Best Electric Guitar Under 500 – Top Solidbody Options 2025

Pickup Configuration

Many of the best guitars of all time all have one thing in common: good pickups. They place great importance on the types of pickups used. The most common pickups on electric guitars are Humbucking (double coil) and Single Coil pickups.

Single Coil pickups emphasize the upper frequencies, while Humbuckers have a rounder tone with more of the low-end. In addition to their expected characteristics, the position of the pickups and the way they are combined also affect the resulting sound.

FilterTron is another popular pickup type that is available in this price range. It is a staple pickup of Gretsch guitars and is a big part of their sound, which is described as a cross between a single-coil and humbucker pickup. Shape and size-wise, filtertrons are similar to humbuckers but have different dimensions. If you’re guitar collection does not include a Filtertron equipped model, then definitely consider getting one.

The P-90 pickup is a single-coil pickup developed by Gibson that usually comes in the same shape and size as humbuckers. It continues to gain traction in the market because of its distinct grit and growl.

There are a few more pickup variations, but we’ve left them out because they are less prevalent in this price range. If you need help deciding which one to get, you can look at the configuration used by your favorite guitarists.

Here are some pickup configurations that can be found in the sub $500 price range:

• SSS – Guitars with three single coils, as seen on traditional Stratocasters.
• SS – Guitars with two single coils, as seen on Telecasters.
• HH – Guitars with two humbuckers as seen on Les Pauls, SGs, Super Strats, Flying Vs, and more…
• FF – Guitars with two Filter’Trons, most commonly found on Gretsch guitars but also on some Fender guitars – you can learn more in this article by James M Brill for Reverb.
• HSS – Guitars with two single-coils and a humbucker in the bridge position, as seen on some modern Stratocasters and Superstrats. This configuration allows for different pickup combinations via the pickup toggle switch.
• HSH – Guitars with two humbuckers for the bridge and neck position and a single coil for the middle position, as seen on Super Strats and Custom Les Pauls. These are considered to be among the best deals in terms of pickup versatility.
• PP – Guitars with two P-90s for the bridge and neck position, can be usually seen on some SGs, and Les Pauls.
• HP – Guitars with a Humbucker for the bridge and P90 for the neck position. This is usually seen in custom models, but some manufacturers like G&L have incorporated this in affordable, mass-produced models.
• FP – Guitars with a FilterTron for the bridge and P90 for the neck position, this usually seen in custom models, and are sometimes used by Gretsch in their entry-level to mid-tier models.

In addition to the above configurations, technology has made it possible for humbuckers to sound like single coil pickups via Coil Tapping for more options in terms of tones. Another important consideration is the pickup setup. Strat owners, in particular, can benefit from Strat pickup height adjustments.

Playability

This is where the neck specifications come into play – which, when neglected, can result in an unpleasant playing experience for students and advanced players. Below, we’ve listed the four most important specs and a quick overview of how they affect playability.

• Scale Length – Guitar Scale Length is the distance from the nut to the bridge saddle where the strings are stretched. Physics dictates that the longer the scale length is, the more tension is required to get strings in tune. This is why some players prefer the “slack” feel of a Les Paul with its shorter scale length of 24.75″. Others want the biting attack of the tighter strings on a 25.5″ Scale Length Telecaster. You can go for a short-scale electric guitar for even more slack. A short-scale guitar have strings with lower tension, which makes it a suitable beginner guitar.
• Nut Width – dictates the space between strings at the nut. Those with smaller hands will appreciate smaller nut widths (1.65″), while others who prefer more room for their fingers will want the opposite.
• Fingerboard Radius – without going too technical, this specification describes how flat or round the fingerboard is. Generally speaking, the flatter the radius, the lower the string action, which means more effortless single-note playing and bending. On the other hand, rounder fingerboards follow the natural shape of the fretting hand, so they are more chord-friendly. Some players prefer the feel of vintage Fender guitars with a 7.25″ radius, while others want slightly flatter ones at 9.5″. Those who are into shred and modern rock usually go for flatter radius that range from 12″ to 16″. Compound radius fingerboards try to give players the best of both worlds by making the fingerboard flatter as you go up the neck, where you usually do your noodling.
• Neck Profile – describes the shape of the back of the neck. Together with the fingerboard radius and neck finish, it dictates the overall feel of the neck. Wide, thin neck profiles usually complement flat radius guitars, while rounder fingerboards come with U or C shape necks. Again, this is more a matter of what the guitar player prefers, than right or wrong. Also, part of the neck profile is the neck joint. The three most common types include bolt-on, set-neck, and Neck Through.

Bridge

This price range improves bridge hardware quality over cheap electric guitar models, from the usual tune-o-matic style bridges to a licensed Floyd Rose bridge system for tricks like note dives and pull-ups.
While having a fancy tremolo bar system may be good, a few downsides include:

• Tuning instability (Floyd Rose systems are better at preventing this),
• Inconvenient string changes, and
• A longer learning curve for its operation and maintenance.

Floating type tremolo bars are also usually paired with locking nuts, to help alleviate tuning related issues. The choice is up to you whether to go for simplistic tune-o-matic bridge setups or the more complex floating bridge ones.

Body Shape and Finish

The guitar’s shape and Paint or Finish can spell the difference between a boring and an inspiring instrument, so take aesthetics into account. What someone else finds beautiful may not be your cup of tea. Guitar players are drawn to the style of instruments that their heroes play, so they are your best starting point. But feel free to look at other styles. Note that it’s unreasonable to expect premium cosmetics at this price point. So you’ll usually find that nice-looking tops, like flamed maple, are just veneer glued on the body. There’s no denying the connection between price and good aesthetics.

Decades after they were first released, the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, and SG are still the most prominent solid-body guitar shapes. Some have even adopted these shapes for bass guitars. While there are other more eccentric shapes meant for rock and metal guitars, most of what guitar builders produce today are either inspired by or a direct clone of these guitars. Semi-hollow variations like the Telecaster Thinline are also very popular in this price range, but our focus is only on solid-body guitars.