Although technology has changed a great deal, the electric guitar has remained essentially the same as when it was first invented. Electric guitars are one of the most simple, elegant examples of amplification ever created. Basically, whether you’re playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar or a little Fender Squire beginner model, the central principle is almost exactly the same. When the string moves past the coil in the guitar pickup, it induces a current. This current is amplified and turned into sound. That’s all there is to it!
Of course, there is a lot of variance in electric guitars. In my opinion, the most important thing about an electric guitar is the feel. If you don’t like the pickups on your electric guitar, and you think the sound is kind of dull, you can always get them replaced. If your instrument doesn’t have good feel, however, it will be difficult to enjoy playing guitars electric.
Pressing the strings on electric guitars should feel smooth, natural, and even. The neck should be the right width for your hand, and the frets should be well spaced for your size. If you have large hands, you might want your frets a little bit further apart. If you have smaller hands, you might want them a little bit closer. There are all kinds of different electric guitars with different fretboards, so you should be able to find one that suits you well.
When picking out electric guitars, don’t worry too much about brands. A lot of people spend a lot of extra money because they want the right electric guitar brand name, but in reality it doesn’t matter. Many of the Epiphone Guitars are almost exactly identical to more expensive Les Paul models. Just because they have nice cherry Sunburst finishes and goldplated pick guards does not make some electric guitars sound better than other ones. Even the wood the body is made out of doesn’t make that much difference unless you are buying a hollow body electric guitar.
Nonetheless, no one should buy lousy electric guitars when they are just beginning. I think it is a mistake to buy a beginner entry model of anything. And instrument should be fun to play and easy to play. If it is not, it is likely to discourage you from pursuing it further. The nicer the instruments the more fun you will have playing, and the more that you will practice.