The Top 10 Best Electric Guitars of 2022… So Far!

Guitar brands are always finding new ways to tinker with and invent new designs to give us players the best instruments possible. 2022 has been no exception with new flagship releases from Fender, PRS, Yamaha and many more! We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 electric guitar releases of the year… (so far), to make sure you haven’t missed out on any of the hottest new instruments in 2022.

Back in 2018, the guitar industry was only talking about one thing… the John Mayer PRS Silver Sky. Having been a long-time Fender artist, Mayer’s switch to PRS was big news, and everyone had an opinion when they unveiled their first S-Style guitar. In the years since, people have come to accept that they are excellent guitars.

For several years fans have been calling for a more affordable SE version of the Silver Sky, and in January of this year, PRS obliged. Complete with the same 635JM single coil pickups as the US version, a Rosewood fingerboard, and a 8.5” fingerboard radius – halfway between a vintage and modern S-Style radius, the SE Silver Sky retains that vintage mojo!

2. Yamaha Revstar

For 2022, Yamaha have completely redesigned the popular Revstar range, with resounding success. The updated range offers “enhanced playability, versatility and tone”.

It is now available at 3 different price-points:

• Element – At £399, this is the most affordable line. Even at this price, you get a Mahogany body, Rosewood fingerboard, satin neck, and proprietary Alnico V humbuckers!
• Standard – At £649, you now get a Maple top, Stainless Steel frets, and a choice of humbuckers or P90s!
• Professional – at £1599, the top of the range model is made in Japan to the highest standards, using a 2-piece Mahogany body with carbon reinforcement!

Netflix’s Stranger Things 4 was the biggest TV show of 2022! New character turned fan-favourite, Eddie Munson stole the show in the final episode, playing Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” on his B. C. Rich Warlock to save the world.

BC Rich have built an extremely limited run of “Eddie’s Guitar” replicas. The standard series features B.C. Rich’s own ’86 high gain humbuckers, Floyd Rose locking tremolo and custom “Hellfire Club” neckplate. The USA Custom Shop version is equipped with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position, DiMarzio Deactivator in the neck and a Kahler Professional locking tremolo. It also includes a custom “Hellfire Club” hardcase.

2022 sees the return of the popular ML2 series from Chapman – their take on a single-cut design. These sleek looking instruments are designed for the ultimate player experience. With a satin finished roasted Maple neck and 12” fingerboard radius, the ML2 feels super-fast to play. And with Hipshot locking tuners, Graph Tech nut and a hardtail string-through bridge is has rock solid tuning stability!

The Seymour Duncan pickups bring all the bark and growl you could want from your single-cut, with a dynamic and articulate Sentient humbucker in the neck and an overwound Pegasus in the bridge for that extra punch and saturation.

Originally introduced as a limited run in Fender’s Parallel Universe range, the Meteora now joins Fender’s permanent lineup in 2022 as part of the Player Plus range. These Mexican-made guitars feature Fender’s top-of-the-line specs at an affordable price-point.

With a flatter than normal 12” fingerboard radius, rolled edges and deluxe locking tuners, it’s clear that this is for players seeking high performance. This is supported by Fender’s powerful ‘Fireball’ humbucking pickups, and incredible tonal versatility from the S-1 switching!

These Fender Special Run Squier Telecasters have been custom spec’d here at Andertons! These baritones have a long 27” scale length, allowing for lower tunings for you to discover new sonic horizons.

These FSR Cabronitas are fitted with Fender-Designed Alnico P90 pickups, with a fatter and more midrangey sound than a standard single coil. They clean up like a classic single coil but take on a beefier tone when you add gain – perfect for blues through to metal. The P90 is truly an all-rounder!

This Limited Edition run in Lemon Burst has a classic vintage look. To match the looks, this ’59 is probably the most vintage accurate Les Paul Epiphone have ever made.

Featuring P.A.F style Gibson BurstBucker pickups (used on the Gibson USA Standard lines) and a chunky ’59 C profile neck, it certainly sounds the part. But it doesn’t stop there; with USA-made CTS pots, Mallory capacitors and ‘50s style winding, you’ll find exactly what you’d see in a real ’59. Guitar.com called it “more convincing than some instruments we’ve played bearing the Gibson name on the headstock.”

Seth Baccus has fast become one of the UK’s foremost luthiers – read here to find out more. He has built his reputation over the last 10+ years as a world-renowned master builder. He now has his own UK-based team, building incredible, heirloom quality instruments which are, in his own words “so good that they’re indistinguishable from what I can build as a one-man maker.”

With a variety of pickup configurations, Seth Baccus Guitars sit somewhere between a Telecaster and a Les Paul. Each guitar has an Obeche body – which is like Mahogany but lighter and with a bit more top-end. This is paired with a luxuriously flamed roasted Maple neck, with a choice of Maple or Rosewood fingerboard. Choose from a variety of pickup option from the UK’s own Bare Knuckle or Monty’s.

In 2022, Squier are celebrating their 40^th Anniversary, and to celebrate, they’ve released a whole range of stunning guitars! Whether it’s Strats, Teles or Jazzmasters you’re after, they’ve got you covered. The range consists of the Gold Edition and the Vintage Edition.

With an array of stunning colours, the Gold Editions have all-gold hardware, while the Vintage Editions have silky smooth satin finished bodies and necks for a classic look and feel!

Carlos Lopez, owner of Castedosa, left the Fender Custom Shop after 16 years as a Master Builder to start his own venture in 2022. Lopez was renowned for his alternative guitar builds – something he has honed in on since founding Castedosa.

The Conchers Baritone sports a cool retro look and relic’d finish. Its 27” scale length lends itself to lower tunings for a rich palate of new sounds. With 3 pickup configurations there is plenty of tonal variety – choose between P90s, Humbuckers, or Mini-Humbuckers. Lopez also builds effects into some of his guitars, such as Fuzz & Octave effects.

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If you enjoyed this, why not check out our Top 10 Best Guitar Pedals of 2022… So Far!