The Best Electric Guitar for Your Price Range

The beginner’s guide for buying your electric guitar

So, you have subscribed to one of the

top online
guitar lessons sites

out there and decided to

buy yourself an electric guitar

, and
most likely if you are
reading this guide
then
you need some solid advice on what to purchase. It’s not an easy decision to make as the market is
flooded
with a variety of brands, some well-known other newcomers to the game.

Before you head to the music
store or
purchase online there are

a few pointers to remember

. After all, when it comes to any
product an
educated
buyer always fairs better than someone who just jumps right in. Even if you are someone who doesn’t play
the
guitar, and you are buying one for a gift, I highly recommend reading this whole article.

Ok most of us aren’t that
rich, if we were we would be buying top of the line and previously owned
guitars
of the most famous guitarists. Us simple folk have realistic budgets that we have to work within.
However,
the biggest mistake made by new instrument buyers is paying too little. Being cheap is never your friend
when it comes to buying any instrument. The greatest guitar player on Earth cannot get a good sound out
of
poorly made electric guitar knockoffs.

Let’s take a look at specific electric guitars in some
various price ranges. Some of the prices may vary between retailer, but most will always have an average
range. Also keep in mind that the definition of

“best” is clearly subjective

. What we
have done in our
examples below is found a

variety of styles and brands

that are highly rated in each
specific price
range.

The Best Electric Guitars in the $1000 Price Range

A thousand dollars is

really a great budget

to have for a guitar. It is really almost
the perfect
amount.
Spending anymore is really something you should do only if a professional or a seasoned guitarist.
Spending
any less and you begin to cut back on quality in exchange for a better deal. Often folks will buy a
cheaper
guitar, try it out and later move up to something better, with a grand you cut right to the chase and
get
yourself something nice immediately!

Image credits:

ZZsounds.com

Fender American Special Stratocaster

This solid body Stratocaster has a maple neck and headstock with three single coil pickups. It also has
the
Fender trademarked Greasebucket circuitry, which despite the name actually gives the tone a clean sound.
It
has a five way pickup switch and vintage style synchronized tremolo bridge, so you can attach a “whammy
bar”
to it. The Stratocaster was first built in 1954 and is still one of the most popular guitars to this
day.
Folks like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, and Buddy Holly were all fans of the Fender
Strat!
It is a guitar that really works well in almost any genre.

Fender American Special Telecaster

The Fender Telecaster was built four years before the Strat and was the world’s first commercially
successful guitar. It also is a solid body with single coil pickups, but in this model, they are
dual
wound
to give a bigger blues sound. It also has the trademarked Greasebucket circuitry giving it a very
clean
tone
that can cut through the other instruments in the band. It also has a vintage style bridge to give
it an
authentic look. Famous Telecaster players are Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Waylon Jennings, Prince,
and
Bruce
Springsteen. Like the Strat is used in a variety of musical styles. Here is a great link to check
out if
you
want to read about the differences between the Strat and the Tele.

Gibson Les Paul Faded

Les Paul has a permanent and stand-alone exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that is because
he
is
one of the greatest innovators and players of the electric guitar. The Gibson Guitar Corporation
paired
with
Les Paul in 1952 to create this famous guitar. The current Faded model has a mahogany solid body and
maple
top with a pair of Gibson 490 pickups. These pickups are humbucker double coil pickups meant to
reduce
interference. Even though these are new guitars they are made to have a used and older look. Famous
Gibson
Les Paul players, besides Les Paul, are Bob Marley, Slash, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, and Neal
Schon.

Gretsch G5420T Electromatic Hollow Body

So far, we have been looking at solid body guitars, some players prefer semi-hollow and hollow body
instruments. Many original rock and roll and rockabilly players used hollow body guitars. The
Fenders
above
have double cutaway bodies while the hollow body Gretsch is only a single cutaway. This particular
model
has
“Black Top” humbucker pickups and an Adjusto-matic bridge. It also includes a Bigsby B60 tailpiece
for
pitch
modulation. The hollow body guitar allows for a much twangier sound that is reminiscent of early
rock.
Famous Gretsch players include; Chet Atkins, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Brian Setzer, and Bono.

Ibanez RG Iron Label RGIX6DLB

So far, we have focused on guitars that are more known for rock n roll genres, this Ibanez is meant
for
those who specifically play metal and fusion. This guitar has a solid ash body and three-piece maple
neck.
The Fusion Edge humbucker pickups are meant for “djent chugs and high speed staccato riffing.” The
Nitro
Wizard neck and 24 jumbo frets make for effortless and smooth fretting. Everything about this guitar
was
made for heavy metal. Famous Ibanez players are Joe Satriani, Alice Cooper, Yngwie Malmsteen, and
Steve
Vai.

Godin 5th Avenue CW Kingpin II

Godin Guitars are a Canadian company that is not as popular as some of the other names on this list.
However, they make some phenomenal instruments and are worth looking into. The Godin 5th Avenue is
an
archtop hollow body made of wild cherry and maple. It has an adjustable TUSQ bridge and uses Godin
Kingpin
P-90 single coil pickups. This guitar is absolutely gorgeous and looks far pricier than it is. Some
famous
artists who have discovered this unique brand are John McVie, Roger Waters, Steve Stevens, and
Lionel
Loueke.

PRS SE Custom 24

Paul Reed Smith Guitars started in Maryland in the mid-80s, they became known for producing custom
shop
instruments. The SE Custom 24 is a beautiful guitar made from mahogany and maple. It has 24 frets
and
two
85/15 S humbuckers (one bass and one treble). There is also a push/pull tone knob to access a single
coil
tone. A few musicians who have played and loved PRS electric guitars are Carlos Santana, John Mayer,
and
Alex Lifeson.

The Best Electric Guitars under $700

A budget of $700 is still going to buy you a great electric guitar. Of course, the brands mentioned
above
are still found in this $700 price range. For example, Fender Strats with less features can be found
for
lower than $1000. Instead of repeating ourselves though, we are going to touch on some other brands
that
have great reviews and high ratings.

Guild S-200 T-Bird

The Guild guitar brand started in the early 50’s, the brand was notably used in in the 60’s by
psychedelic
rock bands like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. This specific style is a solid body guitar
made of
mahogany. One of the important features of this guitar is the “little” humbuckers which can be ran
as
full
humbuckers or switched with a capacitor to get a more single coil type sound. This Guild S-200 is
not as
popular as other Fenders or Gibson guitars, however for someone looking for a different style and
sound
they
are worth trying out if looking for a guitar in this $700 price range. Well known Guild players
(besides
the
bands mentioned above) are Nick Drake, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, David Byrne, and Paul Simon.

ESP LTD EC-1000

ESP is a Japanese guitar company started in 1975, and their guitars have found a home with metal
bands.
Like
most heavy metal guitars, the ESP has 24 instead of 22 frets, it is solid body, and with jumbo frets
perfect
for thrash metal playing. This guitar also uses EMG active humbucker pickups perfect for some
intense
rock.
Famous ESP electric guitar players are James Hetfield, Ron Wood, Alexi Laiho, Stephen Carpenter, and
Bruce
Kulick

Dean Dime From Hell CFH

This guitar takes its name from Dimebag Darrell and is included in the list for those who are
looking
for a
truly different style of guitar. On some sites it is currently unavailable, but it gives you an idea
of
other design options out there. It has a mahogany solid body and Dean humbuckers. It also has a
Floyd
Rose
bridge which is a locking vibrato arm for the electric guitar, it essentially helps the guitar stay
in
tune
through large pitch changes. Dean guitars are often decent guitars at lower prices. Famous Dean
players
besides Dimebag Darrell are Michael Angelo Batio, Michael Arnott, and Dave Mustaine.

Epiphone Les Paul Tribute

Epiphone is a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Corporation. They are essentially more modest priced
versions
of Gibson Les Paul models. This guitar has a mahogany solid body with a carved maple top. Like the
Gibson
they have Tune-o-matic bridges and classic Gibson humbuckers. A few famous Epiphone players are Noel
Gallagher, Jack Casady, Keith Richards, Robb Flynn, and The Edge.

Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser C-1

Schecter Guitar Research was started in the mid 70’s as a parts company for existing Fender and
Gibson
guitars. They now produce their own electric and bass guitars like the Hellraiser C-1. The body has
an
archtop of maple with the rest being mahogany. It has 24 jumbo frets and uses EMG humbuckers. Some
famous
guitarists who use Schecter guitars are Prince, Robert Smith, Robert DeLeo, Balsac, and East Bay
Ray.
These
days Schecter is becoming a well-known guitar among metal bands.

The Best Electric Guitars under $600

In the $600 range we are starting to get into lower tone wood qualities, however it is still a price
range
that can bring in some playable and decent guitars. Many of the same brands we have mentioned also
make
great electric guitars in this price range.

Fender Standard Stratocaster

This electric guitar is one of the better sellers out there, it is a real Fender Stratocaster at an
affordable price. The solid body is made of alder wood and the neck of maple. It has 21 frets and
uses
three
standard Strat single pickup coils. It has a vintage style tremolo and five position pickup
switching.
If
you are looking for a very basic electric guitar that is very versatile among many genres, it
doesn’t
get
much better than the Fender Standard!

Epiphone Casino Archtop

The Epiphone Casino is a true hollow bodied archtop guitar first made in 1961. This guitar was made
famous
by The Beatles in songs like “Ticket to Ride”, “Drive My Car”, and “Taxman”. The body material is
laminated
maple and the neck is mahogany. It has a Tune-o-matic bridge and P-90 Gibson single coil pickups.
Because it
is a true hollow body it sounds louder without an amplifier and with one it can be more prone to
feedback.
Other notable players besides The Beatles are Howlin’ Wolf, Joshua Homme, and Dave Grohl.

Ibanez Artcore Expressionist

Another hollow body guitar that is great for rock or jazz is the Ibanez Artcore Expressionist. In
fact,
it
is a little smaller making it more of a semi-hollow body, it is the perfect balance between a solid
and
semi-hollow guitar. It is made of quilted maple with 22 frets and a Super 58 humbucker. The Artcore
series
is known as one of the best value guitars on the market. Jazz artists like John Scofield, Pat
Metheny,
and
George Benson are fans of the Super 58 pickups.

ESP LTD 400 Series

This ESP series can range from $500-$700 depending on which specific style you are looking for. Like
the
ESP
EC-1000 it is a solid body guitar built for hard rock. It is made of mahogany with two EMG
humbuckers
and 24
extra jumbo frets. It also has a Floyd Rose double locking tremolo. If you are a heavy metal
guitarist
the
ESP 400 series or EC 1000 are great electric guitars to look into.

Gretsch Streamliner Center Block Jr.

The Gretsch Streamliner is a semi-hollow body guitar that has both Broad Tron humbucker and P90
single
coil
pickups. Because semi-hollow bodies can produce lots of feedback it has a spruce center block to
counteract
it. It also has a Bigsby B50 vibrato for pitch bends. It can produce both vintage and modern tones.
If
you
are looking for the Gretsch style and sound, yet not wanting to break the bank this is the perfect
guitar
for you!

Cort MBC-1

Cort Guitars are a manufacturer out of South Korea that have found a bit of a following in their
Cort
MBC-1
signature guitar. This guitar was created for Matthew Bellamy the lead singer of the band Muse. This
guitar
has a Telecaster like form made of basswood and maple. It has 22 frets with a Manson single coil and
Manson
humbucker pickup. Many players of this guitar say it sings like a far more expensive instrument. A
few
online sites seem to have it on back order which is a good sign of a quality product.

The Best Electric Guitars under $500

Once we start going under $500 we are again getting lower quality tone wood and into mass produced
guitars.
The kind of instruments that are basically stamped out with little human interaction. Guitars that
are
made
on assembly lines are more likely to have potential intonation and quality issues. To be clear $500
is
nothing to scoff at and if you look around you can find a great guitar for that price, however you
have
to
be careful to make sure you get a guitar that essentially isn’t a lemon with any major problems.

Fender Standard Telecaster

Like the standard Fender Stratocaster the Telecaster has an alder wood body and maple neck and
fretboard. It
has 21 frets, two hotter voice single coil pickups, and three position pickup switching. This is the
most
basic and affordable telecaster out there. If you can’t afford the $1000 special edition, then this
standard
model is the next best thing. Like the Strat the Tele is a very versatile guitar that you can’t go
wrong
with.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro

If a Gibson Les Paul is out of your price range, this Epiphone model is a great place to start. It
has a
mahogany body with a maple veneer top, a Tune-o-matic bridge, and two ProBucker Humbucker pickups.
Depending
on the specific design and style you can find this guitar for $400-$600, it is a quality guitar that
successfully emulates much more expensive electrics.

Squier Classic Vibe

Just like the Epiphone is the cheaper emulation of the Gibson, the Squier is the more affordable
Fender.
This Squier Classic Vibe is a Stratocaster with an alder wood body and 21 medium jumbo frets. It has
three
single coil pickups and a five-position pickup switch. Basically if you are looking for a Strat and
can’t
afford a Fender Special or Fender Standard the Squier is your best bet!

ESP LTD EC-256

This guitar has a mahogany body, 21 frets, and two LH-150 humbuckers. These pickups have a push-pull
coil
tap that gives you access to both humbucking and single coil tones. It also has a TOM
bridge/tailpiece
for
tuning stability and intonation. Basically if you cannot afford some of the more expensive models
from
ESP
this is the electric guitar for you.

Ibanez S Series

This solid body electric guitar has a mahogany body and maple neck. It has three pickups, two
quantum
humbuckers and a quantum single coil. With 24 jumbo frets and an Edge Zero II tremolo it allows you
access
to great metal and fusion playability similar to what you get with more expensive models. If you are
looking
to buy an Ibanez yet have a tight budget this is a great model to buy.

Yamaha Revstart RS420

With a body of maple and neck of nato this Yamaha has VH3 vintage output humbuckers. In fact, this
guitar
has quite the vintage look, a very unique guitar. This Yamaha is the kind of guitar that players are
attracted to on looks alone. And as for famous players, many guitarists started on Yamaha’s as
kids!

The Best Electric Guitars in the $300 Price Range

At the price range of $300 we are really getting into lower quality beginner guitars.

Most of the guitars in this price range
are
solid body as hollow body guitars are too labor intensive for this low price. Usually guitars of
this
price
range are for testing new students. If they show an interest and love for playing the guitar that’s
when
they can graduate to a higher quality guitar. Just be careful that they don’t confuse lack of
progress
with
a simply poorly made instrument, especially if it can’t maintain tuning.

Yamaha Pacifica 112V

This Yamaha is actually known for being quite a great guitar for the price, perhaps the best on this
list in
the $300 price range. It has a solid alder body, 22 frets, and two single coil and one Alnico V
humbucker.
While it isn’t made of anything particularly special it still happens to have great sound and
playability.

Fender Squier Affinity

With an alder wood body, 22 jumbo frets, and three single coil pickups this is about the cheapest,
yet
playable, Stratocaster you can get. You will likely encounter some intonation issues and a little
more
electronic humming than normal. However, if you don’t need perfection this is a nice little guitar
to
learn
on… not the greatest but not the end of the world!

Squier Standard Stratocaster

This guitar is about $50 more than the Fender Squier Affinity, and you essentially get $50 more in
value.
The body is made of agathis, with 22 jumbo frets, and also three single coil pickups. It is mostly
the
same
guitar as the Affinity with just slightly better hardware and some people find that it looks nicer,
it
has a
“pricier” look to it. However, you are likely to encounter similar issues as the Affinity.

Epiphone Les Paul 100

This solid body guitar has a mahogany body and neck. It has 22 medium jumbo frets, a Tune-o-matic
bridge,
and two humbucker pickups (650R and 700T). It has the classic Les Paul body shape and is about the
cheapest
you can go in Les Paul styles yet still keeping some quality. The sites that sell these guitars will
claim
outstanding tone and blasting leads, but honestly, they will have their share of issues.

Jackson JS Series

Jackson is one brand we have yet to discuss in this article. It is owned by Fender and essentially a
cheaper
style of guitar like Squier. There are more expensive models of Jackson that are worth looking into,
some
that range up to $1000. Often used for heavy metal with famous players like David Ellefson, Phil
Demmel,
Phil Collen, and Chris Beattie. However, this specific style above costs about $200. The JS Series
has a
poplar body with a maple neck and 22 jumbo frets. It also has two Jackson High Output ceramic
humbuckers.
Like the other cheaper guitars you will likely encounter problems with this affordable but lower
quality
guitar.

Dean ZX

For those looking for a more metal looking guitar Dean electrics have you covered. The Dean ZX has a
basswood body and maple neck. And with a Tune-o-matic bridge, 22 frets, and Zebra humbuckers. If you
know a
guitar student that has an interest in playing metal or fusion this may be a great starter guitar.
Of
course
at the $200 price it will likely have its issues.

Things you should know before buying an electric guitar

1) Check the Intonation

Guitar
intonation

is one of the

most important factors

, in fact any string instrument must have
excellent
intonation. If you pluck the standard tuned open 6th string (the fattest and thickest string) you
will
hear
a low E note (known as E2). On the guitar each fret is a half-step apart, so if you play the first
fret
of
that 6th string the note should be an F. The second fret an F#, the third a G and so on. Each guitar
string
should be in tune for the note it is supposed to be. If the intonation is off (whether sharp or
flat)
any
chord you play will not sound right, making the guitar worthless junk.

The more expensive your guitar the more exact every note will be. If buying a guitar in person, you
can
take
a tuner with you to check the intonation. Especially if you are completely new to electric guitars I
would
take an experienced individual along to help make sure the intonation is in tune. Now if you find
one
that
has bad intonation it is possible to

pay extra to have a setup done

on the guitar
where
it will likely
be
fixed with simple bridge adjustments. However, that adds to the price and the fact that it wasn’t
setup
by
the shop in the first place isn’t a very good sign. It is always great to learn how to fix your
intonation
yourself, but when buying a new guitar, it is wise to just make sure it sounds great in the first
place.

2) Check the action

The action of
the
strings is simply

how far away they are from the fretboard

. Too much action makes
it
hard
to press down on the strings, too little and you will have strings hitting the frets at the wrong
place
and
deadening the sound. This another situation that can be adjusted with proper setup, however it is
smart
to
buy

one with good action

in the first place.

Luckily the

electric guitar is way easier

than the acoustic
to
adjust the action on. (Actually, the lap steel guitar is the easiest of all because in that case we
don’t
even want the strings to touch the frets at all!). Action will always be

lower at the neck
end

of the
fretboard as opposed to the sound hole because the natural bow of the guitar neck.

3) Check the truss rod!

That bow in the neck is controlled with a

metal rod going down the center of a
fretboard

. It is adjusted
with a little allen wrench at the top of the fretboard on electric guitars. By loosening or
tightening
the
screw we can either put more or less bow (relief) on the guitar. We want just the right amount of
relief
so
that the strings are not too high and so that none hit any frets

causing buzzes or dead
sounds

.

Truss
rod
adjustments are often used to fix bad action, which is not the best way to fix the action. In fact,
leave
truss rod adjustments up to professionals as the fretboard

can crack if done wrong

!
Do not buy a guitar
without a truss rod as that is a sign it is too cheap and there will never be any way to adjust a
badly
bowed neck.

4) Tone Woods

The wood that a guitar is made from is very important for the sound quality. Some electrics are

solid
body

while others are hollow or semi-hollow. Mahogany, maple, ash, and even cherry is used in higher
quality
guitars, while alder, poplar and agathis are found in lower quality. However, sometimes you will get
lucky
and find

some great wood

in a lower priced guitar.

5) Check tuners and Machinery!

Make sure all the tuners and knobs

move freely

, nothing should be stuck or hard to
move. If the volume
and
tone buttons are put on right than the volume level should match what the knob says (if the knob is
turned
all the way down with no sound the number should read zero).

The string tuners should easily
move

and
hold
the tune of the string, if the tuning slips very soon after tuning that is a bad sign.

6) Pickups and Electronics!

We could really get into detail on the difference of pickups like single coil or humbucker, we will
touch on
it more in different electric guitar models below. The key to remember as a beginner is to

pay
attention
to
the sound

. While some background humming sound is normal (especially with single coil)
we want to make
sure
it isn’t overwhelming.

Also, as we turn the knobs there

should be no crackling

, as that is a sign of
dirty
pots (potentiometers). Even with your inexperienced ears it should be possible to tell what sounds
good
and
what doesn’t. We all have different tastes and what sounds good to you might not to others.

Buying An Electric Guitar Online

Now that you have an idea of the basics of buying an electric guitar and some fine examples of what
you
might like let’s go over some important final thoughts. In this day there are

many online
places to buy
from, it can be overwhelming

. 10 or more years ago, the advice would be to go into an
actual music store
and
physically touch and play what you might want to buy. However, now that may not be possible to do
for
many
people.

Brick and mortar stores are disappearing because of online sales, in fact you will often pay
more if
you purchase a guitar in a local shop. We all want to support local business, but if you can save
$100
online

it is a no brainer to purchase from a website

.

If you want to buy in a local store great, it is the best way to try out different guitars.
However,
many of
us will be buying online so there are a few pointers to remember:

Check The Return Policy

Always buy from a retailer that has a

free return policy.

If you get a guitar with
bad action or
intonation
or any issues you want to be able to send it back with no hassle. Most reputable sites will also pay
for
the
return shipping.

Order From Retailers

Ordering from retailers

is better
than
ordering directly from manufacturers. It is cheaper to order from retailers unless you need
something
custom
made. The MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) is always much higher than the price on retail
outlets.

Be wary of sales that are too good

to be true. If a normally $1000 guitar is
suddenly being sold
for
$200
than it likely was not a popular product or the model had major flaws. I made this mistake once with
a
VOX
guitar, it had intonation that just couldn’t be perfected. No matter how I worked on the setup it
just
always sounded very off.

A note on second-hand guitars

Sometimes people like to quote the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price as the original price they
bought it
for,
in hopes of inflating their current used price. And of course,

never send money

and
be sure to
physically
see and play the product to make sure seller is being honest. Be careful in how you deal with
strangers.

Instruments are like cars

, they do not hold value very well. Unless they are
autographed or have some
historic significance they lose their value quickly. Many people will attempt to sell used
instruments
at an
incredibly high price, in many cases it is smart just to buy a new guitar!

Beginner Electric Guitar: final thoughts

With the information and examples above you should be very prepared to
go
out
or look online and

buy a great electric guitar

that fits your budget and the music
style you wish to
play.
Good luck and take your time shopping, your electric guitar will patiently wait for you to find it!

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