Beginner electric guitars: a Christmas buyers' guide

Buying an electric guitar for yourself or a lucky loved one this Christmas isn’t easy. There are myriad body shapes and styles to consider, not to mention pickup options and finishes. We can’t tell you exactly what you or your mini Jimi-in-the-making needs - the only surefire way to know is to get out there and try them out - but we can point you in the right direction…

This is a gallery of great electric guitars for beginners, hand-picked from the round-ups and buyers’ guides we’ve compiled over the last year or so. Many have been recommended by MusicRadar users, and nearly all are backed-up by in-depth reviews from the experts at Guitarist and Total Guitar.

Prices range from £119-£1000, which we’re loosely calling a ‘beginner’ or entry level category. Mind you, if you’re lucky enough to be able to invest a grand in your first axe, it’ll likely see you well past your first gig and end up being a guitar for life.

First up: a solid choice under £200

Under £200: Yamaha Pacifica 112V £119

Yamaha’s best-selling guitar, the Pacifica 112V, was voted as the second best electric under £300 by MusicRadar users – not bad considering that it comes in well under the ceiling price. It’s versatile and reliable and remains a first-stop for countless fledgling guitarists the world over.

FULL REVIEW: Yamaha Pacifica 112V

Also try:

First Act CE120 Lola £149

Danelectro Dano 63 £199

More inspiration:

13 kick-ass electric guitars under £200

Best Beginner's Guitars: Five of Total Guitar’s favourites

Next: under £300

Under £300: Epiphone ES-335 Dot £279

The undisputed winner of the best electric under £300 poll with a staggering 34 percent of the vote. Epiphone’s ES-335 Dot is a semi-acoustic guitar with all the versatility of a solidbody but with bags of additional resonance. The classic look of the ES-335 is timeless too.

FULL REVIEW: Epiphone ES-335 Dot

Also try:

Squier Classic Vibe '50s/'60s Stratocaster £279

ESP LTD MH100-QM £280

More inspiration:

20 cool electric guitars under £300

Best Beginner's Guitars: Five of Total Guitar’s favourites

Next: under £400

Under £500: Fender Classic Player Series from £499

The idea behind the Classic Player Series was to try to bring some of the Fender Custom Shop's Masterbuilt magic to the mid-price market. In fact, the tone, vibe and feel of these Mexican-made guitars are so good for the money we’d recommend auditioning a Classic Player (as would scores of MusicRadar users who voted the series among the best electrics under £1000) even if you can afford to spend much more.

FULL REVIEW: Fender Classic Player '50s Stratocaster
FULL REVIEW: Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster
FULL REVIEW: Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster
FULL REVIEW: Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe

BUY:

Fender Classic Player '50s Stratocaster is currently available from Andertons Music Co. and Thomann.
Fender Classic Player '60s Stratocaster is currently available from Andertons Music Co. and Thomann.
Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster is currently available from Andertons Music Co., Thomann and PMT Online.
Fender Classic Player Telecaster Thinline Deluxe is available from Andertons Music Co., Thomann and PMT Online.

Also try:

BC Rich Mockingbird ST £489

Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II £450

More inspiration:

22 badass electric guitars under £400

22 smokin' electric guitars under £500

Next: under £700

Under £700: PRS SE Singlecut Korina £549

One of the more affordable PRS models and another entry in our poll of the best electrics under £1000, the Korina recalls the resonance and dynamics of guitars of yesteryear at a snip of the price of a US model. Plug it in and you’ll forget you're playing a guitar that is, by PRS’s standards at least, a mere entry-level instrument.

FULL REVIEW: PRS SE Singlecut Korina

BUY: PRS SE Singlecut Korina is currently available from Thomann

Also try:

Gordon-Smith GS2 £599

Gibson SG Special £799

More inspiration:

22 alternative electric guitars under £1000

Next: under £1000

Under £1000: Fender American Standard Series £879

A second entry from Fender in the best electrics under £1000 category is the American Standard Series. Introduced in 1986, the no-nonsense American Standard quickly became an industry standard and it can still be seen and heard on stages across the globe.

The latest models, revised and updated in 2008, are no different. The Tele is a great performer, especially for modern rhythm styles while the Strat is the contemporary iteration of the most popular electric guitar design of all time.

FULL REVIEW: Fender American Standard Stratocaster
FULL REVIEW: Fender American Standard Telecaster

Also try:

Gibson Les Paul Studio £999

Charvel San Dimas Style 1 £999

More inspiration:

22 alternative electric guitars under £1000

Next: more metal

More metal: Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates £999

You’ll have noticed a few metal-friendly axes scattered across this round-up already, like BC Rich’s Mockingbird ST, but it’s a big enough market to warrant its own gallery slide at least! Among the best electrics under £1000, Dean’s Razorback Cemetery Gates model doesn’t just say metal, it screams it from the rooftops. The Dimebag-tastic guitar has a massive yet strident tone and is surprisingly versatile.

FULL REVIEW: Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates via 4 graphic finish metal electric guitars

BUY: Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates is currently available from Thomann

Also try:

Washburn WV40V Pro E £689

Dean ML XM £160

More inspiration:

Round-up: 4 Floyd Rose-equipped electric guitars

Round-up: 3 extreme 8-string electric guitars

Round-up: 4 brutal 7-string electric guitars

Round-up: 4 graphic finish metal electric guitars

Next: more semis

Hollowbody choice: Gretsch G5120 Electromatic

We’ve already sung the praises of Epiphone’s ES-335 Dot (on more than one occasion), but you might be tempted to go the whole hog and opt for a big hollowbody for twang-tastic retro rockabilly and indie jangle.

Gretsch’s G5120 Electromatic is a '50s-inspired semi with licensed Bigsby B60 vibrato that is surprisingly versatile. Okay, it's certainly not going to do the business for metalheads, but for fans of early rock 'n' roll, The Beatles or '80s janglers like The Stone Roses and The Smiths, there's much to love here.

FULL REVIEW: Gretsch G5120 Electromatic

Also try:

Round-up: 4 rockabilly-style semi-acoustic electric guitars

More inspiration:

Round-up: 5 semi-acoustic electric guitars under £400

Round-up: 4 great-value semi-hollow electric guitars

Next: even more inspiration: affordable 12-stringers, Soapbars and starter kits

More inspiration: 12-stringers, Soapbars and starter kits

Affordable 12-string electrics

Burns Double Six £599

Back in the sixties the Burns Double Six was one of the most popular 12-string electrics and this reissue combines retro character with improved components for increased stability. The wide neck might initially prove a little daunting, but it’s actually more finger-friendly than most. It's sizeable body could deter some, but this classy guitar sounds as big as it looks and demonstrates the performance benefits of a purpose-built design.

Also try:

Round-up: 4 affordable 12-string electric guitars

Affordable Soapbar-loaded electrics with P-90-style pickups

Squier VM Tele Custom II £279

The Tele Custom II is the epitome of value with a great Fender feel, beefed-up Tele tones and that classic Keef look. The chunky neck feels great in the palm and really adds to the overall tone and resonance of the instrument.

Also try:

Round-up: 4 affordable soapbar-loaded electric guitars

Cheap and cheerful starter kits

Squier 'Stop Dreaming, Start Playing' Pack £319

Squier’s 1982 launch sparked the entry-level revolution, and the original budget range still leads the pack with the ‘Stop Dreaming, Start Playing’ bundle. The combination of an Affinity Strat HSS and a feature-rich Fender G-DEC Junior makes it clear this pack isn’t just about scraping by, it’s about twiddling knobs and having fun.