Best Electric Guitars of All Time

If you want the best of the best when it comes to guitars, and have some serious money to burn, here are some guitars that are considered to be crème de la crème of electric guitars - some of the best, most iconic and legendary pieces of instruments money can possibly buy you:

1. Fender Stratocaster

The ‘Strat’ is a guitar that is synonymous with the word electric guitar, the first image that comes to mind whenever someone says the word guitar. It is one of the most widely-known, widely-used electric guitars in the industry. It has a distinctive shape that is instantly recognizable, and is one of the best ‘pick-up-and-play’ guitars around, featuring 3 single-coil pickups. But perhaps one of the best aspects about the Strat is its versatility and playability - it remains one of the best guitars to play just about any genre of music out there. It has therefore been used by many stars and some of the biggest names in the music industry.

2. Gibson Les Paul

In 1952, Gibson introduced the Les Paul, a guitar that would go on and reach stellar levels of success in the following years! Standard guitar of choice for artists such as Zakk Wylde, Paul Kosoff, Slash, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page (to name just a few), the Les Paul is widely considered to be the best electric guitar for rock, rock n’ roll and metal genres! The guitar features a simple setup, with two humbucking pickups. But what sets it apart from the other, and put it miles ahead of its competition is its combination of brilliant sound and tonal qualities, and it’s extremely impressive looks and finish. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, it is one of the most sought-after guitars in the world right now.

3. Fender Telecaster

Few will be surprised to see Telecaster on this list. This guitar is one of the pioneers when it comes to modern solid body electric guitars, and has had a big influence on modern solid-body guitars, revolutionizing the rock n’ roll industry in the process. Originally introduced as the Broadcaster, it was later renamed to Telecaster. The guitar has remained largely unchanged ever since its inception, which is understandable because it was one of the best guitars to play country, rock and blues when it was introduced, and remains so till this day. The guitar has a bright and warm tone, and while it might not be as versatile as the Strat, it is preferred over almost all other guitars out there when it comes to playing lead parts.

4. Gibson ES-335

Perhaps the first thing that you’ll notice about Gibson’s ES-335 is its distinct look, which features some pretty distinct curves and its trademark ‘mickey mouse’ ears. It is widely regarded to be one of the best-looking guitars ever made by a lot of people. Furthermore, the 335 was the first commercial semi-hollow electric guitar - compromise between solid body and hollow-body guitars. However it has been able to successfully carve a niche for itself out there. The ES-335 has extremely distinctive, warm tones. Perhaps understandably then, it remains one of the most highly-regarded and hence the most sought-after guitars in the world. And it doesn’t come cheap either (expected from a Gibson); most models go for anywhere between $2000-$4000, with the most expensive currently for sale on eBay for a massive $65,000!

5. Gibson SG

Yet another Gibson on the list, but they do make some fantastic guitars don’t they! The Gibson SG was developed in the early 60s, and is actually finds its roots as a derivative of the infamous Les Paul, when the Les Paul received minor changes – it’s body became thinner and was lightweight since it was nuilt from mahogany, the pickguard was smaller than the Les Paul, and its horns became more distinct, pointy and emphasized. The guitar was disliked by Les Paul, but still went into production and went on to become one of the most widely used guitars in the world of rock music. Angus Young of ACDC fame, for instance, used the SG in many of his studio and live performances.

6. PRS McCarty

In an industry dominated by big names such as Gibson and Fender, PRS (Paul Reed Smith) has made its mark with the McCarty. Combining the best of both worlds – bringing Gibson’s aesthetics, build quality and craftsmanship with Fender’s tone, sound and playability, the McCarty is a highly-regarded guitar in the industry, used by the likes of Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alterbridge fame, and the infamous Carlos Santana. But perhaps one of the best aspects of the guitar is that it managed to remain unique by having character and sound of its own. The McCarty doesn’t come cheap though, with a retail of around $3000!

7. Rickenbacker 300 Series

Used by the likes of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Peter Buck, Noel Gallagher, Tom Petty and Pete Townsend, the ‘Ricky’ is one of the most instantly recognizable guitars out there, featuring a straight-cut modern F-hole and a really large, almost-oversized headstock. It was introduced in 1958 and was one of the most popular, widely-used guitars in the 60s, most notably by almost all British pop artists of the decade including The Beatles, who were also responsible for propelling this guitar to worldwide popularity and remains a sought-after guitar to this very day thanks to its association with them. Today, the Ricky will set you back by around $2500.

8. Ibanez Jem

Ibanez make some quality instruments, and are also used by some of the biggest guitarists out there. Joe Satriani’s standard weapon of choice is an Ibanez, and Steve Vai used the Jem7V. One of the unique aspects of how Ibanez develops its guitars is that is allows artists complete control over the design of the guitar. While Ibanez is usually known for its excellent instrument which come with an affordable price tag (such as the RG series), the Steve Vai signature guitar was a massive success, and remains Ibanez’s crown jewel. Vai’s Jem Signature series guitars retail for around $3000.