Under £1,000

GUILD STARFIRE I SC GVT £569

This single-cut with ‘Guildsby’ vibrato is modelled after the early 60s Starfire III and comes in around half the price of the Newark St repro. It employs the very good-sounding standard humbucking sized HB-IIs with coil-splits from the tone control rotaries. “Retro style with more than competent sounds and little to dislike” was our verdict. www.guildguitars.com

FENDER PLAYER JAZZMASTER £579

This reimagined Fender classic offers a broader scope of tonal possibilities – from typically bright Fender-style single-coil cut to PAF-like growl – courtesy of two splittable Player Series Alnico II humbuckers. A 241mm (9.5-inch) radius fretboard and Fender ‘modern-C’ profile give this ever more popular old-school offset a comfortable contemporary feel. www.fender.com

JOE DOE BY VINTAGE PUNKASTER £599

Brighton-based custom builder Joe Doe Guitars is all about “where art meets guitar” – top-spec instruments with imaginative relic finishes inspired by rock ’n’ roll lore. Vintage distributor JHS was so impressed with founder Ben Court’s designs it decided to collaborate, and thus the eye-catching Joe Doe for Vintage limited-edition line was born. www.vintageguitarsrus.com

MANSON MBM-1 META SERIES MATTHEW BELLAMY £569

Produced under licence by Cort, Manson’s Meta Series MBM‑1 Matthew Bellamy signature model has been designed to reproduce the sounds and feel of those instruments played by the Muse guitarist himself. With a lightweight basswood body and compound radius ‘V’‑profile maple neck, this progressive design includes powerful dual humbuckers and locking tuners. www.mansonguitarworks.com

FRET-KING COUNTRY SQUIRE SEMITONE SPECIAL £599

Designed in collaboration with Trevor Wilkinson, this soupedup T-type semi-acoustic features a slightly offset two-piece American alder body and bolt-on Canadian rock maple neck with a dot-inlaid 22-fret ebony ’board. An extremely versatile instrument, the Country Squire Semitone Special’s unique pickup configuration offers an expansive array of tonal options. www.jhs.co.uk

YAMAHA REVSTAR RS502T £619

The stylish aluminium tailpiece with tune-o-matic bridge, the dual Alnico V P-90-style soapbar pickups, the 629mm (24.75inch) scale length mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard – all combine to form a perfectly balanced retro-modern design. The RS502T boils the Revstar aesthetic down to its fundamental essence. A contemporary classic in our book. www.uk.yamaha.com