18 Guitars with a Decent Tremolo for Less than $500

We're looking for electric guitars that have a tremolo bar and bridge system that also fall at or under $500. 

In our list we take care to avoid including guitars that might fit a given description, but are poor in quality. For example, we've left out the Ibanez Gio series and the Yamaha Pac electric guitars, because we don't recommend them in a quality sense, even though they meet our established criteria.

And while these lists aren't a ranking in the strictest sense of the word, they are a curation of electric guitars from brands and series that we trust with a tremolo bridge system of some kind.

Read more: Electric guitars with a Floyd Rose

Types of Tremolo Systems to Consider

And what kind of tremolo systems are there?

Given our price range, there are only three that you'll come across:

1. Standard tremolo bridge with block (like you see on Stratocasters)
2. Floyd Rose or Floyd Rose-style locking tremolo system
3. Custom tremolo bars (usually with vintage Epiphone models)

These are the three types of tremolo bridge systems we'll include, though our list on the standard and Floyd Rose versions. We've only included four electric guitars with custom tremolo systems; two from Epiphone and two from Squier.

You'll need to decide on whether you want the advanced movement and locking system of the Floyd Rose setup or the simpler basic movement of a regular tremolo bridge.

What makes a guitar with a trem bridge good?

When you buy a guitar with a tremolo system, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Tremolo should be an add-on (the guitar should sound good without it)
2. The guitar should stay in tune, even with tremolo use
3. The trem bar should (mostly) hold its place and only move if you want it to
4. Stable and high-quality bridge components and saddles (or locking tuners)

All of these factors are important when you're looking at a guitar with a tremolo system, especially in such a low price range.

Once you go under $500, you get into some much cheaper guitar lines and manufacturing methods, which are nice for your wallet, but more troublesome when it comes to features like tremolo bridges and locking tuners.

It just presents more opportunities for things not to work, and more room for error in a guitar that has gone through some cost-cutting. 

The Purpose of this List

But the purpose of this list is to help you avoid those guitars and get something that is within the established price range. It also helps you meet and/or stay above an acceptable quality standard.

Of course that doesn't mean you're guaranteed not to have problems.

Because $500 is still fairly cheap in the realm of electric guitars.

However, it does mean that the guitars listed are some of the nicer, higher-value options in that particular price range, and are more likely to last, even with the presence of a tremolo bar and a more complex bridge system.

A list like this also just helps you see them all in one spot.

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Guitars with a Decent Tremolo System

Every guitar in this list has a tremolo system (one of the three variations we described earlier) and costs $500 or less. Keep in mind that pricing can change and is not guaranteed to stick depending on when you're readying this.

We've also made provision to include options for used guitars, which relies on a pricing structure that's even less predictable.

Just be aware that these are generally in the $300 to $500 price range.

Need some help deciding? Take our quiz

There are a lot of guitars that fit into these categories, and we're continually looking to add more to our list. So if you need some help deciding, this 12-question quiz can help you narrow it down based on your unique situation and preferences.

Recommendations for Specific Situations

To expand on our list, we'll make more specific recommendations for those that want the tremolo bridge and the cheap guitar, but have some additional qualifiers. We'll cover the following four scenarios:

• Best value
• Best for beginners
• Best for blues
• Best for heavy rock and metal

Again, these are just recommendations based on our own experience and knowledge about the electric guitars in this list. Take them with a grain of salt if they happen to apply to you and - as always - feel free to leave questions in the comments section below.

Which one is the best value?

Though it sits at the top of our price range with a $499 retail price tag, the PRS SE Standard 24 is an excellent value. It just gives you a better experience, both in terms of playability and tone quality, than other guitars of the same price.

While the SE series isn't as nice as the mainline PRS guitars, it's a ton of guitar for what you pay and consistently makes the rounds as one of our highest-value recommendations.

Keep in mind, there are differences between the SE Standard 24 and the Custom 24.

Pricing from Multiple Vendors

Price Alert Tool

This will alert you when the PRS SE Standard 24 follows below your desired price point from any of the listed vendors.

Price History (lowest price from all listed vendors)

Which one is best for beginners?

Most of these electric guitars are good options for beginners, though we'd specifically single out the Squier '70s Vibe Stratocasters, at least if you're picking out of this list. They're usually under $400 and have the basic tremolo bridge (though some have trouble staying in tune). 

Read more: Best Squier Strats and Teles

Prices from Multiple Vendors

Price Alert Tool

Price History for Lowest Price Product

Which one is best for blues?

For those wanting to go after a more vintage, bluesy tone, we'd probably recommend staying with the Squier Vibe series, perhaps dropping down to the '60s version. The Mustang would be a good fit here as well, though keep in mind its tremolo design is different.

Pricing

Price Alert

Price History

Which is best for metal and hard rock?

From this list, the Jackson JS32 and/or the PRS would be our two recommendations for metal fans. While both have tremolo bridges (Floyd-style on the JS32), they both produce a heavier, fatter tone with the dual humbucker setup. For high levels of gain and more saturated distortion levels, they'll both handle fairly well.

Read more: Best humbucker upgrades for the Jackson Dinky

Compare Pricing

Lowest Price Alert

Price History

Do I need a tremolo bar?

A lot of people looking for cheap electric guitars aren't sure if they need a tremolo bar. Maybe that's the situation you're in, or you're having second thoughts about prioritizing that feature.

A big part of what makes a tremolo bar useful is whether you're a lead or rhythm guitar player.

I've written a detailed article with a quiz to help you tell the difference between lead and rhythm guitar.

Let's assume you're leaning towards lead guitar.

In that scenario you'll use a tremolo bar more than you would if you were focusing on rhythm guitar.

However, it can also be a matter of playing style. For example, rock and blues will use tremolo bars a lot more than pop and even metal. Modern metal and pop don't focus on melody as much as they do rhythm and percussive playing styles, which makes the tremolo bar less helpful.

Simply put, you'll use a tremolo bar if you want to manipulate single notes, in a melodic context.

It's a type of effect.

As an alternative, you could simply use a tremolo pedal.

Standard Tremolo VS Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo

What's the difference between the standard tremolo and the Floyd Rose locking tremolo that we keep referring to?

Floyd Rose pioneered a tremolo design that was made to be a lot more functional, while also doing a better job of staying in tune. Here's what that system looks like up close:

In this system, the strings are locked at both the end of the fretboard and the start of the bridge. The tremolo then floats while being secured by the double locking mechanism. This allows for extreme changes in pitch without the risk of de-tuning. 

Here's a diagram that's easier to understand:

A standard tremolo bridge, like the ones we typically see on Fender Stratocasters, is a lot simpler. First, there are no locking mechanisms on either side.

Instead, the strings come up through the bottom of the bridge, through the saddles and are attached at the tuning pegs.

This is similar to how a non-tremolo guitar would be setup. The bridge, usually fixed by two pivot points or six screws, can move to tighten or depress the strings, but within a far more limited range.

It's not designed for the same intense use that the Floyd Rose is capable of.

Here's what it looks like underneath the hood:

Your Questions and Additions to the List

Do you have questions about the guitars in this list?

If so, leave them in the comments section below.

We've tried to combine a specific feature with a specific price point, so it's likely that there are other guitars that fit our criteria that I've failed to mention in this list. Remember, I'm trying to stick to guitars that I can verify the quality of and that I can vouch for personally.

Still, let's review our criteria:

• Has a tremolo bridge (either standard or Floyd Rose-style)
• Costs roughly $500 or less

If you know of any guitars that fit these descriptors, feel free to drop me a line in the comments section below and I'll check it out, perhaps even add it to the table and keep the list expanding.

I'll see you there.

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