Are you considering getting an electric guitar and how much it will cost you? Generally, electric guitars cost between $100 to thousands of dollars depending on several factors like location, the luxury, skill level of the player and comfort.
Regardless of the level of guitar playing you belong to, there is definitely an electric guitar for you within a decent price range. Find out how much an electric guitar of your taste would cost in this article.
The Electric Guitar
It is a type of guitar that uses an amplifier to produce sound. Despite the fact that electric and acoustic guitars have similar features, the electric guitar can be easily differentiated by its electronic switches. Electric guitars are also lightweight, which makes them comfortable to use.
It is usually easy to play with, and they have a small body, which makes it easier to balance your body to play. They are highly recommended for beginners who need something not too complicated, to begin with.
How Much Does an Electric Guitar Cost?
Good purchase of an electric guitar ranges from $200 – $500. Electric guitars within this range are mostly well-made, they have good action and are playable. However, you can also get a guitar according to your level of skill or budget.
Here is a breakdown:
Beginners Level
For this level, it ranges between $150-$400. They are specially made for beginners. However, the majority of them are upgraded versions of the less expensive models. The majority of them are also sold together with the kits to aid a beginner to start playing immediately.
Intermediate Level
They usually cost between $400-$900. For a player that already knows quite a number of things, you could get lower versions of popular brands between $750-$900. Few Ibanez and Gibson Les Paul are sold within this range.
Advanced Level
Electric guitars in this level cost between $1000-$2500. This is an ideal price range for a good quality guitar. At this stage, it is expected that you already know a lot about music and will be able to identify the guitar that matches your preference. Most popular brands like Fender, Yamaha, Jackson, Ibanez, Gibson, Epiphone and Gretsch sell good quality electric guitars within this range.
Professional Level
A professional guitarist can get the guitar for a cost between $2500 and $5000. Electric guitars at this level are pro and sleek, they are of premium quality. Some of them are specifically customized to have an additional feature for comfort and luxury. Popular brands like Ibanez can also be found within this category.
Master Level
It cost between $3000 and above, made for world-class guitarists. They are from $3000 and can range to several thousands of dollars. These types of guitars are specially customized to give a premium and satisfying playing experience.
Factors to Consider When Buying an Electric Guitar
Action
The action of a guitar is marked by the distance from the strings to the neck of the guitar. It is one of the important determining factors when considering a guitar. The action of a good electric guitar should be low, which means that it will be easy to press down the strings to touch the fret in order to play a note. A high action guitar will be hard for you to play. Similarly, a too low action will always make buzzes.
Sound Quality
Consider the quality of the sound, the projecting if it is smooth and exactly the way you want it. Here, you check if it buzzes or is unnecessarily too high or low. Another thing you look out for is if the electric guitar is easy to tune and the kind of sound it gives after tuning.
Guitar playability
Electric guitars are generally more playable than the rest of the guitars. They are easy to play with, have thinner strings, low action and narrow necks.
Ease of Use
They are specifically shaped to be narrower and more comfortable to carry. They are also lightweight, which makes them easy for you to handle. Electric guitars are less complicated compared to other types of guitars.
Style
This is a matter of individual preferences. If you enjoy rock a lot, or you are looking at getting a guitar for playing rock songs. Then you should definitely consider getting an electric guitar.
Essential Kits of an Electric Guitar
Apart from the electric guitar itself, here are additional kits you will be needing as well to help the functionality of the guitar. Although most beginner guitars are sold with the full package, some are not. These kits can be bought additionally to the guitar at a lower cost.
Protective Case
This kit helps with the protection of your guitar from liquids, temperature and scratches. However, the highest quality is the padded leather bag which will cost you between $300-$500 and more. Next to it are the hardshell cases, you can get between $100-$400. You could also get the fabric bags that go for $25-$90.
Guitar Tuner
You need the electric tuner to tune your guitar to the desired tune. Also, open your guitar up to several musical notes and chords. An electric guitar tuner will cost you between about $25-$150.
Amplifier
Most electric guitars include an amplifier because the amplifier is the major component of the guitar. Without the amplifier, an electric guitar can not perform optimally. If it happens that yours did not come with one, you can buy a replacement. A good quality amplifier ranges from $400-$800. And you can get a cheaper one for about $50-$200.
Guitar Picks
This kit is optional yet very useful. It helps you to pick individual notes on your guitar and gives you the aid to strum chords comfortably. Getting a pack of 12 of them will cost you an average of $2-$4.
Extra Strings
This will come in handy in case one of your strings breaks while playing. A set of six strings are sold on averagely between $3-$15.
Guitar Strap
The guitar strap is used to hold the electric guitar firmly to yourself. It will cost you about $15-$50 on average.
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What Is The Average Price of an Electric Guitar?
On Amazon, you can get an average or a decent electric guitar for around $500. This may not be one of the top brands, especially if you are buying a new guitar and not a used one. However, for this price, you will be able to get an electric guitar of good quality to meet your needs. Some that belong to this price range at times include essential accessories or kits needed to use the guitar.
How Much is an Electric Guitar for Beginners?
A good beginner electric guitar should be around $200-$300. It is always recommended for beginners to get a good quality guitar at their initial purchase. This is because the enthusiasm of a beginner to learn to play the guitar is flimsy and could easily wane off if not sustained.
Therefore, getting a good quality guitar with no weak fret, broken string or bad action is of uttermost priority. At the same time, it is also understandable that most beginners do not want to invest too much at first. They love to test what they are going into first before making adjustments to the purchase. So, getting an electric guitar within this range is quite reasonable.
Is it Easy to Learn Guitar?
Learning to play the guitar is hard at the initial stage but easier afterwards. More importantly, learning how to play the guitar is more effortless when you learn with an electric guitar. This is because its strings are lighter than any other type of guitar. Thus, it makes it easier for you to strum.
At the initial stage, mistakes are inevitable, and electric guitars make it more seamless for you to correct your mistakes. It has electronic effects and amplifiers that will help you in this regard.
Is an Electric Guitar Worth it?
If you are wondering if an electric guitar is worth buying or if you should just move to other types. Here are some advantages the electric guitar has over the other types.
They are more versatile than the acoustic and classical guitar when it comes to sounds. The electric guitar includes an amplifier, which gives it a huge opportunity for sound expansion. They have more tone options than the acoustic guitar, and such sounds can also be enhanced via the addition of effects pedals.
Similarly, it has thinner necks and is lightweight, which makes it easy to play with. They are also audible enough to use without the addition of an external amplifier compared to their counterparts. You can consider these reasons alongside the factors to consider mentioned above to arrive at a decision. However, getting an electric guitar is highly recommended for any skill level you belong to.
How Much does it Cost to Set up a Guitar?
Before ordering online for a guitar, have you ever asked how much does it cost to set up a guitar? Setting up your guitar has to do with making adjustments on your electric or acoustic guitar that makes it more playable. It is essential to maintain and keep your guitar in shape; likewise, the fret so as to make the desired note.
It is important to note that all newly bought guitars are already set up to perform optimally. And in such cases, your guitar may give a buzzing sound or just become hard to play.
Why Should You Set Up Your Guitar?
If you have not considered setting up your guitar yet, here are some reasons why you should:
Guitar String’s Radius Setup
It is critical to state that not all guitar fretboards have the same radius. Therefore, you need the radius of the guitar’s string to be aligned with that of your fretboard. You need to do this to avoid your guitar buzzing and malfunctioning.
Adjustment of The Truss Rod
The truss rod is located on the neck of the guitar. It is used to tighten the neck. The neck becomes relieved whenever the truss rod is loosened and vice versa. For this reason, you need to set up your guitar to have the neck adjusted to a position that will make it perform optimally.
Proper Tuning
Generally speaking, guitars come with the E A D G B E standard tuning, limiting your guitar experience. However, the setup of your guitar often includes the proper tuning of your guitar to give you more opportunities to play rich and fuller tunes.
Bridge Adjustment
Similar to what tuning does, the bridge allows you to be able to manipulate your guitar to your desired tune. And having a floating or not adequately aligned bridge is one reason you should consider setting up your guitar.
Setting the Strings in Action
The gap between the fretboard and the string can determine how the guitar will sound. When the space between the fretboard and the string is larger, it gives a higher sound. And when the space is smaller, it gives a lower sound.
Therefore, the distance needs to be adjusted. However, this is based on individual players’ specifics. Some guitarists prefer it like that. The string action can be set to the way you prefer.
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Why You Should Set Up Your Guitar with A Professional
Having your professional guitar setup simply means hiring the service of a professional Luthier to set up your guitar. Although the guitar can indeed be set up manually, I recommend you have a professional set up your guitar.
This is because most of the setups are technical and could be challenging for a non-professional. If you are a beginner and don’t know the nuts to tighten or make the adjustments, you should consider hiring a professional. This is because if, for instance, the truss rod is too tightened, it will affect the outcome of the sound. On the contrary, a professional will know how tightening your truss rod needs.
Having your guitar setup with a professional also enables you to enjoy a thorough cleaning, polishing and hydration of your guitar. This is a package that often comes with setting up with professionals. Not only that, but a few professionals also add new strings to the setup process if the string is affected. However, it should be noted that it comes with additional fees at times.
On most acoustic guitars, the bridge and the nuts look similar, unlike the electric guitar. Therefore, it requires a careful alteration to adjust it. This can only be thoroughly adjusted by a professional as it requires replacing the saddle or moving the bridge at times.
Another reason you should consider having a professional set up your guitar is that you might have noticed that something is wrong with the sound by not knowing precisely what it is. On the other hand, a professional has a way of determining the particular thing that requires adjustment and goes for it. Doing this type of setup yourself may lead to you complicating the issue.
The Cost of Setting Up a Guitar
If you are curious about the amount you should expect to pay to set up your guitar, here is an estimation for you.
How much your guitar setup will cost will be due to the region you stay in and the amount of setup your guitar requires. Generally, electric guitars do not really need much setup because a lot of factory work is done. On the other hand, the acoustic guitar requires a little more setup, which can be done by a professional.
While some guitars will just require little tuning, truss rod adjustment and polishing, others may need a lot more than that, probably with some replacements. Such a guitar will cost a lot more than the one with fewer setup. This basic guitar setup should set the action, neck relief (truss rod) and intonation.
However, on average, setting up your guitar should cost between $50-$120 depending on where you take it to and what needs to be done on the guitar.
Conclusion
In general, you will be able to get a good quality electric guitar at a medium price of $300-$500. Spending a little extra cash to get a good quality might make a lot of difference in the ease you will enjoy when playing the guitar.
This article should provide you with a direction of what to expect. When you make a choice, ensure that it is comfortable in your hands and makes you always want to play. That is the entire idea of getting an electric guitar – happy playing!
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