Here are the more popular Guitar Brands & manufacturing companies that make a wide range of acoustic as well as electric guitars.
Considering the fact that the guitar is quite a popular musical instrument, you’ll find several guitar companies fighting it out in the market.
Top guitar making companies such as Gibson and Fender own multiple guitar brands to cater to a wide range of consumers & prices, as part of their overall marketing strategy.
In terms of ranking of these brands, Fender and Gibson are definitely among the bigger ones, though the list mentioned here is not in any specific order of rankings.
Electric Guitar Brands
Here are the more popular electric guitar brands/manufacturers:
Fender: Over the years, Fender has become the biggest electric guitar brand in the world. The Telecaster and the Stratocaster are the most popular models, and celebrity musicians such as Eric Clapton and Jim Hendrix are its die-hard fans.
Gibson: Arguably the best electric guitar brand, although Fender is a bigger company. Gibson is the brand behind the Les Paul. Other famous models from Gibson include the Flying V, Explorer, and the SG series.
Epiphone: Owned by Gibson, Epiphone makes affordable look-alike models of the more expensive Les Paul and other types of electric guitars made by Gibson. Beginner & intermediate guitarists love to use this brand for its affordability. Epiphone LP-100 and Epiphone LP Special ii are both great beginner electric guitars.
Squier: Owned by Fender, Squire makes affordable electric guitars (similar business strategy as Epiphone). BulletStrat and Affinity Telecaster are recommended guitars.
B.C. Rich: B.C. Rich offers top-notch electric guitars for heavy metal and rock music fans, most of its guitars feature pointed edges with images. It also makes lots of bass guitars.
Dean Guitars: This is an American electric guitar brand that makes great sounding, electric and bass guitar models for heavy metal musicians.
Ibanez: Popular guitar brand that produces good-looking and sounding models in a very affordable price range. This is preferred by several intermediate players as well as advanced guitarists looking for a value buy.
ESP: ESP has a product line of several inexpensive guitars. You may have a look at the artists models if you’re looking for a professional/expensive guitar. For beginners, the standard series is most appropriate.
Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Guitars: PRS guitars are kinda unique, with the curved body edges and beautiful fret-identification designs on the fingerboard. Along with the beautiful design, these guitars also have a good professional tone.
Acoustic Guitar Brands
Here are the more popular acoustic guitar brands/manufacturers:
Martin: Among the more most expensive acoustic guitars in the world, the Martin brand is famous for its acoustic guitars. Used by some big names in the music industry, these are among the best sounding guitars available.
Taylor: Another highly respected brand with high quality sound and among the more expensive guitar brands. These guitars use high-quality & expensive wood to make their unique and best tone.
Yamaha: A Japanese brand, Yamaha is known for their range of musical instruments and recording gear. Its product line-up includes both acoustic and electric guitars. Their entry level guitars are quite popular among beginners, because of their good quality and affordable prices. Yamaha FG700S is one of the best acoustic guitar for beginners.
Takamine: Similar to Yamaha, Takamine is also a Japanese guitar maker and offers both high-end as well as entry level acoustic guitars. The Takamine GS330S is a popular entry-level acoustic guitar.
Seagull: A Canadian brand (owned by Godin), these focus more on on acoustic guitars. Most of its guitars are hand-made and are of high quality. Their guitars are used by professional players, though it makes entry level acoustic guitars as well. The Seagull S6 is a great guitar for serious beginners & intermediate level guitar players.
La Patrie Guitars
La Patrie (a division of Godin) is a popular brand that manufactures quality nylon string classic guitars.
The brand is named after the place where it all began (La Patrie in Quebec, Canada). The small quiet village of La Patrie in eastern Quebec has been the backbone of guitar building in Canada for over three decades. This village boasts of some of the finest luthiers / guitar builders dedicated to the art & tradition of hand crafting guitars.
Here we take a look at their popular guitars.
La Patrie Guitar, Collection
The La Patrie Guitar, Motif looks nice, sounds nice, and is also reasonably priced.
La Patrie Guitar, Presentation
The La Patrie Guitar, Presentation offers great quality, playability and sound.
La Patrie Guitar, Collection
The La Patrie Guitar Collection is one of the best classical guitars for under thousand dollars.
La Patrie Guitar, Concert
The La Patrie Guitar, Concert has it all – gorgeous looks, great sound and playability.
Jay Turser Guitars
This is a brand that most beginners like because of their affordable range of guitars. One reason for this is that unlike the other brands, Jay Turser’s sole purpose was to create guitars that were affordable to the general public.
That is why these guitars became quite popular with the players on budget, as it was the perfect starter guitar and provided an acceptable level of sound quality & playability.
Range of Products
This brand manufactures a range of electric, acoustic, bass and jazz guitars, as well as amplifiers and other music accessories.
Because most of their products are meant for the students/learners, most of their manufacturing happens in places such as China and other Far East countries, and that is one of the reasons that their prices are so competitive.
They also produce a range of affordable kid’s guitars. So if you are looking for a low-cost beginner guitar for your child, then this is a good option to explore.
Since they do have a wide range of products, you can choose as per the style you are interested in playing. Cost-wise they’re quite affordable, and it is an affordable way to know if you or your child is really interested in playing the guitar.
Though you can buy these from a local music store, you can find bundled packages online where you may get useful accessories along with your purchase. So do checkout the range of Jay Turser Guitars here.
Washburn Guitars (Acoustic, Classical, Electric)
Washburn is an American guitar manufacturer that makes a wide range of guitars, basses, and folk string instruments (mandolins and banjos) for players of different skill levels. Washburn has catered to many musicians from all types of genres from blues, rock and roll to country, over the years. Some famous guitarists who endorse this brand include Paul Stanley from the rock band Kiss, Steve Nixon and George Lynch.
Washburn guitars offer plenty of choices, including electrics, acoustics and bases as well. You may choose from Washburn Electric Guitars, Washburn Acoustic Guitars, Washburn Classical Guitars, Washburn Acoustic Electric Guitars, Washburn Electric Bass Guitars, Washburn Folk Guitars.
These are stylish and high quality products that will complement your style and creativity.
Of late they have been trying to woo musicians in the electric, hard rock and punk rock genre. So whether you are a beginner or an enthusiast looking for a quality product, you can consider this brand.
Washburn WD10 Series
The WD10S series guitars are among Washburn’s popular entry-level acoustic guitars available to guitar players (novice as well as intermediate players.) Most beginner guitar players prefer these for their loud and clear tone (and its reasonable pricing).
These guitars use Mahogany on the back and side, features solid Alaskan Sitka Spruce or solid Cedar tops, Quarter sawn scalloped bracing and Rosewood capped headstock. These guitars use a bone nut (instead of cheaper synthetic material) and chrome die-cast tuners.
Washburn Rover RO10 Travel Acoustic Guitar
The Rover RO10 is another popular guitar from Washburn. Its compact, perfect for traveling (plane, boat, car, the beach, camping, hiking), and sturdily built. The guitar features 24-inch scale, solid spruce top, Mahogany body and neck, Rosewood fingerboard, quality geared tuners.
Buying Options
Catering to experienced guitarists and beginners, you will find a wide range of products that are comfortable to play and also provides a rich, full-bodied tone.
Washburn guitars can be bought online, starting from a couple of hundred dollars up to $1000. If that seems a bit high, try exploring used guitars as well.
To Conclude
This list definitely doesn’t cover all the guitar brands (a-z), but it lists the more famous guitar companies that make some of the best guitars in the world. The Japanese guitar brands have lots of offerings for beginners whereas the Canadian guitar brands cater to the more experienced players.
Over time, we intend to list all the manufacturers from Alvarez to Washburn, and everything in between such as Schecter, Jackson and more.
Please let us know if you would like to see few other guitar brands listed here on this page.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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