The Best Affordable Fender Electric Guitars

Fender has been making electric guitars for well over fifty years, and was among the first to make electric guitars in the 1950s. Along with Gibson, Fender created instruments on the cutting edge of technology for the time. The two best-known Fender models are the Stratocaster and theTelecaster, both solid-body electrics famous for their playability and nearly indestructible design. Nowadays, many Fenders are manufactured overseas, which means there are affordable models with somewhat lower specs that will not cost you the $1,000-plus price that a full-fledged American-made guitar commands. But these are still Fender guitars, which means they are dependable and playable, and have that bright and clear Fender sound. Here I'll talk a little about these affordable, but still good quality, Fender electric guitars.

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- The Standard Telecaster

I'm putting this one here, even though it is not exactly cheap, because it's a genuine, full-bore Fender Telecaster for under $500, which in my book is something of a steal. These guitars are more than just instruments -- their iconic design and instantly recognizable twang are part of popular culture. Maybe you aren't in the market for this much guitar, but I have played one for years and I just couldn't resist tossing this one out there.

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- The Starcaster

I like this starter Fender for a number of reasons, but one of the coolest is the whammy bar -- it's unusual to find a tremolo bridge on an affordable Fender guitar. This means that even beginners can start finding their inner Jeff Beck, or Jimi Hendrix, right out of the gate. The five-way toggle combined with three single-coil pickups gives you the excellent tonal versatility you expect from Fender. The Starcaster is a cool model that's not all that commonly seen, and will set you apart from the legion of Bullets and Squiers out there.

In many cases, Fender sweetens the deal with a package that includes a solid little amplifier (with tube-style distortion), extra strings, strap, and all the cords and picks you need. If you can, find a package deal like this and you'll save a fair amount of work finding a decent little starter amplifier and all the little extras you'll need. Cords and picks -- in my touring days, I would have been happy simply to be handed those...

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- Squier Bullet Strat

This is a sweet guitar, the kind of instrument Fender has become the leader in producing -- affordable, high quality, and more than a little cool. It turns out that the classic Fender design and sound translates well to the beginner class, and so young guitarists are getting the benefit of affordability coupled with a true rock classic sound. I only wish that were true when I was a kid in the '70's -- if we wanted an affordable guitar back then, we had two choices: Sears or JC Penny's. They weren't even all that cheap, and nowadays those guitars, derisively called "SearsCasters" back then, sell for a respectable amount on eBay.

This "Daphne Blue" Squier is a solid little guitar, guaranteed playable right out of the box, with Fender's typical low action that works well for hands of any size. Like the Starcaster, above, it has a whammy bar. You might as well start right out with a tremolo bar on your guitar, to get a head start on the other shredders in the neighborhood.

Other features include three Stratocaster single-coil pickups, a five-way toggle switch for maximum tonal versatility, and neck with 21 jumbo frets. Squiers are nice guitars, a brilliant buy for the price.

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- Squier Vintage Jaguar

Who played a Fender Jaguar? Well, for a long time practically no one, and then Kurt Cobain, and then practically everyone. It's a cool-looking guitar, very 1960's in appearance, and once the icon of grunge music rocked one, all kinds of bands followed suit. I myself never owned a Jaguar, though I used one in a studio session and liked it a lot. It's super-versatile and has a real edgy tone that works great with effects.

One of the features that I especially like here is the "Duncan Designed" single-coil pickups. Seymour Duncan is the top name in premium pick-up design, and these pickups are made to get that bright, powerful tone that made Jaguars the guitar to have. The Squier Jaguar has a floating tremolo bridge and vintage style throughout (check out the cool bullet-tip tremolo arm). A true rock machine, and one of those interments that sets you apart from the pack. And the colors rock too, from Surf Green, Candy Apple Red, and Olympic White to the three-color Sunburst.

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- Squier Affinity Telecaster

The butterscotch blonde finish on the Telecaster makes it look very much like a vintage guitar costing several times what you'll actually pay. If looks matter to you, then you can't go wrong with this instrument. The Alder wood body is coated with a gloss polyurethane that captures the glow of the wood grain and highlights the blonde finish. Really a good-looking electric -- it's surprising it's so affordable.

Two bright single-coil pickups, a three-way tone selector switch, and a six-saddle "top-load" bridge round out the features. I especially like the fact that the bridge doesn't require passing the strings through the body of the guitar. It's always a bit of a pain to re-string a "body-through" Fender. 

Blackout FSR Telecaster

If you can still find one,the Blackout FSR is hands-down one of the coolest affordable guitars on the market. All gloss-black attitude and a flawless finish put it at the front of the pack. But there's more going on with this Fender than meets the eye.

For one thing, notice the pick-ups -- instead of the standard Fender single-coils, the Blackout features two humbuckers, a true rarity in the land of Fenders, which are known for having single-coil pickups. The cool think about humbuckers us the fact that they don't buzz like singe-coils are prone to do. I remember at least three clubs that I used to play at that had their fridges and coolers on the same circuit as the stage, and when those suckers kicked on, my single-coil Telecaster would buzz something fierce. Humbuckers are specifically designed to counteract this by placing two coils head-to-head in the same pickup (which is why they were sometimes called "double humbuckers"). One fortunate effect of this set-up is a warmer, heavier tone, as embodied by the Gibson Les Paul.

What this means for the Blackout is that it's a very un-Fenderish Fender, with the weight and features of a Gibson. This is the electric guitar version of hybrid vigor...

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- Fender Standard Stratocaster

This is a classic rock machine, and while it may not compare price-wise to some of the others on this lens, it is, for a full-on Fender Strat, eminently affordable. The features of the Fender Standard Stratocaster are well-known to any experienced guitar player, as they have certainly played one at some point in their career (or else, maybe you aren't quite as experienced as you think).

The humbucking bridge pickup lends a little of that double-coil weight and versatility to this Strat, which means you can play just about any kind of much you choose. Add in the classic round-back neck and 70's styling on the headstock, and you've got a tremendously sweet guitar for a rock-bottom price. Highly recommended, even for beginners.

Best Affordable Fender Electrics -- The Strat Pack

It's funny how often a new guitar student will walk into my studio with a brand new Fender electric and no amplifier -- it's like they forget they would need one! Fortunately I'm always rigged up to provide an amp for students, but it's still true that beginner electric guitar players need something to play through. That's why I Iike combo packs: the amp is included, and it's a punchy little number with tube-style distortion built in. Some players I know use these little amps for backstage practice, or even rehearsal sessions.

Additional features worth knowing about: guitar stand, strap, and, of course, a gig bag. The guitar has three bright-sounding single-coil pickups. And if you're not quite ready for prime-time, no problem -- the amplifier has a built-in headphone jack for private riffing.

Gibson versus Fender -- two classics go head-to-head.

What Do I Know About Buying Musical Instruments?

I have been in touring rock bands for almost 25 years, and, I can safely say that I know what to look for and what to avoid when buying an instrument. In addition to my road gig experience, I have taught drums and guitar for many years. As part of my teaching work, I have helped dozens of students and their families decide which guitars, amplifiers, and drum sets to buy. I take into consideration some things others don't, like playability, durability, and the cost of accessories. I hope my advice here helps you decide which affordable Fender electric is right for you.