9 Best electric guitars [2021]
There is something about electric guitars that the original acoustic guitars don’t have, the core of what made rock music what it is today. Electric guitars gave a certain kick to the regular sound of guitars, whether it is a simple clean amplified sound or a distorted sound, there is no doubt that it is one of the most popular instruments. Instead of the acoustic traditional sound, these rely on their pickups and amplifier quality to produce sound.
When looking to buy an electric guitar you probably want to check out which are the best electric guitars on the market and then make the best choice of course. These guitars can be seen as some of the best out there, although some are stronger in specific aspects so there is no such thing as the best electric guitar in the world, there is, however, a way to know more about the little things to help you make your decision.
Schecter OMEN-6
While Schecter is not a very popular brand like fender or Gibson, it does deliver good quality guitars for a more accessible price. This makes it a good choice for either beginners or experienced players. However, it is a guitar that plays better in a metal or hard rock scenario.
This guitar is made of basswood with bolt-on maple neck, built from a solid maple piece. The fretboard has 24 frets and is made of rosewood. The way this guitar is made helps the kind of precision and resonance that heavy metal players look for in a guitar. Pickups are also very good quality thus improving the sound even more.
Some cons of this guitar include being heavier than your standard electric guitar, and some rough fret edges. While the brand can be a turn-off, don’t let its lack of fame deceive you, if you are a beginner, or don’t want to go for a very high-end guitar, Schecter will provide what you are looking for.
Ibanez AG75BS Artcore
First of all, this is not an expensive guitar. The Ibanez Artcore AG75 is actually a great deal not only as an electric guitar but somewhat acoustic. This is due to its hollow body, which makes it sound very good while playing unplugged.
The way this one is built makes it reliable and a good looking guitar. These are made in China, which for its price and quality is not that big of a deal, however, there may be some that don’t really like this little fact
Of course, this is still an electric guitar and a very good one, but if you already have an acoustic guitar this acoustic feel to it when unplugged may not shine as much. Still, if this is your only guitar, you’re in for a treat, it’s like you’re buying two for one.
Its thin neck and strong nature make the AG75 a very good choice for playing Jazz.
G&L Tribute ASAT Classic
This electric guitar is made in the US from Alder, ash or basswood, its body usually has a gloss polyurethane finish; bolt-on maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard.
This is a powerful guitar, it doesn’t have the qualities of a classic Telecaster, but what it does have is a great quality regarding high outputs.
There is no doubt that quality and playability won’t be an issue here, any G&L guarantees a strong body and quality.
If you are looking for a guitar that doesn’t rely too much on bass or mids, this one has one of the best high output sounds. However, this does not make it a very open electric guitar in terms of its sound.
Jackson SLX Soloist X
The Soloist X is another wallet-friendly guitar, which is already a plus because it’s on this list. It’s not easy to find a good price and good quality, fortunately, this is one of those.
The guitar consists of a basswood body, a maple neck, a rosewood fretboard with 24 frets, sharkfin inlays, a licensed Floyd Rose bridge.
In terms of pickups, it has two Duncan humbuckers, which makes the sound heavier, one volume, one tone, and a three-way switch.
It’s important to know that this guitar does not have the traditional Jackson tonewoods. It actually has maple with basswood wings, which is quite original.
Overall this guitar has a lot of potential, many people recommend changing the pickups but don’t choose very bright ones, and maybe a few mods here and there to fit your needs. Other than that this one is solid, good price and with a heavy humbucker sound that fits blues.
Epiphone G-400 Pro Electric Guitar
Now, this guitar is what you would call a direct upgrade of the previous one, with the original being the standard G-400. The G-400 PRO has a mahogany body, top, and back. It has a very pretty cool vintage cherry look and the body’s edges have a veneer which is very subtle but looks special and original.
The pickups offer a great full sound, with good mids, highs and fairly good bass which can give versatility to the player. This goes well with genres such as rock and blues.
Epiphone’s G-400 PRO is a big improvement on its predecessor. It doesn’t have high-end pickups due to its price but works well enough. Still, this guitar does not disappoint with low gain blues leads, rhythm rock and coil tapping which enables you to alter the levels of power from a single pickup, giving versatility to the overall sound.
ESP LTD EC-256
This electric guitar goes with a classic design with a mahogany body and neck and rosewood fingerboard, so its design makes it look similar to a Les Paul
If you want to get into electric guitars this could be a good choice, as it is affordable and it offers a wide range of sounds that can fit any genre. Because of this, it brings a good amount of options for beginners.
It has some good quality ESP Designed LH-150 humbuckers, one for the neck and one for the bridge.
It includes set-neck construction and body, a three-piece neck, and headstock binding.
This guitar may appear a bit heavy, but some people prefer it that way. Also, the pickups can be a bit muffled which makes its sound far from very bright.
Yamaha Pacifica PAC611HFM RB
The Yamaha Pacifica has a ‘root beer’, color that shows off the body’s maple veneer. The headstock follows this vintage aesthetic and the maple neck takes its inspiration from a 60s Strat.
Some people may still consider Fender and Gibson to be the best at making electric guitars, but never underestimate brands such as Yamaha, mostly because it offers top-notch quality at a moderate price, not because it has cheap materials, but because it’s not under the spotlight.
This Yamaha’s Pacifica but this guitar adds something more to the table in regards to the previous models, which comes as unique and special in classic rock and blues.
It has a great tone which can be clearly heard through blues sounds and jazz chords, definitely a wise choice for beginners and experienced players.
Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 50’s Stratocaster
This Squier electric guitar screams Classic Strat from the 50s and it is made of Alder body, unlike other Squier guitars which are often made of basswood.
The neck is made of a single high-quality glossy maple. The shape also helps with playability
Fret edges are not rough at all, they are smooth and carefully crafted so that there won’t be any issues with playing for large periods of time.
This is another good guitar for beginners since it’s not too expensive and it’s very easy on the hands and fingers. Playing with this guitar is as smooth as it gets due to its high-quality design. The only downside is its tremolo, which is not a deal breaker at all but it’s not perfect.
Epiphone Les Paul STANDARD PLUS-TOP PRO
First of all, Epiphone is a Gibson subsidiary, so at first glance, it may already be a good option with such a big name behind it.
The body is made of mahogany with a maple top, and of course the very popular Les Paul electric guitar style.
It has a set neck, rosewood fingerboard, and Trapezoid inlays; this Standard model also has a cream binding on the body and neck to make your eyes happy.
In terms of playability, this guitar also has you covered as the fretboard’s design lets you slide your fingers and play without any major problem.
The Les Paul Standard Plus-Top PRO has Epiphone ProBucker 2 and ProBucker 3 pickups.
This is the perfect choice to make rock and blues and there is no doubt about it. However, it also offers some space in order to experiment and makes sounds that don’t necessarily belong to these types of genres. All you need is the right tools to make it happen.
The only big thing to be aware of is that this is not a cheap guitar so it might be a better choice for experienced players rather than beginners.
Final words
If it wasn’t very clear before reading this article, there are now some things to consider before buying a guitar, one of the best electric guitars. As shown earlier, they come in many forms, so remember to consider the body, coloring and styles, material, budget, and never forget to check if the guitar you’re buying is for a right-handed person or a left-handed.
While this list may help you choose which one suits you better, you can always do some more research on the details, such as pickups, strings, and the materials used to make these guitars. Just make sure, your opinion is the one that counts the most in the end.