Best Electric Guitars 2022

Do you want to buy an electric guitar to start learning how to play and become a little closer to your idol? Or are you ready to conquer the stage yourself? Now it’s quite easy to find a quality instrument: gone are the days when you had to look for electric guitars through friends and acquaintances or make your own. There are now a great many of them – for every color, taste and budget. Let’s make a reservation right away that now we will consider six-string electric guitars of the lower price segment with a solid body – we will talk about professional, collectible and antique instruments, as well as other types of electric guitars in the following reviews.

Top 10 rating according to KP

Editor’s Choice

1. Cort CR300

A variation on the theme of the legendary instrument Gibson Les Paul from the Korean company Cort. This is probably the closest variation to the original in the budget segment. Many nuances have been observed, including the famous “maple cover” on the case. Also on this model are branded American EMG pickups (model FAT55). Their sound is suitable for different genres, although the pickups of this company are not to everyone’s taste. A thin matte finish gives the guitar a special charm. This is the undisputed leader of our rating, however, and the most expensive tool in it.

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2. Inspector TT3

“Telecaster” from the company Inspector Guitars. Although this is a “television set”, but in a modern reading – one powerful pickup, one volume knob – instruments with this configuration are usually chosen by performers of heavy styles, however, the guitar can suit you not only in this case, but also when you need an instrument, in which there is nothing superfluous. Of particular note is the fact that this is an artel production, and the number of tools produced is lower than that of popular manufacturers, which affects the build quality, and also makes it possible to make changes to the base model.

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3. Yamaha Pacifica 112

The famous “stratocaster” from the Japanese company Yamaha. A very popular model among beginners and not so musicians. The appearance is reminiscent of the Fender Stratocaster, although it does not copy it. Thanks to the configuration of the pickups, you can get a fairly wide palette of sounds. Yamaha instruments are famous for their good factory assembly, which will undoubtedly be a plus if you do not want to invest in fine-tuning the instrument in the future.

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What other electric guitars are worth paying attention to?

4. Harley Benton TE-30

A simple and functional “telecaster” from the German company Thomann. For a small price, the musician gets a full-fledged instrument that will be equally good for learning and rehearsing. Of particular note is that the guitar is made of quite high-quality ash, this type of wood is used in expensive and very expensive instruments.

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5. Epiphone Les Paul Special VE

Budget model in the Lespol form factor from the American company Epiphone. Made in the image and likeness of one of the variations of the legendary guitar Gibson Les Paul Special. A very functional guitar, but the resemblance to the “big brother” is rather external: the neck, unlike the original, is screwed and not glued, the wood materials and electronics also differ from the original. However, this model has its own sound, which can and should be used. The VE series has a fairly thin coating, which in our opinion is rather a plus, but requires more careful handling.

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6. Squier Affinity Telecaster

“Telecaster” from the American guitar building giant Fender (Squier is a subsidiary brand of this company). Actually, the founder of this company, Leo Fender, just developed the Telecaster in the distant 1940s, so we can say (albeit with a slight stretch) that this model is closest to the original of all those present on the market today. Apart from, of course, the Fender itself, however, this is a completely different price category. As part of the Affinity series, guitars of other configurations are also produced, but it is the “tel” that seems to us the most successful. For a well-known brand, however, you have to pay extra.

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7. Jackson Dinky JS11

Metalist’s dream! “Superstrat” ​​from the legendary American company Jackson. Black color, aggressive shapes, branded headstock in the form of a stick – what else do you need? And all this for a very attractive price. There is nothing superfluous in this guitar – take it and play it. Of course, this instrument is initially focused on heavy music, so we recommend considering it in this vein.

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8. Ibanez GRG 121DX

Another metal dream from the legendary Japanese Ibanez. The instruments of this company are famous for their ease of playing and very good versatility, although they are popular mainly among heavy music performers, which, in our opinion, is not entirely fair. This model, in our opinion, is the closest to the older Ibanez lines in terms of its functionality. We recommend considering it if you plan to play in different genres.

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9. Schecter C6 / C6 Plus

A hybrid of “superstrat” ​​and “lespol” from the American company Schecter. The guitar is very easy to control, comfortable and quite versatile. If you find it hard to choose between Strat and Les Paul, then this is the option for you. Frankly, having a mid pickup would make this guitar even more versatile, but the manufacturer doesn’t see it that way. But nothing – and so the possibilities of the guitar abound. In the Plus variation, the top of the case is finished with a very beautiful maple veneer.

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10. Flight EST-11

Traditional “stratocaster” for a very modest price. Three pickups and a tremolo are classic and almost invariable components of any “strat” ​​regardless of its age, price and country of origin. This model from the famous Asian company should be considered if you want to get by with a minimum price or if you are not sure that you will play the guitar in the future. Otherwise, the joy of a low price may be overshadowed by the need for additional investment.

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Electric guitars from Ali Express

In addition to the main rating, we also decided to talk about such a phenomenon as guitars from Ali Express. Beginning performers have questions about them all the time, and the prices for these products are very, very attractive. Strictly speaking, all guitar products that are sold in this online hypermarket can be divided into two large groups: fakes for well-known brands and Chinese manufacturers’ own models, which in one way or another look like classic models. In our opinion, it is not necessary to buy fakes under any circumstances, except for the need to keep the guitar as an interior item or for filming videos when the original instrument is undesirable. Practice shows that the quality of these fakes is very low. As for your own products, then you need to act solely at your own risk and fear. We came across both quite decent and even good specimens, as well as third-rate ones. In this case, you must remember that no one gives you any guarantees.

How to choose an electric guitar

There are a lot of electric guitars out there. And it is not possible to consider even the most popular models, not only within the framework of an article, but even a book. There are a lot of nuances, both objective and subjective, which are generally extremely difficult to take into account in general rather than personal recommendations. For assistance in this matter, the KP turned to guitar master, owner and founder of the workshop “10 strings” Pavel Desnev.

General remarks

The process of choosing any musical instrument, including electric guitars, is not the easiest. The fact is that the choice is truly huge, and the buyer often wants everything at once. “Everything at once” cannot be combined in any guitar, and even more so in a factory instrument of a budget category. Electric guitars differ not only in form, but also have a large number of options for technical characteristics. We will talk about them below.

Purpose of purchase

First you need to clearly define the purpose of the purchase: for what and how will the guitar be used? For learning, playing on stage and in rehearsals, for studio work, playing in nature, etc. To simplify the picture, let’s consider the “learning” option, since stage and studio performers, as a rule, already know to a greater or lesser extent what exactly they need. The following is about buying a new guitar.

Form and appearance

There are several basic, most common forms, but there are dozens of them. We will focus on four (in the photo from left to right): Stratocaster, Les Paul, Super Strat and Telecaster. These forms have fundamental differences that affect the sound, but when it comes to choosing a guitar for learning, we advise you to choose what you like best in appearance or the same form that your favorite performer uses.

Wood

Many types of wood are used to make electric guitars. The most traditional are alder, linden, poplar, ash, mahogany (for bodies), mahogany or maple (for fingerboards), rosewood, maple, ironwood, ebony, jatoba and many others (for fingerboards). Of course, the choice of wood affects the sound, but we must remember that manufacturers and sellers tend to assign truly magical properties to various species. Therefore, we recommend that you first of all pay attention to the design features of the guitar, the quality of spare parts and workmanship, and only after that – to the types of wood.

Sound recorders

Strictly speaking, pickups fall into two broad categories: single-coil pickups (pictured left) and humbuckers (two-coil, pictured right). Singles give a clearer and more transparent sound, but are more exposed to the background. Humbuckers practically do not emit any noise, they give a more powerful signal, but less transparent. Of course, in reality, everything is much more complicated, but to simplify the picture, we will accept the following statement: it is advisable to use single-coils for clear sound and light styles of music, humbuckers – for heavy music and overdriven sound.

Neck attachment

In most cases, the neck is either screwed or glued to the body. There are other methods of fastening, but they are used much less frequently. There is a legend that screwed necks are used only on cheap guitars, and glued necks are used on expensive ones, and that instruments with glued necks sound better. Actually it is not. We recommend that you prioritize the overall build quality of the guitar. We only note that a guitar with a screwed neck is more durable, more reliable, and easier to maintain.

Tremolo

Some instruments are equipped with a tremolo, a device for lowering and raising the pitch during playing. Such devices require skills in working with them and tuning the guitar. Therefore, before buying, you should firmly decide whether you need this device or not.

Purchase

As soon as there is clarity with these points, you can go to the store. Of course, the ideal option would be to bring someone who understands guitars, this will remove many problems. If this is not possible, and you make the purchase yourself, then pay attention to the following points:

1. All components of the structure must be tightly fitted to each other, without gaps, cracks, etc.
   
2. When you look at the instrument from the front, check that the strings are in the same plane with the neck, they should not “hanging” off the neck. If this happens, it means that the neck is set unevenly. In some cases, this is easily fixable, and in some it is impossible to fix without serious intervention in the design.
   
3. The fret wire itself should not stick out over the fretboard and along its edges.
   
4. The stroke of the pegs should be smooth, without backlash.
   
5. The paintwork must be intact, without scuffs, cracks, scratches and chips. The exception is the “aged” coating, but this is a topic for a separate discussion.
   
6. Pay attention to the frets and chrome parts of the instrument. It is desirable that they be shiny, without dull parts and patina. This suggests that the guitar is new, and has not been hanging in the store for a long time.

Before you try to play the guitar, ask the seller to tune it – this is his responsibility. Guitars often arrive at the store unbuilt, and getting it ready for sale is the store’s job, not yours. It is desirable that the guitar be brought to you from the warehouse and tuned in front of you, and not taken from the window. Especially ask the seller to check the operation of the truss rod in the neck. If it spins tight or crunches, you probably don’t need this tool. If the seller refuses to do this, consider whether it is worth making a purchase in this store.

It should be easy to play in all positions, the strings should not ring on the frets, and the frets should not scratch the hands, as I mentioned above. The volume and tone controls should work smoothly, without crunching, creaking or other overtones. The socket and any switches should also not give any extraneous noise. If you yourself have not yet learned to play, it does not matter – ask the seller to demonstrate the guitar.

If you are satisfied with the appearance of the instrument, ease of play and sound, then buy it. Do not forget to also buy related products: case, strap, spare strings. After purchase, it is best to put the strings fresh, and it is advisable to store the guitar in a case.

Additional tips

Keep in mind that stores sometimes play tricks by offering customers a discount, but in fact they are selling a discounted product in this way. Discounted guitars cannot be exchanged or returned. Always ask about the warranty, its conditions and check if there is a master at the store. Since the period for exchange and return in many stores is only 14 days, you may not have time to deal with the tool during this time.

It will also not be superfluous to show the tool to a qualified master immediately after purchase, so that if a malfunction is found in it, immediately return it. You can (and should) even warn the seller about this in advance.

Remember that you will not be able to find all the pitfalls – they can only be identified by a specialist during a detailed examination in the workshop. Wood is a natural material, and its structure is not uniform, so constant maintenance and care of the guitar is a common practice that you have to get used to if you want your instrument to serve you faithfully.