Vox's re-entry into the electric guitar market at the start of 2008 surprised many by being a high-end Japanese-made guitar (designed in the USA by ex-Yamaha, Ibanez, Modulus and Line 6 veteran Rich Lasner and his team) and not a re-run of its sixties models.

The semi-solid Virage DC employs a complex carved solid wood construction based loosely on the classic ES-335 with tri-coil DiMarzio pickups. It's the latest example of guitars with more air, such as PRS's Hollowbody and Gibson's rather good downsized ES-335, the ES-339.

FULL REVIEW: Vox Virage DC

Price: £2095 (BUY: GuitarGuitar)

Mid-price choice:PRS SE Custom Semi Hollow (£699) (BUY: Thomann)

Budget buy: Epiphone Dot (£265) (BUY: Andertons Music Co. | Thomann | GuitarGuitar | Coda Music)