The best beginner guitars are, in my opinion, is any guitar you can get your hands on when you’re learning. Now there are guitars that are made with the beginner in mind (which I will cover briefly below), but honestly any guitar you can get is great to learn with.
When I first started, I played with my mom’s old nylon string guitar. These guitars are great for finger-pickers,but it wasn’t that great to learn on due to the neck being much larger than your average guitar.
I eventually got a hold of a very cheap electric guitar which worked out well for me because the neck was thing and helped my small hands and fingers.
Later, I picked up a cheap acoustic guitar with a hard back that would allow me to bang it around. And bang it around I did! I didn’t know how to correctly care for a guitar at the time so it was a good guitar for me.
When you eventually get good and serious about guitar, that’s when you begin to save your money so that you can purchase a great guitar that will last you for a life time. I have both an amazing electric and acoustic guitar that I now use.
Let’s talk about some brief basics for beginners and some advice about getting new guitars.
Best Beginner Guitar
Learning the basic lessons on an acoustic guitar is recommended before moving on to an electric guitar.
The reason for this is that an acoustic guitar is actually harder to play, in my opinion of course. It takes more strength and stamina to play a song on an acoustic.
Once you get familiar with the techniques in playing an acoustic guitar, you will find it easier to adapt to an electric guitar.
I would like to add that an electric guitar needs to be played much more smoothly due to the fact that when plugged in to an amp, the strings are much more sensitive to the touch.
So, don’t play the electric with the same verocity and speed that you play with an acoustic guitar – you will not get the results you desire.
If you are a beginner who plans to buy a guitar, start with an inexpensive but a decent quality one. Once you reach the proficiency level, you can upgrade to a better one.
Best Beginner Guitar for Kids
For your child to easily learn to play the guitar, you need to get him a size that’s comfortable for his hands.
As noted earlier, I had this trouble because I simply have small hands and fingers. I’m a small guy, what can I say?
Many guitar brands like Baby Taylor offer junior model guitars that are meant for kids. A junior model at Taylor Guitars is ¾ the size of the normal acoustic guitar. It is meant for kids who are more than seven years old, and is available at around $300.
You can also make a trip to Best Buy or other stores where they sell $99 start up guitars. I think these are great for kids to learn on because they’re cheap and offer a starting foundation.
If your child decides later on that guitar isn’t for him or her, you’re only out $99 which is no big deal at all.
Electric guitars also come in junior sizes for children who have advanced skills in playing the guitar. Generally, a good electric guitar ranges from a hundred dollars to a couple of thousands.
Unless you are a professional guitar player, you should only consider buying a standard guitar and not the ones on the expert category.
Brands like Epiphone, Yamaha, Squier, and ESP have quality and good sounding guitars for beginners and intermediate players.
The GigMaker Electric pack at Yamaha for example, costs around $260 and already contains a guitar case, chromatic tuner, 15-watt guitar amplifier, belt, string set, and plectrums. The ones at ESP Standard Series are also suggested for beginners.
Want To Learn Bass Guitar?
Perhaps you’re interested in only learning bass guitar. This is fine as well because the bass guitar is actually a very fun instrument to play.
I play both guitar and bass and I find both of them equally rewarding as they both play very large roles in the band setting.
Yamaha and Ibanez have made a good name when it comes to bass guitars for beginners. Other brands like Epihpone and Squier also produce good bass guitars for new learners.
If you are looking for an expensive looking bass guitar at a decent price, you can check out the Ibanez GSR200 at $200. It is weighs lightly and has a slim neck, making it easier to handle.
Another good choice is the Squier Jazz bass, which is a cheaper counterpart of the famous Fender Jazz bass. It costs around $300.
Other suitable choices for beginner bass guitars are the Ephiphone Le Paul Special and the Yamaha RBX374.
Starting with the right type of instrument is important for beginners in learning to play the guitar. Choosing the standard type that fits one’s level of skill is recommended.
More importantly, one should go for the type and size of guitar that is most comfortable for him or her.
