You are one purchase away from the moment you will hold your new electric guitar and play your favorite songs!

But we know that the many different options available can confuse you. 

Don't worry, we will help you step by step to make the best possible choice.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Appearance

And yes, appearance matters! It is perhaps the most important criterion. The more you like the guitar you get, the more you will love it, and thus it is more likely that you will spend more time with it. (Especially in cases where you are called to play difficult pieces, trust us, it helps! 

Beyond the color, there are various shapes to choose from that suit you best.

The main types are:

Single Cut Style 

The first was designed in 1952 by Gibson and the famous musician and inventor of the time, Les Paul, giving his name to one of the most recognizable guitars of all time.

T Style

Initially, it was mainly preferred for country and blues music, but now you will see it being used in every genre of music, as there are many variations of it.

S Style 

Perhaps the most widespread guitar style. The original construction was called the Stratocaster and the design was the result of Leo's imagination, who aimed to create the most ergonomic guitar of the time. 

Over the years and with the advent of new genres (e.g., rock), various companies modified the characteristics that we will see below, so that it can be used in many types of music.

Step 2: Sound

Appearance is important, but sound is equally important. 

In electric guitars, the tone is largely determined by the pickups.

The pickups are located in the body of the guitar, under the strings, and they are what transmit the sound to the amplifier. This is a feature mentioned by every manufacturer. Together, we will look at the two main types between which you are called upon to choose. 

Type 1: Single coils

These pickups are mainly found on S and T type guitars. They have a clean and bright sound, making them ideal for music without distortion.

Type 2: Double Pickups (Humbuckers)

Humbucker pickups were originally created to deal with the unpleasant noise produced by single-coil pickups when the sound was heavily distorted. They produce a warmer sound, which distorts much more easily, making them the ideal choice for hard rock and metal.

Step 3: Practicality 

The bridge, or saddle, is the part where the strings start from the body of the instrument and go toward the tuning pegs.

There are 2 basic types of bridge, which are based on completely different mechanisms.

Type 1: Fixed

Type 2: Tremolo

The difference from the previous type is that, in addition to the metal frame, the tremolo has a spring system, in which, by moving a lever, you can move the entire bridge, so you can create strange effects in the sound, as the name suggests. Changing strings is quite a bit more complicated, while the system needs to be adjusted by someone with experience, so that the tuning is not lost every time you use it. 

We recommend that your first guitar have a tremolo,  only if it is something important to you. In any other case, a fixed bridge will save you time and possible frustration.