Buying a guitar is not an easy task. Especially when you have thousands of options it's not easy to choose the right one. Last few articles we have covered many acoustic and electric guitar reviews.
Some of them are expensive models with premium features and build quality and some of them are so cheap that anyone can buy them without emptying their pocket.
The crucial question is what is the middle path of that? Some people don't want to buy cheap guitars with the ugly look and poor build but they don't have thousands to spend.
Some people don't care about the budget but they don't know what to choose. Both of these people will get some help with this article. Today we are going to list down the 10 best electric guitars under $300.
Why does this article be important for both of these people? Because the electric guitar models we recommend in this article are a combination of quality and affordable price.
Don't have time to read the detailed review? We have the comparison table that will give you some idea about all the ten guitars.
Brand | Model | Price | Pickups | Tonewood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fender | Affinity Stratocaster | $260 | Ceramic Single-Coil | Poplar |
Ibanez | RG421 | $330 | Quantum (H) pickup | Meranti |
Yamaha | PAC 112V | $310 | Single Coil/Alnico V | Alder |
Epiphone | Les Paul Special II | $219 | Humbucker | Mahogany |
Squier | Affinity Telecaster | $260 | Ceramic Single-Coil | Poplar |
Epiphone | P-90s Worn Cherry | $429 | Epiphone P-90 PRO | Mahogany |
Gretsch | G2210 STREAMLINER | $350 | Broad Tron | Nato |
Dean Guitars | Custom Zone | $269 | DMT Design P Style | Terentang |
Oscar Schmidt | OE20G-A-U | $200 | 2 Humbuckers | Mahogany |
Jackson Guitar | King V JS32 | $370 | Humbucker | Poplar |
AFFINITY SERIES STRATOCASTER
Price matters a lot. But what if you don't get satisfaction after playing the guitar? The poor build and awful sound may leave you in regret mode. Squier Affinity Stratocaster is an electric guitar for those guitarists searching for the golden mean.
It's not the best-sounding instrument like high-end guitar models. But, it's value for the money guitar. Stratocaster is always my favorite type because it's fun to play with the comfort.
You have two options to choose from. If you love heavy metal music choose a humbucker pickup in the bridge position, and single coil pickups in the middle and neck positions or the SSS version works best for you.
Three single-coil pickups deliver a bright and clear tone. That will suit you if you love blues, rock, and roll. Another nice part of Squier affinity strat is its unfinished c-shaped neck and fretboard which offers smooth playability.
Squier affinity has been made in china. It doesn't mean the guitar has a poor build quality. Considering the price of this guitar build quality is decent. The material used for the body is Poplar and the neck is Maple.
Poplar is a soft wood and less expensive. Squier affinity strat is suitable for various music genres. Especially for Blues, Jazz, and Rock. It's not a premium-built guitar but surely better than most of its competitors at this price point.
AFFINITY SERIES STRATOCASTER
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Ibanez RG421
Ibanez is a reputed guitar brand. They make quality guitars for beginners, intermediate-level, and pros. Especially intermediates love Ibanez guitars. Their RG series gained wide popularity.
RG stands for Roadstar guitars. RG421 has the Stratocaster shape. Meranti's body with the maple neck looks beautiful. Meranti is a Hardwood that is affordable and easily available. Though tonewood isn't the only factor in the sound of an electric guitar it still contributes up to some extent.
RG421 looks awesome. By any means, it doesn't look like a budget-friendly guitar. It looks premium. A classical Ibanez blackish headstock suits the body and fretboard. Back in 1987 Wizard neck profile is first introduced with the model Ibanez RG550. Wizard neck guitars make playing extremely fast and comfortable.
Some important factors like a thin neck, wider neck radius, and extra jumbo frets reduce the playing efforts. Higher fret access is easy with a wizard neck which is another benefit.
RG421 has Quantum (H) neck pickup with Quantum (H) bridge pickup that sounds good. I get the warm sound with the RG 421.
A pretty impressive machine with an affordable price makes Ibanez RG421 a great choice for beginners but mostly for intermediate players
Ibanez RG421
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Yamaha Pacifica series 112V
If you are a fan of a Stratocaster-type guitar you must know the Pacifica series of Yamaha. Yamaha is a reputed brand name that manufactures many types of musical instruments. Beginner loves Stratocaster for a reason.
They are easy to play and lightweight. The S-shaped guitar looks good as well as easy to carry. The Yamaha Pacifica series includes two types of guitar. Stratocaster shape with double cutaway body and Telecaster shape with a single cutaway.
Pacifica 112V has a Solid Alder body with a Maple neck. Very few Guitar makers could deliver a solid wood body at this price point.
Another noticeable difference between the V and J series of Pacifica models is the pickups used in each type. V series has Alnico V pickups and a coil tap feature. You may want to hear something about Alnico pickups. Let me tell you in short.
What Are Alnico Pickups?
Alnico is a combination of three different elements. Aluminum, Nickel, and cobalt. The combination of these three alloys makes strong and long-lasting magnets. This pickup gives a smooth and warm tone. Alnico pickups have three types and V pickups are the strongest among these 3.
Another cool feature to mention about Yamaha Pacifica 112V is that you have ample color options available with this guitar. Nine different color options like Black, Sunburst, Vintage white, Sonic Blue, Yellow natural satin, and many more.
Considering the price of the Pacifica 112V I must say that this is one of the best budget-friendly guitars with high-quality hardware. I would recommend it for beginners as well as musicians who are looking for an affordable guitar.
Yamaha Pacifica series 112V
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epiphone les paul special II
When we talk about beginner's guitar, the discussion is incomplete without Epiphone guitars. Our today pick Epiphone Les paul special II is also a beginner's guitar with a price that anyone can buy.
Last time we discussed the ten best electric guitars for beginners. Epiphone sg special was a part of that article. Epiphone SG Special is a solid body guitar costs almost double the Epiphone Les paul special II.
You can guess Epiphone Les paul special II is an affordable, Entry-level electric guitar with the basic configurations required as a newbie.
24.75 in scale length is ideal for beginners and people with small hands. SlimTaper C profile is good to hold.
It's a bolt-on-neck guitar. This type has a few advantages. It gives a snappier, twangy tone. It's easy to make that keeps the cost down. Easy to repair and set up. these pros are good for beginners.
Pickup selection and tone controls are less important for a beginner. They focus more on improving the skills and playability. Makers of LP II know the fact very well. They chose 3-way Epiphone Toggle, Master Volume, and Master Tone that are easy to do. This guitar is lightweight and easy to play. the most important need of any beginner is comfort and playability. makers have kept the same thing in mind while making it.
Pickups are the most important part of any electric guitar that affect the most tonal quality. Epiphone LP II has Epiphone 650R Humbucker pickup on the neck and Epiphone 700T Humbucker bridge pickup. these are good quality pickups which are good for blues and classic Rock but the pickups are good enough to handle heavier tones.
epiphone les paul special ii
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Squier affinity telecaster
What comes to your mind when you hear the name Telecaster guitar? Most of you will say Fender to the guitar world will often confuse it with the name telecaster.
The first telecaster was made in 1951. Fender telecaster has changed the face of the guitar market. Tele became extremely popular. Every other guitar makers start copying it.
They started to manufacture the same shaped guitar with low-quality material and sell it at a cheaper price. But original Telecaster was unbeatable with the quality and sound they deliver to the listener.
My thought is no different from yours. I tried many Telecasters I wouldn't bet on any other telecaster except the fender telecaster.
Fender is a Giant in the guitar world. Fender and Gibson are the undisputed leaders in the industry. Fender acquired Squier in 1965 and started making entry-level guitars under the name Squier in 1982.
Why did the fender telecaster become so popular?
An important reason is its simplicity. as a beginner, you avoid complex things because your complete focus would be to develop the skill of playing the guitar.
Fender Telecaster is just plugged and playing style guitar is the biggest strength and the reason behind its popularity. A Poplar body with a C-shape Maple neck is extremely easy to play with. Simple master volume and master tone controls are easy to control.
versatility is another reason fender telecaster is loved so much by guitar lovers. You are comfortable with country music when you have Telecaster in your hands but it is also good at Blues, Jazz, and Rock.
Squier affinity telecaster looks and feels almost the same as the original telecaster of the fender. As you know fender is a parent company of the Squier brand which means it possesses all the qualities original fender telecaster has.
Squier affinity telecaster
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epiphone sg classic worn p-90s
We already have the Epiphone SG Special, Epiphone Les paul special II, Epiphone Les paul studio lt, and Epiphone Les paul standard in our list of the best electric guitar most they are the best beginners guitar.
If you check all the above-mentioned models you will find that all are affordable and perform well too. our next pick is also no exception to that. it's SG Classic Worn P-90s. It costs $429.
Epiphone guitars mostly look like Gibson's high-end models. But the main difference between the Gibson guitar and Epiphone guitar is that Epiphone guitars are mostly made in china.
That doesn't mean they are completely waste or bad but they indeed are built with cheaper quality material but SG Classic Worn P-90s isn't the same case. It has good quality Mahogany body and neck which isn't a cheap combination. Though pickups aren't great they do their job well.
As I said it looks like a premium guitar with a worn finish and dot inlays. It comes with the 3-way Epiphone toggle pickup selector which means versatility is limited compared to its competition.
Worn P-90s is a good choice for the Blues but it's also suitable for any music genre. Considering the pickups and selector I would recommend it mostly for beginners because it's great playability but not that much great tonal quality.
epiphone sg classic worn p-90s
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gretsch g2210 streamliner junior jet club
Gretsch guitars are well known for their looks and use of high-quality hardware. They make guitars with premium price tags that generally don't fall under the beginner's category but the STREAMLINER collection of Gretsch guitars comes under the beginner guitar category.
They are made in Indonesia. Solid-body guitars are hard to reach for mass but the G2215-P90 costs $400 which is within the reach of a beginner with a limited budget.
Nato body and neck with laurel fingerboard is a decent combination for a beginner because this combination offers good playability. Tron humbucking pickups with 3-Position Toggle make G2215-P90 a well versatile guitar.
Pickups are good for clean and transparent tonality. 24.75" scale length is ideal for the beginner. Gretsch introduced a streamliner collection that appeals broader category of people. BY introducing this collection they tried well to touch the beat of newbies. Well done!
gretsch g2210 streamliner junior jet club
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Dean custom zone solid body guitar
You decide to purchase a guitar as a newbie, You are familiar with a few names like Gibson, Fender, or Yamaha. Yes! they are leaders in the guitar industry but many other brands deliver great quality instruments at an affordable price.
Dean Guitars is a name that might not be as famous as Gibson but they are doing a great job by delivering an affordable guitar with great quality.
Dean custom zone guitar just costs $269. Still, they could manage a solid body build which is appreciable. The guitar looks awesome with having two color options. Nuclear Green and Fluorescent Pink.
Solid Terentang top with the maple neck looks cool with the neon finish. Satin finish with the C-shaped neck is extremly comfortable and having high playability. Though pickups aren't premium they delivers clear and loud tone.
humbucking pickups aren't considered as a great pickups but I didn't find any issue in tonal quality.
Dean Custom Zone Electric guitar
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Oscar Schmidt OE20G-A-U
Searching for an electric guitar was a fascinating journey for me. As a beginner, I used to google a lot about guitar. I googled for an electric guitar below five hundred dollars.
Many brands came into the picture for the first time. I have never heard the name of those brands in my life. Oscar Schmidt was one of them. This brand isn't so famous. But, they are an old player in guitar making industry.
The journey of oscar Schmidt's guitar is quite inspiring. Oscar Schmidt and Otto brothers moved to the United States and formed a company in 1871. After a few years, they expanded their business and started making various musical instruments like mandolins and banjos.
The acoustic guitar was the first product of Oscar Schmidt's guitars. Everything was going well But, in 1929, Oscar died. That was the turning moment for the business. After many ups and downs, finally, oscar Schmidt's guitar became Fretted Industries' child company which later became Washburn.
What does it mean that oscar Schmidt is a very experienced player in making guitars and I must try the product? So I choose a model as per my budget which was OE20G-A-U.
It's a $200 Electric guitar with the Mahogany body and H + H pickups. Though tonewood doesn't matter much in electric guitar it still contributes to tonal quality. I agree that the pickup configuration isn't the best in the industry but considering the price and other built parts, this is the manageable part.
A slim neck is ideal for comfortable playing as a beginner. Like any electric guitar, OE20G-A-U is a lightweight guitar that isn't an issue to hold for many hours.
As I said pickups are the main player that affects the sound most. You may know how Humbucker pickup sounds. It sounds smooth and deep. But, don't expect too much from this guitar if you want the best quality tone.
At this price point and as a beginner it's better to avoid many expectations from a $200 priced guitar.
oscar schmidt OE20G-A-U
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jackson js series king v js32
I reviewed so many acoustic and electric guitars but this is something special. A Unique V shape body is the first thing I am attracted towards. I have never seen such an amazing shape guitar till I got JS SERIES KING V JS32.
It comes with four color options. White with Black Bevels, Matte Army Drab, Gloss black, and Black with White Bevels. King V body shape with the Poplar body material looks sturdy and cool.
Like its unique shape, it has unique and high-quality hardware like the Floyd Rose bridge. This double-locking Tremolo has something powerful that changed the way of playing the guitar positively. With this system, your guitar will rarely go out of tune.
This is an important advantage as a newbie. Another main advantage of KING V JS32 is that it offers a huge versatility but again it's the best for metal. I would highly recommend KING V JS32 if you want Floyd Rose Licensed Jackson Double-Locking Tremolo system.
jackson js series king v js32
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conclusion
When choosing an electric guitar pickup is the most crucial part to consider. Almost all guitars are made in Asian countries. It doesn't mean they are cheap quality but among these ten guitars, Yamaha Pacifica 112V and Epiphone Les Paul Special II are my favorites. I am very impressed with the pace 112V.
playability, alnico pickups, and simple design are the pros that attracted me to this guitar. in short, I just want to suggest that before making your final decision first check the configuration like pickups, controls and build quality of the guitar. as a beginner simple and easy-to-play guitar should be your first choice.