The Best Mid Range Guitars at a Glance:
| Guitar | Best For | Approx. Price | Key Specs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fender Player II Stratocaster | Best mid range electric overall | About $800 (HSS about $830) | Alder body, Modern C neck, 9.5″ radius, 22 frets, 3 Alnico 5 single coils |
| PRS SE Custom 24 | Best for versatility | About $849–$949 | Maple top, wide thin neck, 85/15 “S” humbuckers, push/pull coil split, 24 frets |
| Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS02T | Best for build quality | About $850–$930 | Chambered body, carbon-reinforced neck, 2 VP5 P90s, Focus switch |
| Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’60s | Best mid range Les Paul | About $649–$699 | Mahogany body, flame maple top, ’60s SlimTaper neck, ProBucker humbuckers |
| Taylor 214ce | Best mid range acoustic overall | About $999 | Grand Auditorium, torrefied Sitka top, layered walnut, ES2 pickup, cutaway |
| Taylor Academy 12e | Best for comfort | About $799 | Grand Concert, 24-7/8″ scale, solid spruce top, layered walnut, ES-B pickup |
| Yamaha LL6 ARE | Best for big acoustic sound | About $670 | Jumbo body, solid A.R.E. Engelmann spruce top, rosewood back/sides, SRT Zero Impact pickup |
| Eastman E1OM | Best all-solid acoustic | About $699 | OM body, solid Sitka spruce top, solid sapele back/sides, 24.9″ scale |
When my students outgrow their first guitar, the next question is almost always, “What should I buy if I want something really good without spending a fortune?” That’s where mid range guitars come in. In this guide I’ll show you the best mid range guitars, both acoustic and electric, in roughly the $500 to $1,500 range. I checked every price and spec at Sweetwater and the makers’ own sites before writing.
This price range is the sweet spot for most players. You get better woods, better pickups, smoother frets and hardware that holds tune, without paying for custom-shop details you may never notice. The best mid range guitars play well enough that many working musicians gig with them every week. If you want to see what a bigger budget buys, compare these with the best Taylor guitars and the best Fender guitars.
Related: our guide to the best guitar brands covers the basics in one place.
I’ve split the list into four electric and four acoustic picks. Prices move around with sales, so treat the numbers as ballpark figures.
New to this? Read How to Buy a Guitar: Your First Guitar Buying Guide first for the basics, then use the picks below.
The Best Mid Range Guitars: My Top 8 Picks
1. Fender Player II Stratocaster – Best Mid Range Electric Overall
The Player II Stratocaster is the guitar I recommend most to students moving up from a beginner instrument. It has an alder body on most finishes, a Modern C maple neck, a 9.5″ radius fingerboard, 22 medium-jumbo frets and three Player II Alnico 5 single coils. There’s also an HSS version with a humbucker in the bridge.
It sounds like a Strat should: glassy cleans, funky in-between positions and a bright bridge pickup for rock. At about $800 for the SSS model and about $830 for the HSS at Sweetwater, it’s one of the best mid range guitars for almost any style. You can compare finishes on Fender’s site. Check the Fender Player II Stratocaster on Amazon.
Pros:
- Classic Strat tones and feel
- Comfortable modern neck
- SSS or HSS options
- Lots of finishes
Cons:
- No gig bag included
- Single coils hum with high gain
2. PRS SE Custom 24 – Best Mid Range Electric for Versatility
The PRS SE Custom 24 gives you the look and feel of a much more expensive PRS. It has a maple top with flame maple veneer, a mahogany back, a wide thin neck, 24 frets and PRS 85/15 “S” humbuckers with a push/pull tone knob for coil splitting.
Between the humbuckers and split sounds, it covers rock, pop, worship, blues and heavier styles. It stays in tune well and comes with a gig bag. It sells for about $849 to $949. Find the PRS SE Custom 24 on Amazon.
Pros:
- Huge tonal range
- 24 frets for lead play