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During my life, I have influenced many people to learn to play the guitar. The truth is, I was also captivated by her charm at a young age when I saw a classmate playing and singing, and I wanted to be like him. At that time, the peak of our ambitions was only a classical guitar due to our young age and the immaturity of that time.
As the years passed and we were exposed to electric and acoustic guitars, we had the option to invest in and continue learning or stay in the shallow area.
I chose to continue becoming a professional and continued with electric guitar, through which I was exposed to leading brands and cheap and simple models. A few years later, I was exposed to an acoustic guitar, from which I learned an important and comprehensive lesson in everything related to the world of guitars, the quality of the sound, and the general texture. As the years passed and I continued to invest in the field, I learned to distinguish between the qualities.
In this article, I will shed light on those of you who want to purchase your first electric guitar as a beginner or advanced guitarist to help you succeed in this process in the best possible way.
Well, an electric guitar is one of those items that are rarely purchased. When you decide to buy an electric guitar for the first time in your life or even for the second and third time, there is excitement and butterflies, even though you already know how to play and are sure of the model you would like to buy.
Let’s start with the fact that it doesn’t matter what budget you have for the matter, but the rate of progress and your knowledge. Is there a chance that you won’t want to invest in the field after the purchase, or are you already deep in the process? These are two different cases but quite the same.
Suppose you don’t intend to stand on a stage and perform, don’t see yourself recording an album or shooting music videos, but prefer to focus on studying and improving your skills without big ambitions when the line that guides you is to know how to play professionally. In that case, you can settle for a fairly simple and unbranded guitar; it will be enough for your needs.
This way, you can save a lot of money and buy your dream guitar in the future. This is a necessary and important step.
If you play professionally, perform, record, and stand on a stage in front of an audience, it is important that you equip yourself with a quality and branded instrument and do not compromise on this matter because the quality of the sound is felt in the recording. The sound of a high-quality, branded guitar versus a simple, cheap guitar has a significant difference in the tone of the sound, and you don’t need to be a musician with a sharp ear to pick up and understand this – it’s quite noticeable.
Photo: AI
The question arises – why should you even invest in a good electric guitar?
When you play and practice, you rub your fingers on the strings, develop a hard skin, and practice for many hours to develop the skill of a pro. On top of that, you go to a teacher, pay money, run around on the travels, and spend a lot of time improving techniques.
As long as you are at the beginning and are not sure if you will continue to do it, a simple guitar can be enough for you, but when you reach the professional area, you must not give up a fine sound, playing quality, and an instrument that will give you a boost to continue to specialize in the field as much as possible and reach new peaks.
When you play professionally and improve your skills regularly, chances are that the guitar will be an integral part of your personality and who you are – like another bone in the body. A quality guitar can last for many years and maybe even become a faithful partner in your musical creation if you decide to specialize in it and establish a musical career.
The leading and most popular guitar brands in the world
Many high-quality companies around the world specialize in the production of electric guitars. However, there are two old, popular, and quite winning brands, both in terms of their level of popularity among famous and intermediate guitarists, as well as towards anonymous guitarists and even new students who are taking their first steps in the field.
The brand names are Fender and Gibson. Both Fender and Gibson offer extremely high-quality guitars and have become a symbol of luxury in the field of guitars. The guitars don’t always have to be expensive, but compared to significantly cheaper guitars, the price of these two brands is not very cheap and can range from $1400 or more for a new American brand or $1200 or less for a used one, depending on the model.
Fender, unlike Gibson, has several countries that make the guitars, and the prices vary accordingly. The USA is the parent country of the Fender company, where the main factory responsible for producing leading models is usually more expensive than the production line in other countries.
The other countries that received a franchise for the production of Fender guitars under the supervision of the main company are Mexico, China, and Japan.
The difference between the US and the other countries is the price, which is usually significantly cheaper. The reason for this lies in the quality of the pickups’ raw materials and, of course, the finish. In addition to this, there is a significant difference between the American sound and the Mexican sound. The Mexican sound sounds dominant compared to the bell and round sound of the American model.
Gibson, in contrast, focused its production line only on the USA. However, both companies have subsidiaries, such as an exclusive franchisee that works closely with the original brand and offers significantly cheaper models. The so-called “budget guitar,” electric guitar, is adapted to every budget.
Fender’s subsidiary Squier, whose factory is in China, specializes in making significantly cheaper guitars. The guitars look like an incredibly accurate replica of a Fender, but a professional ear will recognize the difference in tone in seconds. For beginners, it is not a bad guitar at all, and it can create amazing results until you become a professional.
Here is the price range of Fender per model in each country and the price of the Squier subsidiary – this is an illustrative example only of a Stratocaster model:
An original ’50 Fender American Stratocaster will cost $2400 in the US for a new item.
An identical Fender model on a Mexican assembly line will cost $1000 for a new item.
An identical Fender model on a Japanese production line will cost $1200 for a new item.
An identical Fender model on a Chinese production line will cost $500 for a new item.
An identical model from Squier (Fender’s subsidiary) will cost $150 for a new item.
The following video demonstrates the difference between a Fender American Stratocaster guitar VS an identical model from the Chinese subsidiary Squier.
Gibson also has a subsidiary specializing in the production of guitars that are identical in shape and texture to the original American brand and made in China. The company name is Epiphone. This is a high-quality company known for producing decent acoustic and electric guitars with a reasonable sound and at an affordable price. However, the sound and finishes of the American model are of much higher quality.
A Gibson Les Paul American Standard guitar will cost $3000 for a new item
An identical Epiphone model will cost $1300 for a new item.
The following video demonstrates the difference between a Gibson Les Paul American Standard model VS an identical model from the Chinese subsidiary Epiphone.
Of course, you can find used ones at significantly lower prices, and a guitar from another brand I have not mentioned in this article is within your budget according to your preferred model.
How do you differentiate between an original guitar and an imitation?
In recent years, the guitar counterfeiting industry has flourished, and “branded” guitars such as Fender and new “American” Gibson are selling for thousands of percent less than their true value. This is a cheap imitation of a production line that is not an expert in the quality finishes and the texture of the American sound. Still, it created a pretty impressive visual imitation, and if you are an amateur guitarist, you can easily believe that it is an original guitar.
All imitations and fakes are instantly recognizable if you only understand how the original model looks and feels.
These are not sophisticated counterfeiters but Chinese or Indonesian commercial companies that realized that not everyone has a budget for a Fender or Gibson. Despite everything, everyone wants to show off a Fender or Gibson and will be willing to pay a few hundred dollars for a fake item to impress the guys and live in an illusion above all.
The fake focuses on the external shape, texture, colors, and, of course, the logo that looks like the real thing, but when you hold the guitar and play it, you notice the differences significantly. The differences are in the sound of the guitar, which sounds like a rather amateurish toy, and the finish of the guitar, which sometimes “screams” “I’m a low-level fake.”
Photo: AI
If you have decided to specialize in the field, never be tempted to purchase a guitar that looks like the real thing in order not to be seen as someone who supports frauds and forgeries of this type and, of course, not to be perceived as someone who encourages fraud and forgery.
If you are a guitarist or intend to become famous as musician, learn to respect yourself. It is better that you play a cheap brand and be thought of as poor than that you support scams, fakes, and scammers, otherwise this will put you in a negative light and may harm your image
What should you pay attention to when buying an electric guitar?
First, ask yourself what type of guitarist you belong to. Guitarists who play on a single coil or humbucker, although you can combine both, most guitarists prefer one guitar. I will mention that Fender specializes in producing single-coil-type guitars, and Gibson specializes in producing humbucker-type guitars.
After you have decided on the type of guitar, check the budget. Suppose your budget is low, and you want to purchase a simple budget guitar, new or used until you know how to play properly. In that case, the following specifications are not relevant for you, and all you need to do is check the sound and comfort of playing the item you want to purchase in a store or from a private person as secondhand within your budget. If you have decided to go for a winning brand that is a little expensive but high quality, do a thorough and professional inspection according to the list below.
The wood of the guitar body: The type of wood greatly affects the sound. Quality guitars use mahogany, alder, or ash wood. Cheaper imitations may use lower-quality wood, such as plywood or light wood.
Pickups are the components responsible for receiving the sound from the strings and transferring it to the amplifier. Quality pickups (e.g., Seymour Duncan or EMG) can make a huge difference in the sound. The pickups in cheap guitars tend to be of lower quality, affecting the final sound.
The finish and assembly: It is important to check how the guitar feels in the hand. A good finish, a comfortable touch, and a feeling that everything is in the right place are signs of a quality guitar. If you see that the guitar feels cheap or there are problems with the finish, you should think twice.
Brand and feedback: Sometimes, it’s just better to trust known brands and user reviews. People tend to share real experiences, which can help you make the right choice.
So what is right for you?
In the end, the best guitar for you is the one that speaks to you, the sound you like, a feeling in playing that feels right to you, and a design that makes you excited every time you see it.
Do not rush to make a decision. Try a few models in the store, ask yourself how they feel in your hand, and, if possible, ask for opinions from other musicians you know.
Good luck on your journey to your new guitar!
