Best Electric Guitar Brands
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Brand has continued to be a determining factor in decision making when buying an electric guitar. Apart from the social appeal that brands confer on the owners, they also determine the quality. For most part, you will want to be extremely conscious when trying to buy an instrument.
Since there are a lot of manufacturers offering wide range of electric guitars on the market today, there is this tendency to get it wrong if not properly guided. However, our major concern here is to let you know of the best electric guitar brands that can definitely be suitable for you irrespective of your need.
Quick Links: Best Electric Guitar Brands
- Best Rated: Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar
- Best for the Money: Ibanez: Ibanez GRX20ZBKN Electric Guitar
- Best for Budget: Schecter: Schecter Omen-6 6-String Electric Guitar
- Best for Beginners: ESP: LTD Deluxe EC1000VB Electric Guitar
- Best for Rock: Epiphone: Les Paul Special-II Electric Guitar
- Best Electric Bass: Godin: 5th Avenue CW Electric Guitar
Best Rated Electric Guitar Brands Reviewed.
Best of the Best  | Best of the Best | Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar |
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Best for the Money  | Best for the Money | Ibanez: Ibanez GRX20ZBKN Electric Guitar |
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Best for Budget  | Best for Budget | Schecter: Schecter Omen-6 6-String Electric Guitar |
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Best for Beginners  | Best for Beginners | ESP: LTD Deluxe EC1000VB Electric Guitar |
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Best for Rock  | Best for Rock | Epiphone: Les Paul Special-II Electric Guitar |
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Best Electric Bass  | Best Electric Bass | Godin: 5th Avenue CW Electric Guitar |
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Experienced guitarists know that brand has got a lot to do with the quality of the instrument they are carrying. Apart from the joy that comes with owning a well respected brand, the quality of sound and tone are paramount also. That is why we have come up with the following list of brands that offer the top of the line electric guitars in the industry.
Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar
Pros:
- The look is really amazing
- It has a great feel
- Makes playing sound better
- Great for playing multitude of styles
Cons:
- The neck pickups may need some adjustments
- A number of quality control issues
Fender is regarded as one of the biggest brands in the market. And without doubt the largest in terms of annual sales. This US-based company is reputed for manufacturing quality guitars. Notably, some of the renown guitarists who made this brand a choice are Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
And the best selling model from this maker is the Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar. It is what really makes Fender a household name among guitarists across the world. This series is considered the perfect choice for players who want to upgrade to a professional level instrument.
Ibanez: Ibanez GRX20ZBKN Electric Guitar
Pros:
- It is easy to tune and holds its tune well
- Makes it easy to play notes without strumming
- Feels and sounds great right out of the box
- Perfect for beginners
Cons:
- Not that good for shredding metal
- The hardware is not of great quality
Ibanez is a well known Japanese musical instrument brand. Their rock guitars are usually of top of the line quality and they stand out from the rest. Also worthy of note is the fact that a couple of great guitarists have signature models of their instruments. Some of these popular names include Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai.
However, an Ibanez model that we considered representative of this brand is the GRX20ZBKN Electric Guitar. It is an affordable beginner instrument that has all the quality and precision setup that most expensive Ibanez models have.
Schecter: Schecter Omen-6 6-String Electric Guitar
Pros:
- The tone knob gives some variety for your sound
- Well finished and looks great
- It has a perfect weight
- The playability is awesome
Cons:
- No coil tap ability
- The fret work needs some improvements
Schecter was established in 1976 as a manufacturer of spare parts for guitars. They have since expanded to the making of these musical instruments. And this brand is currently known for producing electric guitars in large quantity.
Our pick from the models this brand makes is Omen-6 6-String Electric Guitar. It comes in a fine finished basswood body with a bolt-on maple neck.
ESP: LTD Deluxe EC1000VB Electric Guitar
Pros:
- Great guitar with an evertune bridge
- It sounds fantastic
- The action is smooth, fast and perfect
- It stays perfectly in tune
Cons:
- Needs some adjustments before perfect functioning
- Some parts are not well fixed
ESP was established in 1975 as a maker of customized parts for guitar players who crave to own a personalized guitars. However, this Japanese brand has grown to be a giant in the guitar making industry. And it has seen many of its models attract a lot of professional endorsements.
One of the most popular ESP’s models is the LTD Deluxe EC1000VB Electric Guitar. This one comes in a mahogany body and neck with an ebony fingerboard for easy play.
Epiphone: Les Paul Special-II Electric Guitar
Pros:
- The fit and general finish are great
- Super value for the money
- Its look and sound are lovely
- Perfect mix of modern and classic styles
Cons:
- Seems to have some cracks
- Sliding down the neck seems uncomfortable
Epiphone was acquired in 1957 by Gibson. And it is now designated as a subsidiary that produces and supplies the more affordable entry level guitars worldwide. This brand has become very popular among beginners, even many advanced players will credit their humble beginning to Epiphone.
The Les paul Special-II Electric Guitar is what we consider as one of the most popular models of this brand. It comes in a well-polished mahogany body at a very reasonable price.
Squier: Squier by Fender Bullet Strat with Tremolo, Rosewood Fretboard
Pros:
- Excellent quality for the price
- Good playability
- Very easy to set up
- The tuning pegs have sufficient tension to hold the strings
Cons:
- Seems the volume pot makes a slight whoosh noise
- The frets need some attention
Squier is regarded as the as being related to Fender. They are reputed for making affordable guitars for beginners in need of first instrument to own. This brand often designed packs that come with awesome accessories needed to get started.
However, if you are in need of a pocket-friendly instrument, your choice should be Squier by Fender Bullet Strat with Tremolo, Rosewood Fretboard.
Yamaha: Gigmaker EG Electric Guitar Pack
Pros:
- Awesome quality guitar at an affordable price
- The body finish is flawless
- The intonation seems pretty
- It sounds good
Cons:
- The amplifier is extremely basic
- A number of missing items
Yamaha is a Japanese musical instrument maker. They are well known for manufacturing a wide range of instruments such as violins, horgans, band instruments and electric guitars. Also, this brand produces electric guitars for all levels of players.
The Yamaha Gigmaker EG Electric Pack will stand as a good example of what this brand represent. It is a complete electric guitar package that will get you playing instantly.
Gretsch: G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top
Pros:
- Super easy and fun to play
- It sounds amazing
- Very versatile and portable
- The setup is pretty good right out of the box
Cons:
- A little awkward to hold
- The size may be too small for some players
Gretsch was established in 1883, when it began making banjos. However, the brand delved into building of guitars in the 1930s. And it has not deviated from manufacturing good quality guitars since then.
Our top pick from this brand is the G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top. It comes in a polar-size agathis body with a “C” shape neck. Definitely, this is a great pick for couch strumming or something to play onstage.
Jackson: JS22 Dinky
Pros:
- It comes set up right out of the box
- It is super fast
- Great guitar at a great price
- Sounds great and very easy to play
Cons:
- It needs some tuning
- Some quality control issues
Jackson is a reputed brand among metal players today. Although, it became very popular in the 1980s, it has continued to be a prefered choice of many metal and hard rock players worldwide. Some of their notable models include Soloist, Dinky, and King V.
However, our top pick from their range of guitars is the JS22 Dinky. It comes in a basswood body finish with a dinky shape, one-piece maple neck reinforced with graphite. Overall, this is a solid body electric guitar that will make a perfect choice for serious metal guitarists.
Godin: 5th Avenue CW Electric Guitar
Pros:
- Beautiful to look at
- Plays very comfortably
- Sounds great
- Well designed and constructed
Cons:
- The tuners look cheap
- Needs some work setting it up properly
Godin is a Canadian based company that was established in 1972 by Robert Godin. It has since acquired several acoustic guitar brands such as Simon and Patrick, Seagull, and La Patrie. Their range of products includes electric guitars, acoustic-electric guitars as well as bass guitars. Therefore, rock and blues players will find a perfect option among the models Godin has got to offer.
The 5th Avenue CW Electric Guitar is a great example of a typical Godin model. It comes in a cut-away body with a canadian silver leaf maple neck. This is a top quality electric guitar that is well built in the North America.
Key Considerations When Looking for the Best Electric Guitar from the Best Brands in the Market
As a matter of fact, the quality of an electric guitar is usually determined by its manufacturer. And giving that there are so many brands competing in the market, it can be difficult sometimes making a choice. However, in order to make the job easier for you, we have identified some factors you need to consider. These factors include:
- Skill Level – Your level of play will go a long way to determine the brand and model that is just right for you. For instance, if you are a beginner there are a number of brands that make a lot of great entry-level instruments. While professional players will also find a couple of highly rated brands available on the market.
- Budget – Budget is a great limiting factor when deciding to buy a musical instrument like electric guitars. These musical instruments are usually available in a range of prices. Some professional gauged guitars are way beyond $1000. Nevertheless, there are brands that still take care of budget-conscious players.
Final Thoughts
Finally, we believe you have been able to observe different top electric guitar brands. And possibly you might have got an eye on one that appeals to you in terms of style, sound and budget. As noted earlier, there are brands like Epiphone or Yamaha that are reputed for making great instruments for beginners. While we have got some brands like Fender that do offer American professional strat guitars for advanced players.
