Best Guitars Under £500
The best guitars under £500 — ranked by how many professional guitarists use them in their rigs. 12 options with artist matches and buying advice.
Buying Guide
£500 is the sweet spot for electric guitars — you're into Player Series / Standard territory. Beyond this price, you're paying for refinement not fundamentals. Set up correctly, a £500 guitar is indistinguishable from a £1,500 one live.
What You DON'T Need at Under £500
Under £500 is the sweet spot for electric guitars — but signature editions and trem systems eat budget without improving playability or tone.
- Signature model guitars at a premium over the base spec
Signature editions often charge 25–40% more for cosmetic appointments (specific colour, inlays, artist logo) with identical electronics and build quality. The Fender Player Stratocaster is the same instrument as many signature models at 30% less money.
- Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo as your first £500 guitar
Floyd Rose systems need professional setup every time you change string gauge. A single broken string takes the whole guitar out of tune live. A standard Stratocaster vibrato or hardtail handles everything most players actually need from a tremolo.
- Semi-hollow acoustic-electric hybrids as a primary electric
At £500, a dedicated electric guitar outperforms a hybrid at all electric tasks. An acoustic stays acoustic — choosing a hybrid means doing neither as well as a dedicated instrument would.
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Best Guitars Under £500 — Common Questions
The best guitar under £500 based on how many professional guitarists use it is the Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster. It appears in more artist rigs at this price point than any alternative and offers the best combination of tone, reliability, and value.
£500 is the sweet spot for electric guitars — you're into Player Series / Standard territory. Beyond this price, you're paying for refinement not fundamentals. Set up correctly, a £500 guitar is indistinguishable from a £1,500 one live.
The most important thing to avoid at £500 is over-specifying — spending on features you don't need rather than fundamentals. Prioritise build quality and playability over brand recognition.