The 5 Best Electric Guitar Starter Packs For Beginners (2023)
Electric guitar starter packs are the easiest way to start playing an electric guitar. You get everything you need in a single batch and what’s also important, you get all that without spending a lot of money. There are a lot of these guitar starter kits on the market, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best.
Our top pick is Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Pack. The bundle includes everything you need to start playing, while the overall quality is very good. Furthermore, you get a product from a trustworthy manufacturer, which makes the look and feel of legendary Gibson guitars more accessible than anyone.
If you’re looking for something really affordable, the Best Choice Products guitar starter pack is our recommendation. It is one of the most affordable starter kits on the market, and the overall quality isn’t that bad at all.
Contents
- Best Electric Guitar Starter Packs For Beginners (2023)
- 1. Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Pack
- 2. Best Choice Products 39in Full Size Beginner Electric Guitar Starter Kit
- 3. Fender Squier Stratocaster Bundle
- 4. ZENY Beginner Starter Package
- 5. Yamaha GigMaker EG Electric Guitar Pack
- What’s Included in an Electric Guitar Starter Pack?
- Are Guitar Starter Packs any Good?
- What You Should Look Out For in an Electric Guitar Kit?
- Are Budget Guitar Packs Worth Getting?
- Verdict
Best Electric Guitar Starter Packs For Beginners (2023)
Let’s compare them in more detail:
1. Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Pack
A vast majority of starter packs come with Strat-style electric guitars, while this one includes an LP-style guitar. From the beginner’s perspective, that’s a great thing to know, as most kids don’t find bright Strat or Tele tones too inspiring.
Pros
- LP-style guitar
- Good overall quality
- Most accessories are usable
Cons
- The soft gig-bag is not amazing
- Amp could use more features
This starter pack has everything a beginner needs. Besides the guitar, it also includes an amp, gig bag, 10-ft guitar cable, picks, and a clip-on chromatic tuner.
The guitar features decent overall quality. The final touches are good, the action is low, while the mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard is comfortable. All this makes the guitar quite playable. With a couple of humbuckers, beginners may count on a decently fat tone, which isn’t something that usually comes with starter pack guitars.
| What’s included? | Electric Guitar, Amp, Chromatic Tuner, Cable, Strap, Picks, Gig Bag |
| Available colors | Ebony |
| Instructional Videos/Books | Downloadable Guitar Lessons |
Besides the guitar, this package also includes a decent guitar amp. It is simple and pretty easy to use, while there are also usable features like audio and phone inputs. The amp’s tone is okay, but it would definitely use a few basic effects, such as reverb.
2. Best Choice Products 39in Full Size Beginner Electric Guitar Starter Kit
A tight budget usually means low quality, but that’s not the case with this starter pack. It features a surprisingly good overall quality and even the accessories are quite usable.
Pros
- Very affordable
- All essentials included
- The guitar looks really attractive
Cons
- Can get out of tune fairly quickly
- Action is bit too high
The first thing you’ll notice about this starter pack is how beautiful the guitar looks, no matter which finish you choose (and there are many of them available). Besides the guitar, the pack includes a small 10-watt amp which features a straightforward design and it’s pretty easy to use. However, it doesn’t sound particularly good, but it’s hard to complain about the sound at this price range.
The rest of the package includes a decent gig bag, picks, guitar cable, tuner, and a nice guitar strap that is comfortable and quite adjustable. The strap also comes with a couple of pick holders, which is a really nice touch.
| What’s included? | Electric Guitar, Amp, Chromatic Tuner, Cable, Strap, Picks, Gig Bag |
| Available colors | Midnight Blue, Sunburst, Bourbon, Cherry Red, Hollywood Blue, Jet Black, SoCal, Green |
| Instructional Videos/Books | – |
Although the package looks really nice, we can’t expect a miracle at this price range. I’ve found a couple of pretty big drawbacks. Beginners definitely won’t like the fact that tuners and bridge aren’t particularly good and that the guitar can stay in tune for a very short time. On the other hand, more experienced players won’t like the high action and poor overall setup.
3. Fender Squier Stratocaster Bundle
Beginners need inspiration, and it doesn’t come just from a decent sound and playability, it also comes from the look and feel. We are talking about instruments that closely resemble legendary guitar shapes. Squier does this best.
Pros
- Genuine Strat look and feel
- Very good overall quality
- Instructional book and DVD included
Cons
- Amp doesn’t sound particularly amazing
- Doesn’t always stay in tune when using the whammy bar
This starter pack includes everything a beginner needs to start playing at once. Besides the guitar and amp, you also get a strap, picks, tuner, and a gig bag, as well as an instructional DVD and book.
What I like most is that the guitar is actually the best part of the bundle. It looks great and plays really well. The setup is decent, while the build quality is more than okay. Guitar players who like old-school guitars will find this Stratocaster particularly appealing. It comes with 21 frets, vintage-style tremolo, and ceramic pickups.
On the other hand, I think that the Squier Frontman amp is the weakest part of the package. It doesn’t sound all that bad, but it doesn’t sound as good as the Fender-badged Frontman either. Still, the amp is very easy to use and quite versatile.
| What’s included? | Electric Guitar, Amp, Chromatic Tuner, Cable, Strap, Picks, Lessons, Gig Bag |
| Available colors | Black, Sunburst, Brown Sunburst, Competition Orange, Dakota Red, Olympic White |
| Instructional Videos/Books | DVD, Book |
What’s also good to know is that this starter pack is available with a 3/4-size guitar, which is great for small kids. Those with more specific requirements can also get guitars in HSS pickup configuration, while left-handed models are also available.
Finally, all these packages and configurations are also available with another legendary guitar model – the Telecaster.
4. ZENY Beginner Starter Package
If you’re looking for an affordable alternative for more common brands in the business, this may be a good package for you. It’s not ideal but it justifies the sticker price.
Pros
- Guitar looks great
- Compact, travel-friendly amp
- Replacement strings included
Cons
- Gig bag isn’t very protective
This ZENY starter package comes with almost everything a beginner needs to start learning. Practically, the only important thing that’s missing is a tuner. Other than that, everything seems perfect. You even get another set of strings, something you won’t find in most starter packs.
The guitar body is made from basswood, while the neck combines maple and rosewood (fingerboard). That’s a quite common combination that provides a decent resonance. Pickups aren’t great but aren’t that bad either. What’s more important, a proper setup would be required.
| What’s included? | Electric Guitar, Amp, Chromatic Tuner, Cable, Strap, Picks, Lessons, Gig Bag |
| Available colors | Black, Blue |
| Instructional Videos/Books | – |
The amp is compact and travel-friendly. It comes with just a couple of knobs and controls, which makes it easy to use. The sound is good enough to satisfy beginners. On the other hand, the gig bag is made from thin nylon and it isn’t very protective.
All in all, you get what you pay for. This package is not ideal but gets the job done.
5. Yamaha GigMaker EG Electric Guitar Pack
With this guitar, Yamaha confirmed its reputation once again. However, the rest of the bundle could have been done better.
Pros
- Guitar features very good build quality
- Decent humbucker on the bridge position
- Comfortable neck, very playable
Cons
- Accessories aren’t that impressive
- No lessons or instructional videos
If the guitar quality is the most important part of the bundle, this is the best choice. This pack consists of Yamaha’s well-known beginner’s model called Pacifica PAC012, which is arguably the best guitar on the list. It features pretty impressive build quality, a comfortable neck, and a decent setup. Also, many players will appreciate humbucker on the bridge position, which sounds quite good.
Unfortunately, the rest of the bundle isn’t that impressive. The amp features a lot of controls and it’s quite easy to use but the overall quality isn’t on the guitar’s level. I believe the same could be said for the gig bag. On the other hand, picks, straps, tuner, and cable are good.
| What’s included? | Guitar, Amp, Tuner, Strap, Picks, Cable, Gig Bag |
| Available colors | Black, Metallic Blue, Metallic Red, Old Violin Sunburst |
| Instructional Videos/Books | – |
I’m pretty sure that, in the long run, this package is a really smart choice. The guitar features good overall quality and it’s a good basis for further upgrades. Once you become an intermediate player, you can upgrade it with new pickups, get a better amp, and add a few effect pedals. That’s probably good enough for your first gigs.
What’s Included in an Electric Guitar Starter Pack?
An electric guitar starter pack usually includes a guitar, amp, cable, strap, picks, and a gig bag – everything you need to start playing. Some packs could also include an additional set of strings, instructional DVDs and books, a chromatic tuner, and few more accessories.
Are Guitar Starter Packs any Good?
From the beginner’s perspective – yes, they are. Things like playability, sound, and overall quality are decent enough to satisfy absolute beginners. On the other hand, more experienced players probably won’t be satisfied with the quality.
What You Should Look Out For in an Electric Guitar Kit?
The guitar’s build quality is by far the most important thing to check. No matter the price, a decent electric guitar should feature good build quality. Make sure that everything is fixed right and that the instrument isn’t damaged.
Electric guitar kits are usually very affordable, which means you shouldn’t have high expectations regarding the sound quality. What’s more important for a beginner is the playability of the instrument. The neck should be straight and well-shaped, while string action shouldn’t be too high. Also, make sure that tuning machines are good enough to keep you in tune for a while.
Other pieces of the kit will probably feature low quality and you can’t do much about that. What you can do is to check what’s included in the kit, to avoid paying for something you don’t need. For example, if you play an acoustic guitar, you probably already have a tuner. So, why would you get another one?
Are Budget Guitar Packs Worth Getting?
Once again, it’s all about perspective. Most experienced players would say that these kits are a waste of money. However, if you are a beginner, or you want to buy it for a kid, the most obvious advantage is the price. These packages are very affordable and if you realize one day that guitar isn’t the right instrument for you, you won’t regret it too much.
Another strong reason for getting this kit is that you get everything you need to start playing. That makes life easier, especially if you are an absolute beginner who doesn’t know much about electric guitars.
On the other hand, the biggest drawback is the quality. You will get a very limited range of low-quality sounds and if you are not lucky enough, something could break after just a couple of months.
Verdict
These would be our recommendations for the best electric guitar starter packs and I’m pretty sure that you can’t go wrong with any of these. The Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar Player Pack is our top pick, but Fender Squier Stratocaster Bundle could easily be your best pick. Choosing between these two is a matter of preference, as both packs are really good.
If you’re up for something really affordable, I would recommend you to consider the Best Choice Products Starter Pack, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
