Brands

USA · est. 1946

The company that defined the solidbody electric and the electric bass. Its acoustic Classic Design line applies the same value-first thinking to flat-tops.

USA / Indonesia · est. 1982

Fender's affordable arm. Squier builds Fender-designed shapes to a budget, and the Affinity Series is the entry point most players actually start on.

USA / China · est. 1873

Gibson-owned since 1957. Modern Epiphones share Gibson's shapes and, on Masterbilt-tier instruments, genuine USA-made Gibson pickups.

USA · est. 1833

The company that invented the dreadnought and X-bracing, and therefore most of what a steel-string acoustic sounds like. Still building in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Japan · est. 1908

Thin, fast necks and flat fingerboards. Ibanez owns the shred and modern-metal end of the market, from the budget GIO line up to the Prestige series.

Japan · est. 1887

Relentless quality control across every price point. Yamaha's Pacifica and FG lines are the default recommendation when consistency matters most.

South Korea · est. 1960

One of the world's largest guitar manufacturers, building for other brands as well as its own value-heavy catalogue.

USA / Indonesia · est. 1980

Pointed headstocks, compound-radius boards and locking tremolos. Jackson has been the metal player's shortcut since the Randy Rhoads era.

USA / Asia · est. 1883

Hollow bodies, Filter'Tron pickups and Bigsby vibratos — the rockabilly and country sound in physical form.

China · est. 2016

Carbon-fibre and HPL builders whose travel guitars pack onboard effects and Bluetooth into a moulded one-piece body.

USA / Asia · est. 1992

Full-scale guitars with the headstock removed and the tuners moved into the body. The point is not a smaller scale but a smaller case.