The Ibanez Gio GRX70QA in Transparent Emerald Burst is an eye-catching electric guitar built for the YMU program. The quilted maple art grain top under the translucent finish gives this guitar a look that far exceeds its price point, and the HSH pickup configuration means you have a tone for practically every style of music.

The GRX neck is slim and fast, making it comfortable for students with smaller hands and rewarding for more experienced players who like to move around the fretboard. The tremolo bridge adds expressive possibilities, and the five-way pickup selector lets you dial in everything from warm jazz tones to crisp cleans to full-on rock crunch. A great first electric guitar that looks and plays like it costs much more.