Help me buying my first eletric guitar

Hi,[br]I been reading all previous threads about guitars and also doing a lot of research on various sites but it's not being easy to decide which guitar to buy.[br]I been playing acoustic guitar for many years and I think I qualify as an intermediate player. I almost don't have any experience with eletric guitars except playing once in a while from friends guitars.[br]I already finished Anders blues course level 1 and I'm starting with blues level 2 course. I was able to play most things from level 1 course using an acoustic guitar altough I had some troubles applying bendings and I could not make those thumb chords (I didn't try to master them that much because I think my guitar is really bad for that and because I could get away using alternative voicings)[br][br]I like most styles of music but as some examples of what I wanna play we can go with: Beatles, Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash...[br][br]In terms of budget we can go to around 600 euros to the guitar. In terms of combo I already decide to go with the boss katana 50.[br][br]Now in terms of guitar I'm feeling lost. What type of guitar should I buy?[br]I already went to a couple of guitar shops and tried most of them but unfortunately there was not many options because in my city the stores are very small and so I was not able to try that many. I'm still able to order most guitars and Im considering going to a near bigger city that will have more options.[br]But I feel that first I need to have at least an idea of what I'm looking for and thats where you guys could help.

[br]What model should I go? Stratocaster, Les Paul, Telecaster, other?[br]If I choose to buy a strat what configuration is best for me? HSS, SSS, HSH?

Can you guys give me a few suggestions of guitars that I should try and any other advice is also welcome.[br]Thanks!

Hi Alex,

If you're looking for an electric guitar and you're most interesting in playing the artists you mentioned, you can't go wrong with either a Sratocaster, Tele, or some type of Les Paul.

For all the bluesy tones, these guitars will work just fine. It all comes down to a matter of feel. I prefer stratocasters because of the versatility of a 5 way pickup selector, and three single coils. But if you want a beefier tones, it doesn't hurt to go with an HSS.

If you want a fatter, darker tone, a Les Paul or anything from Gibson/Epiphone should be fine! Les Pauls also have shorter scale lengths, making them a little bit slinkier to play.

I think for 600 euros, you'll be able to grab a very decent guitar. As you know already, SRV, Clapton, Muddy Waters and members of the Beatles have all used Fender, so I think that might be your best bet!

You may be able to find some Fenders around your price point. And like what Anders says, the majority of the tone comes not from the guitar, but the guitar player!

I hope that helps!

Best,

Billy

Until you know what you're on about with electric at an extended hands on personal level, and there's no way to gain that understanding without that experience over time, my advice would be to buy something versatile, reliable, reasonable quality which is moderately priced. At present you're wanting a Utopian single tool which will do every job. That doesn't exist in the guitar world any more than it does in the tool world, other than a compromise at most. e.g. the shifting spanner & a hammer.

IMPE high profile brand name guitars within any segment spectrum aren't better, just more expensive. When you do come to change over when you know the direction you want to go much better, the depreciative loss on a modestly priced unit described will be insignificant. But hey, its your money.

Style. For a jack of all trades, IMV&PE a Strat style guitar fitted out HSS where at least the humbucker is alnico V is arguably going to offer maximum versatility and minimum inherent design tuning issues. Inline tuners string routing off the nut, 6 saddle intonation, and the bridge can effectively be 'locked down' if preferred. Most have coil split humbucker functionality implemented today. Good range of available tones with 5 way selectable switch config. Weight and balance of the design is generally good too.

I've got a few styles. My personal preference is for modern invocations of original designs taking the best of the old integrated with the much improved upon new.

I've owned or currently own & play:

SG traditional

LP Custom style

Strat style x4

Tele style x1

Tele x1

My favourite overall is the contemporary mod Tele style. My least favourite the LP style, which although my Custom is still a solid mahogany body but with a faster friendlier neck, has the weight of an anchor and characteristically balance about as poor as that of a Gee Bee racer from the 1930s, but is still lighter than a LP traditional!

Most versatile by far, and well liked by me is the modern implementation Strat style of which I have three HSS and one a P90 + H fixed bridge config.

Personally, I just don't like vintage or even current Fender Strat necks, much preferring modern C or D and larger radius implementation in many similarly styled offerings. My advice is to try the necks first if you can. Don't just buy on brand chic or virtue signalling kudos alone. There is plenty of choice.

Heartily endorse Boss' Katana 50 as a decent all rounder amp choice. I own four amps currently, but don't own one BTW. They are darling of the moment, so as is the wont of Boss, come at a price premium for that versus the competition, but are still worth it IMV that as a solid safe choice within that segment. You can be pretty well assured it won't disappoint.

Cheers. Happy hunting! 🤔😀

Thank you so much for so many good advices guys![br]Today I went to a bigger store and I played a lot of guitars. At this moment I can feel my lack of experience with eletric guitars to the point where I was again very confuse and could not make my mind about a specific guitar.[br]I follow your advice Billy and I tried the fender player series with diferent configurations and models and at certain point I almost decided to buy one. But I was not sure and I decided that today was just to expriment and not buy, because I don't wanna buy by impulse. I also played some other well known brands and most of them were amazing, but also VERY expensives! Finally I tried some less expensive guitars and there was on that I liked a lot, not only the feel of the neck but also the looks.[br]It's the squier stratocaster HSS comtemporany model with a matching painted headstock that I liked a lot.[br]At this moment I'm more inclined to that one instead of the equivalent fender player series because its just half the price and I think I will not notice any difference at this point of my development. And I really like that matching headstock![br]I was reading about the yamaha pacifica 112V (influenced by previous threads where manXcat mentions them as good guitars) and I found that most people really like them but unfortunately in this store they didn't have it.[br][br]So I'm really inclined in buying the squier contemporany stratocaster HSS but at same time I don't like the idea of buying a guitar that sooner or later I will have the desire to upgrade to a Fender. But if I'm honest with myself I know that probably I will never need anything better and the only limitation of a guitar like a squier contemporany or pacifica 112V is in my mind. [br]So on monday I will go to a different store take a look at the Pacifica and hopefully very soon I will be able to make a good decidion and finally pick up my new babe!

Try this one. Great price at newegg.com

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16886679002

I am playing this guitar and I like it a lot. the humbuckers produce good sound

I recommend getting the complete value pack rather than bits and pieces.