Buying your first guitar can be quite daunting. When you’re on a budget it can be even harder. That’s what drove us to create this post about the best electric guitars under $300.
There are so much different styles, models, and variants out there. Some of them look all the same but with huge price gaps. The best place to start is with your heart. Who is that one guitarist you look up to? The rock God you aspire to be. Starting from that point lays a good foundation on the type of electric guitarist you want to be.
What to Look for When Buying an Electric Guitar:
Body type
For beginners, it is hard to figure out what kind of shape is perfect for you. The 3 shapes are solid, semi-hollow, and hollow.
Electric guitars get a lot of their sound by the vibration of the strings
Tonewoods
Tonewood is vital for electric guitars. The wood remains a huge pricing factor depending on what kind you are using. It uniquely affects the sound because of the characteristics of different woods.
Pickups
These are placed on the body of the guitar. They are electronic parts of the guitar that can play an important role in the type of sound you want to use. They sense the vibrations when you strum and turn them into electrical signals. This is how you amplify your signal.
The neck
The neck plays a key role in playability and impacts the sound of the guitar. As a beginner, it will be difficult to hear the many neck qualities.
Number of frets
The highest numbers of frets electric guitars go are 24. The higher frets are suited for guitarists who love to play solos. The normal standard for a fretboard is 22.
Bridge
The bridge is one of the most important parts of your electric guitar. It plays a major role in the sound and feels of your guitar. The strings are balanced over the bridge, keeping them away from the body of the guitar.
Here are our 4 Recommended Electric Guitars:
Squier by Fender Affinity Telecaster
If you are looking to pick up your first electric guitar, then this one is for you.
The affinity telecaster is one of Fender’s most popular models and within reach of anyone wanting to buy this beauty. Just because you buying a beginner guitar, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great guitar. The telecaster comes in several ranges with the affinity series in your more introductory line.
The body is shaped out of a single piece of alder wood, a tonewood that lends itself to a clear well-rounded tone, responsive lows, and thick mids. It features a C-shaped maple neck with a maple fretboard, making it perfect for your first guitar.
It comes in 2 vintage styles. The single-coil pickups with the bridge pickup, sit at an angle for a greater bass response on the lower strings and more treble on the higher strings
Pros
- Beautiful matte finish maple neck with a maple fingerboard
- Great Tele sound with great intonation
- Quality at an affordable price
- Great for beginners, stable tuning and smooth playability
Cons
- Pick up is average and you can hear humming sounds
Epiphone Les Paul 100 Vintage Sunburst
If you looking for an electric guitar that is valued for money, then the Epiphone Les Paul 100 is one of the best value options for you.
You’ll like the legendary Les Paul shape with a single cutaway, 4 control knobs, and a toggle switch with 2 iconic humbuckers. The body is made of mahogany and maple for the top.
The mahogany neck contains a rosewood fretboard with 22 medium frets. You’ll find the neck is capped off with a classic Epiphone headstock that houses the die-cast tuning machines.
Towards the bridge, you get the LP 100 with a lock-tone Tune-O-Matic. This comes with a stock piece to lock onto the posts avoiding accidental drops, adding to an awesome tone.
Pros
- Slim and lightweight makes it easier to focus on playing
- Gorgeous appearance, the vintage sunburst finish looks breathtaking
- Versatile sound, it is great for classic rock, hard rock, indie, country, blues, and everything between
- Great value
Cons
- Tuning may be hard for beginners
Dean MLX Electric Guitar
The distinctive ML design and headstock grab everyone’s attention.
The Deal MLX has a lightweight basswood body that produces an even tone. This type of body is popular amongst metal and rock guitarists. It is sported with a bolt-on maple neck, a Tune-o-Matic bridge with a solid rosewood fingerboard featuring 22 frets.
It has 2 humbucking pickups that produce low-end and midrange definition. These pickups are wired to a 3-way selector.
Pros
- Spectacular guitar shape
- This guitar produces excellent resonance
- Lightweight feel making it comfortable to play and pick up
Cons
- The nut quality on the guitar is not the best
Ibanez GRX70QA TEB
Ibanez is known for producing premium quality guitars at an affordable price.
This is one of the best value-for-money electric guitars you can find on the market today and is suited for metal-playing guitarists. This guitar has a place in every guitar player’s lineup.
It is sported with a poplar body and a bolt-on maple neck. There are 22 medium frets with a rosewood fretboard which is standard on electric guitars.
The 25½” scale makes it perfect for those looking for a comfortable design.
The pickups are quite interesting. They feature ceramic magnets for a brighter tone. The pickups on the neck and bridge are Infinity R humbuckers, while the middle is an Infinity RS single-coil model.
Ibanez GRX70QA TEB Pros
- The switch is easy to use
- The GRX neck is made of maple making it comfortable and fast
- Quality at an affordable price
- Quality control is unbelievable
Ibanez GRX70QA TEB Cons
- There is no way of locking the tuners which makes them detune.
- Tonewood is cheaply made
The bigger brands are all pushing for the bigger price ranges, but these are the best electric guitars under $300. These guitars outdo every other guitar in this price range. If we had to choose, then we’d go for Epiphone Les Paul 100 Vintage Sunburst. The Les Paul design and sound make it the perfect overall guitar for any would-be musician.
If you’re not sure if an electric guitar is for you we recommend checking out our best bass guitars under $300.
