Best Guitar For Indie Rock
Are you looking to find the best guitar for Indie for your money, but aren’t exactly sure what you’re looking for? Our pros explain what you should be looking for and how much you can expect to pay.
By reading through this page, you’ll know everything you need to know about Indie Rock Guitars and have a pretty good idea of which guitar is the best for you. So continue reading to find out what the guitar retailers wouldn’t tell you about buying guitars.
Best Indie Rock Guitars Buyer’s Guide
Ask the top Indie guitarists which guitar do they favour and you’ll probably get 5 different answers, but all with 1 thing in common, they will all be Fender. Think about Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the stone age). Or Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo ( Sonic Youth).
Fender and Squier
So it is evident to see that Fenders are a popular brand with Indie guitarists but with that said, so are the Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul. The Gibson/Epiphone SG, The Gretsch Electromatic Jet, The Danelectro 59, That gives us 2 Gibson choices, and 5 Fenders. They are, The Fender/Squire Telecaster, The Fender/Squire Jaguar, the Fender/Squire Stratocaster, the Fender/Squire Jazzmaster, and the Fender/Squire Mustang.
The Squier by Fender Bullet Telecaster
- 100% Designed by Fender
- Two single-coil Telecaster pickups
- Thin, lightweight body
- String-through-body hardtail bridge
- Satin neck finish
Squier by Fender Jaguar
- 100% designed by Fender
- Inspired by 1970s-era Jaguar models
- Fender-Designed alnico pickups
- Vintage-tinted gloss neck finish
- Nickel-plated hardware
Squier by Fender Stratocaster
- Comfortable “C”-shaped neck profile
- Three single-coil Stratocaster pickups
- Vintage-style tremolo bridge
- Available in Black or Brown Sunburst
Squier by Fender Jazzmaster
- 100% designed by Fender
- Inspired by 1960s-era jazz master models
- Fender-designed Alnico pickups
- Vintage-tinted gloss neck finish
- Nickel-plated hardware
Squier by Fender Bullet Mustang
- Designed for players seeking an affordable, stylish and versatile instrument.
- Features a pair of humbucking pickups.
- Thin body, which reduces weight and increases comfort.
Gibson and Epiphone
Gibson are one of the most popular guitar manufacturers in the world and as we recently stated, the Gibson SG and the Gibson Les Paul are incredibly popular with Indie guitarists.
Epiphone SG
- Vintage Worn Finish
- Poplar body with Mahogany
- 60s SlimTaper D profile
- LockTone Tune-o-Matic, Stopbar tailpiece
The Gibson Les Paul
Semi-Hollow Guitars
Indie guitarists are always trying to sound like they’re from the 60s. Indie rhythm guitarists tend to prefer semi-hollow guitars to achieve that jazzier, smoother sound found more in 60s music, but with a modern twist. Guitars like:
The Fender Telecaster Thinline
- 100% designed by Fender
- Inspired by 1970s-era Telecaster models
- Fender-Designed Wide Range humbucking pickups
- Vintage-tinted gloss neck finish
- Nickel-plated hardware
The Epiphone Casino
- Full-size P-90 “dogear” pickups
- Top Hat controls
- 5-layer Maple body and Mahogany neck
- 24.75” scale with a 1960s SlimTaper shape
- 12” radius and 22 easy-to-play medium jumbo frets
The Epiphone ES-335
- "Arched maple top and back 24.75"" Scale set-in mahogany neck Rosewood fretboard with small block inlay 22 Medium jumbo frets Alnico Classic Pro neck humbucker with coil-split Alnico Classic Pro Plus bridge humbucker with coil-split LockTone tune-o-matic bridge LockTone stopbar tailpiece Wilkinson vintage-style tuners Case sold separately"
- "24.75"" Scale set-in mahogany neck"
- Rosewood fretboard with small block inlay
- 22 Medium jumbo frets
- Alnico Classic Pro neck humbucker with coil-split
The Gretsch Electromatic Series
- Solidbody Electric Guitar with Mahogany Body
- 2 Humbucking Pickups - Black
- Walnut Fingerboard
- Mahogany Neck
- Maple Top
Danelectro
Danelectro guitars have always been a bit of an oddity really in the music world at least. They don’t seem to fit into any major genre and yet, they feature in almost every one. Indie guitarists like them for that raw, unaffected sound and lipstick pickup.
The Danelectro 59
- 2 Lipstick Pickups
- Double Cutaway
- Master Volume and Tone Control
- Natural Maple Neck with Lacquer Finish
- Original Swivel Bridge
Distortion
A considerable amount of the sound created by an Indie guitarist is based on distortion, take your time reading through articles and listening online to get that sound you prefer. When you do, the guitar will follow.
Pickups For Indie Guitars
To achieve a warm bright sound single coil pickups are the best choice. However they can create a constant buzz or feedback at high volumes. To combat this feedback, try humbucker pickups which are basically 2 single coil pickups connected together this stops the hum, hence humbucker.
What Is Indie?
Indie started around the mid 80s as an alternative type of music to the then “popular” music of the day. Many of the top recording companies wouldn’t take on these different sounding bands, So they signed with smaller, independent labels, hence “Indie” was formed.
So after the explosion of punk rock, the next alternative sound to come along was Indie, Indie and punk are somewhat indistinguishable at times but completely different at others. The name is derived from the independent record labels who were signing these new up and coming bands.
