Name: Electric Guitar Buying Guide: Deciding Which One to Buy - Pro Sound HQ
Brand: prosoundhq.com
SKU: prosoundhq-com-3
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Electric Guitar Buying Guide: Deciding Which One to Buy - Pro Sound HQ

preview

Skip to contentChoosing which electric guitar to buy is a tough choice, whether you’re a beginner or a professional player with years of experience. In this article, I’ll take you through everything you need to consider and how to narrow down your choices so you purchase the best electric guitar for you.The best way to choose which electric guitar to buy, is to make a list of around 10 models in your budget that look suitable, then try them in the store. You should look for the electric guitar which sounds, looks and feels best to you, and consider how versatile the guitar needs to be.A few key questions you can ask yourself are:This is a pretty big topic, so in order to help you make the right decision, I’ve split this article into the following sections.There are three main types of electric guitar:Solid body guitars are the most popular type and what people usually think of when they picture an electric guitar. They are very versatile and do not suffer from feedback issues.Semi-hollow and hollow body guitars are lighter and generally suit cleaner tones more, since they are susceptible to feedback. This is why they are often used for genres like jazz, blues and even indie. The advantage, is that they typically sound more resonant and acoustic, which suits some styles of music more than a solid body. They are also lighter than solid body guitars, despite having a larger frame.I’ve written full articles comparing semi-hollow and hollow body guitars and comparing solid and semi-hollow guitars if you want to learn more.You can identify a semi-hollow or hollow body electric guitar as they will have either one or two “f-holes” on the front of the body.For most players, a solid body guitar is usually the preferred choice, especially for beginners who are unsure of what music style they want to play, or have their heart set on using lots of distortion instead of clean tones.With the solid body electric guitar family, there are multiple different shapes. Here are the most common:Although these shapes were originally released by Fender and Gibson, there are multiple very similar designs offered by other popular brands such as Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, Schecter, Yamaha and PRS.When considering shape, you need to decide which looks the best, and feels the comfiest to you. Although this is all personal preference there are some things you can keep in mind:Choosing an electric guitar that sounds great is of course, extremely important. However, tone is subjective and what sounds good to me, might not sound good to you. Some players are looking for a specific tone which is hard to achieve with many guitars, and others want something more versatile.The pickups are the most important thing to consider here. There are multiple other factors you can consider including tone wood, shape and size, however the pickups are crucial in dictating how the guitar sounds. If you want to learn more about the other factors, then check out my article on 7 factors that impact how an electric guitar sounds.There are three main types of pickups: single coils, humbuckers and P90s. Here’s a brief outline of each.These pickups can come in a few different designs, so here are some images to illustrate.Some guitars may have either one, two or three pickups, and these can be a mixture of single coils, humbuckers or P90s. Mixing pickup types can provide a guitar with more versatility. I’ve written a full guide to the best pickup configurations if you want to learn more.To complicate things a little further, as well as the different types of pickups, you can also get different technologies. Some pickups are described as “passive” and others are described as “active”.Most guitars have passive pickups, and you are unlikely to find any guitars under $500 with active pickups.Brands such as Fender, Squier, Gibson and Epiphone rarely have active pickups in their guitars. However, brands such as Ibanez, Schecter, Jackson and ESP which are targeted more towards metal players, will use active pickups more commonly.Some pickups also have additional functionality to help make the guitar more versatile.The most common feature is a coil split/ tap function on a humbucker pickup. This allows you to switch from the classic humbucker tone, to a single coil type sound, simply by pushing/ pulling on the tone control of the guitar.When I was looking for a new electric guitar, this was one of the features I specifically looked for, because I wanted to mainly play with high gain but also wanted to option to play more twangy and bright single coil tones.Other guitars also have things like a phase/ parallel switch which allow you to change the tone of the pickups, however this is less commonly seen. You can usually find this function on some of the Fender offset models.Again, these features are usually seen on guitars over $500 and are not typically on beginner level models.Finally, in this section I wanted to quickly mention the different switches and controls commonly found on electric guitars. Here are the main ones:Considering how many controls the guitar has is important if you are looking for something more versatile. However, some players prefer a more simple setup.Check out my article which explains the different controls and switches on electric guitars to learn more about this topic and help you decide which controls you need.In my opinion, comfort is the most important factor to consider when buying an electric guitar, especially for beginners. If you don’t feel comfortable playing the instrument, you simply won’t play it as often and you won’t improve as quickly!It’s hard to tell you in this article which guitar will be most comfortable to you, because it’s so subjective. Although you can definitely get used to playing a certain guitar, you are likely to gel more with some shapes and sizes than others, making the learning process a lot easier.The best way to figure out which guitar is more comfortable is of course, to try it in a store. Even if you’re a complete beginner, you can sit and stand with the instrument and try holding some strings with your fretting hand and strumming to get a feel for the instrument.There are several factors to consider when talking about playability. Some can be altered after you’ve purchased the guitar and others can’t.Cannot be Changed:Can be Changed After Purchase:Let’s focus on the factors that can’t be altered first.The other factors which can be changed include the string gauge and action (height the string is in comparison to the fretboard). These can be altered during a guitar’s “set-up”, where you can take the instrument to a guitar tech in the store to make changes to improve the playability.I’m a big believer that you should choose a guitar which appeals visually to you, and that this is a massive factor to consider when making your purchase. There are so many models of electric guitar on the market today, that you don’t have to sacrifice playability or tone for looks, and it’s definitely possible to get all three on most budgets.Try not to be too heavily influenced by friends when making your decision. Although it’s a good idea to choose a similar style or colour of guitar to your favourite player as it can inspire you to play more often, it’s best to mostly ignore the opinions of friends and relatives when choosing the best looking guitar.I’ve been guitar shopping with friends before who’ve told me that a guitar I really liked the look of, looked too plain and boring, but actually really appealed to me. It’s daft, but it’s easy to get influenced by other people, so choose the guitar that looks the coolest to you!There are a few things to consider here:One of the biggest questions new players ask when choosing an electric guitar, is what’s the difference between a cheap and expensive model?Usually more expensive guitars have better hardware, pickups, tone wood and more premium finishes compared to cheaper guitars. More expensive guitars are often made with more attention to detail and care (as opposed to being mass produced), and go through more rigorous quality control before being shipped.Here what usually changes as the price increases:One thing to note, is that a beginners can play affordable models, or the most expensive. There is no difference in terms of how complicated the guitar is to play when the price increases. So cost and ability level are not at all related, and you should just choose a guitar to suit your budget.I’m very much a believer in the saying “if it sounds good, it is good”. This is why I don’t worry too much about where a guitar was made and the brand it was made by, when making my decision.Many players believe that American made guitars are the best quality, followed by Japanese, Korean and Mexican, and that Chinese and Indonesian-made guitars are the worst quality because they are often mass produced. Whilst there may be a rough trend to show this, it’s best to take each guitar individually and forget about the “rules” you’ve heard.Focus on choosing a guitar that sounds, looks and feels best to you, and worry less about what it says on the headstock.However, it is important to note that some brands make guitars tailored to different music styles and players than others. This determines the tone, look and feel of the instrument.For example, Fender and Gibson make more traditional and vintage looking and sounding guitars, whereas Ibanez and ESP make guitars which look and sound more modern and aggressive.I’ve made this graphic below to show where popular brands fall on the spectrum in my opinion. However, keep in mind that a lot of these brands have very vast ranges, so it’s possible to find a Fender that can suit a metal player, and an Ibanez that works best for jazz.If you’re struggling to choose between brands, check out these articles:So how do you actually figure out which electric guitar you should get out of the thousands of options available. Here’s my preferred method:Once you’ve got your list of guitars, ring up your local guitar store and see how many they have in stock. Just focus on the model and not the colour here. You just need to try them out and you don’t actually need to end up buying them from that specific shop.Try as many guitars from your list as you can, but keep your eyes open for any other models that appeal to you in the store, as they may have a slightly different selection.This is the step where you decide which sounds and feels best to you. If you’re an experienced player, then try the following:You should be comparing how the neck profile feels, the neck finish you prefer (satin or gloss), access to the upper frets, the weight and position when sitting and standing with the guitar.Make sure you utilise all the controls on the guitar including the pickup selector, tone and volume knobs, and the coil split/ tap function if the guitar has one.Even if you’re a beginner, you can still try sitting and standing with the guitar, and strum a few notes and try holding a few frets to see how the instrument feels. To get an idea of the tone, ask the guitar assistant to play a few chords and riffs.Take your time, guitars are expensive so you need to choose the right one.After trying the models on your list, you’re likely to have narrowed it down to 2 or 3. At this point, it’s best to think about which looks the best to you, as this is the one you’re most likely to play more!This is the process I used to buy my electric guitar and I was more than happy with my final decision. I tried a PRS SE Custom 24 in my local store, however they didn’t have the colour I wanted, so I pick it up online instead.Ordering a guitar online is completely fine to do (if it’s brand new), just make sure you’ve already tried that model in the store, and you’re purchasing it from a reputable shop.Guitar Center are always the first place I look at when I’m interested in a new electric guitar because have a huge range of models for sale and always have some excellent deals on. Here’s a link to take you directly to Guitar Center’s electric guitar range so you can see all the offers available at the moment.&nbsp;Getting a second-hand guitar is a great way to get a premium instrument, on a smaller budget. However, you need to be quite cautious and I’d advise against any beginners or inexperienced players getting a used guitar as there are several things you need to look out for.You need to know how old the guitar is, if it has any faults/ cosmetic damage and if it has been repaired or any parts changed in the past.Also, make sure you check the guitar carefully for any fret buzz. I bought my previous guitar second-hand, and unfortunately noticed fret buzz when it was too late because I didn’t check it properly when I tried it out. Even a very experienced guitar tech told me that it couldn’t be fixed, so it wasn’t a very good purchase!Keep in mind that the guitar will likely need a set-up, or at the very least a fretboard clean and string change. Often this can cost anywhere from $25-$75 depending on how much work it needs, so keep this in mind when buying a used model.In terms of how much money you can save on a second-hand guitar, it really depends on the brand. Some brands such as Gibson and Fender hold their value better than other brands such as Ibanez and ESP.Here’s a quick table to show the average prices of new models and used models which are very good condition.I’ve also written a full guide with tonnes of examples of how much used guitars are in comparison to brand new models. Check it out if you want to see what the average saving is.The three most popular electric guitars are the Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul. Squier also make more affordable versions of the Strat and Tele, whilst Gibson make a more affordable version of the Les Paul. These instruments look the most iconic and produce recognisable tones that are difficult to achieve with other guitars.I’ve written a full guide comparing the Strat, Tele and Les Paul which you can check out if you’re trying to decide between these three.You can find affordable, entry-level versions of these guitars which start at around $150, and premium models which cost several thousands, plus everything in between. This is one of the reasons why these models are still so popular today.If you’re looking for something more catered towards the metal scene, then check out the following brands:Alternatively, if you want a semi-hollow/ hollow body, then these brands offer great options:Brands that offer a wide selection of versatile guitars include:If you’re struggling to choose between brands, check out these articles:I also have multiple in-depth comparison between specific guitar models:If you’re getting into the electric guitar for the first time, then you’ll also need some other equipment to get started properly.You can play the electric guitar unplugged, but you need an amplifier to get the full experience. You can either purchase an amp separately, or in a “starter pack” which includes a guitar, amp and cable at a discounted price.The starter packages are perfect for beginners who want to keep their spending to a minimum, but if you have your heart set on a particular guitar or amp, don’t be afraid to stray from the pack.To help you make your decision, check out my complete checklist of everything you need to play the electric guitar.Here are some more articles you might find useful:Squier have recently released a new series of electric guitars, the Sonic series. The Squier Sonic series replaces the previous Bullet series and offers the most affordable entry-level guitars. The...Continue ReadingOne of the most confusing specifications on electric, acoustic and bass guitars is the fret size. What does it actually mean? And why does it matter? In this article I'll explain everything you need...Continue ReadingHey, welcome Pro Sound HQ. I created this website to share everything I've learnt over the past 15 years of playing guitar. You'll find amp controls guides, tips to improve your tone, and answers to loads of specific issues. Thanks for visiting!Prosoundhq.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Prosoundhq.com is also a member of other affiliate programmes. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Skip to contentChoosing which electric guitar to buy is a tough choice, whether you’re a beginner or a professional player with years of experience. In this article, I’ll take you through everything you need to consider and how to narrow down your choices so you purchase the best electric guitar for you.The best way to choose which electric guitar to buy, is to make a list of around 10 models in your budget that look suitable, then try them in the store. You should look for the electric guitar which sounds, looks and feels best to you, and consider how versatile the guitar needs to be.A few...

Electric Guitar Buying Guide: Deciding Which One to Buy - Pro Sound HQ

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS