What's the best guitar you can buy for £500?

[MrBump]

What about Hagstrom?  I've heard good things about them...

[hamfist]

My vote goes to a MIJ Tokai LP. You can still get them for a smidge under £500 new.

http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/guitars-1/electric-guitars-2/tokai-love-rock-ls75-electric-guitar-black-568.html

[noodleplugerine]

Anything from Schecter. I think they all come around £500 - The loomis is £600 last time I checked.

I'd love to get a new BC Rich Gunslinger though - Never played one.

[AndyR]

Is £550 allowed? (Come on, it must be - when I say to the missus, I'm going up town to look at de geetars, my limit is £500, she knows that I'll spend between £400 and £600 :lol:)

If so, a Japanese Tokai Love Rock, or a Fender Japan non-export something (I've got a strat, and tried a tele for that price), depending on your taste... Nothing's come close to those for me.

If £550 is too much, then I'd be going a bit lower to the Mexican Fenders - but I'd want to play every single one until I found the right one :D

The Baja is very nice, but I'm not sure I'd say it's "the best". For me it was an initial "oh wow!" followed by bemusement, and then eventually it becomes an acquired taste - I play it more than the Love Rock and the Strat now. But the Love Rock's the best put together of the lot of them (including the somewhat more expensive Gibson Explorer :roll:) if I was a died-in-the wool LP man, that would be the one.

EDIT: Ah Hamfist agrees - in fact, mine looks just like that :D but cost more (after beating them down £40) :(

[MrBump]

Is £550 allowed?

The problem with allowing an extra fifty quid is that I'll do EXACTLY that if and when I come to buy.

And 50 will turn to 100.  And 100 will turn to 200.  And 200 will turn to divorce...

You get the picture?

[AndyR]

Is £550 allowed?

The problem with allowing an extra fifty quid is that I'll do EXACTLY that if and when I come to buy.

And 50 will turn to 100.  And 100 will turn to 200.  And 200 will turn to divorce...

You get the picture?

Sigh... I do indeed :lol:

But seeing as Hamfist found one for under £500 - Tokai Love Rock (Japanese) :D

[jibidy]

I think a schecter or Epi (something similar) for 310 and spend the rest on BKP'ing it. cant go wrong!

Or do you mean £500 straight up no tweaks!

[indysmith]

An Edwards Les Paul!
Best I've played around that price.

[Twinfan]

But your Squire gives a lot of change from a £500 note...  Is it REALLY worth that???

Yes.  SERIOUSLY nice guitar.  Ask anyone who's played one.  :)

[dave_mc]

assuming the £500 is slightly flexible, i'd go with japanese copies too- edwards, tokai, etc. :)

[roland_rat]

Some very nice choices of guitars but im a southpaw.  A real challenge for you under £500 and left handed  :x :x

[Simon D]

The answer is incredibly simple - Yamaha Pacifica 812V: http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/yamaha-pacifica-812v/13078
Thank you and goodnight.

[MM-S MIKE]

There are some very nice LAG guitars for under £500, if you can locate a dealer that is. The RM200 is now around the £300 mark and is very versatile and well constructed with coil slplittable EMG HZ pickups. I have one and it rocks!!! There was a model called the RF200 which was same spec but with a maple top, but I think its discontinued. There may still be some around. That or a Maverick F1, which are really hard to find.  My main guitar is a PRS SE singlecut with BKPs and was just over £500 when you include the replacement pickup surrounds and burnt chrome covers. Good luck with finding your dream guitar though, there are so many nice axes at that price point.

[Ratrod]

I agree with Twinfan. The CV tele is the bomb. It really is that good.

And for 500 quid you could buy two of them!

[_tom_]

I'd guess Edwards, Greco, Orville etc if you're after gibson style guitars. I still quite like my Epiphone but it feels dead and stiff compared to my Pearl MIJ LP after I got a setup on that!

My Charvel Model 1C was good for the £190 or so I paid for it as well, shame it sounded so fizzy otherwise I would've probably kept it - had a really nice neck. I may buy another Charvel in the future if I can find a normal strat-style one with pickguard and strat headstock.