If you’re new to playing guitar and want to know which one to start, the Gibson J-45 acoustic electric guitar is a great option.
Table of Contents
Best Gibson Guitar For Beginners
Gibson’s J-45 Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Developed in 1942, the J-45 is known for its durability and is often referred to as “The Workhorse” by fans and critics alike.
Legends like Bob Dylan and James Taylor and more modern musicians such as Aimee Mann and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie have used it. It is also a favorite among actors like Gary Kemp and Eric Idle.
This guitar is available in two finishes – antique natural and dark sunburst – and has a rounded shoulder. The antique natural finish reveals the beautiful grain of the Sitka spruce top. While it may be priced high, the J-45 is still an excellent choice for beginners. Listed at just under $500, it’s one of the best guitars for beginners.
Gibson’s J-45 is a member of the “jumbo” series and features a jumbo body shape similar to Martin’s renowned dreadnought style but with more rounded sloped shoulders and smoother curves. Its solid Sitka spruce top is AAA-grade, making it one of the best pieces of wood used in any guitar.
Lessons
The J-45 is a workhorse acoustic-electric guitar that is still popular today.
The J-45 features a rounded shoulder design, mahogany sides and back, and a slim tapered mahogany neck with traditional X-bracing. It’s available as a right-handed and left-handed model and is one of Gibson’s most popular models.
The J-45 is a versatile acoustic-electric guitar with a bright mid-heavy tone. It’s great for lead work, but it’s also versatile enough to be played solo.
Whether you’re trying to play a blues or a modern pop song, the J-45 is an excellent instrument. Playing with a capo is comfortable, and its treble end emphasizes brighter tones.
Features
Gibson’s J-45 Acoustic-Electic Guitar is a dreadnought model with an integrated LR Baggs Element pickup. This guitar’s 24 3/4″ scale makes it easy for beginners to manage. Its nut is also broad, which makes it comfortable to play with, even with thicker fingers.
Its two kinds of wood – mahogany and Rosewood – have distinct characteristics. Mahogany, for instance, produces a warm, even tone with a rich, full-bodied quality. These woods work well with acoustic guitars, so you’ll get a well-balanced sound.
Price
If you’re a beginner guitarist looking for a Gibson entry-level guitar that has a reasonable price and is made of high-quality materials.
Gibson’s J-45 is an excellent choice. Its 24 3/4″ scale makes it easy to play, even for people with thick fingers. It also has good projection and a smooth bottom end. It is an excellent choice for both stage and studio use.
The J-45 has a solid Sitka spruce top, which pairs nicely with its walnut body. Its slightly shallow body gives it a powerful projection. It also has a mahogany neck, which warms up the sound.
Another unique feature of the guitar is its scalloped X bracing, which gives the instrument more flexibility and helps increase the bass response.
Scale
The J-45 is one of the best-selling acoustic-electric guitars in history. Its subtle burst finish and warm low-end production make it a favorite among artists across genres.
This model has influenced musicians from all walks of life, from the classic J-45 Standard to the J-45 50s-inspired guitars.
The J-45 is one of the most iconic guitars ever produced by Gibson. It debuted in 1942 and was part of the ‘Jumbo’ line.
It features a shorter scale than the Martin dreadnought and a more small body. It features an AAA-grade solid Sitka spruce top renowned for its clarity. The J-45 is also known for its playability.
Sitka spruce top
If you’re looking for an acoustic guitar with a solid Sitka spruce top, the J-45 from Gibson is a great option. It features a jumbo body shape similar to the Martin “D” line but with smoother curves and sloped shoulders.
It also features an AAA-grade solid Sitka spruce top. The Sitka spruce top is one of the most popular acoustic tonewoods, and the guitar features a warm, clear sound.
This guitar is an excellent choice for beginners looking to learn the basics. It features a mahogany body with a Sitka spruce top, nitro high-gloss finish, and dot position markers. It also features vintage-style oval tuners and a Gibson logo on the headstock.
Vintage Sunburst gloss finish
Designed as a “working musician’s workhorse” with no frills, the J-45 is an excellent choice for younger players. Its classic features include a mahogany body with a solid spruce top, mahogany sides, and a vintage sunburst gloss finish.
The J-45 is a close replica of the original Gibson model. Its solid wood body and Sitka spruce top make it perfect for fingerpicking, and the neck is made of traditional hand-curved X-bracing. It also features a comfortable rounded-C neck profile and 20 medium jumbo frets.
Pickups
The J-45 is a part of the “jumbo” line of Gibson guitars. Its body shape resembles the well-known Martin dreadnought but with rounded shoulders and smoother curves.
The J-45 also features an AAA-grade solid Sitka spruce top, an acoustic tonewood renowned for its clarity. This top is one of the best-quality pieces on any guitar.
The J-45 is a classic and versatile instrument. Its durability has earned it the nickname “The Workhorse.” It has been used by legendary players, including Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, as well as modern songwriters, such as Ben Gibbard and Aimee Mann.
Gibson electric guitar for beginners
Gibson G-310
The Gibson G-310 is an electric Gibson starter guitar based on the SG, a classic model released in 1967.
It offers the classic SG’s rich tone and sustains, and its bolt-on mahogany neck has a slim design with a chrome LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece.
The G-310’s neck is made of solid mahogany, which enhances the warm tone of the instrument and supports the low end. But it is too soft to serve as a fingerboard, so Rosewood is added. This adds to the G-310’s highs and lows while retaining a broad midrange.
The neck of this guitar is made of a different material than the SG, so try adjusting it before playing it.
The hardware on this guitar is decent and has two volume and tone knobs, along with a pick-up selector switch. The guitar is durable, and it produces creamy tones as well as soft blues/jazz sounds.
Although the guitar may need some adjusting, the jack is easily accessible from the body. If you’re looking for an excellent cheap guitar, try the G-310.
You’ll be happy with it. It will keep you busy for a long time. For beginners looking for a guitar that will help them develop their playing technique and sound, the G-310 is an excellent choice. Its solid mahogany neck adds a warm tone and supports the low end.
However, the solid mahogany is too soft for the fingerboard, so Rosewood is added on top of it. Rosewood is an excellent addition to the G-310 because it adds to its highs, lows, and midrange.
Epiphone 310 GS
Another good beginner electric guitar is the Epiphone SG-310. It is affordable and has the legendary SG tone. Despite its low price, it provides excellent performance and quality.
Whether you are a beginning guitar player or a seasoned professional, you will find the perfect SG-310. And no matter your choice, you’ll be happy with your purchase.
The Epiphone 310 GS solid body electric guitar offers the classic SG sound at an affordable price. This guitar’s bolt-on mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard produce warm distortion and a crisp scream.
It also features a Tune-O-Matic bridge and LockTone tuners. The guitar also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
While this guitar isn’t the most expensive on the market, it’s still one of the best for beginners. It’s a solid instrument that’s affordable and offers excellent sustain. Its hardware is built to last, and Epiphone is known for producing quality instruments.
The bridge and tuners are standard LockTone Tune-o-Matic units with a stop-bar tailpiece. The guitar’s pickups are a slightly hotter design than those in the Standard series, but it’s generally the same build and design.
The Epiphone G-310 SG is an excellent choice for beginners. This guitar is made of solid mahogany, but the company’s website calls it “solid alder.” Mahogany is perfect for beginners, providing a warm tone and balanced harmonic response. It also features a flat top and contoured edges.
Epiphone Les Paul
If you’re a beginner, several great guitars are affordable. The Gibson G-310 and Epiphone Les Paul are the most popular choices among beginners.
Both guitars are made of lightweight alder bodies and feature a rosewood fingerboard and mahogany neck. They also come with two open-coil pickups and a full ’67 style pickguard.
The Epiphone Les Paul is a famous beginner guitar because of its fast action and slim profile. The Les Paul is a classic guitar that has been popular for over 60 years and has a proven track record.
Besides its low price, this guitar features excellent hardware, including two volume knobs and a 3-way pickup selector. It also features a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge, which adds sustain and makes string changing easier.
If you are considering buying an Epiphone guitar, look for a serial number. Although the number may not be very reliable, it can still give you a good idea about where your guitar was made. If unsure, look for a blue label with a “Made in Japan” sticker in the lower right corner.
Gibson’s GS
If you’re a beginner and are interested in getting your hands on an acoustic guitar, Gibson’s GS Mini Guitar might be just what you’re looking for.
It features solid Sitka spruce on the top and layered Rosewood on the body. This combination produces one of the best acoustic guitar sounds.
Rosewood has a slightly brighter top end and less warmth than Mahogany but still delivers a bright and lively sound.
If you’re a beginner who’d like to learn how to play the guitar, you may want to consider Gibson’s GS Mini Guitar. It’s made with top-grade materials, including solid Sitka spruce on the top and back, layered Indian Rosewood on the back, and ebony on the fretboard.
A solid top retains more vibration energy, producing a more rich sound. A substantial body also gives you more control and a more balanced tone.
The GS Mini Guitar has a wide range of tone options, and its size makes it perfect for home playing. The GS Mini is described as an “acoustic cannon” because it packs a lot of punch for its size. It’s also available in different woods, so you can choose the sound tone that best suits your playing style.
One downside of the SG guitar is its unbalanced feel. If you want to play a dive bomb on the floor, the neck can easily crash down to the floor. The body is lighter than the neck, so the two parts aren’t balanced and prone to tipping and crashing.
Unlike an Epiphone, a Gibson SG is more comfortable to play. Beginners can learn the guitar’s basic sounds on a guitar with a slightly smaller neck.
The price of a Gibson GS guitar will depend on the wood used. It can be made of many different kinds of wood and has an impressive price tag. Those looking for a low-cost model should choose the L-00 Standard model, which is historically accurate and features a soundhole pickup.
A downside of this guitar is the smaller nut width, which can be uncomfortable for players with larger hands. But this guitar is excellent for beginners.
Gibson’s L-00

A classic model from Gibson, the L-00 guitar for beginners has excellent volume and is low-end. Initially designed for blues players on the go, this guitar is compact yet powerful.
It is well-suited for fingerpicking and modern and traditional playing styles. It comes in a vintage sunburst finish. It features a golden-age nickel bridge and tuners and is made of Rosewood.
The L-00 is one of the most iconic shapes in the Gibson lineup, and it has become a popular instrument among fingerpickers and strummers over the years.
In addition to its iconic shape, the L-00 Studio now comes in a rosewood body with a rosewood top and back. Designed for the beginner, the L-00 has been a popular choice for aspiring guitar players for decades.
Despite its size and weight, the Gibson L-00 Standard has a comfortable flattop body, ideal for playing blues and folk music. It also has a midrange-focused tone that’s ideal for accompanying your voice.
It also comes with an onboard preamplifier and volume control for amplification without compromise. For beginners, you can also choose acoustic or electric versions of the Gibson L-00 guitar.
Gibson originally introduced the L-00 guitar in 1931. It typically has a 14-fret neck. It was originally black but was later offered in natural or sunburst finishes.
The L-00 survived the Great Depression but was discontinued in 1945. Other less expensive guitar builders at the time were Washburn and Stella. They were a popular choice for beginner guitarists in the 1930s.
Gibson’s L-00 Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Gibson L-00 acoustic/electric guitar is the perfect instrument for beginners looking to get their feet wet in the world of guitar playing. With a remarkably full sound, this guitar is ideal for unplugged and plugged-in performances.
The guitar also features a golden-age nickel tuner set, bone nut, and saddle. Buying a new guitar is an investment in your future, so if you want to play guitar for a long time, consider a Gibson L-00.
The L-00 features a thermally-aged nitrocellulose lacquer finish, hand-sprayed by the aging team at Gibson. Nitro finishes were the norm back then and are much thinner than polyurethane finishes. They allow the guitar to breathe, enhancing its tonal qualities.
The aged look and feel of the Gibson L-00 will be a welcomed addition to any bedroom or den.
This instrument is an excellent choice to learn to play the electric guitar without spending too much money.
The L-00’s high-quality L.R. Baggs VTC pickup makes playing acoustic-electric guitar a dream for beginners. It features an under-saddle pickup with a much more natural tone than piezo pickups.
Epiphone Les Paul models
Epiphone Les Paul Special II
If you’re a beginner guitarist looking for a solid-body guitar, there’s nothing better than an Epiphone Les Paul Special II.
This guitar features a simple design and comes with a master volume and tone knob. It also has a 3-way pickup selector switch. Another nice feature of this guitar is the tuner, which can be adjusted to change the strings easily.
Beginners and experienced players will find the Epiphone Les Paul Special II a good choice. It’s an excellent guitar for playing jazz, metal, classic rock, and punk, priced well below $200.
It’s also an excellent choice for recording or gigging and the perfect instrument for new guitarists.
Despite the G-310’s lower price, this guitar is also made with solid mahogany. This wood provides a warm, round, more balanced tone than other tonewoods.
While mahogany has a low-end response, it has a mid-range with a little more bite than other woods. This guitar also features dual humbuckers.
Epiphone Les Paul-100
The Epiphone Les Paul-100 is often called Les Paul’s “economical cousin” and is an excellent guitar to buy if you’re starting.
It has all the essential features of the Les Paul with added playability, aesthetics, and tone. The Epiphone brand and Gibson first became linked in the 1960s when Gibson bought Epiphone.
The two companies worked in the same building, each with a guitar range.
Several Epiphone models are great for beginners. You can buy the Les Paul-100 or the Les Paul Standard if you’re a beginner. The Les Paul-100 has more playability and better action than the G-310, which is a little more expensive.
The Epiphone Les Paul-100 has two humbuckers and a three-way switch you can adjust. The guitar also features Grover machine heads, which are well-regarded for their quality, but the rest of the hardware is unbranded.
While the guitar’s playability is excellent, you might not be able to find parts as good as the ones on more expensive models.
The Gibson Modern Collection full review
Which is Easier to Play, Fender Or Gibson?
Fender and Gibson, two renowned companies that manufacture quality instruments for guitarists, are beloved by millions of enthusiasts around the globe.
Both guitar brands are renowned for producing top-notch instruments that can be tailored to suit various music genres. However, the two brands differ considerably in terms of design and tone.
Body Shape and Weight
The guitar body plays a significant role in how comfortable you are playing it and what type of sound it produces. Both brands offer various shapes, but Fender offers thinner bodies that are lighter and easier to play – ideal for new players or those who like to practice at home.
Gibsons typically feature thicker bodies made with mahogany. This gives them a more prosperous and fuller sound than Fenders, though it may be challenging to play if you aren’t used to playing with a mahogany neck.
Pickups
The pickups on a guitar are a vital factor when selecting which brand to go with. Fender typically uses single-coil pickups, giving off a bright and twangy sound ideal for country or pop songs where you want to stand out without being too overpowering.
Humbuckers
Humbucker pickups on Gibson guitars tend to produce darker and thicker sounds, ideal for rock or higher-gain metal music. Furthermore, they cancel out hum noises caused by electrical interference that can occur with single-coil pickups.
What is Gibson’s Most Popular Guitar Model?
Les Paul is Gibson’s most popular model.
The Les Paul is the iconic rock ‘n’ roll guitar beloved by generations of players. Its humbucking pickups, single-cutaway body, slinky neck, and headstock design have become the go-to instrument for many six-string greats.
Classic and Standard
The Les Paul Classic and Standard models feature a flame maple top, bound body, and mother-of-pearl Gibson logo. Popular among both beginners and pros alike, these guitars are sure to please.
Tribute
The Tribute is a modern take on the legendary Les Paul, offering authentic tones at an accessible price point. This instrument is ideal for players who want that iconic Les Paul sound but don’t have the funds to invest in more costly versions.
Best Epiphone acoustic guitar for beginners
Gibson has been making high-quality guitars for over a century and has established itself as one of the leading guitar manufacturers in the world. In this article, we will discuss the main features, pros, cons, and price of the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar, which is a popular option and the best acoustic guitar for beginners.
Main Features
The Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar is designed to provide a classic sound and a comfortable playing experience for beginners. It features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, which provides a balanced tone with clear highs and warm lows. The guitar has a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays and 20 frets, and it comes with a set of die-cast tuners that help keep the guitar in tune.
Pros
One of the most significant advantages of the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar is its sound quality. The solid spruce top, mahogany back, and sides produce a rich, balanced tone perfect for various musical styles. Additionally, the guitar’s comfortable neck and smooth action make it easy to play for beginners, which can help encourage them to practice and improve their skills.
Cons
One potential drawback of the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar is its price. While it is not the most expensive acoustic guitar on the market, it is also not the most affordable option for beginners. Additionally, some players may prefer a different type of wood or brand, depending on their preferences.
Price
The price of the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar varies depending on the specific model and where it is purchased. On average, the guitar typically costs between $150 and $300, making it a mid-range option for beginners serious about learning to play.
Gibson Epiphone Acoustic
It is worth noting that the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar is not a traditional Gibson guitar. Instead, it is a subsidiary of Gibson that produces more affordable instruments for beginners and intermediate players. However, despite its lower price point, the guitar still offers the same quality and attention to detail that Gibson is known for.
Conclusion
Overall, the Gibson Epiphone acoustic guitar is an excellent option for beginners looking for a high-quality instrument that is comfortable to play and produces a great sound. While it may not be the cheapest option on the market, its quality and reputation make it an excellent investment for anyone serious about learning to play the guitar.
Comparison Table
Here is a table summarizing the information on the different Gibson and Epiphone guitar models mentioned in the text, along with their features and price range:
Model | Features | Price Range |
---|---|---|
Gibson J-45 Acoustic-Electric Guitar | – Durability – Rounded shoulder design – Versatile acoustic-electric with bright mid-heavy tone | Under $500 |
Gibson G-310 Electric Guitar | – SG model based on classic SG with rich tone and sustain – Bolt-on mahogany neck with slim design | Under $300 |
Epiphone 310 GS Electric Guitar | – Affordable with legendary SG tone – Bolt-on mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard | Under $300 |
Epiphone Les Paul Special II | – Solid-body design for jazz, metal, classic rock, and punk – Simple controls with tuner | Under $200 |
Epiphone Les Paul-100 | – Economical cousin of Les Paul with added playability and tone – Humbucker pickups | Under $300 |
Gibson GS Mini Guitar | – Solid Sitka spruce top for rich sound – Compact size, great for home playing | Varies |
Gibson L-00 Acoustic-Electric Guitar | – Full sound ideal for unplugged and plugged-in performances – Thermally-aged nitrocellulose finish | Varies |
Epiphone Les Paul Standard | – Solid mahogany body with rosewood fingerboard – Grover machine heads | Varies |
Songmaker DR-212 Acoustic Guitar | – Solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides – Balanced tone with clear highs and warm lows | $150 – $300 |
Note: The price ranges are approximate and may vary based on the specific model and location of purchase.