The Best Inexpensive New Electric Guitars for Your Rockstar Dreams

Cheap electric guitars aren’t hard to find. In fact, my first electric guitar — an Airline Bobkat— cost just $100. It’s still one of my favorites, more than 20 years later, and I can’t believe I paid so little to the roommate of a friend who sold it to me.

But if you’re looking for something new — say, you or your teen wants to play in a rock band, and you don’t trust resellers — there are a few awesome new-guitar options in the under-$500 range.

Squier Affinity Stratocaster ($304, Amazon)

This is the starter electric guitar I ALWAYS recommend to my preteen and teen students (it’s also pretty affordable for most parents!). The Squier, which mimics its pricier Fender Strat counterpart, can do no wrong: It features several player-friendly refinements such as a thin and lightweight body, a slim and comfortable “C”-shaped neck profile, and a trio of Squier single-coil Strat pickups with 5-way switching for a bit of variety.

Yamaha PAC012DLX Pacifica Series HSS Deluxe ($259, Guitar Center)

Yamaha is known for making affordable acoustic guitars, and its line of electrics is also impressive. The PAC012DLX features a comfortable contoured body and smooth C-shaped maple neck; a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard; and a vintage-style vibrato tailpiece. Also: The PAC012DLX’s ergonomic design reduces fatigue so you can play for hours in comfort.

Epiphone Les Paul 100 Electric Guitar ($269, ZZSounds)

It looks, feels, and plays like a Gibson Les Paul, but for a fraction of the price: This Epiphone uses two uncovered humbucker pickups to deliver the quintessential sound of Gibson’s most iconic model. Built with traditional tone woods and hardware.

Ibanez RG421S ($429, Musician’s Friend)

The Ibanez RG421 Standard electric guitar is beautiful to behold, and packs premium Ibanez features into an affordable package, such as a thin maple Wizard neck and jumbo frets on a jatoba fingerboard, a fixed bridge, and Quantum humbucking pickups.

Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster ($449, Sweetwater)

The Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster celebrates one of the world’s most instantly recognizable guitars, with added modern features. Boasting a pine body with a classic finish, the Classic Vibe ’50s Telecaster harkens back to the original “black guard” Telecasters that started it all, The guitar features two Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups.

Paul Reed Smith SE CE24 Standard Satin ($499, Sweetwater)

This icy blue SE CE 24 is as adept as it is gorgeous, with a streamlined feel, satin-finished maple neck, and more.

ESP LTD Viper 256 ($499, Guitar Center)

The ESP LTD Viper-256 electric guitar brings classic offset style to your stage and studio performances. With its mahogany body and set neck design, the Viper-256 resonates with warm, full-bodied tone perfect for rock, metal, blues and beyond. Its gloss polyurethane finish not only looks great, but also enhances resonance and sustain.