Spending a bigger amount of money on an electric guitar can be a fickle and tricky process. You can find the best guitar you’ve ever played for $350 and you can spend $800 for a hunk of junk. The tried and true method is to sort through a million different guitars until you know exactly what you’re looking for. Fortunately for us, there is an amazing community of guitar players who review these products at any reputable online retailer.
This article will delve into how to spend a reasonable sum to purchase a real deal electric guitar. Unless you’re living comfortably or a professional musician, $1000 should be an ideal amount to spend on a brand new instrument.
Table of Contents
Gretsch G5420T Electromatic
The Gretsch G5420T is one of the most beautiful, distinctive guitars on the market. It’s a Hollowbody with major electric capabilities. It’s my personal pick for the best hollowbody electric guitar under $1000. It’s got a timeless, single-cutaway maple body with a maple neck and fretboard. Gretsch was the axe of choice for superstars like Tom Petty, Chet Atkins and Bo Diddley. If you’re a country, indie or blues fan, this is a perfect fit for you.
Reviewers online are raving about this guitar, some receiving it as a Christmas gift or buying it for themselves. This Gretsch has smooth playability that you’ll be comfortable with right away. The only foreseeable problem is the height of the pickups, which can be intrusive.
PRS SE Custom 24
Here’s a guitar that gives you pro-quality sound without emptying your wallet. The PRS SE Custom 24 pairs a mahogany body with a maple top that creates warm tones and great sustain for any style of music you play.
You’ll feel right at home with the maple neck’s Wide Thin shape that makes fast playing easier on your hands, while the rosewood fingerboard shows off those classic bird inlays that guitar fans instantly recognize.
When you need to switch up your sound, the dual 85/15 “S” pickups let you jump between thick humbucker tones and bright single-coil sounds with a simple control adjustment.
The traditional “violin” body shape feels just like the expensive models but costs way less, and the 80/20 bronze strings deliver crisp, bright tones right out of the box.
Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard
This recreation of the rare 1959 Les Paul Standard brings vintage guitar magic to your hands without the vintage price tag. The mahogany body with AAA figured maple top gives you those rich, warm tones that make your playing stand out in any setting.
When you grip the comfortable hand-rolled neck, you’ll notice how the long neck tenon adds stability while you play for hours without hand fatigue. The Gibson USA BurstBucker pickups deliver that authentic sound that works perfectly for both studio recordings and live shows. Every detail counts on this guitar, from the 50s era wiring to the CTS pots that keep your tone pure and responsive.
The Deluxe vintage tuners keep you in perfect pitch while adding to the classic look that turns heads.
Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20
Serious guitarists seeking unique character in their sound should check out this chambered maple and mahogany beauty built with café racer style. The RSS20 packs impressive versatility with its Alnico V humbucking pickups and 5-position selector that gives you tonal options beyond what most dual-pickup guitars offer.
Your playing feels solid thanks to the carbon-reinforced 3-piece mahogany neck, developed through Yamaha’s exclusive Acoustic Design process that balances weight reduction with strong resonance. Flip on the passive Focus Switch with a simple pull of the knob to cut through any mix with clarity.
The guitar comes in four stunning finishes that turn heads while you play and includes a deluxe gig bag to protect your investment. Left-handed players aren’t left out either, with the identical RSS20L model available for southpaws.
Fender Player II Stratocaster HSS
Want a guitar that handles any style?
This versatile Strat feels like your trusty sidekick with its smooth playability and killer sound options. The alder body with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard gives you that perfect tone balance that works for everything from blues to rock to funk.
Flip between the humbucker and single-coils, and you’ve got thick, chunky leads or bright, crisp cleans at your fingertips, no extra gear needed! Thanks to those rolled fingerboard edges, your hands feel comfortable after long gigs. Bend strings and add vibrato without worry since the 2-point tremolo stays in tune even with heavy use.
The Player II comes in some seriously cool vintage-inspired finishes that’ll get you noticed on any stage.
Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AG95K
Jazz, blues, and rock players rejoice!
I’ve found a hollowbody that won’t squeal with feedback when you crank up the volume. The Artcore Expressionist AG95K just feels right from the moment you pick it up.
Want to know why?
Those acacia wood parts give you super clear, bright tones, while the smart center block design lets you play as loud as you want. When you wrap your hand around that 3-piece nyatoh/maple neck, you’ll notice how your fingers just glide across the ebony fingerboard, and those abalone inlays look killer under stage lights!
The Super 58 humbuckers nail that warm vintage tone we all love from classic records, minus all the annoying hum issues. If you gig regularly, you’ll appreciate how this guitar combines that vintage vibe with modern reliability. It stays in tune and sounds great night after night.
That natural finish showing off the wood grain? Just icing on an already delicious cake.
Conclusion
And there we have it. These guitars are a little nicer, a little more quality than our last buying guide. To be honest, any guitar player would gladly play any of these guitars listed. So may not be your cup of tea and that’s alright. As a matter of fact, that’s a good thing. To learn what you like and what you don’t, what kind of guitar will fit and which ones won’t. This is how you end up with a perfect guitar for your style. The guitar doesn’t make the player but it almost always helps them reach new height. Thanks for reading and happy playing!