Electric guitars for beginners | Stagg

Many instruments have been around for hundreds of years. The electric guitar is much more recent.
The first models appeared around 1950. From that moment on, music has never been the same: pop music would not have been pop music without electric guitars. It is no wonder that many beginners want to learn to play the guitar.

The instrument

On an acoustic guitar, the strings vibrate the upper part of the soundboard. On an electric guitar it’s different: the vibrations of the strings are picked up by one or more magnetic pickups that are located under the strings. The pickups convert the vibrations into a signal that goes to the amplifier.

Pickups are very important for the sound of the guitar. There are two main types: single coils and humbuckers. Single coils sound brighter than humbuckers. The sound of humbuckers is thicker and warmer.

Electric guitars themselves come in different varieties. The “body” of a solidbody guitar is made of solid wood. Hollow-body or semi-hollow-body guitars have a (partially) hollow soundboard. In this case, the soundboard contributes to the sound, just like an acoustic guitar.

The neck of a solidbody can be bolted (bolt-on) or glued (set-neck) to the guitar. For guitars with a bolt-on neck, alder and ash are usually used. This gives a clear and precise sound. For guitars with glued necks, mahogany is more often used, which contributes to a rounder and warmer sound.

The model of the guitar is mainly important for the appearance of the instrument. As is the finish, of course. There are many variations!

How do you choose your first electric guitar? 

The choice of your first guitar is often based on your musical taste and the artists you appreciate. Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice.

• For a Jazz and Blues sound, we tend to go for hollow and semi hollow body guitars, which offer a nice roundness, a warm sound, and humbucker pickups that deliver a very decent output level.
• For a very versatile pop, rock sound, we will tend to go for S or T type models, which offer a very wide sound palette, brilliance and good dynamics. With these guitars you can do almost anything. Plus, they’re lightweight.
• If you like heavy rock, then go for the L type guitars. Humbuckers give you a lot of power, for saturated sounds.

But above all, to make your electric guitar sound good, you also need a good amplifier!