Best Electric Guitar Starter Packs for Beginners

Last Updated: November 19, 2019 Looking for a great guitar bundle to get you off to a flying start? You’ve come to this page at the right time as we made a new 2019 update to our chart! We removed a few older packs, which were no longer readily available, and inserted the surprisingly good Sawtooth ES Series Bundle instead.

Learning how to play the electric guitar is one of the best lifestyle choices you could make, and an excellent instrument to dedicate your time to – one that can lead to wonderful things. But to learn the instrument, you need to buy the instrument and that opens the door to a whole new world of questions. Firstly, you can breathe a sigh of relief – if you are a beginner on a budget, buying something like an American Fender Strat and an equally costly premium amp is not necessary. In fact, it could prove to be an expensive mistake if you eventually realize that guitar is not actually the instrument you want to play. Instead, it's worth opting for a beginner's guitar or – as I will cover on this page – a convenient and affordable combo pack. These starter kits usually contain everything you need to get you up and playing instantly, including a guitar, an amp, a cable, strap and plectrums, at a price anyone can afford. Here are some great beginner guitar packs to start with:

7 Recommended Beginner Electric Guitar Packs:

Why Buy a Beginner’s Electric Guitar Combo

If you are buying an electric guitar for yourself or your child for the first time, choosing a beginner’s combo pack is a very smart move. They don’t come with hefty price tags and arrive with everything you need to start playing on the same day. If you try to buy everything individually it can take more time and, usually, more money. Manufacturers know the importance of the beginner market and will offer as much as they can for as little as they can, in order to turn you into a devoted follower. As GuitarFella has shown, you can find some real quality at ridiculously low prices.

What to Look For in a Budget Electric Guitar Combo Pack

The first thing to remember in this starter combo pack category is that you generally swap words like ‘premium’ and ‘polished’ for words like ‘convenient’ and ‘value’. But as a beginner this shouldn’t bother you – there’s plenty of time to enjoy the more expensive aspects of the instrument when you can play and enjoy it to a higher standard. That’s not to say that you don’t want to be picking the best guitar that your money can buy. Because you definitely want something that’s comfortable to hold, fun to play, and nice to look at! Firstly, ignore things like body and neck woods – which, in this category, are most likely to be basswood, paulownia, or alder (body), and maple (neck). Your main priority is looking for a shape and color that you like – either single-cutaway (like a Les Paul) or double-cutaway (like a Strat) – and something that feels good to play. Pickups in this category are typically very basic, but a combination of single-coils and humbuckers will give you the most versatility in sound. But don’t worry if you only see one kind of humbucker – at this stage, providing it can make a clear sound, it will be good enough. Besides, it’s the amplifier that will make the most difference to your sound compared to things like body wood and pickups (at this level anyway). Whatever pack you go for, rest assured the amp will be loud enough for practicing and even jamming with other guitarists, although always look out for something with a headphone jack, for quieter practice sessions. As for the accessories in this kind of pack, they too will be basic and – probably – unbranded. They’ll do the job of getting you up and playing, but as soon as you start to develop your skills, you may want to buy a stronger strap and cable, as they can be a little flimsy in this area. The gig bags are usually worth upgrading too, to something that is padded and/or hard-shelled, for ultimate protection. Read our reviews, try some guitars out (if you have access to them), then make a purchase that suits you and check out some good guitar lessons. Good luck and happy shopping!