Home » Music » 10 BEST Beater Guitars That Can Survive Anything! (Acoustic + Electric)

10 BEST Beater Guitars That Can Survive Anything! (Acoustic + Electric)

Performer Life is supported by its readers. If you buy something with our links, we may earn a commission.

Let’s face it, in the real world; things won’t always go as we might love them to go. You might be the most careful guitar owner on the planet, careful enough not to allow even the slightest scratch on your priceless guitar. 

But life can’t always be that flawless. Sometimes, there will be situations that we can describe as less than ideal for your guitar. There will be accidental falls and even contact with not-very-guitar-friendly substances like water or other liquids. 

Just like humans are faced with hundreds of life-threatening situations every day, your guitar also faces the same–life can be quite unfair, even for guitars. It gets really terrifying if your guitar costs a lot of money. This is where the term “beater guitar” comes in.

A beater guitar is a guitar that can withstand some accidental (or even deliberate) hard knocks without incurring some serious damage.

These kinds of guitars are the go-to guitars for players who would put their guitars through some stressful situations and rough handling. 

Who Needs A Beater Guitar?

To answer this in short, every guitar player needs a beater guitar. The touring guitar professional player needs a beater guitar as much as the total beginner who is yet to learn proper guitar handling. Even a session guitar player needs a beater guitar. 

A beater guitar is a guitar that you can take around without worrying about the weather, environment, and circumstances. You can avoid a lot of anxiety and expense by purchasing a used beater guitar. 

The good thing is that beater guitars come in different brands and models imaginable and are available at affordable prices. It is important to know that there isn’t a “best-beater guitar” that fits everyone. 

Your decision on which beater guitar to purchase will be heavily influenced by your music style, lifestyle, and performing habits.

The requirements of each guitar player are quite unique. Beater guitars are the perfect kinds of guitars ideal for players who want a quality guitar that can be carried anywhere without worrying about damaging it. 

10 Best Beater Guitars

Guitar players can take beater guitars to campfires, play them out on the back porch, or take it to the beach where there would likely be some moisture splash, etc. Although these guitars can take some wear and tear from these stressful playing scenarios, they are naturally ideal for practicing and simply having fun. 

Because they are cheap, reliable, and sturdy, you will likely not fret so much should you mistakenly splash some water on it or even accidentally drop it on the floor. 

5 Best Beater Acoustic Guitars:

5 Best Beater Electric Guitars:

Beater Acoustic Guitars

Martin D-28

Martin D28

Martin’s redesigned D-28 is a wonderful example of how creativity may sometimes be found in the smallest of details. The brand-new D-28 combines Martin’s most recent and acclaimed innovations with the guitar’s long heritage. 

To provide D-28 enthusiasts with a contemporary feel and comfortable playing experience, the 184-year-old guitar maker has merged classic long cherished features with a new neck shape, including open gear tuners, an antique toner top, and antique white accents. 

There is also a beautiful fake tortoise pickguard. Martin also increased the amount of forward-shifted bracing to enable more top vibration. 

Fender CD-60S All-Mahogany

Fender CD-60S All-Mahogany

One of the most popular guitar models, the CD-60S All-Mahogany features an original mahogany top to give it a particularly organic character. It is ideal for players seeking a high-quality, reasonably priced dreadnought with outstanding tone and excellent playability. 

The CD-60S All-Mahogany is the ideal instrument for the couch, the beach, or the coffee shop—anywhere you want the traditional Fender playability and tone. It has the new easy-to-play neck with mahogany back and sides. 

The mahogany top of this guitar responds amazingly well to any acoustic performing technique, including some hard strumming, quick Flatpicking, and delicate fingerpicking. It has attractive grain patterns and a warm, rich tone.

Orangewood Rey Mahogany

Players aiming for higher notes benefit from the smooth playing experience provided by the cutaway body type.

It has a Grand Auditorium Cutaway body shape, having layered mahogany top wood. It contains a mahogany neck with a purple heart fretboard and a purple heart bridge. It comes with a self-apply pickguard.

Guild A-20 Bob Marley

Guild A-20 Bob Marley

Guild A-20 Marley is a fitting ode to the pioneer of reggae music. On the Guild Madeira acoustic guitar, Marley wrote several of his hits throughout the 1970s. The A-20 Marley revives Marley’s iconic dreadnought and adds a few contemporary conveniences. 

The composed and booming tone of this dreadnought offers Marley fans and composers a simple, well-balanced acoustic guitar. It is constructed with a strong spruce top and mahogany sides and back. 

A relaxing and comfortable feeling is made possible by the C-shaped neck and 25/12″ scale length. It features a “Marley” text inlay on the 12th fret, a bespoke pickguard with Bob Marley’s autograph.

It also features an antique, flat, round-cornered headstock featuring an old Guild script logo that gives this guitar its unique and eye-catching character. This guitar looks awesome and also plays awesome. 

Epiphone J-15 EC

Epiphone J-15 EC

It has a body that is respectably substantial and a tone that is suitable for fingerstyle or campfire singing. My favourite feature of the guitar is the tonewoods used. 

For the price, Spruce and Mahogany are still impressive, even though they are not as excellent as the solid-aged variants of the woods. 

It has a balanced tone with just adequate mid-range and high frequencies. Playing on the couch would be exciting on this guitar and it is resilient to damage. 

The inventive and more dependable acoustic pickup system on the guitar is superior to the typical under-bridge acoustic for this price range. It has a subdued, even tone. Additionally, built-in pickup is included.

5 Best Beater Electric Guitars

Yamaha Pacifica 112V

Alder is used to carve the body of the beautiful 112V electric guitar. Alder was first used for guitar bodies by Fender in the 1950s, but other guitar manufacturers have since followed suit—and for a good reason. 

Alder bodies provide a crisp, well-balanced tone and a rich midrange and deep bass response. The bolt-on neck of the 112V electric guitar is crafted from solid maple with a delicate matte texture and a rosewood fretboard with a C-shaped curve.

This is another clear homage to the instrument’s Fender cousin. The pickup arrangement on the 112, which is HSS with a humbucker in the bridge position, is an intriguing design feature. The ability to coil separate the humbucker, which is enabled by tugging outward on the tone, is even more intriguing.

Fender Player Stratocaster

Fender Player Stratocaster

One of the cornerstones of Fender is the inspirational sound of a Stratocaster. The Player Stratocaster is brimming with genuine Fender feel and flair thanks to this legendary audio high end, punchy mids, and robust bass end, blended with crystal-clear articulation. 

It is equipped to carry out your creative vision, is adaptable enough to manage any musical genre, and provides the ideal framework for developing your unique sound. 

It contains an Alder body with a gloss finish. It has a 9.5″ radius fingerboard. There is a 2-point tremolo bridge with bent-steel saddles. There is no denying the pedigree of each Player Stratocaster thanks to the “F” stamp on the neck plate.

Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh Daphne Blue

Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh Daphne Blue

Being a rock’n’roll iconic guitar, the SC DLX is your go-to choice when you need a traditional rock guitar with a bit more polish, thanks to its top-tier hardware and various improvements. 

Tune-o-Matic bridge and gold Kluson-style tuners from a high-end manufacturer, Gotoh – give this guitar excellent tuning stability. It also sounds rock-solid while giving this guitar an opulent appearance. 

Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster

Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster

The Squier Affinity SeriesTM Stratocaster is an excellent entry point into the illustrious Fender family, delivering legendary design and classic tone for today’s aspirant guitar hero. 

It features a 2-point tremolo bridge for greater tremolo action, a slim and ergonomic “C”-shaped neck profile, and sealed die-cast tuning machinery with separated shafts for smoother, accurate tuning. 

Simplifying restringing is just another of the player-friendly innovations found on this particular Fender Strat. This model is equipped with five-way switching and three Squier single-coil Strat pickups for genre-defying sonic variation, making it suitable for any guitarist at any stage.

Epiphone SG Standard

Epiphone SG Standard

This Epiphone SG gives you that iconic sound of a rock legend with the extra benefit of a reasonable price tag. It is also incredibly easy to play. The Epiphone SG Standard solidifies that Gibson’s sibling is going through a revival and creating the best guitars they have had in a long time.

It is superbly crafted and has a great tone. In addition to being very playable and having great sound, it is also breathtakingly beautiful. Now, even if this more affordable model lacks the high-end polish of its bigger sibling, Epiphone again shows that you don’t have to pay a lot of cash to have a huge sound. 

What Makes A Guitar Qualify As A Beater Guitar?

Beater guitars are commonly very well crafted and are, therefore, incredibly simple to play. And rather than using overlays or fiberboard, they employ high-quality solid wood. 

The best woods and hardware are used in the construction of high-end beater guitars. Beater guitars employ materials that enable the strings to reverberate just adequately while also preserving clarity and volume throughout the fingerboard. 

Moreover, a beater guitar is a guitar that anyone can carry anywhere, even without a cover, without worrying about it getting dented or scratched. You do not have to pay thousands of dollars to get a fantastic beater guitar.

The majority of beaters may also be used as pro-level guitars that perform and sound just as good as some of the more expensive competitors. 

How to lengthen the life of your guitars

Periodic maintenance is necessary for your instrument. If you take care of the instrument, it will serve you for a very long time. Here are some upkeep suggestions to help you keep your guitar in good running order and prolong its useful life.

  • Change Your Strings
  • Wash Your Hands Before You Play
  • Wipe The Strings and Oil Them After Use
  • Clean The Fretboard
  • Oil The Fretboard If Needed
  • Clean The Tuning Pegs
  • Tighten Screws but Not Too Much
  • Use a Humidifier
  • Clean The Dirt off the Bridge
  • Check Neck Straightness
  • Use Strap Locks
  • Clean The Potentiometers
  • Dress or Replace the Frets
  • Lubricate The Guitar Nut
  • Keep The Guitar in The Case When Not in Use
  • Remove Grime Around Pickups
  • Repair Cracks
  • Avoid Extreme Temperatures
  • Avoid Direct Sunlight
  • Secure The Guitar to The Stand
  • Do A Regular Set Up by Yourself or a Professional
  • Clean and Tighten the Jack