There are numerous great electric guitars with good sound, build quality, features, hardware, etc but not every guitar is equally good for recording.

An electric guitar to be used for recording should have different qualities such as a good tone, playability, different sound options, good intonation, and so on.

Also, guitar pickups have a tremendous impact on the tone, so it’s nice to have a couple of guitars with various pickup configurations in your studio.

What’s The Best Electric Guitar?

In this ultimate list, you will find different types of electric guitars that would be a great choice for recording.

1. Fender Player Lead II

One of the best electric guitars for small hands and recording.

  • Alnico V single coils
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Phase switch
Fender Player Lead

Fender Player Lead is a modern guitar with single-coil pickups. It has an alder body and a C-shape, bolt-on maple neck. Although it has a vintage design, has modern comfort, and is very easy to play with.

This is a great recording guitar because of its sound and features. Equipped with two single-coil pickups and has volume and a tone knob. A 3-way switch allows different tone options. And a great feature is a phase-reverse switch that pushes the sound boundaries of this guitar. Great to record clean guitar parts.

2. Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat

Perhaps the best electric guitar for blues in its price range.

  • Alnico Single Coils
  • Nato body
  • Maple neck
  • 5-Way switch
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Strat

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster is one of the best electric guitars for recording. This particular guitar is based on the 60s classic Strat. Has a very affordable price and features such as three single-coil pickups, a fixed bridge with tremolo, a nato body, and a maple neck.

Classic Vibe 60s Fender Stratocaster provides a great clean and famous fender sound. Three pickups and a 5-way switch allow you to dial different tones. This electric guitar is great to record rock, blues, pop, and clean guitar parts.

3. Danelectro Stock 59

Amazing electric guitar for recording with unique pickups.

  • Lipstick pickups
  • Spruce body
  • Maple neck
  • 3-Way switch
Danelectro 59 guitar

Danelectro Stock 59 produces a unique sound and it’s a very special guitar. It has a spruce body and maple neck with 21 frets. But the distinct sound comes from special pickups. The guitar is loaded with Lipstick pickups which is a special kind of single-coil pickup and has a very crisp and sparkly sound.

This is the best guitar for recording the clean and natural distorted sound that the tube amp produces. Also, a three-way switch and a special wooden bridge allow you to dial different and unique sounds. A great guitar to record rock and blues.

4. PRS SE Standard 24

One of my overall favorite guitars to record.

  • PRS 85/15 pickups
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Push/Pull coil-split
PRS SE Standard 24

PRS SE Standard 24 may be the best electric guitar for recording. The build quality is very high, the price is affordable, and the sound is awesome. Most importantly, a humbucker pickup allows you to record clean, crunchy, and even heavy riffs. You can record any type of music with this Paul Reed Smith guitar.

The body of the guitar is mahogany and the neck is made from maple. The pickup sound is crisp and produces great clean and distorted tones. Another great feature is the coil-split switch. Very diverse guitar for recording.

5. Ibanez Artcore AMH90

One of the best hollow-body guitars for recording.

  • Super 58 humbuckers
  • Linden body
  • Nyatoh/maple neck
  • Pickup voicing switch
Ibanez Artcore electric guitar

Ibanez AMH90 electric guitar will be a great asset for any home recording studio. You can record all sorts of music with this guitar. The hollow body adds flavor to the sound. And the combination of wood, pickups, and sound control makes this guitar one of the best choices for recording.

The guitar is equipped with humbucker pickups and can deliver a great clean and dirty sound. Also, it’s very comfortable to play this guitar. The neck is always great on Ibanez guitars. The guitar body is made from linden and the fingerboard is from ebony. The sound switch allows you to produce different pickup voicings. Hollow-body electric guitars have a unique sound and are great for recording.

6. Charvel Pro-Mod DK24

Amazing electric guitar to record fast solos.

  • SH10B/SSL6 pickups
  • Alder body
  • Caramelized maple neck
  • 5-Way switch
charvel dk24

Charvel DK24 from the Pro-Mod series is one of the best electric guitars you can record music with. The pickup configuration makes it very diverse regarding the sound. Simple to use, easy to play, and great for heavy riffs and lead playing.

It’s loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups and it sounds great. On the bridge, it has a humbucker and for middle and neck pickups it’s equipped with single-coil pickups. This feature makes DK24 a great choice for recording studio use.

7. Squier Contemporary Jaguar

Offset shape electric guitar with multiple tone options.

  • SQR Atomic humbuckers
  • Poplar body
  • Roasted maple neck
  • Coil-Tap & Series switches
squier jaguar

Contemporary Jaguar by Squier is the best electric guitar for recording with an offset shape. The feel, playability, sound quality, and options are great. You can dial in a unique and interesting sound with this guitar. Also, the price of this Jaguar is very affordable.

The neck of the guitar is made from roasted maple, the body is poplar, and the fingerboard is laurel. A C-shaped neck, jumbo frets, and a 12″ neck radius make this guitar comfortable to play. Squier humbuckers work and are great for recording.

8. LTD EC-401

Awesome electric guitar to record metal riffs.

  • EMG 60/81 pickups
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • 3-Way switch
ltd ec 401

LTD EC401 by ESP is a metal beast guitar. It’s a very popular instrument among guitar players and recording engineers. The build quality, tone, and playability of EC401 are hard to surpass. And active pickups add more power and crispness. If you record metal bands, you must get this guitar.

The guitar body and neck are made from mahogany and the fingerboard is made from rosewood. It’s a neck-through construction and it is great for sound. The neck profile is thin and it’s easy to play. EC401 is a perfect guitar to record heavy riffs and is also great for shredding lead parts.

9. Ibanez RGIB21

Great intermediate metal guitar for recording.

  • EMG 60/81 pickups
  • Nyatoh body
  • maple neck
  • Single volume knob
ibanez  emg guitar

Ibanez RGIB21 is one of the best baritone electric guitars you can get for your home studio. It’s beautiful, has great sound, and is very easy to play. Ibanez makes amazing guitar necks that are a pleasure to play. RGIB21 is a full metal guitar. Great for playing and recording solos and rhythm parts.

The neck of the guitar I made from 3-piece maple and purpleheart. It’s a bolt-on style neck with a 15.7: radius. The fingerboard material is jatoba and it has 24 jumbo frets. The wood and pickups make a great combination for the sound of the instrument and it’s an amazing baritone guitar for recording.

10. Jackson DK2XR

A great metal electric guitar with a whammy bar.

  • Jackson humbuckers
  • Poplar body
  • Maple neck
  • 3-Way switch
jackson dinky

Jackson DK2XR is an amazing-sounding metal guitar with Floyd Rose. Playing and recording with this guitar is an awesome experience. The playability of the neck, power of the pickups, and built quality make it one of the best electric guitars for recording metal music.

DK2XR has a poplar body with a gloss finish, bolt-on, maple neck with compound radius, and 24 jumbo frets. With the help of a locking tremolo system, it stays in tune perfectly. Everything is good in this guitar starting from sound to pricing.

11. Schecter Damien Platinum 7

Perhaps the best 7-string guitar to record heavy riffs.

  • EMG 85/81 humbuckers
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • 3-Way switch
schecter damien 7 string

Schecter Damien Platinum 7-string guitar is for those who want to djent. This guitar is a massive metal guitar with awesome pickups, sound, built quality, and playability. One of the best and most affordable extended-range electric guitars for recording heavy music. The sound is very balanced and clean which is great for recording.

The guitar has a mahogany body, a 3-piece maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets. The neck has a thin C shape and a 16″ radius and it’s a set neck construction. This guitar plays well, sounds well, and is an excellent choice for metal recording.

Conclusion

Electric guitars, as well as guitar amps, are must-have gear for every recording studio. But you need a guitar that is good for recording. Also, it’s better to have guitars with different pickup configurations because you will be able to record different guitar styles, blend various guitar tones, etc.

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