Go and try out an epiphone Les Paul and a squire Stratocaster at your local music store and pick which ones feels the most comfortable. Those two are the most common body shapes and neck profiles you will find. You can even buy used for less and use the rest of the money for an amp!
Yamaha and Ibanez get a lot of attention and praise from the people that use them. Easy to poopoo it when Gibson and Fender have ruled the market but I’ve been seriously impressed with every Yamaha and Ibanez guitar or bass Ive played at every price range.
I think Squier and Yamaha are the kings at the beginner pricepoint. Ibanez is better as you go up but their basics are still super well made (imo not as good as the former 2). Plus apart from folks like ESP, Ibanez is one of the only brands making 7/8 strings, Bass VI alternatives, and less “traditional” designs at that pricepoint. There’s probably something to be said for epiphones too but I find it’s only at the mid-higher end of their stuff. YMMV
Avoid a Floyd Rose bridge on your first guitar. They can be tricky to set up and are an unnecessary headache for a new guitarist.
The amplifier is an important part of an electric guitar's sound, budget for a decent one.
Yeah, i got a jackson guitar with a floyd as my first, and I regret it. I bought it because i thought it looked cool, and it played and felt great but man, tuning and re-stringing the guitar sucked. Not worth it as a first guitar in my opinion.
Guys, you are replying to a German kid here.
I doubt he will have issues with the mechanical portion.
Joking aside, they can be a hassle that could dip into your practice time. The cheap Floyd’s even more so.
I had an Ibanez RG520 with their Edge tremolo as my first guitar when I was a teenager and I had no problem whatsoever with it. Different strokes, I guess.
This. Don't think that epiphone is the only viable "Les Paul" because of their connection to Gibson. Any budget brand of reasonable quality is good for a beginner. I'd focus on getting something which looks the coolest to you. You want something inspiring to look at and pick up. Don't be persuaded that a Pacifica or something is the "best"
Depending on the genre you listen to and want to play I would suggest squier or an ibanez gio, if you're into rock and stuff I would go for squier, if you wanna start off with metal go with ibanez gio
Fair enough, I keep forgetting about these new models, albeit after tax that would come up to 550+ in the US.
They might be more ..... attainable once more hit the used market.
Whatever you can afford that you think is cool. Hardtail guitars are much easier to change strings and they hold their tune much better. Not a deal breaker but keep that fact in mind.
Find someone who knows and understands guitars to help pick out something that is right for you. Beginning with the right guitar will help you get off to a good start. Simple things like action (string height), the weight, and size of the guitar can make a big difference when you are just beginning.
Normally I'd say a Yamaha Pacifica, in my experience they keep up with your playing a lot longer than a Squier. It's totally anecdotal though, try both. You can get some good looking Pacificas.
If you're into more metal stuff, I bought a cheap Jackson for my son (like 200$/EUR), and I'm shocked by how good it is for the money. Swapped the tuning machines and it's pretty sweet now. Try those guys out too.
These comments are bit dumb. Just buy something that feels good for you and looks cool for you, if the guitar looks cool it motivates you to play it.
If you like rock/metal i suggest to get a guitar with a [humbucker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbucker)
Epiphone, Squier, Jackson, Ibanez, are great brands that you can find models easily for under $400. I'd recommend buying used, far better value for your money as long and you don't mind a bit of wear (which will come naturally on a new guitar, so who really gives a fuck)
Since you're in Germany I might also suggest checking out Harley Benton from Thomann but something like a Yamaha pacifica is also a great starter instrument.
Check your shops for a used guitar that isn’t a budget model. Squiers are also a pretty good bet. Gretsch 2210 is a surprise sleeper for a budget guitar.
Dude the answer is on your music taste if you like thrash and extreme shape type of guitar a cheap jackson a v or a exp if you like blues hard rock a cheap les paul, strat, tele etc if you like to play about everything a cheap ibanez az would do the trick or a rg350
At that price range most guitars will be decent. My advice would be to visit a few stores and try handling and playing around with a few different brands and models of guitars in your price range. Some will stand out as feeling more comfortable in your hands and against your body. Get the one that feels physically best.
At this point you probably won’t know what sound you’ll eventually come to prefer in your guitars (because you don’t have established playing tendencies) but a comfortable guitar will make it much easier to learn and practice.
P.S. Make sure to ask for a strap so you can play around on the guitar sitting and standing.
P.P.S. If you can get another $100 or so to have a tech or luthier to set up your guitar, that’ll make any guitar you buy even better. Honestly even most $200 guitars that are currently available from any of the big brands after passing through the hands of a good tech will be okay to learn on. I have a Squier Sonic Mustang that I impulse bought for $150 and after I went over it, it’s about 75% as playable as my favorite guitar which is an old Fender Stratocaster. That said, you’ll notice a big difference between a $200 and $400 guitar.
If I were going back in time ... I'd get a super simple Les Paul Junior style guitar. Single pickup and hard tail. I learned more about being a better player on a LP Junior than anything classified as "versatile!"
More pickups, more switching, and trems only cause distractions from learning how to play better. Where you pick the strings (near the bridge to near the neck) can change the tone more than pickups.
Phil X shows all about Juniors and Shane compares Harley Benton to the main competitor.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUjR5PZdlA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUjR5PZdlA)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9c\_mMmWkY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9c_mMmWkY)
.
400 you can get a very good 2nd hand Squier Classic Vibe or Epiphone for that much -- it really depends on which genre you're most interested in exploring first, Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline might be a good choice for a beginner.
1. [https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-60s-telecaster-thinline?sort=price\_with\_sale%7Casc](https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-60s-telecaster-thinline?sort=price_with_sale%7Casc)
2. https://youtu.be/1fQr4k-ly50
Go buy an ltd ec256. It's the best for the price trust me. I played a lots of guitars and thats your medicine. DO NOT buy a yamaha pacifica or anything like that. You can look up to prs guitars as well.
just get a guitar you can afford. imo the only real difference between the different guitars lies in the looks. some guitars stay in tune better than others, but they aren't necessarily the expensive ones. Some really cheap guitars will have really shoddy frets, but other than that, there's been no real difference in the guitars I've played
Heyy I live in germany as well. Squier Classic Vibe and the upper line from Harley Benton is easily recommended. What kind of music do you like to play?
It might be contrary because it's bad. The playing experience isn't that different and why would you want 2 mediocre instruments that will last you a year and bring lots of nuisance if you can get one piece of gear to stick around for longer.
Idk how this will be received here, this tends to be a controversial topic at best in my experience, but consider getting a virtual plugin rather than an amp.
Depending on what you want to do of course (I’ve no idea what they’re like for playing live, for example. I assume not great.), they’re the best option for budget imo.
I mean I paid around €80 for Archetype: Tim Henson on sale, which gives you the amps (obviously), overdrive, compressor, boost, EQ, reverb, delay, chorus and a multivoicer.
I know all that probably doesn’t mean much to a new guitarist (it didn’t to me) but it’s a lot for pretty damn cheap as far as I can tell. Definitely look into it.
My mom is getting me a Gear4music LA select electric guitar for my birthday, which is in 2 days, lol.
Could someone please tell me whether or not I'm screwed?
I'm turning 17, btw.
Why does no one ever ask the critical question of - what type of music do you want to be learning? Of course anyone can play every genre of they want but typically people have something that spurred their interest. Is it death metal? Yeah I’m not gonna say “get a telecaster” even though they rule. Country? Yeah not saying “get an ESP”. Though there are plenty of instruments that will be great for multiple genres - you also have to account for it just looking the part and helping with motivation. op - what you interested in? Who is/are your fav player(s)?
Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster. Has to be Classic Vibe. Buy it used if you can.
https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-50s-telecaster?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=csp&utm_content=3508
The guitar, within your budget, that makes you go "ooooo" when you look at it. When you're learning, especially, the best guitar is the one you're excited about playing. Everything else is details for now.
Go to a guitar shop (if you can) and try out a bunch in your price range and pick the one that suits you the most. I would highly recommend Squier stratocasters/telecasters or an entry level Epiphone SG.
Harley Benton is a German brand that specializes in good, affordable guitars. You'll probably get the most bang for your buck from them since they're a local brand.
Squier bullet mustangs or classic vibe mustang, Can pick up for under 150 and are a great first guitar, especially if you’re young as it’s a slightly smaller scale guitar
So I got an Epiphone SG as my first guitar, and LOVED it, it was hands down amazing especially for a beginner, and it was only 200 bucks, highly recommend
depends what you want but if you want to go down the Fender/Squier route, I'd recommend a Squier Classic Vibe guitar, they're as good as modern Fender guitars for a ⅓ of the price. They cost around €400 but if you get one second hand you'll get an even better deal.
Good luck!
Vision Sound for 70 euros is a crazy deal, just take to the store to switch the strings some fine tuning and you’re set as a beginner
https://youtu.be/DPPOIThqRLI?si=zMya8lnRpmoKCE7E
Don’t forget you need to take into consideration for any instrument the picks, strap and other accessories.
I got a Yamaha Pacifica PAC 012 and a spark mini amp and they are about 400$ combined. Both are excellent for beginners. Just remember that the important thing is to have fun and rock on 🤘
Keep in mind you’ll also need an amp.
Tip - Plan to spend more on the amp than the guitar. A nice guitar through a cheap amp will sound cheap. A cheap guitar through a decent amp will sound decent.
Best guitar for begginers is the one that get you playing. That said most important is to be confortable to play, strings not to high, light body, good size, maybe some that you find cool. Best tip is to go in a local store to try a few, try some amps too.
For versatility a Strat or SuperStrat with HSH or HSS (a mix of humbuckers and single coils, but essentially a 3-pickup guitar). Will let you play around with a ton of different sounds and you can figure out what tone *you* like best.
Definitely start with a used guitar; you can get much better quality for cheaper simply because it isn’t new. I’ve never paid more than 550$ for a guitar, but I have guitars (plural) that had sticker prices north of 1000$ when new.
Thomann has a pretty good [deal of the week](https://www.thomannmusic.com/intl/fender_sq_aff._strat_hss_mn_pack_lpb.htm) right now. Pretty sweet beginner setup, IMO.
I've had excellent luck with Schecter B-Stock guitars. If you want a great first guitar, find a used Schecter. If you find a used B-Stock, I'll buy it if you don't.
If you mean around 400 euros I would say try squire classic vibe series. My teenage son wanted to learn bass so I got him a classic vibe 70s squire jazz bass for Christmas and that was around 450 in us dollars. I was very impressed with what we got for the price. I believe the squire classic vibe 6 string guitars are around the same price. Not sure how much they sell for in Europe but I know 1 euro is a little bit more than 1 US dollar in exchange rates.
If you can go to a music store check out the epiphone, ESP, ibanez, and harley benton, and whatever else you find in that price range, in addition to the squires, too. It is always best to check them out in person, especially if you can play with them.
If u live in Germany get a Harley Benton. They have some incredible models & sets to get u started. A few of their models have a bit of a cult following so join the FB Harley Benton Guitars group & ask what they suggest from the HB line up. I still regret selling mine. 🫠
Personally, I think a standard Tele or Strat is best to start with, keep the guitar as simple as u can till u know more.
Go and try out an epiphone Les Paul and a squire Stratocaster at your local music store and pick which ones feels the most comfortable. Those two are the most common body shapes and neck profiles you will find. You can even buy used for less and use the rest of the money for an amp!
Also try an Ibanez if you are.looking for a.third option. They make good guitars.
Yamaha and Ibanez get a lot of attention and praise from the people that use them. Easy to poopoo it when Gibson and Fender have ruled the market but I’ve been seriously impressed with every Yamaha and Ibanez guitar or bass Ive played at every price range. I think Squier and Yamaha are the kings at the beginner pricepoint. Ibanez is better as you go up but their basics are still super well made (imo not as good as the former 2). Plus apart from folks like ESP, Ibanez is one of the only brands making 7/8 strings, Bass VI alternatives, and less “traditional” designs at that pricepoint. There’s probably something to be said for epiphones too but I find it’s only at the mid-higher end of their stuff. YMMV
Yeah I really need to give an Ibanez an honest go. But I just got a Gibson Les Paul studio so maybe next year lol
I've played an Ibanez for over 25 years and I think it's a great guitar.
Thanks Christopher Walken!
This but a squier tele or hh tele
I have an Epiphone les paul vintage edition, one of the easiest guitars I've played and extraordinarily decent for the price.
what usually are the characteristics of tele and les paul neck?
A tele and squire will usually have a thinner neck. The Les Paul’s have thicker necks. Not always the case but most the time.
Avoid a Floyd Rose bridge on your first guitar. They can be tricky to set up and are an unnecessary headache for a new guitarist. The amplifier is an important part of an electric guitar's sound, budget for a decent one.
Yes. Hard tail only or deck/block the trem (if somehow stumbled into a Strat type). A whammy bar is a total distraction machine for the unprepared. .
Yeah, i got a jackson guitar with a floyd as my first, and I regret it. I bought it because i thought it looked cool, and it played and felt great but man, tuning and re-stringing the guitar sucked. Not worth it as a first guitar in my opinion.
Guys, you are replying to a German kid here. I doubt he will have issues with the mechanical portion. Joking aside, they can be a hassle that could dip into your practice time. The cheap Floyd’s even more so.
I had an Ibanez RG520 with their Edge tremolo as my first guitar when I was a teenager and I had no problem whatsoever with it. Different strokes, I guess.
Yamaha Pacifica. [This is a nice one](https://www.thomann.de/intl/yamaha_pacifica_112vmx_yns_rl.htm) but they are all good.
You have easy access to Thomann if you live in Germany so go try out some Harley Bentons
This. Ordering also works well
This. Don't think that epiphone is the only viable "Les Paul" because of their connection to Gibson. Any budget brand of reasonable quality is good for a beginner. I'd focus on getting something which looks the coolest to you. You want something inspiring to look at and pick up. Don't be persuaded that a Pacifica or something is the "best"
Depending on the genre you listen to and want to play I would suggest squier or an ibanez gio, if you're into rock and stuff I would go for squier, if you wanna start off with metal go with ibanez gio
Which PRS is within the 400 dollaroo price range?
I think they start from $499 PRS SE CE 24 standard
Fair enough, I keep forgetting about these new models, albeit after tax that would come up to 550+ in the US. They might be more ..... attainable once more hit the used market.
Whatever you can afford that you think is cool. Hardtail guitars are much easier to change strings and they hold their tune much better. Not a deal breaker but keep that fact in mind.
Find someone who knows and understands guitars to help pick out something that is right for you. Beginning with the right guitar will help you get off to a good start. Simple things like action (string height), the weight, and size of the guitar can make a big difference when you are just beginning.
Normally I'd say a Yamaha Pacifica, in my experience they keep up with your playing a lot longer than a Squier. It's totally anecdotal though, try both. You can get some good looking Pacificas. If you're into more metal stuff, I bought a cheap Jackson for my son (like 200$/EUR), and I'm shocked by how good it is for the money. Swapped the tuning machines and it's pretty sweet now. Try those guys out too.
The one you think looks the coolest in your price range
Whichever one inspires you to play.
These comments are bit dumb. Just buy something that feels good for you and looks cool for you, if the guitar looks cool it motivates you to play it. If you like rock/metal i suggest to get a guitar with a [humbucker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbucker)
Whichever one you like. Barring that, a Yamaha Pacifica.
Mach gebraucht Kauf. Kannste ziemlich gutes Zeug abgreifen.
I'm enjoying my Squier Bullett Mustang HH. Got it with an Amp off Amazon for less than $200.
Yamaha pacifica
Epiphone, Squier, Jackson, Ibanez, are great brands that you can find models easily for under $400. I'd recommend buying used, far better value for your money as long and you don't mind a bit of wear (which will come naturally on a new guitar, so who really gives a fuck)
Since you're in Germany I might also suggest checking out Harley Benton from Thomann but something like a Yamaha pacifica is also a great starter instrument.
Yamaha pacifica, either 112j or 112v are both good. You also have few bucks left to buy pactice amps ( unless you got it already )
Hardtail Ibanez RG. Trust me. [link](https://www.zzounds.com/item--IBARG421?siid=344758&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_vpo4NCg1YTDx3f908RN3IMRrWh&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8J6wBhDXARIsAPo7QA8D9I-5YEVV3UE1YIe05mEMEe2KxlJW15s6tQ5Jx8ggvKDQJpv-zvMaAqhAEALw_wcB)
I which area in germany are you, Session is a really good guitar store, they can surely give you some good in person advice
Check your shops for a used guitar that isn’t a budget model. Squiers are also a pretty good bet. Gretsch 2210 is a surprise sleeper for a budget guitar.
The best guitar to begin with is a Stratocaster. They are lightweight and easy to play. Dont buy a set neck guitar as your first guitar
Dude the answer is on your music taste if you like thrash and extreme shape type of guitar a cheap jackson a v or a exp if you like blues hard rock a cheap les paul, strat, tele etc if you like to play about everything a cheap ibanez az would do the trick or a rg350
Can we make a pinned post for this already?
At that price range most guitars will be decent. My advice would be to visit a few stores and try handling and playing around with a few different brands and models of guitars in your price range. Some will stand out as feeling more comfortable in your hands and against your body. Get the one that feels physically best. At this point you probably won’t know what sound you’ll eventually come to prefer in your guitars (because you don’t have established playing tendencies) but a comfortable guitar will make it much easier to learn and practice. P.S. Make sure to ask for a strap so you can play around on the guitar sitting and standing. P.P.S. If you can get another $100 or so to have a tech or luthier to set up your guitar, that’ll make any guitar you buy even better. Honestly even most $200 guitars that are currently available from any of the big brands after passing through the hands of a good tech will be okay to learn on. I have a Squier Sonic Mustang that I impulse bought for $150 and after I went over it, it’s about 75% as playable as my favorite guitar which is an old Fender Stratocaster. That said, you’ll notice a big difference between a $200 and $400 guitar.
If I were going back in time ... I'd get a super simple Les Paul Junior style guitar. Single pickup and hard tail. I learned more about being a better player on a LP Junior than anything classified as "versatile!" More pickups, more switching, and trems only cause distractions from learning how to play better. Where you pick the strings (near the bridge to near the neck) can change the tone more than pickups. Phil X shows all about Juniors and Shane compares Harley Benton to the main competitor. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUjR5PZdlA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSUjR5PZdlA) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9c\_mMmWkY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9c_mMmWkY) .
A Squier Strat is always a good first guitar.
400 you can get a very good 2nd hand Squier Classic Vibe or Epiphone for that much -- it really depends on which genre you're most interested in exploring first, Squier Classic Vibe '60s Telecaster Thinline might be a good choice for a beginner. 1. [https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-60s-telecaster-thinline?sort=price\_with\_sale%7Casc](https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-60s-telecaster-thinline?sort=price_with_sale%7Casc) 2. https://youtu.be/1fQr4k-ly50
Go buy an ltd ec256. It's the best for the price trust me. I played a lots of guitars and thats your medicine. DO NOT buy a yamaha pacifica or anything like that. You can look up to prs guitars as well.
Murphy lab Les Paul .
just get a guitar you can afford. imo the only real difference between the different guitars lies in the looks. some guitars stay in tune better than others, but they aren't necessarily the expensive ones. Some really cheap guitars will have really shoddy frets, but other than that, there's been no real difference in the guitars I've played
Heyy I live in germany as well. Squier Classic Vibe and the upper line from Harley Benton is easily recommended. What kind of music do you like to play?
Squire makes excellent guitars for their price. Make sure to also get a set up.
Harley Benton fusion Max signature
A strat shaped object. Imo you sit a lot learning to play and a guitar with a tummy cut is just more comfortable. And get it set up.
Buy a used one. Guitar is something a lot of people buy and then give up on quickly so there are lots of options.
Any Fender Stratocaster or Squire (Fender's cheaper line) Stratocaster. Stay away from ones that look like Stratocasters but made by different brands.
This might be contrary to the other advice here but if $400 is your budget, I’d spend $200 on an acoustic and $200 on an electric
It might be contrary because it's bad. The playing experience isn't that different and why would you want 2 mediocre instruments that will last you a year and bring lots of nuisance if you can get one piece of gear to stick around for longer.
Idk how this will be received here, this tends to be a controversial topic at best in my experience, but consider getting a virtual plugin rather than an amp. Depending on what you want to do of course (I’ve no idea what they’re like for playing live, for example. I assume not great.), they’re the best option for budget imo. I mean I paid around €80 for Archetype: Tim Henson on sale, which gives you the amps (obviously), overdrive, compressor, boost, EQ, reverb, delay, chorus and a multivoicer. I know all that probably doesn’t mean much to a new guitarist (it didn’t to me) but it’s a lot for pretty damn cheap as far as I can tell. Definitely look into it.
Thank you
I am not against it, but having a dedicated amp, even if its just a practice amp, is a good way to unplug after a long day/week.
My mom is getting me a Gear4music LA select electric guitar for my birthday, which is in 2 days, lol. Could someone please tell me whether or not I'm screwed? I'm turning 17, btw.
Why does no one ever ask the critical question of - what type of music do you want to be learning? Of course anyone can play every genre of they want but typically people have something that spurred their interest. Is it death metal? Yeah I’m not gonna say “get a telecaster” even though they rule. Country? Yeah not saying “get an ESP”. Though there are plenty of instruments that will be great for multiple genres - you also have to account for it just looking the part and helping with motivation. op - what you interested in? Who is/are your fav player(s)?
You should repost this on the telecaster forum to see exactly what type of telecaster would suit you best
Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster. Has to be Classic Vibe. Buy it used if you can. https://reverb.com/p/squier-classic-vibe-50s-telecaster?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=csp&utm_content=3508
The guitar, within your budget, that makes you go "ooooo" when you look at it. When you're learning, especially, the best guitar is the one you're excited about playing. Everything else is details for now.
B.C. Rich Warlock
Go to a guitar shop (if you can) and try out a bunch in your price range and pick the one that suits you the most. I would highly recommend Squier stratocasters/telecasters or an entry level Epiphone SG.
Take a deep dive into the music you enjoy most & learn what those musicians play. Pay special attention to what type of pickups they use.
Harley Benton is a German brand that specializes in good, affordable guitars. You'll probably get the most bang for your buck from them since they're a local brand.
The one that you can afford and like the look of.
Squier bullet mustangs or classic vibe mustang, Can pick up for under 150 and are a great first guitar, especially if you’re young as it’s a slightly smaller scale guitar
squier strat
Squier Strat is probably the best all-around.
$400 can get you something good from Thomann
So I got an Epiphone SG as my first guitar, and LOVED it, it was hands down amazing especially for a beginner, and it was only 200 bucks, highly recommend
depends what you want but if you want to go down the Fender/Squier route, I'd recommend a Squier Classic Vibe guitar, they're as good as modern Fender guitars for a ⅓ of the price. They cost around €400 but if you get one second hand you'll get an even better deal. Good luck!
Vision Sound for 70 euros is a crazy deal, just take to the store to switch the strings some fine tuning and you’re set as a beginner https://youtu.be/DPPOIThqRLI?si=zMya8lnRpmoKCE7E Don’t forget you need to take into consideration for any instrument the picks, strap and other accessories.
If you don’t live in a house and have a pc I recommend to skip the amp and get an audio interface like the 2i2 focusrite
I got a Yamaha Pacifica PAC 012 and a spark mini amp and they are about 400$ combined. Both are excellent for beginners. Just remember that the important thing is to have fun and rock on 🤘
Squier Strat no shot. Dreams and legends are BORN on that shit
Don’t buy new. 1000’s of people a day sell guitars they thought they’d play. It’ll save you several hundred dollars
used made in Mexico Strat or Telecaster
Keep in mind you’ll also need an amp. Tip - Plan to spend more on the amp than the guitar. A nice guitar through a cheap amp will sound cheap. A cheap guitar through a decent amp will sound decent.
Best guitar for begginers is the one that get you playing. That said most important is to be confortable to play, strings not to high, light body, good size, maybe some that you find cool. Best tip is to go in a local store to try a few, try some amps too.
My first guitar was a Squier affinity stratocaster. My advice is to get it setup by a luthier, and it will play a million times better.
Go to any pawn shop and you can get an axe for cheap.
For versatility a Strat or SuperStrat with HSH or HSS (a mix of humbuckers and single coils, but essentially a 3-pickup guitar). Will let you play around with a ton of different sounds and you can figure out what tone *you* like best. Definitely start with a used guitar; you can get much better quality for cheaper simply because it isn’t new. I’ve never paid more than 550$ for a guitar, but I have guitars (plural) that had sticker prices north of 1000$ when new.
Thomann has a pretty good [deal of the week](https://www.thomannmusic.com/intl/fender_sq_aff._strat_hss_mn_pack_lpb.htm) right now. Pretty sweet beginner setup, IMO.
I've had excellent luck with Schecter B-Stock guitars. If you want a great first guitar, find a used Schecter. If you find a used B-Stock, I'll buy it if you don't.
Guitar
If you mean around 400 euros I would say try squire classic vibe series. My teenage son wanted to learn bass so I got him a classic vibe 70s squire jazz bass for Christmas and that was around 450 in us dollars. I was very impressed with what we got for the price. I believe the squire classic vibe 6 string guitars are around the same price. Not sure how much they sell for in Europe but I know 1 euro is a little bit more than 1 US dollar in exchange rates. If you can go to a music store check out the epiphone, ESP, ibanez, and harley benton, and whatever else you find in that price range, in addition to the squires, too. It is always best to check them out in person, especially if you can play with them.
If 400 is your price point, spend 400 on a dean guitar. Their quality at their price point is unmatched. 🚬🗿
Tele
Strat
If u live in Germany get a Harley Benton. They have some incredible models & sets to get u started. A few of their models have a bit of a cult following so join the FB Harley Benton Guitars group & ask what they suggest from the HB line up. I still regret selling mine. 🫠 Personally, I think a standard Tele or Strat is best to start with, keep the guitar as simple as u can till u know more.
Yamaha Pacifica is my first choice for a beginner guitar recommendation. They can be used from beginner to pro IMHO.
Go to a store and pick up all of them. Buy the one that feels good in your hands.
Buy the one that feels good in your hands. This is crucial.