Guitar Reviews

Made with hand-selected tonewoods, Alvarez Yairi guitars are still made in an old-fashioned workshop with naturally air dried woods, handcrafted into world-class instruments with hand-molded bracing and time-honored dovetail neck joints.

The B. C. Rich Mockingbird has a classic rock look with tones to match. The action and fit are very well done, and the stock hardware is solid. Without question, the B. C. Rich Mockingbird is a first-rate hard rock/metal electric guitar.

Though the C25/CR Herringbone doesn’t have the same options as its more expensive brethren, it is nevertheless a world-class guitar. If you’ve ever wanted to try a Breedlove but were put off by the high price tag, the Breedlove C25/CR is sure to satisfy.

The Carvin Bolt-T is a custom Strat-style guitar with excellent sound, playability, and price. It gives the folks a Fender a serious run for their money.

The Carvin CT6M is a double-cutaway McCarty-like guitar with great sustain and tones. The variety of customizable options make it a serious option for lead guitarists everywhere.

Few guitars have such an original vibe, feel, and sound, but the Holdworth Fatboy fits the bill. Its comfortable neck, wide array of sounds, and unique look make it a worthwhile purchase and investment.

The Razorback guitars come in a variety of price-points depending on their construction and feature-set. The Razorback DB is a more budget-conscious model, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. This import model is a killer guitar at a very affordable price.

With a street price of only $599, there’s not much to not love about the Epiphone Casino. If you’re looking for a versatile guitar for classic rock, jazz, blues, or just an excuse to whip out some Beatles licks, the Casino is a guitar you can bet on.

It’s hard to believe you can get the Epiphone DR-100 for less than a hundred bucks, but it’s true. The Epiphone DR-100 is a highly recommended starter or secondary instrument.

The Epiphone Limited Edition ES-335 Pro is a highly celebrated model that reflects the increasingly high standards that this Gibson-owned company now reflects.

The Epiphone G-400 is a great guitar for people looking for classic rock, blues, and even hard rock tones who also don’t want to spend a ton of money on their purchase. It’s a fun guitar with several usable tones.

The Epiphone Hummingbird is an excellent choice if you want a versatile, low-cost instrument that has a cool vintage vibe.

With a street price of $169, it’s clear that the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a budget-priced instrument. However, what’s not clear is just how much you get for that relatively low price. The Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a worthwhile entry into the budget guitar market with its solid playability and full sound.

Aside from its signature Epiphone headstock, an Epiphone Les Paul is a Korean-made guitar that looks, feels, and plays like a Gibson Les Paul without the hefty price tag. It is worthy to bear the name of the late, great Les Paul on its headstock.

The Epiphone Les Paul Studio is an attempt to bring the spirit of the beloved Gibson Les Paul Studio model to a more affordable level. At a list price of $349, it’s safe to say Epiphone succeeded.

ESP has proven that a made in Korea guitar can compete with the best American-made instruments. For less than a $1,000, the LTD Deluxe EC-1000 can hold its own with guitars costing three times as much.

With a street price of around a grand, the EVH Wolfgang Special is a pretty good bargain. The neck is smooth and comfortable and tones are pure classic rock.

With a street price of less than $1,600, the Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster is an instrument worthy of stage or studio.

The Fender American Deluxe Telecaster is a guitar that will last a lifetime and cover duties from studio to stage with no difficulties.

Though the price of the Fender American series has risen over the past few years, the “bang for buck” has increased as well, and with a street price of around $1,400 for the American Professional Stratocaster, it’s hard to complain given the quality of the instrument.

The Fender American Stratocaster is perhaps the foundation of the Fender line and represent the best ideas learned over 50 plus years of making their iconic instruments.

The American Standard Telecaster is a guitar than is well-suited for a variety of musical contexts, given its wide array of sounds and playability. It’s hard to improve on a classic, but kudos to Fender for having done just that.

With the Fender CD-60 you get a quality, budget acoustic guitar that is suitable for a beginner looking for a starter instrument or a more experienced player wanting a secondary instrument.

Fender has provided us with yet another quality low cost yet high quality acoustic electric at a fair price. With a street price of less than $300, there’s not much to complain about with the Fender CD140SCE.

Unless you’ve lived in a cave for the past 15 years, you know that Fender has had no shortage of Artist-inspired instruments. One of their oldest offerings is still one of their best, the Eric Clapton model Stratocaster.

While it has a vintage vibe, the Eric Johnson Stratocaster is well-suited for a wide-variety of genres. Without question, the Eric Johnson Stratocaster is a world-class instrument that bears the mark of its world-class designer.

The USA-made Fender Highway One Stratocaster is situated between Fender’s American Standard and the Made-in-Mexico Standard series. Rather than just being a “budget” American-made guitar, the Highway One Stratocaster has a vibe all its own.

The MIM Stratocaster is the “real” deal. The guitar produces everything from convincing Hendrix, Clapton, and Gilmour tones. It played and sounded like a guitar that should cost twice as much.

If you’re looking for a quality Telecaster that can cover a lot of musical territory but not put you in the poor house, the new Fender Standard Telecaster is a worthy contender.

The incredibly affordable G&L Limited Edition Tribute ASAT Classic Bluesboy is a guitar that could easily be used for jazz, blues, country, and rock, all at a fair price.

The Gibson ES-339 is a semi-hollowbody guitar that is a cross between a Les Paul and an ES-335. While the ES-335 is beloved by people for its rich semihollow tones, its body size is comparable to an archtop guitar and is unwieldy for some. Enter the ES-339, which marries the Les Paul feel with the ES-335 sound.

Though the shape and thick, chunky sound have remained constant throughout the years, the details, from pickup selection to neck design, have changed in recent years to reflect Gibson’s continuing desire to innovate.

If you’re open to modern improvements on a traditional design, the HP model might just appeal to you. The 2017 HP model is a welcome addition to the Les Paul line. Its wide range of sounds and playability make it a solid contender.

In 1983, Gibson introduced what was to soon become one of its most popular guitars, the Les Paul Studio. Eschewing such adornments as body and neck binding, the Gibson Les Paul Studio contains most elements that contribute to the Les Paul tone.

While not as popular as the Fender Stratocaster or the Gibson Les Paul, the Gibson SG is nevertheless an iconic guitar that has been used by everyone from Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, and Angus Young.

In a world dominated by Fender Stratocasters and Gibson Les Pauls, it’s easy to forget the power of a large, hollowbody guitar that offers some serious Duane Eddy-like twang. The Gretsch G5120 offers such a large sound at a price that won’t break the bank.

The Gretsch G5122 is yet another low-cost offering from Gretsch who in recent years have really stepped up their game in offering quality instruments thanks to their tightly-controlled Korean manufacturing. If you’re interested in a guitar with serious “twang-factor,” the Gretsch G5122 might be up your alley.

The Ibanez AEL20E is a solid contender in the low to mid end acoustic electric market. If you’re looking for an AE guitar that offers excellent playability, killer looks, and versatile electronics, it’s hard to beat the Ibanez AEL20E.

With the ART100, Ibanez, who is usually known for their shredder-style double-cutaway guitars, proves that they can make a killer single cutaway guitar at a fantastic price.

The Ibanez AS73 is one of the company’s numerous low-cost guitars whose price belies the quality and value of the instrument. With a street price of only $399.99, this Chinese-made hollow-body guitar is well worth its low cost.

If you’re looking for a hard rock or shredder axe with excellent metal tones and solid playability for not a ton of cash, the Ibanez RG2EX1 might be just what you needed.

The Korean-made Ibanez RG350GX contains all of the features that make their higher end models some of the most sough-after guitars for shred and metal guitarists. The playability and sounds of this quality are usually found in guitars costing twice as much, if not more.

With its ability to model everything from a 1959 Gibson Les Paul to a 1966 Rickenbacker, the Line 6 Variax is a versatile, useful tool that will serve a variety of players both live and in the studio.

The HD-28 is Martin’s recreation of their heralded Herringbone style 28-model guitars. Outfitted with a Sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard, the Martin HD-28 is a fine representation of Martin’s celebrated guitar craftsmanship.

From its futuristic vibrato system to the carbon-glass fingerboard, the Parker Fly Mojo is a worthy entry in the Parker Guitar lineup. The rich mahogany body coupled with the versatile Seymour Duncan pickups made the Parker Fly Mojo a true professional’s instrument.

The effortless playability coupled with the rich tones make the Peavey HP Special a guitar for the ages. It’s a fine tribute to Peavey’s founder and a worthy successor to the heralded Peavey Wolfgang. In fact, it far surpasses the Wolfgang, no easy task!

The PRS DGT model is a result of guitar legend David Grissom’s collaboration with noted guitar builder Paul Reed Smith. The result is a classy, versatile instrument that holds its own in the ever-growing PRS guitar lineup.

PRS has yet to make a guitar we didn’t like, and the Mira is no exception. Its thoughtful approach to design, comfort, and playability make it a wonderful choice for those looking for something a little different. Its price tag is also far less than most USA-made PRS guitars, which makes it even more attractive.

PRS guitars are known for the wide range of sounds and easy of play. They’re also known for being pretty expensive. In an effort to bring PRS sound and playability to a wider audience, PRS launched their Korean-made SE series. The SE Custom 24 model is a low-cost alternative to the PRS Custom 24.

With a street price of under $400, there’s no reason not to love the Seagull S6 acoustic guitar. Given its ease of play and its price, the Seagull S6 may very well be the ultimate beginner’s acoustic guitar.

Along with the included Takamine hardshell case, the Takamine EF341SC represents a great bargain. It plays and sounds as well as guitars costing twice as much. We recommend it for anyone looking for a low-cost, versatile, good-sounding, and playable guitar.

Without question, the Taylor 814CE is one of the most versatile and balanced acoustic-electric guitars we’ve ever played. Equally at home on stage and studio, this is a guitar that could be used in a variety of contexts. Its versatility and playability are almost without peer.

Whether you’re fingerpicking, strumming, or playing lead lines, the Taylor Baby Taylor is a very enjoyable instrument at a price that’s pretty hard to beat.

The Washburn D10S is one of those rare guitars than can appeal to beginners and advances players alike. It’s solid sound, great playability, and affordable price make it a “no-brainer” purchase.

Since the 1970s, Yamaha acoustic guitars have been favored by beginners and those looking to buy an inexpensive but quality guitar. The FG730S continues that tradition and is a guitar that we would easily recommend to anyone seeking a quality, budget acoustic guitar.