newbie electric guitar recommendation

[xerawh]

hi all,

appreciate this may have been asked before (couldn't find) and other threads on acoustic and teachers exist

used to play guitar decades ago - was crap but thinking with spare time i might pick up again.

are there any good recommendations for a starter electric guitar? i saw the fender strat or epiphone standard but these are over £400 which is more than I want to start with given I don't know if I will be any good

Is there anything in the £200 range - i would also consider used?

thanks

[Rod200SX]

I'd say at £200 to look at the second hand market. Doesn't need to be gumtree or the likes (I'm not always comfortable buying direct frm folk, I'm a fanny) but most guitar stores have a good range of pre owned equipment. GuitarGuitar & Andertons are two good websites that'll give you an idea of what you may get.

I've not played, though I've been tempted by Squiers modern offerings, they used to be a bit crap but over the past few years, their range has a really good reputation.

[300bhp/ton]

xerawh said:

hi all,

appreciate this may have been asked before (couldn't find) and other threads on acoustic and teachers exist

used to play guitar decades ago - was crap but thinking with spare time i might pick up again.

are there any good recommendations for a starter electric guitar? i saw the fender strat or epiphone standard but these are over £400 which is more than I want to start with given I don't know if I will be any good

Is there anything in the £200 range - i would also consider used?

thanks

I suspect almost anything will be fine. Sure it is nice to have a 'posh' name. But sometimes you are paying a lot more for something only marginally nicer and certainly no more capable.

I'd buy on what style, colour and look you fancy. If you end up really liking the guitar, you could always upgrade the pickups in it at a later date.

[HaplessBoyLard]

A friend of mine plays an Ibanez Gio and used to gig with it. It seems great from what I’ve seen. You can pick them up around £100 used.

[Turn7]

Yamaha Pacifica if you want a Strat a like......New or used.

[xerawh]

thanks all. I'll look out for second hand deals but what are thoughts on these (thanks for the website recommendations):

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/16033029643...

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/18080233070...

https://www.andertons.co.uk/cool-stuff/best-for-be...

[Rod200SX]

The strat is probably the most versitile of the lot and you do get a lto for the money.

The les Pauls look good, too. Though I've no experience of the EastCoast brand, the Epiphone LP's do look the part and are meant to be pretty good for the price too, though I note they are on order from the manufacturer so not sure how quickly you could get it!
I'm waiting to hear back from Andertons about a guitar they've got on back order about delivery times. No response yet but I imagine it'll be a bit of a hectic time with a lot of people ordering.

[anonymous-user]

Turn7 said:

Yamaha Pacifica if you want a Strat a like......New or used.

This with a word of warning.

The Pacifica’s well made, looks good, holds tune very well etc but it has a very narrow (41mm) nut.

If you have big fingers it could be a problem.

I have one which I plan to replace, or at least add to, because of the nut width.

But they can be bought new for less than £200 and are very good value, imo, at that price.

[crofty1984]

Yamaha Pacifica
Fender Squier Strat
Gibson Epiphone Les Paul

[franki68]

Yamaha Pacifica ,and if you go used prs se models .

[xerawh]

thanks again for the input.

i like the look of the Epiphone LP so will hold out for stock otherwise go with the strat if it takes too long ....

would it be better to take the bundles - adds £100 for strap, bag, stand, amp, tuner - or better to buy pieces separately as better options for same/similar price?

[Chicken Chaser]

Epi LP standard or plus top pro is an excellent bit of kit. I've got the Tribute plus which puts Gibson humbuckers and upgraded wiring in it. Bit more budget though. Really nice guitars though and you'll never have an issue shifting it if you don't use it.

[Walter Sobchak]

If you can up your budget slightly I’d go for a second hand Made in Mexico Strat, I paid £350 for mine and it’s amazing to play, feels nicer than some American ones I’ve played, but then I could well just have got a really good one, I had a MIM Tele that was awful.

[xerawh]

Walter Sobchak said:

If you can up your budget slightly I’d go for a second hand Made in Mexico Strat, I paid £350 for mine and it’s amazing to play, feels nicer than some American ones I’ve played, but then I could well just have got a really good one, I had a MIM Tele that was awful.

how would i go about finding one?

I'm a little new at this so struggling already with all the different 'subtle' variations in model names and peculiarities with the brands... sorry

[anonymous-user]

Anyone tried a Brian May Special? A bit out of the OP’s budget but I was looking at one on line and it seems to have a wider nut and short scale length which may be easier for a beginner?

[300bhp/ton]

xerawh said:

thanks again for the input.

i like the look of the Epiphone LP so will hold out for stock otherwise go with the strat if it takes too long ....

would it be better to take the bundles - adds £100 for strap, bag, stand, amp, tuner - or better to buy pieces separately as better options for same/similar price?

I’d want to try an amp before buying. Or at least know what sort of sounds it is capable of. The type of music you want to play will likely dictate this to some extent.

Wall mount or stand may be of more use unless you’ll be carrying about or packing it away.

You can get a tuner on your phone for fee these days btw.

As for makes. Like I said earlier. I’d go for the look/style you want. You’ll probably regret getting something you didn’t really want more so than the brand.

I have 3 Tanglewood guitars of various type. No complaints with them. Although one has been retro fitted with Seymour Duncan pickups.

[littleredrooster]

Consider a used Squier 'Classic Vibe' series Strat or Tele. Good price, brilliant to play - I rate mine better than a proper Strat I previously had.

For an amp, after you've bought & got bored with the standard 10w budget stuff, save up and get a Yamaha THR-10 or (better still) a Vox Adio.

Enjoy.

[Turn7]

THR or Vox VT20 - both great amps with OB FX and a head phone socket.......

[Walter Sobchak]

xerawh said:

how would i go about finding one?

I'm a little new at this so struggling already with all the different 'subtle' variations in model names and peculiarities with the brands... sorry

Have a look on EBay and Gumtree(picked mine up on Gumtree IIRC it was a while back now) the Fender Mexican made guitars will usually say so in the description, some are referred to as Highway One I think.Another easier way to tell is modern American ones have 22 frets and the Mexican ones have the more vintage style 21.

[xerawh]

sorry to resurrect this and go a bit left field, after talking to PMT and mentioning I have smaller hands, they suggested one of these two below

i'll be honest and say i've never heard of the brand before or can't find much in other discussions, but would those knowledgeable know if either are any good (the LP and Squier are also struggling for stock):

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-grx40-mlb-grx-g...

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-grx70qa-electri...