How to Choose Your First Electric Guitar – a Complete Guide for Beginners

So you’ve made up your mind: you want to learn to play the guitar – specifically, the electric guitar. Great choice! But before you can rock out, shred, or play the funky sounds, blues licks, driving riffs and wild solos you’re dreaming of, you need to choose the right instrument. The huge range of electric guitars can seem a bit overwhelming, but it gives you the chance to pick your very own dream instrument.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know to choose your first guitar, without getting bogged down in technical details or spending more than you need to.

Key factors to consider when choosing your first guitar

What style of music do you want to play?

How comfortable are the body and neck?

How high is the string action, and how good is the playability?

What sort of sound are you looking for from the pickups?

What is your budget for the instrument and accessories?

An overview of the most popular guitar models

Key Factor #1 for Choosing an Electric Guitar: What Style of Music Do You Want to Play?

The design of the electric guitar – from the body to the neck joint, neck, and headstock, right down to the type of wood – affects playing comfort and sound just as much as the choice of pickups, the presence or absence of a tremolo, and many other details. Ultimately, these differences are the reason why many electric guitars are, at least broadly speaking, associated with certain musical styles. However, there are also ‘all-rounders’ that are versatile enough to be used in a variety of styles.

Rock & Metal – the Sound of Humbuckers

Let’s start straight away with the harder styles. Rock and metal thrive on a fat, warm and distorted guitar sound with plenty of punch. To achieve this, the pickups are crucial. Most rock guitarists opt for so-called humbuckers. These are double-coil pickups which, firstly, deliver the desired punch and, secondly, effectively suppress annoying mains hum even at higher volumes. In metal, active humbuckers with higher output are often used to take this up another notch.

Blues & Classic Rock –Single-Coils Take Centre Stage

In contrast, blues and classic rock rely on a clear and bluesy guitar sound. Instruments fitted with single-coil pickups are therefore particularly popular in these genres. Popular examples include S-style, double-cut or T-style guitars, such as the Stratocaster or Telecaster, some of which can be surprisingly affordable. These electric guitars are renowned for their crisp, versatile and, as a result, assertive sound.

Pop and Indie – Mixing different Pickups for Versatility

Away from the mainstream, guitarists often prioritise originality, versatility and the ability to create their own style. In other words: they don’t want to be pigeonholed; instead, they want to sound unique. Electric guitars featuring a mix of single-coil and humbucker pickups are ideal for this. Indie bands in particular often opt for electric guitars that venture off the beaten path.

Key Factor #2: Body and Neck – Comfort Comes First

The tonal foundation of an electric guitar is defined by the body shape and contouring, the dimensions of the neck – namely the scale length and width – and the neck profile. It’s all about playing comfort – specifically, how easily you can reach certain notes without straining. For beginners, this is a crucial factor depending on their age and height. If you’re about to buy your first electric guitar, always bear in mind: it’s not you who should adapt to the instrument. Instead, the instrument should suit you.

Choose the Right Neck & Body Size

For younger players (approx. 6–11 years old), there are so-called short-scale instruments with a shorter neck scale and a smaller body. This makes fingering much easier. What’s more, these instruments are considerably lighter and thus easier on the shoulders and spine, particularly for beginners whose bodies are still developing. A standard Stratocaster has a scale length of 648 mm, whilst short-scale instruments range from around 480 mm to 580 mm.

Neck Profile and Width – Got Small or Large Hands?

Guitar necks vary not only in length, but also in width and, above all, thickness. As a general rule, narrow necks are often easier to play for beginners and guitarists with smaller hands and fingers, particularly as the fingers still need to get used to stretching and spreading out when playing chords and scales. Wider necks, on the other hand, are better suited to playing chords, as the strings are slightly further apart, giving the fingers more space. In reality, however, the thickness of the neck is a far more important factor than the width. Whilst a neck with a slimmer profile suits beginners with smaller fingers, you’ll benefit from a thicker neck profile if you have larger hands.

Body Shape and Weight – Watch out for your Shoulders and Back

It’s not just the shape of the body that determines how comfortable a guitar is to play, but also the weight. Ultimately, only you can judge whether the shape – with its design, cut-outs, contours and so on – meets your expectations. Can you hold it comfortably whilst sitting or standing? Does the electric guitar sit comfortably against your body? If so, it might be the right one for you.

Weight, on the other hand, is a factor you shouldn’t underestimate. Due to the density of the woods used in their construction, some guitars weigh in at over four kilograms – a weight that can put a considerable strain on your shoulders when standing up. To complicate matters even more, the weight also affects the sound. The rule of thumb is: the heavier the body, the more powerful and sustain-rich the sound. But for the sake of your shoulders, you can also compensate for such nuances with additional equipment such as effects.

Unfortunately, not all manufacturers list the weight of their guitars in the product specifications. The experts in our electric guitar department will be happy to help you. Just get in touch!

Key Factor #3: String Action & Playability

The string action (how high the strings sit above the fretboard) affects how easy or difficult the guitar is to play. If the string action is too high, it becomes difficult to fret the strings. If the strings are too low, they will buzz when you play. In principle, none of this is a problem, as the string action can be adjusted at any time – most electric guitars allow for adjusting the height of each string individually. With a bit of experience, you can even do this yourself using the right tools. The neck angle can also be adjusted. However, if you’re not yet experienced, it’s best not to attempt this yourself; instead, have it done by a qualified professional.

Key Factor #4: Pickups – the Sound Makers

The pickups are largely responsible for the sound of your electric guitar. There are four main types:

• Single-coil pickups: These are known for their bright, clear and assertive sound; perfect for funk, blues, indie or pop.
• Humbuckers: These pickups feature two coils. As a result, they deliver a warm and rich sound, ideal for rock, metal and anything involving heavily distorted sounds.
• P-90: These are ‘fat’ single-coils, and that’s exactly how they sound. P-90s deliver the clarity and treble of standard single-coils, but with the warmth and punch of a humbucker. They’re superb all-rounders, from rock and blues to pop and funk.
• Active pickups: These models feature a built-in preamp that amplifies the weak signal from the coils directly within the instrument. This means they deliver a loud, precise and, above all, noise-free signal, even at higher volumes. They’re a favourite with modern metal bands.

Like many others before you, you could now decide to commit to your sound preferences early on by opting for a guitar fitted with single-coils or one with humbuckers. Or you could keep all your options open and prioritise versatility. Many beginner guitars feature a mix of single-coil and humbucker pickups: the humbucker for distorted sounds, and the single-coils for clean, undistorted and slightly overdriven sounds.

Key Factor #5: Budget & Accessories

That leaves the question of what budget you have available and how much money you’ll need to spend. The good news is that your first electric guitar doesn’t have to break the bank. Even so, bear in mind that, as a beginner, you absolutely deserve an instrument that works properly and is playable. You won’t yet be able to compensate for any quirks the instrument might have. With this in mind, quality certainly pays off, but you don’t need to spend a fortune. A price range of around 150–400 dollars or euros is perfectly acceptable for a beginner’s guitar. However, keep in mind that the guitar isn’t the only thing you’ll need to purchase, as an electric guitar won’t produce any sound without the necessary accessories, such as an amplifier and a cable. You should also factor in the cost of a strap, picks, a tuner and a case for transporting the guitar to music school, the rehearsal room or your first gig.

Quick tip: A guitar bundle is a great place to start, as its components are perfectly matched – from the electric guitar and accessories right down to the beginner’s amp. This saves you the hassle of putting the components together yourself.

Overview of the Most Popular Guitar Models

Let’s now take a look at the most common, best known, and therefore most important electric guitar models. After all, knowing your guitar 101 is a great help when choosing your first guitar:

Les Paul

An electric guitar with a warm, full-bodied tone and strong sustain – ideal for rock and blues. The ‘Paula’ usually has two humbucker pickups and a single-cut body shape (with a cutaway).

Stratocaster

Visually, it stands out with its offset cutaways; sonically, it is known for its clear, bell-like tone and versatile sound thanks to its three single-coil pickups. Its ergonomic design and vibrato system make it an icon of rock and pop.

Telecaster

The Telecaster is a simple, robust guitar with two single-coil pickups and a bright, twangy sound. It is particularly popular in country, rock and indie music for its characteristic ‘twang’ – a very mid-range sound.

SG

The SG has a slim body, is lightweight and has a sharp, assertive sound. It is often used in classic and heavy rock – Angus Young of AC/DC is arguably the best-known SG player.

Hollow-body guitars

These instruments are also known as semi-acoustic guitars. They are hollow inside, much like an acoustic guitar, and have a warm, resonant tone. This style is particularly popular in jazz and blues.

Metal guitars

Designed for metal and heavier styles, often featuring active humbuckers for an aggressive sound with high distortion. Usually with very distinctive, angular shapes.

Conclusion: Choosing your first Electric Guitar

Your first electric guitar is far more than just an instrument. It’s your gateway to a whole new world and will soon become your best friend. It should be comfortable to play, versatile in terms of sound and suited to your style. Have a look at different models; perhaps you could even try out a friend’s instrument to get a feel for it. Otherwise, we offer a 30-day returns policy on all items, so you can get to know the guitar at home at your leisure without any worries.

Electric guitars at thomann.de

If you’d like to browse our range yourself, click on the link above to have a look!

Choosing your first Electric Guitar: Got Questions?

Any questions? Feel free to leave us a comment or contact our team by clicking the ‘Need Help?’ button on any product page! All our advice is, of course, free of charge and without obligation.

You’ll find all our contact details via this link.

You’re also welcome to pop in and try out guitars at our huge showroom in Treppendorf.

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Your Feedback and Experiences

We’d love to hear your feedback on whether this guide has been of any help to you. And even if you’re already an experienced guitarist, you can help the community by sharing your tips and experiences. Feel free to leave a comment!