SOLIDBODY ELECTRICS

The double-horned outline took new strides this year

GODIN STADIUM ’59 £1,125

While Godin is still somehow seen as the ‘new kid on the block’ after making (a lot of ) guitars for over four decades, its electric range gets more interesting by the year. This Stadium ’59 takes a Tele-inspired shape, made from the harder Canadian Laurentien basswood, with almost SG-like contouring, and loads in a Seymour Duncan ’59 at the neck and a Godin Custom Cajun single coil at the bridge. Along with the High Definition Revoicer (a slight thickening active boost) and an altered five-way lever switch, there are sounds aplenty. A very classy piece. www.godinguitars.com

FENDER AMERICAN ORIGINAL ’60S STRATOCASTER £1,639

Replacing the American Vintage, the Original series is the closest to vintage you’ll get from Fender USA. Placed into decade-specific ’50s and ’60s styles, you can almost guess the spec: alder body, ‘round laminate’ rosewood ’board, “thick ’60s C” maple neck profile and Pure Vintage ’65 Gray-Bottom single coils. “The feel of that bigger neck… the ’board and those slightly higher frets adds up to a player that recalls vintage, but it’s all a bit easier, slinkier, with appealing body.” www.fender.com

IBANEZ PRESTIGE AZ2402 £1,779

All about function: Ibanez’s AZ series pulls back the pointy bits for a more classic bolt-on vibe that’s not short on improved features such as the heavily radius’d heels, torrefied maple necks, stainless steel frets, locking height-adjustable tuners, and an excellent vibrato based on Gotoh’s ‘modern classic’ 510. With HH and HSS pickup configurations and Prestige and Premium levels, there’s not only plenty of price and style choice, but the Ibanez/Seymour Duncan Hyperion pickups and intelligent switching give them an expansive voice. Hugely recommended. www.ibanez.com