More and more people who want to learn how to play the guitar are turning towards an electric guitar as their first instrument of choice, and there are a number of very good reasons for doing this. Ease of playing is one of them and cost is another. There’s not much doubt that you get more of a guitar for your money with electrics than you do with acoustics.

So what should you look for when buying one?

Quality is the answer, and this is not always reflected in the price, nor are you likely to find it in the packages being sold in supermarket chains. Take my tip and find a privately owned specialist shop where they have the time and knowledge to help you in your search. They also have a vested interest in making sure you get exactly what you want. They are out to make a lifelong customer, not a fast buck.

There are two main things to consider when buying an electric guitar: the tuning action (machine) and the pickups. Both need to be top quality or you are in for a miserable time with your new guitar. This is one reason why it’s a good idea to take an experienced player with you when you go shopping for your first guitar, but if that’s not possible there are still a number of things you can do.

First of all, try a number of guitars, even those outside your price range, so that you can get a feel for the difference between them. In the case of electric guitars you may be surprised to find how little difference there is in the actual feel of the guitar. The money, in the case of electrics, is in the machine!

However there are differences in dimensions that may be important to you, particularly in the fretboard, and you need to make sure these won’t hamper your learning curve. A good way to do this, if you know how, is to try holding down a C, G and A chord. You don’t need to play them, just ensure that you can reasonably comfortably stretch your fingers across the fretboard for the C and G chords, and that you can fit three fingers in a triangle shape between the second and third frets on three adjacent strings without fouling the strings on either side. If you can’t do that the neck is to narrow for you.

If you find a guitar you like, get the shop to tune it for you and then twang the strings around for a bit (or get someone to play it for you), do some bends if you know how, and then check the tuning again. If it’s out by any amount the tuning machine is almost certainly poor quality and will bring you grief further down the track. Don’t listen to stories of “it just needs tightening”. Buy another guitar.

Check the action by all means – which means the height of the strings above the frets themselves (NOT the fretboard) – but this is unlikely to need lowering for you on an electric guitar, particularly if it has light strings fitted, such as 9 or 10 gauge. However do make sure it is not so low that the strings ‘buzz’ against the frets when it’s played. This can be adjusted so have it done, and have the strings changed at the same time. New strings should be included in the price.

Finally, I can’t tell you what guitar to buy, that’s so much a question of personal choice. What I can tell you is that my learner guitar was a Fender Squier which I found to be incredible value. It has an awesome sound, stays in tune for weeks (throw the whammy bar away!) and has the solid feel and balance of a guitar costing five times the price. Don’t listen to the guitar snobs on this one, the pickups are the same ones used in the Fender main series. At least give one a try. I don’t think you will find better at the price, which in my case was under $300.

photo credit: Blush Response