Rating of guitar firms. The best electric guitars

While the market for budget electric guitars has been flooded with badly made knockoffs, rising manufacturing and quality control standards for new designs have led major brands in Korea and China to release amazing models for little money.

Note to readers

The article shows prices at the dollar rate for February 2016. Therefore, they may not look quite “budget”, but somewhere completely unbearable for beginners. The thing is that the indicated prices are taken from the official websites of the campaigns, respectively, used models can be much cheaper (often 2-3 times).

This article is designed to narrow down your guitar choices to a minimum and prevent you from making a mistake.

At the same time, lesser-known brands such as Chapman and Manson (the last company to collaborate with Cort) have settled in the Far East, creating inexpensive instruments in response to guitarists' requests. They offer great value for little money without the big names of premium.

In this collection, we have collected options for electric guitars that, in our opinion, will pay for themselves: the market price is from £500/$750

You may recognize some of the already familiar budget classics (hello again to the loyal Yamaha Pacifica brand), but beyond that there are plenty of options for the more adventurous. This is the first part of the article. You can read the second part.

RPRC £399/$594 (45,357/46,968 rubles) (approx.)

The guitar body and neck are made of mahogany, details are by Trev Wilkinson, including pickups and tuners, and the classic appearance of the guitar is pleasing to the eye.

There is no doubt that the V100 is an amazing guitar, surprisingly for such a small amount of money. Definitely worth buying for those who love budget rock classics.

RPRC £269/$650 (30801/51520 rubles)

The original Pacer was born in 1983 at the height of the shred boom, Kramer is now owned by Gibson.

Great looking, great playability (thanks to the slim yet wide maple neck), perfect for shredding. The Floyd Rose locking tremolo system, as an indispensable attribute, will allow you to play great fast solos in the style of Manovar, Dragon Force, Rhapsody of Fire and other extreme "shredders".

RPRC £315 (36,068 rubles)

The TE-212 doesn't score much in terms of originality, but the guitar has a modest charm that's sure to captivate many naysayers.

The guitar has a surprisingly pleasant sound, which in many ways repeats the famous Fender Telecaster. Reliable fittings, a high-quality docked body with a neck and a minimum of parts make the TE-212 an excellent guitar for transportation. This tool will not let you down on the road.

RPRC £289/$386 (33254/30685 rubles)

Just take a look at the guitar: the Sterling is the epitome of beauty, with a striking appearance (guitar quilted finish), guitar playability that will captivate any shredder, this model is worthy of attention.

Axis is a classic design from Music Man. Thanks to the Sterling SUB series, almost any guitarist can afford to be as close to the legendary guitar as possible.

Author's opinion:
"The AX3 guitar model is a delight for any musician and we wholeheartedly recommend this guitar for the aspiring guitarist who wants to hone their skills on an instrument with an 80's vibe."

RPRC £269/$499 (30,953/39,668 rubles)

If you love Gibson guitars (as most of us do) but can't afford to buy a guitar made in the US, then the Epiphone is the one for you.

Epi has proven to be a campaign that consistently delivers good build quality and good sound. Naturally, this is not a Gibson, but for beginners, this model will allow you to experience all the pros and cons of the SG shape for little money. By the way, it was this instrument that the author used as a "student" instrument in the classes of Mikhail Rusakov.

RPRC £159/$282 (18295/22417 rubles)

This Les Paul is stripped of all frills, the Special II is the guitar that garage rock bands dream of.
This guitar retains its classic look and lacks any flashy additions. If you're in love with the shape of the Les Paul but you're in an extremely precarious financial situation, get this guitar. In the future, you can easily sell it.

RPRC £119/$199 (13693/15819 rubles)

Want a Stratocaster but tight on the money? Squier Bullet at your service, sir…

Fender's renowned design, build quality and tone. You can buy a Bullet Strat guitar for the money you spend on one trip to a good restaurant.

RPRC £399/$748 (45912/59462 rubles)

The ES-339 is essentially a resized model of the iconic ES-335. This guitar is a semi-acoustic with a curved top.

The guitar is well made, as are almost all Epi models. Charming appearance and wonderful sound replicating her older sister Gisbon ES-339. If you're looking for something that's quality, inexpensive, and cool looking, consider this guitar as one of your options.

RPRC £279/$499 (32,104/39,668 rubles)

The Dot guitar is a really good guitar. Possibly the best semi-acoustic guitar for the money.

Epi has taken the Gibson ES-335 formula and made it available to guitarists who can't afford a Gibson. Play this guitar in one of the music stores and see if it really is a decent model.

RPRC £119/$453 (13693/36011 rubles)

The Pacifica is one of the best classical guitars in this price range.

A beautiful guitar with great sound, attention to detail and a very beautiful appearance, in fact, the perfect instrument for beginners. If you buy it, you won't go wrong either way. In addition, in the future it will be very easy to sell it.

Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline

RPRC £406/$499 (46,718/39,668 rubles)

Many guitarists know that in 1972, sales of the Telecaster Thinline were at their highest. Fender builds an ash wood body with two Fender Wide Range pickups. This decision makes Fender even more successful.

The guitar has a solid appearance with white maple fretboard, finely carved sound hole and Fender humbuckers.

RPRC £369/$550 (42460/43722 rubles)

The guitar was created by British musician Rob Chapman. His guitars are truly phenomenal. It was the ML-1 guitar that became the leader of its production.

This guitar will give you everything from beautiful clean tones to brutal riffs (thanks to Chapman-designed pickups). Top-notch build quality and a reasonable price are sure to please.

RPRC £399/$839 (45912/66696 rubles)

As the second player to receive a PRS signature model (the first was Carlos Santana), Mark Tremonti became an important brand ambassador, and in 2003 the Tremonti SE became an affordable "weapon" for hard rock guitarists.

The Tremonti Standard retains all the key characteristics of the SE model: a platinum solidbody instrument with two PRS SE Treble and Bass humbuckers.

RPRC £399/$812 (45,912/64,550 rubles)

At first glance, this is just a pale Korean copy of the PRS SE Standard, the American model S2 Standard 24, but no, this is not the case.

Searing leads, warm rhythms and clipped pickup quacks are already available to you, and while they aren't as rich in low frequencies as the S2 pickups, at this price point they deliver amazing results.

RPRC £499/$745 (approx. 57419/59223 rubles)

This guitar was designed by Matt Bellamy and Hugh Manson and is manufactured in Indonesia by Cort.

You will be convinced of its acoustic sensitivity, this guitar sounds like a bell, it fully justifies its cost. Just try it out.

With the Manson MBC-1, we will finish the first part of our Top 30 Budget Guitars article. The second part of the article.

The article was written based on materials from the site musicradar.com

31 26

In this article, we will look at a number of well-known manufacturers of musical instruments. Of course, we will not look at all existing factories, but only those that have already established themselves on the Russian market and have earned at least some reputation. Brands will be excluded from the review Gibson and Fender because there are many separate voluminous articles about these titans of guitar building, and I think it makes no sense to mention their significance once again.

Adams - a Chinese company, allegedly with Canadian roots. Indeed, the Canadian company of the same name exists and is quite successful, but apparently with Chinese Adams has nothing in common. Despite the very sonorous (hinting towards the West) name, they do not stand out in any way and are typical Chinese consumer goods. Closely related to famous electric and bass guitars Rockwill, those who by Adams.

Admira – Affordable Spanish mid-range guitars. Guitars of this factory are well suited for student and amateur purposes. Of course, there are professional products, but they are extremely rare.

Alhambra - a well-known Spanish factory that mainly deals with classical guitars, and, quite a bit, the production of strings of the same name, cases and other trifles. Founded in 1965 in the small Spanish town of Alicante. I don’t think it’s worth talking about the Spanish quality of guitars, it is almost flawless, as well as the sound of such instruments. Alhambra's prices are moderate, the assortment is wide, ranging from inexpensive models to professional-level instruments.

A. Amati - a fairly common Chinese brand of musical instruments. Regardless of their origin, guitars Amati in most cases, they are made very carefully and are comparable in their characteristics to those beloved by novice guitarists Martinez. As a first guitar and learning basic acoustic skills, the Amati will do just fine.

Aria - originally a Japanese brand with a claim to legendary, founded in 1953. The heyday of the company was in the mid-70s, the last Japanese guitar was released in 1988, later most of the production moved to Korea. At the moment they are engaged in almost all types of guitars, including ethnic musical instruments, but are known primarily for their electric guitars. Nothing really stands out, products - everything from budget models to professional ones. They did not come up with any innovations, all products are typical copying of products of more “hurried” competitors.

Ashtone - typical arch-cheap student guitars from China. With quality, everything is as usual - you can either find a decent tool, or one that will fall apart in a couple of months. What else can I say… “Ashtons” have been on the market for a decent time, having at the very least proven themselves and, of course, one can consider their products as the first budget guitar.

B.C. Rich - a recognizable brand of electric guitars, with a characteristic design a la "Made in Hell". These guitars can be seen in the hands of many famous musicians playing in the heaviest genres of rock music. Originally an American brand that experienced a difficult time in the 80s of financial decline and poor quality. Currently, most of the presented guitars in the CIS are made in China and Korea with a very decent level of quality, electronics and a characteristic "knocked down" metal sound. As a first student guitar B.C. Rich they don’t fit at all (it’s impossible to play comfortably while sitting with such guitars), but on stage, as a complement to the image of a “guy from hell”, such guitars are just a godsend!

Burny – subdivision Fernandes. Japanese manufacturer of not the cheapest musical instruments. All instruments are traditionally of high Japanese quality and traditionally accurately copy products. Gibson with minor differences.

Brahner - another confusing name for typical Chinese guitars, by the way, very, very cheap. They are found everywhere and do not stand out in anything special, except for their extremely low price. If you are going to buy such a guitar, then you need to choose it very carefully.

Baton Rouge - very picturesque, or, as they say now, creative guitars, (mostly pop acoustics) of an advanced amateur class. Guitars are created in China under "someone's" professional guidance (whether from the USA or from Germany, it is not specified on their website) they have a very bright individual appearance and are a solid, factory-made goods from classic woods. The brand is very young (1999), but already quite well-known and popular in Europe, and this already says a lot…

Caraya - it is not known when and where the brand of Chinese guitars came from. They release everything from classical to bass guitars. The range is very wide, the prices are very low, and therefore you need to choose very carefully, but it is better to pay attention to more reputable manufacturers.

carvin - a little-known American brand, originating in 1947. In addition to the development and sale of their products, they were engaged in "side work" i.e. selling musical instruments of more successful competitors, such as C. F. Martin & Company. Despite the fact that all this time they remained in the shadow of more successful colleagues in the shop, they managed to earn their positive reputation. Now they are mainly engaged in electric guitars of a very high level of quality. There is a department Custom Shop which will take into account all the wishes of the customer. Their prices are not the lowest, but, as you know, individuality cannot be cheap.

Caparison - a young Japanese brand (1995) of musical instruments. They showed a number of innovative and design solutions in their products. At first, they seemed to work exclusively for the domestic market, and a little later they remembered that the world was not limited to Japan alone and went to conquer Europe. One thing can be said about the products - they are of exceptionally high quality.

Cort is one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments in the world. All products have already won a positive reputation due to low prices and good quality. Most of the production is concentrated in South Korea, they are famous, first of all, for their electric guitars and acoustics. In my opinion, it is acoustics that stand out, since it is she who has a very good ratio of appearance / price / quality and sound. With budget electric guitars, the situation is a little different, they need to be looked at more carefully, although they also have a good balance of quality. All products are unequivocally recommended for use.

Colombo - (former Skylark) are engaged in the production of perhaps the cheapest guitars and save on almost everything. Only on their guitars can you find frankly yellow and untreated soft brass frets. That is, in essence Colombo shows what guitars should NOT be. Despite all the shortcomings of their guitars, they can still be called more preferable to domestic guitars or some left noname.

crafter - a very famous manufacturer of professional musical instruments, originating in 1972. Crafters can be seen in the hands of many famous musicians and this is not by chance, their products are valued for their high quality, excellent acoustic characteristics and, not surprisingly ... reasonable prices. They value their reputation, and therefore all products are made exclusively in Korea with strict quality control. Electric guitars can also be seen in their product line, but they are not as popular as pop acoustics.

Dean – (Dean Guitars) is a well-known and distinctive American manufacturer of musical instruments since 1976. They produce many different types of guitars, mainly for the "heavy scene". They appeared in Russia recently, somewhere in 2007. The company itself has experienced many internal discord, but still coped with all the problems and at the moment is quite successful and popular. Their instruments are played by a number of well-known Western musicians, and from domestic ones - Vladimir Kholostinin (Aria).

Ernail - a Chinese stencil that rivets guitars on stencils Phil Pro, Rockwill one to one, without even changing colors. Of course, nothing special stands out, and the guitars of this manufacturer must be chosen very carefully.

Epiphone - originally a manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in the city of Izmir (Turkey) already in 1873! In 1957, Gibson bought the firm and made it its own subsidiary. Currently, "Epifon" is successfully selling budget, Chinese Les Pauls to all those who suffer, and I must say, they are selling successfully. But here's what's interesting - reviews on their products vary greatly, someone likes such Les Pauls madly, someone, on the contrary, considers these guitars completely unacceptable, otherwise it's up to you.

ESP is a well-known Japanese musical instrument manufacturer that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. It is interesting, first of all, for its budget electric guitars, which have an enviable quality and good sound characteristics. A number of famous musicians such as Richard Kruspe (Rammstein) and James Hetfield (Metallica) use such guitars in their concerts and in recording studios. Most of the production is concentrated in Indonesia and China. In general, products ESP very high quality, without pretense of elitism and enjoys well-deserved popularity.

Eurofon - frankly a Chinese manufacturer who traditionally wants to be European. From personal experience I can say that the strings produced by Eurofon are the apogee of ugliness and low quality.

Flight - Chinese manufacturer of quite tolerable musical instruments. Generally Flight almost synonymous with the expression "student guitar". Their guitars, of course, can be considered as the first instrument (only carefully) and there are a number of reasons for this - low prices, acceptable quality and good sound. The assortment is very different - classical guitars, pop, electric and bass guitars. In general, "Flights" is not the worst consumer goods, which meets the requirements of a novice musician.

Furch - (in the USA they are known as Stonebridge) a lesser-known Czech manufacturer of musical instruments than Strunal but more advanced. Their product line includes everything from the semi-professional level to the most real professional studio instruments. In similar products with Strunal, they are distinguished by an even higher price and, accordingly, high quality. The Fürch acoustics are so good that they can easily compete with the products of Martin and Taylor. But overall, still a high quality product. Furch purely on his lover and admirer, who, of course, will always be there.

freeway is a Chinese manufacturer of budget guitars. With quality, as always, everything is difficult, you need to carefully choose, but their prices are very democratic and attractive. But again, you need to buy this still untested and young factory only for lack of a better one in the same price category ( Amati, Flight, Martinez)

Godin – for 40 years of existence, a Canadian company Godin became famous so that it practically became on a par with such giants as Martin and Taylor. All products are mostly professional and semi-professional in nature and are sold at a reasonable price (even low, with an incomparably high level of quality!). They value their reputation and therefore do not deploy production in Asia. All products are manufactured exclusively in Canada and the United States from high-quality wood.

Guild - a company that rightfully closes the brave three manufacturers of American acoustics ( Martin, Taylor, Guild). Although some will start to resent why there is no Gibson in this trio, but this is a separate story of the question of the quality of acoustics from Gibson. So, Guild has extensive guitar manufacturing experience since 1952, is very well known in professional circles and is currently owned by Fender. All products are exclusively of the highest class and are designed for studio and concert needs. On guitars Guild played by many world-famous musicians who appreciated their great sound and bright appearance.

Greg Bennet - good budget and picturesque guitars (mostly acoustics) from the Korean Samik ( Samick). Of course, there can be no talk of amazing quality and noble sound, but as a budget guitar that emphasizes and complements the individuality of a provincial musician, Greg Bennent is the very thing :)

Hohner - ubiquitous guitars that traditionally boast of their German origin. But they have enough German for exactly one name, otherwise it is a typical Chinese consumer goods (nevertheless, as it were, according to German licenses) with dubious quality at the moment (2011). A couple of years ago they were distinguished by a very decent and stable level of quality, now the latter is very sad. There are many marriages among the Honers, and therefore, if you decide to purchase this “German of Chinese origin”, you will have to look carefully, otherwise you can complicate your life ...

Hora - Romanian, original and very experienced (1951) manufacturer of musical instruments. They produce everything from violins (by the way, hi-end level is ~3 thousand euros) and ending with national musical instruments. They even produce electric and bass guitars, but they do not stand out in any way, unlike the same classical and acoustic instruments of the Chorus. But the latter are very curious, at a price comparable to Chinese instruments, they make the latter on the spot, due to the use of high-quality Carpathian wood and solid upper decks. But, not everything is so glorious in this kingdom and, unfortunately, the quality of the instruments is not as inspiring as we would like. You need to choose carefully, sometimes you come across a marriage, and the tools themselves are made using cheap fittings ...

Hofner is a modest German company with solid experience (since 1887) and original ideas in guitar building, which, admittedly, were not widely used. Most of the musical instruments produced are professional and first-class goods. This is with regard to production in Germany, and Chinese Hofners are comparable in quality and sound with their fellow countrymen-competitors Hohner, with the only difference being that they are less known.

Ibanez - the leading Japanese (despite the clearly Spanish name) company for the production of musical instruments around the world on an equal footing with Jackson and ESP. Without exaggeration, it has the widest range of bass and electric guitars. Perhaps the first real contender for legend after Fender and Gibson. Ibanez guitars are played by many famous musicians, including Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Everything is supplied to the market, from the most budgetary and inexpensive to the most advanced and professional guitars. The quality of the guitars is also different, if everything is clear with the Japanese professional Aibanez, then cheap models of guitars from the Celestial Empire may raise some questions.

Jackson - enters the valiant Japanese top three of the best ( Ibanez, Jackson, ESP). Currently owned by Fender. Most of the guitars presented in the CIS are made in India with very good quality, and the most advanced models are made in their historical homeland.

Kramer - originally a promising American brand of musical instruments, originating in the 70s of the last century. Later, something didn’t work out and the original Kramer “glued the fins together”, later the guys from Gibson, and then they were finally abandoned. The history of Craymir is very confusing and incomprehensible, but one thing is clear that all modern inexpensive Kramer’s on sale are nothing but replicas of original products and are produced naturally in China…

Madeira - a Chinese brand, which, according to some sources, is closely related to the Romanian brand Hora (coincidence in models and their names, although it is possible that this Madeira"). Unexpectedly very good quality and very good building performance, so to speak. I personally felt these guitars, my impressions of the quality are very, very positive, but the sound of these guitars did not stand out from other Chinese at all ...

Martin - fully C.F. Martin & Company, without exaggeration, the No. 1 manufacturer of acoustic instruments in the world. The products are top notch in every way. The history of "Martin" began in 1796 and is worthy of a separate voluminous article, I can only say that the guys from "Martin" finally paid attention to the budget guitar market. Now any mortal can afford a Martin dreadnought not for $3-4 thousand, but for a divine price of 10-12 tr. Of course, such a guitar will be completely made of musical laminate, but in the end it will be a legendary Martin and it will certainly sound!

Martinez - a Chinese brand that firmly and permanently entrenched in our market in the early 90s. Guitars are ubiquitous, distinguished by a small price and a very interesting sound for this very price. At present, the Chinese have become lazy in the end, and the quality has fallen somewhat, so that the goods of this "people's brand" should now be chosen more carefully. Despite the promising and hinting name, nothing to do with Spain, and even more so with the original Martin’om don’t have…

Phil Pro - Another ubiquitous manufacturer of musical instruments. Many online stores present Phil Pro products as purely Korean, although the production itself has long moved to China. The quality is naturally different, someone praises, and someone frankly spits. It can be considered as the first guitar, but only for lack of a better one, otherwise, with a bad guitar, you can get a complete lack of “musical motivation”…

Rockwill by Adams – Chinese products suspiciously resembling products Phil Pro. For more details, see Adams.

Schecter - a little-known American company that does not disdain the production of its instruments in Asia. They are similar in quality to the budget (and slightly higher) Aibanez guitars, although they differ from the latter in greater “love” for good fittings and a more affordable price. For beginner guitarists, this is it.

Skylark - renamed to Colombo.

Stagg - a well-known brand of budget musical instruments on a par with "Phil Pro". In general, everything that is said about Phil Pro will be fair for Stagg.

Strunal - aka Cremona. Czech manufacturer of musical instruments in the style of the German guitar school. Strunal's products, unlike the neighboring Furch, cannot be called professional, they are rather amateur instruments. All guitars are primarily famous for their indestructibility, so when buying a Strunal guitar, you can count on the fact that it will serve you not for a year or two, but for many decades. The "Strunals" are also not deprived of fittings, although the necks of the budget line of guitars could have been processed better. But all the attraction of guitars Strunal lost when you see their price... a couple of years ago, the "Strunals" were much cheaper, and the purchase then was more justified than now...

Takamine - a common brand of professional acoustic guitars in the musical environment. Practically "Japanese Martin", by the way, they even had some feuds with "Martin" due to the obvious similarity of the products. The company was founded back in 1968 and produces exceptionally high-quality products at exceptionally high prices.

Taylor American titan of guitar building. Initially, all products were positioned as "Analogues of the Martins, only at a more adequate price." At present, this principle has long been in the dustbin of history, and guitars Taylor having high-class acoustic characteristics similar to the Martins ... asking for the same high price for themselves.

washburn is an American brand that dates back to 1883. Known primarily for their solid and inexpensive electric guitars from Asia, of course, there are American-made guitars, but they do not have the same price attractiveness as Asian ones. All produced guitars of the lower price range are perfect for beginners and already practicing guitarists.

Yamaha - the famous Japanese concern for the production of everything and everyone. But in this case, they are interesting with their guitars. To begin with, I want to highlight the quality with which these guitars are made - it is very, very good, one might say indicative, even for budget instruments. In the guitar product line Yamaha everyone can find everything, from a street musician to a fierce pro, and that, I think, says it all. The product is definitely recommended for use.

Zombie - a common arch-budget Chinese brand of musical instruments for those who did not have enough for “something better”. Most electric guitars "Zombies" can boast of obvious "jambs" in quality and prohibitively low price. The sound of such guitars also does not stand out in any way and will suit only a novice guitarist for the first year.

Every novice guitarist sooner or later faces the problem of choosing a guitar, which is not so easy to do, since today so many brands offer a large selection of a wide variety of instruments. The best guitar manufacturers produce really very high quality and durable products. In addition, they often offer a wide range of prices for goods, so you can easily find the musical instrument that suits your price. By the way, it was thanks to the inventions of the masters of many of these firms that the development of many musical genres became possible. Some of the manufacturing companies were founded at the end of the 19th century.

C.F. Martin & Co.

Probably one of the oldest guitar manufacturing companies is CF Martin & Co, which was founded in 1833. The brand became known primarily for the release of dreadnoughts - guitars with an enlarged rectangular body, which are used to advantage in such genres as country, blues, art song. Today, the brand's musical instruments, like many decades ago, are very popular.

Gibson

In the ranking of the best guitar manufacturers, one of the first places has always been occupied by the Gibson company, which was founded in 1902. First of all, the brand is known as one of the most popular manufacturers of electric guitars, if only because it started producing them first. The principle of creating an electric guitar was developed by a musician with the pseudonym Les Paul. By the way, later it was his name that was named the first model of the electric guitar, which was released by the brand. Thanks to the heyday of rock music in the 60s and 70s, the company gained immense popularity in the world. Until now, it is her products that are considered the best-selling in the world. And collectors are ready to buy rarities of the 50s for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Fender

If you ask which brand is the best to buy an electric guitar, many musicians will recommend Fender instruments to you. This brand has been one of Gibson's main competitors for many decades. The firm was founded in 1950 in California. But she became famous only four years later, when she released the first electric guitar. In 1951, this model was slightly improved and released under a new name - Telecaster. By the way, this model is still very popular among musicians all over the world.

Fender's resounding success came with the introduction of the world's first Fender Precision Bass, which is still considered the benchmark today. In 1954, another well-known guitar model, the Stratocaster, was developed and introduced. It is worth noting that Fender produces musical instruments in a wide range of prices. Therefore, you have the opportunity to buy a guitar from the best company at a very competitive price.

Ibanez

The list of the best brands and manufacturers of guitars would be incomplete without the Japanese brand Ibanez. This brand is owned by Hoshino Gakki, which has been manufacturing guitars since 1935. But it was after the purchase of the Ibanez brand that the company was able to enter the international market and succeed even in the USA. Unusual shapes and high quality of guitars have become the reasons why the brand has gained popularity all over the world at an incredible pace.

Burns

The English company BURNS, founded in 1960 in London, can definitely be attributed to the best brands and brands of guitars. Initially, the company's electric guitars were developed as a European response to well-known American concerns. However, the brand soon found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. And only in the 90s the company became successful again, and its guitars began to be sold all over the world.

Fernandes

If you are wondering which guitar manufacturer is the best, take a look at the popular Japanese guitar company Fernandes, which was founded in 1966. Initially, it produced exclusively flamenco guitars, however, over time, it significantly expanded its range and became one of the leading brands in the country. But the worldwide popularity of the brand was brought not so much by the manufacture and production of high-quality instruments, but by the development of the Sustainer device, which allows the string to vibrate at a certain frequency for a very long time.

Which brand of guitar should you choose?

If you are interested in which company to choose a guitar, please note that in addition to the above brands, there are also many others that are also very popular. Namely, PRS, Squier, Epiphone, Jackson, ESP and many other brands offer a wide range of quality musical instruments. Which brand of guitar is best to buy - you decide, based on price and other selection criteria. Nevertheless, you can always buy guitars from the best manufacturers at an affordable price in our online store.

19.01.2018

The debate about which guitar is better has not subsided for several decades, and they also discuss where the best electric guitars are made. America, China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Poland, Germany, England, France and so on, where musical instruments are not produced today, each manufacturing country has its own characteristics and differences from others, let's try to figure it out.

Traditionally, it is believed that the best electric guitars are made in the USA, and this is partly correct: the American market is the oldest and largest, for a long time there was simply no alternative.

If you start to understand, several features will become clear, in particular, the Americans have learned to select and process wood very well, bringing it to perfect condition. That is why the sound of American guitars stands out very strongly against the general background and is a reference. But at the same time, absolutely all musical instruments in the United States “suffer” from the presence of a huge number of jambs, even very expensive Custom electric guitars have a lot done carelessly: the fretboard is poorly glued, paint or varnish is unevenly applied, and so on. The quality is comparable to Chinese instruments, only the sound is on a completely different level (one of the eternal problems of Gibson guitars is noticeable in the photo - almost all instruments have an uneven neck edge, as if they were processed with a planer).

China, on the other hand, is a manufacturer that produces cheap and bad electric guitars, while there are quite a few companies from the Middle Kingdom, whose instruments can easily compete with the best specimens from other countries, but they are simply lost among everything that Aliexpress offers.

After China, Indonesia is traditionally considered to be the next step: the quality of the assembly and materials of Indonesian electric guitars, although it differs for the better, due to some features, it leaves these instruments at the very bottom of the rating along with the “Chinese”.

In general, Indonesian guitars do quite well, especially when it comes to assembly, but the main disadvantage is the climate of this country. It is radically different from central Russia, so all the "Indonesians" who come to our country suffer from creeping frets, unnaturally curved necks and instability. Such defects are explained by savings on drying and stabilizing wood in the manufacture of guitars, and it is also worth saying that in recent years Indonesian-made guitars have been priced disproportionately to their quality. Simply put, for this money you can take "America" ​​or "Japan" (in the photo, the frets on the guitar began to come out and the edge on the fretboard peeled off).

Korean electric guitars are traditionally considered to be a transitional option between the lower and upper class, Koreans have always made them well. The guitars are fully consistent with their prices both in terms of workmanship and sound.

In the big leagues there are instruments made in the USA and Japan, we have already described American production at the beginning of the article, now it is worth describing Japanese production. Buying an oriental instrument, you get the expected highest build quality and sound, and in recent years Japan has made great progress in guitar production. It is not only not worse than the "Americans", but sometimes better, and continues to conquer the guitar market.

Manufacturers from Europe stand apart from everyone else, it is not an easy task to describe a “European electric guitar”. The whole difficulty in forming the general image of these guitars lies in the huge variety of factories and individual luthiers, which results in too much variation in both quality and cost of instruments.

The bulk of European guitars are easily described by the words “unreasonably expensive”, the author of the article talked with more than a dozen representatives of factories or individual craftsmen, most of them could not even describe properly how the wood from which their instruments are made is processed.

They simply bought already milled bodies from third-party factories, and not from specialized enterprises, while the price tag for each guitar was simply wild (2500-4500 euros). Probably, it is not worth telling what level the instrument will be for the same money from an eminent American or Japanese manufacturer.

But the second part of European manufacturers produce truly unique instruments, there are not so many of them, these include Framus, Mayones, RAN, Ruokangas, perhaps that's all. RAN and Mayones guitars have a very recognizable "Americanized" sound, moreover, the emphasis is on heavy styles of music. German Framus and Finnish Ruokangas are like nothing else, if I may say so, they are "pearls" among guitars. Not everyone will like them, the sound of the instruments is too unusual.

We can say the following about all four companies: these are excellent tools of the highest quality, 100% justifying their cost.

In conclusion, I would like to make some clarifications on the text: in this article, a collective image of electric guitars is given, and if you have a French Vigier that is simply wonderful in all respects, this does not mean that all guitars from this company are worth the money that is asked for them.