A lot of you out there will be budding electric guitarists. Whether your own guitar hero is Jimmy Page, Slash, BB King or Matt Bellamy, you'll want to find the right guitar for you to use in order to be able to emulate their style (well, do your best at least!). So how do you go about finding the right electric guitar for you?
Well, first and foremost, you need to set a realistic budget. You'll want to get the highest quality guitar for the amount you have available, as the sound will almost always be better than simply going for the least expensive you can find. Bear in mind, too, that you'll also need a guitar amp, a lead for the guitar to the amplifier, a shoulder strap for wearing the guitar round your neck, and a plectrum for picking the strings. An electronic guitar tuner is also recommended, as they're cheap and easy to use for keeping your guitar properly tuned.
You'll want to decide what style of guitar playing you'll be following. Rock and heavy rock playing will generally dictate that you need a solid body guitar (eg such as made by Fender guitars). If you want a more acoustic feel, you might look for a semi hollow version. And if you're looking for a jazz sound, you'll want a hollow body guitar.
The size of your hands will dictate the sort of neck that is best for you, with guitars coming in a variety of neck sizes to match every size of hand and length of finger. In relation to the length of the neck itself, most electric guitars will have 22 frets (each of which corresponds to a particular note), though you can choose a 24 fret neck if you wish to play higher notes.
The main factor in all of this, of course, is how the guitar sounds. There's no way you'll ever really know this without testing it for yourself. However good a particular electric guitar sounds in the hands of your idol, you should probably bear in mind that they're likely to be better than you at playing it, and will make it sound very different from what you might be able to!
So the most important recommendation for choosing a guitar - once you've settled on a budget you can afford - is to visit your local guitar shop and start playing. They should have a range of styles to suit every pocket, and a couple of hours alongside an experienced guitar salesperson will be hugely beneficial for the choice you make.
