Electric guitar?

[Littlesticklebrick]

Hi, my 11year old DS has been having guitar lessons at school for just over a year now. He’s mentioned he’d like an electric guitar for Christmas. I’m not at all musically minded and wondered if this was a good idea and if anyone recommended one for him to begin with? I have seen a 6 string one on Gear4Music - wondered if any good?

Following. Thinking of getting dd (14) the stratocaster pack.

My adult guitarist son started with an Ibanez guitar at that age. Kept it for years before selling it on.

Buy a secondhand one from FB marketplace - you'll get way more for your money and it will be as good quality as a new one.

I wouldn’t recommend the cheapest guitar/amp packages as it won’t be easy to play or sound good and it could put him off. The Squier by Fender ones are fairly decent for the money. Electric guitars are generally easier to play than acoustic so it can be helpful to learn harder things on the electric first.

Has he asked for a particular type? If it’s a colour/style he really likes or if it looks like the guitar used by a favourite band member he’ll probably be more likely to play it. Most of the packages are Stratocaster style but there are others.

No particular type has been mentioned. He plays his acoustic at school and can play a few tunes. I just love how he’s interested and wouid like to encourage him.

Hello, my guitarist ds suggests that if your son wants to play rock music, one of the starter Squier packages would be good but get one with ‘HSS’ configuration (humbucker) as it will be better for that sound.

I’ll check this out, thank you!

Ive posted a picture below. Is this the kind of thing I need to be looking
for?

Ask his current teacher for a recommendation/suggestion.

Yes, these seem to be well regarded for beginners. I also agree that asking his teacher is a good plan!

Oh, ds also suggested Ibanez Gio as a good beginner rock guitar

he’ll need an amplifier as well, so I would recommend going for either a Squire or Harley Benton starter pack where you’ll get a guitar, a little practice amp and a lead plus the bits and pieces. You can buy something secondhand but I suggest you go to a shop so someone can play it for you. I’ve been playing guitar for 30 years and I would never buy a secondhand guitar I couldn’t pick up and play first, and if you’re not a guitar player you can’t do that, so you need someone who can, and unless you know somebody then you’d be better off going to a shop.

The ideal thing of course is to take him so he can play some guitars himself, choose the one he wants, but if it’s a surprise Christmas present I would go Harley Benton or Squire. Gear 4 Music stuff is notoriously terrible so don’t buy it.

And yes to the HSS configuration. I’ve just put a humbucker in one of my strats and I play it all the time now.

A Yamaha Pacifica is also a good option.

Something like this? Do I need to get an amp with it? Basic questions but I really have no idea! Thank you
https://www.yamahamusiclondon.com/product.php?product_id=GPA112JBLII&source=froogle&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgqGrBhDtARIsAM5s0_lTR11D91Hy7sL8lJ9luO1H99sLBddKYGOMgoUudsDroYg-rm3g9OgaAkcnEALw_wcB

Yes!

And you need an amp, lead and strap.

Can’t remember what amp we had to start off. But ‘practice amp’ will do fine. A selection of Marshall, Vox and Blackstar have passed through our house.

In due course an electric guitar is a basis for many gifts. Effects pedals. New strings (get a packet in case), (Ernie Ball). Capo. Cleaning kit. Electric tuner. Fancy strap. Slide. Picks, novelty picks, …

One thing to check is the relative weight, as he is young. Check how much Yamaha v Squier v Ibenez weigh. I seem to remember one is markedly heavier.

I still haven’t purchased an electric guitar. I’m not musical at all and I didn’t realise the electric guitar is vastly different to an acoustic? My son loves the idea of electric but from what I’ve recently been told he won’t be able to play it based on his acoustic ability. Is this correct?

I don’t play guitar either, but my Ds learned on an acoustic and then got an electric and didn’t seem to have any problems playing both.

Unless he's solely been learning Spanish guitar techniques he'll be more than fine on an electric.

Marvellous! Thank you!