Best electric guitars for beginners (UK)
The Yamaha Pacifica 112V is the safest first electric for most people, at around £269. If money is tight, the Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT H does the basics well for around £139.
Published 16 Oct 2026 · Last updated 14 Nov 2026
Quick picks
- Yamaha Pacifica 112V EDIT'S PICK · Most beginners who want one guitar that covers lots of styles and won't need replacing soon · around £269
- Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT H BEST VALUE · Tight budgets, and anyone who wants the simplest possible guitar to learn on · around £139
- Squier Sonic Mustang HH · Younger players, smaller hands, and anyone who finds a full-size neck a stretch · around £145
- Squier Sonic Stratocaster Pack · Parents and gift buyers who want everything needed to start in one box · around £259
- Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11 · Beginners who already know they want to play rock and metal · around £149
- PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin BEST PREMIUM · Adult beginners who want a guitar they can keep for years · around £449
No. 1 · EDIT'S PICK
Yamaha Pacifica 112V
around £269 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
Yamaha's long-running Strat-style electric, with an alder body, a maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard and one humbucker plus two single-coil pickups (all Alnico). It has a vintage-style tremolo and a full 25.5-inch scale.
Why we picked it
Guitar World names it the best beginner electric overall, and Guitar Player gives the same award to its cheaper sibling, the Pacifica 012. Reviewers single out the build quality for the price and the range of sounds from the three pickups. MusicRadar notes the basic tremolo can pull it out of tune if you lean on the arm hard, and Guitar World says the bridge humbucker isn't a high-output metal pickup.
Best for: Most beginners who want one guitar that covers lots of styles and won't need replacing soon
Skip it if: You want the cheapest way to start, or you mainly play heavy, detuned metal.
| Body | Alder |
|---|---|
| Neck | Maple, rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets |
| Scale | 25.5 inch (648 mm) |
| Pickups | One humbucker, two single coils (HSS) |
| Bridge | Vintage-style tremolo |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 2 · BEST VALUE
Squier Sonic Stratocaster HT H
around £139 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
The most basic Squier Stratocaster, with a poplar body, a maple neck, a fixed (hardtail) bridge and a single humbucker controlled by one volume and one tone knob.
Why we picked it
Guitar World picks it as the best budget beginner electric, praising the playability and the price. The single pickup keeps things simple, though Guitar World notes some players will want more sounds, and that the pickup is an obvious upgrade later. A fixed bridge also means one less thing to knock out of tune.
Best for: Tight budgets, and anyone who wants the simplest possible guitar to learn on
Skip it if: You want lots of different sounds, or a tremolo arm.
| Body | Poplar |
|---|---|
| Neck | Maple, laurel fingerboard, 21 frets |
| Scale | 25.5 inch (648 mm) |
| Pickups | One humbucker |
| Bridge | Fixed (hardtail) |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 3
Squier Sonic Mustang HH
around £145 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
A short-scale electric with a 24-inch scale (a full-size Strat is 25.5 inches), a light poplar body, two humbuckers with a three-way switch, and a fixed bridge.
Why we picked it
MusicRadar calls it a benchmark for a beginner's electric guitar and says it held its tuning well through a winter of bends. Guitar World praises the playability and value, and suggests it could be the ideal first guitar for young players. Both note the shorter scale may feel too small for some, and Guitar World's review sample needed a little setup work.
Best for: Younger players, smaller hands, and anyone who finds a full-size neck a stretch
Skip it if: You're tall or have large hands; reviewers say it can feel small for adults.
| Body | Poplar |
|---|---|
| Neck | Maple, laurel fingerboard |
| Scale | 24 inch (610 mm), short scale |
| Pickups | Two humbuckers |
| Bridge | Fixed (hardtail) |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 4
Squier Sonic Stratocaster Pack
around £259 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
A Squier Sonic Stratocaster (three single-coil pickups and a tremolo) bundled with a 10-watt Squier Frontman 10G amp, a padded gig bag, a cable, a strap, picks and a three-month Fender Play lessons subscription.
Why we picked it
It's the simplest way to get a playable guitar, an amp with a headphone socket for quiet practice, and the bits you'd otherwise forget, from one of the best-known beginner brands. The amp has clean and overdrive channels and an aux input for playing along to music. Guitar Player cautions that starter packs are convenient but that buying separately is often better value, and that pack amps can be weak.
Best for: Parents and gift buyers who want everything needed to start in one box
Skip it if: You'd rather spend the money on a better guitar and choose your own amp.
| Guitar | Poplar body, maple neck, three single coils |
|---|---|
| Scale | 25.5 inch |
| Amp | Squier Frontman 10G, 10 watts |
| In the box | Gig bag, cable, strap, picks, 3 months of Fender Play |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 5
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11
around £149 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
A pointy-headstock rock guitar with two high-output humbuckers, a slim graphite-reinforced maple neck with 22 jumbo frets, and a two-point tremolo.
Why we picked it
Guitar World rates it the best beginner guitar for metal, praising pickups that cope with high-gain sounds, the slim neck and the value. Its reviewer found the tremolo needed a setup before it would hold tuning and called the neck pickup a little woolly, so budget for a setup at a local shop.
Best for: Beginners who already know they want to play rock and metal
Skip it if: You want clean, bright sounds, or don't want to pay for a setup.
| Body | Poplar |
|---|---|
| Neck | Maple with graphite reinforcement, amaranth fingerboard, 22 jumbo frets |
| Scale | 25.5 inch (648 mm) |
| Pickups | Two high-output humbuckers |
| Bridge | Two-point tremolo |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 6 · BEST PREMIUM
PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin
around £449 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
PRS's most affordable guitar, with a mahogany body, a maple neck, 24 frets, two PRS 85/15 "S" humbuckers that can be split for single-coil sounds, a tremolo and a gig bag in the box.
Why we picked it
Guitarist's Dave Burrluck, writing for Guitar World, said he could find nothing to fault at the price, praising the setup, the range of sounds and how well it held tuning with heavy tremolo use. Guitar World's beginner guide names it the best premium pick. The satin finish marks easily, which is the main trade-off for the lower price.
Best for: Adult beginners who want a guitar they can keep for years
Skip it if: Your budget is under £300, or you want a glossy finish.
| Body | Mahogany |
|---|---|
| Neck | Maple, rosewood fingerboard, 24 frets |
| Scale | 25 inch |
| Pickups | Two PRS 85/15 S humbuckers with coil split |
| In the box | Gig bag |
Retailer links coming soon.
How we chose
We started with the beginner electric guitars recommended by Guitar World and Guitar Player in their 2026 guides, plus the individual reviews from Guitar World, MusicRadar and Guitarist. That gave us a shortlist of around a dozen, which we cut to guitars that are on sale new in the UK now at roughly £150 to £450.
For a first guitar, we weighed playability and how well it stays in tune most heavily. A guitar that’s hard to play, or keeps drifting out of tune, is a guitar that ends up under the bed. Range of sounds and build quality came next.
We also wanted a spread of needs: one guitar most people can buy without regret, a cheaper option, a smaller short-scale guitar for younger or smaller players, a starter pack with an amp, a rock and metal choice, and one to grow into.
This guide is based on manufacturer specs, retailer listings and expert reviews, listed below. We haven’t played these guitars ourselves. Prices are typical UK prices on the date shown beside each pick, and they move around Black Friday and Christmas.
Sources
- Guitar World: Best beginner electric guitars 2026
- Guitar Player: Best beginner electric guitars 2026
- Guitar World: Yamaha Pacifica 112V review
- MusicRadar: Yamaha Pacifica 112V review
- Yamaha Europe: Pacifica 112V
- Thomann UK: Yamaha Pacifica 112V BL RL
- Thomann UK: Squier Sonic Strat HT H Black
- Guitar World: Squier Sonic Mustang HH review
- MusicRadar: Squier Sonic Mustang HH review
- Fender UK: Squier Sonic Mustang HH
- Thomann UK: Squier Sonic Mustang HH California Blue
- Normans: Squier Sonic Stratocaster Pack
- PMT: Squier Sonic Stratocaster Pack MN Black
- Thomann UK: Jackson JS11 Dinky Gloss Black
- Guitar World: PRS SE CE 24 Standard Satin review
- Andertons: PRS SE CE24 Standard Satin, Vintage Cherry
- guitarguitar: PRS SE CE24 Standard Satin, Charcoal
FAQs
Should I buy a starter pack?
It depends on what you value. A pack like the Squier Sonic Stratocaster Pack gets you a guitar, amp, bag and cable in one go. Guitar Player's advice is that buying the guitar, amp and accessories separately usually gives better value, and that the amps in packs can be underpowered.
What is a short-scale guitar, and does my child need one?
Scale is the length of the vibrating string. Guitar Player notes that most full-size electrics use 25.5 or 24.75 inches, and treats anything under 24 inches as short scale, which it suggests for younger learners. The Squier Sonic Mustang HH is 24 inches, and reviewers rate it highly for smaller players.
Which beginner guitar is best for metal?
The Jackson JS11, which Guitar World names its best beginner guitar for metal thanks to its high-output humbuckers and slim neck. Plan for a setup, as its reviewer found the tremolo needed adjusting.
Do these guitars come with a case?
The PRS comes with a gig bag, and the Squier pack includes one. The Yamaha, the Jackson and the two standalone Squiers are listed without a bag at Thomann, so add one to your basket.
Last updated 14 Nov 2026.