- 9.20/10 1. Premium pick: Fender Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSS
- 9.40/10 2. Editors choice: Fender CC-60S Acoustic Guitar
- 9.20/10 3. Best value: Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 7.40/10 4. PRS SE 245 Electric Guitar
- 9.20/10 5. Ibanez GRG Electric Guitar
- 9.60/10 6. Seagull S6 Acoustic Guitar
- 9.60/10 7. Kennedy Violins Acoustic Guitar
- 10.00/10 8. Leo Jaymz 41 Acoustic Guitar
Some guitars can be difficult or complicated for beginners to handle. Most beginners tend to start with a cheap guitar for practice purposes. But whether for practice or professional use, getting a high-quality instrument is worth it.
Cheap guitars often become degraded or broken quickly. However, you can balance ease of play, smoothness, quality output, and affordability.
Here are the best guitars for beginners available right now.
The Fender Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSS nods to the classic Fender designs but with modern components. This makes it an aesthetically-pleasing and high-performance choice for beginners.
The guitar's C-shaped neck makes it easy to handle and play, while the alnico HSS pickup offers excellent sound capture. Also, this is a nickel steel-stringed guitar with 21 frets. These features combined give the stringed instrument the famed Fender tone.
Most Fender Stratocaster guitars come with a tremolo bridge system. This makes string adjustment more flexible and adds to the guitar's versatility. If you're looking to experiment with tone and playing styles, then this is the best guitar for beginners out there.
- Alnico pickups
- Right-hand orientation
- Vintage style tuners and tremolo bridge
- Walnut fretboard
- Type: Electric
- Length: 44.5 Inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Poplar
- Frets: 21
- Electronic enhancements: None
- Brand: Fender
- C-shaped neck makes playing and handling easy
- Alnico pickups give it unique tone
- Vintage tremolo bridge enhances string adjustment for desired pitch
- Compact headstock offers easy tuning
- Tremolo bridge adjustment can be a bit technical for beginners
The Fender CC-60S has a simple design with few controls, making it one of the best options for first-time players. Its concert body shape, scalloped bracing, and solid mahogany top go along with its unique intonation.
The rolled fingerboard, coupled with its glossy backfill, lets you move your hand freely across the fretboard. So playing the Fender CC-60S is comfortable, no matter how long you stay on it. With a short scale width, playing cords is a breeze, too.
As this is a 20-fret guitar, it is easier to play than more highly-equipped models. Consequently, it's an excellent option for beginners. The guitar also features a compensated saddle for an accurate intonation at higher notes.
The Fender CC-60S may not connect to an amp directly, but it sounds great for live performances. If you need to extend the sound, you can use an external microphone during performances.
- Glossy mahogany neck
- Solid mahogany top
- Walnut rolled fingerboard
- Right-handed
- Walnut fretboard
- Type: Acoustic
- Length: 39 Inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Mahogany
- Frets: 20
- Electronic enhancements: Clip-on assisted tuner
- Brand: Fender
- Rolled fingerboard offers ease while playing
- Elegant top tone wood gives great dynamic range and strength
- Ideal for both beginners and experts
- Decent body size makes handling easy
- Acoustic only, so no direct electric amplification
If you're after the versatility of an electric guitar with the convenience and sound of an acoustic, consider the Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric Guitar. Featuring a solid spruce top with an X-braced soundboard, it's sturdy and produces an excellent tone.
The guitar has a Venetian cutaway design, allowing you to access the fretboard easily. In addition to that, it provides extra support for your arm.
The edge of the fingerboard is rolled, so hand movements across the frets are sleek and painless. With electric and acoustic features, the Fender CD-60SCE guitar represents excellent value.
You might worry that the pickups would lead to a lot of background noise. Fortunately, the Fender CD-60SCE Acoustic-Electric Guitar offers high-quality audio production in both acoustic and electric configurations.
- Electric and acoustic components
- Solid spruce top
- Clip-on digital guitar tuner
- Venetian-cutaway body
- Fishman classic preamp
- Walnut fretboard
- Type: Acoustic-electric
- Length: 46 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Wood
- Frets: 20
- Electronic enhancements: Clip-on assisted tuner
- Brand: Fender
- Rolled fingerboard edges makes playing easy
- It can be connected to an amplifier or used as an acoustic
- Venetian-cutaway body enhances access to the upper fret
- Solid spruce top increases pitch range
- Cheap build quality
Starting with the PRS SE 245 Electric Guitar might seem like a pro-level decision. But its unique inlays coupled with its ease of handling and playability make it beginner-friendly.
The PRS SE 245 utilizes humbucker pickups to remove background buzz, and the double-coil pickup allows for a higher level of distortion, giving it greater flexibility. With its tone toggle, you can easily switch between timbres. The PRS SE 245 Electric Guitar has a beveled maple top wood, so the instrument looks sleek, too.
The guitar comes with 22 frets. This gives greater flexibility than most 20-fret beginner-focused models but also isn't as complex as 24-fret guitars. As a result, this is an excellent overall guitar for beginners and intermediate players.
- Dual volume and tone controls
- Double-coil humbucker pick-up configuration
- Stoptail bridge system
- Right-hand orientation
- 24.5-inch scale length
- Beveled maple solid top with mahogany neck
- Type: Electric
- Length: 44 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Mahogany
- Frets: 22
- Electronic enhancements: None
- Brand: PRS
- Humbucker pick-up removes unnecessary background hums
- Uniquely patterned fret board inlays make fingering easy
- Stoptail bridge system eases string tension adjustment for desired intonation
- Easy to restring
- Double volume and tone adjustment optimizes tone
- Expensive
- Electric-only
Hitting very high notes might be your goal sometimes, and a guitar with a higher fret count makes that possible. The Ibanez GRG Electric Guitar is a 24-fret guitar, making it perfect for solos and classical highs.
It has an H-pickup configuration, with one on the neck and the other on its bridge. This strikes a balance between riffs, solos, and warmer tones. The Ibanez GRG also features a three-way switch for appropriate pickup tone selection.
With a poplar wood body, a pine fretboard, and nickel strings, it sounds great whether you decide to strum or go for some intense fingerwork. The guitar's bridge is also fixed, so tuning is less flexible, but that's an advantage for you if you're a beginner.
- Neck and bridge humbucking pick-ups
- Maple neck with thick jumbo frets
- Fixed bridge system
- Right-hand orientation
- Pine fretboard
- Type: Electric
- Length: 42 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Poplar
- Frets: 24
- Electronic enhancements: None
- Brand: Ibanez
- Fewer controls reduce operational complexity
- Jumbo frets enhance sideward pressure on strings while fingering
- Fixed bridge makes tuning easier
- Higher frets might be a bit complicated for beginners
- Strictly electric
The Seagull S6 is the latest in the company's popular range of guitars. Compared to previous editions, the S6 has improved structural integrity and audio output. Fortunately, the tapered headstock makes tuning the guitar a breeze.
The slim shoulder also makes it more beginner-friendly and appropriate for mid-range finger players. With a solid cedar top, the Seagull S6 offers a dynamic sound range suitable for various musical genres.
The guitar has a double-action truss rod, so you can easily adjust the strings against the fingerboard. In addition to that, fast tunning and restringing are more feasible.
Like many acoustic guitars, this doesn't offer a direct connection to an amp. However, you can amplify the Seagull S6's output using an external microphone.
- Double-action truss rod
- Narrowed precision headstock
- Silverleaf maple neck
- Solid cedar top
- Pine fretboard
- Type: Acoustic
- Length: 46 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Cedar
- Frets: 21
- Electronic enhancements: None
- Brand: Seagull
- Tapered headstock enhances precision tuning
- Double-action truss rod for easy neck adjustment
- It's easy to tune and fingerpick
- Compensated saddle enhances intonation
- Ideal for both beginners and experts
- It doesn't connect to an amp
If you want to strike a balance between size and handling, the Kennedy Violins Acoustic Guitar comes recommended. With a dreadnought body, it produces rich intonation and considerable projection.
Although it's full-sized, the guitar has a 23.5-inch scale, making it a perfect musical instrument for kids, teenagers, or players with shorter fingers. For improved output and general strength, the guitar is also X-braced.
In addition to having a double-action truss rod for easy string adjustment, it comes with an external electric tuner for aided and precise tunning. The Kennedy Violins Acoustic Guitar comes cheap for the quality, and it's detailed, despite its outwardly-simple appearance.
- Double-action truss rod
- Coated cedar top
- Sealed tuners
- Compensated bridge saddle
- Solid mahogany top
- Right-hand orientation
- Type: Acoustic
- Length: 42 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Mahogany
- Frets: 20
- Electronic enhancements: Assisted tuner
- Brand: Kennedy Violins
- Short scale makes handling easy for people with shorter fingers
- Double-action truss rod eases neck adjustment
- Volute strengthens the headstock
- Ideal for beginners and kids
- Compensated saddle provides high-quality intonation
- Adults or those with longer fingers may find this too compact
- Acoustic only
The Leo Jamz 41 is a 20-fret rosewood acoustic guitar. With a 3.93-inch soundhole and abalone inlay on the edges, the guitar produces quality sound with striking resonation.
The body is centered around a cutaway and a comfortable armrest. This makes it easy to play for long periods without fatigue or soreness. The fingerboard is rosewood and is patterned with deep-sea abalone. As a result, the guitar is responsive to lubrication as well.
The Leo Jamz 41 comes with a double-truss rod, so string adjustment along the neck is easy for better intonation. The guitar also features a hardtail bridge, which offers more tuning stability. Due to this straightforward setup, beginners should find it easy to tune the guitar.
- Solid spruce top
- Side and armrests
- Rosewood fret board in-lay
- Type: Acoustic
- Length: 38 inches
- Strings: 6
- Body type: Spruce Mahogany
- Frets: 20
- Electronic enhancements: None
- Brand: Leo Jaymz
- Comfortable arm rest makes it sleek and easy to operate
- Solid spruce top offers improved articulation and projection
- Acoustic only
FAQ
Q: Which Is Better for a Beginner: Electric Guitars or Acoustic Guitars?
Deciding between an electric or an acoustic guitar can be difficult. But comparing the two feature sets can be helpful. Generally, most guitar professionals would advise you to start with an acoustic since you're likely more interested in practicing right out of the box without you needing to set up an amp.
However, starting with an electric guitar also comes with its advantages. It offers more features and versatility than its acoustic counterpart, and it's easy to play. If you're after the hassle-free experience of an acoustic guitar but the versatility of an electric one, consider investing in an acoustic-electric to strike a balance between the two.
Q: What Should You Consider Before Buying a Guitar?
There are many things to look out for when picking a guitar, especially if you don't have vast experience with the instrument. However, to streamline it, you should regard the tunability and general ease of handling the guitar.
Avoid any guitar with a bent neck, low-quality wooden parts, or nylon strings. Although some guitars get better with a few adjustments, it isn't ideal to spend hours adjusting the instrument when you just want to get playing.
Q: Are Cheap Guitars Worth Trying Out for Beginners?
While you might be tempted to go for the cheapest guitar, it can become unusable within a short while. Generally, these instruments have lower quality electronics or compromises on the woodwork.
However, beyond the price, you should also look out for metrics like playability and output. Most cheap guitars don't sound ideal due to low-quality pickups, which can quickly turn you off.
As a result, it's best to look for a budget-friendly, rather than cheap, guitar when starting out.
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