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

A close up of the Floyd Rose tremolo system. Flickr Commons image via 96dpi
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.

Front shot of a standard tremolo bridge on a Stratocaster. Flickr Commons image via Justin Hersker
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.

A specialty tremolo bridge, designed for a Fender Mustang electric guitar. Flickr Commons image via Pikul05
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:
- Tremolo should be an add-on (the guitar should sound good without it)
- The guitar should stay in tune, even with tremolo use
- The trem bar should (mostly) hold its place and only move if you want it to
- 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.
Electrics | Details | Rating | Shop |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | PRS SE Standard 24 (standard tremolo bridge) | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster (standard tremolo bridge) | n/a | |
![]() | Jackson JS32 (Floyd-style locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Jackson JS22 (standard tremolo bridge with saddles) | n/a | |
![]() | Epiphone SG Standard '61 (Maestro™ Vibrola tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Classic Vibe '70s HSS Stratocaster (standard tremolo bridge) | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic Electric Guitar | n/a | |
![]() | Schecter Omen Extreme-6 FR Electric Guitar | n/a | |
![]() | Epiphone Crestwood Custom (custom Tremotone system) | n/a | |
![]() | Kramer Assault 220 (Floyd Rose/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Ibanez Steve Vai Signature JEMJRSP (Floyd Rose-style/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Contemporary Active Stratocaster (Floyd Rose/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Squier Classic Vibe '60s Mustang (standard bridge tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Jackson X Series Dinky DK3XR (Floyd Rose-style/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Ibanez RG470AHM (Floyd Rose-style/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | ESP LTD F-200 (Floyd Rose/locking tremolo) | n/a | |
![]() | Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDXM (Floyd Rose locking tremolo) | n/a |
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.

Spending $500 on a PRS is like spending $900 on most other guitar brands.
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)
Price History for PRS SE Standard 24-08 Electric Guitar - Translucent Blue
Statistics
Current Price | $599.00 | December 2, 2023 |
Highest Price | $749.00 | July 11, 2023 |
Lowest Price | $599.00 | October 12, 2023 |
Last price changes
$599.00 | November 24, 2023 |
$599.20 | November 18, 2023 |
$599.00 | November 17, 2023 |
$599.20 | November 5, 2023 |
$599.00 | November 4, 2023 |
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

For the price, the Classic Vibe Strats from Squier make decent beginner guitars, especially if the tremolo bridge is a priority.
Prices from Multiple Vendors
Price Alert Tool
Price History for Lowest Price Product
Price History for Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster - Natural
Statistics
Current Price | $429.99 | December 1, 2023 |
Highest Price | $429.99 | January 26, 2023 |
Lowest Price | $419.99 | June 15, 2022 |
Last price changes
$429.99 | January 26, 2023 |
$419.99 | June 15, 2022 |
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.

Though any of the Squier Vibe guitars could work for a blues style, the '60s version would be our pick in this price range.
Pricing
Price Alert
Price History
Price History for Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster - Candy Apple Red
Statistics
Current Price | $429.99 | December 1, 2023 |
Highest Price | $459.99 | January 12, 2023 |
Lowest Price | $419.99 | June 15, 2022 |
Last price changes
$429.99 | January 26, 2023 |
$459.99 | January 12, 2023 |
$419.99 | June 15, 2022 |
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.

The Jackson Dinky (the JS32) is a decent, low-cost, tremolo-equipped guitar that can handle heavier styles of music.
Compare Pricing
Lowest Price Alert
Price History
Price History for Jackson JS Dinky JS32Q DKAHT Trans Green Burst
Statistics
Current Price | $299.99 | December 1, 2023 |
Highest Price | $299.99 | June 15, 2022 |
Lowest Price | $249.95 | July 21, 2023 |
Last price changes
$299.99 | December 1, 2023 |
$274.95 | November 24, 2023 |
$299.99 | October 13, 2023 |
$249.95 | September 8, 2023 |
$274.95 | August 25, 2023 |
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:

Floyd Rose bridges have two locking points and actually "float" in the default position based on the locked connections. Flickr Commons image via Shixart1985
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:

Diagram that displays Floyd Rose bridge functionality in three positions. Image via Wikimedia Commons
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.

Metal block used in a standard tremolo bridge, which has holes that allow you to feed the strings through the back of the guitar. Flickr Commons image via Derek K. Miller.
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:

A standard tremolo bridge is far simpler, connecting strings through the bottom of the guitar and allowing for only modest tremolo movement. Flickr Commons image via Roadside Guitars
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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