The Marshall MS-2 is terrible, not worth a tenner.
Sorry @socio.
They really are that bad.
Worse than nothing.
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If you want to use headphones with an electric you still need some kind of amp. It can be a less expensive small plug in, or a computer interface, but you need something.
If you are at all handy, a little online research and you probably could improve your acoustic quite a bit. It really isnāt hard to sand down the saddle. The nut may not be too hard either depending on what it needs and the truss rod is just a hex wrench. You just need to be careful, and not overdo it.
@Richard_close2u out of interest what is your opinion of the katana mini amp? I was thinking of that as a practice amp for when I get an electric.
The 2nd hand market is flooded with barely used guitars in great condition at great prices.
Are you near Pinner? Harley Benton CST 24-T electric guitar (left-handed) | in Pinner, London | Gumtree
Thank you @Jamolay . Thatās all useful information. Particularly about the amp, as I have no idea how all this works. I am reasonably handy, but I know so little about guitars I wouldnāt at the moment want to start messing about with it.
I am not far from Pinner, but have decided against playing left handed, probably confused everyone by including that information. I will have a look on gumtree though.
Just some info:
A typical action on an acoustic guitar is at around 5/64ā³ (2.0mm) on the high E string and 7/64ā³ (2.8mm) on the low E string.
If you measure under the high and low E strings at the 12 th fret and have much greater numbers then your action is too high.
If you hold the low E at the 1st and 12th fret and can slip more than a business card under the string at the 6th fret, your truss rod need adjustment.
If you fret at the third fret and can slip a business card (or anything much more than a piece of paper, really) between the string and the 1st fret, you need the nut adjusted.
If the truss rod and nut are ok, but the action is still high, you fix at the saddle.
Just sanding a little less than half the needed amount from the bottom. Often the same with the nut, just gently sand a little. Less is safer.
I am a āmesserā, so donāt let me push you into it, but it really isnāt anything to be afraid of. Hate to see a perfectly good guitar get abandoned because of an easily fixed issue.
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Ok so Iāve searched both of the UK companies suggested and come up blank except for a couple of Eastcoast guitars that Iām not convinced about, so looking at Thomann there are a few.
- Squier bullet mustang, great guitar for the price, should be much easier to play, it has a shorter scale length meaning the strings donāt need to be so tight.
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH IMPBL ā Thomann UK - Harley Benton JA60 SB - I have one of these, itās a great guitar for the price! Sounds very nice.
Harley Benton HB JA-60SB Vintage Series ā Thomann UK - Harley Benton Telecaster Black Paisley, itās a very high value for money Telecaster with good quality parts.
Harley Benton TE-70 Black Paisley ā Thomann UK - Harley Benton DC Junior - a copy of the double cut Gibson Les Paul junior, Iāve not played one but they get great reviews.
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Benton Blue ā Thomann UK - Harley Benton ST90 Swamp ash, a Strat copy with high value spec, an amazing guitar for the price.
Harley Benton ST-90SA Swamp Ash DLX Series ā Thomann UK - Ibanez Gio GRX70 - an Ibanez Superstrat, very versatile and Ibanez quality is fairly consistent regardless of price.
Ibanez GRX70QA-SB GIO ā Thomann UK
That will do for now, thereās a lot to look at; if you get to a shortlist look at YT reviews on the ones you like. Iāll carry on looking for more in the UK but you wonāt find anything much different and very rarely with such a good warranty and customer service!
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Iād suggest going to your local guitar shop to see how each feel. Bring a pick and sit down with a few in your price range.
You donāt even need to worry about plugging one in if youāre a bit self conscious about playing around other people. (Iām really talking about me here). Sitting down with one to see how it feels is huge. See which neck shape fits your hand. See which body shape sits best in your lap.
Hi David and welcome
Ideally have the guitar sitting on your right thigh (assuming you arenāt a lefty!), with the neck running out to your left knee. Thatās the normal position when sitting. If you wear a strap adjust it so the guitar is pretty much in the same position but you can just get your fingers underneath the body. When you play standing up the guitar will then be at the same height. 
Hi Toby,
Thank you, for the welcome and the tips. Maybe I just need to get used to it , but I found I was struggling when changing to a B Minor (although I am still working on it in general), for example, as the neck was closer to my leg than Iām used to - if that makes sense?
David
Have you tried raising the neck up, around 30-45 degrees for horizontal ? Really makes a big difference to the angle that the fretting hand sits on the neck. Takes the pressure off the wrist.
Look at the pros. It aint for show it just makes things easier. Ironically not for tutorials, thatās why all online teachers including Justin, teach with a perpendicular guitar.
Cheers
Toby
As a beginner it is definitely easier on the fingers to learn on an electric guitar as less pressure is required because the strings are lower to the fretboard. I have been playing for 18 months and have 2 East Coast guitars, one of which was purchased from Andertons and one 2nd hand online. I opted for the Les Paul style copy and an acoustic model. The finish and sound is very good on both and you certainly get value for your money. The Strat and Tele copies also look good value. If your budget stretches you might look at the starter bundles which include a small amp. Although this is not essential in the initial learning phase it does help you to understand what the guitar actually sounds like. What I did like with Andertons was that the guitars are quality checked before they are sent out. They are probably not the only company that provides this service but it does help to know that someone has checked that the setup is of a standard. The Harley Benton range is also very good and there are a few other beginner guitars that appear to offer similar value. Standards of manufacture have improved so much over recent years that you do not need to spend a fortune to get a playable instrument with good specs. If you still unsure which to choose then as recommended by others in this thread a visit to a music store would probably be worthwhile and give you a chance to try out several models. Happy Hunting and good luck with your learning.
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Hi Beth . Jet guitars are getting really good reviews. Ā£149 for a strat type guitar. Has a bone nut and the roasted maple neck and a push in tremolo . These are usually found on high end guitars they play really well. i own quite a lot of guitars from Fender strat to les paul. The guitars are amazing for the money. I have bought one for myself . Love it.
If it is affordable to stretch for a small amp, even a headphone amp, I would recommend it. Although you can practice without, I find it much more fun and motivating to hear the amplified guitar. Especially with playing songs, which should be a significant part of practice.
You in the same boat i am only i think i really messed up. I went to electric and got a Kramer night \Swan. Didnāt realize at the time how difficult setting up would be. Was and still can be a pain. If your only two weeks in and want a good starter guitar. I would look at maybe a fender squire, Yamaha Pacifica. As advice for now stay away from anything that has a floating bridge. Leveling of the bridge, angle it sits at, how you change the strings can really screw things up . BIG PAIN lol
Hi Toby,
Thanks for the advice. Iāll give that a tryā¦as soon as my new strings arrive. Iāve some how managed to break one already!
But I think thatās what I need to do. I was surprised at how different it felt going from an acoustic to an electric, actually.
Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.
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@bethruk
Just be careful if you practice playing electric guitar āacousticallyā. The danger is you develop sloppy fretting and donāt realise because your guitar is not amplified.
When you do eventually āplug inā youāll discover all the buzzy, muted notes that you were previously unaware of.
If you canāt afford an amp then use headphones along with one of the little headphone amps that plug into your guitar.
Edit: have a read at this discussion over here.
Vox Amplug, Fender Mustang Micro, iRig 2 or
Iād echo @sairfingers. Learning on an unamplified electric can hide all sorts of issues with how you are fretting or strumming the guitar. In short you might not be progressing as well as you think. Some, any amplification would be better than none. You should be able to pick up older solid state amps relatively cheaply online or as Gordon has suggested look at some headphone alternatives.