Best Electric Guitars Money Can Buy Under $500

I won’t get into any long, needless intros here. Instead, here’s a list of some of the best electric guitars money can buy, all of which can be had for under $500 which makes them excellent bang-for-the-buck:

Epiphone SG

The SG-Special retails for around $170 on MusiciansFriend, and it won’t be an exaggeration if I were to say that it is one of the best rock guitars in the market for less than $200 right now! Anyone who’s ever played the guitar knows what an outstanding machine the Gibson SG really is, and it’s ‘smaller’ brother – the Epiphone SG is no exception. Alder/maple body, rosewood fingerboard, maple necks, 22 frets, chrome machinery, and above all, the ‘SG-experience’ in less than half the price!

Ibanez RG370DX

While the RG370DX usually retails for a tad above $500, you can find it for less than that at many online retailers. And if you’re lucky enough to do that, you’ll not only be lucky enough to get one of the best deals ever, you’ll have a brilliant instrument in your possession! 24 Jumbo frets, Rosewood fingerboard, 3 pickups, maple ‘Wizard III’ 3-piece neck, basswood body (yes!), and a lead-guitar player’s dream! All things considered, the Ibanez RG370DX is an absolutely brilliant guitar for new and seasoned rock guitar players out there – maybe even the best standard guitar in production right now!

Epiphone Les Paul Standard

For any true and pure rock-and-roll guitar player, nothing comes even close to the Gibson Les Paul experience. However the cheapest Les Paul will set you back by much more than $500. What if I were to tell you that you could get the Les Paul experience in much less than $500? Yes, because that is precisely what the Epiphone Les Paul Standard does! This guitar is perhaps as close as it gets to the real thing – you get the same signature sound, tone, playability and look, and above all, it doesn’t put a serious hole in your pocket either.

Squier Standard Telecaster

Telecaster made by Fender – not unlike Gibson-manufactured Les Pauls – can end up costing an arm-and-a-leg! However a new Squier Telecaster can be picked up for as low as a couple of hundred dollars, and like the Epiphone Les Paul, gives Fender fans an experience that is close as it gets to the real thing! And that too without costing a fortune. The Standard Squier Tele has an agathis body with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard, oh and of course, come with a selection of the same signature Telecaster finishes! At the end of the day, you go home with a $200 Telecaster that has a great reputation among professional guitar players (just ask Jeff Healey and Sheryl Crow!), which is as good as it gets!

Squier Stratocaster

Now we’re getting to the good stuff! I’m a big, big Stratocaster fan! In fact I blindly recommend a strat to beginner guitar player and just about anyone looking for a quality axe. However like most of the guitars in this list, a Fender Strat costs good money – in fact, the cheapest Strat that you’ll find will cost around or more than $600. However a Squier Strat usually starts at around $200, and the Standard Squier Strat – with an Agathis body, Rosweood/Maple fretboard with dot-position inlays, 3 Alnico pickups and the signature sound, tone and playability of the Strat and that 60s-style headstock – can be picked up for $200 on most e-retailers.

ESP LTD EC-256 Electric

The first thing that will strike you when you look at this guitar is its finish, especially if the one you have comes in an aged honey burst finish. This particular ESP looks unlike anything I’ve ever seen – gorgeous! Even though the design is an obvious Les Paul rip-off. With a retail of around 400 bucks, LTD EC-256 is a moderately-priced marvel. It has a single-cut LP-shaped mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard, ESP tuners and humbuckers (which sound fantastic when paired up with an equally-able amplifier), and one of the things that stood out for me was the fact that this little ESP is an extremely versatile instrument, equally capable of playing rock, metal, blues, and a variety of other genres.

Right, so 6 excellent guitar under $500, tough choice when it comes to picking up the best of the lot.

Which of these would you pick up and why? Do leave us a comment. In addition, if you think we missed out on a great guitar under $500, let us know through the comments below!