The 29 Best Electric Guitar Brands 2023: What Our Data Shows

Here we show our results after analyzing 1956 mass-produced guitars from 29 different brands in 2023.

Each model went through our scoring algorithm that takes into account over 40 different criteria items, including —but not limited to— nut width, scale size, neck joint, country of origin, quality control, quality of materials, and a lot more.

This data is updated every time we add a new model to our database, so, unlike other resources, this post is updated in real-time as the brands featured in this article release new models .

Take into account that we only evaluate mass-produced models not coming from the custom shop. We decided to leave those out since custom jobs vary on a case-by-case basis.

Brands With The Highest Average Scores in 2023

To find the brand that offers the highest-quality guitars, we analyze each model's specs. This let us score each guitar according to their playability, sound and build quality based on a scale from 1 to 100. After obtaining these three different scores, we calculate the average as the final score, which is the one we show in the data below.

According to our findings, without taking into account price, the highest scoring and best brand this year is ESP E-II. Here's our result. The maximum score possible is 100:

How Did We Arrive to This Data?

To determine the build quality of each guitar, we take a look at things like the wood type —is it a proper wood piece for making a guitar?—, hardware quality —do they use branded tuning machines and bridges, or just aftermarket parts?—, building techniques —do they use the cheaper bolt-on neck or the more resistant and expensive neck-through build? We also give a higher score to guitars that are made in countries with a better reputation, although we don't give it too much importance as it's been shown that you can make good guitars from anywhere.

To score their sound quality, we take into account where and who makes their pickups. For example, if they come from a well-known brand, they will get a higher score. We also analyze the versatility of their pickup selector and additional switches.

Finally, for their playability, we take a look at the measurements, especially of the neck. For example, do they use a C or D profile, which makes guitars easier to play for most people, or do they use a baseball-like shape that some vintage players prefer? Is the neck thickness within an acceptable range for most people?

These aren't the only things we evaluate. As we said, we have over 40 different criteria items that our algorithm takes into account. We did this for all the 1956 guitars in our database and these were the results.

But that's not all we have. Below we will show more interesting data you might want to check out.

Why do Fender, Gibson and PRS Have Low Scores? Are They No Longer Good?

Something that might catch the attention of many guitarists is how low Gibson, PRS, and Fender tend to score compared to other brands. They are often considered the most prestigious and expensive brands, so why such low scores?

The reason is because they produce guitars that aim towards a mature market looking for more "vintage" style guitars. Since these brands tend to satisfy this part of the market, most of their guitars ignore modern features like multi-switching options, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, and more. Many are also more difficult to play because older necks are often thicker than modern necks.

Many vintage guitarists dislike modern features and are always looking for that old feeling, which leads to these brands building models that satisfy these needs. Even though they still can be high-quality instruments, they are at a disadvantage here. Our algorithm gives a lot of importance to modern features because we consider it the best way to score guitars objectively. We can't put a score to the "vintage tone" or the "vintage feel, but we can evaluate how up-to-date their technology is. So if you love old guitars, don't hesitate to buy a guitar from one of these brands. They're making instruments for your style.

Which Guitar Brand Offers The Best Value For The Money?

Only taking into account the best about a guitar is not fair enough if you don't take into account the price. That's why we developed a way of understanding how much you get for the money you pay.

For this, we've created another 1-to-100 scoring system called "value for the money". To calculate this, we take into account the overall score of a guitar and we add or reduce points according to how high the listing price is.

The highest the score, the more you get for your money. When it comes to value, the best scoring brand is Harley Benton.

Best Value Guitar: ESP LTD KH-V

Playability 85

Sound 74

Build quality 65

Value for money 70

Overall Score 75

• From ESP LTD's 2023 Signature series
• Kirk Hammett Signature
• Made in Indonesia
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 13.78" Fretboard Radius
• Korina body
• 3pc Maple neck
• Macassar Ebony fretboard
• Bridge pickup: EMG Bone Breaker (Humbucker/Active)
• Neck pickup: EMG Bone Breaker (Humbucker/Active)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Tonepros Locking TOM w/ String Thru bridge
• Extra Thin U Neck-Through neck
• 24 XL Jumbo frets
• LTD Locking tuners
• Compare Specs >

What Brand is the Best for Beginners?

There are indeed some features that might make things harder for a beginner, while there are others that can make their learning process a lot easier. Because of this, we also take into account the beginner-friendly traits that each electric guitar has.

It's recommended for beginners to choose a guitar with a bridge that is easy to set up, a comfortable body and neck, good tuning stability, easy-to-press frets, short scale, and more. We take all of this into account to score the guitars from 1 to 100 in the beginner-friendliness department.

Even though these are the recommended brands for new guitar players, we still recommend you to look for the specific review of the guitar you want. We provide the beginner-friendliness score of every guitar in their dedicated review.

With all this data, we found that the most beginner-friendly brand is Sire.

Best Guitar for Beginners: Schecter Solo-II SLS Elite Evil Twin

Playability 85

Sound 78

Build quality 77

Value for money 80

Overall Score 80

• From Schecter's 2022 SLS Elite series
• Made in South Korea
• 6 strings
• 24.75"'' scale
• 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
• Swamp Ash body
• Maple/Walnut/Padauk Multi-ply w/ Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods neck
• Ebony fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic (Humbucker/Active)
• Neck pickup: Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico (Humbucker/Active)
• 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• TonePros T3BT TOM & T1Z Tailpiece bridge
• Ultra Thin C Neck-Through neck
• 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Schecter Locking tuners
• Weight between 7.85lbs (3.6kgs) and 8.35lbs (3.8kgs)
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Every Genre

If you're looking for a guitar to play a specific music genre, here are the brands we recommend. Bear in mind that you can still use almost any guitar to play any kind of music, but some models tend to be popular for different music. For example, SSS Stratocasters for Funk, Hollow-Bodies for Jazz, Active pickups for Heavy Metal, and so on. With this in mind, here are our results.

Note: You'll notice that some brands are missing for some genres. This is because they are not producing enough models for us to get a reliable average score for the genre, so we didn't include them.

Best Brands for Playing Hard Rock

Best Hard Rock Guitar: Charvel Guthrie Govan USA Signature HSH Flame Maple

Playability 80

Sound 82

Build quality 90

Value for money 69

Overall Score 84

• From Charvel's 2015 Artist Signature series
• Guthrie Govan Signature
• Made in United States
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
• Flame Maple top
• Caramelized Basswood body
• Caramelized Flame Maple neck
• Caramelized Flame Maple fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Charvel Custom MF Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
• Bridge pickup: Charvel Custom MF Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
• Middle pickup: Charvel Custom MF Single-Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Charvel Custom MF Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 5-way Switch
• Recessed Charvel Locking Tremolo Bridge bridge
• Charvel Speed Bolt-On neck
• 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Sperzel Locking tuners
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Playing Heavy Metal

Best Heavy Metal Guitar: Jackson USA Signature Jeff Loomis Kelly

Playability 83

Sound 78

Build quality 87

Value for money 68

Overall Score 83

• From Jackson's 2019 Artist Signature series
• Jeff Loomis Signature
• Made in United States
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
• Sandblasted Ash top
• Ash body
• Quartersawn Maple neck
• Ebony fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Jeff Loomis Signature Blackouts (Humbucker/Active)
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Jeff Loomis Signature Blackouts (Humbucker/Active)
• 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Floyd Rose 1500 Series Double-Locking Tremolo bridge
• Speed Neck-Through neck
• 24 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Sperzel Die-Cast tuners
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Playing Jazz

Best Jazz Guitar: Ibanez AZS2209B Prestige

Playability 78

Sound 80

Build quality 82

Value for money 75

Overall Score 80

• From Ibanez's 2023 AZS series
• Made in Japan
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 12" Fretboard Radius
• Ash body
• Roasted Maple neck
• Roasted Maple fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom (Single Coil/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Gotoh F1803 bridge
• AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
• 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. tuners
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Playing Blues

Best Blues Guitar: Ibanez AZS2200Q Prestige

Playability 77

Sound 80

Build quality 85

Value for money 71

Overall Score 81

• From Ibanez's 2021 AZS series
• Made in Japan
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 12" Fretboard Radius
• Quilted Maple top
• Alder body
• Roasted Maple neck
• Roasted Maple fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom (Single Coil/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Gotoh T1802 Tremolo bridge
• AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
• 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. tuners
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Playing Funk

Best Funk Guitar: Ibanez LM1

Playability 77

Sound 82

Build quality 89

Value for money 73

Overall Score 83

• From Ibanez's 2022 LM series
• Luca Mantovanelli Signature
• Made in Japan
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 9" to 12" Fretboard Radius
• Alder body
• Roasted Maple neck
• Rosewood fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
• Middle pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Fortuna (H) (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
• 5-way Switch
• Gotoh T1702B bridge
• AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
• 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads tuners
• Compare Specs >

Best Brands for Playing Country Music

Best Country Guitar: Ibanez TQMS1

Playability 77

Sound 80

Build quality 90

Value for money 72

Overall Score 82

• From Ibanez's 2022 TQM series
• Tom Quayle Signature
• Made in Japan
• 6 strings
• 25.5"'' scale
• 9" to 12" Fretboard Radius
• Maple(4mm) top
• Alder body
• 1pc Roasted Maple neck
• Rosewood fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Custom (Single Coil/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Magic Touch-mini (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Gotoh T1802 Tremolo bridge
• AZ Oval C Bolt-On neck
• 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Gotoh Magnum Lock machine heads w/H.A.P. tuners
• Compare Specs >

What Brand Makes the Best Extended Range Guitars?

Here are the top brands to choose from when looking for a baritone guitar (scale length longer than 25.5'') or with more than six strings.

Best Extended Range Guitar: Schecter Banshee Mach-7 FR S

Playability 80

Sound 85

Build quality 83

Value for money 78

Overall Score 83

• From Schecter's 2020 Banshee Mach series
• Made in South Korea
• 7 strings
• 26.5"'' scale
• 12" to 16" Fretboard Radius
• Flamed Maple top
• Swamp Ash body
• Roasted Maple/Purpleheart Multi-ply with Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods neck
• Ebony fretboard
• Bridge pickup: Lundgren M7 (Humbucker/Passive)
• Neck pickup: Sustainiac (Humbucker/Passive)
• 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
• 3-way Switch
• Floyd Rose 1500 Series bridge
• Ultra Thin U Neck-Through neck
• 24 XL Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
• Grover Rotomatic 18:1 tuners
• Compare Specs >

What Countries Are Producing Most Guitars in 2023?

China was the most popular country for making guitars just a few years back. Our data shows that things have changed:

The reason might be that Indonesia provides a better price/quality relationship. However, we also believe that this was a good way for brands to wash away the bad reputation of Chinese products. Even though they've proven for years that they can produce high-quality instruments, many people still believe Chinese products are of low quality.

Where Does Each Brand Produces its Electric Guitars?

Below we list each brand's countries of choice for manufacturing and how many of their models are produced there in 2023.

ESP E-II

ESP

Music Man

Charvel

Chapman

Schecter

Solar

EVH

Jackson

Fender Custom

Reverend

ESP LTD

Ibanez

Gibson Custom

Gretsch

Gibson

Fender

Washburn

Dean

PRS

D'Angelico

Yamaha

Sterling

Cort

Kramer

Harley Benton

Epiphone

Sire

Fender Squier

That's it for now. You might also like reading about the most popular pickups found in these guitars. Alternatively, you can explore all the 1956 guitars in our database. Or, you can go to our search page to find and compare specific models you're interested in.