Electric guitar for a beginner?

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Oneflewover

Landlord.
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
2,364
Reaction score
1,823
Location
Dorsetshire
My 13 year old boy is interested in taking up the guitar. I've no knowledge at all about such things - anyone point me in the right direction? Cheers.
 
Squire Stratocaster or Yamaha Pacifica also a Strat (relatively cheap to buy but good), you will need an amp but can buy new quite cheap, don't get him an acoustic as they're harder to press down the strings and may struggle to get a decent sound and give up.
 
I bought my lad a Squire Stratocaster..he tuned it up with his iPad...now it's AC/DC,Hotel California..and all sorts!! He played violin for ages in secondary school but gave up coz it "wasn't cool" and said the guitar was easier. I got him a uke for Christmas..he loves that!
 
Squire Stratocaster or Yamaha Pacifica also a Strat (relatively cheap to buy but good), you will need an amp but can buy new quite cheap, don't get him an acoustic as they're harder to press down the strings and may struggle to get a decent sound and give up.
Great, thank you. They are in the right sort of price bracket 👍
 
My first guitar was a Fender Strat it it was a really nice guitar but over about 2yrs i really struggled with it.
I could not play bar chords,slide,notes no matter how hard i practiced neither would it stay in tune for more than 5mins (original style whammy bar.}

I traded it in for a Gibson ES-335 just because i liked the look of it nothing else
All of a sudden i could play,!!!!
Bar chords EASY sliding and bending EASY.
The answer turned out to be really simple the guitar had a nice "action" that's all.And it would stay in tune for days at a time,

I know they say a bad workman blames his tools,But in my case it transformed my playing so much i went on to record and even teach professionally.
 
My first guitar was a Fender Strat it it was a really nice guitar but over about 2yrs i really struggled with it.
I could not play bar chords,slide,notes no matter how hard i practiced neither would it stay in tune for more than 5mins (original style whammy bar.}

I traded it in for a Gibson ES-335 just because i liked the look of it nothing else
All of a sudden i could play,!!!!
Bar chords EASY sliding and bending EASY.
The answer turned out to be really simple the guitar had a nice "action" that's all.And it would stay in tune for days at a time,

I know they say a bad workman blames his tools,But in my case it transformed my playing so much i went on to record and even teach professionally.
Quick search suggests the Gibson might be waaaaaay out of his price range 🙂
 
Yup the point of my post was the action,Not the brand.

Its a bit complicated to explain on a post Oneflewover,Basically action is how the guitar is set up and adjusted.
If you buy from a good music shop ask them for a pro setup in my day it cost £30 but a good shop (if you buy from them) should set it up for you.
EDIT As will a lot of private sellers.
 
You would think the manufacturers would attend to these sorts of things but there is a complication.
For example my strat was made in Mexico (cheaper) rather than the USA (Lot more expensive and far superior.)

Nowadays a lot of product is made in China,!!! Quality control----forget it.
Its now down to the purchaser to iron out the wrinkles.
 
One final tip on the subject of action,What is called a low action is much easier to play and saves beginners fretting fingers.
Sore fingers is one reason i would NOT recommend a steel strung acoustic.

Yamaha made a strat "clone" a few years back called the Pacifica I have "breathed" on a few of these,They are excellent value, Were about £100.
 
I will agree electrics are easier to play than acustics, i have a yamaha acustic a 310 my first guitar
10297826_10207654119483608_828941037812003768_n[1].jpg
26167385_10214091903144176_8126802033329235975_n[1].jpg
10297826_10207654119483608_828941037812003768_n[1].jpg
26167385_10214091903144176_8126802033329235975_n[1].jpg
and a squire fender i prefare the yamaha after i fettled it
 
One final tip on the subject of action,What is called a low action is much easier to play and saves beginners fretting fingers.
Sore fingers is one reason i would NOT recommend a steel strung acoustic.

Yamaha made a strat "clone" a few years back called the Pacifica I have "breathed" on a few of these,They are excellent value, Were about £100.
Thanks John, you are the second person to recommend the Yamaha, bit more than 100 notes now, though still in budget
 
I bought my son and Epiphone SG when he was 9. Now 19 and still playing it. It’s good quality for the price point. It’s hard to go wrong with a basic Squire or Epiphone.
If his guitar heroes play Fender go squire, if it’s Gibson go Epiphone. At 14 I was all about Hendrix, Clapton and Rory Gallagher so I went down the strat route. Nowadays I’d probably end up with a Les Paul copy.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top