Best electric guitar for playing rock, punk, and metal?

Question:Preferably below $300. I am a beginner and this will be my 1st electric guitar. Links are appreciated

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Preferably below $300. I am a beginner and this will be my 1st electric guitar. Links are appreciated

for quality i would get either a Gibson or an Ibanez and they are usually pretty moderately priced let me try to get back with you on a link

Thing is, lots of them are good. What's important for you is feel, and I can't tell you what you're feeling.

I'd recommend going to a full-service music store or your local Guitar Center or Sam Ash and trying out several that are in your price range (or maybe just a bit more than). They'll let you plug them in and try them out. So you can't play, but does the neck fit comfortably in the left hand, can your left fingers reach around to all the strings, does your right arm drape nicely over the body, fingers falling naturally at the point where you want to hit the strings?

Identify several makes/models that feel good. Then let appearance count for the rest of the decision. Don't worry about sound; it comes from amp-speaker, effects, and pick-ups (which you can replace later if you want).

Once you know what you want to buy, wait for a sale--or a good used one with a warranty. Or shop online at guitar center and sam ash and also http://www.musiciansfriend.com and http://www.musicyo.com and don't be afraid of scratch-n-dent items, you'll scratch and dent them eventually playing that punk-metal :-)

To start out, a 15 watt practice amp will be plenty. Save your bucks so that, when you're ready to play out, you can buy a very good, powerful amp and speaker combo.

As a beginner, two other bits of unsolicited advice.

Take lessons, or else you may teach yourself wrong and ruin your playing (and maybe your radial nerves). Cheapest way is to advertise on the bulletin board of a college music department and hope that you can land a guitar major--otherwise go to that full-service music store.

At the beginning, practice for only a few minutes several times daily. Slowly extend the time, and then reduce the number, until you build up to playing for an hour or more. You'll make faster progress that way, and reduce the odds of repetitive motion injuries like tendinitis.

Your not going to find a Gibson for $300 or under.

The most versatile guitar is a Fender stratocaster, and the standard Fender Mexican strat is around $300

http://musiciansfriend.com