Update — I wrote a similar post about best beginner budget guitar amps, you can find it here.

I’ve been dabbling in music for a few months now, mostly playing an acoustic guitar borrowed from a friend. But the primary reason for my attraction to guitar was lead solos, especially the ones by David Gilmour. So I decided to “upgrade” and buy an electric guitar. But then there was this inevitable dilemma of selection, which one should I buy? You should note that I was looking for beginner budget guitars, not expensive ones.

Naturally, Google came to help. Upon compiling books from the first two pages of Google search results of the query “beginner budget electric guitar”, what I got is the list below. FYI, I’ve made a similar post before, about books every startup founder should read, you can find that here.

Important — Number of ★s against a guitar indicates the number of times that guitar came up repeating, so the more the better.

Top picks: Guitars coming up more than once

★★★★★★★★★★ Epiphone Les Paul Special II

★★★★★★★★ Squier Affinity Stratocaster

★★★★★★ Squire Affinity Telecaster

★★★★★★ Jackson JS22 Dinky

★★★★★ Yamaha Pacifica PAC012

★★★★★ Yamaha Pacifica PAC112

★★★★ Squire Bullet Stratocaster

★★★★ ESP LTD EC10

★★★ Epiphone SG Special

★★★ Ibanez GRX20Z

★★★ Dean Vendetta XM // XMT

★★★ Schecter C1 SGR

★★★ Squier Affinity Telecaster

★★ Ibanez GRX70QA

★ Epiphone Les Paul SL

★ Epiphone Dot

★ Epiphone G-400

★ Epiphone Les Paul 100

★ Epiphone Les Paul Standard

★ Oscar Schimdt OE20

★ Sterling Music Man Sub Silo 3

★ Dean MLX

★ Squier Bullet Mustang HH

★ Gretsch G2622 Streamliner

★ Schecster C6 Plus

★ Ibanez Artcore AS53

FYI — I ended up buying Yamaha Pacifica PAC012, in case you wanted to know.

All the guitars

★★★★★★★★★★ Epiphone Les Paul Special II

★ Epiphone Les Paul SL

Epiphone Les Paul Special VE

★ Epiphone Dot

★ Epiphone G-400

★ Epiphone Les Paul 100

★ Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Epiphone Les Paul Studio Deluxe

★★★ Epiphone SG Special

★★★ Ibanez GRX20Z

★★ Ibanez GRX70QA

Ibanez GRGM21

Ibanez GRG121DX

Ibanez GRGR120EX

Ibanez GRG170

★★★★★★★★ Squier Affinity Stratocaster

★★★★★ Yamaha Pacifica PAC012

★★★ Schecter C1 SGR

★★★★★★ Jackson JS22 Dinky

★★★ Squier Affinity Telecaster

★ Oscar Schimdt OE20

★★★ Dean Vendetta XM // XMT

★★★★ ESP LTD EC10

★ Sterling Music Man Sub Silo 3

★ Dean MLX

Squier Affinity Jazzmaster HH

Mitchell MD200

★ Squier Bullet Mustang HH

★★★★★ Yamaha Pacifica PAC112

★ Gretsch G2622 Streamliner

PRS SE Standard

Schecter Demon 6 2018

Squier Vintage ‘72 Telecaster Thinline

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar

Chapman ML2 Modern Standard

Jackson X Series Signature Adrian Smith SDX

Gretsch G5520 Electromatic Jet BT

Gretsch G5421

★★★★ Squire Bullet Stratocaster

★★★★★★ Squire Affinity Telecaster

Eastcoast GL20

★ Schecter C6 Plus

★ Ibanez Artcore AS53

Ibanez Artcore AF55

G&L Tribute Fallout

Fender Modern Player Tele Plus

Squier Deluxe Stratocaster

Oscar Schimdt OE30CH

Sources

Pages from the first two pages of Google search results for the query “beginner budget electric guitar” as of 26th Dec 2018.