Curated Reviews
The main goal of these curated reviews was to arrive at a more accurate consensus and reduce the likelihood that the best scoring guitars were plucked out of thin air or given away to an enthusiastic reviewers as freebies.
The sample of models making Top 10s was broad and got broader beyond the $500 threshold. Certainly no shortage of interest in this price bracket even though one group (FMI Corp) dominated due to the number of subsidiaries and model variants, reducing the sample size at a vendor level. Still, there were some surprises in store.
This is perhaps the most competitive segment in the solid body electric guitar market. Manufacturers capturing players early in their guitar journeys will build a brand loyalty that will most likely result in future purchases of increasing value. So really the manufactures are playing with a mix of affordability, brand appeal, refinement and finished-by-hand quality.
Refinement
As with any product, the devil is in the detail. Quality hardware may not differ much from cheap hardware at an elemental level, but craftsmanship, which takes skill and time, will separate the revered from the rot. Tuners with higher gear ratios that stay in tune. Pick-ups and strings that make acceptable tones. Bridge hardware that doesn’t double up as a medieval torture instrument. Electronics are hidden from view and are another place where costs can magically vanish by using cheaper components.
Finished Quality
Setting up a playable guitar requires time, something scarce in zippy production lines. Cheaper guitars, produced in volumes, usually skip over the more detailed setup, leaving retailers to plug the gap, which is not all bad, but not always good.
Signature and styles
Artist signature guitars lean to the style of the named player so a Zakk Wylde Les Paul might not make Nile Roger’s Top 10. So for that reason the top scoring guitars are fairly ‘player neutral’ at the top end and more niche at the other end.
Cost
Thankfully, the basic raw materials, largely wood, are fairly cheap. Similarly, the hardware and electronics are inexpensive. So, the low Cost of Goods (COGS) is one reason a guitar can be affordable. The other two factors are the country of manufacture (on the basis of lower labour costs) and the volume of production. Practically all guitars under $500 are produced in South East Asia, predominantly China and Indonesia. Even manufacturers within the region outsource to neighbouring countries in search of lower production costs.
Brand
For many, Fender and Gibson are the best known brands for high quality guitars and USA made models demand the most dollars. In search of greater market share each has embarked on lower cost models which borrow gravitas from the parent brand - think Squier and modern day Epiphone. To reach these price low target price points manufacturing has been outsourced from USA to Mexico, Japan, Korea and beyond, each time seeking lower production costs while maintaining high build quality.
Newer brands, unencumbered by legacy operations, or a conscience for perceived exploitation, have been able to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon and flatteringly mimic classic designs, notably the ST style, and LP style guitars. The most successful of these brands have been able to retain the gravitas of Made in USA or Made in Japan by keeping the production of high-end models in the parent company’s country of origin (e.g. ESP, G&L, Ibanez, Jackson, PRS, Schecter).
Healthy Competition
Newcomers have helped raise the bar so that high scores are commonplace across the board. That makes it harder to pick a bad guitar, but also harder to find the right one. Is it preferable to have better tuners or better electronics even though you ideally want both? Some manufactures have committed to a higher quality of components than the price warrants in face of strong competition, as you’ll see in the findings.
Not all reviews were neutral and some were thinly-veiled attempts at promoting affiliate links, banner ads or click bait. There’s nothing wrong with affiliation, indeed, Fixed Up Guitars participates in affiliate programs to fund the operation of this website. However, some reviews were neither editorially unique or especially thorough.