Picking the best electric guitar under $2,000 that has everything you want in an expensive guitar can be hard. There are tons of dream electric guitars in the $2,000 price range and all of them have a different feel and tone.
The important thing is that you find something that fits your playing style, your tone, and the look you are going for. Most electric guitars in this price range are pretty nice, but not all of them will fit you the same. You should look at the pickup configuration, neck and body tonewoods, as well as the hardware. Some guitars have fixed bridges and some have floating tremolos. That makes a big difference in feel and tone. Don’t worry though, we’re here to help you figure out which one is right for you.
With that said, let’s review the top-rated $2000 electric guitars and compare their features, tones, and pros.
Compare the Top Electric Guitars Below $2,000
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Electric Guitars Below $2,000
- 1.1 Fender American Original ’50s Telecaster
- 1.2 Gibson Les Paul Classic V Electric Guitar
- 1.3 Ibanez JEM77 Steve Vai
- 1.4 Gibson USA SG Faded T Electric Guitar
- 1.5 Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Electric Guitar
- 1.6 Ibanez Prestige RG5121 DBF Electric Guitar
- 1.7 Godin LGXT Solid Body 3-Voice Electric Guitar
- 1.8 Fender James Burton Telecaster
- 1.9 ESP E-II M-I Neck Thru Electric Guitar
- 1.10 ESP E-II ECDB Eclipse Electric Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best electric guitars below $2000 with incredible tone that you need in your guitar collection.
- Fender American Original ’50s Telecaster
- Gibson Les Paul Classic V
- Ibanez JEM77 Steve Vai
- Gibson USA SG Faded T
- Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster
- Ibanez Prestige RG5121 DBF
- Godin LGXT Solid Body 3-Voice
- Fender James Burton Telecaster
- ESP E-II M-I Neck Thru
- ESP E-II ECDB Eclipse
Fender American Original ’50s Telecaster
Specs, features, and benefits
Lots of experienced guitarists swear by the tones of guitars they fondly refer to as vintage. For a while, guitarist had to spend lots of money buying vintage guitars simply because they were looking for that classic sound that defined the Telecaster from days past.
Fender and other major brands have made this unnecessary by bringing by these legendary guitars in the form of new brand lines that deliver those much sought after tones while costing a fraction of what they would have cost.
Fender offers this remake of the Telecaster of the early 1950s. This is a solid body guitar made of Ash while its neck is made of Maple. Though the brand retains most of the guitar’s original design, it also added some changes meant to improve the guitar’s performance.
It features two single coil pickups, one at the neck and another at the bridge. These two are controlled by a 3-way selector, a tone knob and a volume knob.
This guitar combines the best of the 50s with today’s best to deliver a guitar that is both highly playable and also tonally exciting.
Pros and Highlights
- Design – Replicates the 50s Telecaster.
- Sound – Delivers the classic sound.
- Playability – It is highly playable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Neck – Some may not like the neck.
Bottom Line
If you love the sound of the Telecaster of the 50s then this is the guitar for you. It’s now way more affordable than you would have had to pay for legendary guitars.
Gibson Les Paul Classic V Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Gibson is a guitar brand that ranks right up there with the best of the best. It’s not just made a name for itself but continues to do so with brand new products as well as the reinvention of classics.
Lester William Polsfuss popularly known as Les Paul was a major influence in the history of the guitar. The Gibson 2017 Les Paul Classic T Electric Guitar is a modern recreation of a timeless classic.
This guitar features a cutaway body design with a Mahogany back and a plain Maple top. The result is a beautiful creation that also provides wonderful resonance.
The neck is made of solid Mahogany while the fingerboard is made of Rosewood. This neck is really fast and the smooth and well-polished frets make playing a joy.
Looking down at the electronics, we see two Zebra ’57 Classic humbuckers placed at the neck and bridge respectively. The amazing voicing produced by these pickups is further enhanced by the lovely sustain provided by the aluminum stop bar and nickel wired ABR bridge.
Pros and Highlights
- Sound – Amazing voicing and great sustain.
- Playability – It’s comfortable and the neck enhances play.
- Build – It’s beautiful and well made.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – It’s pretty expensive which is to be expected given its quality.
Bottom Line
This is a serious guitar for serious guitar players. If what you want is a Les Paul guitar you can be proud of and cost is no issue, then this is the guitar for you.
Ibanez JEM77 Steve Vai
Specs, features, and benefits
When Ibanez designed the Jem super-strat for Steven Siro Vai around 1980, the general consensus was that it probably was one of the best shredding axes available at the time. About 3 Grammies and 15 nominations later, Steve Vai has made his mark and Ibanez’s offering of his signature guitars is not a surprise.
This guitar features a basswood body which retains the familiar Jem shape including the unique grip hole carved into the guitar’s body. The neck is also the traditional 5-piece Maple and Walnut and now also includes a titanium rod.
For the fretboard, it is made of Maple and holds jumbo frets. The overall look of this guitar is amazing especially with the blue floral design that runs through the body and the neck to the headstock.
For the electronics, it comes with 3 DiMarzio pickups – two humbuckers for the neck and bridge and one single coil for the middle. To control these, the guitar has the standard strat-style tone and volume knobs as well as a 5-way selector.
This guitar delivers a well-balanced tone with lots of character.
Pros and Highlights
- Appearance – It’s a lovely guitar.
- Sound – It delivers a well-balanced tone.
- Playability – It lovely to play.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Alignment – You may notice a fingerboard/string alignment issue.
Bottom Line
This Steve Via signature guitar delivers a quality that competes favorably with the Jem 7VWH and at about half its price. You get the looks, the feel and that awesome sound for less.
Gibson USA SG Faded T Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
It is said that when the SG was introduced in 1961, it was a Les Paul. The name was reportedly changed to SG (solid guitar) because Les Paul was not taken by the design and so was not keen on having his name on it.
Well, that’s history now because the SG has gone on to make a name for itself. This 2017 Faded T model is a marriage between vintage SG features and modern guitar innovations.
This guitar is designed to look and feel like it’s gone through years of use. The idea is to give it that comfortable feel you get from an instrument you’ve held continually for years.
It has a Mahogany body, a Maple neck and a Rosewood fingerboard. A combination of the slim neck and the highly polished frets gives this guitar a smooth playability.
Finally, Fender uses the 490R and 490T humbucking pickups with Alnico magnets to achieve that traditional SG tone. This is one guitar that’s worth owning.
Pros and Highlights
- Playability – Playing it is smooth and easy.
- Sound – Offers the traditional SG tone.
- Build – Lovely and feels comfortable.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- This may be of slightly less quality than the SG special and standard. It’s however worth it for the price.
Bottom Line
This is a return of the SG but with the benefit of modern innovations. From its look to its feel and sound, you are sure to fall in love with this guitar if you are an SG fan.
Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
When you talk about electric guitars, it is practically impossible not to mention the name Fender. This brand has made contributions that other brands will find hard to compete with.
We see a good example in this Eric Clapton Stratocaster Electric Guitar. Considering that Fender owns the Stratocaster trademark, we cannot but expect the very best from this iconic brand. More so, this particular guitar was specifically designed to the taste of the legendary Eric Clapton.
This guitar’s design focuses on the essentials. It’s a straight forward strat body shape with two cutaways and a 25.5 scale length. This body is made of solid alder and sports a lovely urethane finish.
The mildly v-shaped neck which by the way is bolt on is made of maple with a satin finish and its maple fretboard holds 22-frets.
Going to the engine room, we find the standard strat configuration which consists of 3 single coil pickups. In this case we have the brand’s vintage noiseless PUs. These are controlled by a master volume, two tone knobs and a pickup selector.
This guitar offers you that rich and captivating tone for which Eric Clapton is known and loved.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Solid vintage strat construction.
- Playability – It’s easy and comfortable to play.
- Performance – Captures the Clapton sound.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tremolo – No instructions for setting it up.
Bottom Line
This is a guitar for serious musicians, especially those who will love to sound like Eric Clapton and have the funds for it.
Ibanez Prestige RG5121 DBF Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Over the years, Ibanez has steadily grown to become a well-respected brand. Today, we are looking at the Prestige RG5121 DBF Electric Guitar from the brand’s Premium Series, designed for top level guitarists.
The guitar’s body shape is one associated with other guitars in this series. It includes two deep cutaways, lovely edges and contours that enhance comfort.
The body is made of solid African mahogany and while it is unpainted at the back and sides, the front features a satin finish with dark blue painting. A white band of binding runs round the entire top edge, acting as a border between the painted and unpainted parts.
For the neck, it is a 5-piece design made of maple and wenge. It is designed with the brand’s slim Super Wizard HD profile and also sports a satin finish for serious fast play. The fretboard is made of ebony and holds 24 frets.
For the electronics department, we find two Fishman Fluence modern active ceramic humbucking pickups. Controlling these are a master volume with a pull and push function, master tone, a 3-way pickup selector and a mini switch. These offer impressive versatility.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Solid and lovely.
- Playability – Easy and comfortable.
- Performance – Metal with tonal versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
No real cons at this time except for the cost which it is worth.
Bottom Line
This is primarily a metal ax and it will deliver fully in this genre. However, it also offers a wide range of other tonal possibilities.
Godin LGXT Solid Body 3-Voice Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Like a little shoot rising from the ground in a crowded jungle, this Canadian brand, Godin has continued to impress despite the massive hurdles presented by the more established brands.
We see in the LGXT 3-Voice Electric Guitar a combination of great build, amazingly impressive performance and innovation. First, it comes in a simple body style with a single cutaway. The body is made of maple while the neck is made of mahogany. It features an ebony fretboard on which are 22 frets.
The real magic of this guitar happens in the electronic section. It begins with the two Seymour Duncan pickups, which include an SH II Jazz, placed at the neck and a Custom III located at the bridge. These are controlled via a 5-way switch, a volume knob and a tone knob.
That’s not all though. It also includes a 13-pin synthesizer which can be used with a guitar synthesizer to play practically any sound. This comes with its own special 3-way switch for controlling it.
Finally, the third voice is the acoustic voice which is delivered via the RMC preamp EQ which controls the guitar’s acoustic volume.
With this guitar, you can practically play any kind of music.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-constructed.
- Playability – Easy and comfortable to play.
- Performance – Offers electric, acoustic and synth sounds.
Cons and Potential Flaws
No complains.
Bottom Line
If you want a guitar that can deliver varied electric and acoustic tones then this guitar will blow you away. Its versatility is amazing.
Fender James Burton Telecaster
Specs, features, and benefits
Considering that we are looking at guitars in the big league, it is no surprise that another product from Fender made the cut. Few brands can compete as effectively at this level.
We are looking at another signature guitar from Fender and this time it is a Telecaster, the James Burton Telecaster. James Burton needs no introduction. He’s only a rock and roll guitar legend who has worked with other legends including Elvis Presley himself and other greats. This is a look at the kind of guitar he used.
Simply looking at it, this guitar screams rock and roll. It is a telecaster so the body shape is just that. It features a basswood body painted with black and then finished with a blue paisley flame graphic.
The U-shaped neck which is reminiscent of the 60s is made of maple and sports a satin urethane finish. The fretboard is also made of maple and holds 21 frets.
For the electronics, we find 3 single coil pickups designed by James Burton himself. These are controlled via a master volume, master tone and a 5-way pickup selector switch. It can be tweaked to deliver either a Tele tone or that of a Strat.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Beautiful and well made.
- Playability – Comfortable, fast and easy to play.
- Performance – Delivers a great tone, cutting across both Tele and Strat sounds.
Cons and Potential Flaws
No con to report.
Bottom Line
This guitar is great, offering a great tone and impressive versatility.
ESP E-II M-I Neck Thru Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
ESP Company Limited is committed to the design and manufacture of top quality guitars. It is a brand that understands the varying quality demands of guitarists worldwide and offers products to meet these demands.
On the brand’s high-end scale is the E-II M-I, a great electric guitar with a misleading minimalist look that makes it look like one of the lower-end models. It has the body design of a superstrat with the double cutaways. It is made of solid alder and finished in black satin.
The U-shaped neck is thin, allowing for easy play. This neck is made of maple and features a 3-piece construction. The fretboard on the other hand is made of ebony and holds 24 large frets.
A look at the electronics reveals the lone humbucking pickup, an EMG 81. Given this pickup’s reputation in the world of metal and rock, you already know what to expect.
For controls, it has just the one volume knob. This already tells you that this guitar is strictly built to purpose and that purpose is full blown metal and it really does a good job of it.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Minimalist but solidly built.
- Playability – Comfortable and easy to play.
- Performance – Powerful and really loud tone.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Versatility – Does not offer much in this regard.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a guitar that will tear the house down, then consider this. It is full blown metal but may not be useful in any other genre.
ESP E-II ECDB Eclipse Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
We will be ending this review with another guitar from ESP. This obviously shows that the brand is pulling its weight in the big leagues. Our focus here is the E-II Eclipse.
This is a lovely electric guitar that features the now very popular LP (Les Paul) body design. The body is made of mahogany with a maple top. Its great look comes from the combo of lovely black finish and the golden yellow binding that runs round the guitar. It is further accentuated by the gold hardware, giving it a classy aristocratic look.
The neck is made of 1-piece mahogany with an ebony fretboard that holds 22 frets.
When we look at the electronics section, we find two humbucking pickups – EMG 81 and EMG 60. These two combine to deliver a wide palette of tones from bluesy and soulful to aggressive metal.
To help shape these widely varying tones are a dedicated volume control for each pickup, a tone control knob and a pickup selector switch.
This guitar offers impressive tonal versatility. It does not just look great, it also sounds great.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It is lovely and well-built.
- Playability – It’s smooth and easy to play.
- Performance – It offers impressive tonal versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
No cons to report at this time.
Bottom Line
This is a great guitar that not only looks great but also sounds great. The fact that it can be used for a wide range of musical styles is a big plus.
What We Recommend and Why
Wow! It’s been great reviewing these 6 wonderful electric guitars. It is obvious that at this level, everything you look at will offer something really special. However since we must pick one from the lot as our choice in this category, we pick the Ibanez Prestige RG guitar. We believe that this guitar offers something special, more and beyond what the others offer. We therefore name it our pick for the Top Electric Guitar Under $2000.