4 of the best electric guitar starter packs
£229
Epiphone Slash 'AFD' Les Paul Performance Pack
With Christmas well and truly on the way, now's the time to treat yourself – or your child/significant other/nan – to your/their very first guitar rig. So, bring on the new year's practice regime resolutions, as we round up four value-for-money starter packs, all of which feature a guitar, amp and all the accessories you need to take your first steps in playing.
Epiphone Slash 'AFD' Les Paul Performance Pack
Endorsed by the top-hatted former GN'R guitarist, the 'AFD' Les Paul pack boasts impressive specs for the money, with a Slash-designed Les Paul Special-II, 15-watt Slash 'Snakepit' amp, gigbag, signature picks and free online lessons from eMediaT.
Finished in Appetite Amber, the Les Paul Special-II packs a pair of Epiphone Ceramic Plus humbuckers for big rock tones, plus a flame maple veneer-topped mahogany body, and even a built-in Shadow E-Tuner on the bridge pickup mounting ring.
The 'Snakepit' amp, meanwhile, features clean and overdrive channels, plus a three-band EQ, outputted through an eight-inch speaker. You also get an auxiliary input for your mp3 player and a headphone output for silent practice, which is sure to please the neighbours.
£229
Orange Guitar Pack
Building on the reputation of Orange's legendary amps, the Orange Guitar Pack provides a wealth of cool-looking gear to get you started.
The Orange guitar – available in black, white and orange – features a pair of humbuckers, plus all-solid Nato wood construction, while the Crush PiX CR12L amp puts out 12 watts of clean and overdriven tones through a six-inch speaker, all adjustable via a three-band EQ.
Also included are a host of quality accessories: an Orange cable, headstock tuner, gigbag, strap and picks, plus free access to the Online Beginner section of the Orange Music Education Rock Guitar Course. Phewph!
More info: Orange Guitar Pack
£214
Squier 'Stop Dreaming Start Playing' Set
If you want your first rig to look the part, you can't go wrong with Squier's axe pack, which features a classic-looking Squier Affinity Strat, plus a Fender Frontman 10-watt practice amp.
The Affinity Strat comes in Brown Sunburst and black finishes, and packs a trio of single-coil pickups, bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and an alder body, while the Frontman features clean and overdrive channels with adjustable gain to suit a variety of genres.
You also get an electronic tuner, instructional DVD, gigbag, cable, strap and picks included in the pack.
More info: Squier 'Stop Dreaming Start Playing' Set
£219
Ibanez IJRG200E Jumpstart
With a 10-watt IBZ10B amp and GRG electric from one of the world's premier rock guitar companies, the Jumpstart pack is made for players who are serious about getting good.
The GRG guitar packs two humbuckers, 24 frets and a vibrato for wild playing manoeuvres, and comes in three colours, too: Black Night, blue and red.
Meanwhile, the IBZ10B amp may only feature a clean channel, but it does include a three-band EQ, plus an auxiliary input and headphone output.
Finally, as part of the Jumpstart pack, you also get a gigbag, electronic tuner, headphones, guitar strap, cable, picks and accessories pouch to store 'em all in – snazzy.
More info: Ibanez IJRG200E Jumpstart
Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.