10 Best Budget Electric Guitars

In our current day and age, the financial aspects of being a musician are becoming a more critical factor when it comes to buying gear.

Whether we like to admit it or not, not everyone can afford a USA Strat or a Les Paul. Luckily nowadays you don't have to completely break the bank to be able to rock the socks off of your devoted fans (or irritated neighbors).

Long gone are the days when it is frowned upon to walk onto stage with an Epi or a Squire...heck...in my opinion some of the Epiphones are better than their more desired and much more expensive counterparts.

Being a custom guitar building company, we know where the expenses lie within a guitar build, and we also know what to look for when out shopping for a budget axe that can punch way above its' weight class. We think you'll be quite surprised when you go out there and actually test some of these budget guitars...they really do get the job done!

There are obvious exclusions when we say "budget" guitars and believe me we will not be mentioning the fabulous(sarcasm) specimens that you get to buy...NEW...from your local pawnshop. THEY SUCK! Did someone say First Act? Sanchez? We all know exactly which guitars I'm talking about.

We will add some hyperlinks to the words "South African Market" in every guitar choice that will lead you to some awesome local shops that have these puppies for sale...So without further ado...let's start our countdown.

10. Squier Bullet Mustang HH

Affordable, stylish and versatile is how Fender describes this little powerhouse of an axe. My personal opinion was that the double humbuckers give you tonal options that are usually a bit foreign to your normal Fender single coils. Add a string through body hardtail bridge and you know off-the-bat that tuning won't be a massive issue on this axe. Probably a better option for the players with smaller hands with a C Shape neck and 24" scale length. 3 way switch with one tone and one volume control knobs...and Bob's your uncle...a guitar that can handle some serious riffs!

Going in the region of R 2300.00 - R 2500.00 on the South African market...expect a very very decent bang for your buck with this guitar. Probably one of our favorites on the list!

9. Cort x100

We fell in love with this guitar in what Cort describes as "Openpore black" colour. It looks intimidating, it sounds intimidating...it is intimidating. The lesser known "Powersound" humbucker pups generate some incredible heavy tone but also manages to sound quite refined if you get your settings just right.

The meranti body feels comfortable with some sexy contours and the hardmaple neck is as smooth as anything we've played on. This is definitely an axe that can be comfortable in a beginners' hands as well as a seasoned pro.

24 Frets on a surprisingly smooth Jatoba fretboard with a 25.5" scale...this fretboard gives you some great speed.

On the guitar we tested the action was however a bit high....but take it to your local music shop and they should be able to get you a low shredding action...no problem. It would have been nice to have some funky gloss poly colours to choose from, but beggars can't be choosers and we're nitpicking anyway.

Great guitar...and a great price! Expect to pay in the region of R 2600.00 to R 3000.00 on the South African market.

8. Epiphone Les Paul Special VE

This guitar....what a freaking beauty. Pictured here is a Vintage Worn Vintage Sunburst specimen and might I say it looks yummy!

It's got the classic Les Paul shape, but instead of the normal mahogany, these beauties are made from a much more lightweight poplar. So if you like your guitars to have a bit of weight to them, this will not be for you, but if that doesn't mark high on your list of requirements, get this axe...get it now!

With an Epiphone open coil 650R humbucker in the neck and an Epiphone open coil 700T humbucker in the bridge position, it does give you the punch you need for some mighty riffing and enough finesse to solo to your hearts' desire.

The Tune o matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece is of the quality you'd expect and they even added small little classy touches like pearloid inlays on the headstock and the "2016" edition logo on the back of the headstock.

In my opinion they should have added binding to this axe to put it in a complete class of its' own. But in saying that, with a average price of between R 2400.00 and R 2700.00 on the South Africa market, you can't really quibble over the sturdy and reliable build quality of these guitars. A great buy in our humble opinion.

7. Yamaha Pacifica 012

In our opinion, Yamaha is by far the most underrated guitars in the world today. In saying that, they still do get a fair amount of respect in guitar playing circles...but not enough!

The Yamaha Pacifica 012 (modeled after the awesome Pacifica 112) is one of those guitars that you simply cannot put down! Maple neck, Sonokeling fretboard and an Agathis or Nato body, this is a very sturdy and well built guitar. The combination of woods give you a clear response from both the highs and the lows.

A beautifully contoured double cutaway makes it a comfortable play and with one humbucker and two single coils gives you all the tonal options you could possibly need. We would have liked the humbucker to have a bit more punch on the lows, but Yamaha has always been a bit more of a treble whore than not.

A brilliant buy if you're looking for a workhorse that will outlive you by at least one generation. Going in the region of R 3900.00 on the South African market...one of the more expensive budget guitars on our list, but worth every penny.

6. Jackson JS11 Dinky

Now...I'll be the first to admit I have given Jackson a raw deal in the past. It's just not my cup of 80% alcohol infused tea. But...the Dinky is really trying hard to convince me of its' merits. Merits might I add that don't always show themselves when you first pick up the guitar. Merits such as...graphite reinforcement in the neck and ceramic magnets in the humbuckers.

These are attributes that you might not notice at first, but through the course of time, they will start showing their usefulness more and more. The Dinky felt a bit small in my hands (although I have to state I do have huuuge hands), and I suppose that has always been the cornerstone of my love-hate relationship with the Jackson brand.

In saying that, what I love about the Jackson brand has always been their colour co-ordinated hardware choices. It just looks freaking mean! Both humbuckers are high output and can be controlled with a three way blade switch with one volume and one tone. The little bit we played on it wasn't nearly enough to back up the tremolo bridge...so no comment there, but all in all a very very decent guitar for the money and you're bound to have a whole lot of fun practicing those dive bombs with this little monster.

The one piece maple satin neck finish and the gloss body compliment each other very well, and with a poplar body you also won't feel sluggish with this baby in your hands.

Priced at between the R 2500.00 and R 3000.00 range on the South African market, we can most certainly vouch for this guitar. It might just not have enough meat on the bones for the seasoned pro, but beginners to intermediate players will find its' metal infused spirit, more than adequate.

5. Ibanez GRG 170 DX

Ibanez is Ibanez is Ibanez....right? Wrong! This guitar has been going strong for many years. The first thing that hits you straight off the bat must be the sharktooth inlays...an Ibanez trademark, and it suits their guitars perfectly.

Available in a bundle of colors, the transparent black sunburst is probably our favorite, just because it makes the guitar look a bit more refined in our opinion.

True to Ibanez fashion it's a lightweight guitar with a narrow neck. Basswood body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard. This guitar fashions itself to the RG's of the late eighties and early nineties. It doesn't match up to the high end Ibanez guitars out there but at the price point you shouldn't really complain. Great access right up to the 24th fret as you would expect from a rock machine like this.

Two problems we have with this guitar...1. We wish the trem system was of better quality and 2. We wish "GIO" would be taken off the headstock as some people have had some terrible experiences with the cheaper GIOs' out there and wouldn't look twice at this beauty.

Word of advice...test a bucketload of these before you decide one one. You have to find that diamond in the rough. Going for anything between R 3500.00 and R 4000.00 on the South African market...go out and get yourself this rocking machine!

4. Fender Squire Affinity Strat

No guitar list would be complete without the mention of some form of a Strat...albeit the stepchild...still a damn good guitar. Fender brought out the affinity series with the hopes of capturing the budget end of the market, I don't know if it was as successful as they had hoped with some stiff competition, but what I do know is they managed to produce a guitar that can easily become any guitarists first option, simply because it plays like butter.

I've always had a liking to the higher end Squires and this one is no exception.

Trem Bridge - Good

Machine heads - Good enough

3 x Single coils - Good

C-Shape neck - Great

2 Color headstock logo - Classy

Alder body - Good

Poly finish - Top Class

All said and done...I'm sure some of these guitars started their lives out as a Fender Strat and somehow wandered onto the wrong conveyor belt. They play beautifully...suit any genre as you may know and just exudes class from start to finish.

An axe to be proud of and at a price of between R 3500.00 - R 4000.00 on the South African market a deal to be even more proud of!

3. LTD EC50

Now we're into the business end of the countdown. Introducing the LTD EC 50 growling, punching, fighting, monster of a machine. This is an extremely versatile rocker!

It features two ESP designed passive LH-150 pickups that really don't give a damn what your ears think. It also features classic single cutaway basswood body with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, 24 jumbo frets and a whole lot of attitude!

Playing on this guitar - one of LTDs' most famous builds - just felt right. It was just the right weight and the grunt the pickups generate makes you happier than an Australian on a sheep farm. What was most surprising from this axe was the clean tones it generates...another reviewer calls it "piano-esque" and I couldn't say it better myself.

To be totally honest...if I wasn't such a sucker for the classics, this guitar would have been number one...but alas there are two better in my opinion. The neck is thin enough to tempt you to start calling yourself Steve Vais' younger brother/sister, but also not so thin that you feel you're playing on a kid size guitar. The proportions as a whole on this guitar was just perfect. I can't fault much here...really I can't but if there was one thing I would change it would have to be the fact that this guitar doesn't feature more in guitarists hands! That's about it.

She's a beauty...and she's a beast and she will only cost you between R 3500.00 to R 3800.00 on the South African market. Get it...Immediately!

2. Fender Squire Affinity Tele

No guitar collection is complete without a Tele...or a version of a Tele. This is our third Squier on the list...for a reason. These guitars are simply brilliant for their respective price points. For us there are no better combinations than the Fender Maple C - shaped neck with a maple fretboard. It's like a horse and carriage...one can't do without the other(on Fenders anyway).

The butterscotch blonde example we have here is also our favorite in terms of color variations. Yes, we like old school and we'll stick to that 'till the day Ibanez can change our minds. Seeing as these guitars are built in countries such as Mexico, Indonesia and China, Fender have managed to keep the costs low (sweatshops might be the word of the day here), but in keeping costs low they have also managed to be able to supply a very good alternative in the Squire compared to big brother Fender.

I will be completely crucified if I suggest any changes to the most famous guitar ever built...so I won't. It's perfect...we love it...buy it @ R 3600.00 on the South African market.

This Squire has a top load ashtray bridge which gives it great tuning stability and the single coil Tele pickups gives you that iconic 1951 tone that we all strive for. In reality...these guitars share a father with the Fenders' out there...so they're still part of the most successful guitar family of all time.

1. Epiphone SG Special VE

Isn't this guitar just the most beautiful budget baby out there????

Just like the Tele...no guitar collection is complete without the addition of an SG!

We'll start with the specs:

Body - Poplar with Mahogany veneer

Neck - Okoume

Finish - Vintage Worn

Scale - 24.75"

Bridge - Locktone Tune o Matic

Neck Pup - 650R Open Coil Humbucker Ceramic

Bridge Pup - 700T Open Coil Humbucker Ceramic

True to legend...the SG shape must be the most intimidating looking guitar there is...not counting the Warlock etc...we're talking more in the "normal" use of the word.

This axe, unlike it's big brother is not as Top heavy, which for me is a major plus point! Epiphone outdid themselves by adding the ceramic pups to this budget guitar...it just makes it sound so much more refined.

The SG has always been one of the most comfortable guitars to play, and if you look at the wide variety of guitar players who love their SG's, you can immediately see it doesn't have a "type" of player. We have come across one or two posts where there are some complaints about intonation and keeping tune...but we ourselves have not come across these problems on the samples we have played.

The build is sturdy...the quality is great, the sound is Iconic Rock at it's best and the price you ask?...well that's the best part. For only R 3600.00 on the South African market, you will really struggle to find an axe that can compare with the Godfather of Rock Music...the SG!

Many people will not agree with the Epiphone SG being at the top of our list...but each to his own...the fun in these types of lists is the question....What would your number 1 be?