Say you’ve already bought your first guitar and you love it. You’ve gone from string names to open chords to barre chords and diminished chords. You’re picking up songs left and right. You’ve been practicing off and on for many hours at a time while splitting time at school or your day job. Now you’ve decided you want to move on up in the guitar world.
$1,500 is an ideal amount to spend on a guitar. This budget gets you a high-quality, premium guitar that even non-players will appreciate. There are a lot of great options on this list, so let’s cut to the chase. We’ll explore all genres and styles of play.
Thus far in this series, we’ve approached guitar buying from a complete beginner’s standpoint, whereas now we’re talking serious purchases. You already have a skill set. You already know what music you want to play so we’ll narrow things down a little more.
Without further ado, here are the best electric guitars available for around $1,500.
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Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHMFX
This eye-catching Ibanez RG652AHMFX needs to be heard. The tonality and playability of this guitar will push you right to the front of any mix.
Well affordable in terms of our budget, the Ibanez Prestige comes in at under $1,500. The neck is a slender 5-piece maple and walnut composite Super Wizard neck.
This guitar can match any tone with between DiMarzio Tone Zone and AirNorton Humbuckers. This guitar demands to be played hard.
The bridge is a Gibraltar Standard II. It holds the sustain of any note you play while keeping every string in tune through the farthest of bends.
Fender Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster
Ritchie Blackmore is the composer behind everyone’s first learned riff, Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water”. After a lengthy career, his signature model has to go the distance.
The tonewoods are typical Stratocaster with an alder body and a maple neck. The fingerboard is made of rosewood with unique scalloped frets for better note control. The neck pickup is a Seymour Duncan SSL-4 single coil.
The back pickup is a reverse-wound Seymour Duncan SSL-4 pickup.
EVH Striped Series Stratocaster
Want to rock like Eddie Van Halen without spending a fortune?
The Striped Series guitar gives you that iconic black and white striped look that screams rock history. This guitar packs a punch with its basswood body and one-piece maple neck, making it lightweight but still full of tone. The single direct-mounted humbucker pickup cuts through any mix with hot, clear sound that’s perfect for everything from crunchy rhythms to screaming solos.
Shredders will love the compound-radius fingerboard that feels comfortable whether you’re playing chords at the bottom or soloing at the top. The Floyd Rose tremolo lets you pull off wild dive bombs without going out of tune, while the D-Tuna feature lets you quickly switch to drop-D tuning for heavier riffs.
Built to Eddie’s exact specs, this affordable guitar delivers professional sound and playability that both beginners and serious players can appreciate.
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS Black
Fed up with guitars that only do one thing well?
This Strat delivers versatility with its clever pickup combination: a meaty humbucker in the bridge for thick, heavy sounds plus two classic single coils that bring that sparkly Fender twang. The alder body hits the sweet spot between weight and resonance, while the maple neck feels fast with its player-friendly “Modern C” shape.
Chord playing and string bending feel effortless thanks to the 9.5-inch radius fingerboard that fits your hand just right. Adding expression to your playing is simple with the 2-point tremolo that lets you create vibrato or dive bombs while staying in tune. Those signature Fender tones (chimey highs, punchy mids, and solid bass) have been the foundation of countless hit songs across all genres.
Perfect for beginners wanting room to grow or experienced players needing a reliable workhorse that handles blues, rock, country, jazz, and pretty much anything else without breaking a sweat.
Fender American Performer Stratocaster HSS
Searching for American-made quality that won’t blow your budget?
The American Performer Stratocaster HSS packs incredible tonal options with its unique pickup configuration. Two Yosemite single coils deliver that classic Strat sparkle with increased output thanks to their flat-staggered pole pieces, while the hot DoubleTap humbucker at the bridge gives your solos the punch they need to cut through the mix.
A cool push-pull knob splits the bridge pickup for even more sound options, and the Greasebucket tone circuit lets you roll off highs without losing your gain or getting muddy. The smooth alder body and rosewood fingerboard bring warmth and sustain to your playing, making complex chord work feel natural and effortless.
Serious players will appreciate the precise craftsmanship and attention to detail that comes with a US-made instrument. This guitar maintains all the comfort and playability that made the Stratocaster famous while adding modern improvements for today’s musicians.
Conclusion
Hypothetically buying expensive electric guitars is a great pastime. In this list we covered the premium models of the most legendary guitars around. I fully encourage you to expand on the instruments in this list, scour the internet for more reviews.
I didn’t pick the most popular or the best-selling all the time, just the models that are incredibly highly-reviewed amongst our peers. Everyone has a different style and it’s not always unanimous what the best guitar is. That’s a decision only you can make.
