Monoprice takes on its affordable guitar gear rivals with the $249 Indio 66SB DLX Plus single-cut

Monoprice Indio 66SB DLX Plus
(Image credit: Monoprice)

Monoprice has unveiled the Indio 66SB DLX Plus, an affordable single-cut that aims to rival the cheap gear market’s biggest brands – namely, Harley Benton – for the best electric guitar under $500.

Available in Black and Gold colorways, the electric guitar wears its unapologetic appreciation for the Gibson Les Paul on its sleeve, boasting a number of functional and aesthetic appointments that nod to the iconic model.

For example, the body shape, which features a sharper cutaway, is complemented by ivory body binding and Top Hat-style amber knobs, as well as a tune-o-matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece.

Likewise, the upper bout boasts a three-way pickup selector – fitted with a finish-appropriate switch tip and Rhythm/Treble-embossed washer – while the fretboard arrives adorned with trapezoid inlays.

Of course, a price tag of $249 means it’s going to be far from the real deal, though that doesn’t mean it’s wholly void of noteworthy specs. It’s got a mahogany body, for instance, which is paired with a maple top, as well as an ivory-bound rosewood fingerboard.

Elsewhere, the Indio 66SB DLX Plus utilizes a set-in, C-shape Nato neck, which is topped with a bone nut and 22 frets. 

As for electronics, the affordable axe comes equipped with a pair of soap bar-style pickups that promise ”midrange growl and twangy highs”. They’re wired to a pair of volume and tone knobs, as well as the three-way selector switch.

There aren’t any standard LP-style Harley Benton single-cuts fitted with soap bar pickups, meaning we reckon its closest competitor is probably the humbucker-loaded SC-Custom II, which rings in at $235. 

Both the Gold and Black Indio 66SB DLX Plus, meanwhile, are available now for $249. So, pretty darn close.

To find out more, visit Monoprice.

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Matt Owen

Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.