From Saccharin-Sweet To Seriously Bad-Ass…
At least a few times a month I get asked to recommend an electric guitar built specifically for girls (smaller size, lighter weight, slimmer neck profile,) so I thought it would be fun, and perhaps even *gasp!* informative to list my top-ten electric guitar picks for female guitarists.
Unfortunately, the number of quality “girl guitar” manufacturers can be counted on one hand: Daisy Rock, Luna, Squier, Gibson, and Epiphone (there may be others, but I’m not aware of them.) The good news though, is that there are more options than ever for women and girls who want to purchase a quality instrument designed specifically to meet their needs.
So without further ado, here are my personal picks for the Top 10 Guitars For Girls for 2006–
1.) Gibson Les Paul Goddess
Choosing the #1 guitar on our list of great “girl” guitars was basically a no-brainer – Gibson’s legendary Les Paul is known the world over for its rich, raw sound and seriously bad-ass looks, and the newly introduced Les Paul Goddess is no exception.
While the Les Paul Goddess definitely provides all the bite and style you’ve come to expect from a classic Les Paul, it does so with a lot more finnesse, and with a number of innovations designed specifically for the female form – not to mention a plethora of unique finishes. To keep it authentic, a pair of 490R & 498T humbucker pickups ensures that this so-called “girl” guitar carries on that historic Les Paul tone.
Features Include: a smaller-sized, lighter-weight mahogany body, narrow nut/slim-taper neck (easier on smaller hands,) carved maple top, ebony fretboard with white binding, and of course a pair of powerful but pretty translucent humbucker pickups (490R & 498T.)
2.) Daisy Rock Stardust Elite Venus
At the other end of the price spectrum from the Les Paul Goddess is Daisy Rock’s Stardust Elite Venus – a gorgeous looking double-cutaway instrument that is getting great reviews across the board.
Daisy Rock is a company dedicated solely to creating quality guitars for girls, and as such has garnered a lot of attention for their high-quality instruments and very reasonable price range. The Stardust Venus Elite may be a bit fancy on the outside (hehe, it’s absolutely drowning in pearloid!) but it also packs a pair of high-output humbuckers for some serious rock & roll fun.
Features Include: a pearloid top, mahogany body & neck, rosewood fingerboard with “Vines ‘N Flowers” inlays, abalone binding, tune-o-matic bridge, master volume knob, push-pull “Tone-Tap” master tone control (adds extra tonal variations,) and dual Daisy Rock High-Output Humbucker pickups.
3.) Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster
For those on a tighter budget – and with a healthy love of all things Sanrio – is Squier’s cutesy but kickin’ Hello Kitty Stratocaster. A little over-the-top you might ask? Perhaps, but this bubble-gum pink beauty still packs some nice features for a sub $200 guitar.
Of course, if you’re not a Hello Kitty fan you’re probably running away screaming, because this thing is pure “Kitty” through and through: custom Hello Kitty pickguard, scripty Hello Kitty logo on the back of the pink model (the black model apparently sports a Hello Kitty collage logo on the back,) and even pink or black fingerboard dot inlays.
Features Include: an agathis body, maple “C”-shaped neck, maple fretboard with 21 medium-jumbo frets, a single humbucking pickup at the bridge, single volume control, die-cast tuners, 6-saddle strings-through-body bridge, and that super cool vintage-’60s style oversized headstock.
4.) Gibson SG Goddess
For number four on our list we head back to Gibson, whose SG Goddess follows in the footsteps of the classic “devil horned” SG, albeit with a slimmer, sexier mahogany body, and a host of female-oriented finishes, including: Sky Burst (shown here,) Rose Burst , Ebony, Violet Burst, and Ice Burst.
Like its sibling the Les Paul Goddess, the SG Goddess doesn’t lose much in translation, and apparently still manages to crank out the kind of growl you’d expect from a classic SG – due mostly to a pair of red-hot 490R & 498T Alnico magnet humbucker pickups.
Features Include: a slim mahogany SG body, a narrow-nut/slim taper mahogany neck, Madagascar heather ebony fingerboard with pearloid inlays, compensated wrap-around bridge, 490R & 498T Alnico humbuckers, master volume & tone controls, and 3-way pickup switching.
5.) Daisy Rock Tom Boy
Another solid girl-guitar offering from Daisy Rock is the rather surf-styled Tom Boy – what I take to be Daisy Rock’s answer to the always-popular Fender Telecaster (both in shape, and basic pickup/bridge set-up.)
Like many of the guitars listed here the Tom Boy sports a slim body (agathis) and a slim-profile neck (maple) built specifically to accommodate the female form, but it may well be the most versatile guitar of the bunch, too, due to a pair of 3-way tone-tap switches which are said to allow for a surprising number of pickup/tone variations (something most Telecasters can only dream of.)
Features Include: a slim agathis body, slim-profile maple bolt-on neck, rosewood or maple fretboard with 22 frets, 6-saddle string through-body bridge, Grover tuners, Duncan-designed Alnico stacked single-coil and humbucker pickups (bridge & neck respectively,) two volume controls, master tone control, and a pair of 3-way tone-tap Switches.
6.) Epiphone Emily The Strange G310
Epiphone managed to get on the bandwagon of “character guitars” with their exclusive Emily The Strange G310 – basically a limited edition model of their standard G310, which in-turn is Epiphone’s less-expensive answer to the classic Gibson SG… are you confused yet?
As you can see, it sports some seriously swirly body & headstock graphics of everybody’s favorite anti-socialite, Emily The Strange, but perhaps its coolest feature is the pair of pearl cat’s eyes inlays at the twelfth fret… nice touch! It also comes with an Emily-decorated guitar strap & gig-bag.
Features Include: Unfortunately, exact specs have been difficult to find, but the standard G310 specs are likely to be correct, including an alder body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, a pair of open-coil humbuckers, two each volume & tone controls, and 3-way pickup switching.
7.) Gibson Les Paul Vixen
Gibson’s Les Paul Vixen is a simple, light-weight “girl” guitar that looks similar to the popular Les Paul Studio, but with a slimmer body design and a slim-taper ‘60s-shaped neck. It’s built to provide the same bone-jarring tone of a standard Les Paul, but with a decidedly easier to handle profile.
One of the things that made the Les Paul Studio stand out so much was its stripped-down appearance, and the Les Paul Vixen follows in its footsteps, with a simple but stylish finish, and a total lack of fancy binding, etc. It does, however, still sport the classic hardware that makes a Les Paul a Les Paul.
Features Include: a light-weight mahogany body, mahogany slim taper neck, rosewood fretboard with diamond inlays, 490R & 498T Gibson humbucker pickups, volume & tone controls, 3-way pickup switching, Grover kidney tuning machines, wraparound bridge, and black top-hat knobs.
8.) Daisy Rock Rock Candy Custom Special
Daisy Rock has absolutely dominated this Top 10 Guitars For Girls list, and for good reason – they’re currently the number one guitar manufacturer dedicated specifically to building guitars for girls, and also to changing the popular opinion that electric guitars are somehow just for the boys.
One of their guitars that’s been getting lots of attention is the Rock Candy Custom Special, an instrument with both feminine styling, and hard rockin’ hardware. Among other things it sports a uniquely contoured top, a string-through-body bridge (which should help increase sustain,) and a pair of Duncan-designed Detonator humbucker pickups.
Features Include: a mahogany body with contoured top, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard with star inlays, a TonePros tune-o-matic bridge, black binding, black hardware, grover tuning machines, Detonator Humbuckers, master volume & Tone-Tap controls, 3-way pickup switching, and of course that matte black finish & pretty pink star.
Honorable Mention:
9.) Luna Andromeda
The final two guitars on our list are from Luna, a company which, like Daisy Rock, is building guitars exclusively for girls. I put them last on the list not because of a lack of quality on their part, but only because I have yet to play one myself, and have had no luck finding any reviews of their guitars. That said, their website promises that a number of leading guitar publications are slated to review their instruments in the summer of 2006 (if you’re listening Luna, we’d be happy to review one for you!)
The Luna Andromeda is apparently Luna’s hard-rockin’ electric solid-body, and looks like it was built for some serious shredding – I say this because among other goodies it sports a Floyd Rose locking tremolo, which many will tell you is a string-bender’s dream. On top of that it’s got a petite neck profile (perfect for smaller female hands,) and cool mother-of-pearl inlays that represent the different phases of the moon.
Features Include: a double-cutaway sculpted basswood body, maple petite-profile neck, rosewood fretboard with “moon phase” inlays, Licensed Floyd Rose locking tremolo tailpiece, a pair of humbucker pickups, volume & tone controls, 3-way pickup switching, sealed matte nickel tuning machines.
10.) Luna Athena Hollowbody
Finishing up the list is Luna’s Athena Electric Hollowbody, which looks to be a quality guitar for those girls & ladies who prefer the warm tone and retro good looks of a classic hollowbodied instrument. While Daisy Rock offers one of its own, in my opinion the Athena is the first truly great looking Hollowbody built exclusively for the female guitar market.
Like the other Luna guitars, this one sports a petite neck profile, and is sized to better fit the female form (it is also said to be exceptionally light-weight.) Other noteworthy features are a pair of warm mini-humbucker pickups, top-edge “moon phase” fretboard inlays, two lovely finishes (sun mist & aqua mist,) and an almost art-deco styled matte nickel tailpiece.
Features Include: a single cutaway lightweight basswood hollow body, set petite-profile maple neck, rosewood fretboard with “phase of the moon” inlays, matte nickel Tune-O-Matic bridge & tailpiece, mini humbucker pickups, 3-way pickup switching, super-light construction.
Putting It All Together
Well, there you have it – Electric Guitar Review’s Top 10 Guitars For Girls. My only gripe is with Gibson, who in spite of producing some of the highest-quality instruments on this list, have inexplicably decided that they need to dumb-down their “girl” guitars with just a single tone & volume control – a rookie move if they’re serious about winning the hearts & minds of today’s female musicians.
- Gibson Announces Guitar Of The Week #33 :: Les Paul Classic Antique Mahogany Top
- Gibson Announces Guitar Of The Week #8 :: Les Paul Antique Deluxe Gold Top
- Rock Candy Pink Label: Daisy Rock Moves Up To American Made
- Daisy Rock’s Latest Four-String: The Rock Candy Custom Bass
- Thanks Daisy Rock!
- Epiphone Releases Slash Signature Les Paul Standard Plus Top
- Lightweight With A Heavy Sound – Gibson Debuts New Les Paul Vixen
- Powerful & Pretty – Gibson Introduces Les Paul Goddess
June 7th, 2006 at 11:43 am
Great post, and I agree with you, why guitar companies make easier models for ladies? A great way of losing female customers.
June 7th, 2006 at 11:49 am
Thanks Khriz – still, the Gibsons are my favorite of these guitars, and Squier makes a very decent instrument for such a low price-point, so I still felt they deserved to be in the list :)
June 9th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Thanks, great post, now I just have to find that acoustic for my daughter !
If you see and $200-$300 decent Acoustic, with preamp, and preferably Pink, give me a shout !
June 23rd, 2006 at 7:02 am
A single volume knob (and pickup selector) is all you really need. Tone controls on guitars are usually just a big waste of time. Perhaps what Gibson and Squier are saying in reducing the knob quota on their girl guitars is that women are more practical and less likely to be impressed by a vast array of virtually useless controls.
June 23rd, 2006 at 10:07 am
Thanks for the comment GL, it’s good to hear the other side of the debate :) I personally prefer a guitar with separate volume knobs for each pickup, plus a master volume knob, as this allows me to get the largest array of tonal qualities out of my instrument – a big part of what I look for in a guitar.
I prefer separate tone controls for the same reason.
I suppose, though, that it does come down to a person’s playing style. While some musicians like to pick one or two guitar “sounds” and stick with them across a whole set of music, I believe many, many guitarists (myself included) like to have as many options as possible, because it allows us to really mix things up.
In the heat of live performance it’s really nice to be able to control your guitar’s tone purely from the instrument itself.
June 25th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
Try this one … guitars for girls who are left handed. ;-)
October 13th, 2006 at 2:39 pm
Nice roundup, but I would like to see mention of sizes these “girl” guitars are meant for. There are no 3/4 sizes mentioned, so assume these are for taller teens and above. I’m having a tough time finding a decent 3/4 guitar ($400 max) for my 9-year-old to grow on. Made tougher because she wants it to be blue.
October 13th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Yep, sorry about that… that was definitely an oversight on my part.
I was actually thinking more along the lines of young women when I created this list. I’ll see what I can dig up as far as info on 3/4 guitars goes.
Unfortunately there isn’t nearly as much variety available in the smaller-sized guitars.
November 12th, 2006 at 7:45 am
CyberCoder,
Daisy Rock makes some great little acoustics as well. Check out thier “Pixie” in pink. May be just what you’re looking for. My daughter is 11 and I got her a small Jay Turser Jay Jr. in pink. The fret edges needed some filing, but it was a great little starter guitar that holds it’s tune for less than $100. Ibanez is making their Talman in unique colors, but I don’t think they come in pink (they have excellent playability like the Daisy Rocks, and run just over $200). Here’s a link to the Pixie: http://www.wholenote.com/store/product.asp?sku=DR.14-6200
Good luck!
November 20th, 2006 at 3:36 am
I’m sorry, but some of these are just too silly. When I go and see a band (male or female), I go to listen and watch the musicianship. To be honest, playing that Squire with the cat on it, I think you would have to work twice as hard as anyone else to establish your credibility as a player.
Best wishes
Charlie
November 20th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
Hehe… the Hello Kitty Strat is hardly meant for people playing gigs. I tried hard to include guitars in all price ranges, including those for players in their teens.
I also tried to include guitars that are just plain fun/silly like the Hello Kitty Strat, along with serious rockers like the Les Paul Goddess.
Luckily, there are now some decent guitars for players in all age groups, and with small and large bank accounts alike : )
November 30th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
I clicked on the link expecting to see that badass pink Tele in the picture promoting this article. Where is that?! Hell, I even want that and I’m a guy.
Its not every day that you find a great-looking vintage scuffed-up lacquer-finished pink Fender Telecaster, but I’ll take one ;)
December 26th, 2006 at 11:33 am
Wonderful list . Thank-you.. I have waited a lifetime for someone to bring up the problem with musical instrument sizing. If only key ranges were looked at for women pianists. Modifications are long overdue in every instrument category. Musical women are sadly frustrated by the lack of properly sized equipment.
Have you looked at the Eastman guitar? Models on the classic 335 Gibsons – T 184 MX 14 inch …. 15 inch double cutaway- thinline. I’d love your take.
March 13th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Thanks so much for the list. I have normal size hands but short fingers and is really struggling with my classical guitar. Friends told me that the neck of an electric guitar will be narrower, but I think I’ll do a lot better with a guitar for girl. Better start saving up.
May 21st, 2007 at 12:58 pm
my elight from daisy rock is totaly awsome i play bass in a rock band in Iowa we suck but oh well
Rock on girls Rock on
ok bye
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
You guys are really wrong the best guitar for a girl is a good Gibson White Flying V and a black ESP EX-400 I know this because I am a girl and I have these guitars and they make me noticable. So for get about the godess and get yourself a V!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The list you just put up is one persons ideas of the best guitars for girls I say shes wrong. Keep with the classics!
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:31 pm
One last things to that Cary person one any Stratocaster they useally only have 3 controll knobs and 2 are useally tone and one is volume And to GL Wilson the tone is not useless it changes the sound from dark to bright like what you can do with the pickup selector swithch. Also if you go to a show and see a girl playing a Sqiurer Hello Kitty Guitar you think oh my god this band is not professional. The godess is also way too expensive and it isnt a real serious guitar because i have played one and you cant play any Metallica or Judas Priest on it! What I think about this list is that it is a crappy list!!!!!!
July 27th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Well… you certainly told us.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:55 am
What about basses? I have a tanglewood rebel as it was the lightest and most ‘girl friendly’ bass I could find, but I quite like the look of the Luna Andromeda. Any ideas on the best basses around for girls too?
August 27th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Hi Jo,
I would recommend a 30 inch scale bass. Landing Bass by Jimmy wilson makes several very nice models with killerl EMG pickups. Check out his website!
Also, a Mustang or Musicmaster is a good choice, in my opinion, although you might want to change the pickups in them. They have the 30-inch scale also.
I also like the Jazz Bass, although it is a full 34 inch neck bass. The neck is slim and tapered at the end and very easy to reach first position in. There are several companies who make the Jazz style bass with the tapered neck.
August 28th, 2007 at 4:13 am
Hi guys and girls,
I was wondering if people could please post some good acoustic guitars for girls. I want to get my girlfriend a guitar for her 21st I personally don’t know much about guitars. She’s a beginner and wants to learn however I want to get her a guitar that she can keep playing if she got better… Any suggestions please tell me… willing to pay whatever but i don’t wanna waste my money if you can get something pretty reasonable cheaper.
I do realize this is an electric guitar website but i figured you guys would know
August 29th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Thanks, im actually looking for a guitar and was wondering about the female guitars gibson and other companies made. This post and the comments helped me alot, now my only prolem is finding one of these in a left handed version.
September 16th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Luna Guitars has a huge selection of basses, acoustics, and 3/4 size, too. I haven’t played one yet but for the price range, I’m seriously interested.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
no offense, you seem to write well and hold an opinion fairly sympathetic to female guitarists, but as a female young adult who happens to be able to hold her own with male guitarists my age quite well, i find it insulting that manufacturers deem it necessary to market “girl guitars”. does that mean that every other fender, les paul etc is a “boy guitar”?
i own a Maton MS2000 deluxe, a fine piece of work with seymour duncan humbuckers and split pickups, have no trouble whatsoever playing it and wouldn’t dream of buying any of the above mentioned guitars – not only is it a misguided feminist statement to create specific girl guitars, but i have played daisy rock guitars before and the quality *bites*. sad but true. sure, promote axes where quality is compromised to the chicks because they can’t tell the difference and don’t seek the same tone and clarity that the guys do. notice how prominent female musicians generally steer clear of products like this? give me PRS, gretsch or maton anyday.
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:45 pm
No offense taken… we each have our own opinion, and each are looking for something different in a guitar.
Best of luck to you,
–Cary
November 28th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
I was glad to see this list, and I appreciate the “girl specific” guitar list. I am currently looking to buy a guitar for my 9 year old daughter, who is sized more like a 7 year old… and I think I’ll look for the Hello Kitty Stratocastor, or the Daisy Rock. I had no idea there was a Hello Kitty version, and frankly if I saw the “Hello Kitty” I would question it’s quality… just like I question the quality of the Hannah Montana Washburn electric guitar. The Hannah Montana one is what she wants, if anyone knows more about the quality that would be much appreciated…
And, by the way, to the women who are insulted by the “girl” specific list, I have always assumed that “girls” were preteens/teens, and not women… and I would never buy a guitar the size of her fathers for her… she can’t lift it.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Ah I’m back to being stuck! I can understand what ern is saying, i currently play a very battered firebird, the neck is far too thick to the point i struggle playing it standing up. In reality i think any guitar with a slim neck for a girl is basically half the battle. All my ideal guitars like resonators or the old epiphone casinos have pretty wide necks and thus stay out of my reach.
I guess its all down to personal opinion, but i’m glad you put together this list (first thing i came across when looking for a smaller guitar). It really is half the battle.
December 21st, 2007 at 3:00 am
If you are looking for a decent guitar for you self or your daughter, I suggest the ‘Darling Divas’ collection from Crestwood. They are 3/4 size, and lighter weight. They come in great ‘girl friendly’ colors and are well made. I recomend them to anyone just starting out, or who has been playing for a long time. You can find a package with the guitar, amp, gig bag, tuner, cable, beginner dvd for between $165 to 220!
Great price, for a great package!
January 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I would like to comment on the last guitar mentioned here-the Luna Athena.It is actually a Chinese made “Dean” guitar.I bought one recently on ebay,and was surprised to find it actually has a fairly fat 50′s v taper neck,and is quite more like a semi hollowed out Les Paul Deluxe than a Jazz guitar.It isn’t that light,but not bad at 7lbs.I picked up mine as B stock with finish issues,and out of the box it was quite good.I put some heavier strings on it and tweaked the action-wow!Great guitar at 200 dollars.I love the look,but the quality surprised me in this price range.The guitar I would like to mention also that I think girls might enjoy is the SX line of guitars-they make great quality inexpensive instruments at around$109.-150 brand new.Take a look.-Iris
March 12th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Yes I’m a guy. I own a Luna Athena semi hollow body electric “the pretty cream color one”. Wow what a wonderful guitar.I own alot of guitars and she’s up there on my regular played list.I love it,feels good,sounds great. Thank you for putting this combo together I’ve always wanted one like her. Oh and I named her Dorthy after A woman I know who’s just as wonderful as the guitar.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Whilst I think its great that there are guitars being made that consider the physical needs of the lady guitarist – being very petite myself I really like the idea of being able to get a lighter guitar, smaller neck etc. that is better suited to my frame – I dislike the way that this seems to get packaged up with this whole “girl guitar” theme… It appears for the most part that in getting a ‘girl’ guitar that has the bonus of being a more comfortable play (due to sizing, weight etc), I have to put up with an axe thats covered in butterflies, sparkle and a ridculous name like ‘daisy rock’ ! Don’t get me wrong, I admire them for making an effort to consider female players, I just wish there was more choice of ‘girl-friendly’ guitars elsewhere, where I don’t have to have the obligatory pink, glitter, hearts etc etc etc etc… I think you get my point… :)
April 25th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more Lauren. The fact that you have to purchase something that’s dressed up to be stereotypically “girlie” in order to get a petite guitar is pretty absurd.
It may be a step in the right direction, but it’s still far from ideal.
Unfortunately, these were the best instruments available at the time the post was written (nearly two years ago now) and sadly, Gibson appears to have already discontinued its Goddess and Vixen lines.
Hopefully there will be new and more traditional female-oriented guitars coming down the pipeline in the near future :)
September 1st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Will you be updating this list anytime soon?
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I’m not impressed with cosmetics…okay, I’m a guy, and I DO like the look of, say, Sandra Bullock in cosmetics. But not guitars. That being said, I listened to a guitar review on YouTube for the Luna Athena Gazelle. I sooooooooooooooooo want one. Those mini-humbuckers are the BEST pickups I’ve heard for a hollowbody (Mr. Puhl ain’t a bad guitarist either, which helps).
I don’t have the $449 to buy the Gazelle, but I’ve been seriously considering the Sun Mist…since I’m largely fingerstyle or single-string pickin’ I don’t need a pickguard, either. At $299 I can get one of these at Amazon’s store.
So there ya go: I have NO problem whatsoever with a guitar designed (apparently) for women. It should work well for me, too, since I’m a smallish guy (smaller hands, shorter fingers).
February 15th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I’m also a man, and my lovely wife Karen has just bought me a Luna Athena, the turquoise one, as a Valentine’s day present. Not only have I been coveting it for months, it was also the cheapest semi in the shop, (£199) so Karen’s happy too! It also happens to be my elder son’s favourite colour. A beautiful and very playable instrument for anyone, male, female or otherwise.