If you’re searching for some of the best signature guitars available on the market right now, don’t worry – you’ve come to the right place! In today’s article, we’re going to take a close look on 10 of the coolest and most affordable signature guitars out there. Hopefully, today’s guide will help you to find your next dream guitar.
Getting a signature guitar can be extremely beneficial for your growth as a musician. In the end, most of the signature guitars offer a really high quality. In addition, it feels pretty awesome to play on the same guitar as your favorite artist!
That’s why I decided to create the list of 10 best signature guitars offered by some of the best guitar manufacturers in the world. I have no hesitation in recommending these models to any guitarist who’s looking for a great and reliable piece of gear.
10 Best Signature Guitars – List
| Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| ESP LTD KH-202 Kirk Hammett | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster | See on Amazon | – |
| Ibanez JEM7VP Steve Vai Signature | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Martin DX Johnny Cash Signature | See on Amazon | – |
| ESP LTD Snakebyte James Hetfield | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Ibanez JSM10 John Scofield | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Fender Jim Root Signature Stratocaster | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Fender Tash Sultana Stratocaster | See on Amazon | Thomann |
1. Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster
Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster is one of the most popular signature guitars offered by this brand. This is a truly iconic model which pays a tribute to one of the best guitarists of all time.
What makes it so good? Well, the main features that differentiate that guitar from other Strats include the reverse headstock and a very special bridge pickup. Fender decided to equip this model with a ’65 American Vintage single-coil pickup, which guarantees the guitar tone straight from the ’60s and ’70s.
On top of that, the guitar looks absolutely fantastic from the outside. If you’re a fan of Jimi Hendrix, you’ll definitely enjoy playing on that model. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the best signature guitars available on the market right now.
Here’s the sound demo.
2. ESP LTD KH-202
ESP LTD KH-202 is a very cool and affordable guitar made specifically for all fans of rock and metal. This is a signature model of Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist of one of the biggest bands in the world – Metallica.
The guitar features a lightweight basswood body and a thin and comfortable maple neck. What’s important, it also has a Floyd Rose bridge and a set of two very powerful LH-301 humbuckers. On top of that, it also has very interesting skull-and-bones inlays on the fretboard.
In comparison with other signature guitars on today’s list, it’s actually not that expensive. I’m sure that a lot of metal fans are going to absolutely love it. This guitar is made for heavy riffs and fast, melodic solos, so if you’re into that kind of vibe – you won’t be disappointed.
Here’s the sound demo. Sounds pretty good, right?
3. Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster
Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster is an another interesting and affordable signature guitar suitable for a lot of different genres of music. This model sounds particularly great for rock, indie and grunge music.
If you don’t know who J Mascis is, he’s the singer and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. Overall, his signature guitar looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. In fact, it is often considered as one of the best and most affordable offset guitars available on the market.
Undoubtedly, the aesthetic of that Jazzmaster is really unique. There’s something really cool about that combination of vintage white color with the golden pickguard. On top of that, Squier equipped this model with a set of high quality Jazzmaster pickups, which offer a great and versatile tone.
I have no hesitation in recommending this model to any guitarist who’s looking for a high quality offset guitar. It’s definitely one of the best signature guitars and it’s actually not that expensive!
Here’s the sound demo.
4. Ibanez JEM7VP Steve Vai Signature
Ibanez JEM7VP is a premium signature guitar that offers an exceptional quality. This is a high quality model that can be efficiently used by professional musicians for gigs and studio recordings. Surely, all fans of Steve Vai are going to love it as well!
What makes it so good? Well, the JEM model is one-of-a-kind. The guitar looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. Ibanez equipped this model with DiMarzio Evolution pickups that offer a maximum power and the Edge tremolo which is also very functional.
There is something really special about the look of that guitar as well. It has a very eye-catching fretboard with the Tree Of Life inlay. Surely, you won’t be able to find anything similar to that design on any other guitar.
Although it’s not cheap, it’s definitely one of the best signature guitars available on the market right now. If you like the style of Steve Vai, you should definitely give this guitar a chance.
Here’s the sound demo.
5. Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar
Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar is an another high quality guitar suitable for the most demanding guitarists. This is a great alternative to all the classic Jaguars manufactured by Fender. It can easily compete with the Player and Vintera Series Jags.
Fender decided to equip this guitar with two amazing pickups: DiMarzio DP103 PAF 36th Anniversary neck humbucker and DP100 Super Distortion bridge humbucker. These pickups are truly awesome and they guarantee a very powerful guitar tone which is perfect for rock and grunge music.
This model will be ideal for all fans of Kurt Cobain – it is heavily inspired by the Jaguar that he used throughout his music career. I have no hesitation in recommending this guitar to all guitarists who are searching for a high quality signature guitar.
In addition, I recently wrote a separate article about that guitar, so if you’d like to learn more about that guitar, here’s my detailed review of Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar.
Otherwise, you can also check out the sound demo below.
6. Martin DX Johnny Cash Signature
Martin DX Johnny Cash Signature model is the only acoustic guitar on today’s list, but it definitely deserves to be a part of it. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best and the most popular signature acoustic guitars available on the market right now.
This affordable model is perfect for both beginners and more intermediate players. Whether you like the music of Johnny Cash or not, you will definitely appreciate the overall quality of that DX model.
The guitar looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. There’s something really special about that black satin finish. In addition, this guitar sounds awesome for both fingerpicking and strumming, so it can be used in a really wide range of genres. Whether you’re into country, blues or folk, you won’t be disappointed.
Here’s the sound demo. Sounds pretty good, right?
7. ESP LTD Snakebyte James Hetfield
ESP LTD Snakebyte is a signature model of James Hetfield, the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of one of the biggest bands in the world – Metallica. Undoubtedly, this model is perfect for all fans of rock and metal.
The guitar features a mahogany body and a very comfortable mahogany neck. In addition, it has a set of exclusive EMG JH active pickups which sound absolutely fantastic. If you’re a fan of heavy riffs and fast, melodic solos, you’re going to love it.
The Snakebyte model also looks very impressive from the outside. The guitar is available in Snow White and Black Satin color versions and to be honest, both of them look equally awesome.
Undoubtedly, ESP LTD did a great job and they managed to create a high quality guitar suitable for gigging and live performances. Whether you like Metallica or not, you’ll definitely appreciate the overall quality of the Snakebyte.
Here’s the sound demo.
8. Ibanez JSM10 John Scofield
Ibanez JSM10 is an another example of a high quality signature guitar. Although this semi-hollow body model isn’t that cheap, it guarantees a remarkable sound quality.
If you don’t know who John Scofield is, he’s a very famous jazz guitarist. That being said, the JSM10 model will be perfect for all lovers of this genre. The guitar offers a very warm tone which is perfect for that type of music.
The JSM10 model has a flamed maple top, back and a very comfortable mahogany neck. The quality of these materials is really high and it significantly impacts the tone of that guitar. On top of that, Ibanez equipped this guitar with the Super 58 humbuckers with 3-way switching. These pickups offer a lot of versatility when it comes to tone!
Undoubtedly, Ibanez JSM10 will be ideal for all lovers of John Scofield and jazz. But the truth is that it can be also efficiently used in a lot of different genres as well. Great look and awesome tone – who needs anything else?
Here’s the sound demo – feel free to check it out.
9. Fender Jim Root Signature Stratocaster
Fender Jim Root Stratocaster is an another example of a really high quality signature guitar. This is one of the most expensive guitars on today’s list and it definitely deserves to be called as one of the best signature guitars available on the market right now.
Why is to so good and expensive? Well, this high-end model is made for shredding. If you know Jim Root, you’re probably aware of his style of playing. His signature Strat is made specifically for heavy and fast playing – it has a compound radius neck (12″-14″).
In addition, Fender decided to equip this guitar with a set of active EMG pickups which are perfect for heavy tones. Any lover of that kind of vibe should be satisfied with the distorted tone of that guitar.
I have no hesitation in recommending this model to any guitarist who’s looking for a high quality signature guitar for shredding.
Here’s the sound demo.
10. Fender Tash Sultana Stratocaster
Fender Tash Sultana Stratocaster is an another example of a great and affordable signature guitar. I recently reviewed this model in a separate article, so if you’d like to read more about it, here’s my review.
The manufacturer equipped this guitar with the HSS pickup setting, which gives you a lot of versatility when it comes to tone. Having a humbucker on the bridge position is very powerful, because it gives you the ability to spice up your playing a bit.
Whether you like Tash Sultana’s music or not, you’ll definitely enjoy her signature Stratocaster. This is a really versatile music that should be more than enough for the most demanding guitarists.
Here’s the sound demo.
FAQ
What are signature guitars?
Signature guitars are special (often limited edition) guitars that are made in collaboration with the famous guitarists based on their choice of specs, looks and other technical details.
Are signature guitars better?
Signature guitars are often better, because they’re one-of-a-kind. It feels awesome to play on the same guitar as your favorite artist! Nevertheless, the signature guitars tend to be more expensive that regular guitars.
Where are Fender Artists Series guitars made?
Fender Artist Series guitars are manufactured in Mexico.
Why do guitars have signatures?
Signature guitars allow fans to connect with their favorite artists and use the same gear as their idols. In addition, it’s also a great way of promoting certain guitarists and introducing them into new audiences. At the same time, guitar manufacturers benefit from selling more guitars at higher prices.
Summary
As you can see, the guitar market is full of amazing signature guitars. All of the models mentioned above offer a very high quality and they all can be considered as one of the best. I have no hesitation in recommending these guitars to all guitarists who are searching for something truly special.
What do you think about the signature guitars and which one is your favorite? Do you think that they’re worth it? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!
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