Finding the best electric guitar under $1,500 that fits your playing style can be difficult. There’s a ton of electric guitars in the $1,500 price range, but not all of them have the look, tone, and build quality that you may want.
Plus, $1,500 is a pretty sizable investment for your new guitar. You want to make sure you get something that plays as good as it looks while improving your tone. We’ve reviewed the most popular electric guitars and compared their features, tones, and build qualities, so you can find the best axe that won’t break your $1,500 guitar budget.
Let’s check out the top-rated electric guitars under $1,500 that you should probably add to your collection. 🙂
Compare the Top Electric Guitars Below $1,500
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Electric Guitars Below $1,500
- 1.1 Fender American Professional Stratocaster
- 1.2 Ibanez JEM/UV Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
- 1.3 Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHM
- 1.4 Dean Michael Batio MAB1 Speed of Light Electric Guitar
- 1.5 Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar Electric Guitar
- 1.6 EVH Striped Series 5150
- 1.7 Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates Electric Guitar
- 1.8 Guild Starfire V Electric Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best $1,500 electric guitars that look amazing and sound even better!
- Fender American Professional Stratocaster
- Ibanez JEM/UV Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
- Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHM
- Dean Michael Batio MAB1 Speed of Light
- Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar
- EVH Striped Series 5150
- Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates
- Guild Starfire V
Fender American Professional Stratocaster
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender is a major guitar brand that is always innovating and improving on its already great products. As part of its innovation, it ended 30 years of the successful run of the American Standard Series and replaced it with the American Professional Series.
This Stratocaster is one of the products in this new line. The main design difference between the two lines is seen in the neck which is made of Maple and now has a deep ‘C’ profile which is comfortable to the grip and well suited for playing solos. It also features a Rosewood fretboard with 22 slim frets. Aside from this, the rest of the design is much the same as we’ve come to expect from a strat.
This guitar comes with three V-Mod single-coil pickups for the neck, middle and bridge. These pickups were made with different alnico and also voiced individually for their specific positions. What this results in is a tone that is better balanced.
For controls, it comes with a 3-way selector, two tone knobs and a volume knob. This gives you some control over your tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It offers an improved tone.
- Hardware – It comes with good quality hardware.
- Case – Included is a hard case.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning – Tuning machines may not handle heavy gigging well.
Bottom Line
If you loved the American Standard Series, this series is an improvement on that. It’s a guitar you should totally get if you have the cash to shell out.
Ibanez JEM/UV Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
When a frontline brand like Ibanez teams up with an icon like, the multi-award winning musician Steve Vai to create a signature guitar, you can only but expect something that will be awe inspiring.
This signature guitar captures the uniqueness that is all Steve Vai. Starting from the contoured body which is made of basswood, we link to the bolt-on neck which is made of 5-piece maple and walnut. This neck is easy to play, allowing easy access to the different registers on the 24 frets housed on the “tree of life” inlay adorned rosewood fretboard.
If you are thrilled by the ease with which Steve Vai shreds, one of his secrets is the playability of this neck’s profile. We just shared a secret with you and you’re welcome.
Powering the sound of this guitar are a DiMarzio Evolution DP158 (neck), DiMarzio Evo2 DP159 (bridge) and a DiMarzio Evolution DPS1 single coil in the middle.
What you get from these is a highly versatile sound palette that range from bright and clean to growling and aggressive. Interestingly, the controls for this beast are quite simple. They consist of a master volume and tone knob and a pickup selector.
It ships with a hardshell guitar case.
Pros and Highlights:
- Build – Solidly built.
- Performance – Tonal versatility.
- Playability – Highly playable.
Cons and Potential Flaws:
If you can afford it, we find no real cons.
Bottom Line
If you love Steve Vai and you dream of shredding like him, then get this guitar and make it easier to realize your dream.
Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHM
Specs, features, and benefits
RG (Rock Guitar) is to Ibanez what Stratocaster is to Fender and Les Paul to Gibson. This is one of the brand’s most iconic guitars and over the past 30 years, several great models have come out of this line.
The Prestige series represents the brand’s high-end guitar line which is manufactured exclusively in Japan. The RG652AHM is one this series and it came on the scene in 2015.
It features an Ash solid body with a double cutaway design while the thin neck which is made of Maple/Walnut features a Maple fingerboard with 24 frets.
The electronic section is equipped with two passive/alnico DiMarzio humbucking pickups – an Air Norton at the neck and a Tone Zone at the bridge. These two are controlled by a 5-way blade pickup switch, a tone knob and a master volume.
Other hardware that comes with it include: a 1.69″ locking nut and six die-cast tuners. This guitar is well built to deliver great tone, comfort and impressive aesthetic value. It really shows why it is one of Ibanez’s flagship products.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Has a nice and versatile tone.
- Playability – It plays smoothly.
- Hardware – The featured hardware are top quality.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning – May be a bit tricky
Bottom Line
This guitar offers a good level of versatility, making it able to fit right into most kinds of music. This is an ideal guitar for anyone looking for a top quality guitar with proven versatility.
Dean Michael Batio MAB1 Speed of Light Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
You may or may not know Michael Angelo Batio but you may know some of his fantastic signature guitars created by Dean Guitars.
One of these is the MAB1 Speed of Light. The name is probably related to the fact that Batio is regarded as one of the fastest shredders in the metal world.
Given Batio’s reputation as a fast shredder, Dean worked with him to ensure the fine points of his specs were adhered to.
It features an Alder body with two cutaways that allow for easy access to the entire frets. This comfortable, beveled body is linked to this high speed thin and rounded neck made of Maple. The Ebony fretboard with its 24 jumbo frets further enhance playability.
It’s loaded with 3 EMG pickups, an 85 at the neck and an 81 at the bridge. In the middle is an SA single-coil. These PUPs are controlled by a 5-way selector, a tone knob and a volume knob. This setup offers tremendous tonal versatility.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It offers amazing tonal versatility
- Playability – It plays like a dream.
- Appearance – The graphics on it is amazing.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The angled jack plug socket though a nice idea, may require some getting used to.
Bottom Line
If you’re a fan of heavy metal music and your goal is to shred at the speed of light, then this guitar, aptly named Speed of Light should be your pick. You may just find yourself shredding as fast as Batio.
Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
If you love Nirvana, then you most certainly love Kurt Cobain who was the lead singer and guitarist for the group. In commemoration of his contribution to rock music, Fender now offers this guitar which is a reissue of Cobain’s 1965 Jaguar.
Fender faithfully reproduces this famous guitar to its very minute details. It begins with the Alder body which is designed in the mold of a Jaguar with a sunburst finish that even mimics the aging and wear that Cobain’s guitar must have shown.
The “C” shaped neck is made of maple with a bound Rosewood fretboard. With 22 frets and a scale length of 24 inches, it may feel a bit shorter to players accustomed to longer scale lengths.
At the heart of Cobain’s Jaguar were the pickups. This guitar features those exact same pickups, A DiMarzio humbucker for the neck and a DP100 Super Distortion pickup at the bridge.
Every other hardware is designed to replicate Cobain’s Jaguar, making this guitar a really great signature guitar.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It’s an exact replica of Cobain’s Jaguar.
- Sound – It delivers the Cobain sound.
- Playability – It is very playable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Setup – Some initial setup may be required.
Bottom Line
This guitar will appeal to lovers of the Fender Jazzmaster, Jaguar and of course Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. If you can spare the funds, get this guitar and then be ready for a blast from the past as Cobain’s sound hits you hard.
EVH Striped Series 5150
Specs, features, and benefits
EVH is a creation of Eddie Van Halen, a highly revered musician who some folks regard as the god of rock ‘n’ roll. The instruments designed by this brand are expressions of the wealth of experience that Eddie has accumulated over the years.
The EVH Striped Series 5150 is a modern recreation of the red, white and black striped 5150 guitar that Eddie played in 1984. This famous guitar was a source of inspiration to many, making it fitting that the brand brought it back with this 2017 recreation.
With a body made of basswood, this guitar is simply following in the footsteps of its original version. The neck is a bolt-on type made of quarter sawn maple. The “C” profile of the neck is quite comfortable while the Maple fingerboard and its 22 frets promote fast play.
A peek at the heart of this guitar reveals a solitary custom made EVH Wolfgang alnico 2 Humbucking pickup located at the bridge. This PUP offers a great balance of power, articulation and sustain. Controlling this is the single volume knob.
Pros and Highlights
- Sound – It delivers a well-balanced tone.
- Build – It is lovely and well built.
- Playability – It plays really smoothly.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Shipping – There have been a few shipping concerns.
Bottom Line
This is a great guitar that symbolizes a great musician. If you want to play guitar like Eddie Van Halen, this is for you! Many could only dream of owning one but thankfully, you can now order one for yourself and enjoy it in all of its glory.
Dean Razorback Cemetery Gates Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
The name of this guitar may not make too much sense to you unless you know the song titled “Cemetery Gates” by Pantera. This guitar was designed to commemorate this song.
It features a bizarre jagged design with a highly detailed graphic design of a cemetery gate. The body and neck of this guitar are both made of Mahogany and the neck features a Rosewood fretboard. Right at the 12th fret is a pearl razorblade inlay modeled after the famous necklace worn by Dimebag Darrell, Pantera’s guitarist.
This guitar is voiced by two pickups – a Dimebucker treble pickup and a DiMarzio rhythm pickup. These two deliver that viciousness of tone you will expect from the depths of the underworld. You can also fine tune these beasts with the 3-way PUP selector, a tone control and two volume controls.
This guitar will appeal to metal lovers on basically all sensual levels. Its looks, feel and sound delivers everything the metal music lover has always dreamed of. This is clearly made for metal.
Pros and Highlights
- Design – It is designed for metal.
- Sound – It has a great tone for metal.
- Playability – Plays smoothly.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning – A few complaints about stiffness with the fine tuning knobs.
Bottom Line
This is a guitar that screams METAL with no middle grounds. If you are diehard metal lover and you need a guitar that will embody all you love and adore about metal music, then this is the guitar for you.
Guild Starfire V Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
When Guild introduced the Starfire V sometime in 1963, it was designed as a competitive alternative to the Gibson ES-335. This comparison is still relevant today especially if you are not willing or do not want to shell out the cost of the Gibson.
The Guild Starfire V is a semi-hollow body electric guitar with a top and back made of arched laminated Mahogany and sides made of laminated Mahogany. The neck is made of 3-piece Mahogany/Maple while the fingerboard is made of Indian Rosewood.
For hardware, it comes with two Guild LB-1 “Little Bucker” pickups positioned at the neck and bridge respectively. These can be controlled with the 3-way pickup selector and the individual tone and volume knobs.
It also features Grover Sta-Tite tuning machines, a Guild Tune-O-Matic bridge with Rosewood Base, Guild vibrato tailpiece and other high quality nickel hardware.
This guitar does not just look lovely, it also delivers a clean tone that can also take on an edge when pushed.
Pros and Highlights
- Appearance – It’s a lovely and well-built guitar.
- Sound – It can deliver both a clean and edgy sound when required.
- Case – It comes with a hard shell case.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Sale – You may not always find it on sale.
Bottom Line
This is a great and a much more affordable alternative to the Gibson ES-335. It offers great value both visually and tonally. At more than half the price of the ES-335, it’s a great deal.
What We Recommend and Why
It’s been an interesting journey, reviewing these 11 different great products. After carefully looking at each product, we decided on one that we felt represented the best of the class. Our choice for Top Electric Guitar Over $1000 within this list is the Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHM.
We feel this guitar offers the best balance of cost and value.