Which solid-body electric guitar offers the best value for money under £500?

All-mahogany solidbody with a bolt-on maple neck, 24 frets, PRS 85/15 S pickups and a stoptail bridge for stable tuning. Suits players seeking a versatile, affordable PRS with warm tone and humbucker-to-single-coil options.

The Pacifica 112J is an HSS Strat-style solid-body electric with an alder body, bolt-on maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. It offers versatile tones from its humbucker plus two single-coil pickups and a vintage-style tremolo, making it well suited to beginners and gigging players seeking an affordable, flexible guitar.

HSS Strat-style electric with a poplar body, bolt-on maple neck and laurel fingerboard. Versatile pickup set (humbucker bridge, two single-coils) suits beginners and gigging players who need clean to high-gain tones.

Chambered mahogany body with a maple top, mahogany neck and dual P-90 single-coil pickups deliver warm, punchy tone with clear highs. Suited for players seeking vintage-style single-cut playability and P90 grit at an affordable price.

A lightweight, player-friendly Stratocaster with a poplar body, maple neck and an HSS pickup layout (ceramic humbucker plus two single-coils). It offers versatile tones and a slim C-shaped neck, suited for beginners and gigging players who want both clean chime and higher-output bridge tones.

The Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster HSS is a beginner-friendly Strat with a lightweight poplar body, maple neck, and an HSS pickup layout for versatile tones from clean to overdriven. It suits beginners and intermediate players who want classic Strat playability with added bridge humbucker power.

Single-cut, stripped-back Les Paul with a mahogany body and neck, rosewood fretboard, a single P-90 Dogear bridge pickup and wraparound bridge. Suited to players seeking raw, overdriven tone and a simple, vintage-style instrument.