Choosing your first electric guitar

Your first electric guitar does not need to be expensive. It needs to be set up well, comfortable in your hands and honest about what it is. Here is how we help players choose.

Start with the neck

The neck is the part you touch most, so it matters more than the finish or the brand on the headstock. Wider necks suit players with larger hands or a fingerstyle approach. Thinner, flatter profiles suit fast lead playing. There is no best profile, only the one that fits you, which is why we hand you several before we talk about anything else.

Pickups shape the voice

Single coils are bright and articulate. Humbuckers are thicker and quieter. Most beginners do fine with either, and the amp matters at least as much as the pickups at this stage. Do not overthink it.

Play it before you commit

Most instruments on our wall are set up and ready to play. Spend time with two or three, unplugged and plugged in, and notice which one you keep reaching for. That instinct is usually right.

Whatever you choose leaves the shop set up and dialed, and ships inside 48 hours if you are ordering from a distance.