The 5 Best Guitars for Rocksmith on the Market in 2023

You’re probably wondering about the best guitar for Rocksmith. There are a ton of great guitars you can buy for the program. The best part is that any guitar will work with the program. Here is a list of some of the better ones that will help you rock out in style with Rocksmith.

In a Hurry? Here Are the Best Guitars for Rocksmith

How Does Rocksmith Work?

Rocksmith works kind of like Guitar Hero does. It takes the concepts of learning how to play the guitar and makes it easy as well as fun. Rocksmith is effective and simple to use. All you do is plug your guitar into the software. You didn’t start the game and pick a song that you would like to play. Once the song has started, you get a track that will scroll towards you. You play the numbers on strings which shows you where you have to put your finger.

You play the right notes that are indicated by the song. You strum the correct strings on your instrument. It is basically a type of interactive tablature. The game responds to how you’re playing. Your performance is tracked by the game, and at the end of the song, you will get a score. This shows you the percentage of the notes that you hit successfully on your instrument.

It’s an excellent way to learn songs. You’ll be playing your favorite songs in no time at all. As you practice more you get better scores, and this makes you a better guitar player. Through the Rocksmith store, there are around 1100 songs total for you to learn through DLC content. Out of the box, you can learn 50 songs right away.

What Gear Do I Need to Play Rocksmith?

You need the Rocksmith program. it works with both PCS as well as Mac computers. You can also get versions to work with gaming systems such as the PlayStation or Xbox.

Rocksmith Cable

You’ll need a cable that is able to play the Rocksmith game. There is a specific USB cable for the Rocksmith game that you can buy called Ubisoft Rocksmith Real Tone Cable. Some other USB cables will probably work fine. It’s best to check with the company to ensure that the cable is going to work with your software and guitar.

No Guitar Amplifier Needed

It’s important to note that you don’t need an amplifier to play Rocksmith. The program works with your television or gaming control system. There’s no need for you to buy an amplifier to play the game. You may want to pick up an amplifier if you play guitar when you’re not using the program.

Best Guitar for Rocksmith

The good news when it comes to guitars is that any guitar can be used to play the game. You don’t need a specific console guitar as you do for other games. The guitar you have now will probably work fine for the game as long as it is an electric or acoustic-electric and you can plug it in. Later on, in this guide, I will show you some guitars that are suitable for the game which is fun and easy to play. You can even use a cheap guitar for Rocksmith if that is all you have.

Make sure the guitar that you have now is comfortable to hold. Since you’re probably going to be playing the game a lot, you want a guitar that is right for you. To make the strings easier to press down, try putting on a set of light guitar strings. On electric guitars, these are called 009s. If you struggle with your guitar, light strings will be beneficial for you. As you get better you can try other sets and thicker stings like 10s.

Before you use the Rocksmith program, you should understand all the parts of your instrument. You should know how the pickups work, how the knobs operate, and how to change strings in case one of them breaks. By understanding how your guitar operates, it will make it easier to use the program.

Single Coil Guitars

A lot of guitars have what are called single-coil pickups. These guitars usually have three pickups. The most common and popular guitar that uses these single-coils is the Fender Stratocaster. Single coil pickups will give you a smooth and clean tone. These pickups are perfect for country, rock, and blues.

Humbucking Guitars

For the Rocksmith program, you may want a guitar with humbucking pickups. These pickups are generally better for harder forms of music, such as heavy metal or hard rock. They have more of a bite to them and an edge. The most popular guitar that uses humbucking pickups is the Gibson Les Paul.

Hybrid Guitars

A hybrid guitar has both single-coil and humbucking pickups. These guitars are ideal as you can play whatever song you want without switching guitars. You end up paying a bit more, but they do offer you more options than a guitar with all singles or humbuckers.

Best Guitar Necks for Rocksmith

Most guitars have 21-22 fret necks, which are standard. If you play hard rock or heavy metal on Rocksmith, you may want to get a 24 fret guitar. This allows you to play advanced songs. You also want a neck that is comfortable for you to play. Maple necks are the best as they are smooth.

Locking Nut Guitars

A locking nut stabilizes the tuning and makes it easier to use a tremolo system. The most common in the Floyd Rose System. These aren’t recommended for beginners as they are harder to tune. You may want one if you play advanced metal or use the tremolo bar a lot.

Rocksmith is Easy for Beginners

It’s easy to use an electric guitar for Rocksmith and learn how to play guitar. The program is fun and interactive. You don’t need any skill on the guitar at all to begin to learn how to play. A little bit of guitar skill would be helpful, but you really don’t need it. You can start from the ground up practice with the program until you get better.

It’s the ideal program if you can’t afford a guitar teacher. It’s expensive to get a quality guitar teacher, and you might not be able to go all the time. With this program, you can begin to learn guitar right away using whatever guitar you have now.

The program even has mini-games that teach you common guitar techniques such as vibrato, sweet picking, slides, bends, and more. You can slow down certain sections of the song, which makes it easier to learn. This helps focus on areas of the song that you’re having problems with.

Once you can play at a slower speed, you can increase your speed until you have mastered the song at a higher tempo. The program is an excellent way to learn basic guitar techniques and to get proficient while having fun learning guitar.

Tips for Using Rocksmith

• Take your time and don’t get frustrated
• Try the mini-games and extras to get better
• There are DLC songs for the game to expand the content
• The game can supplement other learning techniques such as a guitar teacher
• Always tune your guitar before you play

Best Guitar for Rocksmith Reviews

1. Squier by Fender Affinity Series Stratocaster – Best Guitar for Rocksmith with Single Coil Pickups

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Fender makes high-quality guitars. They also have their lower cost line, which is called Squier. The Squier Affinity guitar is a full-sized Stratocaster style instrument. It has everything that a beginner Rocksmith player needs to get started. It’s perfect for many styles of music and is suitable for most of the songs that ship with the Rocksmith program.

The guitar features a 21 fret maple fretboard which is easy to play and comfortable as it’s a C profile. The fingerboard is made from maple and nice and smooth. It features standard three single-coil Fender pickups which sound great. The vintage tremolo bridge is synchronized, which helps stabilize the tuning of the guitar. You get the standard pickup selector switch, two tone knobs, and one volume knob on the instrument. You can get the Affinity Stratocaster is several different colors.

2. No products found. – Best Guitar for Rocksmith with Humbucking Pickups

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For those that like a harder rock sound, you need different pickups. Regular single coils aren’t that great for hard rock. Gibson offers the Epiphone lineup of guitars, which all sound great and have humbucking pickups as standard. These pickups are perfect for harder rock guitar.

The Epiphone G-400 is a traditional Gibson SG style. It looks amazing and it has a brilliant sound. The pickups are Alnico Classic Pro humbuckers. These pickups also have coil-tapping so they can function as single-coils as well. The coil-tap gives you more tonal options with the guitar. The neck is comfortable D profile, which is great for those that have smaller hands. The neck and body are made with solid mahogany wood. This is the best guitar for those that want to play hard rock on Rocksmith.

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3. Yamaha Pacifica Series PAC012DLX – Best Guitar for Rocksmith with Combined Pickups

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Most guitars either have single-coil pickups or humbuckers. This means you usually have to buy more than one guitar for all guitar styles. The Yamaha Pacifica PAC012DLX has both single coils and a humbucking pickup, which makes this guitar suitable for all styles of music.

The guitar has an Agathis body and a maple bolt-on neck. The fingerboard is made with Sonokeling which is like rosewood, so it’s smooth and easy to play. The tremolo is a standard vintage style with a whammy bar. You get a tone control, volume control, and a pickup selector switch. The guitar has a clear and distinct sound. Use the single coils for rock and blues and the humbuckers for harder styles of music such as hard rock. The Pacifica is the best electric guitar for Rocksmith as it has both single-coil and humbuckers.

4. Ibanez RG Series RG470MB – Best Guitar for Rocksmith for Shred Players

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For those that want to play some shred guitar with the Rocksmith program, the Ibanez RG Series RG470MB is for you. This instrument has a lot to offer Rocksmith players.

The Ibanez RG has a wizard III maple neck along with a maple fretboard. The guitar has jumbo frets and a full 24 frets so you can shred through any song. This guitar has Quantum Ibanez pickups. It features two humbucking pickups and one single-coil so it’s ready for any song you throw at it through the Rocksmith program. It has a locking tremolo system to help keep the guitar in tune when performing dive-bombing guitar tricks. You get a tone control, volume control, and a pickup selector switch. The body is made with mahogany wood, which looks great. The guitar is perfect for hard rock and metal songs but can play everything in-between.

5. Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar – Best Guitar for Rocksmith for Pro Players

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For guitar players that want a professional sound, the Fender Players Stratocaster is a good option for Rocksmith. It sounds amazing and has a lot of nice features.

This guitar has an alder body which is standard for Stratocasters. This wood provides a smooth and balanced tone. The instrument has a maple neck with a C profile. This profile makes the guitar comfortable for your hand. The tremolo is a 2-point system that has bent-steel saddles. The tremolo is stable, and the guitar stays in tune nicely. You get die-cast tuners and chrome hardware. The guitar has three single-coil pickups, a volume knob, and two-tone controls. The pickups are controlled by the pickup selector switch.

Conclusion

The best part about Rocksmith is you can use any guitar. I find the Yamaha Pacifica Series PAC012DLX to be a solid option for the program. It’s easy to play, low cost, and it has both single-coil and humbucking pickups, which give you the option to play most songs. This is the best guitar for Rocksmith in my opinion.

Another great option for the complete guitar beginner is the Squier by Fender Affinity Series Stratocaster. This guitar sounds great and isn’t complicated like other electric guitars. The No products found. is nice for those that struggle with the Strat-style guitar.

For professionals or those that want to shred, the Ibanez RG Series RG470MB is ideal. The Fender Player Stratocaster is another good option. These are some of the best electric guitars for Rocksmith, so plugin and rock out with this killer guitar program.