Beginner Electric Guitar & Acoustic Guitar Equipment

When you start to consider learning how to play guitar you may become slightly overwhelmed with the choices you must make. One of the major choices is whether to play an electric guitar or play an acoustic guitar. The good news is whether you are a beginner electric guitar player or a beginner acoustic guitar player both beginning guitar lessons you take will be the same. So it is up to the equipment you are going to start out with. Some may feel an acoustic is the best way to start and others will tell you an electric is the way to start. I am not going to tell what the best pick of the two. I do have my opinion I will share it will you. However in no way does it mean this is the best way. I am partial to electric. I feel they are easier to learn on mostly because of their playability. Electric guitars tend to have a better action. This means the strings are closer to the neck which gives the guitar an easier feel. Also the string gauges or size is a bit smaller then acoustics. However there are some very good acoustic guitars for beginners that have great playability. The feeling that electric has better playability is a little more old school thinking.    

So we are still sort of at square one. What is the best starting guitar equipment? Is it beginner electric guitar equipment or acoustic? As you will find out the longer you play that most answers are subjective to each person. What is right for me is not necessarily right for you. We each find what is best for us. What is the best guitar what is the best sound and so on.  So let’s assume that you have made your choice between electric guitar and acoustic. What type of equipment do you get? Meaning do you just get an old guitar that has been sitting in someone’s attic for 10 years and try to learn on that? Or do you buy your best friends older brother’s guitar that was never put in a case and he used as a baseball bat from time to time.  

For me this is a no brainer and something I feel I can say with not much differing opinion from others who have been playing for many years. In no way should your first guitar be something that has been sitting around at someone’s house for years! In my opinion this would be a huge mistake. Why? Well sort of goes back to what I was talking about before. Playability! Learning guitar is not easy. I am not trying to turn anyone off but it takes time practice and work. Yes work the four letter word. If you want to play guitar you need to put in a lot of time and effort. I f you have a guitar that is hard to play you are 10 times more likely to give up. I did. When I got my first guitar the strings were 3 feet away from the neck. I couldn’t make a chord and get through a scale. I wanted to go all Pete Townshend on the guitar. So I stopped for a while until I ended up getting a guitar I could play and I stuck with from that day on and here I am over 20 years later. I was the exception mind you most people that stop never come back and I feel they are missing a great experience.  

So what is my answer to this dilemma? Simple if you really do want to start to play guitar then look into complete guitar packages. I know you may think I am crazy but they have great for beginner. These packages for both acoustic and electric have most everything you need to start out with straps, tuners, extra strings, amps, beginner lessons and so on. These for the most are very good playing guitars. Meaning they have good actions and sound good. They are perfect for new guitar players. These packages come with most everything you need to start and for a great price. I mean a great price. If you stick with a known name brand like Fender, Epiphone, Ibanez your are not likely to have a problem.  

So Remember when you are starting out make it easy on yourself. Get a guitar package for acoustic or electric and you will not be sorry.