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Choosing the best electric guitar is a monumental decision for guitar players. After all, you need to find the perfect instrument to complement your playing technique and overall style. Then, of course, you have to consider your budget and what that amount of money will buy you.
In this expert guide, you'll find a wide selection of the most highly rated instruments from all the heavy hitters, ensuring that whichever electric guitar you pick, it will provide years of faithful service and great tone. Whether you're looking for one of the best Stratocasters, a blues-ready hollowbody, or a fast-necked shred machine, we've got you covered with this pro-round-up of the best electric guitars.
We've broken down this guide into price order to make finding your next guitar a little easier. So, whether you're a complete beginner, an intermediate bedroom player, or a gigging musician, you'll find a guitar on this list that's sure to become your number one.
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Best electric guitars: Our top picks
If you're on a budget, you should consider the Yamaha Pacifica 112V. Pacificas have long been a go-to guitar for those seeking quality on a tight budget with classic double-cut looks and the company's renowned build quality, making it our favourite beginner electric guitar or for those on smaller budgets.
If you're after authentic classic rock tones, opt for something from the biggest brands of all – and that means either Fender or Gibson. The Fender Player Stratocaster is a great all-rounder for vintage and modern single-coil tones alike.
From Gibson, we highly recommend the punk rock icon that is the Gibson Les Paul Junior. For the blues players searching for the bell-like tones of a hollow body, then it has to be the Gibson ES-335.
Best electric guitars: Under $/£500
The Yamaha Pacifica has long proved a benchmark for quality and specification, and the 112V remains a top choice for beginners. The 112 is far from fancy and simply concentrates on the bare necessities. Yet the construction is of excellent quality. Trust us, if looked after this will be a guitar for life.
By design it's an altogether more modern, brighter and lighter take on a hot-rod Strat. But when we say brighter that doesn't mean overly shrill. In fact the bridge humbucker will surprise some, it's beefy without being too mid-range heavy and although the coil-split proves a little bland played clean, with a distortion boost it's a pretty useful gnarly and wiry rhythm voice.
It's good to have the choice too when mixed with the middle pickup - switching between the full and split coil here is subtle but, especially with cleaner 'class A' amp voicings, there's enough character difference to be useable. The solo single-coils impress - plenty of percussion and with a little mid-range beef added from the amp these get you to the correct Texas toneland. Neck and middle combined produces a fine modern Strat-like mix - the added brightness will cut through a multi-FX patch nicely.
Read our full Yamaha Pacifica 112V review
Thomann's own brand Harley Benton have a growing range of electrics that offer seriously impressive spec for the money. Its Fusion ranges of s- and t-style guitars typify that and this is a shining example.
Roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets… Floyd Rose 1000?! We wouldn't expect to see this combination of features on a guitar under £/$1000 but here they are. And the end result dazzles in the playability and build stakes for such a reasonable price point.
The Fusion-II is cast in the modern 'session' guitar mould; versatility and contemporary appointments are the calling cards here rather than any vintage vibe. And it excels at what it sets out to be. But if Floyd Rose trems aren't to you tastes, there's plenty more options to choose from in the Harley Benton Fusion range.
Read the full Harley Benton Fusion-II HH FR Roasted FNT review
The Streamliner concept is simple: to create more affordable Gretsch guitars without losing their specific DNA. Two new Broad'Tron humbuckers are controlled in classic Gretsch style by a three-way toggle selector switch on the bass side shoulder, a master volume on the treble side horn, and then a trio of controls by the treble-side f-hole for individual-pickup volume and master tone.
The G2622's construction gives a different response and resonance to other new releases from Gretsch and, with these pickups, moves further from the Gretsch sound. And while its construction gives it a more solid, or at least ES-335, character, it's a little more airy and less punchy with a softer, squashier tonality.
The beefier pickups certainly don't nail a classic Gretsch tonality - although if that's what you want, the full-size pickups are easy to replace - but they do broaden the sonic potential, especially for more gained styles, while staying close to the classic iconography. If you want a great-value semi-hollow, this is among the best electric guitars for under $500.
Read our full Gretsch G2622 Streamliner review
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This pointy-horned devil has its roots so firmly in rock ‘n’ roll that it's hard to separate them. With iconic players such as Angus Young, Tony Iommi, and Derek Trucks relying on the SG to achieve their sound, it's no wonder it's Gibson's most popular model - yes, it really is more popular than a Les Paul.
We have decided to feature the Epiphone version on this list for a few reasons. First of all, for its price point, it's pretty difficult to beat. The level of finishing on the new "inspired by Gibson" range is phenomenal and a definite step forward from the previous incarnation. Secondly, and arguably the most important is the sound. We must say, we were pleasantly surprised by how good this guitar sounds - it really does sound like an SG - and considering it's around a third of the price of the Gibson version, that is no mean feat.
The SG is famous for its warm and punchy mid-range, making it a firm favourite for blues, rock, or even metal, and with Epiphone going the extra mile to improve the quality over the last few years, it had to earn a spot among the best electric guitars on this list.
Best electric guitars: $/£501 - $/£1,000
There's only a handful of signature guitars that you could call genuinely unique, and the St. Vincent STV60 is undoubtedly one of them. This futuristic guitar was designed from the ground up by Annie Clark (St. Vincent) to be as comfortable as possible, and we must say, it certainly is that. It may not look it, with all the straight lines and angles, but it hugs the body perfectly and is a total joy to play.
As well as its rather distinctive look, it also has a distinctive sound. This comes courtesy of the trio of mini-humbuckers found in the guitar. These pickups deliver a surprising amount of output, as well as a nice high-end attack - think somewhere between a classic single-coil and a humbucker.
The maple neck - although a departure from the USA line - is similar and superbly comfortable, and the overall finishing of the instrument is fantastic. This is definitely one to check out, whether you are a fan of St. Vincent or not.
Read our full Sterling by Music Man St Vincent STV60 review
This latest mid-priced take on Fender's pride and joy features an updated two-point vibrato design, plus three new Alnico V single coils. The satin neck provides a slick playing experience, while there’s little to fault with the build quality other than some slightly jerky tuners.
There’s a hugely usable set of tones across the five-way selector, which recall Fender’s fat Texas Hot single coils and respond beautifully to gain, and treble loss is minimal when rolling back the volume knob. The bridge pickup, which can be weedy on mid-priced Strats, is rich yet cutting - and if it’s still too spiky, the pleasingly responsive tone knob will enable a fairly precise treble cut. That may not sound like much, but it’s actually a big deal, as the two tone knobs are wired thusly: tone 1 handles neck and middle, while tone 2 adjusts the bridge.
Then there’s that new two-point vibrato, which is one of the smoothest- operating systems we’ve encountered at this price point, with no problems returning to pitch. The familiar ‘loose arm in the socket’ problem still rears its head, but it’s nothing a bit of tape around the thread can’t fix. By their very nature, Strats will always pay homage to the past, but this particular edition packs tones that span the decades and bring the format bang up to date.
Read our full Fender Player Stratocaster review
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The PRS SE range has offered solid, well-built, great-sounding guitars for years now, and the PRS SE Custom 24 2018 is a perfect example. This Korean-built mass of maple, mahogany and rosewood is a classy-looking guitar. It’s a wonderful instrument to play too - PRS's expertise making eye-wateringly expensive guitars is evident from the moment you pick it up.
The bridge, for example, has a noticeably low profile. This makes palm-muting a much more pleasant experience, especially if you’re used to chugging away on a Floyd Rose-style bridge.
A lot has been made of the SE Custom’s pickups; 2017 models added Korean-made versions of the 85/15 pups used on the more expensive American Core line, dubbed “the perfect pickup” by Paul Reed Smith himself. Largely, they live up to that promise; the bridge pickup is capable of some serious chunky metal tones, which retain definition and clarity even at absurd levels of gain.
Spend some time with the SE Custom 24 and you’ll come to realise that there is no stereotype that fits. And therein lies its beauty. It’s not a guitar or a brand that concerns itself with cultivating a popular image; PRS has always favoured more obvious metrics like quality manufacturing, great sounds and classic looks.
Read our full PRS SE Custom 24 review
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The Les Paul Prophecy is the latest metal-focused offering from Epiphone. This dark take on the famed single-cut has a rather impressive set of specifications that is sure to please even the most discerning metalhead.
The crowning jewel of this guitar has to be the Fishman Fluence pickups. As well as offering the bone-crushing high-output needed to make your riffs shake a room, they can also be switched - via push/pull pot - to a vintage PAF sound and even a single-coil, making this a surprisingly versatile guitar.
We must say this guitar has the look to match the impressive tone. The AAA figured maple adds a level of class to the instrument, with the semi-gloss finish completing the metal aesthetic - as well as giving the neck a phenomenal feel.
Introduced in 1987 and discontinued in 1994, the Ibanez RG550 remains the childhood sweetheart of many players. Designed as a mass-appeal version of Steve Vai’s famous JEM777 model, it had character in abundance. For this reboot, Ibanez has skilfully managed to extract the very essence of what was so popular about the original RG550 and piece it back together in a way that enhances its legacy.
The Japanese-made 2018 vintage is, essentially, a masterclass in everything that is good about shred and metal guitars. The neck feels lithe - your hand glides, rather than simply moving - while the Edge vibrato is rock-solid and the overall craftsmanship is exemplary. Tonally, the RG550 covers a lot of bases. It always did, despite its pointy appearance, meaning you could comfortably stray into all kinds of genres without too much fuss.
The US-designed V7 bridge humbucker delivers the razor-sharp riff platform you’d hope it would, while the V8 neck ’pup offers a hint of compression at higher gain settings, which levels lead lines nicely. It is, in the best way possible, everything you remembered from the original, and that makes it one of the best shred guitars available today.
Read our full Ibanez RG550 review
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Best electric guitars: $/£1,000+
Charvel's hot-rodded superstrat is as much a modern rock machine as it is a pure shredder. The beautifully caramelised graphite reinforced neck is slim, though a little rounder than, say, an Ibanez Wizard. Its recessed Gotoh 510 vibrato will return to pitch flawlessly when you dump the strings on the pickups, and, with only a little less range than a Floyd Rose, it's a small price to pay for stress-free string changing.
The Seymour Duncan Full Shred 'bucker will deliver jangly cleans to blues-rock crunch and widdly metal solo sounds with aplomb, and the SSL-6 single coils will get you closer to those glassy //Little Wing// style cleans than you'd expect without the presence of a Fender logo.
Build quality and attention to detail places the DK24 above much of the competition. Its tonal versatility makes it one of the best electric guitars whatever style of rock you're into.
Read our full Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSS review
We all love vintage guitars, but sometimes you need a modern guitar to cope with the changing musical landscape. The Vintera range combines the classic styles you love about retro guitars with contemporary features for better playability.
The Modern C-shaped neck will feel familiar to longtime Fender fans, while the 9.5"-radius fingerboard and jumbo frets bring it into the present day. Strings bends and wide vibrato are a breeze when compared to the tiny frets on a vintage Jazzmaster. The modernization doesn't stop with the neck. The pickups have been brought up to date as well. Fender has taken a standard set of their Jazzmaster single-coil pickups and re-voiced them to be hotter. This allows you to push your amp more and achieve higher-gain sounds.
We must admit we love the changes on display here, from the updated neck, new pickups, and improved bridge. If you are like us and are partial to an excellent Fender offset, this guitar is well worth your time checking out and has more than earned its place as one of the best electric guitars out there.
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The EC-1000ET is an all-mahogany single-cut loaded with an set of EMG 81 and 60 active humbuckers, a comfortably modern neck and a high level of construction quality. Its key selling point, however, is a fitted EverTune bridge - unlike other tuning systems, it doesn't tune your guitar for you or offer altered tunings. Instead, once set and tuned, it simply aims to stay there, thanks to a series of tension-calibrated springs and levers.
We tried everything we could to knock it out of whack: huge, three-step bends, wildly exaggerated string stretching... we even put the guitar into a freezer. It came back perfectly in tune every single time. What's more, a guitar that's perfectly tuned and intonated up and down the neck seems to play much more musically. We're not aware of any tone compromises, either.
The EC sounds as full and aggressive as ever, with the more mellow tones of the neck EMG being pleasantly rounded, and all bereft of any metallic spring clank. If never going out of tune is important to you, this is one of the best electric guitars going.
Read our full LTD EC-1000 EverTune review
The newly launched American Performer Series represents the most affordable entry point to bona fide USA Fenders, and marks the Big F’s first refresh at this price point in over 10 years. The big changes lie in the all-new pickups that come fitted to all models in the range, in this case Yosemite single coils and the associated electronics.
Pulling up on the bridge tone control allows you to engage the neck pickup along with the bridge and middle pickups for two additional tones, while a reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup allows for hum cancellation in positions two and four. Make no mistake, a blendable neck pickup is a hugely welcome addition to the Strat’s tonal arsenal, and these are some of the best single coils we’ve ever heard, with a beautiful sense of compression that gives them the edge over cheaper models.
If you’re after a workhorse Strat with a bevy of additional tonal options, not to mention rock-solid, smooth-operating hardware, this is a strong Performer indeed.
Read our full Fender American Performer Stratocaster review
Firmly intended to compete with Gibson's ES-335, the Starfire IV, V and VI retain plenty of Guild style, not least the more spacious cutaways and the wooden foot tune-o-matic-style bridge. Placed side-by-side with an equally new Bigsby-equipped Gibson ES-335, the Starfire V somehow looks more 'retro', more 60s. The body here is made from mahogany laminates with a distinct striped figure under the Cherry Red finish, which was introduced with the first Starfire. Then, as now, it all creates a different aesthetic to the Gibson ES-335.
A major difference is the control set-up, which here augments the Gibson layout with a smaller knobbed master volume control on the treble horn, just behind the three-way toggle pickup selector. The pickups here replicate the early-60s introduced 'Anti Hum Pickups' and are period correct, along with the black plastic, chrome-tipped control knobs. It's a fairly weighty guitar for a semi, thanks to the full-length maple centre-block, and has a classic strapped-on feel. It is, of course, thinline depth and feels every bit an ES-335.
It has a 'clean' sound, with low-end definition, slightly bright on the treble pickup with decent sustain and, importantly, a very respectable feedback threshold. It likes volume, and while similarly evocative of virtually all those classic styles, it's the stage version and effortlessly takes you on to early The Who, The Jam or Britpop voices, while seemingly equally at home with rootsy, strummier Americana.
Read our full Guild Starfire V review
This is the second signature guitar on this list, and what a powerhouse of an instrument is it. Jeff Loomis is known for bringing the doom with Nevermore and Arch Enemy, and his signature Jackson Kelly has all the appointments a contemporary metal player needs.
The extra-pointy Explorer-like body is accented with crisp white binding, and a stunning open-pore sandblasted finish - the matching headstock is also a nice touch. Now, we expect the guitar to look great - Jackson makes it - but how does it sound?
There is only one word to describe the tone of this guitar - aggressive. At the heart of this beautifully evil guitar is a set of signature Seymour Duncan Blackout humbuckers. You would be forgiven for thinking that these are the usual active affair found on most metal guitars, but no. Loomis has opted for passive Alnico magnet pickups with increased high-end for a strong pick attack. This also means it retains some dynamics, which stops this guitar from being labeled as a one-trick pony.
Read our full Jackson Pro Series Jeff Loomis Kelly review
It doesn't get much simpler than this - a slab of mahogany with a solitary P-90 pickup drilled directly into the top. It may be basic, but man, does it sound good! Initially designed for students, this no-nonsense guitar quickly became a firm favorite of many rock and punk players.
Despite the limited setup, the new "original collection" Les Paul Junior delivers plenty of retro tones. By simply using the volume or tone controls, you can go from sparkling clean sounds to in your face rock tones and everything in between. The 50s neck - although not the most comfortable for everyone - does lend a sense of authenticity to the Les Paul Junior, making it feel remarkably close to a vintage example. Other features like the vintage white button machine heads and glossy nitro finish also help to make it look like it came straight from the 1950s.
So, if you are looking for a simple guitar that gets straight to the point, you could do far worse than the Gibson Les Paul Junior.
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Fender's Ultra series arrived in 2019 as a follow-up to its acclaimed Elite models and again successfully balanced innovation with tradition for timeless guitar designs. There's some great upgraded features for here that genuinely enhance the playing experience…
The rear of the Tele Ultra's body is contoured to allow players easy access to the top frets. The 10" to 14" compound radius fingerboard to allow for the lowest possible action above the 12th fret on the modern D neck profile (currently exclusive to this series and deserving of wider use), while still delivering easy chording in the open positions.
The fourth generation of Fender's Ultra Noiseless Vintage single coils feature here offer up meaty tones without the hum and there's the Fender S-1 circuit to switch between series and parallel mode for additional tonal voices.
Other contemporary features include locking tuners and Ultra-exclusive finish options (including the wonderful Texas Tea shown above), but the nod back to the 60s with body binding is most welcome.
Read the full Fender American Ultra Telecaster review
Some players are seeking a guitar that demands attention, and well, the Gretsch G6136T certainly does that. This striking large-bodied hollow guitar has a sound unlike any other and might be just what you are looking for.
The sound of the G6136T is thanks in part to the deep hollow body with innovative "ML" bracing and the Filter'Tron mini-humbuckers. These pickups deliver bags of vintage 50s tone, with a bright, articulate high-end and glassy mid-range that the White Falcon is famous for.
The Flacon comes adorned with a Bigsby B6GP String-Thru tremolo. Gretsch and Bigsby are a match made in heaven - it's hard to think about Gretsch without immediately thinking Bigsby. This is a smooth tremolo unit designed to add a little bit of movement to chords or lead work. Sorry Van Halen fanatics, there will be no divebombs on this guitar.
So if you are looking for vintage tones and a guitar that is as much a work of art as an instrument, seek out the Gretsch G6136T Players Edition White Falcon.
A thermally engineered centre block and bracing make this 335 acoustically louder, open and with more clarity. The 'burst top and back also look more modern than vintage, while the translucent dark brown/ almost-black sides and neck-back finish add contrast that creates a classy appearance, along with the nickel hardware.
We also get a lightweight aluminium stop tailpiece with locking studs, but this is all-very-classic ES-335 fare, such as the small block inlays and the small fleur head logo. Again, Gibson's build specs tell us we have MHS 'buckers and here the 'Memphis Tone Circuit' includes matched pots with a tight five per cent tolerance, with the same 'orange drop' tone caps as the ES-275.
Plugged in, it's like all our Christmases have come at once. There's a more solidbody response here, as you'd expect, and it really pushes out the sound. It's expensive, but as an investment, this is one of the best electric guitars on the market.
Read our full Gibson ES-335 Premiere Figured review
The McCarty Model - named after Theodore 'Ted' McCarty, Gibson's president during its 1950s to 1960s heyday and, much later, 'mentor' to Paul Reed Smith - originally appeared in the early 1990s and was the company's first attempt at a more vintage-informed guitar. It takes its name, primarily, from its scale length of 24.594 inches. However, the focus of the 594 is not just that scale length but a desire to recreate, as closely as possible, the 'holy grail' of vintage Gibson tone - a 1959 Sunburst, but in a modern double-cut guitar.
A change comes with the pickups, which are PRS's latest date-series 58/15 humbuckers but with an 'LT' (Low Turns) suffix, which on a meter shows the bridge unit to have a lower DC resistance than the standard McCarty's 58/15, although the neck pickup seems virtually identical. The four-control layout (the first PRS double-cut guitar to use it) possesses the classic LP setup and feels immediately comfortable to any player used to the much-copied Gibson layout.
Full humbucking, or with the partial coil splits engaged, full volume, half volume, tones rolled off - not to mention the shades with both pickups on - there's not a duff sound that we can find. Dynamic, expressive - it purrs, it roars, it's one of the best electric guitars.
Read our full PRS McCarty 594 review
Best electric guitars: Buying advice
Investing in a new electric guitar? We've got your back with a few essential hints and tips to steer you in the right direction and help you buy the right electric guitar for you...
Here's the most important choice you'll face: humbuckers or single-coil pickups? Very generally, humbuckers have less top end and are suited to heavier styles. Check out Epiphone's SG Standard and PRS SE Custom 24.
Fender's Stratocaster and Telecaster models are perhaps the best known single coil-equipped guitars ever. Try the Fender Player Stratocaster for funky vibes or the Telecaster for fuller-bodied rhythm and biting country twang tones. And if you've got the additional budget, the Fender American Ultra Telecaster is a superb investment with contemporary features that enhance playability and tone.
Think also about body shape. Planning to hone your shred chops? Deep double-cuts in the body will help with top fret access – both the Ibanez RG550 and Charvel's Pro-Mod DK24 HSS should be on your shortlist of the best electric guitars for you.
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A locking trem is near essential if you give your guitar's wang bar regular aggressive abuse. But what if it's not really your thing? Take a look at the LTD EC-1000 on our list. Equipped with EverTune, it keeps strict tuning with a fixed bridge design.
Some body shapes cry out to be played a certain way. Gibson's ES-335 Figured screams blues and blues-rock. And Gretsch's G2622 Streamliner is one of the best alternatives to an ES-335 if you're on a budget.
Finally, we'll stress the caveat that these are general guidelines. You can make any guitar work for you, whatever style you play – and the history of rock is littered with players going against the grain with their chosen guitar. The choice is yours!
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