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The highest reviewed electric guitars in the UK
Guitar tastes across the pond can be quite different from the US...
...but the main reason for that is because there are some guitars available there that just aren't available here. An example is seen above, the Ibanez GAX30 TR. I can totally see why it sells well in the UK. It's an inexpensive double-cutaway shape that looks great and has a very nice simple design that would please anyone. If you live in the UK, you can get this guitar for cheap easily. If you live in the US, it's not available anywhere, which is a shame.
Here are four more similar to the above:
Priced almost identical to the Ibanez above, this is a Gibson ES-335 copy that sells for an amazingly low price. Again, not available in the US. The closest we have here to this is the Epiphone Dot Studio which costs more and isn't as well-appointed as the Benson.
A bit of an odd one here, but again, it sells well, and not just due to its low price. This is a semi-hollow body Telecaster style shape with a Gibson style bridge and tailpiece, Jackson style headstock and P90 single-coil pickups. It might look slightly odd, but it's actually designed well. The control knobs are out of the way of the strumming area, the lightweight body makes it very comfortable to play, and the all-on-top inline tuners make tuning easy.
This is one also available in the US, thankfully. The HB35 from Washburn is an absolutely gorgeous semi-hollow body electric. Nicely priced for what it is. UK buyers actually get this guitar for less than what it sells for here (roughly the equivalent of $50 less in the UK) which makes the deal even sweeter.
Last but definitely not least is an SG style guitar from Vintage. This is a UK brand I wish was sold here in the US. Yes, you can find Vintage brand in the US if you look hard enough, but in the UK they're obviously much easier to come by. The VS6 is absolutely the best low-cost SG copy and it's always highly rated. Mahogany body and mahogany neck with set-in construction. No bolt-on here. This is as proper of an SG as you can get for the lowest price in the UK.
What about the bigger brands?
The UK has Fender and Gibson just like the US does. So if you want a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul, there are plenty to be had over there.
And yes, there are also plenty of Squier and Epiphone guitars there too.
But I'd argue to look at the UK-specific stuff first. If I were living there I would absolutely seek out a Vintage VS6 just to try it out.
Published 2017 Oct 27
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