Guide To Buying An Electric Guitar Package

Electric guitar starter kits are very popular with beginning guitar players, as they provide everything you need to get going, and are usually very affordable too. This article takes a look at some of the things you need to think about when buying a guitar starter kit, and list some of the most popular choices.

Electric Guitar Kits – What You Get

Starter kits for electric guitar players will normally include the following items:

• An electric guitar
• A guitar practice amp and cable - most kits come with a 10 watt amp, which is more than enough power for practising at home
• A guitar strap
• At least one guitar pick

Some kits also include other accessories such as a guitar tuner, chord chart, guitar stand or gig bag.

Guitar kits of this type a generally aimed at new guitarists, and like many entry-level guitars (and other instruments), quality can be an issue when the price is especially low. The problem with learning to play on a very cheap guitar is that if the guitar is also poor in quality, it will be more difficult to play, it won't sound very good, and as a result the playing experience will be an unpleasant one, making the new guitarist more likely to give up.

Since learning the guitar can be challenging enough without struggling with a substandard instrument, it’s important to get started on the right foot by choosing a decent instrument. Fortunately, you don't have to spend a lot of money to do this, and a guitar starter kit can fit the bill quite nicely so long as you choose a good one.

Generally speaking, it’s best to look for kits from respected guitar manufacturers, and to check out customer reviews online to find out about people's experiences before buying.

Four Of The Most Popular Electric Guitar Kits

Fender is among the best known names in the guitar industry, and its Stratocaster and Telecaster range of electric guitars are legendary. With this Fender Starcaster Strat pack you can get a taste of Fender’s guitar excellence at a fraction of the usual prices.

This pack features a Fender Stratocaster guitar with a classic sunburst finish, a Squier SP-10 amp, a cable guitar tuner, a guitar stand and a gig bag. The pack also includes an instructional DVD, which will show you the basic techniques you need to get going.

This Fender electric guitar Kit costs around $200.

This second guitar package from Fender also features a Stratocaster guitar, this time with a vibrant red finish. Like the kit above, you also get a Squier amp, cable, tuner, guitar stand, instructional DVD and gig bag.

This package is slightly more expensive, but it's still a great bargain at around $230.

Austin Bazaar is known for its entry-level guitars and other instruments. This beginner guitar kit includes an electric guitar with sunburst finish and a classic body style, a 10 watt practice amp with cable, a gig bag and spare set of strings.

The ‘For Dummies’ series is well known to beginners in many pursuits, and they produce a number of bestselling instructional guides for guitarists. Now you can get a complete electric guitar kit for dummies, which includes the book ‘Electric Guitar Basics For Dummies’ (with CD), a classic style black and white Kona electric guitar, a 10 watt Kona amp, and accessories including a cable, pitch pipe tuner, gig bag, picks and guitar strap. You also get a chord chart to serve as a handy reference when you're learning your first chords.

This package normally costs around $200 or less.

Although electric guitar kits may be available in your local music store and even in some large department stores, for the best selection you'll probably want to go online. As well a specialist guitar retailers, you can also find a good selection of electric guitar starter packs at great prices from general sites such as Amazon and eBay.