For many guitarists, picking up a 6-string for the first time is an eye-opening experience that sets them on a lifelong journey of music. Playing the guitar allows you to sharpen your musical knowledge, experiment with songwriting, and perform for your friends and family. And if you’re among the lucky ones, then you might even be in front of appreciative crowds.
So, how do you get started? By browsing Sweetwater’s extensive selection of guitars, of course! Whatever you’re buying for yourself or a loved one, there are many electric and acoustic offerings to choose from. That’s where the experts at Sweetwater come in: we’re guitar fanatics who spend much of our time reading about, listening to, and playing with the latest entry-level offerings from various brands. Below is our list of the best electric and acoustic guitars for beginners. Let us obsess over all the details, so you don’t have to!
Note: At Sweetwater, we know there’s no such thing as “best” when it comes to music gear. Every player and artist has unique tastes, which is what makes selecting gear so fun! The items on this list feature some of our favorite products from top manufacturers to help you start your buying journey! Explore these recommendations and dive into Sweetwater’s massive collection of gear on our online store. For personalized picks and expert advice, please contact our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700!
Best Electric Guitars for Beginners
Squier Affinity Series
The Squier Affinity Series is the perfect entry to the Fender family of instruments. The series includes all the classic models — such as the Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Jazzmaster — with accessible price tags. And within those models, the Affinity Series has many versatile configurations for all instruments. Whichever model you choose, you’ll enjoy iconic body shapes that are comfortable to play with, whether you’re sitting or standing. The Affinity Series also flaunts premium electronics and versatile switching options to give players the right sound for any genre and playing style. Combine the electronics with the fast-playing necks, and the Squier Affinity Series instantly becomes one of the best electric guitar lines for beginners.
Epiphone Power Players Collection
Tailor-made for beginner guitar players and those with smaller hands, the Epiphone Power Players Collection of electric guitars offers legendary instruments in scaled-down packages. All Power Players guitars feature shorter scale lengths and slimmed-down bodies to give beginners a more comfortable playing platform. They don’t skimp on tone, though! Epiphone’s humbucking pickups pump out powerful old-school tones that are at home in any arrangement. Every Power Players electric guitar comes with an Epiphone-branded gig bag, a guitar strap, a cable, and some guitar picks. Some even come with a guitar amp, so you’re completely ready to start your electric guitar journey! Do you want a different amplifier and are unsure which amp to buy? Sweetwater can help you with that, too, thanks to our comprehensive “Guitar Amp Buying Guide” advice and our “14 Best Beginner Guitar Amps of 2022” article.
Ibanez Gio Series
Virtuosos and shredders of all stripes have rocked Ibanez electric guitars for decades. And for new electric guitar players, Ibanez developed the Gio Series. These beginner electric guitars offer everything players love about Ibanez: comfortable body shapes, aggressive tones, and lightning-fast neck profiles. Most Gio guitars are based on the iconic RG body shape, which offers a slim body and deep cutaways that provide effortless access to the higher frets. Other models may come with hardtail bridges, tremolo tailpieces for high-octane dive-bombs, and other whacky whammy tricks. And in true Ibanez fashion, guitars from the Gio Series come in many eye-grabbing finishes to help you stand out.
Yamaha Pacifica Series
The Yamaha Pacifica Series has been around since the ’90s. And decades after its introduction to the Yamaha family, the Pacifica continues to astound Sweetwater with high-quality features and fantastic prices. All Pacifica guitars are solidbody electric guitars with vintage-inspired, double-cutaway body shapes. They sport comfortable necks and body contours. Beginners will love the extremely popular and affordable Yamaha PAC012 and PAC100 Pacifica models. Meanwhile, people getting more serious about their guitar playing may consider the top-of-the-range PAC600 models that boast maple tops and upgraded electronics. Yamaha Pacifica guitars are some of the best electric guitars for beginners because they are comfortable, come with multiple pickup configurations, and sport cool finishes.
Gretsch Streamliner Collection
The Gretsch Streamliner Collection is loaded to the gills with outstanding electric guitars for beginners and intermediate players. The collection includes solidbody, semi-hollowbody, and hollowbody guitars, providing players with various visual and sonic styles. Most Streamliner guitars come equipped with humbucking pickups that offer thicker tones without any hum. Other members of the Streamliner family feature P-90 single-coil pickups for old-school tones that absolutely rip. There are also two tailpiece options: a Bigsby vibrato for warbling expression or a stop tailpiece for extra tuning stability. Want to know more about the Gretsch Streamliner guitars? You can browse the collection online or call one of our Sweetwater Sales Engineers to learn more!
ESP LTD Series
Offerings from the ESP LTD Series are some of the best electric guitars for beginners interested in the harder side of rock. These guitars descended from ESP’s bespoke instruments and are built with impressive attention to detail, garnering the brand a loyal following among gigging musicians, professionals, and hobbyists alike. They’re built with top-quality tonewoods and carved into player-friendly shapes with comfortable neck profiles. There’s something for everyone in the ESP LTD range, from aggressive takes on vintage standards to supercharged S-styles and more. If you’re a hard-hitting rock and metal fan, then an ESP LTD guitar is the natural first step.
Sterling by Music Man Cutlass Series
Founded in 1974, Ernie Ball Music Man has manufactured some of the world’s finest electric guitars. And with Sterling by Music Man products, those outstanding designs are made available to a broader range of players. Though Sterling offers many fantastic instruments, Sweetwater frequently recommends the Sterling by Music Man Cutlass Series to new guitar players. Why? Because these solidbody electric guitars have contoured bodies to keep you comfortable while playing. Each Cutlass guitar also features a very playable neck shape and superb fretwork — and that’s just the body. Different electronics packages are available, ensuring that any player can easily achieve the tones they need. Add the tremolo tailpiece, and the Cutlass is ready for musical warfare.
Best Acoustic Guitars for Beginners
Alvarez Artist Series
The Alvarez Artist Series of acoustic guitars are built to introduce new acoustic players to the Alvarez family. These guitars come in multiple body sizes with various tonewood configurations. Some models feature spruce tops with mahogany backs and sides (a classic combination popular with players of all styles), while others are made entirely out of mahogany for folk and songwriters. Regardless of top material, all Alvarez Artist guitars feature solid-wood tops; this aspect boosts the overall resonance and ensures that every guitar punches through the mix. These guitars are available as standard acoustics or as acoustic-electrics with built-in pickups, preamps, and onboard electronics for plugging in onstage.
Ovation Celebrity Collection
Ovation was founded by helicopter engineer and guitar lover Charles Kaman after he set out on a quest to improve the acoustic guitar. Now, more than five decades later, the Ovation Celebrity Collection offers value-packed versions of the company’s iconic instruments. Ovation guitars feature rounded Lyrachord backs for efficient sound projection and seriously impressive resonance. And because Lyrachord is nearly indestructible, we here at Sweetwater believe that Ovation Celebrity Collection instruments are among the best acoustic guitars for beginners. Beyond their unique body construction, Ovation guitars feature slim necks and onboard electronics for gigging. And players who like a bit more luxury and visual flair naturally gravitate toward the Ovation Celebrity Elite models, which have eye-catching, off-center soundholes and inlaid designs.
Guild Westerly Collection
The Guild Westerly Collection is a tribute to the Westerly, Rhode Island, factory where Guild rose to prominence in the late ’60s. The collection includes guitars of all shapes and sizes with various features — there is something for everyone! Multiple tonewood combinations are available, each using spruce, rosewood, and mahogany in different configurations. Westerly guitars range from sturdy and dependable laminate arched backs to resonant, all-solid axes, depending on the tonewoods used. Each guitar is constructed with extreme attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and a dedication to quality that would impress even the artisans who worked in the Westerly facility all those years ago.
D’Angelico Acoustic Guitars
No matter what size or sound you’re looking for, these D’Angelico acoustic guitars deliver. The Premier Gramercy acoustic-electric guitar’s Grand Auditorium body is made from high-quality tonewoods, including a solid spruce top. Notable embellishments include antique bronze art deco hardware, rosewood stairstep bridge, and a Scalini pickguard. Further, a built-in Fishman Sonitone system lets you plug the Premier Gramercy into an acoustic amplifier, PA, or interface. The D’Angelico Premier Fulton LS 12-string brings a Grand Auditorium body to a smaller, 16-inch-wide all-mahogany body for stellar tone that delivers robust bass and shiny high end. Its gorgeous mahogany neck with torrefied merbau fingerboard offers wonderful playability and response. Or the D’Angelico Premier Tammany XT Orchestra that affords guitarists classic orchestral-bodied acoustic playability, with a spruce-topped sapele body, a rosewood-topped mahogany neck and premium appointments like a real bone nut, tortoise stairstep pickguard, Vintage Deluxe tuning machines by Grover, and a Sweetwater-exclusive finish.
Martin X Series
Martin is one of the oldest and most respected names in the business. Since 1833, it’s been making topflight instruments that embody the company’s philosophy of elegance and simplicity. That philosophy is readily apparent in the Martin X Series. These guitars are built with ultra-durable HPL (High Pressure Laminate) backs and sides to resist any damage caused by swings in temperature and humidity. Fans of the X Series rave about the comfortable necks and effortlessly playable fingerboards. Some X Series guitars also come with under-saddle pickups and electronics for performing onstage. If you’re a fan of traditional guitars and classic acoustic sounds, then the Martin X Series is the way to go.
Yamaha FG/FGX Series
The Yamaha FG/FGX Series of instruments is among the most popular acoustic guitar brands for beginners at Sweetwater. These guitars are available in dreadnought and concert body shapes and are built from quality materials, such as spruce, mahogany, and rosewood. The nato necks are comfortable, too, thanks to Yamaha’s slim neck-profile designs. FG guitars are strictly acoustic designs that pump out pleasing tones. Meanwhile, FGX guitars come loaded with electronics, so you can take their authoritative tone to the stage and plug in directly. With FG and FGX player-friendly body shapes, top-notch tonewoods, and outstanding build quality, it’s hard to go wrong with an acoustic guitar from the series.
Takamine G Series
New guitar players searching for high-quality starter instruments should consider the Takamine G Series. Although they are slightly pricier than other acoustic guitars on this list, G Series instruments deliver legendary Takamine tone, silky-smooth playability, and advanced electronics. Multiple body shapes are available, from powerful dreadnoughts to smaller, parlor-style guitars — every model is built from the finest of tonewoods. Of course, some models also include electronics packages that enable you to perform anywhere you like — simply add an amp. The G Series includes 6-string guitars, 12-string guitars, nylon-string acoustics, classical guitars, and even acoustic basses! If you want a guitar that stands out sonically from the crowd, then you owe it to yourself to try a Takamine.
Start Your Guitar-playing Journey with Sweetwater
Are you ready to start your musical journey on the guitar? Great! Grab yourself the axe of your choice and get ready to rock ‘n’ roll. If you’re unsure whether you want to play an acoustic or an electric guitar or have other questions about any of the guitars listed here, then Sweetwater can help! Pick up the phone and call (800) 222-4700 to connect with your Sweetwater Sales Engineer. They’ll gladly answer all your questions and help you get the perfect beginner guitar for your new musical journey.
