How to Choose an Electric Guitar

Choosing an electric guitar can be an overwhelming task because so many models are available. The type of electric guitar you choose can vary, depending on whether you're a beginner or more advanced player. Follow these guidelines to choose an electric guitar and rock out in style.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of money and set a budget you can work with. Because of all the components to the instrument, an electric guitar is expensive to buy. Purchasing one is a significant investment and you need to be dedicated enough to playing one to spend that type of money. Electric guitars can cost several hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.
2. Figure out the tonewood you'd like. It can sometimes be the determining factor when choosing an electric guitar. Typically 11 types of tonewood exist: ebony, basswood, poplar, alder, maple, red spruce, sitka spruce, Indian rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, koa and mahogany. Each tonewood affects the velocity of sound differently.
3. Determine if you want single- or double-coil (Humbucker) pickup. A single-coil pickup has one coil of wire that creates a thin, clear sound. A double-coil pickup uses two coils of wire with either two magnets or opposite ends of one magnet and tends to create a smooth, warm sound.
4. Choose the electric guitar neck that best works with the type of playing you'll be doing. Guitar necks come in many shapes and the shape you select is dependent mostly on the size of your hands.
5. Pick a body style. Electric guitars are hollow-body, semi-hollow or solid-body. The body style of the electric guitar you choose will depend on how you plan to play it and the sound you're looking to create. Solid-body guitars are great if you want loud amplification, while hollow and semi-hollow tend to create a more acoustic sound.