These Are The Best Rated Electric Guitars For Every Budget
There are many barriers to entry if you want to start playing an instrument. Beyond attaining the skill, the most obvious is that no instrument is free, and many of them cost quite a good deal of money. Walk into a Sam Ash, Guitar Center, or any local guitar shop, and you will see rows of electric guitars costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That is before you factor in the cost of amplifiers, pedals, cables, and accessories like cases, and straps.
Though many talk themselves (or their parents) into getting one, a guitar shouldn't be thought of as a disposable product, as it takes a great deal of time not only to make but to master playing. That said, a guitar is likely something that will be a part of your life (or at least in your house) for decades. For those out there who are committed to playing and have the money to do so, they can go straight for those top-tier brands and models and get something not just worth playing but will likely increase in value as the years get on. For others, budget plays a significant factor in what kind of guitars you are going to be able to pick up. Though there is a definite floor on price — sorry, bargain basement still means a few C-notes — there is definitely an axe out there for every budget.
Start with Squier
The top two brands in the electric guitar world are Fender and Gibson, but these are premium brands with prices to match, so ... not a great place to go if you are someone on a budget or are just getting into playing. That being said, these companies do have subsections within them that offer more modestly priced guitars.
If you are someone who needs to keep costs low, Squier guitars are a perfect place to start. The company is owned by Fender and offers inexpensive versions of Fender's signature guitar models. Fender's most recognizable models are the Stratocaster (used by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton) and the Telecaster (a go-to for Bruce Springsteen and Keith Richards). With the Affinity series, Squier offers inexpensive versions of these instruments at just $249.99 apiece. The reason for the massive price cut has to do with which woods, hardware, and luthiers are used to make the guitar, but the shape and mechanics of the Squier instruments are basically the same as their Fender counterparts.
Squier even offers a bundle for the Stratocaster for $359.99 that includes a case, a small amplifier, a strap, a cord, and three picks. This is why they make for great starter guitars. Once you know you are into guitar playing for good, the transition to the premium Fender brand is very easy if you choose to make that big investment.
Epiphone also has great beginner guitars
Fender is to Squier as Gibson is to Epiphone, and part of their strategy too is to offer cheaper versions of the signature flagship models. There's no question that Gibson's pride and glory is the Les Paul, used by the likes of Jimmy Page, Duane Allman, Slash, and more. Epiphone makes a wide variety of budget Les Pauls that even come in under the price of Fender's Squiers.
The cheapest Epiphone Les Paul offers is the Melody Maker E1 at just $179. While that price is enticing, picking up a guitar for that low of a price typically means you'll quickly outgrow it. If you're in it for the long haul, you're better off picking up the Studio E1 for $269 or the 100 E1 for $299 if you want to find a better balance of quality and price. Epiphone also has a line of guitars called the Power Players series, which includes Les Paul models for $279. The other big Gibson model is the SG (memorably shredded by Angus Young of AC/DC), and Epiphone also has a budget-friendly version of that guitar in their Power Players series as well, which retails for the same.
If you want a basic starter pack from Epiphone, the Les Paul Player Pack is the way to go, which includes a Les Paul Special-II LE along with all of your beginner accessories for $269.
Other budget brands
Fender and Gibson — and, by extension, Squier and Epiphone — may be the top two brands for guitars, but they are not the only ones on the market. Other companies still make very good guitars, and some of them are out there for an affordable price, such as Ibanez and Gretsch. Starting with Ibanez, the best budget electric guitar they offer is the AZES31, which retails at $299.99. By the looks of it, it bears somewhat of a resemblance to the guitars made by Fender, but the playability factor of Ibanez guitars has made it an incredibly popular brand.
So far, all that has been mentioned are solid-body electric guitars, but if you want something with a different tone suited more towards jazz or blues, maybe you would rather pick up a hollow or semi-hollow body guitar. If that's the case, Gretsch is the perfect place for this, and your best affordable option is the G2622 Streamliner. While Gretsch retails this guitar at $499 on their website, which puts it in another budget range, it is very easy to find this guitar at retail shops like Guitar Center and the online/catalog retailer, Musician's Friend for the much more reasonable $329.99.
Mid-budget models
Although electric guitars may all look similar from a distance, once you get your hands on a few, you will notice a difference in tonality, playability, comfort, and greater aesthetic attention to detail the further you move up in price. Once you get a handle on the brands, you will soon find out that they offer electric guitars in every price range.
In the case of Squier electric guitars, their models tap out at $499.99 for the company's 40th-anniversary collection of Telecasters, Stratocasters, and Jazzmasters. However, if you want to jump straight to Fender, the price jump from these top-tier Squiers is not as much as you might think. The base Fender Player Stratocaster retails at $799.99, as does the Player Telecaster.
With Epiphone, they also offer more premium versions of the budget models mentioned earlier, with Les Pauls ranging anywhere from $449, with the Les Paul Classic Worn, all the way up to $999, with the 1959 Les Paul Standard. The Epiphone SG mid-budget models tend to be a hair cheaper with a range of $429 to $949. Unlike Fender, the proper Gibson versions of these guitars will still be out of this price range, even at their cheapest.
Getting a mid-budget guitar can be a tricky proposition because they may be a better commitment than your more beginner-friendly budget guitars but the desire to upgrade may still be there, which means more money spent overall. Of course, you also may be perfectly happy with this instrument, which is more than possible.
Not on a budget
For those of you out there who just want to dive in with the best of the best and money is of little concern, here's where you can get the guitars that you will easily cherish for a lifetime. For the absolute classic models, you have the Fender American Professional II Telecaster and Stratocaster, each of which will cost $1,699.99. This version of the Jazzmaster will cost you an extra $100, and beyond these, there are a plethora of deluxe, special, and custom editions of Fender guitars to choose from, with different colors, pickups, materials, and more.
Opening your wallet at this level allows you to dig into the Gibson marketplace as well. The Gibson Les Paul Special retails at $1,799 and the SG Special, $1,599. Both of these models have variations that will range from just a few hundred dollars more all-the-way to around $3,000. For those in the hollow body market, Gibson also has the ES model (favorite of the legendary B.B. King), and versions of this guitar, starting with the ES-339 are $2,999 and up.
You'll also notice that famous guitar players have a version of these models available to purchase, such as the Slash Les Paul Standard for $3,199, the Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster for $2,149.99, and the B.B. King "Live at the Regal" ES-335 for $9,999. But we couldn't leave out British Invasion favorite, Rickenbaker, and darling of Dave Grohl, the Swedish brand Hagstrom, which also don't come cheap.
Go to a guitar store and try them out
While this guide may have given you a good baseline for what prices to expect when buying an electric guitar, the biggest recommendation anyone can make is to get offline, go to a store, and pluck around. You may see that a certain guitar is well-liked and has a good price tag on it, but once you start running your hand up and down the fretboard, the feeling might be totally wrong. Maybe the guitar is a lot heavier than you expected, and it's uncomfortable to hold for a long period of time.
Buying a guitar is not dissimilar from buying a car. You need to give it a test drive yourself before you purchase it. Also like a car, do not be scared off from looking at used electric guitars. Depending on their condition, they could cost quite a bit less or quite a lot more than a brand-new instrument, not to mention feel a lot more comfortable to play.
Keep your options open, do your research, learn what your favorite guitar players like to play, and figure out the guitars you are most likely to respond to. However, be willing to change course if your test playing of these instruments isn't to your liking. In some ways, the guitar chooses the player.