Best Electric Guitars for Beginners in India - Reviews and Comparison 2021

The body material is among the most prominent buying factors because the kind of wood used in a guitar determines its durability. Though this forms just the exterior of the instrument, but you would surely not prefer a guitar that breaks down every six months. Right?

So for a broad understanding, let us have a closer look at the types of material used in a guitar to bring it in the shape that is familiar to us.

a) Maple: Used in acoustic guitars, maple wood is preferred due to a bright tonal quality, natural durability and toughness.

b) Mahogany: Known to produce a high resonating sound, mahogany wood is known for its durability and longevity. It is the same wood that is used in the popular dreadnought guitars.

c) Spruce wood: Spruce wood is usually used to make guitar tops, and since they are hard and tough, you can strum heavily without the fear of any damage to it.

d) Basswood:  Normally used to carve-out cheap guitars, basswood is not as heavy. Therefore, it can be handled well but it may have some durability concerns that can bother you in the long run.

e) Ashwood: Ashwood is a soft type of wood when put to comparison with most of the other wood types. This moderately durable wood has a warm and bright tone.

After the body material, the body style is the next most important thing to look for. The body style is broadly classified into hollow, semi-hollow and solid. The said is explained below.

a) Solid

Solid-body guitars are those made up of a single slab of wood. This could be the most basic and simple single pickup model or an extravagantly adorned instrument. It may feature a multi-pickup and a wide variety of electronic options. The wood has a vital impact on the sound output but may lack the resonance as observed in a hollow-bodied guitar.

b) Hollow

As the name suggests, the hollow body guitars feature a hollow chamber that aids in creating more resonance. This brings the guitar closer to an acoustic counterpart. Also, these guitars are more likely to have feedback. These guitars are highly preferred for their deep bass response and rich tones.

c) Semi-hollow

These types of guitars are hybrid versions of a solid type and hollow body guitar. They come with a moderate resonance and are specifically designed to have a solid centre wood block which enhances the stability of the guitar. These type of guitars greatly helps in preventing feedback.

A pickguard is a plastic piece (often made of some laminated material) that is placed on the body of a guitar. Its main purpose is to protect the guitar's finish from scratch during the playing of the instrument.

The mechanism to amplify the produced vibrations through acoustics or electrical signals is a pickup. This is hence a key element to amplify the sound of a guitar. Piezo pickups are the most commonly used ones in an electric guitar, which offers a more clear sound and tonal quality. A type of pickguard called the humbucker reduces noise in backgrounds and cuts the hum sounds and enhances clarity.

Connected to the pickups of the guitar, the pickup selector switches are there to set distinctive combinations of tones that a guitarist can choose to play. Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster are guitars that are build following similar standards.

The tone controls are basically capacitors or switches which are used to adjust the frequencies, which helps to control the treble settings.

A bridge is a guitar component that is attached to its body to hold the strings together. The bridge generates audio waves and passes them to the soundboard when the strings are pressed against the fretboard. The bridge also aids in maintaining the equal and proper distance between the strings and the fingerboard/fretboard. It in turn also decides the distance among the strings themselves.

The output jack is meant to transfer the signal from the guitar to the cable wire. There is a wide range of output jacks available which includes:

Mono - It has two lugs that are found in both electric and acoustic guitars and are generally connected to the guitar cable.

Stereo - It has three lugs which are common in acoustic and electric guitars. It is the third lug that acts as a power switch to adjust the tone frequencies.

Tip ring sleeve - It is a type of output jack seen in the acoustic-electric, electric and acoustic guitars. Having four lugs, these are used in the electric guitars for picking up the magnetic tones, whereas it's used as a microphone in acoustic guitars.

Power jacks on the other hand either has a stereo configuration or a tip ring sleeve configuration. These are attached to an inbuilt circuit in the guitar. However, in case of a fault, this jack cannot be replaced and the guitar itself has to be changed. 

The head of the guitar is the wood at the end of the guitar neck, which also holds the tuners. When the neck vibrates, it affects the musical notes. 

They are normally found in Fender Stratocasters guitars which keep your strings at a certain angle to pressurize the nut which prevents the strings from popping out in an inopportune scenario.

Truss adjusters are used to adjusting the curve of the guitar neck, thereby keeping the strings aligned and adjusting the string height as needed.

The nut is a little plastic piece that has slots to hold each string of the guitar. It keeps the strings aligned while supporting them at the end of the guitar head. The nut also sets the spacing between the strings and holds them at a certain height. The height can be altered as per convenience.  

The neck is the long piece of wood running through the guitar, connecting its head and the body. And it also holds down the fretboard, frets, nut, and tuners.

Frets are further subdivided in are three types, namely:

Fan frets

Fan frets give the higher strings shorter length and lower-pitched strings more length. 

Scalloped frets

They allow a lighter touch for precise finger movements with easy bending and vibration. 

Fat frets 

These are used in old guitars. Furthermore, they are made out of thin or thick wire that makes the bending easy.

These are the white or coloured dots on the fretboard, that helps you in figuring out which position you are playing on.

The fretboard is a long strip laminated to the front of the neck. The strings run over the fretboard. The board is usually made of rosewood and maple.

Strings are most important element of a guitar that produces sound. There are no holes in an electric guitar, therefore, the vibration is passed to a pickup. After sensing the vibration, strings pass it on further to the guitar amplifier. 

There are two types of strings seen in electric guitars, known as light and heavy gauge. Lighter ones, as the name suggests are lightweight and hence notes are bend easily. However, heavier gauge produce high volume but also require more pressure to play with.

Located on the head of the guitar, tuners are placed according to the shape and size of the guitar head. They are arranged in patterns of either six or three on each side. Good quality tuners mean precise notes and better output.

Strap button is to keep the guitar strap hooked up. Also, a locking strap button is considered to be the best of the kind. It keeps the strap of your guitar locked in the same place.

The electric guitars are broadly classified into two - solid body and semi-acoustic which are further divided. Given the plethora of features, differences and specialities, it is interesting to dive in and gain insights about these to choose the best.

Solid Body Electric Guitars

The most visible difference between a solid body electric guitar and a semi-acoustic guitar is the absence of a hole in the upper body. The semi-acoustic guitar has a hole and it is the most common guitar found in shops and stores. Another difference between the two guitars is the quality of wood used. The solid-body guitars rely on the wood quality and their components for the sound that it produces. Let's have a look at some well known solid body guitar types.

Stratocasters

The Fender Stratocaster has cutaway horns in its design that gives easy access to higher frets. The design of the back of the body is such that it extends greater comfort even during longer performances. These guitars feature three single-coil pickups for transferring the string vibrations to the amplifier. These pickups can all be turned on at once which produces a wide range of sounds. It also has a tremolo bar that allows to lower or raise the pitch, the bars when pulled down produces a range of sound effects. Stratocasters are the ones for you if you enjoy different sounds and genres of music.

Telecasters

Telecaster is another guitar hailing from the Fender's lineup having a single cutaway to access the higher frets. These guitars have two single-coil pickups that can be used separately or simultaneously to produce large-scale sound. Well-known for producing a thin, biting sound, telecasters are an ideal choice for country music and are getting popular for indie musicians too.

Les Paul

Les Paul is mass popular and it is all about heavy metal feel. When it was introduced in the 90s, manufacturers used P-90 pickups whereas nowadays, double humbucker pickups are used in it. Les Paul has thick, sustainable sound output. They have a single cutaway shape similar to the Like Tele and Stratocasters. Heavy rock musicians highly prefer Les Paul.

SG

If you are a metal or heavy rock music enthusiast, then the SG guitars with a long-neck design and twin horn cutaway shape could perfectly pair with you. It's slightly tricky to balance those guitars due to the long neck and being lightweight. They feature two humbucker pickups like the Les Paul but have different volume and tone controls.

Semi-Acoustic Electric Guitars

Semi-acoustic guitars are hollow-bodied guitars that come with a warmer and more dynamic range of sounds as compared to solid body guitars. They are vulnerable to unwanted feedback. Hence semi-acoustic guitars are normally not preferred as much by rock and metal musicians. Though with a view of decreasing the feedback factor, many guitars have solid blocks embedded inside.

Here are a few semi-acoustic guitar types explained.

335s

335s are a great pick for fusion and electric blue music. These hybrid hollow guitars have a solid block inside to cut off the feedback and releasing the sound with all its potential.

Rickenbacker 330

The Rickenbacker 330s have the characteristic to produce a bright and loud sound.

Archtop

Archtops are hollow-bodied guitars that can now be hooked up to an amp to get electric sound. Known for producing less sustained and thick sound, they are immensely popular with jazz musicians in particular.

Designed like old-fashioned violins, these guitars have their back and tops arched and made out of one single piece of wood. Among the most widely used archtops is the Gibson ES-175, with two humbucker pickups. It has a sleek design, produces a thick and dark sound. Moreover, it is possible to play a fast chord in it due to the durable and guitar neck.

The archtops allow playing acoustically while making the amplification possible in concerts.

Our top pick is from a beginner-friendly guitar manufacturer Juarez, the JRZ-ST01. It is a 6 stringed budget electric guitar. The brand already has a repute of providing good quality instruments within an affordable range for new learners and expert musicians.

The JRZ ST01 is an ideal pick to start your guitaring journey and their ergonomy is highly suitable for right-hand users. This stylish guitar has 18 frets in total, with a fretboard carved out of ebony and a fingerboard of rosewood. This Juarez guitar has a maple neck and the material used has an impact on the overall sound output.

This guitar features stainless steel strings and the tuning is Linden wood frame binding. The guitar has a chrome diecast machine head. Moreover, the ideal frame and string setup help the guitar to extend an outstanding performance. 

The 5 ways selector switch makes it easy and dynamic to choose amongst varied tonal settings, alongside that, the guitar has standard volume control and knobs for tonal control.

Speaking of the accessories, the guitar comes with the connector cable and also a non-padded guitar case. 

Fender has been a world-renowned manufacturer of Kurtis if we speak of acoustic or electric guitars. In the case of the Fender Squier Stratocaster, the manufacturers ensure a surreal experience for everyone including absolute beginners and give them the true taste and joy of guitar playing.

This Stratocaster guitar comes with 6 strings, 21 medium jumbo frets and a vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge to hold the guitar strings giving exceptional performance. The rosewood fingerboard cannot be neglected for its impact on the sound output.

Designed for right-handed players, this guitar features dual coil humbucking pickup, while the accessories include picks, guitar, guitar cable, guitar case, and a learning guide.

If it's a guitar conversation then the mention of Les Paul is mandatory. The legendary Epiphone Les Paul is one of the most known and famous guitars in the world.

Irrespective of the kind of music, Les Pauls are known to provide high-quality music output with stunning mechanics and build. And this Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL VE is no exception.

From having 700T Humbucker pickups for powerful tone transmission to the rosewood fretboard and a Tune-O-Matic guitar bridge system give your music a whole new zenith.  

Additionally, Epiphone gives a lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship which is contrary to most manufacturers in the market. 

Another Juarez guitar, having similar features as the previous pick from the same house, has an outstanding design that produces great quality sound. It is meant for right-handed users and the accessories included in it makes it an ideal choice for beginners.

The body material is linden wood and apart from that the guitar features geared tuning, a solid wood frame and stainless steel strings.

The ebony made fretboard, 18 number of frets and the chrome die casting machine head attract buyers like no other piece. This cutaway sized guitar gives access to higher frets for getting high pitched sound.

It is a brilliantly designed guitar that comes with a maple neck and is characterized by a gloss finish. The guitar accompanies a nylon big bag for storage of the instrument.

Though this Ibanez guitar may look a bit pricey compared to other picks on the list, but the specialised features completely justify the rate.

The guitar chords suit professionals and mid-level learners alike which is a great way to elevate from the beginner level. A GRG shaped maple wood neck, a rosewood fingerboard and a body carved out of basswood are some of its striking physical features. This construction helps in generating a pitch-perfect tone. 

It is a right-handed guitar with 24 frets, a FAT 10 bridge, and 2 humbucking pickups. Moreover, it has a single-coil pickup configuration in the middle and the hardware is carved out of chrome.

The guitar has 3 colour variations of grey, black and multicolour.

Kadence Astro Man Electric Guitar is another popular and enticing mid-budget guitar known for its versatile applications and HSS or single-coil pickup. It actually forms the base of its popularity among contemporary musicians.

This lightweight guitar can be an ideal ally for long-duration concerts, and its rosewood body helps to generate some really warm, mellow and brighter tones. Additionally, it also helps in absorbing all the undesirable husky and non-desirable overtones.

This guitar incorporates a solid basswood neck, medium jumbo frets and a standard 4 bolt neck plate.

If you are a hobbyist looking to pursue your guitaring ambition or even an aspiring guitarist, the Rockjam electric guitar could be the perfect ally for you. 

With all the needed accessories, superb sound and versatile playability, this guitar has a fabulous cutaway design. The three single-coil pickups, two tone controls, single volume control and 5 pickup selector switches ensure superior sound and pitch performance.

A tremolo bar adds the classic element to its guitar with a hi-gloss diamond black finish. Last but not least, the guitar bears a maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and sleek contoured basswood body.