Best Chinese Guitar Brands: Chinese Guitar Companies Worth Knowing

China is one of the world's largest centres for guitar manufacturing, but some of the best Chinese guitar brands are increasingly becoming known for their own instruments rather than simply manufacturing guitars for overseas companies.

Chinese guitar companies now produce everything from affordable beginner instruments to modern electric guitars, high-specification models, acoustic guitars, basses and innovative carbon-fibre instruments.

However, there's an important distinction to make when talking about Chinese guitar brands.

A guitar made in China isn't necessarily a Chinese guitar brand. Companies such as Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone and Yamaha have manufactured particular guitars in China, but these are international brands rather than Chinese companies.

In this guide, we're concentrating primarily on guitar brands with roots in China's own guitar industry.

What Are the Best Chinese Guitar Brands?

Some Chinese guitar brands worth knowing include:

• Shijie – performance-focused electric guitars and higher-specification instruments
• EART – affordable and mid-range electric guitars, basses and modern designs
• Kepma – particularly well known for acoustic guitars
• Enya – acoustic, carbon-fibre and technology-focused instruments
• Farida – an established name connected with China's guitar manufacturing industry
• LAVA Music – modern carbon-fibre and smart guitars

These companies represent very different parts of the Chinese guitar market, so there isn't necessarily one brand that is “best” for every guitarist.

Shijie Guitars

Shijie is one of the more interesting Chinese electric guitar brands for players looking beyond the cheapest end of the market.

The company grew from an electric-guitar repair operation before moving into guitar production. Shijie initially produced guitar necks and custom instruments and has also been involved with OEM manufacturing.

Today, the company is particularly associated with higher-specification electric guitars and modern interpretations of familiar guitar designs.

Shijie is worth considering for players interested in a Chinese brand that focuses more heavily on construction, materials and performance-oriented instruments rather than competing purely on price.

EART Guitars

EART has become one of the more visible Chinese electric guitar brands internationally.

The company produces electric guitars, acoustic guitars and basses, although its modern electric guitars have attracted much of the attention outside China.

EART instruments often combine familiar guitar concepts with more contemporary specifications, making the brand particularly interesting to rock, metal and technically oriented players.

The company describes itself as a Chinese guitar manufacturer and has around two decades of guitar-production experience.

For players researching Chinese electric guitar brands, EART is certainly one of the names worth knowing.

Kepma Guitars

Kepma is particularly important when discussing Chinese acoustic guitar brands.

The company traces its origins to a guitar factory established in Guangdong in 2009 and subsequently developed Kepma as its own brand. It has focused heavily on acoustic-guitar production and manufacturing technology.

Kepma produces instruments covering beginner through more advanced ranges and has invested in technologies including CNC production and PLEK equipment.

The brand demonstrates an important change within China's guitar industry: manufacturers that once might primarily have been associated with production are increasingly developing recognisable guitar brands of their own.

For players interested specifically in Chinese acoustic guitars, Kepma is one of the brands worth investigating.

Enya Guitars

Enya has taken a somewhat different approach to many traditional guitar manufacturers.

Alongside conventional instruments, the company has become particularly associated with carbon-fibre and composite guitars, travel-friendly designs and instruments incorporating modern technology.

This makes Enya particularly interesting for guitarists who aren't necessarily looking for another traditional Strat-, Tele- or dreadnought-style instrument.

Its products illustrate how Chinese guitar companies are increasingly experimenting with materials, manufacturing techniques and features rather than concentrating solely on inexpensive versions of established guitar designs.

Farida Guitars

Farida is another name closely associated with China's guitar-manufacturing industry.

The brand is particularly interesting because it helps illustrate the relationship between Chinese guitar manufacturing and OEM production.

Chinese factories have decades of experience manufacturing instruments for companies around the world, and some manufacturers have subsequently used that experience to develop instruments under their own names.

Farida has produced acoustic and electric instruments and occupies a different part of the market from newer performance-oriented brands such as EART and Shijie.

LAVA Music

LAVA Music is perhaps one of the most distinctive modern Chinese guitar companies.

Rather than concentrating entirely on conventional wooden guitars, LAVA has become known for carbon-fibre instruments and guitars incorporating digital technology.

Its products demonstrate that China's guitar industry isn't simply about producing affordable traditional guitars. Chinese companies are also developing instruments that attempt to rethink how a guitar can be constructed and what features it can include.

LAVA may therefore appeal particularly to players interested in modern materials, portability and technology-focused instruments.

Chinese Electric Guitar Brands

Players searching specifically for Chinese electric guitars now have considerably more choice than they did in the past.

Brands such as Shijie and EART demonstrate two different approaches.

Shijie occupies a more performance and craftsmanship-oriented position, while EART offers a broad selection of modern electric guitars at comparatively accessible prices.

There are also numerous smaller Chinese manufacturers and emerging brands producing superstrats, extended-range guitars, headless instruments and other modern designs.

As always, we'd recommend evaluating the individual guitar, specifications and manufacturer rather than assuming every instrument from a particular country or brand will offer the same standard.

Chinese Acoustic Guitar Brands

China also has a substantial acoustic-guitar manufacturing industry.

Brands such as Kepma, Enya and Farida are particularly relevant to players researching Chinese acoustic guitars, although their approaches differ considerably.

Some concentrate on traditional wooden acoustic instruments, while others have experimented with composite materials, smaller body designs and modern electronics.

As Chinese acoustic guitars become a larger part of the international market, we're also expanding the acoustic side of Chinese-Guitars.com and will be adding Chinese-made acoustic guitars to the guitars available through our store.

Are Chinese Guitar Brands Good?

Some Chinese guitar brands produce very good instruments, but “Chinese brand” isn't itself an indication of quality.

Just as with American, Japanese, Korean or Indonesian guitars, quality depends on factors such as:

• Construction
• Fretwork
• Materials
• Pickups and electronics
• Hardware
• Finishing
• Factory standards
• Quality control
• The specifications and price point of the individual guitar

China manufactures instruments across an enormous price range. Comparing an extremely inexpensive beginner guitar with a higher-specification Chinese instrument therefore tells you very little about Chinese guitar manufacturing as a whole.

The better approach is to evaluate each instrument on its construction, specifications, playability and value for money.

Chinese Guitar Brands vs Guitars Made in China

This distinction is particularly important.

A Chinese guitar brand is not the same thing as an international guitar brand manufacturing guitars in China.

Numerous well-known international guitar companies have used Chinese factories for particular instruments or ranges. That doesn't make those companies Chinese brands.

At the same time, Chinese-owned guitar companies increasingly sell instruments internationally under their own names.

If you're interested in the other side of the industry, read our guide to well-known guitar brands that manufacture in China, where we look at international companies that have produced guitars through Chinese manufacturing.

Why Are More Chinese Guitar Brands Appearing?

China has spent decades developing an enormous musical-instrument manufacturing industry.

That experience has created factories, skilled workers, component suppliers, manufacturing technology and production knowledge that Chinese companies can increasingly use to develop their own products.

Some manufacturers that historically concentrated heavily on OEM and ODM production are now building brands of their own, while newer companies are developing original instruments for both Chinese and international players.

The result is a guitar industry that's considerably more diverse than the old stereotype of China producing only inexpensive copies of Western instruments.

What Should You Look for When Buying a Chinese Guitar?

If you're considering a guitar from a Chinese brand, we'd recommend looking beyond the logo on the headstock.

Check the instrument's construction, fretwork, pickups, hardware, scale length, neck specifications and overall design. Consider whether those specifications actually suit the type of music you play.

It's also worth researching the manufacturer and seller. Quality control can vary considerably, particularly among very inexpensive instruments and unfamiliar manufacturers.

Most importantly, don't assume that the cheapest Chinese guitar necessarily represents the best value. A slightly more expensive instrument with better construction, components and quality control may prove considerably better value over time.

Finding the Best Chinese Guitar for You

There isn't a single best Chinese guitar brand for every player.

A guitarist looking for a modern electric guitar may be interested in completely different companies from someone shopping for a traditional acoustic or an innovative carbon-fibre instrument.

What's particularly interesting is how much the Chinese guitar industry has changed. China isn't simply manufacturing instruments carrying overseas brand names anymore — an increasing number of Chinese guitar companies are developing their own designs, technologies and identities.

At Chinese-Guitars.com, we continue to research Chinese guitar manufacturers, suppliers and instruments to find guitars that offer an interesting combination of construction, specifications, appearance and value for money.

You can browse our available Chinese guitars for sale, or contact us if you're looking for a particular guitar, specification or custom build.