All the best electric guitars in one place, including guides to the best Epiphone and Fender models, as well as advice on beginner guitars and guitars for metal and doom…
With over 30 years of combined playing experience, our team of reviewers has been playing live, recording, and using guitars since the mid-1990s. This page brings together all of our experience and insight into the best electric guitars money can buy – across all budgets – in 2021 and beyond.
Click here to read our pick of the best guitars from 2022 – we have included options across all budgets too. These were the absolute best guitars we reviewed in 2022 and there are options for every budget, from budget beginner models to expensive pro-grade guitars.
Which Guitar Is The Best Sounding?
Every guitar is different. They each have their own, distinct personality, tone, and nuances. The best guitar for you will depend on A) your budget, B) the style of music you play, and C) your setup at home.
We have listed the best-sounding guitars we’ve tested in the past 12 months before. These are our top-rated electric guitar models for 2022. But for a more nuanced approach, we have detailed guides on specific types of guitars linked farther down.
Below, you’ll find detailed guides on the best guitar for beginners, the best guitars for metal, the best Fender guitars for metal, the best Epiphone Les Paul models, and the best models for players on a stricter budget. Basically, if you’re new to guitar it covers all the bases.
Best Guitar 2022
A budget MONSTER! Dual Alnico V humbucking pickups deliver a powerful sound with a warm mid-range. A push/pull Dry Switch high-pass filter built into the tone knob provides more prominent highs and tighter bass without the decreased volume and added hum of coil splitting.
The Epiphone Les Paul Studio is modeled after it’s Gibson counterpart in every way. This is a less flashy model, that still gets the job done! The dual humbuckers are ready to roar, and 2021 has added some cool new finishes!
The Classic Vibe ‘70s Stratocaster HSS nails the look of the large-headstock Strat models produced during the 1970s, creating incredible tone, courtesy of the Fender-Designed alnico pickups. Player-friendly features include a slim and comfortable “C”-shaped neck profile with an easy-playing 9.5”-radius fingerboard and narrow-tall frets, as well as a vintage-style tremolo system for expressive string bending effects.
GIG READY 7 String with a hard shell case! The Epiphone Matt Heafy Les Paul Custom Origins 7-string is the signature electric of the extraordinarily talented Trivium guitarist. You get locking tuners, Fishman Pickups, and a neck that was made for shredding!
The Schecter Rob Scallon lineup has every feature you need for a gig-ready guitar. You get Hipshot hardware on all models, with Schecter ’78 Pickups, 3 way switch, and volume/tone knobs with coil split. Focused on midrange, these can chug or play beautiful cleans all day!
Bringing touches previously reserved for Custom Shop instruments to a production guitar. Start with a lightweight alder body to build a classic tone. With rolled fingerboard edges, sculpted neck heel and a satin neck finish that feels almost naked, it’s an incredibly comfortable guitar. Freshly revised V-Mod II single-coil pickups add articulation and warmth to classic Strat chime in the neck and middle position, while the bridge boasts a revolutionary Double Tap humbucker. The upgraded 2-point synchronized tremolo with its cold-rolled steel block adds sustain and increases clarity while adding a touch of high-end sparkle.
Gibson’s Les Paul Tribute brings you all the vibe and feel of a traditional Les Paul, in a ultra-modern-weight-relieved mahogany body. An easy-to-play rounded profile on a set-in maple neck with rosewood fingerboard adds a hint of brightness, and the Alnico II 490 humbuckers deliver loads of power and sustain for those classic Les Paul tones.
The 22-fret, 25.5” scale length neck includes the original 635JM carve profile and an 8.5” fretboard radius. Its sound is driven by a trio of single-coil 635JM “S” pickups, with master volume and two tone controls, and a five-way pickup switch. Other Features include the PRS Silver Sky inverted headstock shape, PRS double-acting truss rod, two-point steel tremolo, synthetic bone nut and vintage-style tuners. Comes with a gig bag.
The Schecter Nick Johnston pairs classic looks with modern day features. The Schecter NJ is designed to be a speed machine that cleans up as nicely as it roars!
This Reverend Contender HB electric guitar is classically retro, but the offset body and six-in-line headstock give the guitar a modern feel. The Reverend Contender HB has a pair of HA5 pickups. These classic-style humbuckers are a bit hotter than vintage for extra punch and excellent clarity. This guitar effortlessly combines vintage with cutting-edge—a hallmark of Reverend’s original designs.
For the money, you’re getting some of the best tone and specs on the market in a guitar that looks and feels like a $3000 Gibson. Ideal for beginners and advanced players alike, the Epiphone SG is one of our favorite models right now.
The SE Custom 24 from PRS is designed for roadworthy durability, comfortable playability and to deliver a wide array of tones suitable for any genre or playing style. Featuring a maple top with a shallow violin curve, mahogany back, wide thin maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and the PRS tremolo bridge, the SE Custom electric is ideal for everyone from the internationally touring artist to aspiring players of all ages. The versatile sound of the PRS SE Custom comes from 85/15 “S” pickups paired with a volume, push/pull tone control and a 3-way blade pickup selector.
The PT Van Nuys from Schecter is a lean, mean rock ‘n’ roll machine with its own modern twist. Equipped with a calibrated Schecter USA SuperRock Vintage pickup set, the PT Van Nuys delivers a sweet mix of definition and power for a range of tones from rich and brilliant to overdrive with a little more bite.This Schecter Custom Shop Quality on a budget!
True to the Jazzmaster tradition of smashing rules, the Squier Contemporary Active Jazzmaster is packed with audacious new features. Sporting a matching headstock for a sleek aesthetic and black chrome hardware for a stealthy vibe, this guitar looks as sinister as it sounds. It features a Tune O Matic style bridge, and dual active pickups ready for Metal!
Best Guitar Guides
Best Guitars For Metal
If you’re looking for an electric guitar to play metal with, these are currently our top picks for the best guitars for metal in 2021 and beyond, including premium, mid-range, and affordable options…
Best Guitars For Beginners
Choosing the right guitar when you’re just starting out is super important – it’s not just about price. There are so many options, so how do you choose the best one for your exact needs and budgets? In our guide to the best guitars for beginners, we cover all the top models right now that are play beautifully and sound amazing.
Best Fender Guitars For Metal
Think Fender guitars aren’t suitable for metal? Think again! Fender guitars are used by plenty of metal guitarists – from Jim Root to Brant Bjork. In this guide, we detail all the best Fender guitars for metal, including our top picks for 2021 and beyond.
Best Epiphone Les Paul Guitars
Epiphone Les Paul guitars are utterly superb. Ideal for beginners and even professional players, Epiphone has a Les Paul for every level of guitarist. In this guide, we detail the best Epiphone Les Paul guitars you can buy right now, detail what makes them tick, and outline why you should go for certain models.
Best Guitars For Doom Metal
If you want to play doom metal – or anything slow and nasty – you will need a guitar that is capable of being tuned really low. Most guitars will handle down-tuning, but some are A LOT better than others. In this guide, we detail the best guitars for doom metal based on doom, fret scale length, and playability.
Best Epiphone Guitars
Epiphone makes a ton of great guitars from its iconic Les Paul models to the always-amazing SG lineup. You also have plenty of other lesser know but equally appealing models like Wiltshire, Casino, and Dot. We love Epiphone guitars because they look and play like a Gibson, just without the massive price tag…
What Are The Best Electric Guitars?
The best guitars aren’t always the most expensive models. Sure, a proper Gibson Les Paul Custom is always going to sound good. Ditto a top-of-the-line Fender Strat or Tele. But for most players – meaning 90% of you guys – a sub-$800 or even a sub-$500 guitar will be more than sufficient.
Thanks to the enduring popularity of the guitar, with more and more people picking one up than ever, there is now more choice than ever when it comes to electric guitars from budget guitar brands like Harley Benton, EastCoast Guitars, Squire, and Ibanez.
The best guitar for a new player is a guitar that you can A) afford, B) that sounds good, and C) keeps its tuning. To get all of these things, you do not need to spend a lot of money. Our guide to the best guitars for beginners covers all the best options right now for tone, playability, and price.
What Are The Best Electric Guitar Brands?
When it comes to iconic guitar brands, the best brands are obviously Gibson, Fender, PRS, Ibanez, Music Man, and Epiphone to name just a few. If you want to best quality guitar, you will have to pay for it – sometimes well over $1000.
But there are plenty of amazing guitars that are more accessible. Brands like Fender, PRS, Epiphone, and Ibanez produce affordable versions of their more expensive models. And for the most part, these more affordable guitars are just as good, if not better, than their more expensive professional-grade guitars.
Epiphone’s extensive line-up of Les Paul guitars is a testament to this fact. The Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy, for instance, is arguably just as good as anything Gibson produces. In fact, in some respects, it is actually better. Can you name a Gibson guitar that runs Fishman Fluence pickups? Neither can I…
Best “Do It All” Guitar
If you’re looking for a solid workhorse that won’t break the bank but plays like an absolute beauty whether you’re shredding or cutting through some jazz licks, you really cannot go wrong with an Epiphone SG or an Epiphone Les Paul – both are exceptional, “do it all” guitars.
I keep guitars that are, you know, the neck’s a little bit bent and it’s a little bit out of tune. I want to work and battle it and conquer it and make it express whatever attitude I have at that moment. I want it to be a struggle.— Jack White, White Stripes
In our guide to the best guitars for beginners, we cover all the best affordable guitars that are designed to play all kinds of music brilliantly – from jazz to hard rock and metal, these guitars are reliable, trusted workhorses that can handle whatever you throw at them.
How To Pick The Best Electric Guitar?
Picking your first electric guitar can be a little daunting. What pickups do you want? Do you want to play metal, rock, or maybe pop? How much do you want to spend? There’s no point dropping $1000 on your first guitar. You might not like it and quit. And that’d be a huge waste of money.
Instead, a better option is to go for a more affordable model – something from Squier, Epiphone, or Ibanez. These guitar brands make exceptional beginner-oriented guitars that are designed to play all styles of music from rock and metal to pop and funk.