The Best Electric Guitar Deals & Offers Right Now…

If you want bang for your buck and you’re either a total beginner or an intermediate player, you seriously cannot go wrong with anything from Squier’s mid-range and up range, Epiphone, and Ibanez.

If you’re more of an experienced player and you don’t mind spending some cash, Fender’s Player Series II range offers incredible performance and playability for under $800. Ditto Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson range, and PRS’ SE guitars. They all punch well outta their weight classes.

Check out the best intermediate ($600 to $1000) guitars we’ve tested this year for more information.

The best guitar for the money depends on what style of music you want to play. The amount of great guitars available for under $800 is frankly ridiculous; you could write a long book just listing them out.

For metal, we recommend Schecter and Ibanez for sheer choice and model options. For a more do-it-all-style guitar, Fender’s Player Series II Strats, Teles and Jazzmaster guitars are immensely good.

PRS’ SE lineup is also very, very strong and versatile, at home with everything from metal to alt-rock, country and ambient.

The difference between a $700 and a $1,000 guitar in real-world use is often smaller than you’d think. Both are capable, gig-ready instruments.

Paying more can get you nicer materials, cleaner finishing, and sometimes a bigger-name brand — but the improvements aren’t always in line with the price jump.

Smart shopping and the used market can make those lines even blurrier.

Pickups are the single biggest factor in an electric guitar’s sound apart from the amp — often accounting for 60–70% of what you hear.

They convert string vibration into an electrical signal, and their design (magnet type, winding, style like single-coil, humbucker, P90, or active) largely determines whether your tone is bright, warm, tight, or saturated.

Upgrading pickups can make an immediate, dramatic change, from adding clarity and dynamics to tailoring a guitar for a specific style.

For example, single-coils deliver crisp, articulate tones; humbuckers give a thicker, smoother sound; and high-output actives excel at heavy, high-gain playing.

Even a modest guitar can sound like a pro instrument with the right set of pickups, while poor pickups can make an otherwise well-built guitar underperform.

The “best” pickup depends on your style, tone goals, and guitar type — there’s no one-size-fits-all choice.

Humbuckers offer a warm, thick, noise-resistant sound that works for rock, blues, jazz, and metal.

Top options this year include the Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB for versatility, Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic and EMG 81 for high-gain metal clarity, and the vintage-voiced Gibson ’57 Classic.

Single coils give you a brighter, more articulate tone that’s perfect for blues, rock, country, and pop — though they’re more prone to hum.

Standout models include Fender Texas Special Strat for a hot vintage bite, Fender Hot Noiseless Strat for hum-free clarity, and the Gibson P-90 for a gritty middle ground between single-coil sparkle and humbucker warmth.

Humbuckers excel at fullness and reduced noise; single coils shine in brightness and detail.

Brands like Seymour Duncan, Fender, Gibson, Fishman, and EMG continue to deliver top-tier choices — so try pickups in your own guitar or listen to demos in your genre to find the perfect match.