The Best Metal Guitars under $1000

Are you ready for the best metal guitars under $1000?

It’s no secret that finding the best metal guitars can be a tricky process.

All of the different models, designs and options can be confusing and mind numbing.

Plus, doing the research to find the right one for you can take the joy out of buying a new guitar.

It’s difficult to know if the features you’re looking at are the ones you need.

Fortunately, we’ve done the research for you, and found the best metal guitars available for under $1000.

In short, we’ve done the heavy lifting and taken the guesswork out of buying a new guitar.

Check it out! What have you got to lose?

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: Best Overall

ESP LTD EC-1000

Are you looking for a high-quality electric guitar that has heavy metal looks and tones? Then check out the ESP LTD EC-1000.

It has a mahogany body, with a set-thru neck design giving you high-performance resonance and sustain while also enhancing your tone.

Plus, the body features comfort cutouts that make it very comfortable to play while standing and allows easy access to the higher frets.

The neck is in a thin “U” shape with a very nice radius of 13.75″ so it feels great in your hand and is flat enough to facilitate easier lead playing.

Additionally, the neck is made from 3 pieces of mahogany which adds high-performance stability and enhanced sustain.

With 24 extra-jumbo frets and flag inlays, the Macassar ebony fretboard adds a warm, and full tone to your sound while giving you an easy to play fretboard that has a full 2-octave playing range.

The EMG humucker pickups at the neck and bridge positions are both active pickups, so they have a clear tone, cut through heavy distortion, and are an excellent choice for playing metal.

Lastly, the headstock has LTD locking tuners and the bridge is a Tonepros locking Tune-O-Matic with tailpiece. As a result, it has rock-solid tuning stability and dynamic sustain.

All in all, the ESP LTD EC-1000 is a sleek-looking, high-quality electric guitar with high-performance features.

We think you’ll find its build quality, playability, and looks make it the perfect guitar for playing metal.

Why wait? Click here and get yours now.

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: Best Budget

Ibanez Gio GRX70QA

Are you looking for a guitar that has metal looks, and tones, while being easy on your wallet? Then check out the Ibanez Gio GRX70QA.

It has a poplar body in Ibanez’s RG shape with a quilted maple art grain top, and a bolt-on neck. As a result, it has a dynamic look, a full tone, as well as a body shape that is very comfortable to play.

The maple neck is in Ibanez’s GRX shape and has a radius of 12″ so it’s flat enough to play lead guitar on, but still “chunky” enough for playing power chords.

With white dot inlays and 22 medium frets, the bound purpleheart fretboard has a classic look, adds a warm tone to your sound, and is a pleasure for your fingers.

Plus, with Infinity R humbuckers at the neck and bridge positions and an Infinity RS single-coil pickup in the middle position, it covers a wide variety of tones and is perfect for playing metal.

Additionally, the 5-way pickup switch is wired for split-coil giving you even more tones to explore.

Lastly, the T106 tremolo bridge makes intonation easy while also letting you add some vibrato to your sound.

All in all, the Ibanez Gio GRX70QA is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable guitar that has looks and tones that are perfect for playing metal.

We think you’ll agree that it has a versatile setup at an incredible price.

Don’t miss out! Click here and get yours now.

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: Best Runner-Up

Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR

Are you looking for a guitar designed with metal players specifically in mind? Then check out the Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR.

It has an arched mahogany body with a quilted maple top, a set neck, and comfort cutouts at the neck and back. As a result, it has a sophisticated metal look, superior resonance and sustain, and is very comfortable to play at the higher frets.

The neck is composed of 3 pieces of mahogany in a thin “C” shape with a radius of 14″. Plus it’s connected to the body with Schecter’s Ultra Access heel joint. All this results in easy playability, high-performance stability, and a neck that’s a dream to play metal leads on.

A Rosewood fretboard with 24 extra-jumbo frets and abalone Gothic crosses completes the guitar’s metal look as well as provides a classic tone and a full 2-octave playing range.

The neck pickup is an EMG 89R while the bridge pickup is an EMG 81TW. Both are coil tapped, active pickups, so you’ll get a great driving sound when distorted, and lots of clarity when playing clean which is perfect for playing metal.

Lastly, the Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo and Schecter locking tuners provide rock-solid tuning stability no matter how much dive-bombing you do.

All in all, the Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR delivers the looks, tones, and playing performance that metal players demand.

We think you’ll agree that it’s built to shred and to make a statement.

Why forego the pleasure? Click here and get yours now.

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: Best Under $700

Schecter Damien Platinum 6

Are you looking for a metal machine with intimidating metal looks and sounds? Then check out the Schecter Damien Platinum 6.

It has a mahogany body with an arched top and a set-neck design so it’s very resonant, comfortable to play, and has a really sophisticated heavy metal look.

The 3-piece maple neck is in a thin “C” shape with a 14″ radius so it’s very stable, flat enough to play leads on, and still comfortable enough to play chords easily at the nut.

Additionally, the rosewood fretboard has 24 X-Jumbo frets, exquisite platinum bat inlays, and a Graph Tech XL Black Tusq nut. As a result, it has a commanding look, a vibrant tone, and a full 2-octave playing range.

The two active humbucker pickups, an EMG 85 at the neck and an EMG 81 at the bridge, are high-performers ensuring an articulate tone that cuts through heavy distortion ensuring your metal tones are never muddy.

Lastly, the Tune-O-Matic string-thru-body design encourages forceful sustain and dependable tuning stability no matter what you’re playing.

As you can see, the Schecter Damien Platinum 6 delivers the looks and tones of a metal machine, at an affordable price.

We think you’ll agree that it has a great look that’s well-matched by its features, and easy playability.

Don’t miss out! Click here and get yours now.

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: Best Under $500

ESP LTD EC-256

Are you looking for an electric guitar that has high-class looks, first-class features, and effortless playability? Then check out the ESP LTD EC-256.

It has a mahogany body with set-neck construction and “comfort cutouts” on the body. As a result, it has incredible resonance and sustain, a very contoured look, and is comfortable to play.

The 3-piece mahogany neck is in a thin “U” shape with a radius of 13.77″ so it has rock-solid stability, a comfortable shape for your hand, and is flat enough to facilitate easy metal lead playing.

With 22 extra-jumbo frets and flag inlays, the roasted jatoba fretboard adds stability and a warm tone to your sound as well as a great look. Plus, the jumbo frets make bending notes easier.

With ESP-designed humbucker pickups at the neck and the bridge, you have the perfect tones for playing heavy metal, while still being able to experiment with other playing styles.

Plus, with a 3-way toggle switch, two volume controls, and a push/pull tone knob, you can coil-split your humbuckers and achieve an even wider variety of sounds.

Finally, the Tune-o-Matic bridge and tailpiece ensure high-performance tuning stability and enhanced sustain.

All in all, the ESP LTD EC-256 delivers the first-class looks, versatile tones, and easy playability metal guitarists are looking for.

We think you’ll agree that it’s a high-quality guitar at a very affordable price.

Why wait? Click here and get yours.

The Best Metal Guitars under $1000: FAQ

• What is the best guitar for heavy metal?
  • You definitely want something with a fast neck and humbuckers. See our Best Overall and Best Budget recommendations. Also, see this post, this post, and this post for more recommendations.
• Is Les Paul good for metal?
  • If you want a Les Paul guitar for metal you’ll be happier with an ESP EC series guitar. See our Best Overall and Best Under $500 recommendations as well as this post on ESP LTD guitars.
• What makes a good metal guitar?
  • ESP, Schecter Guitar Research, Ibanez and Jackson are all great manufacturers of guitars designed to play metal.
• What Ibanez guitar is best for metal?
  • See this post for our recommendations.