Cheap Electric Guitars: for the Beginner or Frugal Shredder

Cheap electric guitars are a great solution for any beginner or cost conscious shredder. My first urge to learn how to play the guitar came when I was 12 years old. I confidently asked my mother to buy me an electric guitar, but she was put off by the high priced major brands. My heart was set on learning to play, so she found a cheap electric guitar on sale at our local toy store.

It was absolutely a beginner guitar. The amplifier was built into the body of it. My first guitar teacher found it hilarious, never actually seeing one like that before.

I learned all the basics of playing on that guitar. I spent hours alone in my room with it, and had the blisters on my fingers to prove it. I showed my mom that the guitar wasn't something I was going to get bored with after a week and earned the right to plug it into a real amp; a decision her eardrums soon came to regret.

Cheap electric guitars aren't just for beginners. I know a number of seasoned veteran players that are always finding great deals on cheap electric guitars that provide them with the quality they demand.

Let's face it - instruments are expensive. High quality electric guitars will easily cost over $1,000; and that's not even including a decent amp. A passion for guitar playing can easily burn a hole in your wallet, so finding a cheap electric guitar is a worth the effort.

If you're just starting to learn how to play guitar, the thought of running out and buying the best gear is easy to get excited about. But use caution; spending a lot of money on top notch guitar equipment could be a mistake for a beginner. The early stages of learning to play can be frustrating. When guitar gods like Eddie Van Halen or Jimmy Page make it look easy while you're having trouble laying down a bar chord, you'll soon be tempted to perform the classic "guitar smash".

Unfortunately many people get too frustrated with their beginning lessons and give up on learning to play too soon. I strongly recommend your first electric guitar purchase to be a cheap electric guitar for that reason.

You can learn to play on a cheap electric guitar just as well as you would if you bought an expensive one. A cheap guitar may even be better suited for learning. The reason for this is that typically cheap electric guitars require you to apply more pressure with your fingers to get the right sound output. This will strengthen your fingers quicker, giving you an edge over someone learning on a premium model. When you do make your first expensive guitar purchase, the built up strength will pay off when you can play better than the average player.