Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Guitar Amps
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Radiohead theory
  • Steely Dan's drum machine
  • Deep Purple in the dungeon
  • Prince's drummers
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
Fender American Ultra Luxe 60s Stratocaster
Electric Guitars Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage '60s Stratocaster review
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Series
Guitars Fender mixes old-school mojo with 21st-century playability for the American Ultra Luxe Vintage range
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Guitars Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
Guitars “These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Guitars Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
The new Gibson Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustics released on 9 September 2025, all lined up in a wood-panneled show room with round windows and a rural landscape outside.
Guitars Gibson expands acoustic Murphy Lab collection with five Light Aged classics – including a Nick Lucas 1929 reissue
PRS SE Semi-Hollow Special
Electric Guitars "A stellar build complements a gorgeous aesthetic, and thankfully, it has the tones and playability to back it up": PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow review
Orbit Culture's guitarists
Electric Guitars Orbit Culture show us their ESP guitars – and tell us why the EverTune bridge is a game-changer
Epiphone 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue
Electric Guitars “A really vintage‑flavoured friend”: Epiphone 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue review
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Guitars Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
PRS SE NF 53: the super-versatile bolt-on electric gets a long-awaited SE release, and here all three finish options – White Dog Hair, Black Dog Hair and Pearl White – are photographed in front of a pair of PRS half-stacks.
Guitars PRS remixes its NF 53 for the SE line – and it's a serious workhorse electric for under a grand
Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac: the new semi-hollow signature model is a stunning singlecut with a quilted maple build in a natural finish.
Electric Guitars “Unbeatable... A play-anything guitar”: Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac Session Man review
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

Review round-up: budget relic'd electric guitars

News
By Chris Corfield ( Total Guitar ) published 15 April 2019

Four affordable road-worn guitars from Cort, ESP LTD, Washburn and Vintage

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

There are few things within the guitar world that divide opinion like a ready-relic'd electric guitar.

Don't Miss

(Image credit: Future)

The 18 best electric guitars: our pick of the best guitars for beginners and experts

To some, pre-distressed guitars represent everything that’s wrong with today’s players. You see, genuinely distressed - or ‘road-worn’ - guitars have their visual aesthetic on account of them having being battered around for decades. They’ve earned that look. To think you can walk into any guitar store and buy a (brand-new!) model that’s been made to look as if it has those same battle scars is, quite simply, preposterous. Right? 

With that in mind, allow us to introduce four real purist-botherers. The LTD TE-254 and Vintage Icon V6 look familiar enough as far as Strat and Tele homages go, and an aged semi-acoustic in the shape of the Washburn HB36 won’t be too controversial, but what’s this propping the list up?

The Cort Sunset gains instant points for looking, at the same time, like every other and no other guitar you’ve ever seen. So, yes, the four models we’re talking about here won’t be to everyone’s taste. Much like tennis or almond milk. But there’s value to be had in this price bracket, regardless of a few artificial scratches and scrapes. Let’s take a look... 

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
LTD TE-254

LTD TE-254

Looks awful familiar, this guitar? 

Yep, the TE-254 does bear a certain resemblance to a Telecaster, but it has enough of its own quirks and characteristics to make it quite an interesting proposition in its own right. 

What kind of quirks? 

Well, for starters, the ESP Designed neck humbucker gives you a wider range of tones than you’d get from a regular Tele. We found the pickup warm and inviting, but were then reassured that we could slip back into regular Tele territory quickly thanks to the more traditional single coil in the bridge. The ash body was also appealing, although colossally heavy, too. Normally seen on guitars far higher up the price scale, the wood here provided a really zippy attack, which we loved. 

Does the distressing work? 

From a distance, there’s a definite vintage vibe going on here. The rubs and scrapes all look pretty legit, and the wood’s natural grain shines through nicely. Up close, however, it loses a bit of its appeal. The gradation between paint and wood is perhaps too clinical to really fool anyone. 

At a glance

Key Features: Ash body, maple neck, 22 frets, 647mm (25.5") scale, ESP Designed pickups, flat-mount bridge 

Finish: Distressed 3-Tone Burst 

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
 Vintage Icon V6

Vintage Icon V6

How did they get this past the copyright lawyers? 

How cynical of you. The Vintage V6 Icon line is actually, in its own right, a lot older than you might think. Over time, it has carved itself quite a nice niche, largely thanks to solid build, quality hardware and a reliable set of highly-usable tones. Ignore the name on the headstock and you could quite easily put the V6 in the same company as, for example, Squier’s Classic Vibe line-up. 

How does it sound? 

Delightful, actually. The trio of Wilkinson single coils, long-time favourites of the modding crowd, provide the right levels of spank, while the bridge and vintage tuners work nicely to keep everything in check. 

Has it aged well? 

Of the four, this guitar’s ageing effect provoked the most controversy. From the front, the wear is subtle and the matte finish of the body works pretty well. But whoever thought smearing a greasy engine-oil finger between the frets to approximate wear was a good idea needs to have a long look at themselves. And then work out a better way to execute that particular effect. 

At a glance

Key features: Alder body, maple neck, 22 frets, Wilkinson WVS vintage voiced single-coil pickups, Wilkinson WVC bridge and WJ55 locking tuners 

Finish: Distressed Boulevard Black (as reviewed), Distressed Laguna Blue 

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Cort Sunset TC

Cort Sunset TC

So it’s a Les Paul Junior and Tele combo? 

Er, yes. The Duncan Designed P90-1 neck pickup delivers the fatter growl you’re after for higher-gain action. Set clean it gives a warmer, more rounded tone, even going as far as to deliver a bit of traditional Tele twang. Versatile in sound, then. 

What’s the quality like? 

It feels pretty robust, it’s compact and has a reassuring weight without ever feeling overly heavy. The bolt-on hard maple neck houses a nicely-finished fretboard, and the vintage Kluson-style tuners are reliable and precise enough. Our review model could have been better set up, but that’s something that’s easily sorted. 

What about the distressed finish? 

It’s nicely done actually: matte throughout in Worn White Blonde (it’s also available in Worn Butter Blonde), which means a worn paint effect showing off the attractive ash grain. There’s a smooth blend to the distressed sections, unnoticeable to the touch. Perhaps slightly inconsistent though. And, if they’re going to distress it, give those frets a rub down, too. 

At a glance

Key features: Ash body, bolt-on hard maple neck, 648mm (25.5") scale, 22 frets, Duncan Designed P90-1 and TE-103B pickups 

Finish: Worn White Blonde (as reviewed), Worn Butter Blonde 

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Washburn HB36

Washburn HB36

This looks large and awkward... 

No, sir, the HB36 is an easy player. With a relatively flat neck, it’s equally suited to chords or scale runs, too. 

Is it versatile? 

Yes! Even though it’s a semi, with the maple centre-block there’s ample sustain balanced against minimal, controllable feedback, even at higher volumes. The two humbuckers give surprising definition, even with overdriven chords. The bridge humbucker is great for mid-gain blues through to high-gain rock: defined without being sharp and with necessary depth.

Set clean, there’s a brightness leading to 60s jangle. Engaging the neck humbucker brings a real jazz-friendliness, too. Single notes have warmth while more complex chords retain their clarity. 

Vintage or beaten up? 

Vintage. Off-white binding around the body and neck, vintage matte dark sunburst and distressed bronze hardware all make for a classy finish, while the block inlays on the ebony fingerboard are precise and look the part. The neck feels slightly artificial on first impression, though the matte finish affords easy movement. 

At a glance

Key features: Spruce top, flame maple back and sides, maple neck, 628mm (24.75") scale, 22 frets, two Washburn humbuckers, distressed bronze hardware, tune-o-matic bridge. 

Finish: Vintage Matte

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Head to head

Head to head

It doesn’t take a giant leap of faith to conclude that these guitars have a similar sort of player in mind. 

And, by nailing their colours to the vintage mast in a big way, the four guitars on show here are taking a bit of a risk. To succeed, they need to demonstrate that they have their own character, and can be useful, regardless of their unique visual identities. 

Take the Vintage V6 Icon, for example. Without its scrapes, you’ve effectively got a pretty standard entry-level Strat-alike, on paper. Thankfully, Vintage can call upon the skills of Trev Wilkinson to ensure that, no matter what the body and neck are like, the pickups and hardware are at least of a decent standard.

The same goes for the LTD TE-254, which is a largely well-made and versatile instrument. And, despite the LTD traditionally being more closely associated with heavier styles of music, the only indicator of this comes in the slight cut at the TE-254’s neck heel joint. 

As an aside, while this isn’t a heavy guitar genre-wise, it is a beast in terms of sheer weight and it’s certainly not one for the faint-hearted. The Washburn HB36 is an interesting guitar, more perhaps in the context of its competition. Pitching itself against the Epiphone Dot, for example, you can see enough small touches to convince that this is a higher-grade guitar than the Epi. But could its faux-vintage aesthetic count against it with some players? 

Finally, the Cort Sunset TC deserves special mention. By attempting to meld the best parts of a Les Paul Junior with a Telecaster, Cort has given us something, which is at the same time derivative and different. It gives off a real pawn-shop vibe which, let’s be honest, is exactly what each of the guitars on offer here was going for. It could be argued that only the Cort truly achieves that, offering genuine character in a quirky package.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Final verdict

Final verdict

One question kept coming up while reviewing this quartet: are these guitars designed to hang on a wall, or are they there to be played? 

Don't Miss

(Image credit: Future)

The 18 best electric guitars: our pick of the best guitars for beginners and experts

If it’s the latter, then they need to offer more than a natty paint job. Overall the Vintage V6 Icon and LTD TE-254 succeed because there’s always room for a workhorse Strat or Tele, even if it’s one where you don’t get to give it the workhorse vibe yourself.

The Washburn HB36 scores highly on a number of fronts, too, but we wonder if its aesthetic is somewhat limiting. It’s truly nailed the bourbon-barrel Americana thing to a tee, but is that what the wider world is going to want? And the Cort Sunset TC ticks a lot of boxes; it’s interesting to look at for sure, yet the P90-1 pickup gave it a unique tonal flavour the other guitars couldn’t match.

It’s said that once you go past the £100 mark, you’ll struggle to find a bad guitar. Sure, they vary massively in terms of quality, tonality, desirability and any other variable you can think of. But, objectively speaking, you just don’t get outright bad guitars in the way you used to.

Case in point: these guitars on display here are meant to look battered, bruised and unloved. But even here we find four very capable, versatile and fun instruments. The question is whether you would enjoy these guitars because of their road-worn looks, or in spite of them. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

Best value for money: LTD TE-254

4 out of 5

Best all-rounder: Vintage Icon V6

4 out of 5

Best for standing out: Cort Sunset TC

4.5 out of 5

Best for jazz: Washburn HB36

4 out of 5

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Chris Corfield
Chris Corfield

Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Dawsons Music. Chris loves getting nerdy about everything from guitar and bass gear, to synths, microphones, DJ gear and music production hardware.

Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition. image
Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition.
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Fender American Ultra Luxe 60s Stratocaster
Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage '60s Stratocaster review
 
 
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
 
 
Fender American Ultra Luxe Vintage Series
Fender mixes old-school mojo with 21st-century playability for the American Ultra Luxe Vintage range
 
 
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
 
 
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
 
 
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
 
 
Latest in Electric Guitars
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
“These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
 
 
PRS S2 Mira 594: lined up against a PRS head and cab, the relaunched and refreshed Mira 594 is presented in blue, Matcha Green, red and Antique White
“I don’t think it found its true voice until now”: Revived, refreshed, PRS adds the Mira 594 to the S2 range
 
 
Rick Graham is photographed in a dark setting with a warm stagelight in the background; he holds his new signature electric guitar, a shell-pink S-style with a reverse headstock
Charvel and Rick Graham team up for Pro-Mod signature model with relic'd nitro cult colour finish
 
 
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
 
 
The Sterling By Music Man Kaizen is a more affordable version of the Animals As Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi's signature model, and is offered here in Firemist Purple Satin and Stealth Black.
Sterling By Music Man unveils affordable version of Tosin Abasi’s futuristic Kaizen signature model
 
 
Brian Wampler playing his Telecaster
“It’s analogous to Napster”: Brian Wampler on threat of digital disruption to pedal and tube amp market
 
 
Latest in News
Adrian Sherwood
Dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood on embracing AI and playing the studio like an instrument
 
 
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard of The Rolling Stones perform during the final night of the Hackney Diamonds '24 Tour at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
“They’re all hyped up”: Marlon Richards says that the Stones have been recording a new album in London
 
 
Jacob Collier
Using his signature ‘DAEAD’ tuning, Jacob Collier recorded a 5-string acoustic guitar album in just four days
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score a mind-blowing $1,000 off the stunning D'Angelico Excel SS, $500 off the gorgeous Heritage Standard H-535, and so much more
 
 
English band Radiohead performs live on stage at I-days Festival. June 17th, 2017
“An attempt to deliver tickets as fairly as possible”: Radiohead defend ticketing system
 
 
A robot band in 1958
Deezer report that it’s now receiving over 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks every day
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...