In this blog post, I am going to discuss the three budget guitars I would buy or would recommend for anyone who is starting playing in a rock band. This could be an adult who has always had a dream of being in a band, or a high school student who has just started their first band. This blog post will contain affiliate links but as I always suggest, shop around and where possible try products before you buy.
I am a musician and teacher, with over 20 years experience in music education. A large part of that has been a head of music in a secondary school. During that time, I have coached and mentored bands made up of high school students or even auditioned and created extra-curricular rock bands. An example of this is this amazing band from Dubai called Skeptic.
Saying that, this band were destined for big things without any help from anyone else, but I have enjoyed helping young bands find gigs and develop their own style and sound.
I have also played in a successful rock band myself. In the year 2010, my old band 'Through Her Eyes' released it's first LP and performed at JB's in Dudley, UK. I was the guitarist in the band and life was very different back then compared to now, where heavy metal is more related to brass bands than guitars, but I still love playing guitar!
Which Budget Rock Guitar Would I Buy Now?
I am going to review three options. If I am thinking about high school students, I am looking for guitars with no Floyd Rose, well known brands, cool designs (but nothing too extreme) and durable. If I was back in high school I would want a guitar that requires little maintenance but sounds and looks amazing. I am looking at budget guitars, suitable for rock bands around the £500 mark. Anything under this price and you will regret buying it. Yes, there are Chinese versions, but they are a waste of money.
My picks are:
I love Schecter guitars. This one is as basic as they go but you are getting a huge amount of guitar for the money (under £500). It would be my number one choice for a high school student that was starting to play in a rock band. The guitar will cope with any style and is as at home with Lamb of God as it is with Guns 'n' Roses.
The dual humbuckers sound amazing with heavy distortion but a mellow clean tone is also possible. Whether you are lead guitar or rhythm guitar this will do the job.
If I didn't have a soft spot for Schecter guitars, then this would be my top pick. Something about the innocence of a white guitar that is going to play heavy as hell riffs is so cool. This LTD takes the best parts of the high end guitars and puts it in an affordable guitar that is absolutely ready to rock. Under £500 gets you a crazy amount of quality. Like the Schecter Solo-6 series it has a similarity to a Les Paul but this will take heavier gauge strings and be very happy when de-tuned. What a beauty!
It is impossible not to include a classic in this list. This was a guitar, when I was 17 and working a weekend job at Matalan, I saved up every penny I earnt and I bought one of these. Well under £500, it is unbelievable that you can buy a guitar that looks and sounds this good. Maybe for more of a lighter rocker, rather than a metal head, this guitar can still do it all. It has a different feel to play because of the strap position but made famous by Angus Young of ACDC, as soon as you touch this guitar, you know you are going to sound amazing.
This has been a slightly different blog to my usual brass instrument content but something I hope to do more of. Please look out soon for reviews of best budget (gig ready) guitar amps, best electronic drum kits and best PC speakers. All of which are items I am purchasing and testing out.
I hope you found this useful and thanks for reading.
Mark Glover
20/10/2023
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