Even with all the technological advancements today, it’s sometimes still a challenge to make a good guitar tone. Of course, in order to do so, you first need a good instrument. All the amps, pedals, and other gadgets come after that. Yes, your playing style and your technique play a huge part in it as well, but getting a good guitar is the first thing you should do. So what is the best electric guitar that you can get?
Well, the answer is far from a simple one. There are so many different things to consider here. It’s not only about how it sounds, but also how it feels in your hands and its overall build qualities. After all, you don’t want an instrument that will just turn your playing into an unbearable experience.
This is why we considered all these things and started going through electric guitars that you can buy today. After filtering everything out, we came up with this list of the best electric guitars that you can find today. There’s something for everyone’s tastes, music style, and for everyone’s budget. So let’s get into it.
Gibson SG Standard
Gibson is one of the oldest guitar brands. In their vast arsenal of instruments, we would single out their SG Standard as their best guitar. This old evil-looking design has been around since the 1960s, and you can see SG Standard used in any genre from jazz up to death metal, all with the same pickups. It features a mahogany body, two incredible Gibson pickups, and it’s quite light and comfortable to play. What more do you need?
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS
Fender’s Stratocaster is an even older guitar model. For this list, we’re mentioning Fender’s Player Stratocaster. The guitar comes with a very interesting combination of pickups, with a humbucker in the bridge position and single-coil pickups in the middle and neck. Not only does this instrument feel great, but it also sounds great. What’s more, we have a Floyd Rose tremolo on it. Other than that, we have the classic combination of an alder body and a maple neck. It’s where the old school meets some modern concepts.
Ibanez S670QM
Ibanez guitars are well-known for their versatility and playability. It’s no wonder that they’re seen in the hands of the most technically proficient shredders. We would put their S670QM into the spotlight since this guitar has it all. It comes with the humbucker-single-humbucker pickup configuration and Edge Zero II tremolo bridge. The guitar has the classic Superstrat shape and 24 frets. Its body is made of Meranti wood, while the neck is a maple one with jatoba fretboard.
Dean Michael Amott Tyrant X
Although Dean guitars might not be as big as Gibson or Fender, their quality never disappoints in any price range. But we’d mention one interesting model here, their Michael Amott signature Tyrant X guitar. It takes no more than a glance to see that this is a true metal machine. But aside from a very unique design, we also have two great humbuckers and the strings going through the body. This gives it a very unique feel, and you’re able to play some of the tightest and heaviest riffs that you can imagine.
ESP LTD EC-256
While we’re at metal guitars, ESP LTD has so many great instruments for this genre. Bearing a modified Les Paul shape, EC-256 is both a very ergonomic instrument and one that’s capable of delivering the best tones for many different genres. Its diversity comes from the coil-tap feature, and you can get some Fender-like jangling tones from it. Other than that, it has a quality-made mahogany body and a 3-piece mahogany neck. This is all rounded up with a great-looking finish. You just can’t go wrong with this one.
Paul Reed Smith SE Custom 24
Slowly, but surely, Paul Reed Smith guitars took over the world. And what they’re most proud of is their consistency in every price level. At the same time, these instruments find their way into so many different genres. For instance, their SE Custom 24 is one of the best examples. It features some of the best-made bodies, with a mahogany back and maple top. Meanwhile, we have a very thin maple neck. And in combination with the low string action makes this guitar rather easy to play. And what’s more, there’s also a specially designed cutout on the lower horn, which makes it easier for anyone to reach those higher frets. It’s just a fantastic instrument.
Yamaha Pacifica PAC212
We’d also like to include something cheaper. Interestingly enough, Yamaha makes some amazing guitars in the lower price range. The best example is their Pacifica series, and the model that we’re interested in is PAC212. It’s a very simple yet stylish Strat-shaped guitar with all the essentials. Although you don’t get a lot of flashy additions to it, the guitar is surprisingly reliable and is more than just an instrument that will “get the job done.” The stock pickups on it are pretty great as well, giving those Fender-inspired bright tones.
Gretsch G2655T Streamliner
On this list of great instruments, there should be something for those lovers of smooth tones. For this purpose, we present you Gretsch and their wonderful semi-hollow body G2655T Streamliner. It’s a vintage-styled instrument, but with a bit of a modern twist. We have laminated maple as the body material, along with a nato neck and laurel fretboard. It comes with two Broad’Tron BT-2S humbuckers which do a great job at highlighting this guitar’s natural resonance. The tones can be very smooth and jazzy, although the guitar is still pretty versatile and can do wonders for a lot of different music styles.
