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These are the best electric guitars starting from just $120. Not only will you sound good playing these – you’ll look good too!

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The models below are listed in order of price – not the manufacturer’s suggested price – but the lower prices you can actually buy your electric guitar for at online music gear stores.

We’ve broken these down into two categories:

1. Best Under $200

2. Best Under $500

Best Electric Guitars Under $200

For the best in the budget price range, suitable for beginners, there is a clear leading brand – Epiphone. They produce budget versions of some of the more famous Gibson guitars like the ‘Les Paul’. The other big name brand here is Squire, and they make affordable versions of Fender guitars like the famous Stratocaster.

But they’re not the only good guitars in this price range, so here’s our recommended Top 5 electric guitars under $200:

	Squier Bullet Strat The Squier Bullet Strat is an affordable and practical electric guitar with the familiar Fender Stratocaster body shape and tremolo. It is a light weight solidbody electric guitar, designed to produce basic yet versatile single coil Fender tones. The Squier Bullet will introduce you to the feel and sound of Fender guitars. Look around and you’ll find this selling for a little under $120. Go to the Squire Bullet page for more information.
	Epiphone LP Junior Special This guitar represents the most affordable way you can get started playing a “Les Paul”. It has a Humbucker pickup positioned to give it a well balanced tone which isn’t too bright or too muddy. You can find this selling online for just under $130. If you have a few extra dollars then the Epiphone Les Paul Special II listed below will allow you to grow longer as a guitar player before you grow out of it.
	Ibanez GRX20Z By using affordable tonewoods and parts, the Ibanez GRX20Z offers the same playability and set-up as expensive guitars at affordable prices. It offers the same fast and low action neck that Ibanez is known for, making it ideal for aspiring shredders. The look of this Gio series guitar might suggest an inclination towards hard rock or metal but it does work well with other genres. The street price is $149.99. Go to the Ibanez GRX20Z site for full specs.
	Epiphone Les Paul Special II Definitely one of the best guitars in this price range, it’s Epiphone’s top selling guitar, and it’s not hard to see why. It is a popular Les Paul stunt double, allowing you to rest your expensive Gibson Les Paul and carry an affordable road worthy look-a-like workhorse. The Epiphone Les Paul Special II is designed to produce something close to the Gibson Les Paul tone and feel by using inexpensive materials. It usually sells online for $169. Go to Epiphone.com for complete specs.
	Daisy Rock Debutante Rock Candy Daisy Rock specialize in girl guitars. The Debutante Rock Candy features a “slim and narrow” neck, designed for girls with smaller hands. The colors and light weight body follow the same female theme, but to ensure gender equality, the feel and sound of the guitar can match macho guitars within the same price range. It usually sells online for just under $200. Visit Daisyrock.com for more info.

Best Electric Guitars Under $500

There are some great guitars in this price range, including actual Fender and Gibson models. Here is our pick of the Best 6 electric guitars under $500:

	Ibanez ART100 The Ibanez ART100 does not have the usual hot rod specs common to Ibanez guitars, instead it sports a simple and effective set up. What you see is what you get, it is a 24.75 inch scale guitar with a single cutaway solid body. The simple stop tail, Gibraltar III bridge and set neck setup gives it a singing sustain. The Ibanez ART100 is a good choice if you are looking for a basic, easy to maintain set up. You can buy it online for only $299.99. For more info visit Ibanez.
	ESP LTD F-50FR This is a full featured gothic body guitar. It provides playability that beginners can appreciate, plus it has advanced features like the fast 24 jumbo fret fingerboard and the Floyd Rose Special tremolo which gives up and down tremolo flexibility while keeping it in perfect tune. The ESP LTD F-50FR has a lightweight basswood body and a bolt-on maple neck. It is equipped with ESP LH-150 pickups which work well for rock. Listed online at $299. For full specs, visit ESPGuitars.com.
	Epiphone 50th Anniversary 1961 SG Special Outfit Another iconic rock guitar is made affordable by Epiphone. The Epiphone 50th Anniversary 1961 SG Special Outfit is designed to capture the feel and sound of a vintage 1961 Gibson SG. The shape, size and specs carefully mimic the original, and the Alnico P90 pickups that come with it will give you the classic rock sound to match its vintage looks. You can buy it for only $399 online. For the complete specs, visit Epiphone.
	Gibson Melody Maker Gibson’s most affordable USA made guitar. It was the top selling guitar when the legendary Les Paul guitar was released. It has the same slim and light mahogany body connected to a set mahogany neck and it sports the same vintage vibe and tone that the original top seller had. This Melody Maker remains as Gibson’s most popular electric guitar model. You can get your hands on this US made Gibson for as low as $489. For the complete specs, head over to Gibson Melody Maker.
	Epiphone Les Paul Standard A great value guitar under $500! This is Epiphone’s take on the original Les Paul design and it looks and plays very much like the more pricey original. Being affordable and mass produced, it doesn’t have the same expensive woods and components as the Gibson version, but you will find the Epiphone Les Paul Standard can nearly match the expensive Gibson Les Pauls in terms of sound quality. Current Retail price is at $499. For more info, visit Epophone.com.
	Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH The Fender Blacktop Stratocaster is unique because instead of the usual single coil pickups found on Strats, it is equipped with dual over-wound alnico humbucking pickups. It gives the guitar a different tonal character than regular strats, you exchange the chimey single coil sound for a fat and warmer humbucking tone. It is currently selling for just under $500. Visit Fender.com for further info.