If you're willing to spend $3000 on an electric guitar, you're going to have a lot of options. In this roundup we've cobbled together the best electric guitars under 3000 dollars, based on personal experience, the overall market, and features we know to look for. Use this list to help narrow down your search and get an idea of what you're looking for. Note that our price range starts at $2500 and ends at $3000.
Also note that pricing and retail points are subject to change, given the manufacturers, the retailers, or the economy in general. If you have questions about our roundup, feel free to use the comments section below and we'll jump in to help as much as possible.
Many, or in some cases all, of the products we list and recommend here are linked to Sweetwater, which is a retailer we partner with. However, this in no way influences our product choices, or the process by which we make recommendations. Shopping through these links helps support our site, yet at no extra cost to you. Please consider this option if you'd like to help us out.
7 Best Electric Guitars Under 3000 Dollars
This is our full list of the best electric guitars under 3000 dollars. Note that the "n/a" next to our star rating just means we haven't done a full product review of that particular guitar yet. Use the compare buttons to see additional pricing info and feature profiles for each guitar (compare up to four at a time).
Gibson Les Paul Standard, 60s
Best Overall
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2700
USED RETAIL
$2000-$3000
PICKUPS
HH
STYLE
Classic Rock
Upper-level Gibson quality with a figured Maple top, Gibson brand pickups.
Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
Best for Country
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2800
USED RETAIL
$2000-$3000
PICKUPS
SSH (mini)
STYLE
Country/Blues
Unique take on a Telecaster with two single coil pickups and a mini humbucker, Seymour Duncan included. Fat tone for days.
PRS DC CE 24 (Dusty Waring signature)
Best for Hard Rock and Metal
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2650
USED RETAIL
$1800-$2800
PICKUPS
HH
STYLE
Modern Rock, Metal
A modern rock monster with a Floyd Rose trem system and Mojotone Tomahawk pickups. Ideal for heavy rock and metal styles.
Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature JS2480
Best for Lead and Speed
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2900
USED RETAIL
$2500-$3200
PICKUPS
HS
STYLE
Rock, Lead
Fantastic for rock and lead styles that rely on a lot of speed.
PRS Silver Sky
Best for Blues
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2550
USED RETAIL
$2200-$2900
PICKUPS
SSS
STYLE
Blues, Lead
High-end PRS components in a Strat-style guitar. Great for blues and John Mayer fans.
Gretsch G6128T-57 Vintage Select Edition '57 Duo Jet
Best for Clean Tones
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$3000
USED RETAIL
$2500-$2900
PICKUPS
SS
STYLE
Clean tones, blues
Gibson ES-339
Best for Classic Rock
n/a Guitar Chalk Rating
NEW RETAIL
$2800
USED RETAIL
$2500-$2900
PICKUPS
HH
STYLE
Clean tones, Classic Rock
Classic Gibson tone with the natural and airy response of a semi-hollowbody guitar. Gibson-brand pickups help sweeten the deal.
Features to Watch For
In the $3000 price range, we typically look for the following features:
- Branded third party pickups (Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Mojotone, etc.)
- Top piece on body (usually made with Maple)
- Enhanced aesthetics (body carving, specialty colors)
- Specialty bridges (locking or floating tremolos, BigsBys, etc.)
The top piece is where we can sometimes break the rules. While it's certainly nice to have, a guitar without a top piece (like a Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster) isn't automatically going to be disqualified. However, it is a significant quality indicator, and a big part of the reason Gibson and PRS guitars cost more than Fender.
In this price range, we aren't likely to budge on pickup quality. You must have a high-end pickup from a reputable brand if you're going to buy this high.
No stock anything in this list.
Our Methodology
To put together a list like this we draw heavily on personal experience, and the knowledge we have of the broader guitar market. Though we also focus on brand reputation, sticking to manufacturers that we know are consistently producing great instruments.
From there, we use the price point established to "widdle down" our list of contestants and then choose guitars that best fit a particular criteria within that price point.
For example, we pick the best blues electric guitar under 3000, and the best metal electric guitar under 3000.
The more context we can add to our choices, the better.
From there, we try to round things out with other lists we've written so we can stay consistent and give you a reliable recommendation. If you have other questions about our methodology, feel free to drop those in the comments section below and we'll answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section we're covering some frequently asked questions relating to the best electric guitars under 3000 dollars. As mentioned, additional questions can go in the comments section below.
While a budget decision about buying a guitar is entirely up to you, we often recommend any guitar north of $2000 only be considered if you're going to use it in some sort of professional, or at least semi-professional capacity. Those performing regularly or who record, perhaps as a session guitarist, are going to get the most out of a $3000 electric guitar.
Though anyone who can afford a $3000 guitar could technically buy one, electric guitars in this price range are almost exclusively used in an advanced capacity.
We've included a couple signature model electric guitars in this list. While they aren't necessarily "better" than their non-signature counterparts, they are almost always more detailed and customized to the specs and nuanced characteristics of their designer. As a result, you have a lot of signature electric guitars that retail in the higher price ranges because they've been so highly customized. Some of them we really like - such as the ones in this list - others are just okay.
Related Content
Hopefully this list has helped you find some great electric guitars under $3000 and given you some clear direction. If you're still exploring, feel free to check out some of our other electric guitar resources, listed below:
Written by Bobby on Amps and Buying Guides
Written by Bobby on Amps and Buying Guides
Written by Bobby on Amps and Buying Guides
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