If I were to state the facts, music is free and open to all, regardless of age. The art of playing instruments is a hobby for all, bearing no such age restrictions at all.
PlaygroupNSW.org suggests that letting your child learn to play an instrument at an early age can improve your child’s overall being.
Fortunately, companies still strive to make music-making accessible to all with their budget guitar packs which are widely available for purchase.
In this list, I’ll be talking about 7 of the best budget electric guitars available to the regular consumer.
Tips on Picking the Best Guitar For You
Honestly, 100$ will never get you a perfect guitar, trust me. The cheapest entry-level guitars that I know of are either from Epiphone or Squier, and they cost way over 100 bucks.
But you’re getting the best out of your 100$, and there are a ton of guitars out there, so here are some tips for when you start looking for your budget instrument.
Quality > Quantity
Always remember that quality costs and that rule also applies when looking for the cheapest alternative to an entry-level guitar. Most of the time, these guitars will be part of a bundle with accessories that you may use such as amplifiers, picks, and straps.
Rather than looking for a product with a lot of low-quality accessories, look for the best and sturdiest guitar that’ll last for a long time. Buying a crappy guitar bundle is like buying a loaf of bread that’s about to expire. Never settle for less.
Used vs. Brand New?
When you’re looking for guitars online, you may find people selling used models for less. On paper, it seems like a great idea since you get a better guitar for the same price, but most of the time it backfires. Some guitars may have been oddly modified or damaged beyond repair.
But if you insist on getting a used guitar, make sure to test the guitar in person and to properly inspect the instrument for anything out of the blue before purchasing it to get the best out of your money.
Overall, making sure that you’re getting the best quality will always be the priority. Follow these tips, and you’ll be steps closer to finding the best guitar for you.
7 BEST ELECTRIC GUITARS UNDER $100
#1 Davison Full-Size Electric Guitar Starter Package
- Full Scale Vintage Sunburst Electric Guitar
- 10 Watt Guitar Amp with Overdrive/Distortion
- Case Strap Pitchpipe Picks Stringwinder Cord
- Humbucker Pickup For Rock Sound
- Everything You Need To Start Playing
Davison joins the party with yet another starter guitar package. The full-size basswood guitar sounds great, is compatible with Rocksmith, and comes in astonishing colors, and it comes with a 10W amplifier that runs on both batteries and plug-ins, and the repetitive accessories. Possibly a great investment for beginner guitarists looking to learn.
- Guitar sounds nice
- The guitar is compatible with Rocksmith
- The guitar comes in a variety of colors
- Bad amplifier quality
#2 ISIN Full Size Electric Guitar with Amp & Accessories Pack
- Best choice for yourself or as a gift for your dear friends or families
- A perfect solution for beginners who want to learn to play guitar
- black fender plate on the surface, this guitar looks cool and could be well protected
- It comes with amplifier, power cord, guitar bag, shoulder strap and plectrum etc
Presenting ISIN’s Guitar & Accessories Pack. It features a full-size Maple-Basswood electric guitar that comes in a variety of great colors, a 10W amplifier to play on, a cable, some tools, a strap, and guitar picks. It’s a great choice for beginners and pros alike.
- Colors are great Value for your money
- Durable
- Low amplifier quality
- Questionable string quality
#3 ZENY 39″ Full Size Electric Guitar Beginner Starter Package
- Right-handed electric guitar with accessories is ideal for beginners and is ready to use out of the box
- Comes with a nylon carrying case perfect for traveling musicians and easy storage
- Made of an all wood construction, steel strings, and an attractive, smooth finish
- Neck: maple wood with truss rod ; String Length: 25.59" / 650mm Pickups: single coil X3 Regulator volume X1, tone X2, 5 scale tone changer
Next one on our list is another bundle from ZENY. The contents of this package are very similar to the latter item on our list, only that there are no color variations for this guitar. But let me tell you, they aren’t kidding with their guitars. This pack is definitely worth checking out.
- Guitar quality on point
- The amplifier can run on batteries as well
- Value for your money
- Low amplifier qualityNo other colors available
- Bad amplifier quality
#4 Smartxchoices 30″ Inch Kids Electric Guitar
- Recommended for children 3 years and up, this mini electric guitar set has an attractive shinny black color and smooth finish. The black finish over wood grain is a very appealing effect you don't see often, and the light wood neck stands out against the dark black body to make for a beautiful and charming guitar.
- Made with a hardwood body and rosewood fretboard (22 frets);The strings are easy to press down on, passive electronics for a rich, full sound.
- Comes with a cable cord, convenient amp strap, guitar picks, and a mini amp (5 watt) that can be clipped on to your kid's clothing; Portable amp needs only one 9 volt battery(battery is not included).
- Guitar length: 30Guitar length: 30" (L), Amp Dimensions: 5"(L) x 2.5"(W) x 5"(H), a nylon guitar case is included for storage and easy carry. For the aspiring guitarist in your family, you can not beat this deal!(L), Amp Dimensions: 5"(L) x 2.5"(W) x 5"(H), a nylon guitar case is included for storage and easy carry
- Kind Reminder: Amp is only compatible with adapter with negative electrode'-'inside, positive electrode '+'outside, otherwise it would cause short or fire. If you have a smart phone or tablet, you can download a electronic tuner to make tuning much easier.
And yet another starter pack. Smartxchoices offers you a small 30” Rosewood-Hardwood guitar with a 5W amplifier that runs on batteries and can plug in, with the same old knick-knacks as with the latter items on this list. I’d recommend this for kid guitar players, because of its size.
- Value for your money
- Guitar sounds nice
- Durable
- Guitar scaling is confusing
- Amplifier quality is bad
#5 DirectlyCheap Beginner Guitar Pack w/ DVDs
- Guitar includes a three hour Comprehensive and interactive "Learn to Play Guitar DVD"
- 3 Watt Amplifier, Strings, Gig Bag, Guitar Pick, Guitar Strap, Truss Rod Wrench, Amp Cable, Tremolo Bar
- Maple Neck, Maple Fretboard, Basswood Body, Low Ration Tuners
- Dual Humbucker w/1 Volume 1 Tone
- Bolt on Neck, Hardtail Chrome Alloy Bridge
The next budget pack list is from DirectlyCheap. One of the more expensive choices on the list, this pack features a Maple-Basswood electric guitar, a 3W amplifier that runs on both batteries and plug-ins, the accessories, and DVDs for new guitar players that want to learn. The DVDs contain guitar lessons taught by a veteran guitarist. This pack is great for the newbie still learning the ropes.
- Has guitar lesson DVDs
- Decent guitar quality
- Guitar scaling is confusing Bad amplifier quality
- Guitar setup takes a while
#6 Rise by Sawtooth ST-RISE-ST-SB-KIT-1
- Basswood Body, Maple Neck
- Maple Fretboard with Dot Inlays
- 25.5" Scale Length, Adjustable Bridge
- Chrome Hardware
- Kit Includes: Electric Guitar, Portable Beginner's Amp(Amp Power Adapter & Batteries Not Included with Purchase), Guitar Strap, Guitar Cable, Gig Bag, Pitch Pipe, 3 Pick Sampler & Online Lesson
Rise is in the list with their Sawtooth ST-RISE-ST-SB-KIT-1, a great budget guitar for players of all levels. It features a great Basswood-Mahogany guitar, finished in Sunburst which makes it look so good, the standard accessories for your guitar, and a 5W amplifier to play with (yes, it can run on batteries.). This is surely your choice if you want to play the guitar at home in your bedroom.
- Great guitar quality
- Accessories are cool
- Bad amplifier quality
#7 Jameson Guitars RWGT280 BK GCP
- Works with any software, gaming system or amp!
- Full Size Electric Guitar With High Gloss Finish
- Humbucker Pickup for that Rock sound!
- Includes Guitar Cord and Guitar Picks
- Perfect way to start playing at a great price!
The last budget guitar on our list is from Jameson, the RWGT280 BK GCP. It’s an all-black hardwood guitar that oddly mimics a Stratocaster. Though most would deem this unforgivable, the guitar is actually pretty decent, for its price. This would be great for beginners looking for a guitar to play on for a while, or the pros when looking for parts.
- Looks great
- Good strings
- Fretboard sucks
- Headstock is ugly
OUR CHOICE FOR THE BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR BELOW $100
If quality and value are in your vocabulary, the Davison Full-Size Electric Guitar Starter Package is the thing for you. Davison guitars are of great quality and they last very long, the accessories included are very useful, and the guitar’s Rocksmith capability just adds up to its value for money.
If you’re looking for a guitar bundle for someone who wants to learn, or if you’re buying it for yourself, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out.
And that concludes our list. The items on the list are great and all, and they’ll be a sure hit for whoever you’re giving it to. Just always remember that quality does indeed cost. Thanks for reading, and happy strumming!
