The King V JS32T features a bolt-on, graphite-reinforced maple speed neck with 24 jumbo frets and a 12" to 16" compound-radius. Find out more at jacksonguitars.com. It also comes with two ProBucker humbuckers, voiced after the original PAF humbuckers found in guitars of this era. Reminiscent of the sounds produced by fat P-90-esque single coils, they pack plenty of punch, while the semi-hollow body makes for a woodier, less aggressive tone than you'd get from a straight-up solidbody. Cheaper guitars often have to take compromises in order to keep the price down. If your hardware isnt up to scratch, youll have problems with your tuning, intonation and the playability of your guitar will suffer - so we think its worth spending some money and getting a well-made instrument with good hardware. For controls, theres a three-way switch and individual volume and tones for each pickup. With so many options from brands like PRS, Epiphone, Gretsch, Ibanez and many more, guitarists have never been so lucky. Most, if not all guitarists will have started on a budget guitar, as it is a low-risk way to see if you like playing the instrument. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). The SE Standard 24 is the kind of guitar that will thrive in any setting, whether youre after glassy funk tones (thanks to the coil split) or creamier and meatier high-gain sounds. Ever wanted an iconic Fender Strat or Gibson Les Paul? This particular model comes with a dual-humbucker layout, and while that does mean no signature Jazzmaster oversized single coils, you can split the buckers with a push-pull tone pot if you want a bit more twang. Cheap. Squier and Epiphone are owned by these legendary guitar builders, respectively, and make excellent affordable options of the original renowned instruments. He's interviewed everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. This mid-priced doublecut is a rather striking-looking guitar, inspired by the aesthetics of a 60s motorcycle. Buying from a music shop ensures you'll get excellent service and advice, a product warranty and a product that you can enjoy. There's always the option to buy an Eastcoast guitar in a brilliant Andertons bundle filled with essential accessories. Same price online & Lists for 599. A mahogany body with a maple top also provides a nice weighty balance, both in terms of tone and ergonomics. Lists for 569. In stock at our store and warehouse, ready to ship directly to Then think about 349. The Cosmo black finish on the S521's hardware adds an elegant touch to the low-budget model. So often people misinterpret the word cheap for rubbish or poor. When you think Gretsch, you might not think P90s but for this model the brand embraces single-coils, resulting in an impressive machine indeed, as we noted in our review. Lists for 545. Find out more at yamaha.com. Featuring two incredibly responsive BroadTron pickups, the Gretsch G5220 Electromatic Jet BT Single-Cut can handle both detailed, expressive lead work and scorching hard-rock with equal aplomb. Meet the best electric guitar under $500, Wide Thin neck profile isn't for everyone, A solid budget electric guitar with larger-than-life swagger, Unleash your inner shredder without breaking the bank, The best cheap electric guitar under $500 if you want Thinline tones for less, Some players may prefer a satin neck finish, A short-scale masterpiece that wont cost the earth, A low-cost, twin-humbucker single-cut for the ages, A single pickup time capsule from Epiphone, Incredible tonal variety at a mouth-watering price, Adjustable solid saddles are a nice touch, One of the best budget electric guitar deals on a metal guitar, The look (and tones) of an Ibanez at a terrifically low price, Clean tones do occasionally leave a bit to be desired, Today's best prices on the best electric guitars under $500, Guitar World teams up with TrueFire to create the ultimate in guitar masterclasses, Best cheap electric guitars under $500: Our top picks, Best cheap electric guitars under $500: Product guide, Volume, tone (with push-pull coil-split), 3-way selector, Vintage Cherry, Tobacco Sunburst, Translucent Blue, Epiphone 650SCR Ceramic Single-Coil (neck),Epiphone 700SCT Ceramic Single-Coil (bridge), 3-way pickup selector, Master Volume, Master Tone, Ebony, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Pacific Blue, Sunset Yellow, Turquoise, Vintage Sunburst, Duncan Designed HB-105B humbucker (bridge), HB-105N (neck), Tune-o-matic bridge, Graph Tech XL Black Tusq nut, Strings-through-body Telecaster bridge with six saddles, Lipstick dual humbucking (bridge), vintage-style large housing single coil (neck), 3 way pickup switch, Master Volume, Master Tone (with push pull switch to split bridge pickup), Master Volume, Master Tone, 3-way blade switch, Chambered mahogany body with laminated-maple top, Neck volume, bridge volume, tone, master volume, 3-way pickup selector, Anchored Adjusto-Matic bridge, V-stoptail tailpiece, Ceramic Humbucker/Ceramic Single-Coil/Ceramic Single-Coil, Master Volume, Tone 1. Find out more at chapmanguitars.co.uk. The company's '59XT model is no exception. The Cutlass, in particular, is one of the most versatile and (in our opinion) one of the best sounding guitars in their affordable roster. Lists for 479. The Epiphone Coronet, first introduced as a reliable and solid entry level guitar back in 1959, is an icon of Epiphones solid-body guitar range. Its harder-edge tones are confident and formidable, without losing any of the articulation the guitar exhibits when engaged in more subtle work. As mentioned earlier, it isn't uncommon for competent guitarists and pros to change parts of their cheaply-bought guitar to improve the sound or how it feels to play. Theres no particular year of instrument its trying to evoke, and no change in the familiar pickup arrangement its just, well, a Telecaster. Every one of these is taken through our robust quality control process to ensure they can be played straight out of the box. published 1 July 22, These cheap electric guitars offer fantastic tone and great playability, all within a more wallet-friendly price range. BA1 1UA. The January 2022 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! Sharp frets will stop you wanting to play the guitar - and thats exactly what we dont want to happen. It also comes with a true Floyd Rose Tremolo and matching locking nut, rather than the simpler 2-point tremolo on the Dinky. There's also the choice of some more modern body shapes as well. All rights reserved. With its sturdy, player-friendly construction and dazzling tonal variety, you can see why Lee was convinced to abandon his signature vintage Teles to design his own standout mode - now available at an affordable price. Looks aside, its loaded with two YGD P90s, somewhat uniquely running through a Dry Switch. This little circuit, when activated, filters out low end to shape the pickup to be more like a traditional single-coil. A brilliant beginner alternative is Eastcoast. Its worth bearing in mind that all of these factors will affect the tone of an instrument before any further coloration from amplifiers or pedals. A cheap electric guitar is just that. We've even written this handy guide as to whyyoushouldbuyyourguitarfromamusicshop. While it might not be the definitive Jazzmaster experience, its a great low-mid-priced entry point for the world of Fender offsets. Though its Vintage Cherry-finished top makes it look a bit cheaper than the S2, the guitar does - unlike the S2 - come with bird inlays as a standard feature. The September 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner. The guitar's electronics are installed in a cavity as - just like the traditional USA-made Custom 24 design - the SE Standard 24 features no scratchplate. Do you prefer the sonic muscle of something heavy or instead like the idea of something less taxing on the spinal column? Read our full Epiphone Les Paul SL review. Tonally, though the guitar's cleans aren't always top-notch, its mid-range is phenomenal. While its a little more expensive, it comes with a fully-fledged Maestro trem system. This electric guitar is - despite its maker's metal target audience - a true all-rounder. Most cheap guitars don't include any of those high-end features, but they will play and feel like a real guitar. , For example, you might find the wood less exotic, the paint less impressive, the pickups not as clear. If thats the case, it might be worth checking out our best electric guitar pickups guide. Find out more at epiphone.com. This throwback guitar is built to celebrate the Birth of the Strat, sporting the same three-single-coil loadout as the original. Amit has been writing for titles likeTotal Guitar,MusicRadarandGuitar Worldfor over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences. While there is certainly an allure to expensive and premium six-strings, some guitarists just prefer to opt for a cheaper, more accessible model over a hand-crafted Custom Shop guitar at times. When it comes to guitars with the perfect combination of cool styling, righteous tones and amazing value, Danelectro has been the guitar industrys shining city on the hill since 1954. If so, wed take a visit to a guitar tech to get those sorted out. Reissued multiple times since, the Coronet has proven itself to be a firm favorite. Tone-wise, the Demon-6 truly lives up to its name. Lists for 559. Now, thankfully most guitar brands wont let a guitar out of the factory with a bad fret job, but its always worth checking them out just to be sure. Lists for 369. Do they protrude out from the edge of the fingerboard? With an extremely thin design, slick maple neck and dual Quantum humbucker loadout youd be forgiven for thinking this is aimed squarely at shredders. The guitars notably feature many of the same design appointments as their standard-range alternatives only for around a third of the price. The guitar's open midrange makes it ideal for both delicate fingerpicking and massive, in-your-face rock riffing. A deep cutaway for the lower horn does allow easy access to all 24 frets if that is your intention, however. Any punchy classic rock riffs are a breeze, while the cleanest settings yield startlingly articulate leads that are more than adequate for even the most subtle of parts. Competitive prices in the EU & selected countries worldwide. Heres why you can trust us. We've pulled together our ten best cheap electric guitars that don't just provide excellent value for money, but will help you on your playing journey too! 2021 Guitar.com is part of NME Networks. For some subtle chord modulations and lead wobbles, theres a vintage-esque tremolo bridge, but other than that this guitar is a simple affair, with a master tone and master volume control and three-way pickup selector switch. What you see here are all the basics you'll need to pick up somewhere down the line whatever type of music you play so you may as well save yourself some money and grab an Andertons bundle! Though the SE Standard 24's action and vibrato response aren't quite ideal, the guitar's player-personal setup helps to rectify these issues as they arise. Then you can finetune your tastes withdetails such as preferred fretboards, upgraded hardware, better pickups and all of the peripherals like amps and pedals. Lean, mean and incredibly easy on the wallet, the Jackson King V JS32T is certainly a force to be reckoned with. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Pretty much every cheap guitar is made on a production line and contains only the most basic guitar features. Are the edges a bit sharp? A lot of guitarists tend to keep a cheaper option in their arsenal if they ever feel like experimenting with parts. But if you're sticking with all the stock features, most cheap guitars tend to stick around for a couple of years. This model also comes with gold hardware down to the metal locking nut lending it to look far more premium than its price would belie. Pay the rest on collection. Add it all up and bundles are going to save you some cash in the long run. Lists for 349. Whether you're a first-time guitar-buyer, buying for your child or on a tight budget, there's a guitar to suit you. For example, some come with a vibrato or whammy bar. The Sterling own-brand pickups offer sweet, chimey cleans in the neck position and full-fat grit in the bridge, and the two-point trem facilitates smooth, musical vibrato which will make you want to come back for more. In keeping with the classic vibe nomenclature, there are 1950s-style headstock markings and a tinted-gloss finish on the neck, ensuring the guitars vintage roots arent forgotten. Its poplar body is light as a feather but still has all the substantial heft of a Les Paul Junior without feeling cumbersome. Most Strat-style guitars also use body woods like alder or ash that are perfect for cutting through above any rhythm section, whereas heavy metal guitarists tend to prefer the hellfire of mahogany bodies wired with hotter humbucker pickups, in some cases with active circuitry. Each of the hand-selected guitars on this list certainly meets this criteria and offers bags of style and superb value for money. This Starla Stoptail impressed us in our review of it, showing off an expressive, twangy character that evokes tones both Fender and Gretsch, while still retaining a characteristic PRS feel. Lists for 399. Its low action also lends a hand to the instrument's shredding prowess, while also paving the way for titanic string bends. Perfect for learning or those just starting out. The guitar's low action and player-friendly tension will also have you waking up the neighbors as you play into the night. Of course, it helps for everything on your guitar to be perfect from the get go, but if you love a guitar and hate the pickups, you can always swap them out. The Sterling by Music Man Albert Lee HH provides the eye-grabbing looks and the amazing buffet of tones supplied by its Ernie Ball Music Man-produced counterpart at a price that won't make you cringe when you check your bank account post-purchase. In fact, that clear divide between flagship, often American-made electric guitars and these more budget-friendly electrics has become even more blurred with many people not able to tell the difference between the premium or budget options in a blind test. Otherwise, the updated Demon-6 remains the same as its predecessors, with industrial black chrome hardware, burled tone and volume knobs and a Crimson Red Burst finish. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more information about other relevant topics, check out our dedicated guides: Just 10% deposit. The 22-fret thin U-profile neck sports a rosewood fretboard, and a 12 radius. James Farmer Though you won't be able to go blow for blow with an S2 with the SE Standard 24, at this price point, it's an incredibly impressive and formidable instrument. Its changed from Bellamys previous signature models to more closely mirror the guitars Bellamy plays on stage. Bundles contain an electric guitar (of course) and a mix of accessories such as a strap, guitar picks, gig bag, tuner, 1/4-inch cable and a guitar stand. The P90 and lipstick humbucker absolutely roar with a vicious snarl, emphasizing delicious upper midrange frequencies that slice through a mix without sounding shrill or harsh. This allows you to achieve any tone imaginable with a simple flick of the 5-way selector switch. To get an idea, look into the specs of the guitars wielded by your biggest guitar heroes or the players youre attempting to sound like. The neck pickup is now a humbucker, allowing for thicker, more powerful sound as a match to the aggressive bridge pickup. The guitar's tone is rich, thick, dynamic and musical. These upgrades will keep it going far into the future. instore! Most of the time, online guitar stores will tell you if the neck is thin, fat, wide, narrow, gloss-finished, satin-finished in their product descriptions - but if thats not the case, most guitar stores will be happy to take a phone call if you want to double-check. The guitar's compound-radius makes it incredibly easy to play. You'll find that the fretboards are flatter for soloing and the body shapes are far more contemporary in design. The neck also comes with a satin finish, as opposed to the gloss found on the body, for comfortable movement around the guitar. By Some bundles even include a small practice amp. Though the fretboard is made of black walnut, the guitar is smooth and elegant enough to pass for a much more expensive instrument at first glance. you! And to some extent, it is, but its thin natural finish on both the body and neck and no-frills design means this guitar wouldnt find itself out of place in any players collection, regardless of their penchant for sweep-picking. Somewhere in between? Even from a cranked amp, they still sound incredibly balanced and defined. This electric guitar is a steal to the point where it leaves you wondering how any profit is being made at all. Lists for 459 (hardtail) or 549 (tremolo). Find out more at fender.com. Please refresh the page and try again. The November 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! Without a doubt, they build some of the best cheap guitars around. It's a special guitar and one that'll help shape the player you become, and that's why it is so important. If you see those names crop up when shopping for a new guitar, know you're getting quality every time. Hardware is another crucial factor in what makes a cheap electric guitar good. Then theres the physical aspect of holding a guitar for hours on end. The SL features a custom single-ply pickguard that surrounds the two Epiphone 700SCT (bridge) and 650SCR (neck) ceramic single-coil pickups. We sell plenty of parts, accessories and pickups for you to be able to get everything you need right here. The words cheap and expensive in the world of guitars are volatile things, their definitions shifting around depending on your level of experience with the instrument, personal tastes and, inevitably, amount of disposable income. Sterling by Music Man is responsible for some of the coolest, best feeling cheap electric guitars money can buy at the moment. Pickups and electronics are also important - but not nearly as important as how a guitar feels to play. With a white pearloid scratchplate, finely carved f-hole and Fender-embossed humbuckers, Squier's version of the guitar certainly looks the part. Of course many choose market places like eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Shopping, which is fine, but you're taking a risk on quality. The October 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. With Jackson's trademark pointy headstock and Sharkfin position inlays, this thing makes a hell of an impression before you even play a note. The Affinity series may be the entry-level point into the varied catalog of Fender guitars, but it certainly doesnt hold back on quality. Epiphone imbued the SLs ceramic pickups with plenty of body and roundness, which gave these plump single-coils a great deal of touch-sensitivity. Everything about the EC-256 is decidedly modern, and can take you from blues to rock to metal, easy. In short - yes! Update: Buckethead recovers one of his stolen guitars with the help of a longtime fan, Guy Fieri cant get enough of Rage Against the Machine concerts, Armadillo claims Evan Rubinson was removed from his role as CEO and President, rather than stepped down, Tony Hawk surprises fans at a London pub by jumping on stage to sing with a Tony Hawks Pro Skater soundtrack cover band, Five guitarists who deserve a signature Gibson Les Paul. Its neck has 21 jumbo frets with a shallow, rounded profile, while the profile itself is a shallow C shape that plays fast and comfortably. Other specs include a set mahogany neck completing a 24.75 scale length, a rosewood fingerboard and a mahogany body. Find out more: Mansons Guitar Works / Cort. We provide insight and opinion about gear, artists, technique and the guitar industry for all genres and skill levels. Smooth, affordable and ferocious all at once, the Schecter Demon-6 is perfect for unleashing your inner speed demon. Find out more at epiphone.com. It effectively acts as a coil-split, even though on these P90s, theres only one coil. A bona-fide Fender for under a grand is hard to say no to. The Fender Strat has long been considered one of the most versatile guitars of all time, and when you throw a high-output ceramic humbucker into the mix, it gets even better. On the higher end, its articulation is quite good and expressive, with leads sounding lean but nimble. There was a problem. The EC-256 is ESPs budget version of models in its Eclipse line. Absolutely! Find out more at fender.com. If you're more into hard rock and metal, we'd recommend you opt for Ibanez or Kramer. Sometimes, it's worth buying a cheap instrument to soup up to the required specs rather than buy a new, expensive guitar outright. The semi-hollows come in combinations of either single or doublecut, and with either a hardtail or a tremolo. But you'll find the best cheap guitars right here! Quantum pickups (in the neck and bridge) plus a five-way switch also come as standard. Lists for 449. Find out more at prsguitars.com. The BroadTron is a humbucker-sized FilterTron- style (PAF warmth and single-coil brightness), giving the guitar pristine cleans with a touch of vintage Gretsch twang. Those who don't wish to summon demonic forces with their playing will find that the Demon-6's cleaner tones are just as satisfying. The first thing to consider when choosing from among the best budget electric guitars under $500 is what kind of tone you hear in your head. Metal-oriented guitars are made to be played fast and produce aggressive, high-gain sounds. And, of course, as you can see, aesthetically it goes above and beyond when considering its price. Many of these guitars are highly versatile and would make either a brilliant beginner electric guitar, a cool second guitar, or even a main gigging axe. The pickups found in the Player Series guitars, according to Fender, keep a foot in the past while looking to the future. So expect a distinct Fender character, but with enough output to keep up with the needs of your rig. This may sound biased, and rightly so. Though, like most other Squier guitars, the Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline features a gloss-finished modern C neck, the guitar's performance and tone - considering its price tag - is simply phenomenal.