Man, I’d kill for a six-string hardtail version. Sadly those never existed.
Short answer: no. Sub $600 and MIJ just don’t go together anymore, unfortunately.
But since this is just a “for fun” occasional kind of guitar, I would look at the Indonesian Ibanez models. I have a 2013 RG8 that I bought second hand for a couple of hundred bucks that rips. It’s not on the level of my MIJ RG752, but it was a fraction of the price, and holds its own.
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Harley Benton makes some very nice superstrats for very reasonable prices (stainless steel frets, Wilkinson trems, etc.).
SBS (Guitarfetish) makes some decent ones too, also very reasonably priced. They have more of a 80’s look, but the Floyds are very low quality and so is the paint. Feasibility depends on what your quality bar is.
Both brands are great if you want a platform for upgrades and you don’t mind sinking a bit more cash and work into them, but Harley Bentons seem a bit more serviceable out of the box. YMMV.
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For that money though, I’d almost rather just oil-finish a Warmoth. Never playeda Harley Benton or SBS, but I’ve played a bunch of Agiles over the years and even owned their 7 string Tele for a while, would expect them to be broadly comparable, and they were all solidly meh.
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Doesn’t look like a fair comparison to me. Maybe you have better information than I do, but it looks to me like the cheapest Warmoth partscaster including hardware would be close to double the price of either an HB or SBS. I’m happy to be corrected if that’s wrong. In fact I’d probably get out my wallet right quick.
You’re right, though. Without upgrades, Harley Benton is solid but not stellar, while SBS is somewhat less impressive. But they’re both much more than you should be able to get for $350 in 2026. And buying either of them new and upgrading it to be a very solid performer in the range of a used Japanese superstrat (in performance, not value) can be done for less than a used Japanese superstrat, and is also a lot of fun if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.
Anyway, it’s a low-cost option that the OP might not have been aware of. It’s offered in the spirit of “$600 … is more than I’d spend on something I maybe wouldn’t play that much”, which leaves some room for interpretation regarding acceptable price to value ratios.
I will say that I have one of each (Harley Benton Fusion II and SBS SS300) and after my upgrades I enjoy them both immensely. Again, YMMV.
Yamaha Pacificas are excellent guitars and very economical, but I don’t know if they’re “superstrat” enough for what OP is looking for.
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Does it have to be japanese? you can get a Kramer Pacer for around $300 or so, even less used and throw some SDs in it… Kramer Baretta with one humbucker is a good option
or a used MIM Charvel for around $500 ish… only way is a used Ibanez RG Genesis, they’re MIJ, but even used they might be over $600.
Get a Charvel imo
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Thanks everyone, there are some cool ideas here.
I’m a bit tempted to buy a Harvey Benton Les Paul and put Peter Green pickups (which cost about as much as the guitar) in it. That’s another guitar I’d like to have “for fun”.
Anyway thanks for all the responses, I’m doing research.
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Excellent points, and honestly I figured the guitars you’d mentioned cost double that. That makes the breakeven a little tougher!
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Really the deciding factor is do you need a floating trem or don’t you becuase if you desire a floating trem there are practically no guitars sub $1000 imo where the trem doesn’t slowly become a nightmare from cheap pot metal wearing the knife edges and making it not return to center.
For string through I’d look at any of the more budget Ibanez RG or S series that are hardtail. I believe Solar guitars has a budget line of bolt on neck guitars as well.
https://www.sbysolar.com/shop/
A Gotoh 1996t is about $120 on Amazon. Hardened steel baseplate and studs, brass block. Lots of other reasonably priced options available if you don’t want a locking nut.
Edit: Harley Benton has 4 Fusion III models that come with a Floyd Rose 1000 and go for $345 or $498 right now, depending on the specific model. The FR1000 has hardened steel knife edges and studs.
My guess:
- Large neck radius
- Extra frets
- Better fret access cutout
- Floyd Rose
- HH or HSH
- Coil taps?
- Pointy?
- Strange art?
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IMO, that Gotoh may be a better trem than an OFR these days. They make awesome stuff.
I agree. That’s what I replaced the pot-metal Floyd in the SBS with. The difference in feel and return to pitch is not subtle, and it flutters like a hummingbird wing.
Ibanez Original Edge is still my favorite.
I haven’t had any problems with my JIVA JR Edge Zero II
and getting one of these made the trem loads better since I’m not the biggest fan of the threaded collar style trem arms.
https://redbishop.jp/EN_RBIA3.html
Well I ended up getting something totally different. An Edwards LP. Maybe a shredder guitar sometime down the line. This thing is beautiful and plays amazingly well.
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Can’t go wrong with an Edwards. ESP is a very reliable family of brands.
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Yeah it’s impressive. What were their other brands?
ESP, LTD, E-II. I think they had another one like Zep-II or something like that.
Even a $300 LTD is guaranteed to be an absolute pleasure to play, and most of them are marketed towards shredders.
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Man. I’ve dreamed of having an Edwards LP for ages now. Very very nice.