GIANT KILLERS
There’s never been a better time to buy a guitar under a grand – and there are some absolute belters to be had. Here we present our pick of the best and explain how to get more, for less
With £1k as our high-tide mark we set out to bring you the best bang for your buck with a stellar line-up of affordable six-stringers that will suit any style and every budget
If you’re not careful, buying guitars can become a bit of an arms race, where constant escalation up the price scale is the only trajectory that seems possible or desirable. But if we look at guitars, as we should, as a means to the end of making music, there’s a very strong case for looking seriously at the sub-£1k guitar market, even if you are fortunate enough to have the means to buy higher-tier instruments – which is by no means the majority of players.
If guitars are not to be mere trophies they must serve our musical needs before any other considerations. The various recording projects that the Guitarist team undertook during lockdown underlined the desirability of having a spectrum of tones at your fingertips, from hollow Strat sounds to beefy ’buckers. That kind of sonic diversity is easier to achieve if you have a well-chosen selection of quality guitars than it is with a single slab of unobtainium. Even if you are lucky enough to own high-end or vintage instruments, it’s always good to have a guitar that’s like an old pair of sneakers – comfy and not so posh that you daren’t take it to the next blues jam down the pub.
As we’ll see in the following pages, quality has never been higher in the hotly contested market for well-built, attainably priced guitars, which we’d define as dependable instruments from about £400 to around the £1,000 mark. We haven’t stuck slavishly to those boundaries, however. We’ve allowed ourselves, where warranted, to point you in the direction of good guitars that are just over and just under those price parameters – because there are always a few unmissable outliers. Please note that, where possible, we’ve quoted full retail prices throughout for consistency. But in many cases you’ll be able to find these instruments on offer for a lot less – even a few hundred quid less – making them even better value.
Finally, we’ve also included some perspectives on what affordability really means, from insights on where the sweet spot lies in terms of bang for buck to the issue of sustainability. We also take a look at an emerging trend for ‘low-end boutique’ guitars that’s seeing high-end features such as roasted maple necks and stainless steel frets appear for the first time in guitars under £500. So if it’s a quality workhorse for reasonable outlay that you’re after, a modding platform with growth potential, or something to fill a tonal niche, join us among the giant killers…