Best Electric Guitar
Best Overall Electric Guitar
Best Electric Guitars for Beginners
Best Electric Guitar for Rock and Metal
Best Electric Guitar for Country
Best Electric Guitar for Small Hands and Kids
Electric guitars use amplification in order for their sound to produce at performance level volumes. Like other guitars, and contrary to popular belief, electric guitars are wooden. Sometimes their fancy paint finishes can be deceiving. Electric guitars do have their own specific parts like pickups and steel strings which make them sound unique.
What makes a great electric guitar?
When we made our selection of the best electric guitars we looked for the following defining qualities:
Construction materials
Electric guitars can be of a variety of woods like maple, walnut, ash, alder, and mahogany. The wood of a guitar affects both its weight and the tone of its sound. Alder is particularly popular for electric guitar bodies due to its lightness.
Body style
There are four main types of body style for electric guitars:
- Stratocaster: this body style is a fan favorite amongst beginners and rockstars, with 3 single-coil pickups that have a clean sound.
- Telecaster: this guitar body has a more classic look, with an even thinner sound than the stratocaster.
- Les Paul: this one is the preference for the heavy rock n’ rollers, with a thicker robust sound.
- SG Style: this is perhaps the edgiest of the electric guitar body styles, with a thinner look and a rock or heavy metal sound.
- Heavy metal: this guitar has a heavy metal look, feel, and sound, with special features built-in for fast playing and loud volume.
Pickups
Pickups are crucial to the functioning of an electric guitar. In some ways, you could think of the pickup like the brain of the guitar. You will find them underneath the strings. They pick up the vibration from the strings and send the sound to the amplifier. The tone of a pickup depends on its magnetic make-up. There are active and passive pickups, both of which produce a unique and quality sound. Depending on the guitar, you can sometimes swap out different pickups.
Common pickups are SSS which stands for single coil, single coil, single coil and HSS which stands for humbucker, single coil, single coil. Single coil pickups are brighter to the ear while humbuckers result in a deeper and thicker sound.
Sound features
Aside from pickups which are an electric guitar’s central feature, they have a variety of other sound features. The bridge or whammy bar, for example, with have an impact on how you can manipulate or “dive” the sound your guitar makes.
Neck style
It’s crucial that the neck of the guitar feels comfortable in your hands. Different neck widths determine the distance that the strings are from one another.
Electronics quality
The intonation of your electric guitar is extremely important. When you play a note, you should feel a vibration through the guitar that lasts for a few beats.
Best Overall Electric Guitar
Perfect for beginners and intermediate players, this is a staple electric guitar. The strings, frets, pegs, and marker dots are all well-spaced. This means the guitar is great for those who are just familiarizing themselves with the instrument. The guitar also sounds great for those looking for a clear and unfussy sound.
All-in-one
One of the things that makes this electric guitar so special is the fact that it comes with everything you need to start playing. For a great value, you will get your guitar, a carry bag, shoulder strap, 20 W amp, tuner, cable, strings, and picks. We think this is the best electric guitar under $300.
Best Electric Guitars for Beginners
This is another all-in-one guitar kit that’s especially great for beginners. The quality-paint finish of the guitar makes it stylish and the custom black tuning pegs have an extra sleek effect.
Customized sound
The adjustable sound of this electric guitar lets you play a variety of genres, from blues to rock. The tremolo bridge system and removable whammy bar lets you bend the pitch to produce a variety of effects.
Best Electric Guitar for Rock and Metal
The look and feel of this guitar makes it great for those rock and metal enthusiasts. In fact, the thin neck is ideal for those playing heavier music. The Dragon Eye Burst Flat color of the guitar is ultra-cool. While this Ibanez guitar is a full-sized, many reviewers comment that it’s especially light.
Sleek and comfortable
Not only does this guitar look cool, but it feels great as you play. The contour of its top has a comfortable edge right where the forearm rests.
Best Electric Guitar for Country
While this is a guitar for a slightly larger budget, it’s worth it for those who plan to get lots of use out of their instrument. The sound is rich and balanced, thanks to the five magnetic pole pieces. The 2-pit synchronized tremolo allows for reliable tuning stability with minimal friction. The sound of the bridge pickup can get you that country twinge you might be looking for.
The classic stratocaster
This is the classic stratocaster electric guitar model with its alder body wood and “Modern C” shaped maple neck. You can consider the stratocasters as the gold standard of electric guitars.
Best Electric Guitar for Small Hands and Kids
This one is for the parents looking for a gift for their guitar playing enthusiast children. This is the best ¾ electric guitar for kids, with no need for them to uncomfortably learn to play on a full-size model. It comes with all the additional accessories, from an amp to a carrying case and pics. The 5-watt amp clips right onto the guitar to magnify the music.
High-quality sound
Not only is this guitar easy for kids to learn on, but due to its single coil pickup it sounds great too. Even though it’s smaller, it plays just like a regular-size electric guitar.
FAQs about Electric Guitars
When choosing the best electric guitar choice for you, decide on how you will use it and on the sound you’re looking for. It’s a handy tip to look towards your favorite musicians or the greats for inspiration.
Are amplifiers required?
You do not need an amplifier if you’re just practicing at home. However, to make the most out of an electric guitar’s use, especially if you’re a performer, you should use an amplifier.
Is there a difference between right and left handed guitars?
Yes. The best way to tell if a guitar is right or left handed is to hold the instrument out in front of you vertically. If the thickest string is on the right of the guitar it’s for left-handed players. If the thickest string is on the left, it’s for right-handed players. Sometimes, you can flip the guitar over and it won’t make a difference, however, it might feel uncomfortable to play with the wrong handed guitar.
Do the frets on a guitar matter?
The number of frets on a guitar determines the number of notes available per each string. The fret wire should always correspond to the size of the fingerboard on the instrument.