When it comes to shopping for a guitar, purchasing a good guitar requires a lot of considerations. First, the buyer must be able to identify the basic requirements by the guitar. Secondly, the buyer has to consider the budget. The price of a guitar and the use are our two most important factors that every buyer should have in mind before taking at any decision. On this shopping guide, we have reviewed the best electric guitar under 500 to ensure that buyers make the best decision on the instrument to take home.
10 Best Electric Guitar under 500 in Market
There are so many brands, models and manufacturers in the guitar industry that anyone can be in confusion to decide which one to buy. There are cheap guitars and also very expensive guitars as well. But you must have a budget depending on your necessity. In this post, our aim is to find the best electric guitar under 500 for you. So, we reviewed all the reputed guitars below 500 dollars and came to a decision to suggest you the following electric guitars.
1. Ibanez S520 Electric Guitar
Ibanez S520 is a cool electric guitar released to the market by Ibanez. Ibanez is a reputable guitar production company based in Indonesia. The company is reputed for its high-quality guitars in the market. The guitar comes with a solid body made of mahogany. The body is constructed using strong mahogany wood which guarantees long life and better playability. It boasts an excellent look with cosmo black color on the hardware. The Jatoba fretboard is specially designed to produce an excellent midrange as well as a crispy high end. It offers a decent look thanks to its amazing reddish-brown color.
The edge zero bridge offers great tremolo sound. It comes with an amazingly low profile design that gives greater comfort to the player. An additional feature is the stud lock which gives more advanced tuning stability.
Ibanez S520 comes with an excellent finish of either transparent (black) sunburst or weathered black color which equally gives the guitars a magnificent look. Guitar cases are available but you will need to buy separately.
Pros
- Quantum pickups are great.
- It is light in weight hence portable.
- The body of the guitar is strong and durable.
Cons
- The neck may be too wide for the players with shorthands.
Bottom-line
Beginners can take advantage of this excellent instrument to kick off their musical career. It offers great sound and tones hence you can use it both for practicing and stage performances.
If you are interested in: Check Price
2. Epiphone Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar
Les Paul Standard is a preferred choice for many artists and musicians who prioritize high-quality music. One amazing fact about the instrument is that other than producing quality sounds and tones, it is also very affordable. Its design resembles that of vintage Les Paul. Other than just being a great musical instrument for its high music quality, it also has a decent look. The guitars come in an array of amazing colors including translucent blue, vintage sunburst and wine red.
Les Paul standard combines excellent features of the Epiphone guitar as well as those of the legendary Gibson guitar. The neck is made of strong and durable mahogany which guarantees you great resonance. Its body is made of mahogany and paired up with a maple top. With Alnico Classic humbucker pickups, the guitar gives great tones and sound.
You can easily control volume level and tone using adjustment knobs. The company designed the knobs in such a way to give the player a smooth guitar playing experience. An important feature that truly defines the Epiphone Les Paul Standard is the stop bar tailpiece and Tune-O-Matic locking bridge. With this kind of hardware, the player gets more sustain. In addition, the player does not require tools for changing strings since there is auto lock option for everything.
Pros
- It is an affordable option that suits low budget shoppers.
- It tunes and holds tune well.
- A player can get an array of sounds thanks to the coil split.
Cons
- The guitar is a bit heavy.
Bottom line
For great sound and tones, the guitar is a perfect choice. It offers good features that you cannot find with any other guitar in its price range.
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3. Jackson King VJS32T Electric Guitar
Jackson King VJS32T is an excellent electric guitar that comes with a solid body. The good thing about this guitar is that can sustain you for a very long period of time. Serious musicians and guitar players love this guitar as it has an aggressive and decent appearance. You will get a lovely tonal inclinations. It has a ‘V’ body that is made from basswood and the strings go through to the tailpiece. The number of jumbo frets on this guitar is 24. In addition, they are plump hence making it comfortable for one to chord.
The fingerboard is made of bound rosewood and has a 12” – 16” compound radius. These guitars are available in different colors depending on one’s taste. Another special feature is that the neck is made of graphite
Pros
- It is a lightweight guitar. Players can comfortably bend without fretting out.
- It is an affordable guitar with the frets, neck, and binding made of quality materials.
- This guitar has high-speed runs
Cons
- The body is made of basswood that makes the guitar light hence the nose easily dives if you play it while standing and strapped.
Bottom line
Jackson King VJS32T is a perfect choice especially for the beginners with a tight budget.
If you are interested in: Check Price
4. ESP EC-256 Electric Guitar – Best Electric Guitar Under 400
ESP EC-256 is an electric guitar well known for perfect pickups. A notable thing about the guitar is that it has a single coil though it is stacked with coils meant for hum cancellation. The neck is three piece instruments with a durable body made of mahogany.
The fingerboard is made of rosewood and it is not a distressed guitar. There are two finishes to this guitar; these are black and metallic gold. The black guitar has gold hardware while the metallic gold version has nickel hardware hence providing an option to those who may want a different color. This guitar has a weight of around 31.2 pounds. Its fingerboard is made of roasted jatoba. The estimated length of this guitar is 24.75 inches. The body and neck of this guitar are made of mahogany.
Pros
- It comes with a coil tap that provides several tonal options.
- ESP EC-256 is a hardy and durable guitar that a player can use for a long period of time without spoiling.
- It is a guitar that has a reasonable weight hence a good option to those who opt to play it while standing or sitting.
- When you consider its quality, its prices are quite reasonable.
- It comes with its stand, w/gig bag, and the cables.
Cons
- Its pickups are same as those of a lower model.
Bottom line
This is the best choice for lovers of quality tonal variations. It is a good guitar, especially for beginners.
If you are interested in: Check Price
5. Epiphone G-400 PRO Electric Guitar
This is another electric guitar which is among the initial designs meant for great rock music. It is designed for the right-handed players. Its’ coils are splitting. The G-400 PRO Epiphone guitar wants to resemble SG which is historic in rock and the push or pull, pickups and coil tapping resembles Alnico classic. The neck is adjustable and has trapezoid inlays.
Hard rock, rock, and the metal guitarists made the original SG classic as they embraced it. The G-400 PRO is an advancement of SG and sounds like it though there are several tonal varieties that have been added to the G-400 PRO.
The neck and top materials of this guitar are mahogany. The guitar boasts a total of six strings. Rosewood is used to make the fretboard and the body material is made of solid wood.
It has a slim taper D neck and one can use a strap as it has a strap button below and behind the neck joint.
Pros
- It is a guitar that is amazing and one can use it in any situation.
- It is easy to play and is made of high-quality material hence it is durable.
- Every pick up has its own volume and tone control.
Cons
- Many players find the D-shaped neck to be a bit slow.
Bottom line
This is a nice guitar that will give you great music and tones at a very fair price.
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6. Yamaha Rev Star RS420
Yamaha Rev Star is an electric guitar that draws its inspiration from Tokyo’s and London vintage motorbikes used for street racing. It has contours and curves. Also, it comes in distinctive colors giving an array of options to choose from. Has a silver base plate made and designed in Germany. Also, it comes with a V magnet for an open tone. The player will get more powerful performances with this kind of guitar.
It comes with an output humbucker of VH3 Vintage. Another amazing thing about the guitar is the sturdy Nato body and maple top. The dry switch is specially designed for Rev Star which provides one with the versatility of the coil split and the tone is way ahead. The dry switch is able to filter low frequencies giving clarity from each coil pickup.
Pros
- It has a belly cut that is deep and a hidden forearm contour.
- One can comfortably play this guitar for a whole night.
- There are several colors of this guitar are available.
Cons
- It comes with plastic nuts which may not look decent to all.
Bottom line
This is a model that is carefully engineered by people who carefully choose their materials. They have designed it in a way that it has customized pickups for it to sound stunning just the way it looks. Beginners find this guitar suitable for them as it is easy to learn.
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7. Best Choice Blue Electric Guitar
This is an electric guitar that has a complete kit and is manufactured by best choice. Best choice guitars have a body made from solid wood. The coil picks up is single that brings out a tone that is smooth and ideal for lovers of blues and rock.
It comes with an amplifier that is portable and it uses batteries hence completing portability features. The amplifier is of 10W hence loud enough compared to its size. The amplifier has an eight feet guitar cable and it also has a microphone and guitar outlet with bass and treble control, dive button and volume control. The guitar comes with a gig bag that is made of nylon hence moving around with the guitar is made easy. This guitar has a selector switch for pickups, two tone knobs that are different and a knob for the volumes.
There are 6 strings and the configuration for the guitar pickup is a single coil. The body material is made from hardwood.
Pros
- Easy to control it while playing standing or sitting.
- Comes with a gig bag.
- It has 22 frets which allow mellow playing and the neck pickup is comfortably placed.
Cons
- The amp doesn’t sound good especially when used for stage performances.
Bottom line
The best choice is an ideal guitar for starters in guitar playing. Its price is affordable.
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8. LYXPRO Electric Guitar
Lyxpro is an electric guitar that has an amplifier of 20W. It comes with all its accessories, strings, picks, digital tuner, shoulder strap, a tremolo bar starter kit for the beginners and a case bag.
It has 6 strings and 2 picks. Its amplifier has an overdrive and a headphone that will produce a quality sound. Its approximated weight is 2.6Kgs. The fingerboard is made of rosewood; the maple neck is Canadian while the body is made from solid wood. The back material is made of phoenix wood and fretboard material is made of engineer wood which is similar to the rosewood. The configuration for the guitar pick up is S-S-S. The material used to make the string is nickel.
Pros
- Lyxpro comes with a package bag that makes it comfortable when carrying and going for a gig.
- It has a decent adjustable neck.
- Cheap
Cons
- Strings are not durable; they break easily.
- The guitar case is made of using cheap material.
Bottom line
This is a cheap guitar set and is suitable and works well for learners who want to grow their skills as a beginner.
If you are interested in: Check Price
9. Maestro from Gibson
Gibson Innovations are electronic guitars that are suitable for starters. It is among the earliest electric guitars. Always use the manual that comes with this guitar before you start using this guitar for any technical specifications.
It is a classic with a single cutaway classic body shape that is made from maple veneer and Linden. It has a bolt on the neck which is made from maple and a satin finish which is natural. The fret board has been made from rosewood and has dot inlays and the top material is from acacia.
The hardware is made of chrome and has a tail piece that is for wrapping around and it comes with an amplifier that is small and portable. Gibson guitar has speed knobs that are black in color and one humbucker pickup.
Pros
- This guitar produces a fantastic sound.
- This guitar has a gig bag that makes it easily portable and durable.
- The price of this guitar is pocket-friendly
Cons
- Guitar strings are weak.
Bottom line
Gibson guitar is an ideal guitar for those who are not very experienced in playing guitars and it comes with everything that a beginner needs in order to get started within a small budget.
If you are interested in: Check Price
10. Davison Guitars
This is a full-size electric guitar that comes with a case, amplifier, and the accessories pack for the beginners. The Davison guitars come with a full package and there is nothing additional that needs to be bought. All that you will be required to do is to plug in then start rocking.
Davison has a contoured body made of solid wood and has a maple neck. It has a gig bag that always ensures the guitar’s protection from damage.
This guitar has a humbucker pickup that is meant to produce a rock sound. The guitar amplifier has both distortion and overdrive. The body material is made from basswood; the fretboard is made of rosewood while the material used to make the neck material is maple. It has a total of 6 strings and the guitar bridge system is made of chrome.
Pros
- Have all items in the package what a beginner right-hander needs.
- Very much affordable.
- This guitar comes with a gig bag.
Cons
- The accessories in the package are of low quality.
Bottom line
This is a right-handed guitar that comes in various colors and is suitable for beginners and is compatible with major guitar software. If you look at the price, you can’t manufacturer regarding quality.
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Tips for choosing an electric guitar
There are a number of factors that one needs to consider before choosing a guitar.
1. Ensure that the guitar that you have selected has been inspected fully and is well-adjusted so that it’s playing is made easy. It should be accurate in tuning as well as tone and intonation production. The most critical part of choosing a guitar is its quality and durability. Ensure that you ask whatever that the manufacturer has done to ensure that the instrument is easy to play. There is nothing that fights progress like playing an instrument that has not been well constructed or if the setup is not correct.
2. Get the right size of a guitar. When you are purchasing a guitar for your child, don’t buy one that is too large that will make it difficult for the kid to reach with both hands. This will make it uncomfortable and painful for them.
3. Choose a guitar that has a color and finishing that you love. Owning a guitar that is appealing has a great motivation for practice and playing.
4. The machines meant for tuning should have a smooth operation and should also be accurate. They should be properly wound around the post for tuning. When one is tuning gears that are of less quality the tuning may be accurate but one will need additional effort and time hence making it quite a difficult task for a player who is not initiated.
5. The heel and neck joint should be secure and should not be having any cracks at the joint in all guitars that have necks that have set in. Electric guitars that have bolt on the necks should be secure and stable without any finish cracks at the body and neck joint.
6. The bridge hardware found on the electric guitars is supposed to be stable and secure. Adjustment screws that are on the saddles are supposed to fit firmly though they should not be tight. The hardware made of lesser quality tends to loosely fit adjustment screws that can be stripped easily.
If you still look for some other beginner electric guitars like Ibanez or Fender, you may click on the brand names.
Final Verdict
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced guitarist, it is important to get yourself a good guitar that will give you a smooth playing experience. On our compilation of best electric guitars under 500, we have provided shoppers with some of the best options available in the market. We also suggested you few tips to identify the best one. It is up to the buyers to make a wise decision by identifying the instrument that will perfectly suit their needs.