Best Electric Guitar for beginners?

I am often asked for recommendations on first electric guitars suitable for beginners (particularly school students) who are just starting out. It can be overwhelming for beginners with so many brands and models available on the market.

I think its important for students who are enthusiastic about practicing the guitar and wish to play more contemporary rock/pop/blues styles to explore the electric guitar sooner rather than later as it really opens up a lot of learning opportunities that do not exist on nylon/acoustic guitars.

Firstly, it's important to consider the age, size, and skill level of the student. For younger or smaller students below the age of 10, a 3/4 size guitar may be more suitable. For older or more advanced students, a full-size guitar may be better.

In terms of brands, I would recommend reputable guitar manufacturers such as Squier by Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, Jackson, Charvel, Gretsch and Epiphone. These brands offer quality instruments that are affordable for beginners and produce a good sound.

A great and typical first option for beginners is to purchase a guitar combo pack. These packs typically include the guitar, an amplifier, and a few basic accessories such as a strap, cable, and picks. This can be a cost-effective way to get everything you need to start playing. Combo’s usually range from $300-$500 from local shops such as Mannys, Concept and Kosmic Sounds.

My first electric guitar was a Squier Bullet Strat combo. My parents had initially got me 3/4 size nylon string guitar to see if I enjoyed it and after seeing my enthusiasm they got me the electric so I could start playing Smoke on the Water properly.

One combo pack these days that I would recommend is the Squier Affinity Strat Pack HSS. It includes a Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster HSS guitar, a Fender Frontman 15G amplifier, a gig bag, cable, strap, and picks. The HSS (Humbucker-Single-Single) pickup configuration allows for a versatile range of sounds and the guitar is comfortable to play for beginners.

Another combo option is the Yamaha Gigmaker310 Pack. It includes a Yamaha Pacifica guitar, a Yamaha GA15II amplifier, a gig bag, strap, tuner, cable, picks, and an instructional DVD. The Pacifica guitar is known for its comfortable playability and good sound quality.

These are not the only options of course, and you can definitely buy an amp and Electric guitar seperately.

For $300-500 you can get some very decent and unique guitars second hand. One of my favorite guitars I currently play is a Formentin Strat (a stratocaster made by Rob Formentin in WA). I luckily purchased it for $400 however its worth would be in the $1000-2000 range.

If you see any options you might like on Gumtree or Marketplace - send them my way and I’ll give you my 10c.

In terms of amps, small amps like the Roland Micro Cube are great for beginners. They have a quality sound and are not too loud around the house. Importantly they also contain in-built amibent and modulation effects like Delay/Reverb and Chorus that can be very fun to explore when practicing.

Whatever you decide I think it’s important to try the guitar before you buy, especially if its 2nd hand. It’s a lot of fun going to a music shop and trying a few options to see what you prefer!