Finding the best expensive electric guitar under $5,000 that is everything you’ve ever wanted can be tough. There are plenty of dream electric guitars in the $5,000 price range, but finding the right one isn’t easy.
When you are spending this much money on a guitar, it has to be perfect. The wood, tone, finish, and feel has to be exactly what you want it to be otherwise you will be pretty disappointed. That’s why I’ve went through most of the expensive guitars on the market and reviewed their tonewoods, hardware, and build quality, so you can narrow down your search for the electric guitar of your dreams.
Let’s compare the top-rated $5,000 electric guitars on the market and review their features, so you can find the right one for your collection.
Compare the Top High-End Electric Guitars Below $5,000 in 2021
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top High-End Electric Guitars Below $5,000 in 2021
- 1.1 Fender Custom Shop 1953 Heavy Relic Telecaster
- 1.2 PRS Custom 24-08 Electric Guitar
- 1.3 Fender Custom Shop 1967 Stratocaster Relic
- 1.4 Ibanez JEM7V Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
- 1.5 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster Electric Guitar
- 1.6 ESP KH2 Kirk Hammett Electric Guitar
- 1.7 Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plaintop Burst Electric Guitar
- 1.8 Suhr Modern Plus Electric Guitar
- 1.9 Ernie Ball Music Man Monarchy Majesty Electric Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best high-end, expensive electric guitars under $5000 with unbelievable tone that you need in your guitar studio.
- Fender Custom Shop 1953 Heavy Relic Telecaster
- PRS Custom 24-08 Electric Guitar
- Fender Custom Shop 1967 Stratocaster Relic
- Ibanez JEM7V Steve Vai Signature Guitar
- Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
- ESP KH2 Kirk Hammett Electric Guitar
- Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plaintop Burst
- Suhr Modern Plus Electric Guitar
- Ernie Ball Music Man Monarchy Majesty
Fender Custom Shop 1953 Heavy Relic Telecaster
Specs, features, and benefits
Fender has a pride of place among elite guitar manufacturers. Hardly is there a known guitar legend who has not at one time or another relied on one of the brand’s products.
The Fender Custom Shop 1953 Heavy Relic Telecaster takes you back to the time when the Telecaster first made its entrant. This reproduction of times gone by, details every aspect of an aged guitar including the worn looking finish.
The body is made of ash and finished in nitrocellulose lacquer. The neck on the other hand is made of maple as is the fretboard, which holds 21 frets. The neck has a 52 U shape and the guitar’s scale length is 25.5 inches.
In keeping with the vintage theme, it comes with 3-Saddle American vintage solid barrel steel saddles, vintage-style tuning machines with Fender logo and a pickguard made of 1-ply parchment relic.
In the electronic section, we find two custom shop single coil pickups that are hand wound. These consist of a Tele neck pickup and a “Broadcaster” bridge pickup. The two combine to deliver that distinct Tele tone.
Controlling these are a volume control, a tone control and a 3-way pickup selector. With these, you can tweak the guitar’s tone to achieve some versatility.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-built.
- Playability – Plays well.
- Performance – Delivers that classic Tele tone.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – It’s pretty expensive.
Bottom line
This is for the guitarist who does not need a good quality guitar but a really special one.
PRS Custom 24-08 Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
When Paul Reed Smith founded PSR Guitars in 1985, his goal was the delivery of top quality, handmade guitars. The company has been making great in-roads in this direction, delivering numerous high quality guitars and it all began with the Custom 24.
PSR Guitars now offers a reissue of this guitar, rebranded – Custom 24-08. It however retains all the key elements that made the original a hit.
The body is made of a maple top and mahogany back and neck. The 25 inch scale length guitar comes with 24 frets, still the same as the original and also include the same Gen III tremolo, patented by the brand.
A look at the featured hardware reveals the same level of quality. These include: a bridge made of machined brass as well as the unplated block, height adjustment screws, intonation screws and others that enhance its tonal fidelity and sustain.
We also find the same 85/15 humbucking pickups featured here. This recent reproduction however includes a modern touch. It comes with a switching system that offers a total of about 8 distinct pickup settings. With these you can achieve a number of tones from single coil tones to those of humbuckers.
Paul Reed Smith must be very proud of his creation.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Lovely and well-built.
- Playability – Easy to play.
- Performance – Offers amazing tonal versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – Very expensive.
Bottom line
This is a high-end guitar that offers class and impressive tonal versatility. There’s hardly a department in which it is wanting.
Fender Custom Shop 1967 Stratocaster Relic
Specs, features, and benefits
It’s another product from Fender in the high-end range where the brand truly excels. We previously reviewed a relic Tele, now we are looking at the reincarnation of a Strat from the past. This is the 2019 incarnate of the 1967 Stratocaster Relic.
This guitar was created at “The Dream Factory” which is what Fender’s custom shop is known by. This indeed is where dreams are created as this guitar has shown.
The body of this guitar is a 2-piece Alder construction and spots a faded aged sea foam green nitro lacquer finish. The neck which features the 66 Strat Relic assembly is made of maple and the fretboard on which are 21 frets is made of rosewood.
Adding to the whole relic look is the 63 – 69 3-Ply Parchment Nitro Relic pickguard.
A look at the electronic section reveals three hand wound single coil pickups – a 64 Strat Neck Relic, a 64 Strat Middle RWRP Relic (hum canceling pickup) and a 64 Strat Bridge Relic. These are controlled by 3 control knobs and a 5-way pickup selector. These allow you create a variety of tonal options.
This is a really special guitar, limited in supply and a collector’s item.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-made
- Playability – Easy to play.
- Performance – Offers tonal versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Cost – Very expensive.
Bottom line
This is another blast from the past. You can’t find many of these as they are highly limited editions. At its price, only serious collectors will appreciate it.
Ibanez JEM7V Steve Vai Signature Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Ibanez is one brand that has been making its mark in the guitar industry. Though it cannot lay claim to the history that the likes of Fender can boast of, it has currently managed to make a name for itself in this highly competitive market.
The JEM7V Steve Vai Signature is a clear indication of what this brand can deliver. Working with the legendary Steve Vai, Ibanez created this marvel of an instrument, combining stunning looks with great performance.
The body of this guitar is built of alder while the neck, which is a bolt-on design, is made of maple. The fretboard holds 24 frets and is made of rosewood. This is a 25.5 inch scale length guitar.
Now to the interesting part. This guitar comes with two humbuckers and a singlecoil. These consist of two Dimarzio Evolution humbuckers for the neck and bridge while the Dimarzio Custom singlecoil pickup takes the mid position.
To control these are a master volume, master tone and 5-way pickup selector switch. These help you mix and match the pickups to achieve different tonal variations.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It is beautiful and well-made.
- Playability – It’s very easy to play.
- Performance – Amazing tonal options.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- If we had any complaint it will be the cost, which makes it unaffordable to many. It’s however worth it.
Bottom line
It’s hard not to be impressed with this guitar especially with the tonal versatility it offers and of course its breathtaking build and appearance.
Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
If you were not sure before now, it should be pretty clear that Fender reigns in the big leagues.
We are looking at another guitar from Fender’s Dream Factory. It’s the Robin Trower signature Strat.
Just in case you do not know who Robin Trower is, he is a guitarist and singer of English extraction who made his mark in the 1960s with the band Procol Harum. He also later formed a 3-man band called Robin Trower. He was very influential during his time, helping lay down some play styles in the rock domain.
This signature guitar of his features an alder body and a bolt-on neck made of maple and built to a custom C-shape.
At the heart of the guitar, we find 3 singlecoil pickups designed by Todd Krause, a Fender master builder and Trower. These are positioned at the neck, mid and bridge and controlled with a master volume knob, two tone knobs and a pickup selector switch.
This guitar offers a lot of tonal varieties including humbucking options. You just need to select which you need and tweak the tone to your heart’s content.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-built
- Playability – It’s easy to play
- Performance – Loads of tonal options.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- None really
Bottom line
If you love the sound of the early 70s rock, then you are likely going to love this especially if you are fan of Robin Trower.
ESP KH2 Kirk Hammett Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
ESP Company, Limited is a Japanese brand that has managed to break into the North American market. This is no fluke, but the result of a consistent delivery of quality products. This guitar here is a case in point.
You are looking at a guitar that is as rare as they come. This particular Kirk Hammett Electric Guitar is for true collectors.
It’s a 25.5 inch scale length guitar with a body made of alder and an extra thin, bolt-on U-neck made of quarter sawn maple. The fretboard, which holds 24 frets, is made of rosewood and tastefully designed with mother of pearl skulls and bones inlay.
The body is finished in black with a 30th anniversary paint job featuring prominently on it. All the hardware also comes in black, making it a perfect fit for the metal genre.
For electronics, it features two EMG 81 Active set pickups. You can control and tweak the guitar’s tone with the three knobs and pickup selector switch. Giving how rare this guitar is, owning one now is a major big deal.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It’s lovely and well-built.
- Playability – It is comfortable and easy to play.
- Performance – Powerful and versatile.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- This is really expensive and you may not even find it for sale.
Bottom line
This is not just about owning a great guitar but owning one that is fit for a museum. You may never find another who owns this. That’s how rare it is.
Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plaintop Burst Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Gibson is another brand that has affected the guitar world profoundly. One of its iconic offerings is the Les Paul guitar, one of which we will be reviewing here today. We are referring to the Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plaintop Electric Guitar.
This is a reissue of a 1958 masterpiece by the brand. Featuring the standard Les Paul body with a carved plain maple top and a solid mahogany back, this is surrounded by a period correct cream binding and sports a nitrocellulose gloss finish over a washed cherry coloring with a bit of flame.
The 1-piece mahogany chunky 50s neck which is very comfortable and easy to play is also surrounded by the same cream binding. It has a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. This is a 24.75 inch scale length guitar so it’s not a very huge guitar.
In the electronics section, we find two humbucking pickups located at the neck and the bridge respectively. These are controlled by the standard Les Paul controls, which are a respective volume and tone knobs for each pickup plus a 3-way selector switch. By the way, they feature the bumble bee controls.
This guitar was designed for versatility, so it can be used effectively for to play different kinds of music.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Beautiful and well built.
- Playability – Plays very easily.
- Performance – Offers impressive tonal options
Cons and Potential Flaws
- None for now.
Bottom line
This is a lovely guitar that offers a mix of aesthetic value and tonal versatility.
Suhr Modern Plus Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
In the world of guitars, Suhr Guitars is pretty much a youngster. Despite being relatively new in the game, it has still made some impressive strides. This is largely attributed to the ingenuity of its founder – John Suhr.
If you know the Modern Pro, then you will likely recognize the similarities between it and the Modern Plus. It is basically a remake of the Pro with a few modifications. The body is made of basswood and a maple top with a faded trans whale blue burst that is covered with the faintest of finish coating which allows for maximum resonance.
For the neck, this is where one of the changes occurs. It still features the same elliptical shape but is now built with roasted maple and sports a satin acrylic urethane finish. On the other hand, the fretboard, which holds 24 jumbo, is made of pau ferro.
For electronics, this comes with three pickups arranged in a HSH formation. A Suhr SSV neck humbucker is located at the neck, a Suhr V60LP single-coil in the middle and a Suhr SSH+ bridge 53mm humbucker at the bridge. These are controlled using a 5-way switch, a volume knob and a tone knob with a pull/push function.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It’s lovely and well-built.
- Playability – Lightweight and smooth.
- Performance – Impressive tonal versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No real cons recorded.
Bottom line
This is one great looking guitar that can practically perform splendidly on any stage thanks to its tonal versatility.
Ernie Ball Music Man Monarchy Majesty Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Ernie Ball Music Man is a brand with a single focus and that is building the best handmade guitars available. A look at some of its offerings shows that it is indeed on the right track. Our focus in this review is the JP and BFR Monarchy Majesty Electric Guitar, a product of the partnership with Music Man and John Petrucci.
A partnership between Petrucci and Music Man can only result in awesome outcomes as we can see. The Monarchy Majesty is a guitar fit for royalty. Its 25.5” scale length body is made of African mahogany with a maple top. It features two prominent cutaways and sports a gloss finish at the top with a matt finish at the back.
The neck is also made of mahogany with an ebony fretboard that holds 24 frets and is designed with custom John Petrucci acrylic inlays. This neck is finished in a really smooth matt which makes play easy and the JP signature is featured prominently on the headstock.
For electronics, we find a 3-pickup configuration. This consists of two DiMarzio Sonic Ecstasy passive humbucker and a piezo pickup located at the bridge. With its extensive control system, you can create a huge palette of tonal variations.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Beautiful and well-made.
- Playability – Smooth.
- Performance – Huge output with tons of versatility.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- None to report.
Bottom line
This is a guitar that delivers amazing tonal satisfaction as you have loads of options to work with. Its look is just a bonus.
What We Recommend and Why
We’ve just had the privilege of looking at some of the best and most expensive guitars available today. At this price point, one can only be amazed at the quality and performance offered by these guitars. They were all simply great.
However, we still have to choose out one to be crowned our pick for the Top Electric Guitar Under $5000. Given all we have considered, we pick the Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Plaintop Electric Guitar for this title because we believe it embodies the best combination of values, which include aesthetics, playability, performance and cost.