Good Metal Guitar for $200

by Manu Sen
(Delhi, India)

I want to buy a cheap guitar to play mainly Guns n roses, Metallica , Pantera, Wolfmother, Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, AC/DC.

Should I go for a double humbucker pick up HH or HSH?

Can you also help me choose one or recommend one for less than 200 US$?

Cort X2, Ibanez GRG170DX, Ibanez GRG150DX, Vendetta XMT or your opinion?

While recommending the guitar to me please keep in mind about tuning because I'm a beginner and also about sustain. I want a tremelo bar also. So considering all these, help me buy a guitar thanking u... Manu Sen.

Suggestions

First, a warning about tremolos!

Hello Manu. I would strongly advise against buying a guitar with a tremolo system if you're...

a) a beginner
b) on a tight budget

Trems in this price range (sub $200) are not too great. Inconsistent is probably the best word to use. Poor quality trems (along with cheap tuners) can make your guitar go out of tune easily.

But there are also practical complications to consider as a beginner. Changing strings on a guitar with a tremolo bridge can be very fiddly if you don't know what you're doing.

My advice would be to wait until you have a bit more cash to spend (for example, the higher priced Ibanez RG models use the more reliable Edge III bridge).

But I'm not here to tell you what to buy! So what I'll do is recommend some non-tremolo electrics and then go ahead and recommend based on your initial picks.

Sub $200 guitars without tremolo

As featured on the cheap metal guitars page, the ESP LTD F-50 would be great for the music you want to play. Definitely worth saving the extra $60.

Also keep in mind the Dean Vendetta XM (same as XMT without the trem) which has consistently good reviews and still well within your price range.

With tremolo

It's worth pointing out that the Ibanez GRG170DX and GRG150DX are identical aside from the 150 having a pickguard whereas the 170 does not.

I do think Cort make very underrated guitars. I used to own a KX5 (no tremolo) and don't have a bad word to say about it. Very well built and finished, good stock pickups for metal.

Now, I'd personally be very wary about buying a cheaper model with a trem, but the user reviews and comments of the X2 seem very positive.

As you're specifically looking for a trem I think the Ibanez GRG170DX or 150DX is the way to go in this price range. While there are mixed reviews on the Fat10 bridge, and some have had it locked or even replaced (that is an option if you can get it to a tech), it's just about the best in its price range.

Great sustain, fast and slim profile neck and HSH pickup config for a good range of sounds. It's as good a guitar as any to learn how to use the whammy bar.

If you're a beginner and choose to buy a guitar with a floating trem, make sure you have access to a tech or someone who knows what they're doing.

And of course, do some reading so you at least know how to restring the guitar.

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