Best Cheap Electric Guitars ($100-250) Highest Bang for the Buck

Are there shortcomings compared to more expensive models? There sure are, but let me blow the scoop right away by saying here’s all you need to nail classic Strat tones.

Let me begin by talking about the neck. It’s satin finished, with a nice, playable, friendly C-shape and with an all-around useful 9.5” radius. This means playing chords and bending notes on the high E string on fret 17 is equally easy.

Speaking of frets, the narrow and tall frets this guitar comes equipped with are player-friendly and help with the buzzing. I mean, I do know what a Custom Shop Fender feels like, and I was playing this Squier for a couple of hours effortlessly.

The sound, however, is a completely different thing. I do like the fact that Squier employs ceramic magnets since they make this guitar hotter, louder, and more fun. I did miss the Alnico element that helps that broken tone coming from a pushed amp. That said, having a ceramic humbucker in the bridge position helped me play stuff like The Offspring, The Ramones, and even Metallica. Yes, I highly recommend having a humbucker in the bridge so you can have great single-coil tones, but you can learn how to rock too.

I noticed that high-pitch, thin-sounding squeal when I got into the high register, but the pickups being so gainy made up for that.

The one thing I do have to warn you about is that the effect tone controls have on pickups is almost non-existent until you find pure mud.

Other than that, I believe this is the perfect guitar for a beginner if you like its shape.

Honorary Mention – Squier Debut Series

The Squier Debut Series is an online-only line that’s aimed at beginners. With a satin finish on the poplar body and a laurel fingerboard, these guitars do a great job at being your first instrument. They hold their tune, play well, and, most importantly, they come with a free subscription to Fender Play, so you can learn as you play and have fun.

In my opinion, it’s better to start with an HSS Strat. That said, if these are available in your area, check one out; you might save some money to buy an amp!

Why did I shred with it? Well, simply because the neck has a 12” radius, and the guitar comes with two ceramic humbuckers ready to scream, shout, and shred. But here’s the coolest thing about this guitar: it comes with a 5-way pickup selector and an Alnico single-coil pickup in the middle. So, positions 2, 3, and 4 are in blues rock territory.

I could get Pantera in the bridge, Clapton in the middle, and Gary Moore in the neck. Yes, this guitar can handle distortion without adding that high-pitch squeal to the signal.

Perhaps my only concern about buying this guitar for a beginner is that, pickup-wise, it goes into overdrive very fast, and it needs more definition. It was hard for me to tame the beast without involving the middle pickup in the mix. Plus, it can get a little muddy, especially in the neck pickup. It can also get a little undefined, too. Especially when playing with lots of distortion.

I would say this is an amazing first guitar for those about to rock. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s versatile, but it just wants to distort all the time.

So, first things first, the satin-finished neck is awesome and, although the top-loading Tele bridge is not as vibrant and resonant as the string-through-body original design, it’s good for intonation and gets the job done.

Even the sealed tuners are good to keep the guitar stable and in tune. I mean, I was playing this thing for close to an hour, and adjustments were minimal, if any. In the same vein, although advertised as synthetic bone, the plastic nut works great and doesn’t offer any resistance when bending and such.

Speaking of resistance and bending, I surprisingly liked the ceramic pickups. Especially in the middle position and with some overdrive. Yes, the Butterscotch Blonde model with the maple neck can get a little harsh on the bridge pickup. No, the tone knob won’t help you much. But you can find the sweet spot with your amp or emulator.

I was playing everything from The Clash to The Boss, and it sounded good, punchy, and raw. Yes, it’s not the most defined Telecaster in the market, and the tone control won’t help you avoid mud. That said, it’s guaranteed to be a great beginner’s axe that won’t let you down or break the bank.

Take it from a long-time Tele lover, the world might fail or collapse, but your Telecaster will always be there for you.

That’s exactly what I did: I played this JS22 distorted for a while before playing anything clean. I went from drop-tuning Nü Metal tones like Papa Roach all the way to traditional metal with some righteous Ozzy and Megadeth, and this thing delivered. The ceramic humbuckers are hot, raunchy, and powerful.

They don’t have the definition Seymour Duncans do, but they don’t bear the hefty price tag either.

In my opinion, besides the sounds, the star of this guitar is Jackson’s speed neck. I mean, having a compound radius (12” to 16”) and 24 jumbo frets at this price point was unthinkable a few decades ago. It’s not only fast, but also very comfortable; the thin finish over the maple is great for sliding your hand up and down effortlessly.

The two-pivot trem system comes with a full block, and, although it’s a single-action tremolo, it’s good to add some touches here and there.

I would have loved a 5-way pickup selector to make the most out of every coil, but you can dial some killer tones with the 3-way selector, too. For dirty tones, the bridge pickup is a metal machine. The middle position was great for some cleaner strumming. Believe me, this guitar had me playing for an hour effortlessly.

So, this is especially great for those about to rock. If you don’t know what style you want to play, I’d go for something more versatile.

That said, it does the Les Paul thing quite well too; clean tones become dark, warm, and mellow without any of the shimmering brightness of poplar-bodied strats or teles.

Let’s begin with the neck. The 60’s slim-taper neck is perfect for beginners or small hands. It’s made of mahogany, which is a plus tone-wise, but it’s kind of a liability when you’re hitting the guitar against things accidentally, or if it falls off the stand. Why? Because, unlike maple necks, it will snap the headstock off.

The rosewood fretboard is kind of pink-looking, but nothing that a few thousand hours of playing and some lemon oil won’t improve. Other than that, the guitar neck feels fast, friendly, and has a 12” radius, making it good for chords and lead playing.

Also, the open-coil zebra pickups, the 700T in the bridge, and the 650R in the neck have that chainsaw-like gain with a slight bump in the mid frequencies that just scream rock and roll. I played everything from AC-DC to Guns n’ Roses to Black Sabbath, and it delivered.

Yes, tone can get a little muddy and isn’t as defined as Gibsons or high-end Epiphones are. Also, being a bolt-on model, it lacks the sustain that its most expensive siblings ooze.

That said, it’s a rocking machine that can be your best companion on your first steps. Especially if you like rock, rock and roll, and hard rock.

Oh, and for clean tones, the mid-position is where the gold is.