If you’re looking for the best guitar for pop punk or punk rock, we got you covered! In today’s article we’re going to highlight 8 best guitars that will be perfect for these genres. What’s important, a good guitar doesn’t have to be expensive.
That’s why we included a few extremely affordable guitars that make a great fit for guitarists on a low budget! Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced musician, you will most certainly enjoy the guitars below. Ready? Let’s jump into it!
Pop Punk, Punk Rock and Emo Guitars
| Squier Affinity Stratocaster HH | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Epiphone Les Paul Studio | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Fender Player Telecaster | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| ESP LTD EC-256 | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Epiphone SG Special | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Fender Player Stratocaster HSS | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Jackson JS22 | See on Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez GAX 6 | See on Amazon | – |
Squier Affinity Stratocaster HH
In my opinion, Squier by Fender offers the most affordable guitars on the market. In fact, I’m a proud owner of a Squier Affinity Jazzmaster. This guitar is really comparable with far more expensive Fender Strats. Great quality and it’s super comfortable to play. In addition, it features two really good humbuckers that will be ideal for pop punk and punk rock music. The Affinity Stratocaster will be great for punk rhythm guitarists, as well as for lead guitarists who want to play some faster solos. The thin C-shaped neck really makes everything comfortable. Great choice for both amateur and more intermediate players. I highly recommend checking it out!
Epiphone Les Paul Studio
Les Paul guitars are highly popular among the punk rock guitarists. The model visible above is a far more affordable version of a famous Gibson Les Paul. If you’re looking for a great looking and great sounding guitar that doesn’t cost a fortune, this LP Studio will be a great fit. The guitar features mahogany body and neck. In addition, it has two Zebra-Coil ceramic humbuckers. What’s more, it’s available in a few different color versions. Undoubtedly, any punk rock or emo guitarist will be satisfied with this choice! Great job, Epiphone.
Fender Player Telecaster
Telecasters are also really popular among punk rock musicians. If you know such bands as NOFX or Paramore, you should be aware that their guitarists use Teles on a daily basis! Of course, you can find a cheaper Squier Telecaster too, but I wanted to highlight the Fender instruments too. The guitars from Player series are being manufactured in Mexico and they’re generally considered as mid-level guitars. What’s more, they offer amazing quality and they’re very versatile. Whether you’re a beginner guitarist or a more advanced player who plays live gigs, this Telecaster will be perfect. Absolutely great guitar that has a lot to offer. Nice job, Fender!
ESP LTD EC-256
Undoubtedly, this is one of the more expensive guitars on my list. Amazing appearance and a really punchy, punk tone – who needs anything else? Personally, I absolutely love the overall aesthetic of this guitar. The golden pickups make this guitar look really expensive and elegant. This ESP model is also often recommended for guitarists who enjoy hard rock and metal, but it will be great for punk rock as well. Same with pop punk and emo – the guitar is really versatile. In terms of used materials, the manufacturer decided to use a combination of mahogany, oak and alder wood. At this price level, it may be the best guitar for pop punk and similar genres. Absolutely solid guitar which I highly recommend!
Epiphone SG Special
This SG model is one of the cheapest guitars on my list. Cool and great sounding guitar suitable for all of music styles. I think that it will be tough to find something better at this price level. In comparison with other models on my list, it still offers amazing quality and it’s far more affordable. I highly recommend this guitar for any beginner who wants to start their musical journey. The SG Special is made of mahogany and it features two ceramic open-coil humbuckers that will be perfect for punk music. Undoubtedly, any lover of punk and emo will be satisfied with this instrument.
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS – Best Choice
Something for more demanding guitar players. The Stratocasters are often used in a wide variety of genres – including blues, jazz, punk, indie and even metal. The Player HSS model is really versatile thanks to its pickups. There is a one humbucking bridge pickup and two single coil pickups in the middle and on the neck. Thanks to that setup you will be able to achieve classic and bright Stratocaster sound and more distorted and punchy tones at the same time. Undoubtedly, this kind for versatility can be really useful in pop punk and emo music. In my opinion, this is the best guitar for pop punk within this price range. I highly recommend checking it out on the video below. Sounds amazing, right?
Jackson JS22
Again, this is a super affordable option for all lovers of heavier tones. Of course, it’s not ideal, but it’s actually really cheap. In fact, the JS22 model will be perfect for beginner guitarists and people who are not sure if guitar playing is for them. If you’re on a tight budget and you can’t afford anything more expensive, this guitar will be more than enough to start with. The JS22 features two humbucking pickups that results with a pretty fat sounding tone. Hence, this guitar will be perfect for punk rock, hard rock and heavy metal. In addition, its slim neck is made for fast solos. I highly recommend checking it out!
Ibanez GAX 6
Another extremely affordable option ideal for beginner guitarists who are into pop punk and emo. In fact, this is the cheapest guitar on my list. Despite of the price, the guitar offers a really good quality and attention to detail. For those who don’t know, Ibanez is a Japanese manufacturer of guitars with years of history within the music industry. In fact, it’s one of the most popular guitar brands in the world. From my experience, they rarely fail. All Ibanez guitars that I had in my hands were extremely well-manufactured. The GAX 6 model offers amazing pricing and a really distinctive tone. At this price, you won’t find anything better. I highly recommend checking it out, even if you’re a more advanced guitar player.
Punk Rock – How to Play?
There’s quite a few techniques and styles that you can use to play pop punk, punk rock and emo genres. These include: palm muting, octaves, power chords and many more. There is a great guide on how to start learning these techniques and I included it below. Feel free to have a look, it’s actually really simple even if you’re a beginner guitarist!
On top of that, it is worth mentioning that rhythm guitars are crucial in punk music. There are several techniques that you can use to play it efficiently. There’s another really useful lesson that you can check in order to learn something new. Again, this guide is also suitable for beginners so don’t worry if you’re not experienced! Check out the video below, there are also tabs included in the description.
Summary
As you can see, there’s quite a few great and affordable guitars out there. Which one is the best guitar for pop punk and similar genres? Well, this is a difficult question. Undoubtedly, each model offers top quality and unique tone. Personally, I would choose a Squier or Fender guitar, because I prefer Stratocasters and Telecasters over LP guitars. Nevertheless, you will definitely be satisfied with all of the models mentioned above!
Thanks for checking out Best Guitars Now. Hopefully our short guide was helpful for you. Which guitar would you choose? Let us know in the comments below! If you’re looking for more gear recommendations and interesting articles, you may also enjoy:
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