The 4 Best Guitars for the Tapping Playstyle In 2024

Over time, several new techniques and styles of playing the guitar have been introduced. One such technique is tapping, where the guitarist gently taps on the fretboard strings to produce the note. This technique is also known as tap style, touch-style, and two-handed tapping. But does tapping work on every normal guitar? Or do we have to keep certain things in mind while buying a guitar for tapping?

Here in this article, we will ease out the process of searching for the best guitar for tapping. We have curated the list of the top-rated guitars that you can tap onto with efficiency.

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Charvel Pro-Mod DK22 SSS 2PT CM	Best Guitar for Tapping	Check Price On Amazon
	Manson Meta Series MBM-1	Best Low-budget tapping guitar	Check Price On Amazon
	Solar V1.6 Cannibalismo	Best aesthetics	Check Price On Amazon
	Jackson KVXMG King V	Runner-up in aesthetics	Check Price On Amazon

The Top 4 Guitars for Tapping

Here is our handpicked list of the best guitars that you should get if you’re into tapping.

1. Charvel Pro-Mod DK22 SSS 2PT CM

Loaded with a single-coil size blade humbucker, this guitar takes you back in time with its retro 80s look, which can be a love and hate situation for many people. This guitar has excellent contrast and clean passages due to its middle necks.

The Stratocaster-style Gotoh 510 unit tremolo fitted with this unit provides ample dive-bombing depths for passionate players. The scalloped heel joint helps in providing easy access to all the 22 frets in this one, and there is a 12-16 inch compound radius board to help you in tapping.

The Charvel Pro-Mod provides a hand-rubbed satin urethane finish with 22 jumbo frets and a 12-16 inch fingerboard. This guitar is also equipped with a 5-way blade pickup selector and 500k EVH Bourns low-friction volume control.

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Related: Best Guitars for Flatpicking Experts

2. Manson Meta Series MBM-1 Guitar

The second one on our list is known for its most comfortable handling and pocket-friendly price. The Manson Meta Series MBM-1 is packed with a comfortable neck for a light grip, two humbuckers, and a single cutaway. This guitar has a 12-16 inch compound radius and is known for its crisp and clear boosted high gain tones.

This one has easy access to the fretboard and the tapping parts of the fret, all thanks to its large toggle 3-way switch.

Priced exceptionally low when compared with other guitars on this list, this guitar is a bang for the buck. The Manson Meta MBM-1 has a bolt-on maple neck and has a 22 medium-jumbo frets setup which makes it a perfect choice for experienced players. It also has a 3-way pickup selector switch and a scale length of 25.5 inches to make sure you hit all the strings while tapping.

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3. Solar V1.6 Canibalismo

This one is known for its modern take, heavy spikes, and heavy specs. The Solar Canibalismo guitar consists of solar humbuckers and a good neck with extreme fretboard access. Due to the Evertune bridge’s presence, the guitar is perfect for long sessions as the tuning is supposed to be rock still with that.

The guitar is packed with many features like a set through maple neck and a 24 super jumbo stainless steel hardware Evertune bridge. This one has a three-way toggle and a standard scale length of 25.5 inches. And the best thing, this guitar has a cool look which would be perfect for a lead-guitarist of a rock band.

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4. Jackson KVXMG King V

This guitar is all very popular for its stable setup of features, making it a fine choice for artists who love tried and tested set of features. This guitar is loaded with EMG81, an EMG85 bridge in the neck and a recessed double-locking Floyd rose.

With an affordable price, this guitar is equipped with a set through scarf jointed maple neck, 24 jumbo frets, three ways blade selectors, and EMG 81 and 85 humbuckers, and a standard scale length of 25.5 inches.

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Best Specifications for Tapping guitars

Top artists of the industry suggest that metal guitars are good for tapping since they have bigger frets. Bigger frets provide easy playability and better sustain bending. With bigger frets, you don’t need to press your fingers too hard while tapping as they require less contact.

The radius of the guitar neck is also an essential factor to consider while choosing the guitar. Guitars with a larger neck radius are more suitable for tapping as they help increase the tapping speed compared to the smaller radius guitar necks.

Having a Better pickup should be the prime factor affecting your buying decision, as better pickups ensure better tapping sounds. A good tapping guitar should have both single-coil capacities and a humbucker. 2 exposed coil humbuckers are ideal setups. Humbuckers put out heavier signals from the guitars and help in canceling the ‘hum’ sound while playing. With a pickup, you’ll also get better sound when you’re strumming your guitar.

The gain knobs are also required for a good tapping guitar as these ensure better overtones for tapping. Gain knobs perform best when paired with nice quality compressors, as suggested by many experts.

Tuning is the factor that hardly affects the tapping experience but still needs to be considered for the best output. The two most common scale lengths from top manufacturers, Gibson and Fender, are 24.75 and 25.5 inches, respectively.

Longer scale lengths, heavy tuning, heavy strings, and high action can all ruin the tapping experience heavily because the speed gets slower. Top artists suggest that lighter setups are best suitable when it comes to tapping, keeping in mind that other factors can affect the technique as well.

If the tapping sound on your guitar is too low, then consider checking if your technique is correct. Having a quality active pickup with high gain might also help in boosting the tapping sound of your guitar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is guitar tapping hard?

As with all other guitar techniques, yes, guitar tapping is hard. But with consistent practice and discipline, it won’t take much time to learn tapping correctly.

Is Telecaster good for tapping?

For tapping, you need a guitar with jumbo frets, so you can easily tap on the frets with your fingers. Although Telecaster isn’t the best choice for tapping, you can still pull it off if you’re experienced enough.

Why is my guitar tapping so quiet?

Your guitar tapping might be quiet because of two things- either your technique is wrong or your pickup doesn’t work well.

Getting an Ideal Electric Guitar for Tapping

Well, that was our take on the best guitars that you can get if you’re into the tapping playstyle. Always remember that these were just mere suggestions and don’t define what you actually need. The suggestions were for the best guitars for tapping but, the specific needs of an artist can never be defined. For example, a guitarist who’s into gigging will definitely buy a guitar that’s portable and easy to carry.

The best recommendation from this list would be the Charvel Pro-Mod guitar. If you’re low on budget, then probably Manson Meta MBM-1 would be a good fit for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a cool spiky electric guitar, go for either Solar Cannibalismo or Jackson King V.

Always remember, “Great artists never work with stencils, they draw their own shapes.”