Best Electric Guitars: The Definitive Guide

These are the top five best electric guitars on the market, chosen from hundreds of models.

Contents

• 1 #5 ESP LTD EC Series EC-1000
  • 1.1 Body Style
  • 1.2 Pickups
  • 1.3 Wood
  • 1.4 Size
• 2 The Good
• 3 The Bad
• 4 The Breakdown
• 5 #4 Gretsch G5422TDCG
  • 5.1 Body Style
  • 5.2 Pickups
  • 5.3 Wood
  • 5.4 Size
• 6 The Good
• 7 The Bad
• 8 The Breakdown
• 9 #3 Michael Kelly Hybrid Special
  • 9.1 Body Style
  • 9.2 Pickups
  • 9.3 Wood
  • 9.4 Size
• 10 The Good
• 11 The Bad
• 12 The Breakdown
• 13 #2 Gibson Custom ES-335
  • 13.1 Body Style
  • 13.2 Pickups
  • 13.3 Wood
  • 13.4 Size
• 14 The Good
• 15 The Bad
• 16 The Breakdown
• 17 #1 Fender American Standard Telecaster
  • 17.1 Body Style
  • 17.2 Pickups
  • 17.3 Wood
  • 17.4 Size
• 18 The Good
• 19 The Bad
• 20 The Breakdown
• 21 Electric Guitar Reviews and Comparison
• 22 #1
• 23 #2
• 24 #3
• 25 #4
• 26 #5
• 27 Best Overall Electric Guitar
• 28 Best Electric Guitar For The Money
• 29 Best Electric Guitar Under $500
• 30 Electric Guitar Buyer’s Guide

#5 ESP LTD EC Series EC-1000

$899.00

9.05

Body Style

9/10

Pickups

10/10

Wood

9/10

Size

9/10

The Good

• Great New Company
• Two Pickups
• Classic Look, Modern Play
• Quality Wood

The Bad

• Can Carry Noise

The Breakdown

While ESP is a fairly new company, it has produced a stunning array of solid body electric and bass guitars like this one. The ESPD LTD EC Series EC-1000 houses two EMG pickups – one at the bridge and one at the neck- for a seriously hard rockin’ good time.

The famous Eclipse body style of this guitar perfectly blends the classic guitar look with a modern take on performance and capability. Its mahogany neck, set in a mahogany body, creates a warm electric sound and features a volume knob for each of the acoustic, electric and tonal settings.

 

 

#4 Gretsch G5422TDCG

$849.99

9.225

Body Style

9/10

Pickups

9/10

Wood

9/10

Size

9/10

The Good

• Classic Look
• Unique Features
• Impressive Sound
• Charismatic Pickups

The Bad

• Risk of Feedback

The Breakdown

The Gretch G5422TDC is a classic-looking hollow body electric guitar model that allows for acoustic features to blend with its powerful electric style.

It’s unique f-holes boast this guitar’s already impressive tonal quality and its Black Tops pickups only add to its charisma. When you think about hollow-body models, this guitar should be at the top of your list.

 

 

#3 Michael Kelly Hybrid Special

$649.99

9.35

Body Style

10/10

Pickups

9/10

Wood

9/10

Size

9/10

The Good

• Comfort
• Unique Hybrid Sound
• Stable Tuning
• Dual Amps
• Quality Mahogany

The Bad

• Minor Pickup Buzz

The Breakdown

The Michael Kelly Hybrid Special was crafted for comfort. This guitar’s ability to blend between acoustic and electric, along with its dual amp capability, allows for an infinite range of sounds. Anything is possible.

With its chambered mahogany and rosewood fretboard, it produces an all-around warm tone and gives a whole new meaning to the word hybrid. Plus, it’s relatively inexpensive. The Michael Hybrid Special is the perfect model for anyone looking for a great sounding guitar on a budget.

 

 

#2 Gibson Custom ES-335

$4,737.16

9.6

Body Style

10/10

Pickups

9/10

Wood

10/10

Size

10/10

The Good

• Household Brand
• Heavy Hittin’ Hybrid
• Big Frets
• Unique F-Holes
• Nitrocellulose Finish

The Bad

• None

The Breakdown

Like Fender, Gibson has been a longstanding household name in the music business. The Custom ES-335 is a classic semi-hollow electric guitar that has been used by music icons such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and B.B. King – just to name a few.

Its maple neck, rosewood body and unique f-holes provide a refined, elegant sound, perfect for a number of different musical genres. This guitar’s big frets make it easy to play clearer notes without much pressure, and its defining nitrocellulose finish gives it a gorgeous, glossy look. This is one of the most reliable and legendary hybrid guitars you can buy.

 

 

#1 Fender American Standard Telecaster

$1,299.99

9.725

Body Style

10/10

Pickups

10/10

Wood

10/10

Size

10/10

The Good

• Recognizable Brand
• Improvements From Early Models
• Brass Bridge Plates
• Hand-Rolled Fingerboard
• No Pickup Buzz

The Bad

• None

The Breakdown

Fender has long held its reputation as being one of the most recognizable guitar brands on the market and sought to put the love of the craft at the forefront with this legendary model.

The Telecaster is a solid body electric guitar that has brass bridge plates – an improved design from earlier models – and is equipped with bent steel saddles, a hand-rolled fingerboard and a bolt-in maple fretboard that can be easily removed for maintenance.

This is a smooth guitar that provides almost no feedback or pickup buzz and is a real piece of art that is exceptionally comfortable to play. Let your fingers do the dancing with this beautiful Fender Telecaster.

 

Electric Guitar Reviews and Comparison

Best Overall Electric Guitar

The best electric guitar on the market is the Fender Telecaster. It’s a quality electric guitar that won’t disappoint. Having had 70 years to build and refine their brand, Fender stands as the quintessential source for electric guitars. That’s pretty hard to top. This model’s meaty twang, ran through any sort of FX, will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Having grown up on metal and punk rock, Fender’s were always in the hands of lead guitarists in iconic bands. Their iconic sound and beautifully crafted bodies are something to admire. They’re seamless works of art themselves and being more affordable now than ever has only brought more guitarists to their doorstep. The Fender Telecaster is hands down the best electric guitar out there, considering picking one up if you’re looking to up the quality of your sound.

“This is very likely all the guitar I’ll ever need…The finish work is superb…The neck is so smooth.” – Verified Amazon Customer

Best Electric Guitar For The Money

The Michael Kelly Hybrid Special delivers the warmth and richness that a mahogany body embodies, while at the same time offering superb resonance that Rockfield humbucker pickups offer.

This model’s semi-hollow hybrid body allows you to blend multiple musical tones and is a great stepping stone for those want a decent instrument, but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it. This guitar has a unique sound, provides dual amp capabilities and is built for comfort. It’s a great start for someone trying to shred on a budget.

“The build quality is great, it plays great, and it’s gorgeous. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.” – Verified Amazon Customer

Best Electric Guitar Under $500

The guitars listed above are the best of the best electric guitars you can buy, but the Epiphone Les Paul Standard is the best electric guitar under $500 for musicians on a budget. This guitar is able to deliver all the signature sounds of a Gibson Les Paul at just a fraction of the cost.

Set in a mahogany neck with a slim-tapered profile and rosewood fretboard, this model gives you the familiar feel and fast-action that Les Paul players love so dearly. This guitar features a 14-degree headstock for more pressure and less hang-ups, medium to jumbo sized frets that give you a smooth and sustained tone, as well as Alnico Classic humbucker pickups and a Tune-o-matic StopBar. If you’re looking for the best electric guitar under $500, look no further, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard is the model for you.

Electric Guitar Buyer’s Guide

There’s four main things you should consider when purchasing an electric guitar: body style, the wood, pickups and its tuning machine. Purchasing an instrument can be a tedious, time-consuming process. Knowing these terms will make the process much smoother when deciding which electric guitar is best for you.

Body Styles: Depending on the style of music you play, the body style determines a lot for a guitar player. Electric guitars come in three basic styles: solid body, semi-hollow, and hollow body. Each style attributes some function that better emphasizes the style of music being played.

Solid Body: The loud, amplified and sustaining sounds that dominate the heavy metal scene usually come from solid body guitars.

Semi-Hollow: A nice medium between acoustic and electric sounds. Think of them more as being useful if you like the tonal nature of acoustic guitars, but would still want some power behind your chords.

Hollow Body: Generally geared for crisp and clean blues styles of music.

Wood: The wood of a guitar will always play a fundamental role in determining its sound and vibrancy  There’s well over a dozen varieties of wood that make up electric guitars, but the most important thing that matters at the end of the day is how the guitar sounds to you personally. At the end of the day, you just have to close your eyes and use your ears and heart.

Pickups: For the most part, guitars have two pickups – one close to the bridge, which produces a more “twangy” sound and one near the neck, which provides a thicker heartier sound. Cheaper pickups will often produce background noise, while nicer pickups offer a cleaner sound resonance.

Tuning machines: This is one that people sometimes overlook or don’t pay much attention. Tuning machines are the backbone of the guitar’s voice. If they’re out of tune or can’t hold a note for long, you’ll notice. When it comes to this vital component, aim for something that has locking tuning pegs – Fender & Grover have a longstanding reputation for reliability.

Keep these terms in mind when comparing prices and features to find the best electric guitar for you!