Ernie Ball Strings

Types of Electric Guitars

The debate continues to rage over whether to learn to play guitar on the various types of electric guitars or the acoustic models.  So here are a couple of reasons why you should choose to learn on an electric guitar.

Firstly the electric guitar uses lighter strings and secondly it has a smaller neck.  This means it’s easier to get your fingers over the whole fretboard and it’s not so hard to flex the strings.  Now electric guitars can cost more than acoustic and you also need to factor in the cost of an amplifier but most music stores will have a starter package that combines the two.  And of course another reason for buying the electric guitar and amp is to make some NOISE!!!

Remember too that playing the electric guitar on its own is very quiet, it sounds almost muffled, but fine when first starting to learn.  But you’ll soon need the sonic capabilities of your amp as you try out your newly learned power chords.

When buying your electric guitar it’s probably best to go to a store so you can physically check over the instrument looking for flaws or imperfections in the finish.  The other more important reason is to check the height of the strings above the body.  I have seen many electric guitars where the strings are raised half a centimetre or more at the mid-point of the instrument (where the neck joins the body).  This makes it extremely hard for the novice to produce chords and notes, as you have to exert more pressure when pressing down on the strings.

Of course if you are constrained by price then you may have to choose from online stores or catalogues and work on strengthening up your wrists!

So learning to play the electric guitar will be a lot of fun but now you need to consider, for the future, what style of music you want to play with your electric guitar as that can influence the make, and model, that you ultimately choose.  So let’s just quickly look at some of the major guitar brands and their characteristics.

Gibson – these electric guitars have a huge reputation for their excellent quality, they have a massive sustain and a great range of tone.  Some of the models are the famous Les Paul as well as the Flying V, the Melody Maker and the Firebird.  They are expensive so maybe something to work up to as your playing improves.

Jackson – these electric guitars are great for shredding and are for players who like to play fast as they have a sharp sound while moving quickly across the neck.

Fender – like the Gibson range the Fender electric guitars are synonymous with quality, their most famous model is the Stratocaster and is known for its great tone when playing blues or jazz. 

Yamaha – mid range in the quality stakes for electric guitars but they do make a range of other musical instruments and are known as a versatile, quality music instrument manufacturer.

Ibanez – another familiar name known for producing good sounding, as well as good looking, guitars in a very affordable price range.  Worth a look.

Dean Guitars - if you are aiming to be heavy metal muso these electric guitars could be the one as they manufacture especially for this market and have a great sound.

Stellar – these electric guitars are copies of famous guitars but a whole lot cheaper.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that the instruments produced are quite good due to the (apparently) custom humbucker pickups that they use.  So they may be a good place to start your electric guitar playing career on your way to becoming a rock god!!!

The above are just a few of the world’s famous electric guitar brands and there are many others such as Ernie Ball Music Man, Gretsch, Warwick, Samick, Hamer, Carvin, and many more.  But remember you first need to master the basics of playing an electric guitar before you opt for a particular genre.  And once you have taken those two steps only then will the right guitar for you become obvious.

Happy chords...