar and easy to reach and manipulate
• The bundle package includes the full-size, 39-inche electric LyxPro electric guitar, a 20-watt amplifier, a digital clip-on tuner, two picks, a set of extra strings, a shoulder strap, a tremolo bar, and a gig bag
• The 20-watt amp is great for beginners. It is just loud enough for them to be able to practice, and not so loud that it is going to drive everyone in the house crazy. It offers a quality sound, which is important for ear training

LyxPro Electric Guitar with 20w Amp Review

What Do LyxPro Customers Think? >>

Summary

It isn’t often that we find a guitar that we have no complaints about, especially one in this price range, but this is one of those rarities.

We like pretty much everything about this guitar. As far as the price goes, this bundle package is costlier than others we are looking at today, but when you consider the quality of the instrument and accessories, you really are getting a pretty great deal.

3. Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Package

For heavier rock tones, this is the package for you.

Epiphone has been creating innovative guitar designs for the past century and they are well known for producing fine crafted instruments.

This Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Package is known for the great sound quality, which it produces due to the open-coil humbucker and the solid wood body. This produces a great quality of sound without buzz, whether you use it for clean tones or on overdrive.

It may be more expensive than the others listed here but it offers a better quality guitar with additional useful accessories that beginners will certainly use. It is the best electric guitar for beginners who are really picky with the sound quality that their guitar produces.

It is a less expensive alternative that is great for beginners to practice on before they upgrade into the more expensive Fender or Gibson guitars.

The complete package contains the guitar, an amp, a guitar cable, a tuner, picks, gig bag, and a clip-on tuner. It comes in various colors to suit your preference and it is also available in different game configurations for compatibility to your game console.

Click Here to Check Epiphone Les Paul Player Package Availability >>

Key Features

• The player package includes a Les Paul Special-II LTD guitar
• The guitar has two classic humbucker pickups
• The package includes a 10-watt amp, 10’ guitar cable, gig bag, guitar strap, picks, and clip-on tuner
• Solid wood guitar body and mahogany neck
• Fretboard is made from rosewood
• Right-handed guitar
• Has the Les Paul signature to easily identify it as a great quality guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Guitar Player Pack Review

Are Epiphone Customers Happy? >>

Summary

The Epiphone Les Paul certainly offers up strong tones and great playability backed by a top brand name manufacturer. For more information on the guitar itself, read our full review here.

4. Best Vintage Style Starter Package: Maestro by Gibson Electric Guitar

Classic Gibson style priced for entry level beginners.

Maestro by Gibson Electric Guitar Starter Package, Vintage Sunburst

Everyone wants to play a Gibson or a Fender guitar, but many people think that they can’t have a quality guitar from either of these manufacturers without having to spend a ton of money. If this is what you’ve been thinking, it’s time to think again.

Both manufacturers offer some great quality, low-end guitars, including the Maestro by Gibson. This electric guitar comes with a starter package, so you have everything you need to start playing right away.

This is a cutaway guitar that’s similar in design to the early Les Paul body style Gibson guitars that are so sought-after. The classic design lets you play comfortably, both while sitting and standing, and it offers an ideal tone for anyone who wants to play rock and roll.

Read What Maestro Customers are Saying >>

Key Features

• The Maestro by Gibson has a Linden wood body, along with a solid maple neck and rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, making it look as great as it sounds. You will love the classic sunburst pattern that is common in Gibson guitars
• This guitar has a 24.75-inch scale length. This means that there is a lot less tension on the strings, so you don’t have to press on the strings as hard as you would with other guitars. This is great for beginners who haven’t toughened up their fingertips yet
• The tailpiece on this guitar is a traditional, wrap-around design that allows you to enjoy extra sustain, and the precision tuners are die-cast, so the guitar is going to stay in tune longer than other cheap guitars

Maestro Electric Guitar Starter Pack Review

Do Maestro Customers Like the Guitar? >>

Summary

If you really want to play on a Gibson guitar, it is definitely within your reach with the Maestro. This starter package has everything you need to begin learning and playing right away, including a lesson DVD that will help you to get started.

You can buy this guitar for much less than it’s upper-priced counterparts, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money before you decide if you are going to continue learning and playing.

5. Best Standalone Beginner Guitar: Ibanez GRX70 Electric Guitar

If want to start with learning heavier modern tunes, this guitar is your best choice.

Ibanez GIO Series GRX70QA - Transparent Black Sunburst

An affordable take on the many high performance models from the Ibanez company, the GRX70 is an aesthetically pleasing and fun to play guitar.

The Ibanez GRX70 is a guitar designed for beginners and veterans alike who prioritize playability and modern styling above vintage specs.

Known for its fast neck and versatile Humbucker-Single-Humbucker configuration, you can coax a lot of sounds from the GRX70.

Like most guitars in this price range, Ibanez does its best to provide a quality product at a more affordable price. Much like their prized and pricey Joe Satriani and Steve Vai signatures, the GRX70 is all about performance.

This guitar is definitely more to the shred or metal side of the guitar world, but is comfortable and versatile thanks to the fast neck. While the GRX70 isn’t perfect, it should inspire the next wave of lead guitarists and is a great value.

Click Here to Check Davison Guitars Availability >>

Key Features

• Very versatile HSH pickup configuration
• Sports a thin, fast modern neck
• Dive bomb-ready whammy bar
• Can come paired with practice amp
• Ultra affordable guitar for what it is
• Consistently great reviews

Ibanez GRX70 Electric Guitar Review

What Do Ibanez GRX70 Guitar Owners Think? >>

Summary

For a standalone beginner electric guitar, the Ibanez GRX70 represent a superior deal.

If you’re into the heavier side of guitar music, the neck and whammy bar are built for shredding, and the Powersound pickups provide a good bit of tonal versatility.

Having a comfortable neck is one of the most important features in a beginner guitar, and the GRX70 excels in that department.

For more info, read our complete Ibanez GRX70 Electric Guitar review.

Things to Keep in Mind When Buying a Beginner Electric Guitar

Considering the wide range of manufacturers, styles, and options available to those who want to start with a good electric guitar, the choices can be overwhelming and intimidating.

When shopping for the best option that ticks all the boxes for you personally, here are a few key points you should consider:

Budget

First, you should set a budget for the guitar you are purchasing. Just be careful about guitars that seem to be overly cheap. The market is flooded with inferior instruments that we classify as GSOs – Guitar Shaped Objects.

They may not be of the good quality and you can end up wasting your money with them. It is important to also see the quality of the guitar in relation to the price.

Brand

Another thing to consider is the brand. This can help determine whether a guitar is a great choice or not. Most brands that produce professional grade guitar models for performers will also have sub-brands that are targeted towards the entry level beginners.

For example; Gibson use the Epiphone name, Fender uses the Squier name and so on for the lower cost versions of their best guitar designs.

Style

It is also important to consider how you are going to use the guitar. Are you just purchasing a guitar for a game or do you want to really play music with it? You should also think about the certain genre that you are going to play and match your guitar with it.

Our Top 3 Choices for Beginner Electric Guitars:

Best Beginner Electric

AFFINITY SERIES STRATOCASTER HSS PACK (371824009)

Best Budget Package

LyxPro 39 inch Electric Guitar Kit Bundle with 20w...

Best Hard Rock Guitar

Epiphone Les Paul Player Pack, Ebony

Final Verdict on Choosing the Best Electric Guitar For Beginners

Of all the five guitar sets reviewed here, our favourite pick is the Squier Affinity Starter Strat Pack is the best electric guitar for beginners who are looking for a longer lasting guitar made by a reputable manufacturer.

Although it may be a little bit more expensive than some of the others, the quality is that much better.

It also comes with a great set of accessories that beginners will find useful and essential. It’s a great step in purchasing a guitar and learning how to play it. With a good quality brand, you can also expect a good quality product.

EDITOR’S PICK

Squier Affinity Stratocaster Beginner Pack

What Do Squier Affinity Strat Pack Owners Think? >>

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