One of my most frequently asked questions from beginner players is whether to choose electric or acoustic. This is MY VIEW - others may disagree and they are welcome to their opinion. Mine is subject to change without notice!

Video Lesson

The big beginners debate

The basic types are

i) Electric (including hollow bodied or semi-acoustics)
ii) Acoustic (steel strings - including those with electrics fitted, so called electro acoustics)
iii) Classical (nylon strings).

Note that "semi-acoustics" are not really acoustic, they are electric guitars with a semi hollow body so are sometimes confusingly called semi-acoustics. But they play like electrics.

Also note that "electro acoustics" are in not electric guitars, they are acoustic instruments with electronics fitted so that they can be amplified, but you would not normally need to plug them in to get a good sound out of them.

Many people think that electric guitars are going to be loud when they are plugged in... well first - they do have a volume control, and also be aware that you do not have to plug them in! I do probably half of my practice with out any amp at all - it's good practice to get the notes ring out out loud and clear without an amp - so as a beginner you might want to put all your money into getting a cool guitar and leave getting your amp until later.

So lets look at the pro's and cons of each type and the factors to consider...

Playability
Electric guitar is easier to play. The strings are usually closer to the neck, thinner and therefore easier to press down. Barre chords on acoustic guitar can be very demanding and requires a lot of finger strength. Cheaper acoustic guitars can be very hard to play up the neck.

Action
The distance from the strings to the neck is called the "action". when it is very low it is easy to press the strings down, when it it too low the strings will buzz. If it's too high it will be too hard to play and for a beginner can be pretty disheartening.

I would recommend that a beginner get a guitar with a low action so that it can be played easy. The small tonal benefits of having a higher action can be dealt with in a few years when it becomes important. At the start what is important is enjoying it!

Getting your guitar action set up by a good luthier can make a huge difference to your guitar's playability (you'll usually find someone at your local store). I have a number of private students that found an AMAZING difference when they had set their guitar up correctly, and of course I get all mine done too. If you are struggling to play barre chords on an acoustic guitar, then a high action could certainly be a part of the problem and worth checking.

Sound and style
Deciding which instrument to start with can be pretty simple if you think in terms of style!

If you want to play rock, get an electric.

If you want to play folk or fingerstyle, I think a steel string acoustic is a good choice.

If you want to play classical then you need a nylon string classic guitar.

It all depends on what style you want to play. If you like death metal you probably don't want to buy a pink Telecaster... so think about what you like and what you are going to play on it.

If you want to play all styles, then electric might be the way to go and get an acoustic later. My opinion.

Budget Acoustics Usually Suck
Very cheap acoustics are usually not such a great idea, often sound quality is poor and they are hard to play, I often see students selling them after a six month struggle (if they managed to stick with it!). So if your budget is very tight, I would not get an acoustic. You may think you save a little because you don't need to buy and amplifier BUT you don't have to use an amplifier to practice anyway!

After some internet searches I've found some acoustic packs (with a strap and picks) for less than £100/$175 and I can be pretty sure they are not going to play well! People just can't make guitars that are easy to play at that price. If that is all you got - then please spend it on an electric and no amp!

Really Need An Amplifier?
Electric guitars need an amplifier to be heard above a singing voice although they make enough sound just for practice without one. There are also a number of units (like Line 6 Pod) that can be plugged into your hi-fi, not much use if you wanna play in a band though! I did the majority of my practice on an electric guitar without an amplifier - and I think it helps you work on your tone, because you have to draw the volume out of the instrument.

Sure, having a cool amp can help make you sound like your favourite players, and that is cool and fun, but not so important when you are just starting out!

OK, So Which Amplifier?
If you do want an amplifier, there is a vast array of models available with all kinds of fancy stuff built in, effects and modeling and all manner of kitchen sinks! ;) It really depends on your budget. It's very likely that a new amplifier will be your first major purchase if you stick with it (they make a bigger difference to your sound than the guitar does believe it or not!) so I my advice would be start small and simple, learn a bit and see where it is taking you and you will have a better idea of what to put your hard earned cash into!

Small Guitars
I often hear from people wondering if they should buy a 3/4 size guitar because their hands are small. Answer is simple. No.

3/4 guitars are fine for children (like under 11) or as travel guitars, but if you want to learn then buy a full size one at the start. I started on a full size classic guitar right when I was knee high to a grasshopper, it's kinda hard but your fingers adapt fast enough and you will develop good flexibility and dexterity.

For very small children (under 11) then a 3/4 is an option, but I still feel a full size is better. Check out all the amazing 6 year old kids playing amazing stuff on the interweb - 9 times out of 10 they are playing full size instruments.

Verdict on type of guitar...

Well I think for the general beginner an electric guitar is probably a better starter instrument, mainly because they are a little easier to play and so you will see results faster and it will inspire you to play more! :) But it really doesn't matter, you can learn on any old guitar if you really want to learn!

Here is a way of thinking about it... a summary if you like.

1. If you want to play rock - buy electric.
2. If you want to play classical - buy a nylon string acoustic.
3. If you want to play folk - buy a steel string acoustic.
4. If you only have a very small budget, don't buy an acoustic.
5. If you are not really sure, get an electric.
6. Avoid 3/4 size guitar unless it's for very young children.

My "general" recommendation when people ask is get a medium priced electric guitar..

£200/$350 should see you through for a basic electric guitar, a few picks, a strap, a cheap tuner and a cable - if you shop around - and don't be afraid to go second hand! I very rarely buy new instruments.

So which one than?

This is really just about personal choice. Everyone likes different guitars, but here are some of my thoughts on certain brands...

Steel String Acoustic
All my acoustics are made by an Australian company called Maton, and I think they are absolutely wonderful! They do a good range of guitars aiming from mid-price to high end guitars, but they don't really do any starter priced guitars... If you have the budget for one (they start at around £600/$1000), they are awesome and will last you a long time!

I really don't think you should spend less than about £250 ($400) because you will end up with something hard to play and you probably won't enjoy playing! In the cheaper end, both Yamaha and Fender make very good budget acoustic guitars. I think lately I have played more cheap Yamaha's that were good, they are mass produced, but mass produced well!!

Personal opinions... Avoid the thin acoustics that look like electrics. They usually don't sound good acoustically or electrically. This would include Fender's "Telecoustic" (I'm just saying cos I just recommended Fender). I'm not really a big fan of any of the ones made of things other than wood either, none of that carbon stuff... just keep it simple eh!

Don't forget to check the "action", if it's too high you will really struggle when it comes to barre chords and power chords later on!. Make sure you have a play of it and make sure it feels comfortable for you.

At the higher end I rate Maton, Martin, Taylor and Guild, but once you are spending a couple of thousand, you should know what you want and what you need and be looking for that. Old ones often sound great and have more character, something I don't really understand, something must happen to the wood, but seems like most times, the old ones sound best.

Electric
My favorite adage applies, "Buy cheap, Buy twice". I rate the Yamaha Pacifica guitars (start around £200/$350), very good build and slightly thinner neck (good for rock), consistently excellent build quality. I don't think there is much of a question about the quality of these guitars and most of the other teachers I respect recommend them too! There are many cheaper guitars but for the few pounds you will save you are much better off to go for a Pacifica in my humble opinion. I never owned one myself (and I don't have any kind of deal going with them at all), but played many that students bought in over the years which is why I recommend them to you!

Other good electric starters are Epiphone SG,

I have also been hearing very good things about the Vintage brand of guitars. I have played a few that belonged to students and they do seems good value.

There are some cheaper Ibanez guitars that sound great. The Fender Squire are not bad either, though I've seen some badly set up ones with really cheap fittings so they are on the way down in my book. Buying a USA strat will always be awesome though if you have the budget :)

DON'T BUY AN ELECTRIC WITH A FLOATING TREMELO WHEN YOU START OUT.

For a beginner they are a total pain in the butt, very hard to tune and a real pain to change strings. The cheaper ones go out of tune a lot too. If you spend more, and know why you want one, then fine, but locking tremolos on budget instruments are usually rubbish. If you are a beginner then you probably don't know what a "floating tremolo" is... well have a look at Floyd Rose, who made the first ones. If your guitar has little tuners on the bridge, then it's probably a floating tremolo, so stay clear of it (for now).

Classical
I think the Yamaha brand are excellent, and that what I started on! There are many others of course but Yamaha consistently deliver a top notch product at a budget price.

If you are loaded then just go any try one of the many beautiful handmade guitars available. I personally would like old an Ramirez guitar but they cost as much as nice cars! Maybe one day ;)

Use The Forum
On the forum there are thousands of people at all stages of playing that can offer advice on new beginner guitars. I have to admit that I play only top end gear and don't know all the latest on new budget guitars, but on the forum there are probably over a thousand people learning that can all give you advice based on personal experience, and there ain't no substitute for that!!

There are even boards now for each specific instrument so it's easy to find your advice. They are not solely aimed at beginners but there is lots of advice from experienced players and I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice here from other GAS sufferers :)

The Electric Guitar Board

The Acoustic Guitar Board

I've got GAS...
I swear if we all spent as much time practicing as we do deciding which guitar to buy there would be a lot more great guitar players in the world... seriously dudes and dudettes, when you are starting out, get yourself a guitar that plays ok. If you dig playing guitar and play for a few years you are almost certainly going to want another guitar, even if your first guitar was awesome. It's called GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) and it's a very painful condition for the wallet :) I've been suffering for many years so now I'm just used to it!

Buying guitars is fun, and searching for the right one is fun, but make sure you are doing enough practice too, so you can enjoy your new toy when you get it!

More Information

PLEASE NOTE - I do not know what guitar you should buy, so please don't email me to ask. All I can offer is the advice above, but you might like to check out my recommended products for beginners too!

There is some more info on specific guitars I recommend at RE-020 • Recommended Products For Beginners and more info on the next page in the course too!

HELP!!!!

If you need to ask a question about this lesson - there is a topic set up specifically to help you with this lesson. To help you find it easily you can click the following link and it will take you right the topic. You'll be able to see questions that other people had and ask your own questions! Hopefully one of the very helpful members of our community will be there to help you soon, I do go there and answer stuff too - but there are just too many questions for me to answer alone! So click this link to get help with this lesson!

Justinguitar Beginner's Products

I have four great beginners products that will help you make the most of this course. Most popular is The Justinguitar Beginners Songbook which contains 100 songs arranged by difficulty that perfectly match up with each level of the course. Many people told me they like books more than web pages so we've made The Justinguitar Beginners Course Book (comes with 2 x CD's too!) and many people found being online to watch the videos a pain so we offer The Justinguitar Beginners Course DVD which also means you can watch the vids in much better quality. Together they complete the whole online course and are perfect when there is no internet connection!! Also very popular is Practical Music Theory for those that like to know what they are doing and why!! It covers very basic theory in an easy to digest way and puts it onto the guitar! They are all available in Bundle Packs too where you can save a bunch of money!! Buying products and making donations help keep the site free and growing! :)