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Cheap Electric Guitar Roundup

Get great sounding quality instruments at ridiculously low prices, with our Cheap Electric Guitar Buyers Guide.


We have sorted through a staggering number of cheap guitars to pick out the ones that sound and look great. Aside from the obvious price consideration, we considered build quality, tone, and user feedback – to come up with a list of cheap electric guitars that will give you the most bang per buck. These inexpensive guitars are ideal for beginners and the budget conscious, advanced players who want to have affordable project guitars will also find this list quite handy.

We tried our best to pick out guitars that represent popular shapes and styles, covering multiple genres from classic blues to modern metal.

Starcaster Strat

Starcaster strat

The Starcaster series of instruments are affordable guitars designed for students/beginners, marketed by Fender. But here is the thing, it uses similar parts and design as the standard Squier Strat, only cheaper – so you are basically getting a working Squier Strat with a different branding, for less. The Starcaster Strat comes in four finishes that also matches the quality of Squier Stratocasters. Other features include a rosewood fingerboard with medium jumbo frets and a traditional 3 single-coil pickup configuration which will let you handle a variety of guitar duties from mellow, to blues and also rock. With its rock bottom price and Fender design, this is the cheapest way to get good Fender tones. Get the latest prices and reviews at Amazon.com

B.C. Rich Warlock

B.C. Rich Warlock

The B.C. Rich Warlock is an affordable guitar with an aggressive attitude. It features a unique pointed body built from agathis wood, and it has a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and 24 frets. The body is shaped using B.C. Rich’s beveled edge contour design, which is inspired by a cut precious stone. Its unique body shape reflects light at different angles, giving the B.C. Rich Warlock more of a 3D look. Other features of this guitar include BDSM humbucking pikcups, adjustable bridge and chrome die-cast tuners. It is consistently receiving great reviews from owners, and so it is the top choice for those that want to rock hard. Get the latest prices and reviews at Amazon.com

Dean ML XM

Dean ML XM

Thanks to companies like Dean, exotic shaped guitars are now more accessible. The stylish Dean ML XM Electric Guitar is proof of that – it stays true to the description: “you don’t have to lay out the big bucks to play a hard core rock guitar”. This guitar features an ML-style paulownia body, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It is equipped with Dean designed humbuckers, die-cast tuners and a tune-o-matic bridge – which you can upgrade for improved tone and tuning stability. The ML XM also features a string-thru design for improved sustain. If you are looking for a cheap way to play rock, punk and metal in style, the Dean ML XM is the obvious choice. Get the latest prices and reviews at Amazon.com

ESP LTD F-10

ESP LTD F-10

If you are tired of the same old strat-like guitar shapes, then the LTD F-10 is your ideal guitar. Its distinctive angled shape and finish makes it a perfect tool for rock and metal guitarists. The LTD F-10 is an affordable take on ESP’s well-known metal guitars as popularized by the likes of Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Jeff Hanneman (Slayer), and George Lynch (Dokken). This double-cutaway guitar is built for shredding, its 24-fret fingerboard and extra thin U-shape neck is conducive to fast soloing and string bending. Tone variety is provided by a bridge position humbucker and a single-coil in the neck, which you an upgrade for even better results. Other features include master volume and tone controls, 3-way pickup selector, and adjustable bridge with stopbar tailpiece. Get the latest prices and reviews at Amazon.com

Oscar Schmidt OE30

Oscar Schmidt OE30

Normally, you’ll have to pay top dollars for a semi-hollow body electric guitar, but thanks to Oscar Schmidt, the versatile sound of semi-hollows are now much more affordable and accessible. For an entry level price, you get a great looking guitar with quality workmanship and you get genuine semi-hollow tones. The Oscar Schmidt OE30 features two Washburn Series 400 pickups that produce a variety of tones, from warm mellows to all out rock tones. Other features include Grover tuners, tune-o-matic bridge and a stop tailpiece. The finish is surprisingly good and consistent for its price, and it also makes a great project guitar for those that want to experiment with various pickups on a semi-hollow body. Getting a nice semi-hollow body at this price is definitely a steal. Get the latest prices and reviews at Amazon.com

So there you have it – our roundup of the best cheap electric guitar options available today. If you haven’t found the guitar that’s right for you in our list then take a look at MyFirstAxe.com – The Best Guitar for Beginners Guide. And if there’s a really good gutiar that we’ve missed, please let us know in the comments below.

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If you’re looking for the next level up in Electric Guitars, but want to stay under $500, then check out our roundup of the best instruments in this price range.
 

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