How Much Do Guitars Cost?
When you're looking for the best beginner guitars or hoping to expand your guitar collection, it's important to have a ballpark idea of how much a good guitar costs. Of course you can buy a cheap acoustic guitar for next to nothing, and even a basic electric guitar for not a lot at all, but this can be false economy if you want good quality audio output.
In this guide I'll try to answer the burning questions by looking at some of the factors that affect guitar prices, the false economies of buying too cheaply, and the questions to ask yourself in order to answer the big one: just how much does a good electric guitar cost?
Don't fall for cheap
Let's deal with the elephant in the room first. Ask most people "How much do acoustic guitars cost?" and you'll get some very low answers. Some of the cheapest acoustic guitars online start from around £40-50. If you want something for the kids to have a go on, the cheapest end of the market can be very tempting, but you have to be careful that you're actually buying a full-sized guitar and the product descriptions often gloss over some of the details, such as exactly what type of guitar you are buying.
Change the question to "How much do electric guitars cost?" and the price doubles to around £100 for the cheapest electric guitars online. Again, if you need the absolute cheapest electric guitar you can get, these should at least be playable. But equally, if the description doesn't even tell you what type of electric guitar it is, you have to question the quality of the instrument.
Breakages
Breakages are a big problem with cheap guitars. The construction, materials and workmanship are simply not as good, the less you pay. This can lead to costly repairs and, at worst, the body of the guitar could break completely, leaving it unplayable and needing to be replaced.
Going out of tune
All guitars go out of tune over time, but cheaper guitars will generally lose their tuning faster. Again, it's just a case of poorer workmanship and materials, and while it might be possible to tune the guitar correctly each time you play it, you'll probably notice it drifting even in a single practice or jam session if you play with other people.
Loss of motivation
Learning guitar is not difficult but you're most likely to quit right at the start, so give yourself a fighting chance. A cheap guitar that just doesn't feel like good craftsmanship, combined with a tendency to go out of tune and a generally poor tonal quality, can add up to a loss of motivation sooner than you can say "waste of time and money". You deserve a decent guitar - one that will see you through at least as far as intermediate stage, and become an old friend when you look back on your first few guitar lessons in the years to come.
Factors
OK, enough about the cheap disposable guitars. Let's look at the factors that affect the price of electric guitars produced by some of the biggest brands, like Fender and Gibson.
Brand and Model
It goes without saying that different guitars cost different amounts. In general, if you want a make and model that everybody has heard of, like a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul, it's going to cost you more than an imitation by a brand you've never heard of.
Equally, while some of those other brands do a decent job of imitating the major manufacturers' most successful designs, you're going to get the iconic tonal quality you're looking for only by buying from the brand that launched that model in the first place.
Manufacturing Location
Guitars produced and assembled in the Far East are typically less expensive, and both Fender and Gibson have budget brands (Squier and Epiphone, respectively) where production has been shifted out to Japan, China and Indonesia. There's also the PRS Guitars Student Edition (PRS SE) which is made in South Korea.
Location is usually not the only reason these models are cheaper to buy. They're typically also cheaper in construction, using types of wood and metal hardware that don't age as well or that don't give you quite the frequency range when playing the guitar. But as a budget alternative to the big-ticket guitars, they're definitely worth considering.
Set a Budget
When doing your research, it's useful to have a budget in mind. That will often be driven by how much cash you've got spare to spend, but if you're close to a higher price point and you have specific needs in mind, you might decide to save up the bit extra to get a better guitar, especially if you've reached an intermediate level in your training and want to improve.
Quality and Price Scale
Remember, in general, money buys quality. Take a look at the types of guitar that you'd most like to own and see where the price points are. You might find prices fall into several tiers, from the very top end of the market, to the mid-range, to the cheapest guitars that offer the least quality.
Uses and Goals
What do you need from your guitar? If it's a beginner learner's guitar or you've learned in the past and want a refresher, something relatively cheap might do the trick. If you're more serious about the performance side, you'll probably want to spend the extra to get a gigworthy guitar or something you know you can trust in terms of tonal range.
Resale Value
Plenty of people consider themselves to be guitar collectors, often even more than they are guitar players. Brand-name electric guitars, especially models like Les Paul and Stratocaster, keep their resale value for longer. If you're looking for an investment, check the second-hand prices of a few different models and try to judge which are most valuable on the pre-owned market.
Budget models of big brands
As mentioned above, the big brands often have budget models available, made with lower quality materials or in a part of the world where labour costs are cheaper.
Fender Squier
The Squier brand dates back to 1890 and originally produced instrument strings. In 1965 it was acquired by Fender and since 1982, 'Squier by Fender' has been the label on Fender's range of budget guitars. Originally made in Japan, the Fender Squier series included the first official budget versions of Fender classics like the Telecaster and Stratocaster.
Gibson Epiphone
Epiphone were once direct rivals to Gibson in the jazz archtop guitar niche. If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em, and that's exactly what Gibson did in 1957. Gibson Epiphone guitars now include budget versions of some of Gibson's main models, but the brand is also used for some Epiphone exclusives, as well as other stringed instruments and even some amplifiers.
PRS SE (Student Edition)
PRS SE is designed for learners - hence 'student' edition - and is manufactured in South Korea by World Musical Instruments Company on behalf of PRS. More recently, Cor-Tek Musical Instruments Company in Indonesia have also made PRS SE guitars. Check the back of the headstock on a PRS SE and you'll see printed text telling you which factory it came from.
Buy second-hand
Buying a second-hand guitar is a great way to get your favourite model without paying the manufacturer's recommended retail price. Remember, a good quality guitar, well cared for, is likely to stay in tip-top condition for many years.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying a used guitar, as well as when choosing what to buy from a long list of adverts.
Prioritise Practicality
Like buying used cars, it's more important to buy something that works than something that looks good, so try to resist shopping based on appearance and focus instead on practical utility.
Endless Supply
The used guitar market has plenty of supply - and plenty of demand. Keep an eye out for desirable models appearing on your preferred used guitar marketplace or Facebook group, and get your offer in fast if you see something you love.
Maintenance and Repairs
Guitars can live for a long time with minimal maintenance and repair work required. You can usually shop second-hand guitars with confidence, but do look out for any telltale signs of major repair work. Consider buying from a marketplace with a returns policy, so you can get your money back if the instrument arrives in an unexpected poor condition.
Consider starter bundles
Getting started with electric guitars costs more than just buying an acoustic guitar and its strings. So how much does guitar setup cost if you decide to go electric? It depends on your guitar and amp, effects pedals and other accessories like premium-quality cables and tuning gadgets.
One way to keep costs under control is to choose an electric guitar starter bundle. These are designed to include all of the essentials, and usually a few accessories too, and you shouldn't need much more to start learning electric guitar.
Great for Beginners
Cost isn't the only advantage of electric guitar starter bundles for beginners. When you choose a bundle aimed at first-timers, you're likely to find it includes one of the best beginner guitar amps, and usually some form of tuning tool too. Quality varies of course, so look out for the best beginner bundles you can find.
Other Costs
The contents of beginner bundles for electric guitarists can vary a lot. You'll often find all sorts of accessories thrown in, and some of them can be incredibly useful. A starter accessories kit containing spare guitar strings, a carry case and strap can be a real godsend if you need to travel to your guitar lessons, or you've reached a standard where you're ready to go busking or perform in public.
Recommendations
To finish, let's run through a few recommendations to get you a guitar that offers genuine value for money, and should see you through your first guitar lessons as you progress to a higher standard.
Yamaha Pacifica
Yamaha Pacifica guitars were a concept project designed at Yamaha's custom shop in California by Rich Lasner and guitar builder Leo Knapp, which went into production at Yamaha Japan. The various different models are broadly based on the Stratocaster and Telecaster body styles, and the range offers some excellent value.
Fender Squier
Squier helped Fender fight back against the influx of cheap Japanese-made imitations in the 1980s, by introducing their own line made in Japan. Like the Yamaha Pacifica range, this is a way to get a version of the Telecaster or Stratocaster at a lower price point. Unlike the Yamaha guitars, Squier are technically Fender guitars, just made to a lower specification.
Figure Thinking
Last but not least, let's talk about numbers. Electric guitar price points vary a lot, especially at the top end of the market where you can expect to pay much more for a signature edition of a legendary model.
In general, there are three price ranges to look out for:
2-digit prices (under £100) are to be avoided. The build quality and materials used are just not worth the money, as the guitar probably won't last long.
3-digit prices around the £500 mark are a good sweet spot. This is a reasonable cost for a beginner to intermediate electric guitar, which should even be good enough for gigs and other public performances.
4-digit prices over £1,000 are the luxury end. If you've got over a grand to spend, you can expect to get a high-quality guitar for your money, and honestly this is probably more than you need to spend unless you're going pro.
Ultimately, it's about what you want, what you need, and what you've got in the bank. Do try to get the best guitar you can afford, while making good use of bundles to get even better value on the essential equipment and accessories.
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