8 Best Electric Guitars For Fingerstyle
Juan Stansbury
Finding the best electric guitar for fingerstyle requires patience, but most importantly, it requires an understanding of what you’re looking for.
For starters, if you don’t know what fingerstyle is, this technique involves using your fingers instead of a pick. The overall sounds it creates is more smooth, soft, and light.
However, make no mistake; you can create the same snapping, sharp, and blunt sounds with your fingers.
Moving on, if you are looking for electric guitars for fingerstyle, the following are 8 of the best options on the market.
Plus, if you want to know more about fingerpicking on electric guitars, how to do it, and whether it’s difficult, you’ll find everything down below.
[amazon table=”6615″]Table of Contents
In the quest to find the best electric guitar for fingerstyle, let’s start by stating that the market is saturated with options.
There are so many different electric guitars that you can use for fingerstyle. You can choose one from various designs, price ranges, brands, and the list goes on forever!
However, too many choices often lead to indecisiveness and confusion. Here are the eight best electric guitars for fingerstyle to narrow the list of choices and make a suitable selection.
Yamaha FSX800C
[amazon box=”B01DW6ACI8″]Yamaha is undoubtedly one of the best brands that make high-quality guitars accessible for both beginners and professionals. This small body acoustic-electric guitar is an absolute beauty, but it’s got more than just looks.
It’s made of spruce wood (top) and mahogany (body) combined with nato (back). The fingerboard and bridge are of rosewood, and it’s got die-cast tuners.
The guitar features a system 66, which includes under-saddle piezo pickup, an EQ with three bands, a chromatic tuner, and a midrange frequency control. Moreover, the series comes with a beautiful scalloped bracing, durable top board, and a perfect acoustic structure.
- This guitar features adjustability in the truss rod.
- The design is overall high-quality and aesthetic.
- The mid-range frequency control is also adjustable.
- The chromatic tuner allows precision for optimal tailoring of sound.
- You have to stretch the strings yourself when you receive the guitar.
- The sounds it produces are more suitable for beginners compared to professionals.
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Video: “Yamaha FSX800C Acoustic Guitar”
Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro
[amazon box=”B0099HQVKS”]Another excellent brand that provides high-quality guitars for players on every stage is Epiphone. This limited-edition Les Paul Standard electrical is one of its kind.
The top material is Maple wood, while the body and back are both mahoganies, and the guitar features coil-tapping with both push and pull. It also comes with a Grover machine head that has a tuning ratio of 18:1.
With a gorgeous D profile neck and 1960s SlimTaper, this beautiful guitar is a sight to watch and a pleasure to play! Furthermore, the musical instrument is versatile and excels in terms of craftsmanship.
- The guitar has a solid build with looks, functionality, and quality.
- It’s got a lot of options to make it very versatile and playable.
- The hardware of the guitar is quite durable and cost-effective.
- It is a little pricey for people on a budget.
- Beginners might have difficulty operating it since it has so many options.
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Video: “Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop PRO | How Does It Sound?”
Gretsch G9200 Roundneck Boxcar
[amazon box=”B0149J3Z7W”]If you’re looking for a professional-sounding guitar that looks vintage, check out this one Gretsch. It’s got a beautiful round structure with a mahogany neck and body, and you get a scale length of about 25 inches with a rosewood fingerboard.
But the best part about the design is the beautiful carvings and patterns on the body. It’s got a silver cover over the soundboard, and the whole thing looks unique and gorgeous!
Enough about the looks; let’s talk about the functions and details. The electric guitar features traditional F-holes with an Amplisonic Gretsch resonator cone.
- Since its playability is relatively high, it’s straightforward to play and get along with, even for beginners.
- The sounds are very loud, especially if you are playing in a smaller space.
- The quality of the guitar is very good for its price.
- It’s a little heavy compared to other options on the list.
- The extra weight might make it less portable and reduce its usability.
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Video: “Fingerpicking on Resonator Guitar”
Yamaha APX600
[amazon box=”B078WXWNBT”]Here is another excellent option by Yamaha, but much sleeker and stylish! If you like guitars and musical instruments with a clean, aesthetic design, you will like this one!
This beautiful spruce wood and mahogany electric guitar are a must-have for many. The cutaway, thin body design is not just stylish and chic, but it is also exceptionally playable.
The scale length is about 25 inches, and you get maximum comfort while playing thanks to the narrow string spacing. The bracing pattern is new and scalloped, which further increases the bass response. The Abalone soundhole rosette and a unique pickup system shape your guitar’s sound in a unique way.
- The oval APX soundhole produces a more strident and open low-end with a thicker lower-mid response.
- The overall design and structure make usability significantly high, so both beginners and professionals can use it easily.
- It is also not as heavy as other competitor guitars, making it portable and easy to travel and perform with.
- You can purchase this guitar in several different color options according to your personal preference.
- Beginners might find it a little out of their budget.
- Intonation might seem tricky the first time you receive the instrument.
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Video: “Yamaha APX600 Electro Acoustic Review”
Fender American Performer Stratocaster RW Honeyburst
[amazon box=”B07L2X481D”]If you have been in the guitar market long enough, you probably already know the name Fender. The brand has a great collection of beginner-friendly and professional guitars, especially the electric versions.
This American performer has a beautiful, trendy design, perfect for those who like to keep it stylish. In terms of style and structure, the guitar is a combination of different kinds of beautiful woods. The body material is alder while the neck is all maple.
The fretboard material is rosewood, and the overall color is a lovely, classic honey burst.
Going deeper into the hardware and details, the bridge is a beautiful vintage-style six-saddle synchronized tremolo. The Yosemite single-coil pickups give expressive, rich tones. The scale length is about 25.5 inches.
- The intricate details, including the knobs and dials, are all high-quality.
- It’s got 22 jumbo frets that make bending accurate and effortless.
- You get to choose from two different color options.
- This beautiful masterpiece is definitely on the expensive side!
- It is also relatively heavy if you plan to travel with it.
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Video: “Fender American Performer Stratocaster – Honeyburst (review)”
Fender CD-60SCE
[amazon box=”B01MSBHU7X”]Since the brand has a whole collection of user-friendly and versatile instruments, here’s Fender’s electric guitar is perfect for fingerstyle techniques. This acoustic-electric guitar with the dreadnought body style is quite a masterpiece!
With a spruce wood top and mahogany back and body, it looks like a delight to play.
The dreadnought body style isn’t just aesthetic, but it is also quite practical. Moreover, the solid top has a scalloped and X-bracing. The neck also has convenient fingerboard edges that are rolled and make it easier to play. It also comes with a low-profile Fishman pickup or preamp.
- The guitar has a high usability rate.
- It also has a high value-for-money quality.
- This beautiful instrument is also light enough to carry around for live performances.
- The design is simple yet professional, perfect for those who have a classic aesthetic sense.
- You might have to be a little extra careful around the wood since it can scratch easily.
- It might be a little too expensive for beginners on a budget.
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Video: “Fender CD-60SCE Electro Acoustic Guitar, Mahogany | Review & Demo”
Yamaha L-Series LS6
[amazon box=”B01JUDOKTE”]If you thought Yamaha was done for the list, you were wrong! The L-series by Yamaha has another acoustic-electric guitar perfect for fingerstyle. It has a very classic natural color with a spruce wood top and mahogany body and back.
Moreover, the spruce is hand-selected and treated with Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (ARE), a Yamaha technology for reforming original wood.
The neck looks very traditional and comes with a 5-ply, high comfort profile. The zero-impact pickup is also a great feature that comes with the electric guitar.
All in all, this beautiful peace from the L-series handcrafted Yamaha guitars gives you a dynamic range, excellent design, and maximum playability.
- The design looks very simple yet high-quality, and professional.
- The neck comes with an adjustable double-action rod for maximum stability and strength.
- The traditional profile is also re-evaluated in terms of the string height and spacing for maximum grip, comfort, and playability.
- The guitar is exceptionally lightweight and, hence, passes for being portable.
- The funky, thin design of the frets can be challenging for some people.
- Since the neck is re-evaluated, it fits better in more giant hands but might be a hassle for petite players.
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Video: “Yamaha LS6 ARE Handcrafted Acoustic Guitar Demo”
Yamaha A-Series AC3M
[amazon box=”B01MR6YSUV”]Yamaha A-series also has plenty of excellent options for the best electric guitar for fingerstyle. It has a very vintage, traditional look with a spruce and mahogany construction. With a scalloped bracing and a spruce top, the resultant sounds are rich, loud, and significantly clear.
Moreover, the electric guitar comes with a new SRT2 system, enabling the user to blend between the piezo pickup and microphone models.
This way, the player can find their perfect tone. The neck comes with a satin, mahogany, slim-taper profile, which gives both aesthetics and comfort.
- The Spruce top gives a loud, rich sound, primarily if you use it acoustically.
- People who like professional-looking instruments will especially love the design and craft of the guitar.
- The design and material of the neck are ideal for maximum comfort.
- Some customers have reported “buzzing” problems with the guitar.
- The nut width is not ideal for fingerstyle and might take more effort than usual.
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Video: “Yamaha AC3M DLX Acoustic-Electric Guitar | First Impressions with Destiny Petrel”
How Can You Fingerstyle On An Electric Guitar?
Acoustic guitars are indeed ideal for fingerstyle, given that it’s the purpose of their design in the first place. However, it is not impossible to try the technique with an electric guitar.
In contrast to acoustic guitars, electric versions have lesser taught strings with a smaller gauge. As a result, you have to pick on the strings more softly.
If you are habitual of playing electric guitars and this is your first time trying fingerpicking on it, you must bring variation in your style since the two techniques require different pressures and hand movements.
Fingerpicking on an electric guitar creates a beautiful merge of techniques called “hybrid picking.” The resultant sound is a lovely combination of fingers and pick.
The sounds you obtain have a contrast between attacks of your fingers and your pick. It allows players to hit notes more efficiently and string more of them together at a faster pace.
You can also try tucking the pick between your middle and index fingers. For this technique, you have to close the fingers at the base instead of spreading them apart. Then, quickly bring the pick out and start strumming.
If you want to let go of the pick altogether, you can do that too, just like other famous guitarists like Jeff Beck. Thumbs create a much softer effect compared to picks. If that’s the kind of soothing music you like, let go of the pick and use your thumb instead.
Is It Hard To Learn Fingerstyle On An Electric Guitar?
Before we talk about whether fingerstyle guitar is hard, think about this: isn’t every new activity challenging at first?
Whether you’re strumming, fingerpicking, or trying any other technique, it’s always going to seem intimidating at first. And it’s true that electric guitars are not as ideal for fingerstyle as an acoustic guitar.
However, it’s not rare or bizarre to try this technique. To our surprise, many popular songs have actually been fingerpicked on electric guitars while they sound effortless yet phenomenal.
The trick to success is learning, practicing, and having lots of patience! Besides, they don’t say “practice makes perfect” for nothing. Using the best electric guitar for fingerstyle, you might be able to learn much faster than you think.
[amazon table=”6615″]Conclusion
Whether you have too many options or no options at all, either way, buying the best electric guitar for fingerstyle can be tricky.
However, having a good list of options is always a great way to start your search. The eight models above have the highest usability rate as well as the best aesthetics. Considering your preferences, needs, and, most importantly, your budget, you can pick and choose whichever seems the best for your liking.
Remember, regardless of the model that you are choosing, finger styling with electric guitars might seem tricky at first. So, don’t blame the tools or lose hope too fast. Instead, focus on practicing, learning, and implementing.
