Alright, so here we are. You've been playing guitar for a good bit. However long you've been at it, you know you're hooked and that the guitar is for you – welcome aboard! It can be daunting navigating a new world like guitars with all the different names, specs, and price points, but fret not, we've got you covered.
Today, we're running down what we consider to be some great options for upgrading from your first guitar. When you know you're all in on the instrument and you're ready to take the next step, consider these picks for your next move up into the world of guitars!
Upgrading From Your First Electric Guitar
Fender Player II Series
There's few places in the electric guitar world you can go where you can’t find a Fender. As one of the instrument's most prolific and enduring names, Fender really needs no introduction. When you see Fender's enormous line of instruments, it can be enough to make your head spin, so let's focus on one of Fender's newer lines – the Fender Player II Series.
Fender's Player II Series builds upon the foundations of their Player Series, a line of instruments specifically designed to welcome newer players into the Fender family. The Player II Series acts as an excellent stepping stone into the Fender catalog from outside it, and there's quite a bit to be excited about it from the onset.
The Player II Series features a lineup of Fender classics such as the Stratocaster and Telecaster, but goes even further with introducing some other fan favorites to the line like the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Mustang. These models share some common features such as alder bodies and maple necks, which make for easy handling. Quality and comfortable slab rosewood and maple fingerboards feature rolled edges to compound on comfort even further around the fingers.
If you've become smitten with the Fender sound outside the Fender name, perhaps with a Squier model, you'll find a higher-fi sound across the Player II Series with their Player Series Alnico single-coil pickups. A couple of these models like the Telecaster HH and Stratocaster HSS come equipped with humbucking pickups for some added tonal variation and bite. Each Player II Series model is equipped with quality and helpful hardware specs to make for a totally comfortable and musical instrument.
Epiphone Modern Figured Series
It's not uncommon for bigger brands to offer their classic experiences in different packages. Gibson knows how to do this pretty well, truth be told, and we can see this in action with the Epiphone Modern Figured series.
The Epiphone Modern Figured series actually is part of their extensive "Inspired By Gibson" collection, which includes a wide selection of Epiphone guitars taking cues from Gibson designs. This design ethos bumps up some qualities in these guitars to impressive heights without sacrificing on price. The Modern Figured series takes on models like the SG and Les Paul for player-friendly innovations.
The Epiphone Modern Figured SG and Les Paul feature maple tops and mahogany bodies, imparting some complexity to their tone right off the bat. Quality ebony fingerboards with Medium Jumbo frets offer smooth and comfortable fretting experiences while ProBucker humbucking pickups drop in for impressive Gibson-inspired sounds. What makes these electronics so impressive in the Modern Figured series is their coil-splitting capability that introduces some single-coil sounds into the mix, effectively making these guitars two-in-ones when it comes to their sound.
PRS SE Series
PRS is a brand that operates in a wide range of electric guitar designs. Whatever you're after, PRS has a model for you. This is evident with their SE Series of guitars, which aims to extend a hand to newer players seeking a welcoming entry point to PRS. There are quite a few lines in the SE Series, as PRS has worked to make this a robust and lively collection of instruments, so let's pick out a few of our own favorites.
The PRS SE CE24 takes a classic PRS form with its double-cutaway body and distinct color. Whichever SE CE24 you take to, you'll be met with a flame maple top and rosewood fingerboard for a vibrant and balanced playing experience. PRS proprietary humbucking pickups appear for stellar humbucker sounds to really get involved and inspired with.
If you're looking for a step up from there, the PRS SE McCarty 594 Singlecut might be one for you. Mahogany bodies with maple tops and rosewood fingerboards continue on in SE traditions for quality tonewoods and tangible experiences. From there, PRS 58/15 LT "S" humbucking pickups land in these models that come designed with coil-splitting capabilities that, like the Epiphone Modern Figured, expand upon the tonal spectrum possible.
Finally, if John Mayer is your kind of guitarist, then the PRS SE Silver Sky is definitely one to watch out for. This SE Series model is a version of Mayer's own PRS Silver Sky guitar and carries a lot of the same great elements and design specs. SE Silver Sky guitars come designed with maple and rosewood fingerboards for excellent fretting feelings across the fingers and bright gloss finishes to grab some attention. For those single-coil pickup lovers out there, SE Silver Skies are fitted with 635JM "S" pickups that emulate the sound of the original Silver Sky for great chime and articulation.
Yamaha Revstar Standard
Those looking for a different take on modern electric guitars can turn to the Yamaha Revstar Standard line. Yamaha, joining the fray with the Revstar series, touches down with unique double-cutaway guitars ready for action.
Yamaha's RSS02T Revstar Standard comes together with a chambered mahogany body with a maple top, making for an easily carried and resonant instrument with tonal complexity. Rosewood fingerboards land on these models for smooth and articulate fretting experiences. Sonically, the RSS02T is equipped with P-90-style single-coil pickups that deliver heaps of kick and focus for players seeking something dynamic. An onboard passive pull/push Focus switch lands among these pickups for added tonal variety. A Tune-O-Matic bridge, always a great pick of hardware, grounds strings stably for easy string changes.
As a familiar match to the RSS02T, the RSS20 Revstar Standard comes equipped with a chambered, double-cutaway body completely made out of mahogany and a rosewood fingerboard. Where this model shines differently from the RSS02T is in its humbucking pickups with a Focus switch of their own and Tune-O-Matic bridge with Stop Bar tailpiece. Totally, the Revstar series is a pick for players seeking exciting guitars and consistent playing experiences – be they performers or otherwise!
Upgrading From Your First Acoustic Guitar
Taylor Guitars Academy Series
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about acoustic guitars, how could we?
Taylor Guitars is a veritable household name in acoustic guitars. When it comes to their wide range of models, you might find yourself among exotic tonewoods and advanced electronics systems, but Taylor also shines in their accessibility as guitars. No where is this sentiment more apparent than in their Academy Series acoustic guitars.
Taylor's Academy Series offers guitars in steel and nylon string configurations for players finding their voice in strumming or fingerpicking lanes, where having options and chances to experiment is always helpful. The smaller-scaled bodies of Taylor Academy Series guitars allow for easy handling while producing impressive Taylor voices. If you're looking to take a step up into quality acoustic guitars like those made by Taylor, the Academy Series is an excellent pick to get started.
Martin X Series
Martin's X Series of guitars was designed to deliver authentic Martin sounds while utilizing sustainable and accessible materials. With Martin X Series, players have the opportunity to get in on great Martin musicality with high-pressure laminate materials like mahogany, koa, and cocobolo – each with their own unique tonal characteristics. The X Series also welcomes players into the different body shapes and sizes of Martins with dreadnoughts, 000s, and plenty more in between to choose from and explore with. The Martin name extends back about two hundred years, the by the by, so today's about just as good as any to join in on their legacy of guitar craft.
Move On Up
Upgrading from your first guitar can be a task in itself with all the options around you. The world of electric and acoustic guitars is always changing, so it can be a tall order to try and navigate it by yourself. With these picks, we hope to have shed some light on the issue the next time that natural urge to upgrade comes calling.
We'd like to be the first to welcome you to the world of guitars, don't sweat the small stuff and don't forget to have fun!
We're always around to talk about guitars, so feel free to reach out to us here at Russo Music anytime!
