guitar prices are weird right now

There's a specific price range for electric guitars right now that's just weird.

What makes the price range weird is that some guitars within it outclass guitars above them, even within the same brand.

I'm trying to make sense of this.

For that Squier Affinity Telecaster I just bought, I've given it a closer look. The neck is tightly fit into the pocket as it should be with no huge gaps. Frets were installed very well. Selector switch is solid and tight. Nut is cut correctly, doesn't stick out from either side of the neck and doesn't have sharp edges either. Whoever is doing quality control at the China factory that made it is doing an excellent job.

Yes, I said China and not Indonesia. A factory change has happened, and it's a recent thing for the Affinity Telecaster. The bump up in build quality is noticeable in a good way.

It's weird that the guitar is as good as it is, given its price point. But I think I've at least partially figured out why, and will explain that in a moment.

That Affinity is the first Squier I've ever bought that outclasses a Classic Vibe. In appearance? No. In functionality.

Technically, yes, the Affinity is a "lesser" guitar because it has ceramic magnet pickups and not alnico. The CV also looks better because of the pine body (which absolutely takes to butterscotch blonde better) and tinted neck.

However, Affinity is the better player's guitar. The satin urethane neck finish feels better, the belly cut in rear of the body is more comfortable, and six-saddle setup is obviously better than the barrel style the CV uses.

And then there's the price. With Classic Vibe, there's a sting with buying that. With the Affinity, not-so much.

Affinity falls between $250-$350; this is the weird price range I'm talking about.

I thought it was just a Squier thing with Affinity falling within this oddball price range. No. As it turns out, other brands are doing the same thing Squier is. See Ibanez AZES31, Jackson Dinky JS20 DKQ, and Epiphone SG Tribute Plus. Just like Squier, they are all punching well above their price tags considering what you get. Also just like Squier, those guitars are the better players compared to models just above them within the same brand.

My guess as to why this is happening is that it's an answer to low-ball priced guitars on Amazon such as Grote, Firefly and Leo Jaymz. Those guitars are better than Squier Sonic series, but not better than Affinity, at least for the Telecaster.

I'm also guessing the reason $250-$350 guitars are such awesome player instruments is because they have to be. They have to outclass the "Amazon guitars".

Do they? Yes.

Again, it's a weird price range for guitars, but I'm glad it's there.

Published 2025 Nov 8