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

[mikeluke]

Never seen/played one but also heard great things about the Squier via a mate who works in a guitar shop.


Spear guitars get good VFM write ups.

[Sifu Ben]

 My main guitar is one of my cheapest! Dean Vendetta 4.0, I really can't fault it and it cost me £310. I actually bought it as a drop D guitar and loved it so much it became my No 1. Even the stock pickups are OK, but now that I've sorted out my finances (finally) I'm hoping to put some Cold Sweats in in the new year.
 I'm thinking quite seriously about getting a Dean Hardtail Select as well for stuff that needs a more vintage-y vibe, and the new Soltero standard looks pretty sweet.
 I'm also tempted by the Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul Custom. Fast neck, ebony board, real Dirty Fingers pickups, all for under £400 seems really promising.
The Slash signature BC Rich Mockingbird is tasty too, and you really can't go wrong with the Ibanez's in that range.

[MrBump]

OK, so I was just browsing Hagstrom, and I came across this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYceIxqC4w0&feature=related

Cracking clip!

Mark.

[sgmypod]

They are pretty...keep meaning to try one but nearest is in Halifax and he has the swedes for under £400 or one in vid http://www.guitar.co.uk/guitars/electric/2189-hagstrom_ultra_swede_electric_guitar

[Alex]

My favs are either ESP/LTD eclipses, PRS SEs or Fender Highway Ones.

[MrBump]

What kinda worried me a little is that I get the distinct impression that for the BIG American names (and by that I mean Gibson, Fender and PRS), a lot of the money goes on the brand.

Don't get me wrong, I've played all three, and some have been amazing.  I'm certainly not into bashing someone for their success, 'cos that's like Communism or something...  But the idea of this thread was to open it up a little and get away from the traditional big three.  Which is why Eastern brands such as Ibanez and Yamaha are interesting - I get the impression that the USA legacy doesn't apply, and that you may be paying for the guitar rather than the brand.

I may be hugely wrong about that though.

Eastern manufacture doesn't bother me - I've seen Chinese guitars that are superbly constructed.  And of all the Telecasters that played recently in TPA, it was the Mexican 60's reissue that left all the others (includig the "North" American built models) for dead, in terms of its playability and sound.

So I guess that the £500 thing is more about value than anything else - it's an arbitrary figure - could have been 400, could have been 600.  And as someone pointed out, factor in a set of Mules and pretty much any LP clone is going to kick some serious arse.  But I want the best value guitar - that could be a £2000 PRS, or it could be the Squire that everyone raves on about.

Personally I think that I'm leaning towards a Swede with Mules...  Or possibly drive to Croydon and go through Jonathans bins for some cast offs...

Mark.

-EDIT-  "Ibanez" is a horrible word to type!  And I'm a good typest!!!

[Philly Q]

What kinda worried me a little is that I get the distinct impression that for the BIG American names (and by that I mean Gibson, Fender and PRS), a lot of the money goes on the brand.

Well, yes and no.  I still find it pretty remarkable that you can get a Faded SG or V for less than £500.

(And yes, I know we'll now get the standard "all non custom shop Gibsons are shite" response....  :roll: )

[MrBump]

What kinda worried me a little is that I get the distinct impression that for the BIG American names (and by that I mean Gibson, Fender and PRS), a lot of the money goes on the brand.

Well, yes and no.  I still find it pretty remarkable that you can get a Faded SG or V for less than £500.

(And yes, I know we'll now get the standard "all non custom shop Gibsons are shitee" response....  :roll: )

Actually, that's a good point - but also makes me worry, because I guess I don't really understand hpw Gibson can produce a cracking American built SG at such a great price point, and yet you'll pay a grand and a half for a factory build LP...

The SG's that I've played have been superb guitars.  But I think that they're unfashionable.  LPs are cool.  Therefore they cost more.  And I don't want to be a part of that, if you see what I mean.

Mark.

[ilÿti]

LPs are cool.  Therefore they cost more. 

Yeah and they sound better. ;)

It's true that many production model Gibsons are poorly made but it's far from all of them. You can find great ones among the bunch, also in the sub-£500 range.

[Twinfan]

I usually find the simpler the Gibson, the more chance you have of finding a great guitar e.g. SG, Junior, Special etc.  They seem to screw up when it comes to neck bindings, maple tops, fancy woods and inlays etc.

I only own two Gibsons now, both slab bodied LP Specials.  Great guitars that cost me £450 (used) and £650 (new).

[Scotty477]

I played one of these recently and was very impressed.

Ibanez ARX500. £425 most places.

[Philly Q]

I played one of these recently and was very impressed.

Ibanez ARX500. £425 most places.

It's pretty, but I don't know why they don't stick with the original Artist design, which was perfect.


(Apart from the weight.  )

[Scotty477]

I played one of these recently and was very impressed.

Ibanez ARX500. £425 most places.

It's pretty, but I don't know why they don't stick with the original Artist design, which was perfect.


(Apart from the weight.  )

Quite possibly it was indeed 'modernised' due to the weight of the originals.

It's not as nice to play as an original but for the money it felt rather good. If Ibanez had went down the route that Yamaha took with the repro SG series guitars, the guitar would be around the £1300-1500 mark  :?

[MrBump]

I played one of these recently and was very impressed.

Ibanez ARX500. £425 most places.

It's pretty, but I don't know why they don't stick with the original Artist design, which was perfect.


(Apart from the weight.  )

I could be wrong, but I think that they still design and make the "original" - I've seen something like it on their site, which is retailing for over a grand.

Love it, by the way.  I think it's a cracking looking guitar, and would definitely be on my play list.

Mark.

[Philly Q]

Yeah, there is a reissue AR300, pretty much the same as the 80s model, only available in one colour. 

But I think they should use it as the basis of a whole range at different price points, like they did then.  To me the ARX is a much less attractive shape, even though it's similar.  But maybe they've market-researched it and there's no interest.