Hi, this is coming from someone who has played guitar since he was 10 and has taught many people to play. Its all my opinion ultimately, but I’ve tried to be as objective as I can.
Are there differences between the different types of guitars? Yes. Are there reasons that people in different genres use different types of electric guitar? Yes. But if you are a beginner, none of that is too important.
If you know for certain that there is a particular guitar player and sound that you want to emulate, you can go for it and get the exact guitar they use, but if not, don't worry about it. You can, and people do, play all genres on all types of guitars. People play metal on telecasters, and people play jazz with solid body active pickup guitars.
I will say that i would avoid active pickups for now. Not because they are to advanced, or just for metal, or something like that, but rather because you generally, or maybe always will need a 9v battery to power them, which are expensive, and you don't want to overcomplicate things in the beginning
If you are a beginner, the number one question when choosing a guitar should be, is it comfortable/does it feel good to play? Not every type of guitar will feel good or click with every person, and not every, for example Stratocaster will be exactly the same, so it is important that you try them out before buying. That may be tricky given the ongoing apocalypse, but thats the best way to do it.
After that, find something that you really like the look of, so that when you see it, you really want to pick it up and play.
Also, If you are serious about learning to play, I would recommend getting something a little nicer than the absolute cheapest. Epiphones are quite good if you like Gibson guitars ( I think their es335 hollow body rip of is nice) or Mexican fenders are also great choices. Personally, i also love my Danelectro, another affordable guitar brand.
This is a great reply and I just want to vouch for Epiphone. If you don't like the size of the ES-335, try the ES-339. Best guitar I have ever owned and it cost over 3X less than my expensive Gibson Les Paul that was mostly a waste of money. After wasting over 12 years of trying to play Les Pauls and Strats, I have no idea why I never tried the 339 sooner. It weighs significantly less than a Les Paul, and even has a better sound (more balanced instead of being blaringly loud at full volume like the LP is). Being a semi-hollow body, you can definitely hear a difference when switching string types on it and the versatility of the ES guitars cannot be understated, they truly can handle every type of music.
We have reached a point in guitar manufacturing where cheaper guitars made in China and other countries are just as good as the super expensive USA built guitars. I've had some great Squiers made out of China, and a Mexican built Fender Strat that was a solid gigging instrument, but my ES-339 being my best guitar was a China build.
Just wanted to point out too for anyone who is into classic rock, Epiphone's AlNiCo Classic Pro pickups are the best bang for your buck pickup set for trying to achieve that PAF humbucker sound. They came in my 339 and I was seriously blown away by how good they sound. They are light years better than the USA made Gibson pickups in my Gibson Les Paul and far better than the pickups Epiphone was using just 5 years ago. With a good clean amp, they instantly get that sweet 60s Eric Clapton Bluesbreaker/Cream tone and the Allman Brothers sound.
Hi, this is coming from someone who has played guitar since he was 10 and has taught many people to play. Its all my opinion ultimately, but I’ve tried to be as objective as I can.
Are there differences between the different types of guitars? Yes. Are there reasons that people in different genres use different types of electric guitar? Yes. But if you are a beginner, none of that is too important.
If you know for certain that there is a particular guitar player and sound that you want to emulate, you can go for it and get the exact guitar they use, but if not, don't worry about it. You can, and people do, play all genres on all types of guitars. People play metal on telecasters, and people play jazz with solid body active pickup guitars.
I will say that i would avoid active pickups for now. Not because they are to advanced, or just for metal, or something like that, but rather because you generally, or maybe always will need a 9v battery to power them, which are expensive, and you don't want to overcomplicate things in the beginning
If you are a beginner, the number one question when choosing a guitar should be, is it comfortable/does it feel good to play? Not every type of guitar will feel good or click with every person, and not every, for example Stratocaster will be exactly the same, so it is important that you try them out before buying. That may be tricky given the ongoing apocalypse, but thats the best way to do it.
After that, find something that you really like the look of, so that when you see it, you really want to pick it up and play.
Also, If you are serious about learning to play, I would recommend getting something a little nicer than the absolute cheapest. Epiphones are quite good if you like Gibson guitars ( I think their es335 hollow body rip of is nice) or Mexican fenders are also great choices. Personally, i also love my Danelectro, another affordable guitar brand.
Best of luck!
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This is a great reply and I just want to vouch for Epiphone. If you don't like the size of the ES-335, try the ES-339. Best guitar I have ever owned and it cost over 3X less than my expensive Gibson Les Paul that was mostly a waste of money. After wasting over 12 years of trying to play Les Pauls and Strats, I have no idea why I never tried the 339 sooner. It weighs significantly less than a Les Paul, and even has a better sound (more balanced instead of being blaringly loud at full volume like the LP is). Being a semi-hollow body, you can definitely hear a difference when switching string types on it and the versatility of the ES guitars cannot be understated, they truly can handle every type of music.
We have reached a point in guitar manufacturing where cheaper guitars made in China and other countries are just as good as the super expensive USA built guitars. I've had some great Squiers made out of China, and a Mexican built Fender Strat that was a solid gigging instrument, but my ES-339 being my best guitar was a China build.
Just wanted to point out too for anyone who is into classic rock, Epiphone's AlNiCo Classic Pro pickups are the best bang for your buck pickup set for trying to achieve that PAF humbucker sound. They came in my 339 and I was seriously blown away by how good they sound. They are light years better than the USA made Gibson pickups in my Gibson Les Paul and far better than the pickups Epiphone was using just 5 years ago. With a good clean amp, they instantly get that sweet 60s Eric Clapton Bluesbreaker/Cream tone and the Allman Brothers sound.
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