Best Guitars for Blues

Almost any guitar will do when it comes to the blues, but which guitar(s) will be the best? The blues was born on beat-up, well-loved equipment, but these humble roots don’t mean that today’s blues players have to settle for subpar instruments. Over the decades, several guitar styles and models have stood above the rest when it comes to churning out memorable I–IV–Vs and iconic solos. Join us as we unpack Sweetwater’s top picks for blues guitar and examine factors like body design, pickups, tonewoods, and more!

Epiphone Emily Wolfe Sheraton Stealth Semi-hollow Electric Guitar – Black Aged Gloss

The Emily Wolfe Sheraton Stealth semi-hollow is a recent collaboration between Wolfe and Epiphone. This contemporary blues artist played an Epiphone Sheraton semi-hollow years before she got a signature model of her own. Wolfe says of her early days with this guitar, “It was the closest thing to B.B. King’s Lucille at a price I could afford as a college student.” The Sheraton that began as a budget pick quickly became an essential creative partner that’s stuck with Emily throughout her career. Her signature Sheraton Stealth features a classic, large semi-hollow shape and two punchy humbucking pickups that highlight the expressive stabs of Emily’s blues.

Custom tweaks to the Stealth model include a minimalist two-knob control panel, no pickguard for more control over pick position, and two sharp-edged diamond F-holes that radiate bad-itude. Tying it all together is gold hardware and a smoky, no-nonsense matte-black finish that perfectly captures Wolfe’s approach to the blues. This low-flying signature model delivers exceptional playability, bold features, and killer looks all at a great price that’s calling your name.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Gretsch G9201 Honey Dipper Roundneck Metal Resonator

When it comes to the acoustic blues, the Gretsch Honey Dipper is a great way to dive right in, especially if you’ve never touched a resonator before. Resonators pre-date electric amplification, and the Honey Dipper’s resonator cone works like a 100% analog amplification device without any electricity or cables. In place of a typical acoustic soundhole, resonator cones are built with metal in a way that’s meant to mirror and rival the sounds and volume of a brass or woodwind instrument.

The Honey Dipper’s cone helps direct and amplify sound and also significantly influences this guitar’s voice. Together with a brass body construction, the Honey Dipper sounds bright and plucky with plenty of sustain, twang, and an airiness somewhat akin to reverb. For added comfort and performance, the Honey Dipper also features high-quality Grover tuners, a comfortable fingerboard made from padauk, and a smooth mahogany neck that’s immediately familiar to acoustic guitarists. The Honey Dipper is a great choice for Delta blues, bluegrass, country, and much more, but it’s also just great to have around the home or studio for capturing the lo-fi charm of early 20th-century instruments any time you’d like.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Fender Vintera ’50s Stratocaster Modified – 2-color Sunburst

Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, and Jimi Hendrix have all spent decades using this flagship Fender guitar to reinterpret blues fundamentals for their own generations. If you want vintage-spec Fender features and tone with a few modern enhancements, then the Fender Vintera ’50s Stratocaster Modified is definitely worth a look. The Vintera series pays homage to the past, which, in the case of this guitar, means ’50s Strat specs, a period-accurate neck tint, a vintage synchronized tremolo, locking vintage tuners, classic off-white control knobs, and a 2-color sunburst finish that’s oozing with old-school charm. And the Vintera ’50s Stratocaster Modified sounds as vintage as it looks, thanks to three vintage-voiced Hot ’56 pickups designed by Fender Chief Engineer Tim Shaw. Hot ’56s deliver airborne chiming presence and slightly enhanced output that add the perfect touch of steamy blues heat.

But a few key, modern perks make this Strat more than just a rearview mirror to the ’50s. A thin modern “C” neck profile makes for fast, buttery licks and all-day playability. With Fender’s onboard S-1 switch mod, you also have more pickup versatility than ever before. You can use all three pickups simultaneously or blend the neck pickup with the bridge for a total of seven unique pickup combinations onboard. Such expansive options mean there’s a guaranteed-perfect blues tone (or five) when you choose the Fender Vintera ’50s Stratocaster Modified.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitar – Ebony

The Gibson Les Paul powered countless ’60s blues-revival records, including work by Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, the Rolling Stones, and more. Before the Les Paul became one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most beloved instruments, in the early ’60s, Gibson was questioning the Les Paul’s very existence. Sales were good but not great compared to other Gibson instruments (the lauded 1959 model sold just 643 guitars), and the company stopped Les Paul production entirely in 1961. But, slowly, used Les Pauls fell into the arms of blues rockers who couldn’t resist the guitar’s marathon sustain and powerful humbucking pickups.

The Les Paul’s solid mahogany body and maple cap was unlike most ’50s/early-’60s electrics. Tonally, it was a different beast — darker, smokier, and more mysterious than more prevalent tonewoods like alder and ash — which made it perfect for young artists searching for the loudest, raunchiest tones they could find. A series of hit blues-rock singles (led by Clapton) inspired a frenzy for used Les Pauls in the US and the UK, so Gibson eagerly reintroduced the Les Paul in 1968, and it’s been in production ever since. We’ll always owe it to those early blues rockers for snatching this one back from history’s brink.

If you’re chasing tonal heft and want lengthy sustain that’s perfect for undergirding chordal riffs and picking, then the Les Paul is your best bet. We’ll add the disclaimer that Les Pauls get heavy and, as a result, aren’t everyone’s favorite stage guitar; but, even if the weight gives you pause, owning at least one Les Paul is essential for studio-minded players. It truly shines when combined with other guitar tracks for more lush recordings, a “sound on sound” technique that namesake player Les Paul himself tinkered with obsessively.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Reverend Greg Koch Signature Gristlemaster Solidbody Electric Guitar – 3-tone Burst

Greg Koch is a prolific behind-the-scenes force with numerous collaborations, including work with Martin, Fishman Electronics, and now Reverend! Reverend Guitars is the perfect partner for Koch and other blues hounds. According to CEO Ken Haas, the company takes its name directly from local slang for old-timey, seasoned blues guitarists. These “reverends” of the genre made a habit of turning to Reverend for guitar repair during the company’s early years as a garage startup.

Reverend’s Greg Koch collaboration is truly impressive; the Gristlemaster masterfully captures the feel and sound of a T-style guitar but with several noteworthy enhancements. The Gristlemaster features a chambered body made from Reverend’s favorite wood, ultra-light korina, which yields T-style dimensions but with a lower weight and a classic yet distinct tonal character. Also onboard are two active Koch-designed single-coil pickups made by Fishman. These active single-coils are a rare feature on a T-style guitar that Reverend and Greg think more blues players should take a closer look at. The active electronics deliver clear, fiery tone that easily yields searing, gristly breakup even on a clean amp without additional pedals or gain. They also come loaded with two voicings accessible via a clever recessed button. Each voicing echoes the distinct midrange voice of separate T-style decades, and the recessed button control is a shockingly convenient way to squeeze more tone options into a 2-pickup guitar.

Finally, the Greg Koch Gristlemaster also features Reverend’s usual collection of accoutrements such as a roasted maple neck, an ultra-stable Wilkinson bridge, and pin-lock tuners.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Heritage Standard H-535 Electric Guitar – Original Sunburst

The Heritage Standard H-535 is a semi-hollow purist’s dream: it’s made on vintage equipment at the legendary 225 Parsons Street factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, using traditional luthier techniques and offering immaculate craftsmanship. That’s the way to get a name like “Heritage” and wear it with pride. The H-535 is a blues-ready workhorse that you’ll want to spoil with care and play with passion at home or onstage. Like the “Lucille” model favored by B.B. King, the H-535 features a thin maple body, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. The H-535’s fingerboard has also been treated to a luxurious factory Plek treatment, so you can expect perfect playability and superior neck feel right out of the box.

Two Seymour Duncan ’59 PAF-style humbuckers supply plenty of power and tonal options. These Duncan ’59s are a tried-and-true ticket to blues bliss, which is why you’ll find them on several guitars on this list. Tap into bright, bristling attack and midrange via the bridge humbucker or choose warm, rippling bass with the neck pickup. When it comes to picking up an authentic semi-hollow built on the same factory equipment that churned out decades of noteworthy guitars, the Heritage H-535 is the only guitar that fits the bill.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Guild Starfire IV – Emerald Green

On paper, the Starfire IV is a similar entry to the H-535, but it’s a vastly different creature with a distinct price point and its own impressive attributes. The Starfire IV channels the spirit of Guild’s popular Starfire semi-hollow line from the 1960s, and we must say they did an excellent job. Size-wise, the Starfire IV ranks among this list’s biggest guitars, but it’s incredibly light and weighs just under seven pounds. The thinline semi-hollow body plays comfortably while both seated and standing, and a contoured maple top keeps the large body out of your strumming-hand path in a way that feels right.

True to the Starfire name, this guitar burns with strong tonal lucidity like a shooting star. When run clean, the tone is snappy and bright, but it can quickly become a snarling powerhouse when pushed through a hot amp. Much of the Starfire’s unique personality comes courtesy of its unique LB-1 “Little Bucker” pickups. This tried-and-true (and underrated) alternative to single-coil pickups was first introduced in 1962. With a little more treble than a full-size humbucker and more color and depth than your average single-coil, Little Buckers offer up that mysterious X factor so many guitarists crave. If you struggle to click with the same old guitars you’ve seen forever, then the Starfire IV is worth putting on your radar — or in your cart.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

D’Angelico Excel Mini DC – Vintage Natural with Stopbar Tailpiece

Take a scroll through D’Angelico’s Instagram feed, and you’ll see dozens of blues-inspired players looking to this revived manufacturer for classic-sounding instruments with unconventional aesthetics. The Excel Mini DC exemplifies this approach in every way with its classic semi-hollow tones squeezed into a much smaller instrument. Semi-hollows sometimes feel about as wide as a traffic lane but not the Excel Mini DC. It’s perfect for young players, those with small hands, or anyone that values onstage freedom and movement. The Excel DC’s mini semi-hollow body feels tight and compact yet sounds wide and bright with plenty of glowing semi-hollow tone from its maple body and dual Seymour Duncan ’59 PAF-style humbuckers.

A mini semi-hollow can feel unconventional at first and takes a little getting used to; but, after a brief warm-up period, the Excel Mini DC is downright fun to play. It feels more like an extension of your body, not an albatross around your neck. Sweetwater players find it to be one of our top picks for driving chordal riffs, double-stops, and high-velocity turnarounds that stand out in the mix. In short, it’s an incredible all-purpose semi-hollow guitar packed with personality and value, which is what we’ve come to expect from and love about D’Angelico instruments.

Add to cart Add to listLearn More

Exploring different options and picking the right guitar is a great way to tackle the blues. In a style that’s about feel, rhythm, and raw emotion, having a great guitar is the best way to make the music flow through you with ease. Here at Sweetwater, we understand more than anyone the importance of helping you find an instrument that meets your goals and turns your dream sound into a reality. For personalized shopping tips and more info on any of these guitars (and beyond!) from our knowledgeable Sales Engineers, make sure to give Sweetwater a call at (800) 222-4700!
The post Best Guitars for Blues appeared first on inSync.