- 9.9 pounds
- Poplar
- Saddle
- 5.5 pounds
- Poplar
- Fulcrum
- 11.45 pounds
- Basswood
- Tune-O-Matic
- 11.38 pounds
- Mahogany
- Tune-O-Matic
- 8.48 pounds
- Wood
- Tremolo
Table of Contents
Best Guitars for Metal – Advanced Buyer’s Guide
An electric guitar is a regular guitar, which was produced for electric sound processing. This already indicates that the sound is mainly not produced acoustically.
A so-called pickup is needed, which converts the string vibrations into electrical vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted to a guitar amplifier either by radio or via a corresponding cable.
The amplifier can also alter the vibrations before they are amplified and then reproduced using a speaker. For you and your listeners to hear something, an electric amplifier is needed.
What are the different types of electric guitars?
If you’ve ever looked into electric guitars, you’ll surely have noticed that there are a variety of different electric guitars. Below you can learn a little more about each type. To give you a good overview of the different electric guitars, we will start with the basic types.
The solid-body guitar is considered the classic board guitar. The solid-body electric guitars are the most commonly offered on the market. This is characterized first of all by the fact that it consists of a solid wooden body. These types include, for example, the Les Paul, Stratocaster as well as the Telecaster.
As the absolute insider tip for slightly distorted and clean rhythm sounds and bluesy, the semi-acoustic guitars are flat and hollow. An advantage of this type of guitar is that they have an open sound with acoustic tendency and extreme dynamics.
A small disadvantage is that you should not use the semi-acoustic guitar with high-gain lead sounds. Otherwise, you will have to deal with constant feedback. However, for lovers of the Beatles and the so-called Brit-pop, this type of guitar is a highlight.
As the name suggests, the archtop guitars have a “curved top” and are further complemented by the classic f-holes as well as resonance holes. This guitar can be used as a full resonance guitar, which you can play purely acoustic and multiple pickups plus controls. Archtop guitars are used by jazz, blues as well as folk musicians. Besides, it is also very popular among rock & rollers.
There are several different Thinline guitars, so it is not easy to summarize them under the umbrella term because they are still very different. However, they can be summarized as follows: The Thinline guitar body is either hollow or semi-hollow and must not exceed the frame depth of 5 cm.
You can get guitars from semi-acoustic to semi-massive. The ratio between the amount of wood and the amount of enclosed air determines the type of guitar. If there is more wood, then it is a semi-massive guitar.
Here’s what you need to know about each type of guitar
First of all, there is the Stratocaster, which is a solid-body guitar. This is the classic guitar shape. The lower part of this electric guitar is wider at the bottom and narrows towards the top to easily hold the guitar. One advantage is that the Stratocaster fits perfectly to the body.
Furthermore, it can be used in a very versatile way. For example, you can create a total biting sound with the bridge pickup and a beautiful bluesy sound with the neck pickup. You can also achieve a clean sound with the intermediate positions, which is only known from the Stratocaster.
With the vibrato lever, you can achieve many more exciting effects. The vibrato lever, called a tremolo, is located on the electric guitar’s tailpiece. By moving this lever, pitch changes can be made. The pitch changes come from the fact that by moving the lever, the tension of the strings can be adjusted. When the string tension is decreased, the notes sound lower. The more the strings are tensioned, the higher the tones are produced.
Another electric guitar that is very famous is the Les Paul. This one is especially characterized by the humbucker as well as the heavy, thick body. The humbucker is responsible, in short, that possibly arising humming sounds and background noise are reduced.
This is also the single-coil pickups in the humbucker, consisting of two oppositely aligned magnetic fields and are wound in opposite directions, responsible. When the strings are now moved, the opposing magnetic fields generate so-called phase-inverted signals in the two coils.
Since the single-coil pickups’ winding is counter-rotating, this is canceled out again so that the two coils’ signals simply line up. Noise generated when moving the strings does not even get through the counter-rotating winding in the coils, so the noise is canceled out. Now only the pure useful signal is passed on to the amplifier.
At the highest point, the body is 2 cm thick, and you can also expect a fat sound when playing. Besides that, however, it can do much more. With the help of the bridge pickup, the classic rock sound is produced, whereas, at the guitar’s neck, a more bluesy sound is created. If you use the intermediate positions here, you can create both distorted and crystal clear sounds. Especially lovers of rock music should choose a Les Paul.
Unlike the Les Paul as well as the Strat, the SG is quite a light electric guitar. The SG is wonderfully groovy and dynamic, so it is perfect to use, especially as a rock and blues guitar. The mahogany body of the SG is responsible for creating an exciting and unique sound. Especially in recent years, the SG has become very popular again.
The Telecaster is especially famous as a country guitar. But the Telecaster can do much more. Besides, this guitar is famous for the fact that it also produces stones typical double-stops. If you use a neck pickup on the Telecaster, you can also create bluesy sounds. The twang sound famous for this guitar is created thanks to the perfect mix of long scale, typical ash body, maple neck, and the bridge pickup along with the corresponding metal plate.
The Superstrat is a guitar that can be used in a very versatile way. For rocking sounds, the humbucker at the bridge is responsible. If it should be a little more delicate for you, you can also use the Superstrat perfectly because the middle and neck single-coil provide for this.
Furthermore, you can get the Superstrat in other variants, so you can use it very versatile. Partially, the Superstrat is already available with a detuned vibrato unit. Even though this guitar can make many different sounds, you can’t assume that it can do all of them. If you don’t want to achieve a Strat or a Les Paul’s sound, then the Superstrat is optimal for you because it has many other sounds to offer.
What do you need to consider when buying an electric guitar?
First of all, you should have already thought about what music you want to play before buying the electric guitar. Because after that you can also choose the appropriate electric guitar. Then it would be best if you also made sure that the electric guitar is also of high quality because it is not recommended that you choose a cheap model where the material is not so high quality.
Besides that, you should also pay attention to the neck of the electric guitar as a beginner. Because if it is too wide, you may have problems grasping it, so you can’t play the guitar properly. Also, you should also pay attention to the spacing of the individual frets before buying. Because when playing, you mustn’t get cramped.
A critical topic when buying electric guitars is also the right material for your new electric guitar because every material makes the electric guitar sound different. In addition to the acoustics, the different materials also always conjure up a different look. Maple, alder, and mahogany are particularly popular.
Maple is used for the body as well as the neck of the guitar, whereas alder is mostly used for the body of the electric guitar. Mahogany wood immediately jumps to the eye and is perfect, especially for concert guitars. Bridges, as well as fingerboards, are mostly made of rosewood, as it is a strong as well as very durable material.
If you are starting to play the electric guitar, you should choose a model with 6 strings. Of course, there are also electric guitars with up to 12 strings or with two guitar necks. However, since the types are more difficult to play, these are more suitable for professionals.
The bridge or the bridge is another element of the guitar. Namely, the bridge helps to ensure that the string energy is transferred to the guitar’s body. There are two types of bridges: the fixed bridge and then a so-called vibrato system. In the vibrato system, a lever is used to change the strings’ tension, which allows you to achieve a change in pitch. With a fixed bridge, you can change the tone by tightening the screws more or less.
The scale length of the guitar should be between 63 and 65 cm. The scale length is the strings’ length that you can let vibrate free when strumming, bowing, and plucking. You can find this section between the bodyside or bridge and the nut or head side of this particular guitar.
The pickup is an indispensable part of an electric guitar. These have an electromagnetic property. It is a bar magnet, which is wrapped with a fine wire. When you strike the metal part, in this case, the string, the mechanical energy is generated, which is converted into electrical energy with the so-called pickup.
This resulting current is amplified using the amplifier to such an extent that other people can hear a sound through the speaker. Especially the coil as well as the humbucker pickups are very popular. With the humbucker pickup, you can discover twice as many pickups so that the sound becomes excellent and well audible. Furthermore, there are also bridge pickups, which are located directly on the bridge, and from there also converts the electrical energy.
If you are left-handed, you should also make sure that you buy a special electric guitar for left-handers. This is the only way to get the full playing pleasure.
What are the quality features of an electric guitar to compare?
An essential quality feature is a material. With this, you can immediately determine, even as a beginner, whether you have a high-quality guitar in your hand. However, it should be noted that you can not make a statement about the quality of an electric guitar due to a higher price.
You should also make sure that the electric guitar or individual components, such as the bridge or the neck, are stable. When you strum the strings in the next step, you will also be able to find out a lot about the quality of the electric guitar because the strings, as well as the construction of the guitar body, contribute a lot to the sound experience.
Another quality feature is the perfect tuning of the individual parts so that the transfer of vibration from the string to the wood can be achieved without losses. In this way, only a balanced sound can be achieved. You should be able to play the neck without any problems, without any frets getting in the way.
The tuners of an electric guitar are also an important quality feature because they help ensure that the tuning of the guitars can be done without any problems.
What features does an electric guitar have, and what is each element responsible for?
Each electric guitar consists of a body, a neck as well as ahead. Each part of the guitar is made of a different type of material. After these three components of the guitar are assembled, the manufacturer starts finishing the guitar. Now that the instrument has been painted, the electrical elements can be attached to the guitar. At the very end of the assembly process, the tensioning of the strings takes place.
The most important element of the guitar is the body. This is because it contains components such as the bridge or the microphone in the pickup. In fact, without this microphone, it would be impossible for you to hear the soft tones of the electric guitar. With the pickup, the vibrations generated are transmitted to an amplifier, making the sounds artificially louder. A variety of electric guitars also give you the possibility that you can vary the sound, for example, by having several pickups, between which you can then decide.
Near the microphone, you can find the bridge. For the strings to stay in exactly the right position, the bridge is very important. Depending on the type of guitar, the bridge can also look a little different.
Electric guitars also often have a volume control, so you can turn your music up or down by turning a small knob. You can connect your guitar to an amplifier. There is also a special jack socket for instrument cables on the electric guitar. You can discover all these components in the body of the guitar. Now we’ll move on with you to the neck of the guitar.
On the neck of your electric guitar, you can discover a division into several frets. Depending on the model, the number of frets can vary. In the frets, you have to reach for the strings so that chords can be created.
The frets are separated from each other by fret sticks. To achieve the clearest possible sound, you should pick the strings very close to the frets. An advantage, especially for beginners, is that the frets are marked with signs in most cases, so you don’t have to count them every time. Mostly the 5th, as well as the 7th fret, are marked.
A very important component without which you can’t play the guitar is the neck area’s strings. Usually, electric guitars also have six strings, although other models have more strings.
Now that the body and the neck have already been mentioned, the only thing missing is the guitar head. At this point, the strings are attached to the corresponding pegs. By turning the pegs, you can either tighten or loosen the strings more. This is how the tuning of the electric guitar is done.
The narrow piece of material that is located at the transition between the base of the neck and the headstock either across in front of the fingerboard or inserted in it is the nut. This is responsible for securely guiding the individual strings on the fingerboard. Since notches are incorporated in the saddle, it prevents the strings from slipping out of position across the fingerboard.
The bridge of the electric guitar is indispensable. This is because it is responsible for transferring the energy of the played string to the body. Most often, this is composed of several components made of metal. You can choose between different types of bridges, such as a fixed bridge and a so-called vibrato system.
As the name suggests, the fixed bridge, which consists of either one or several components, is firmly attached to the guitar. The vibrato system is usually hung on two screws and goes all the way to the back, where it is pulled in the right direction by means of springs. This type of bridge has the advantage that you can modulate the sound much more. For which bridge you finally decide, is up to you, because there are divided opinions regarding bridges.
The last element you can mention is the truss rod. You can’t see it because it’s inserted directly into the neck. However, you can adjust it using the small screw at the head end so that you can either relax or tighten the rod.
Where is the electric guitar used?
Even though you can use certain electric guitars for certain types of music, every kind of electric guitar is also suitable for other music types. However, electric guitars can cover the following music genres: Funk, Country, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Indie, Rock, Grunge, and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Besides, there are also unique models, for example, with which you can also play blues. So if you want to play a certain music style, you should find out beforehand which electric guitar is best suited for it.
Structure of an electric guitar
The body of your electric guitar is made of solid wood in most cases. The body includes the following components: Tension rod, neck, headstock, fingerboard, pickup, fret sticks, tailpiece, guitar strings, and a vibrato lever. However, you can also get models that have two necks, for example.
The way the manufacturer connected the neck to the body also has an impact on the sound. Either these two parts are glued or screwed together. If the body and the neck have been screwed together, the neck has been previously placed in a corresponding mortise on the body and is then connected by means of a metal shim and four wood screws.
When the individual parts have been glued together, the neck is usually inserted deeper into the body and then glued at this point. However, depending on the model, the neck may be a single part, and only the two halves of the body are glued together.
The electric guitar usually has 21, 22, or 24 frets. These help to shorten the strings when they are bowed over and produce certain tones. Each so-called fret is approximately a semitone step.
You can also buy an electric guitar with different necks. These vary in both width and length. This way, you won’t have any problems playing the electric guitar even if you have shorter arms and smaller hands.
What materials make for a good sound?
As mentioned before, different sounds are produced by different materials. Listed below are various materials as well as their sounds. One of the most popular and versatile woods used in building an electric guitar is mahogany wood.
The tone conjured with this material is balanced, warm, and has singing overtones as well as subtle highs. The body is usually supplemented with a maple top to give the mahogany body even more assertiveness. This combination can also be found on a Les Paul, for example.
Maple is very popular in constructing instruments such as jazz guitars, electric guitars, and stringed instruments. This wood can produce a clear and transparent sound with excellent basses and trebles. Since maple wood is very strong, it is also popularly used in making necks and fingerboards.
If the guitar’s price is not essential, you should take a look at an electric guitar made of ebony. This tropical wood is characterized by above-average strength. Furthermore, you can create a beautiful sound with it. However, you should have the necessary money for this, because the guitars made of this material are costly.
Alder wood is the most popular material for making electric guitars. It has a medium-density as well as conjures you a balanced as well as overtone-rich sound, which is also characterized by decent basses as well as trebles.
One of the classics in the construction of guitars is the wood of ash. Just by the lightning-fast response as well as the powerful sound, this guitar is a real highlight. In contrast to the alder, the ash’s trebles are somewhat more challenging, which is an advantage in some musical styles.
If the electric guitar should not be so heavy, the swamp ash is often used as a material. This has the advantage compared to the normal ash that the sound sounds more balanced and that the wood has less weight overall so that the electric guitars are lighter.
The rock genre, especially the linden, is a popular wood because it has only a medium density and is relatively soft. This conjures up a smoother, mid-range sound. Just like ebony, rosewood is characterized by a very high density and strength. Since this wood is very durable, the bridges and fingerboards are often made of this material.
What to look for when buying a pickup and amplifier?
Basically, on the guitar amplifier’s subject, you can first say that it is responsible for making the signal of the electric guitar audible. Inside the amplifier is where the processing and shaping of the sound take place. Before you buy an amplifier, you should first think about what you want to do with it? Do you want to play only in your own four walls or do you want to perform with your band?
Though, no matter which model you ultimately choose, you should make sure that the amplifier is made of high-quality materials. Otherwise, you may not have something from the amplifier for so long.
If you only want to play within your own four walls, it is essential that the amplifier also sounds good with not so loud sounds. Therefore, you should choose an amplifier that does not have too many watts. Typically, this type of amplifier has a power range between 15 and 30 watts. With practice amps, you can choose between two channels, which in most cases you can adjust directly on the amplifier.
Then it is very important, especially when playing at home, that a headphone jack is also available and that the amplifier can also be used without the built-in speaker. When buying, you should also pay attention to whether you have the option, for example, to connect an MP3 player as an external audio source.
If you decide to play in a band, you should buy an amplifier that has more watts. Furthermore, the amplifier should sound good even when it is loud.
Furthermore, it would be best to decide on the right amplifier depending on the music genre you want to play. Because for each music style, a different amplifier is recommended. There are three categories of guitar amplifiers: Crunch, Clean as well as Lead. In the Clean category, the sounds are reproduced without distortion.
Especially in the following areas, you need clean sound: pop, jazz, metal, blues, rock, and country. In the Crunch section, which is also often called “Rhythm,” the sounds are only slightly distorted. An example of these sounds is the song “Highway to hell” by AC/DC.
If an amplifier falls under the category “Lead,” also called “Solo,” then the sounds have richer distortions, which are needed, for example, in the music style “Hard ‘n’ Heavy”. The different sounds can be created via the different channels of the amplifier.
For the pickups, you can distinguish between a humbucker and a single-coil. The simplest version is the single-coil pickup, which is therefore called a single-coil. Both the Telecaster and the Stratocaster are equipped with this type of pickup. The single-coil delivers a brighter and more transparent sound than, for example, pickups with multiple coils.
However, the single-coil also has a small disadvantage. This is that it is more susceptible to noise, such as hum. This is because the alternating magnetic fields in the pickup coil generate an electrical voltage. However, this can sometimes cause interference fields caught by the pickup when it is in the right proximity to the interference source. These are then reproduced, for example, like a hum.
Another type of pickup is the humbucker. In contrast to the single-coil, the humbucker has at least two coils, which are specially connected. A positive feature is that the noise is significantly reduced. With the humbucker, the two tracks are phase-wound either in parallel or in series. Furthermore, there is the vertical humbucker, in which the two coils were installed vertically on top of each other. This requires less space. Nevertheless, all noise is perfectly captured.
There are also piezoelectric pickups, for example, which are pure structure-borne sound pickups. These respond only to direct mechanical vibration transmission. Piezo pickups are mechanically connected to the electric guitar’s vibrating parts, for example, by clamping or gluing them to the top of the guitar.
Even though these pickups are often used on acoustic guitars, many electric guitar manufacturers also use a bridge with these pickups. This is because they have the advantage of creating a brilliant as well as acoustic sound.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric guitars?
One advantage of the electric guitar for metal is that it can hold its own against a large orchestra or band due to the sound’s amplification. That is why the electric guitar is used especially in music genres such as jazz, metal, and rock. At the same time, you can create many different sounds with a single instrument, your electric guitar.
Another plus point is that you can play this particular guitar at night without hesitation, as you can easily connect headphones to the amplifier. This way, you can pursue your passion even at night without disturbing other people.
When it comes to electric guitars, it’s also nice that you can buy all the different forms of electric guitars. If you have a little more money at your disposal, you can also decide to have the electric guitar made to your specifications.
A disadvantage of the electric guitar is that you always have to use an amplifier for the perfect sound. Because only by this the perfect sound is produced. Since the strings are often made of steel, it can often happen, especially in the beginning, that your fingers hurt quickly. If you have a little more playing routine, you will certainly have acquired some calluses on your fingers so that your fingers no longer hurt so quickly.
It would be best if you also were prepared because your electric guitar weighs a bit more than a regular classical guitar. Simultaneously, unlike an acoustic guitar, you’re not quite as mobile with an electric guitar since you’re dependent on a power connection.
How should you tune your electric guitar?
Especially as a beginner, it is recommended that you buy an electric tuner. With this device, you can tune your electric guitar, especially precisely as well as perfectly. Since the electric guitar notes are very quiet without an amplifier, they can be detected and analyzed particularly well by a tuner.
After connecting the tuner to the guitar, you should strum the strings once or several times and then wait for the tuner’s reaction. The tuner will then indicate which tone was detected and to which guitar string this tone is assigned.
Furthermore, there are these tuners with an indicator needle. If the needle is in the middle of the display, you can be sure that this string is tuned correctly. If the needle is on the left side of the device, the string is too low, and if the needle is on the right side, the string is tuned too high. If the string is too low, it needs to be stretched further. If the tone is too high, the string needs to be loosened a bit.
Furthermore, you can download a variety of different tuners to your phone. If you don’t have a tuner, you can also tune your electric guitar correctly. However, you should already have some experience so that this is then also tuned correctly. Often a piano is used as a comparison instrument for this type of tuning.
Which string thickness is needed for which area of use?
The first thing you can say is that the thinner the string, the easier it is to play. Even though it is easier to play with these strings, they also have a disadvantage. Their sound is much thinner and quieter. Furthermore, there is a faster risk that the strings break.
Where beginners opt for the extra thin strings (8s = 0.008 inches), advanced players tend to use 9s or 10s. Even though you have to use a little more force to play these strings, you will be rewarded with a fuller sound as well as a more precise feel. Jazz players use even thicker strings (11s and 12s).
When buying strings, make sure that they are also suitable for your electric guitar because you can’t use acoustic guitar strings with an electric guitar.
How many strings does an electric guitar have?
As mentioned before, electric guitars have 6 to 12 strings. If you are a beginner, then you should go for an electric guitar with 6 strings, as they will be more manageable for you.
Advanced electric guitar players use instruments with more than 6 strings, as this makes the sound even more precise, or you can vary more with the pitch in this way. Besides, you can also buy electric guitars that have two necks with 6 to 12 strings.
What to look for when buying strings for such a special guitar?
When buying, you should make sure that you are buying strings for an electric guitar because you cannot use strings for an acoustic guitar with the electric guitar. Furthermore, before buying guitar strings, you should think about what material they should be made of.
There are various different materials offered, such as steel, nylon, nickel, and so on. However, for electric guitars, nickel-steel strings are used in most cases. One advantage of this material is that they are louder than others.
Next, you should think about whether the strings should be coated or not. A plus point for the coated strings is that they are better protected from moisture and dirt, for example, from rust. Another advantage of coated strings is that they wear out much slower, so you don’t have to change them as often. Polyweb coated strings also reduce picking noise.
As with the other electric guitar components, you should make sure that they are of high quality when you buy the strings because it’s not worth it if you skimp on the price when it comes to strings. Otherwise, there is a risk that the strings will wear out much faster, and you will have to change them more often. Furthermore, the quality of the strings is also noticeable in the sound.
At the same time, you should think about the thickness of the strings before buying. Depending on your playing technique and whether you are a beginner or not, you should choose the string gauge. Especially if you like to play jazz, metal or blues, you should choose thicker strings.
Which electric guitars are suitable for children?
Even if it is recommended to start playing the guitar with a classical guitar for small children, you should always choose individually according to the child. Because if the child wants to play an electric guitar, you should not stop him.
In the trade, several different electric guitars in children’s size are already offered. However, unlike concert guitars, these electric guitars only start at ¾ size. It is also a good thing that these only start at a size of ¾. Since the strings are made of steel, they are more difficult to grip than those from a classical guitar.
Furthermore, these strings can cut in at first in the beginning and therefore be very uncomfortable. After some time, the child will also develop calluses on the fingertips, which will not cause much pain when playing.
Since the electric guitar also has an amplifier and several controls, it is already good that this type of guitar is only suitable for older children (from about 8 to 11 years). Very young children would certainly be a bit overwhelmed with the operation of the electric guitar.
Then, when buying an electric guitar for children, you should make sure that the neck is thin enough. Otherwise, it may happen that the child can not properly grasp the guitar neck.
What is the difference between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar?
First of all, the most obvious difference between these two types of guitars is that you need a special amplifier for the electric guitar so that you can hear and enjoy the sounds perfectly. You can say that in the electric guitar, a pickup helps the sound be produced and amplified.
In an acoustic guitar, the sound created due to vibrations of the guitar strings is projected and amplified over the hollowed-out body, soundboard, and soundhole. Furthermore, you can use an electric guitar in a more versatile way, as you can cover different music genres with the appropriate settings, such as from rock, blues, jazz to heavy metal.
Another difference is the appearance of these two guitars. In the acoustic guitar case, there is a distinct sound body, as this is how a good sound is produced. Since the sound body is not so important in an electric guitar, it is correspondingly flatter or more manageable. The strings of the electric guitar are mostly made of steel. This is also why an electric guitar is somewhat more difficult to play than a classical guitar. But with a little practice, this also becomes a breeze.
With an electric guitar, there is also the advantage that you can quickly and easily adjust the volume with the help of an amplifier and possibly connected speakers.
How does an electric guitar work?
With the help of a so-called pickup, which is electromagnetic, the guitar strings’ vibrations are accepted and amplified. Here it is essential to distinguish between different pickups, such as single-coil and humbucker.
In short, a pickup is a permanent magnet mounted on the electric guitar, which is located directly below the strings. A coil is wound around the magnet responsible for disturbing the magnetic field when the strings vibrate.
This creates an alternating electrical voltage in the coil and a weak signal. However, this is no longer the case for long, as the signal is passed on to the built-in amplifier and the sound becomes audible accordingly. The sound can also vary somewhat depending on the material of the electric guitar.
The sound can be varied accordingly using a selector switch as well as the pickup. With the help of tone control, you can give your electric guitars sound more or less in height. For example, you can also make the electric guitar sound duller and less dull.
What accessories are available for an electric guitar?
First of all, you can count the amplifier, tone control, etc., as accessories for an electric guitar. You should pay attention to the accessories, such as the amplifier, money, and quality, because you need the amplifier to play the music. Your music should not suffer from a bad amplifier. Furthermore, you should consider beforehand how big the amplifier should be.
Besides the amplifiers, there are also special effect devices with which you can conjure up even special sounds, such as distortion, reverb effects, and so on.
You can always store your electric guitar safely and transport it. It is also important that you buy a corresponding guitar case or a related guitar case. These guitar bags are available with different padding. Furthermore, these were also made by the companies in different shapes so that your electric guitar is always well protected.
If it is more noble instruments, it is recommended that the electric guitar is placed in a case. There is also enough storage space in the guitar case that you can store sheet music and other accessories there, for example.
To connect your guitar to an effect device or an amplifier, you also need the appropriate jack cable with a 6.3 mm plug.
If you don’t just want to put your guitar away in your own four walls, but want to present it appealingly, then it’s worth getting a special guitar stand or a wall mount.
Especially in the beginning, it can happen that your fingers hurt after playing. To make this a thing of the past, you can buy a special plastic part, a so-called plectrum. These are available for purchase with a wide variety of motifs, such as the logo of your favorite band.
Since your guitar strings can also break now and then, it would be good if you had a few spare strings in stock, which is why you can quickly continue playing after replacing the strings. Another reason for the change could also be that dust and sweat have settled on the strings to affect the strings’ vibrations very strongly.
If you are not a real professional and tell which note it is by just hearing it, you should buy a tuner. With this device, you can quickly and easily retune your electric guitar. It is simply connected to the guitar cable, and the integrated microphone scans the individual strings. The tuner shows you in seconds whether your guitar or the individual string is tuned correctly.
Especially if you play by notes, you should think about buying a music stand. Here, your notes will be held perfectly, and you can play with complete peace of mind.
If your beloved electric guitar is not sold with a strap right away, you should think about getting one. The strap takes care that you always have a grip on your electric guitar, and it doesn’t accidentally slip out of your hand and fall on the floor.
It would also be good if you stash an Allen wrench in your guitar bag. That way, you can adjust the bridge quickly and easily.
How much do you have to spend on an electric guitar for metal?
The price of your electric guitar will always depend on the material as well as the finish. If you are a beginner and don’t know if the guitar is the right instrument for you, you can also just borrow or rent an electric guitar at first until you realize that it is the right instrument for you.
In general, however, you can say the following: A cheap entry-level model with accessories you can get from $150. Even if the price is low, please pay attention to the quality because you would then certainly quickly notice that you have saved on quality.
As an advanced player, you have to expect a price starting from $500, and real professionals, who also give regular concerts, pay for their guitar, in most cases many thousands of dollars.
Please also be aware that it is not only the purchase of your electric guitar. Because in addition to the guitar, other accessories, such as an amplifier, the guitar bag, etc., are needed.
Which manufacturers produce good electric guitars and amplifiers?
The most famous brands that produce good electric guitars are Fender, Gibson, Jackson Guitars, Ibanez. These brands are trendy and well-known among guitar players all over the world. Gibson is one of the oldest as well as most famous American manufacturers of electric guitars. A brand that is sold the most is the ESP brand. If you love heavy metal and want to play electric guitar, you should choose a Jackson brand instrument.
Even though there are many manufacturers of amplifiers on the market, there are still a few brands that stand out. First of all, the manufacturer Fender is always recommended, even in the case of amplifiers. Besides, VOX, Marshall as well as Blackstar are also sold very often. If you choose an amplifier from one of these manufacturers, you will certainly not regret it and have fun with it for many years.
The best electric guitar set for metal
Even though everyone has different tastes, it is still agreed that the Ibanez GRG170DX BKN is the absolute test winner. It has all the positive features that you want in an electric guitar.
The best amplifier you can get is the Line 6 Spider V 30. A plus point with this amplifier is that the tuner has already been built right in, as well as many different styles can be played with this device.
How should you take care of your electric guitar?
Even if you are always careful and conscientious with your electric guitar, you will soon realize that it needs some additional care and cleaning. For the strings and the fretboard, it is enough to wipe them regularly with a polishing cloth.
Especially after each intensive use, you should always carefully wipe the fretboard and strings with a polishing cloth (either lint-free cotton or a special cloth). If you have some time, you should always clean the guitar strings when they are relaxed, i.e., lifted out of the saddle notches.
However, the following should be noted: If you use coated strings, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s advice. If your strings have a complete coating, it is sufficient to rub them with a minimally damp cloth after playing. However, this cloth must also be lint-free. There is also a special oil for the fretboard, which you can use to take special care of the wood. Then it helps to remove any deposits.
For the body of your guitar, you can also buy a special oil. You should apply it to the body from time to time and let it work for a short time. Once the time is up, you can quickly and easily wipe off any residue. Optionally, there is also a special wax for the body.
The wax has the advantage that it not only forms a high-gloss layer, as well as protects against moisture, it can also make minor blemishes, as well as scratches, disappear. However, it is essential not to apply too much wax. At the same time, before applying it, make sure to remove the existing wax layer so that you don’t have too much wax on the guitar all at once.
Please always remember that dry heating air is really harmful to your electric guitar. This is especially the case with solid woods, as there is a risk of them cracking quickly. Please always make sure to avoid large temperature fluctuations as much as possible. This is not good for your electric guitar at all.
If you want to clean your electric guitar thoroughly, it is recommended that you first remove the pickguards, bridges, and strings at the beginning of the cleaning process. This is the only way to get rid of dirt edges that you would otherwise not be able to reach.
The base is also important when cleaning your electric guitar. It should be scratch-free and clean. Even if you want your favorite instrument always to be perfect, you should not overdo it with the cleaning. It is sufficient to remove sweat, dirt, and stains at regular intervals and then apply a care product in between.
Of course, the unvarnished neck of your guitar must also be maintained or cleaned. Even if the manufacturer usually seals it with a special oil, the care of the guitar neck should not be neglected. If the neck is not particularly dirty, it is sufficient to use a special care oil from time to time.
Useful Video: Best Electric Guitars
How can you learn to play an electric guitar?
Especially if your child wants to learn to play the electric guitar, you should pay attention to your child’s age, as mentioned before. Since a disciplined approach to the amplifier and the electric guitar is important, you should make sure that your child is already capable of doing this beforehand. Even if beginners should start with a concert guitar, you can begin immediately with an electric guitar.
Then you have several options on how to best practice playing the electric guitar. Learning with a guitar teacher is still the easiest way. If you have questions about accessories, teaching materials, and the electric guitar, they can be answered quickly and easily on the spot. Furthermore, your possible posture errors can be corrected immediately by the guitar teacher and help you tune your guitar.
An excellent alternative to private lessons are also courses at music schools. This way you can also meet new people and exchange ideas. Of course, you also can learn how to play via DVDs, books, and websites. However, this is only recommended if you already know how to play the guitar.
An excellent way to get ahead in playing is to set yourself small goals every day. You will see that reaching the goals will make you proud, and you will not want to stop playing.
It is also very important that you practice regularly because then you will surely notice progress quickly. It is sufficient if you practice regularly for between 30 minutes and 1 hour. However, you should then concentrate completely on the electric guitar and not let yourself be distracted by the television, for example.
So that you don’t acquire the wrong finger position or posture, you should practice the chords or the passages that don’t suit you so well over and over again. With a little practice, you’ll find that you’ll be able to play them as well.
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