Boutique electric guitars are the culmination of decades of experience and careful craftsmanship. They often stand out from the rest in terms of their sound, look, and feel. For many guitarists, owning a boutique electric guitar is a labor of love.
“Affordable” is subjective. These guitars are not the most affordable guitars available, they’re affordable for boutique instruments. Boutique means instruments created in smaller numbers and with some degree of handcrafting. This often means custom guitars, but not always.
Boutique guitar companies are known for their attention to detail, quality construction, and often outrageous designs. They can be seen as the pinnacle of guitar craftsmanship. But they come at a price.
These guitars are not inexpensive due to the craftsmanship that goes into their creation. Luthiers should be paid well for their labor!
Sometimes the builder handles the construction of the guitars from beginning to end by herself. You usually have higher-end options with boutique guitars, such as hand-wound pickups, hand-carved tops, and unusual colors.
The best thing about boutique guitars is that they often offer something unique. They can be custom-built to your specific needs and wants. And because they’re usually handmade, each one is typically a little different from the next.
These guitars aren’t always available. That’s the charm of boutique guitars – you buy one when it’s ready! Of course, there is a wide range of prices, so here are 9 affordable boutique guitars. Click the link to get more information:
| Company | Notes |
|---|---|
| CMG | CMG is a company in Statesboro, GA owned by Chris Mitchell, who also designs the guitars. There are five classic designs with plenty of custom options available. The base price for these is $799, which is great for boutique instruments. |
| Kiesel | Kiesel has many unique models available starting at around $1,300. You can customize any model to the point of having a beautiful one-of-a-kind instrument, but the costs will accumulate rapidly. |
| Belltone | Belltone Guitars represents the collective effort and commitment of a tight-knit group of skilled craftsmen, each with over a decade of experience in guitar building. This team is guided by the singular creative vision of Stephen King Harriman. |
| Titan | Made in California, killer hardware, pickups, and nothing but the essentials. Built by the crew at Kauer Guitars, distilled to be the perfect swiss army knife guitar. Titan focuses on giving you the absolute most guitar for the money possible. Custom models start at $1,349. Loaded pickguards are also available. |
| Eastwood | Eastwood is focused on reviving unique guitars from the edges of rock history that, as interesting as they were, couldn’t create or sustain commercial success. Then they do their thing to reinvent these guitars for a broader player base. |
| Sire | Sire partnered with Marcus Miller and Larry Carlton, adopting their experiences in their legendary careers in making guitars built from their preferences. |
| Logan | Most guitars are $700 – $1,200. Logan has been building and servicing guitars for over 25 years, they specialize in the Tele style. A full custom shop is available. |
| Halo | Beautiful hand-crafted guitars start at $1,300. 6-10 string instruments available! Excellent custom shop, as well. Halo’s luthiers have over 20 years of experience each and are equipped with the technology, tools, machines, and materials required to produce guitars to the highest quality standard. |
| Diamond | Diamond guitars have a traditional feel, then move into the modern. 3-Dimensional contouring in the guitar body is a signature of Diamond’s style. They experiment with colors, woods, bursts, and blends. Most models are under $1,000. Custom options are available. |
