How to choose the right Electric Guitar

Choosing the right Electric Guitar for you is all about deciding what sort of sounds you would really like. In this guide we will show you two methods in how to choose an electric guitar:

Choosing the right Electric Guitar for you is all about deciding what sort of sounds you would really like. In this guide we will show you two methods in how to choose an electric guitar:

  1. Use your favourite guitarist, band or music style to guide your choice
  2. Use Artist Guitars recommendation for a first electric guitar.


1. Use your idol… 'guitar' idol that is!

The first and most important step to help you in your quest for your electric guitar is to ask yourself this question:

"What is my favourite music and who is my favourite guitarist?"

Using your favourite guitar/music idol is one of the best ways for you to start figuring out what you're looking for. Let’s look at my own experience as an example.

James Hetfield

Hetfield with a 'Gibson Explorer'

Example 1

Our Artist 'FLY' model

When I was 17 years old... "A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY" (Yes folks, I'm 40 years old now : ) I saw James Hetfield from Metallica play on stage at the 1988 Grammy awards, and then saw the video clip for the song 'ONE' I knew what I wanted to be... A singer/guitar player for a heavy metal band just like him. I noticed the GUITAR he was playing, and to me it was so cool. Asking around and seeing the same GUITAR in a music store (Guitar Crazy in Coogee, no longer there) I found out it was called a 'Gibson Explorer'.

I also had a shock when I also found out how much it cost, over $2000. Then the store owner then showed me an Explorer COPY guitar, which was a lot cheaper.

And that’s what I bought, and since then I have always bought those same guitars and similar.

A great example of a copy guitar of this type that you can afford is the ARTIST ‘FLY’ model (See image).

Check out the product page for the Artist Fly!

 


Jimi Hendrix
Jimi, rocking the 'Fender Stratocaster'
 

Example 2

Fender Stratocaster

For example, you might be a fan of Jimi Hendrix. A quick search online will tell you that the sort of guitar he played was a Fender Stratocaster.

Nice shape, huh?!

...That's called the 'ST.'

Then wanting that shape you can search for a budget priced beginner’s version to start with on the ARTIST GUITARS website, and find that we at ARTIST have a great guitar in that shape.

Check out the product page for our ST!

 

Example 3

Another example is that you may really like SLASH (ex Guns & Roses). Searching online for the sort of guitar he played you will find out it was a 'Gibson Les Paul', as he does in this video clip of 'Sweet Child O' Mine'.

But the original version of this guitar can cost between $2000 - $1,000,000 (Yes, very true)

... And that beautiful curved shape is called the 'LP'.

If you're after an LP shaped guitar you can search for a budget priced beginner’s version to start with on our ARTIST GUITARS website. You'll find that we have a great guitar in that shape too!

Check out the product page for our LP



Do these three examples help you any better?
If not, keep reading or simply contact us to ask more questions!

 

2. Use the Artist Guitars recommendation!

The ST34 for under-12's

If you are one of those beginner guitarists looking for their first electric, and you have no guitar idols you want to sound like, then no problem. Below are some tips to help choose:

Firstly, if you are less than 12 years old, the only guitar that will suite your size is the ST34. If you are 12-14 years and older then you have many other choices.

Find out more on the ST34 product page

If you're an absolute beginner, then the most basic difference between electric guitars is in the 'pickup'. Guitars with 'single coil' pickup, are great for clean sounds, while guitars with a 'humbucker pickup' are great for distorted sounds. The difference between the two is best explained here.

The 'Single Coil' pickup
The 'Humbucker' pickup



What we at artist would like to recommend as a great all-rounder electric guitar to start with is our STH PACK.

This guitar will give the best of both worlds of having a guitar with both Single Coil and Humbucker pickups – meaning with single coil pickups you will get great clean guitar sounds, and the Humbucker pickup will give the best distortion sounds to play rock etc…


Check out the product page for the STH Pack.
 
Thanks for reading our report, to give you even more content check our pages below:
 
I hope this short summary has helped, if you need any assistance please email:

sales@artistguitars.co.nz or call us on 0800 025 467