Rock music has arguably inspired more people than any other genre to pick up an instrument — particularly the electric guitar. Perhaps it’s the undeniable cool factor, or maybe it’s the desire to emulate the legends who shaped the sound of rock ’n’ roll.
However, for most folks, the guitar world can feel like an endless sea of options. With so many instruments to choose from, finding the right guitar to further your rock ’n’ roll journey can seem a little daunting.
But don’t fret — here at Sweetwater, we’ve got you covered. To make things a bit easier, we’ve put together a selection of some of the best rock guitars currently available on Sweetwater.com.
- Gibson Les Paul Studio Session
- Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster
- PRS Custom 24 – Black Rainbow Holoflake
- Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1964 SG Standard Reissue
- Squier J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster
- Strandberg Boden Essential 6
Gibson Les Paul Studio Session
Considering how deeply the Les Paul has become intertwined with the very image of rock ’n’ roll — thanks to artists such as Slash, Jimmy Page, and Kirk Hammett — there was simply no way the first guitar on this list couldn’t be some iteration of the Gibson Les Paul.
After all, the influence of the guitar’s namesake, Les Paul (born Lester Polsfuss), extends far beyond rock music. His innovations helped shape the sound of modern recorded music and left an indelible mark on the evolution of the electric guitar.
With that legacy in mind, it only makes sense to begin this list with one of the model’s modern iterations — specifically, the Gibson Les Paul Studio Session.
Released a few years ago, the Les Paul Studio Session is more than just an upgrade to the popular Les Paul Studio. In many ways, it feels like a “greatest hits” compilation of Les Paul features brought together in a single guitar that’s clearly designed to be played — and very loudly!
For starters, the guitar features a lighter, more comfortable body, thanks to its weight-relieved construction. Tonally, it’s equipped with a set of distortion-friendly pickups: a ’57 Classic in the neck position and a ’57 Classic+ in the bridge.
Each pickup is paired with its own volume and tone controls, complete with push-pull potentiometers that unlock coil tapping, phase switching, and Pure Bypass switching. In short, these features allow players to explore tones that are rarely possible on traditional Les Paul models.
At $1,999, the Les Paul Studio Session also delivers plenty of premium appointments, including a beautiful carved AA maple top, a SlimTaper neck profile, and a modern contoured heel for improved upper-fret access. Gibson even includes a leather gig bag, so you can take your new Les Paul Studio Session on the road in style.
All things considered, this adds up to a versatile and creative modern interpretation of the Les Paul, an instrument capable of capturing the classic sounds of the past while confidently stepping into modern rock territory.
Fender American Professional Classic Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster is arguably the most ubiquitous guitar in modern music, and that’s hardly an exaggeration. From era-defining guitar heroes including Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour to ’90s alt-rock icons such as Tom Morello and Billy Corgan, the Stratocaster has been a constant presence in the sound and spirit of rock music.
With more than 70 years of rock ’n’ roll pedigree behind it, the Stratocaster has shaped countless genres, styles, and generations of players. Simply put, few instruments can claim a legacy quite like the Strat.
For players searching for a Strat that captures that heritage — and pushes it a step further — there’s the Fender American Professional Classic, Fender’s latest offering in its American lineup.
New for this iteration are the Coastline ’57 pickups loaded with Alnico V magnets and Formvar-coated magnet wire. This pairing is specifically designed to deliver more output with a little more midrange so you can cut through a mix while keeping the bright, articulate clarity that has defined the Stratocaster sound for decades.
Offered in a variety of beautifully faded, vintage-inspired finishes — one of my personal favorites being the Sweetwater-exclusive Olympic Pearl — the American Professional Classic Strat pays homage to multiple eras in rock history.
PRS Custom 24 – Black Rainbow Holoflake
Known for its exceptional quality and obsessive attention to detail, the PRS Custom 24 easily earns its place as one of the most influential guitars in modern rock history.
During the late ’90s, it seemed like nearly every band sitting atop MTV’s TRL was shredding on a PRS. Just look at players such as Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit or Mike Einziger of Incubus. In many ways, you could argue that the PRS Custom 24 helped define the sound of late-’90s rock.
True to form — always looking toward the future — the team at Paul Reed Smith has continually refined and updated the Custom 24 into its current iteration.
Today, it’s available in a wide array of finishes, though it’s safe to say the Black Rainbow Holoflake may be the most striking of the bunch.
This version comes equipped with PRS’s brand-new DMO humbuckers. Short for “Dynamic, Musical, Open,” these pickups were designed to retain the vintage character players love while offering the clarity, power, and versatility demanded by a new generation of rock guitarists.
If you’re searching for a handbuilt instrument that takes everything you thought you knew about rock ’n’ roll and pushes it a little further, then the Custom 24 remains one of the most compelling options available.
And if a standard finish doesn’t quite speak to you, then ask your Sweetwater Sales Engineer about other exclusive finishes you won’t find anywhere else.
Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1964 SG Standard Reissue
Simply put, if you’re about to rock, especially classic rock, then there’s a good chance you’ll be doing so on one of the many variations of the legendary Gibson SG.
From the Gibson SG Supreme to the Epiphone SG Prophecy, the SG has long been the weapon of choice for players who crave saturated gain and unapologetic attitude. Just ask Angus Young.
However, for players who prefer a vintage-inspired take on the SG, Sweetwater has the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1964 SG Standard.
For the uninitiated, Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Custom line is designed in collaboration with the experts at the Gibson Custom Shop. The goal is simple: deliver instruments with many of the premium appointments found on their Custom Shop counterparts but at a far more accessible price point.
And the 1964 SG Standard is no exception.
Not only does this model look like a near one-to-one re-creation of its vintage inspiration, but it also delivers the tonal ingredients to match. It comes equipped with a pair of Gibson USA Custombuckers along with spec-accurate re-creations of the original Bumblebee capacitors used in early Gibson instruments.
The guitar also features an ABR-1 bridge paired with a Maestro Vibrola and ships in a premium hard case.
Altogether, these details make the 1964 SG Standard a fitting tribute to a golden-era design and a clear example of just how far Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Custom line has come.
Squier J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If there’s one guitar that defines the identity of the underground and its many adjacent alternative scenes, then it’s the Jazzmaster.
From Kevin Shields’ innovative glide-guitar techniques to the hazy textures heard on Turnover’s Peripheral Vision, the Jazzmaster has long served as a sonic cornerstone of alternative genres.
And what better way to step up to that legacy than with one of the most beloved offsets of the last decade: the Squier J Mascis Signature Jazzmaster.
Originally released in September 2011, the J Mascis Jazzmaster was developed in collaboration with Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis with a simple goal: create a Jazzmaster worthy of Mascis himself while keeping it affordable for everyday players.
The result is one of the most celebrated signature models in Squier’s history, embraced not only by Mascis but also by players ranging from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker to My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero.
Much of its appeal comes from how it refines some of the Jazzmaster’s more eccentric traits while preserving the elements that offset fans love.
The traditional bridge has been replaced with an Adjusto-matic bridge, and the vibrato assembly has been moved slightly closer to the bridge to improve the break angle and tuning stability. At the same time, it retains classic features such as the rhythm circuit and floating vibrato.
The pickups were voiced with Mascis’s sound in mind. While they trade a bit of the traditional Jazzmaster jangle, they deliver a thicker, more gain-friendly voice that borders on P-90 territory, making the guitar equally capable of delicate cleans and towering walls of distortion.
I would be remiss not to mention the C-shape neck, widely regarded as one of the most comfortable in Fender’s entire lineup — even rivaling some Custom Shop models.
Best of all, it remains an incredibly mod-friendly platform. And if you decide you want a set of traditional Jazzmaster pickups, then Sweetwater can even have them installed before the guitar ships to you.
Strandberg Boden Essential 6
For the shredders out there, Sweetwater offers a vast selection of headless guitars that your fingers will feel right at home on. One of the most popular models is the Strandberg Boden Essential 6.
Designed as a more accessible entry into Strandberg’s lineup, the Boden Essential 6 delivers many of the same qualities that make the brand’s flagship models so beloved.
It retains the high build quality, ergonomic design, and incredibly comfortable fretboard feel that players have come to expect from Strandberg while remaining refreshingly easy, inspiring, and fun to play.
A big part of that accessibility comes from its 25.5-inch scale length — a first for the company. This makes the guitar feel immediately familiar to most players whether they’re accustomed to multi-scale instruments or traditional scale lengths.
Of course, scale length is only part of the equation. Pickups matter just as much, and the Boden Essential 6 comes equipped with a set of Strandberg-designed OEM pickups built with the same attention to detail found throughout the company’s lineup. Pair them with your favorite drive pedal, and you’ve got a guitar that’s more than capable of breathing fire through high-octane riffs.
Chase Your Rock ’n’ Roll Dream with Sweetwater
While everyone’s personal list may be unique, just like the guitars themselves, one thing remains consistent across the board: the experience you’ll have with Sweetwater.
Whether you’re searching for a Custom Shop beauty or a bedroom-ready riff machine, your Sweetwater Sales Engineer is there to guide you every step of the way. From helping you choose the right instrument to making sure it arrives ready to play, the goal at Sweetwater is simple: to help you find the guitar that inspires your next chapter.
So, give your Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700 because becoming tomorrow’s rock star starts with finding the right guitar today.
