Best Reggae Guitars

Here’s a list of some of the best reggae guitars that are available in the market.

Reggae is one of a kind genre and it should be the responsibility of the player to do complete justice to the style.

In order to do so, you must perform deep research on the best type of guitar that can be used to play Reggae. So, glad to see you with the search here. But before we begin, I want to tell you something.

Would you get your hands perfect on it in one go? No. Even to buy the best guitar for Reggae, you need to listen to decent numbers of Reggae audios and practice the tone upon any guitar that you already own.

Only after comparing your own tune with the professional audio, will you be able to understand what type of guitar would work best for this genre.

For now, let’s begin with the recommendations!

The 7 Best Reggae Guitars:

Fender Stratocaster

You must have heard this guitar being the first possession of Bob Marley, the legendary reggae player. Starting from the exclusive looks to the tone, everything about this guitar is simply unique.

Even though now there are several guitars following the similar pattern, this model is a lot different from conventional electric guitars.

You cannot go wrong with the way Fender stratocaster voices. The sound is a versatile one and you can expose it to almost any genre you want; but since we are talking about some best guitars that can play reggae, reggae sounds exceptionally mesmerizing with this one.

The comfort is superb! Fender Strat has been so well designed that the player can never be discomforted by this one.

It is so user-friendly and is open to all kinds of customizations. So even if you want to induce some changes, you can.

Last but not the least, you have a wide range of options in the series to choose from. You may go with the construction of your comfort zone without having to compromise at all.

Fender Telecaster

This expensive beast is worth every penny that you pay for it.

No matter how much people talk about the occasional noisy pickup, the same flaw can be turned into an advantage for Reggae players. All you need is a good grasp on the pick up technique.

The crisp and bold tone of the guitar is just so bright. With that whether you go for a live performance or a studio recording, everything is going to turn out into a hit with this guitar.

The high pitch sound is highly suitable for reggae. The bright sound could be so captivating that you would hardly notice a background instrument

The length of the frets are kept ideally small for the guitar, which is best for budding guitarists. The ease and comfort is superior! So go ahead and grab this guy, if you are looking for an ideal piece for reggae.

Epiphone Sheraton

This is one of my favourite pics from all the series manufactured by Epiphone. Especially, if you are looking forward to invest in an affordable yet quality guitar for reggae here you have a choice to make.

The sound is more on the traditional Reggae side. It has fabulous pickup, The tone comes out to be a crisp and clear one due to the F-holes present in the Sheraton. Overall tuning is simply beautiful and enchanting.

All right! So the size and the construction might not be easily understandable by a beginner. But for the ones who have shaped up to the techniques, this is going to be a masterpiece.

Even if you are a beginner, you may take some time and practice so that you land as a talented professional.

Epiphone SG

Not just me, but many have agreed that this guitar is a cheaper replica of Ibanez SG. I think this option will save some pennies for you, if you want to enjoy the sound of Ibanez SG.

Usually, the bright and fast tone of such guitars are said to be best suited for rock and reggae. The sound is clean and earful.

You get a solid double cut body manufactured using Mahogany. Looking at it as a whole seems classy and catchy at the same time.

You get an even and a plain body with a solid plastic pickguard. However, a bitter but true fact, the quality of the surface and body materials is not that great.

Squier by Fender Bullet Mustang

This is yet another versatile model in the list. the guitar is pretty smartly designed to suit almost any genre it is subjected to. You hear a pleasantly clean and superior sound which is precisely what we require for a Reggae.

I personally see people with small and fat fingers struggling a lot with the correct selection of guitar. However, this guitar is going to feel damn comfortable even for tiny fingers.

And no, this is not just a good pick for beginners, it is equally coll for a professional reggae player to own this groovy guitar.

The PRS Custom 24

Another rare but an efficient pick is PRS Custom 24. I have not come across a lot of users using this guitar, but I do have a friend who assured me that this could be a smart choice for those who are looking for a Reggae guitar.

The reviews are pretty good too. What makes it so suitable for Reggae is the sound quality. The sound cannot be categorized under a complete Gibson or a stratocaster. It is partly of both the types. Hence, the mix comes out to be great for Reggae players.

You can hardly deny the efficiency in the build of this guitar. It has got some really beautiful shades that look irresistible. The overall construction is a standard, comfortable and user-friendly one.

Epiphone Les Paul

Okay, this one is another guitar that you get at a bargaining price. Epiphone Les Paul is an ideal Les Paul for Reggae players, but it costs you much less.

The guitar is capable of producing a fully Gibson style sound ideal for Reggae.

The humbucker P90 pickup allows deep and thick sound. It has got a bright tone. Doesn’t that already make a good choice for this genre?

You get a Gibson wide neck, and that adds weight too. But, the instrument feels really classy and starry.

Pros

• Cheaper replacement for Les Paul
• Gibson wide neck
• Deep and thick sound with a bright tone
• Very comfortable build

Cons

• Quality is not that great and desirable

Rare but worth the hype, this genre is not the usual affair. The technique and strumming pattern of Reggae is way different from other genres. To help you better with the understanding of Reggae technique, down below there is a list of suggestions which you need to go through and execute in your practice.

FAQs

How should I strum my chords as a beginner for Reggae?

Reggae is all about feeling the music. Here you do not require that complicated and complex strumming of chords.

Instead, if you are able to understand the rhythm, playing Reggae is a truly smooth and soulful technique. So, the first step is to keep everything easy, keep your strumming effortless.

Do I need to stick to downward strokes while playing Reggae?

Follow your own Rhythm and listen to your own intuition. Sometimes you might be asked to repeat a certain technique while playing Reggae, but that’s only to build up your basic styles. Once you get hold of the basics, do not hesitate from following your own stroke.

There is no hard and fast rule to strum downwards necessarily. There are certain tunes that require an upward stroke too.

What matters here is that you keep the tone well grooved. And don’t forget, experiments take you to innovation!

Is lifting the fingers away from the frets important while playing Reggae?

While the blues and rocks depend a lot upon ringing of chords, here you need to pull your fingers away from the fretboard on time. Why so? It is so because, pulling your fingers off the strings at the correct time ensures that the chord is no longer ringing, rather the sound gains its thickness. This technique is the second most important step which you need to understand while playing Reggae.

How to pick a groovy tone?

Our 4th suggestion comes from the third one, where we say in Reggae we need everything groovy. Make sure the guitar that you choose has a good punch and crunch in it’s tone. If you do not know what brands have such models, you always have Fender!

Fender is such a brand where you can find an instrument specified for any type of particular genre.

Another reliable brand is Ibanez of course! Ultimately, it depends on your own comfort of spending and investing in the best quality.

How should I practice Reggae?

Practice a few minutes extra then you would regularly do, and most importantly try to involve both listening and playing practice. Didn’t you get my point?

Well, I am trying to say that in order to play your best reggae tune you need to have a hold on what reggae sounds like.

The more you listen to this genre, the more accustomed you get to the tunes, chords and strumming patterns.

This in turn will help you in your practice where you pluck your strings and test if the sound matches to the original sound.

Conclusion

Reggae is one of the most popular forms of music in the world. It’s also an incredibly versatile genre, which means that there are tons of different instruments to choose from. If you’re looking for a particular type of guitar, our blog post should help you find what you’re looking for!

Over to You: Which is the Best Reggae Guitar according to you? Let us know in the comments below!