Finding the best cheap electric guitar under $200 that plays good and sounds great can be challenging. Not all affordable electric guitars in the $200 price range are made of quality materials. Some less expensive guitars will last you a lifetime and others just aren’t even worth getting.
You don’t have to worry about making a mistake buying your first electric guitar. We’ve got your back. We’ve reviewed all of the most budget friendly guitars and made a list of the ones that play great, sound good, and look sweet. All of these guitars are great for beginners and have a unique sound of their own.
Let’s check out some of the top-rated inexpensive electric guitars for the money on the market today!
Compare the Top 10 Budget Electric Guitars Under $200 in 2021
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top 10 Budget Electric Guitars Under $200 in 2021
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best cheap electric guitars below $200 that are easy to play, have great tone for the price, and won’t destroy your guitar budget.
- Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster – Best Guitar for the Money
- Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL-II
- Yamaha Pacifica PAC012
- ESP LTD EC-10
- Fender Squier Bullet Mustang
- Jackson JS22 Dinky
- Fender Squier Affinity Telecaster
- ESP LTD Viper-10
- Ibanez GRX20ZBKN
- Dean Vendetta XM
Fender Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster
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Specs, features, and benefits
The Affinity Series Squier Stratocaster is the ultimate best-seller when it comes to beginner guitars.
The body of the guitar is made out of Alder wood, the neck is “C”-shaped and made out of maple, and the fingerboard is made either of Indian Laurel or of maple. It has twenty-one fret fingerboard.
The tuners are the standard Die-cast set on a large “seventies” headstock. It has three single coil pickups and the standard 5-way switch, two Tone control knobs and one Volume control knob. The bridge is a vintage-style one with a whammy bar. It is available in many different colors.
Pros and Highlights
- Good quality – Of course it is not just like the American Standard Stratocaster, but for under 200$, this guitar is more than just fine. It feels and it sounds nice!
- Looks nice – The Squier Affinity Series Stratocasters look just like the Fender!
- Works with any style and genre – The Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster is a great beginner guitar – it will work great with any genre and style. It is very much the “standard” electric guitar.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Poor tuning machines – This is the weakest point of this guitar. Actually, the tuning machines on the Affinity Series are much better than those on other Squier guitars, but they still are not great. Well, you can always change them for better ones if you are not satisfied with the original.
Bottom line
If you are just starting out to play, or your child wants to start playing electric guitar, the Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster is a good starting point. The hardware on the guitar is surely not the greatest, but for a beginner electric guitar, it is ok.
The guitar sounds and feels nice. You should also consider what version of the Affinity Series Squier will best suit you. There are two of them, the SSS and the HSS. The difference between these two is in the pick-ups. The SSS is a three single coil pick-up guitar, and the HSS – has two single coil, and one humbucker pick-up. If you are into heavy music, the HSS will be better for you, and if you are more into blues and rock music, the SSS is the right fit.
Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL-II
Specs, features, and benefits
If you like Gibsons more than Fenders, and you are looking for a cheap Les Paul, Gibson’s little brother Epiphone makes just what you are looking for.
The Epiphone Les Paul Special-II is made out of Okoume wood, which is like a light-weight substitute for mahogany, and the body of the guitar is flat – different from the Gibson Les Paul’s body, which is curved a bit. Also, the neck on the Epiphone Les Paul is bolted, unlike the neck on the Gibson, which is glued to the body. It has a 24.75 Scale neck.
The fingerboard on the guitar is made out of rosewood and has twenty-two frets. It has two open-coil, humbucker pick-ups, which are providing a long sustain, Tone and Volume control knobs, and three-way Treble/Rhythm switch. The Epiphone LP Special-II has a Tune-o-Matic bridge with stop-bar tailpiece, and covered tuning machines.
Pros and Highlights
- Good for starters! – If you are just starting out and Slash or Jimmy Page is your guitar idols, and your father is not a millionaire, you should probably start with this guitar!
- Feels good – The overall feel this guitar has it’s really not far away from a “professional” guitar. I fact with a few changes, you can take this beauty on the road!
- It sounds ok – For a $199 guitar, this is a great sounding one!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Bad tuning machines – They are really bad, they tend to get out of tune really quickly. If you already have this guitar, or you are planning to buy it. You should consider buying decent tuning machines and replace the old ones.
Bottom line
The Epiphone Les Paul Special-II is an ok guitar for the money. It has its pros and cons, but it is a decent one if you are just starting out. The negative sides are that the tuning machines don’t hold very well, and the pick-ups and the electronics are cheap. However, with a few modifications, the Epiphone LP-Special-II can easily become a guitar that you can play with on gigs.
Yamaha Pacifica PAC012
Specs, features, and benefits
The Yamaha Pacifica PAC012 is an excellent guitar at the price point its in. The body of the guitar is made out of Agathis, while the neck is made out of Maple wood. It is a Strat-looking guitar, but with bigger and more-defined cutaways.
The neck is 25.5 Scale, it is bolt-on, it has twenty-two medium Jumbo frets, and the fingerboard is made out of rosewood. On the guitar, there are three pick-ups, one Humbucker, and two single coil pick-ups. It has two control knobs, Master Tone control knob, and Master Volume control knob. And a five-way switch – like the one you can find on Fender style guitars. On the bridge of the guitar, there is a vintage-style tremolo bar, and the tuning machines are pretty decent compared with the other guitars from this price-point.
Pros and Highlights
- Decent sound – This is due to the solid-wood construction of the guitar, and the good-quality pick-ups – the Humbucker on this axe makes a huge difference.
- Good-quality tuning machines – It seems like most of the low-cost guitars have the same problem – they don’t stay in tune. Well, this is not the case with this one.
- Cheap – You don’t have to break the bank if you want to start playing electric guitar, just buy the Yamaha Pacifica 012! It is even cheaper than the Squier and the Epiphone!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It might need a setup right out of the box – This is not a big flaw or something, most of the guitars when bought need a setup right away, just take it to your local luthier and let him do his magic.
Bottom line
The Yamaha Pacifica 012 is a great beginner guitar, it is a cheap one, but in terms of quality, it tends to aim higher than the other guitars at this price-point. The Yamaha PAC012 can’t compare to a USA Fender, but it beats the Squiers and the Epiphones at this price. It is made out of solid wood, the tuning machines are good, and the pick-ups sound nice. Great for starters and for those who don’t want to beat up their high-priced guitar on the road.
ESP LTD EC-10
Specs, features, and benefits
If you are into heavy music, and you want to start chugging some axe, the ESP LTD EC-10 is just the right fit for you. The guitar’s body is made out of thick basswood, while the neck is made out of maple and it’s bolt-on to the body. The fingerboard is a rosewood one and has twenty-four extra-jumbo frets. It has a tune-o-Matic bridge with a stop-bar tailpiece, and pretty decent tuners. All of that is powered by two open-coil humbuckers, one at the bridge, and the other at the neck position. Under them, there is the three-way switch and the Volume and Tone control knobs. The finish on the guitar is high-gloss black.
Pros and Highlights
- Fast neck – The neck on this guitar is very playable, great for smoking-fast solos, and riffs!
- Sounds great – The pick-ups on the guitar are ESP-designed and they sound good – both clean and all-the-way distorted.
- Great for beginners and for intermediate! – The guitar is a pretty decent one for the price, and it will work miracles for beginners, but also many of the experienced players will like it. Its quality is way above its price-point.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- You might want to change the pick-ups later – If you want to keep and play the guitar after you’ve leveled up, you might want to change its pick-ups for better ones. The original sound just fine, but if you start playing live, or you are starting to record some music, they are no good. However, if you just change a few things on the guitar, it can be used for any type of gig you are into.
Bottom line
If you are into heavy music, and you are a beginner guitar player, the ESP LTD EC-10 is a good starting point. The neck is very good, the pick-ups are ok, it stays in tune for most of the time, and it looks very nice. The ESP LTD EC-10 is a low-cost guitar that can step in the ring with pricier axes without any problem, and with a few adjustments, it can be a great axe for playing live. Great guitar for the price, especially aimed at metalheads.
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang
Specs, features, and benefits
The Bullet Mustang by Squier is popular in the alternative, noise, and grunge community. Throughout the eighties and the nineties, many stars of these genres played on Fender Mustangs, Kurt Cobain, Buzz Osbourne, Thurston Moore, John Frusciante, just to name a few. This is why Squier made a reissue on this model, with cheaper materials, and affordable price.
The body on the guitar is made out of basswood, while the neck is made out of maple, with Indian Laurel fingerboard. It is a 24-Inch, short scale guitar with twenty-two medium-Jumbo frets, which makes this guitar extra-easy to play, especially for those with smaller hands. The bridge on the guitar is a Modern Hardtail, and the tuners are sealed die cast ones. It has two ceramic humbucker pick-ups, Volume and Tone control knobs, and a three-way switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Cheap – This guitar comes for $150!
- Easy to play – The neck of the guitar is a short-scale one; it plays and bends the string very easily. The small handed guitarists will love this!
- Good quality – For a $150 guitar, it has a decent quality.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No cons! – This guitar is perfect for beginners, and with a few adjustments, like changing up the tuners, the nut, and the bridge, it will become much better, and it can easily be your gigging guitar. Especially if you are in an indie band. You can kick around this guitar without any heartaches since it comes for a very low price.
Bottom line
We all are really surprised what Squier did with the Bullet Mustang. It is a great beginner guitar. The frets won’t hurt, the tuners are ok, and the humbuckers sound good, both clean and distorted. It is a short-scale guitar and a very light-weight one, which is perfect if you have smaller hands – great for kids! And if you are a DIY type-of-guitarist, you will love this thing – with a few changes this axe will be just fine, even for gigging!
Jackson JS22 Dinky
Specs, features, and benefits
The Jackson JS22 Dinky is a popular beginner’s guitar, especially among metal fans. It has a basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard with twenty-four jumbo frets. The neck is designed for ultimate guitar playability – it is rounder close to the nut, which makes it easier for the guitarist to swap between rhythm playing and soloing.
The bridge on the guitar is a 2-point tremolo one, and the tuners are die-cast. The pick-ups on the guitar are Jackson custom-built ceramic and deliver a great punch when plugged in a good amplifier. The Jackson JS22 Dinky can be found in a snow white and satin black polyurethane finish.
Pros and Highlights
- Good value for the money – The guitar has decent quality for the price paid.
- Smooth neck, low action – This means a lot for any player. The Jackson Dinky JS22 is very playable!
- Good sound – The humbuckers on the guitar are producing surprisingly good sound!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- If you are not into metal, stay away – The Jackson Dinky JS22 is especially aimed to metalheads, and if you are not a metal fan, there are big chances that you will get bored with this axe quickly and you will not like it.
Bottom line
The Jackson Dinky JS22 is a great starter guitar for heavy music fans. It has a decent quality of hardware and electronics, and it plays and sounds nice. It is especially aimed toward the metal guys; so if you are not one of them, just continue reading. If you are into blues/rock stuff, you will more likely want a single-coil pick-up guitar.
Fender Squier Affinity Telecaster
Specs, features, and benefits
We all love Telecasters! Whether you are just starting out, or you just want a good value for the money – you’ve got the Telecaster by Squier for $199.99! Telecaster for $199.99! Everybody can afford Telecaster these days! How cool is that?
The body of the guitar is made out of Alder, while the C-shaped bolt-on neck and fretboard are made out of maple with twenty-one medium-jumbo frets on top. The hardware on the guitar is a pretty decent one; it has two Telecaster-style single coil pick-ups with Master and Tone control knobs and a three-way switch. And a “top-load”, fixed Telecaster bridge, and chrome tuning machines. For the price of the guitar, we are surprised how good it feels and plays. It is available in many different colors all dressed in a polyurethane gloss finish.
Pros and Highlights
- It’s a Telecaster! – It feels like one, that’s for sure. Well, it is not comparable to the original one, of course, but there are the feel and the tone, very similar to the original Tele.
- Stays in tune – The bridge system and the tuning machines are surprisingly good for such a low-cost guitar.
- Sounds great – Well, there is some hum/buzz in the magnets, but when plugged into a decent amp, this guitar works wonders for your ears!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It is still a cheap guitar – You should not expect to have the best guitar in the world for $200!
- The magnets on some Squier Telecaster guitars tend to buzz, and some owners reported having rough frets. Others reported having loose control knobs and switch. However, with a few changes on the guitar, it can easily become your beauty for gigging, and even in the studio!
Bottom line
With its price in the back of your mind, the Telecaster by Squier is a great guitar. It feels, it sounds, and it looks very nice. Most importantly on an affordable guitar, is how playable the guitar is, and does it stay in tune. Squier made a good job with this one. Great value for the money!
ESP LTD Viper-10
Specs, features, and benefits
The ESP guitars are well-known in the metal music community due to the many famous rock-stars (Kirk Hammet, Jeff Hanneman, etc.) are playing them. The ESP LTD Viper-10 is a 24.75″ scale guitar, with a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with twenty-four extra-jumbo frets, and body made of thick basswood.
It has a Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece, and ESP tuning machines. The pick-ups on this axe are open-coil, ceramic humbuckers, and they can be found on pricier ESP models too. They are pretty decent sounding. Both clean, and with grit. It has a Master and Tone control knobs, and a three-way switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Shred monster! – If you are into heavy and fast music, you might fall in love with this axe!
- Good quality – The ESP LTD VIPER-10 is pretty good quality guitar considering the price. It sounds and feels very nice for a guitar under 200$.
- Stays in tune!
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Sharp frets – Many owners reported having sharp fret ends on the guitar. This is common to guitars of this price, and can be fixed easily – just take it to your local luthier. He will fix it cheaply.
Bottom line
If you are into the heavier side of rock music and/or metal, you might fall in love with this guitar! It is a good quality guitar, having in mind its price. What is making this guitar stand out from the else, are the magnets. They sound very well. The bridge pick-up sounds great clean, and the neck pick-up is amazing with even the heaviest girth. Some owners reported having bad fret ends, but this is easily fixed by a guitar-repair man, and it usually does not cost a lot.
Ibanez GRX20ZBKN
Specs, features, and benefits
The Ibanez GRX20 is one of the best entry-level guitars if you like heavy, heavy stuff. Ibanez is seriously putting some effort to make these guitars cheap, yet reliable and with a decent sound. The guitar’s body is made out of basswood, while the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard on top. It has twenty-two medium size frets.
It has a FAT-6 tremolo bridge and standard die-cast tuners. The Ibanez GRX20 is packed with two passive humbuckers, at the neck and bridge positions, and it has Tone and Volume control knobs, and a three-way switch. It is available in several different colors.
Pros and Highlights
- The bang for the buck – This guitar comes for $150, and it plays and sounds good!
- Sounds good! – It does not sound as some pricey Ibanez of course, but for a $150 dollar guitar is sounds pretty damn good!
- Great for beginners
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cheap hardware – Many owners of this guitar have reported having issues with the output on the guitar, they say it cuts off… Also, the whammy-bar on this guitar is pretty useless; the guitar will go out of tune right away.
Bottom line
If you are just starting out, and you are on a tight budget (this guitar costs $150 new), this guitar is definitely one of the better ones on the market. However, it is still cheap-made and it probably doesn’t pay off the change the hardware on the guitar. The pick-ups are pretty decent, but that’s it. Also, some owners reported that the frets on the Ibanez GRX20ZBKN are sharp on the edges. If you can save some dollars more, you should get a better guitar and save time and nerves.
Dean Vendetta XM
Specs, features, and benefits
The Dean Vendetta XM is a Strat-looking entry-level electric guitar, with a body made out of Paulownia wood, which makes the guitar very light-weight. The neck on the Vendetta is made out of maple and is a bolt-on to the body. The fingerboard is made out Rosewood, and it has twenty-four frets. The bridge on this guitar is tune-o-Matic, with string-through-body design, that will supposedly produce a longer sustain. The tuning machines are Dean die-cast. It has two humbucker pick-ups designed by Dean, Volume and Tone control knobs, and a selector three-way switch.
Pros and Highlights
- Solid-body – Paulownia wood is becoming a widely used wood for instrument building these days. It is lightweight, cheap wood, and it has good tonal characteristics.
- Long sustain – This is due to the bridge system that Dean put on this guitar.
- Good tuning machines – They are not the best, but with the price of the guitar in mind, they are ok.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cheap made – Many owners reported having problems with this guitar.
Bottom line
This guitar uses decent-quality hardware, solid-wood, and is a great starter guitar if you like the look of Deans.
What We Recommend and Why
Depending on what kind of music you are digging, whether you are a beginner or not, there are a lot of options. However, if you are looking for a guitar under $200 there are a lot of options. Some of them are better than others. Because it’s compatibility with any style, our recommendation is the Squier Affinity Stratocaster. It is a good beginner’s guitar, and if it’s one made in Indonesia – it is even better. This is not a studio guitar or gigging axe, but with a few changes, it could easily become one.