Guitars with HSS pickup setting are extremely versatile. Just think about it – you can use the bridge humbucker for punchy riffs and solos and the single-coils for a bit deeper sounding rhythm playing.
The truth is that finding a good, reliable and inexpensive HSS axe isn’t as easy as you may think. There are so many different models out there! However, once you find out which brands manufacture the best guitars of this type, it all becomes much easier.
That’s why I decided to use my own experience to create a list of 10 best HSS guitars for any budget! Whether you’re looking for the best axe of this type under $500 or $1000, you will definitely be able to find it on today’s list. Of course, the sound demos are included as well.
Squier Bullet Stratocaster HSS
Squier Bullet Stratocaster HSS is one of the most popular entry-level electric guitars in the world. It has everything you need in order to efficiently start your musical journey – it looks, sounds and feels great!
What makes it so cool? Well, this particular model features a lightweight poplar body and a comfortable C-shaped maple neck with a laurel fingerboard. The quality of these woods is surprisingly good and although it’s not a flawless instrument, it offers a great value for the money.
Just like any other HSS electric guitar, the Bullet Strat is a really versatile axe. Whether you’re looking for glassy clean tones or a bit more punchy and aggressive tones, this guitar can do it all.
Who is it for? Well, it’s mainly designed for beginners. If you’re searching for your first electric guitar, it will be a perfect fit for you. However, if you’ve been playing for a while and you’re searching for something from a higher shelf, this guitar is probably not for you.
Still, I have no hesitation in recommending the Bullet HSS Stratocaster to all guitarists who are searching for a good and reliable budget electric guitar. It’s not surprising that this model is so popular – it’s just great!
Here’s the sound demo.
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS
Fender Player Stratocaster HSS is one of the most affordable Fender guitars with the HSS pickup setting. This is a mid-range model, so it’s better than any cheap Squier, but since it’s made in Mexico, not the USA, it’s not considered as a high-end model.
The Player Strat features an alder body and a comfortable Modern C-Shaped maple neck with a maple fingerboard. The neck is a huge advantage of that model, because it allows you to practice for several hours without getting tired.
Fender equipped that model with the Player Series Alnico II Humbucker and a pair of Player Series Alnico V Strat Single-coils. These pickups guarantee a lot of versatility when it comes to tone and they offer a fantastic sound quality.
Who is it for? Well, the Player Strat can be used by both amateur and professional musicians. It’s a perfect guitar to start your journey with, but at the same time it works really well for working guitarists too. If you’re searching for a good and reliable axe suitable for gigs and studio sessions, this Stratocaster won’t disappoint you.
When it comes to pricing, it’s not exactly a cheap guitar, but it’s still not as expensive as some of the American-made Fenders. That being said, it’s not overpriced at all and it’s definitely worth the money.
Here’s the sound demo.
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster HSS
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster HSS is one of the most expensive guitars mentioned on today’s list. This particular model is designed for passionate and advanced players who know what they’re looking for.
The guitar features an alder body and a comfortable Deep C-shaped maple neck with an easy-playing rosewood fingerboard. It certainly looks, feels and sounds like a premium electric guitar.
What’s important, Fender equipped this model with a set of high quality pickups. That includes a pair of Fender V-Mod II Single-coils and a Fender V-Mod II Double Tap Humbucker. All of these pickups offer a fantastic quality and they’re extremely versatile, so they can be used for pretty much all music genres.
Additionally, the American Professional II Strat comes without a high quality hardshell case, which is an another big advantage. If you’re a working musician, you will definitely appreciate that!
Undoubtedly, this Stratocaster will be a perfect fit for anyone who’s searching for a great sounding and reliable high-end guitar. It’s not cheap, but it definitely exceeds all the expectations. It will be difficult to find a better Stratocaster with the HSS pickup setting!
Here’s the demo.
Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSS
Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSS is a high quality Superstrat designed for the most demanding guitarists out there. This model is perfect for rock and metal, so if you enjoy playing with a lot of distortion, this guitar will be an ideal fit for you.
The DK24 HSS model features an alder body and a caramelized maple neck with an easy-playing caramelized maple fingerboard. This is a really cool combination of woods, because it guarantees a smooth and enjoyable playing experience.
Additionally, the manufacturer equipped this model with a set of really good pickups:
- Neck: Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 RWRP Single-coil
- Middle: Seymour Duncan Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 Single-coil
- Bridge: Seymour Duncan Custom Full Shred SH-10B Humbucker
All of these pickups offer a lot of versatility when it comes to tone and they’re perfect for rock, punk, grunge and metal music. Whether you’re a rhythm or lead guitarist, you will definitely be satisfied with the overall tone of that axe.
Who is it for? Well, I’m sure that guitarists of all levels will appreciate the high quality of that model. You don’t need to be an advanced guitar player to notice its uniqueness. Also, if you’re into shredding, you’ll love that axe.
Here’s the demo.
Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Stratocaster HSS
Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Stratocaster HSS is an another affordable Stratocaster suitable for both amateur and more advanced guitar players. It’s way cheaper than any of the Fenders and it still offers a great value for the money.
What makes it so special? Well, this particular model features a lightweight poplar body and a comfortable C-shaped maple neck with an Indian Laurel fingerboard. There’s also a 6-saddle vintage-style synchronized tremolo and vintage-style tuners which guarantee a really good tuning stability.
What’s important, Squier equipped this model with a set of great sounding Fender Alnico pickups. This is a huge advantage of that model, because it gives you access to a lot of amazing tones. Whether you want to play blues, jazz, country, rock, grunge or metal music – this guitar will be a good fit for you.
It is also worth mentioning that the CV ’70s Strat looks fantastic from the outside too. It’s really well made and although it’s considered as a cheap guitar, it doesn’t feel or sound cheap at all. Surely, it’s one of the best HSS Strats that you can find under $500.
In my opinion, the guitars from the Classic Vibe Series can easily compete with the Mexican-made Fenders from the Player Series. They offer a really good quality and although they’re not perfect, they’re definitely worth the money.
Here’s the sound demo.
Sterling by Music Man CT30HSS
Sterling by Music Man CT30HSS is an another really cool electric guitar available at a relatively low price. Surely, it will be a great fit for everyone who’s searching for the best HSS guitars under $500.
The CT30HSS model features a lightweight poplar body and a comfortable maple neck with an easy-playing maple fingerboard. There’s also a Fulcrum Tremolo bridge and die-cast tuners which guarantee a really good tuning stability.
Of course, the manufacturer equipped this model with a set of really good and versatile pickups. There’s also a 5-way blade pickup switch that allows you to quickly change and control your tone. Surely, the versatility of that cheap axe will be a pleasant surprise to a lot of guitarists.
Some guitarists complain about the initial setup of that guitar, so there’s a chance that you’ll have to adjust the string action of that axe. However, that’s totally normal – the issues with that occur in the vast majority of cheap guitars.
Although it’s not the best electric guitar in the world, it definitely deserves a lot of attention. Surely, it’s a great alternative option for those who don’t want to get any of the Squiers mentioned above!
Here’s the sound demo.
Jackson X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS
Jackson X Series Dinky DK3XR HSS is an another excellent mid-range electric guitar suitable for all lovers of rock and metal. This is a Superstrat, so it’s perfect for all lovers of shredding.
The guitar features a poplar body with a thin maple neck and a smooth laurel fingerboard. The neck is a huge advantage of that model, because it allows you to play fast for several hours without getting tired.
What’s more, Jackson equipped this model with the dual Jackson custom single-coil pickups and a single bridge humbucker. All of these pickups offer a lot of versatility when it comes to tone, but they’re particularly good for ’80s rock and metal music. Surely, all enthusiasts of these genres will be impressed by the quality of that axe!
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the DK3XR HSS looks fantastic from the outside too. It’s available in a few really cool color versions (Caution Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Gloss Black, Neon Green and Neon Pink), so anyone will be able to find their own favorite model.
Here’s the demo.
Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS
Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS is an another inexpensive and great sounding electric guitar. In my opinion, it’s one of the best HSS guitars available under $500.
The Affinity Strat features a lightweight poplar body with a maple top and a comfortable C-shaped maple neck with an easy-playing maple fingerboard. What’s more, there’s also a 6-saddle vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge.
Squier decided to equip that model with a pair of ceramic single-coil pickups and a ceramic humbucker. All of these pickups sound pretty good and they’re really versatile, so whether you’re into blues, rock or grunge, this axe won’t disappoint you.
Who is it for? Well, I’m sure that both amateur and more advanced guitarists will appreciate the high quality of that model. It works perfectly for anyone who’s searching for their first electric guitar, but it can be effectively used by advanced players for gigs and studio sessions as well.
I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of the Affinity Series by Squier. These instruments offer a really good quality and they’re on a similar level as guitars from the Classic Vibe Series. I’m sure that if you decide one of these guitars, you will be extremely satisfied with your choice.
Here’s the demo.
Yamaha PAC112VM
Yamaha Pacifica PAC112VM is an another budget-friendly electric guitar with the HSS pickups setting. It’s not the best guitar in the world, but it offers a really good value for the money, so it definitely deserves a lot of attention.
The PAC112VM model features an alder body and a comfortable maple neck with an easy-playing maple fingerboard. The quality of these woods is really good, so this axe definitely feels like a much more expensive instrument.
Additionally, the manufacturer equipped this model with a pair of Yamaha Alnico V Single-coils and a single Yamaha Alnico V Humbucker. These pickups offer a lot of versatility, so they allow you to dial in a variety of tones from clean highs to punchy midrange and low-end growl.
Considering how affordable this guitar is, it’s definitely one of the best HSS guitars that you can find at this price level. I’m sure that a lot of you will immediately fall in love with it!
Here’s the sound demo.
Ibanez AZES40
Ibanez AZES40 is an another excellent electric guitar available at a relatively low price. This is actually one of the cheapest HSS guitars that are currently manufactured by this famous Japanese brand!
What makes it so cool? Well, the guitar features a lightweight poplar body and a comfortable C-shaped maple neck with a Jatoba fingerboard. The neck is a huge advantage of that model, because it allows you to practice for several hours without getting tired.
Additionally, Ibanez equipped the AZES40 model with the Essential Accord Humbucker and a pair of Essential Single-coil pickups. All of these pickups offer a lot of versatility when it comes to tone, so you can be sure that this axe will allow you to play music of all genres.
Although it’s not the best electric guitar in the world, Ibanez AZES40 is definitely one of the best cheap HSS guitars that you can currently find on the market. It’s a great alternative for all guitarists who aren’t satisfied with the quality of the Squier, Yamaha and Jackson guitars mentioned above.
Here’s the demo.
My Experience
I gotta say that I’m a bit obsessed with the HSS Strats. I’m sure that other axes are great too, but there’s just something very cool about a Fender Stratocaster with that setting.
When we think of Strats, we usually imagine this characteristic bright tone. That brightness usually comes from bridge single-coil pickups. But it’s a bit different in HSS axes – that tone is way different because of the humbucker.
I think that it opens a lot of tonal possibilities. It’s particularly useful for solos and a bit heavier riffs. As a band remember, I can safely say that using that humbucker during rehearsals and gigs gives you the ability to easily cut through the mix.
So which one would I buy? Well, I’d probably stick to a Strat. But you may have a different opinion on that. I’m a sucker for Fenders, so that’s probably why. If you’re into superstrats or les paul – go for it!
Summary
As you can see, there are a lot of fantastic HSS guitars out there. No matter whether you’re a complete amateur or a bit more intermediate guitar player, there’s a high chance that you’ll be able to find your next favorite axe somewhere on today’s list.
What do you think of these models and which one would you choose for yourself? Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think, I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for checking out today’s review, hopefully it was helpful and you found what you were hoping to find. If you enjoyed this article and you’re searching for more gear recommendations, you may also like:
