4 Best Guitars for Metal

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Are you ready to start shredding?

Looking for the best guitars for metal?

If you’re interested in playing metal music, you’re probably going to want to the best guitar there is for the genre. While there’s a large range of guitars out there, there are also many factors to think about before you just buy a new guitar.

First off, you need a guitar that will be effortless to play when you’re rocking out on-stage during a show. To ensure you can produce that firing thrash and an intense solo, you will need the right electric guitar that has a comfortable neck and is ready for low action.

If you’re looking for the best guitars for metal, you’ve come to the right place. This article is here to help you make a choice and to give you an overview of some of the best metal guitars on the market today.

Keep reading to see our top choices.

Best Guitars For Playing Metal – Quick View

1. Jackson JS32T Rhoads

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Best V-Style Metal Guitar

PROS

  • Pickup Offers Crispy Sounds With Plenty of Definition
  • Affordable
  • Satin Neck is a Dream Come True.

CONS

  • May Be Dangerous to Play While Seated!

The first guitar on our list is the Jackson JS32T Rhoads electric guitar. This V-style Jackson Rhoads guitar is so pointy and even though Jackson has not made any safety recalls on the JS32T it still will pierce through the skin if positioned incorrectly. The Rhoads is very sharp: sharp to play and to look at.

The fixed bridge of the guitar allows for low action and its neck is sleek, like satin, giving you a feel like you are in a movie running your hands up and down its neck. Its high-output bucks with its two coils offer presence and snap, giving you what you need for using any distorted styles of playing.

The Jackson JS32T just takes all the sound that you put out. It is cheaper than its rival V-style guitars, plays like a dream delivering classic sounds and even acts as a defender off stage. Can you say “Winner, winner!”

2. Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster

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Best Metal Guitars

PROS

  • Solid Floyd Rose Tremolo Structure
  • A More Flexible Set of Sounds

CONS

  • May Be Slightly More Geared Towards Classic Rock Than Metal
  • Pretty Pricey

The next guitar on our list is the Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster. This guitar boasts great tones, a sleek look, and a very playable design.

Murray’s Strat is more of a classic rock guitar; it has a classy air to it with a tone of old school rock. The design features humbuckers in the bridge and neck, two Seymour Duncan Hot Rails and seated in the middle is the JB Jr which gives plenty of power.

This guitar creates a progressive loud, harmonic bark on Murray’s gear through the valve head, lending heat and squeals to any solo. It also comes with some sweet areas when the signal is against its breaking point.

Seriously, the Dave Murray Stratocaster is a great option and for some serious players, it will be well worth the high asking price. The guitar offers some high-quality sounds and vibrato, arguably beating Murray’s signature is-built model (retailing more than two times the price) with regards to practicality and versatility.

3. Ibanez RG550

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Top Guitars For Playing Metal Music

PROS

  • Versatile Tone
  • The Reboot is Faithful For Such an Iconic Guitar

CONS

  • Not For Guitar Players who Like Thick Necks
  • The Finish is Not For Everybody
  • On the Expensive Side

The Ibanez RG550 is a very stylish guitar that claims the next spot on our list of guitars for metal. This 2018 Japanese vintage is a master in its class and stands for everything good about metal and shred guitars. The neck feels sleek, your hand literally will glide, and the craftsmanship overall is tip top quality.

As for the tone, the RG550 has all the bases taken care of and always has since 1987. Despite its pointy appearance, you could comfortably stray into all kinds of genres without too much fuss. It offers everything you remember from the original version and this is why it is such a great metal guitar.

Overall, this is a pretty good metal guitar that will likely give you just what you’re looking for if you’re aiming to become a master of the genre.

4. Charvel Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH

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Good Metal Guitars

PROS

  • Stripped in the Back
  • Straight On Point Setup
  • The Tones Are Tight
  • Playability is Excellent

CONS

  • Could Seem Too Basic For Some Guitarists

The next guitar on our list is the Charvel Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH. This is a great electric guitar that offers excellent playability and a remarkable tone.

This guitar screams “I’m alive,” with its nice smooth oil finishes making this guitar extremely nice and comfortable while you work the chords or play some leads. A very nice sculpted heel adds value to one of the most accommodating instruments ever.

Overall, this is another great metal guitar you’ll definitely want to consider making your own.

Runner Up: Solar A2.6

Best Guitar For Metalheads

PROS

  • Great For Playing Fast
  • Perfect For Metal Tones
  • Solid Tuning
  • Affordable Price
  • Versatile Due to its Coil Splits

CONS

  • The Headstock is Razor Sharp! Ouch!

This solid, ashy body piece of work is the Solar A2.6. This guitar comes with an ebony fretboard and maple neck. The neck is put together very thoroughly with no outdated, solid parts on the body. The hardtail bridge comes as unassuming and as steady as no other, with a good set of Grover tuners 18:1.

The A2.6 feels like it was precision-tuned by individual who spent their spare time in a STEM performing arts program, learning how to play Master of Puppets by Metallica. On this instrument, arduous achievements of intricate shreds become incredibly achievable.

Overall, this is one of the best metal guitars around and offers a pretty unique design that serious metalheads are sure to love.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to do some serious shredding, then you should consider buying one of the guitars listed above. Each of these guitars is perfect for the metal genre and will allow you to put your best foot forward when you’re ready to drown in that heavy sound.

Looking for the best metal guitar strings to go with your guitar? Click here to see our list of the best guitar strings for playing metal.