The usual advice: start on the guitar that plays the music you want to play. If that's rock, blues or metal, start electric; if it's singer-songwriter, folk or campfire songs, start acoustic. Motivation beats everything else in the first year.
Beyond that, the two differ in a few practical ways.
Electric vs acoustic for a beginner
| Electric | Acoustic | |
|---|---|---|
| On the fingers | Easier: thin strings, low action | Harder at first: heavier strings |
| Neck and body | Slimmer neck, smaller body | Bigger body, can feel bulky |
| Needs | An amp or headphone amp, cable | Nothing |
| Volume at home | Controllable, headphones possible | Always acoustic volume |
| Complete starter cost | About $190 for a set with amp | From about $155 |
| Median at Thomann | $1,068 (4,901 listings) | $1,124 (1,852 listings) |
Prices are Thomann's on October 19, 2026.
Electric starter sets
A starter set bundles the guitar with a small amp, cable, strap and tuner, the cheapest way to start electric.
Harley Benton ST-20HSS Standard Bundle, $189
An HSS Strat-style guitar with a Harley Benton amp, gig bag, strap and clip tuner. #10 of 129 electric guitar sets.
Squier Sonic Strat HSS Set, $326
A Sonic Stratocaster with a Fender Frontman 10G amp, cable and strap. The highest-ranked electric guitar set we track: #1 of 129 electric guitar sets.
Beginner acoustics
Yamaha F310, $154
A budget dreadnought from Yamaha's folk series, a long-time beginner favorite. #92 of 282 dreadnought acoustic guitars.
Fender CA STD Redondo Mini, $160
A smaller dreadnought with a spruce top: easier to hold for teens and smaller players. #4 of 389 miscellaneous acoustic guitars.
Questions
Is electric or acoustic guitar easier to learn?
Electric is easier on the fingers, so the first weeks hurt less. Chords and technique are the same on both.
Should I learn acoustic first to build finger strength?
Not necessary. Start on the guitar for the music you love; you can switch later in either direction.
How we measured. Medians: every electric and acoustic guitar Thomann listed as in stock on October 19, 2026, converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Set contents from Thomann's product data. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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