Under £1,000

GUILD ARISTOCRAT P90 £799

A lightweight alternative to heavier solidbodies, this dual Guild Franz P-90 soapbar-loaded single-cutaway features a chambered mahogany body with a bound carved top. Oozing style, this model from Guild’s incredible Newark St Collection boasts gold hardware throughout, including a harp tailpiece with a tune-o-matic bridge and vintage-style open-gear tuners. www.guildguitars.com

RIVOLTA MONDATA II HB £799

Designed by renowned luthier Dennis Fano, Rivolta guitars represent the more budget-friendly side of offset extraordinaire Novo. With a tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, trapezoid inlays and dual humbuckers, this mahogany solidbody has its heart in old-school Kalamazoo but leans heavily into classic Cali styling with an offset form and belly/forearm contours. www.rivoltaguitars.com

SHERGOLD PROVOCATEUR SP02SD £809

Designed by UK luthier extraordinaire Patrick James Eggle, the Provocateur SP02-SD boasts the classic dual-’bucker singlecut format, albeit with a sleek, understated modern aesthetic. Brandishing quality throughout, with a pair of Seymour Duncan ’59 Model pickups and compensated brass saddles, this ebony-’boarded mahogany solidbody offers exceptional value. www.shergoldguitars.com

PRS SE CUSTOM 24 £799

Originally unveiled at NAMM back in 1985, the Custom 24 is the PRS model that started it all. Featuring a smart mahogany/ bevelled maple body with a flame maple veneer and a 635mm (25-inch) scale length maple neck with a 24-fret rosewood ’board, this version from PRS’s SE range offers players a more affordable alternative to its Core line counterpart. www.prsguitars.com

STERLING BY MUSIC MAN LUKE SIGNATURE £799

Also available in Blueberry Burst finish, the Luke signature in Hazel Burst is inspired by the masterful tones and deft technique of Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. Featuring locking tuners for added stability, its dual custom humbuckers are augmented by a 12dB boost as well as a five-way selector switch for extra versatility and dynamics. www.sterlingbymusicman.com

FENDER VINTERA ’60S STRATOCASTER MODIFIED £825

The Vintera Modified models differ from the more vintageaccurate specification with tweaks. So here the pau ferro fingerboard’s radius is slightly flattened from 7.25, but it retains a ‘Modern C’ neck profile and two-post vibrato with bent steel saddles. The ‘seven sound’ mod adds neck and bridge via S-1 switching for an even more versatile Strat. www.fender.com