From £2,000 to £3,000

GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD ’60S £2,199

Part of Gibson’s Original Collection, the ’60s LP features a mahogany body with AA carved maple top and a rosewood’board quarter-sawn mahogany neck. The Burstbucker 61R in the neck and 61T in the bridge allow for a slightly hotter voicing, while the slim taper neck offers wider potential appeal than the more vintage girth of its ’50s sibling. www.gibson.com

PRS SILVER SKY £2,399

PRS’s take – and a very good one thanks to John Mayer – on a vintage-style Fender Stratocaster. In addition to that familiar outline, we have an alder body, 648mm (25.5-inch) scale maple neck, and three PRS 635JM single coils. One of the most hyped and discussed electrics in many a year, the Silver Sky is a highly tuned signature in pristine contemporary dress. www.prsguitars.com

PATRICK JAMES EGGLE OZ CREAM T FROM £2,800

It’s hard to see how you could better this design with its roasted maple neck, contoured heel, superb ‘worn-through’ neck finish, and aged (not reliced) style. Added interest comes from the now UK-made Cream T Banger and Mash humbucker at the neck that, paired with the Cream T Tele-style bridge pickup, makes for a sound that easily matches the quality build. www.eggle.co.uk

PJD CAREY ELITE £2,399

By his own description, UK luthier Leigh Dovey aims for “the feel of a Strat or Tele but the look of a Les Paul” here with a bolt-on neck and single-cut slab body. The result is a huge success: an addictive, lightweight electric from a talented builder with superbly balanced Bare Knuckle pickups in the form of Boot Camp Old Guard neck and bridge humbuckers. www.pjdguitars.com

NIK HUBER PIET FROM £2,676

The Piet is based on the outline of Huber’s long-running Dolphin model and named after his youngest son (pronounced ‘Pete’), creating an ‘offset’ without the size or weight. It’s also the perfect vehicle for the optional Mastery vibrato. Powered by Harry Häussel’s single-coil pickups, the circuit is just volume and tone. A simple recipe that exudes quality and class. www.nikhuber-guitars.com

LOWDEN GL-10WA £2,995

Before making some of the most sought-after acoustics in the world, George Lowden loved his blues – his sonic reference here was recalling seeing Peter Green back in the day. He was given a ‘nudge’ by Ed Sheeran to make it, and the GL-10 is Lowden through and through: a hugely considered single-cut with a beautiful oil-finished, stealth-like feel. www.lowdenguitars.com