Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Close up of a Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar
Acoustic Guitars Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: Top picks for strummers on a budget
Close up of LR Baggs Anthem pickup in an acoustic guitar
Guitar Pickups Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
Two Taylor beginner acoustic guitars lying on a purple floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitar for beginners 2025: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
Man presses acoustic bridge pin into an acoustic guitar
Guitar Strings Best acoustic guitar strings 2025: Find your favourite acoustic strings
A Fractal Audio VP4 Virtual Pedalboard multi-effects pedal on a concrete floor
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals 2025: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
Man in green jumper received a gift from a man in a red jumper
Guitars Best Christmas gifts for musicians 2025: 21 affordable festive present ideas for music-makers (which they'll genuinely love)
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
Man holding acoustic guitar in front of a silver laptop
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
Kids hands on a beginner keyboard
Keyboards & Pianos Best keyboards for beginners 2025: Get started with our expert pick of beginner keyboards for all ages
Pair of Audio-Technica in-ear monitors sat on a case
Studio Monitors Best in-ear monitors 2025: IEMs for stage and studio
Drum kit with a red overlay and blue text saying 'best Christmas gifts for drummers'
Drums Best Christmas gifts for drummers 2025: my pick of affordable festive gifts they'll actually use
Santa Claus playing piano in front of a Christmas tree
Keyboards & Pianos Best Christmas gifts for piano players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for pianists, covering all budgets
More
  • Black Friday plugin deals
  • Pete Townshend on smashing - and fixing - his guitars
  • AI slop hits #1
  • The pain that birthed Don't Speak
  • Europe vs AI
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

MIA Awards 2014: Guitarist Electric Guitar of the Year Award

News
By The MusicRadar Team ( Guitarist ) published 17 October 2014

Your shortlist of the year's best electric guitars

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

Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Strat

Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Strat

The MIA Awards return to the Park Plaza Riverbank hotel in London on 18 November, and we can now reveal the final shortlist for the Guitarist Electric Guitar of the Year Award, the winner of which will be announced at the ceremony.

Once again, we've been spoiled rotten, with a choice of guitars to suit all players - from seven-strings to retro-rockers. Earlier this month, we asked for your help in narrowing down the longlist poll to a final top ten.

Here are the finalists, presented in alphabetical order, starting with the Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Strat...

Our verdict

"Almost impossible to criticise, the 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s is a stunning Strat for the money."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Strat review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Strat currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Full Compass

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Fret-King Black Label Elise 'JE'

Fret-King Black Label Elise 'JE'

Our verdict

"Superbly crafted, with a broad sonic palette to draw from. Beyond the 335 indeed."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Fret-King Black Label Elise 'JE' review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Gibson ES-335 Luther Dickinson

Gibson ES-335 Luther Dickinson

Press release

"Steeped in the authentic blues of North Mississippi Hill Country originals like R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Otha Turner, Luther Dickinson and his North Mississippi Allstars made a major impact on the music world when they hit the scene in the late 1990s.

"His searing tone and dynamic playing style have become instantly recognizable, and Dickinson has lent his formidable chops to class acts like Beck, the Replacements and Mojo Nixon."

FULL PRESS RELEASE: Gibson ES-335 Luther Dickinson

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014

Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014

Our verdict

"The best version thus far of a guitar that's always been the single-cut to beat."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014 review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Gretsch G5622T-CB Electromatic

Gretsch G5622T-CB Electromatic

Our verdict

"An outrageously cool guitar with an inspiring set of tones available. This guitar has songs in it!"

4 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Gretsch G5622T-CB Electromatic review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: Gretsch G5622T-CB Electromatic currently available from:
UK: Thomann
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Guild Starfire V with Bigsby

Guild Starfire V with Bigsby

Our verdict

"Characterful, classy build, evocative old-school sound and excellent street pricing. This one's spoken for!"

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Guild Starfire V with Bigsby review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: Guild Starfire V with Bigsby currently available from:
US: Sweetwater

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Ibanez Roadcore RC320M

Ibanez Roadcore RC320M

Our verdict

"If you're after an axe that's off the beaten track in both looks and sounds, a Roadcore makes for a worthy travelling companion."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Ibanez Roadcore RC320M review

(Reviewed in Total Guitar)

BUY: Ibanez Roadcore RC320M currently available from:
UK: Gear4Music

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Music Man Luke III

Music Man Luke III

Our verdict

"A more 'vintage' version of the original, it's a beautifully made, gig-ready pro, ideal for modern rock and more."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Music Man Luke III review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: Music Man Luke III currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann
US: Sweetwater

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
PRS S2 Singlecut

PRS S2 Singlecut

Our verdict

"A stripped-down USA guitar that offers build and sound over visual ornamentation."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: PRS S2 Singlecut review

(Reviewed in Guitarist)

BUY: PRS S2 Singlecut currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
PRS SE Zach Myers

PRS SE Zach Myers

Our verdict

"If he wasn't touring the world and helping to sell millions of records, Zach Myers might have a career as a guitar designer."

5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: PRS SE Zach Myers review

(Reviewed in Total Guitar)

BUY: PRS SE Zach Myers currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
The MusicRadar Team
The MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the internet's most popular website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers.

GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.

TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.

STARS: We talk to artists and musicians about their creative processes, digging deep into the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music-making that no other music website can.

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Deals not to miss
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
 
 
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
 
 
Close up of a Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar
Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: Top picks for strummers on a budget
 
 
Close up of LR Baggs Anthem pickup in an acoustic guitar
Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
 
 
Two Taylor beginner acoustic guitars lying on a purple floor
Best acoustic guitar for beginners 2025: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
 
 
Latest in Electric Guitars
An ESP and Kramer electric guitars on a blue background
Thomann just came out firing for Black Friday with up to 70% off a massive line-up of music gear
 
 
PRS Mark Lettieri Fiore HH, pictured here in its blue gloss and red satin versions against a pair of PRS tube amp stacks.
“It’s been on stage with everyone from Deep Purple to Janet Jackson. It kind of blows me away that people ever responded in that way”: PRS reworks Mark Lettieri’s signature Fiore as super-versatile dual-humbucker model with serial/parallel switching
 
 
Ace Frehley's 1999/2000 Gibson Les Paul 'Smoker' is up for auction and has a sunburst finish, is routed for three humbuckers, but has been modified to emit smoke from the neck pickup cavity
Ace Frehley’s ‘Smoker’ Les Pauls were spectacular but dangerous – now one from his final Kiss tour heads to auction
 
 
Gretsch Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic: the hollowbody electric is finished in
Gretsch teams up with Abbey Road for the Studiomatic – a hollowbody with a filter circuit inspired by actual tech from the studio
 
 
 (L-R): Fher Olvera (Mana), Cesar Gueikian (Gibson CEO) playing the Gibson Flying V Custom CEO#8, and Sergio Vallin (Mana), performing onstage with Mana at Bridgestone Arena.
Cesar Gueikian on building the SG Kirk Hammett played to honour Black Sabbath and how his designs might shape future Gibson releases
 
 
White PRS on a marble surface
The PRS Black Friday sale is already here and there's huge discounts on SE CE 24, SE Custom 24, SE Studio and other workhorse models – here's 5 deals I rate
 
 
Latest in News
Kraftwerk, German electronic band, during a concert, September 16, 1978. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
I went to the Kraftwerk auction to buy their chairs, but came back with a studio's worth of gear instead
 
 
IK Multimedia iLoud Sub
“If the studio fits on a desktop, iLoud Sub fits right in”: IK Multimedia’s new sub is perfect for small setups
 
 
Geoff Barrow
Geoff Barrow on pigeonholing, production and beating imposter syndrome to become a film soundtrack composer
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Black Friday is over a week away, and the sales are in full swing - save up to 80%
 
 
UAD 12 Days of Deals graphic on a pink, red and cream background
With up to 85% off bundles, the 12 Days of UAD early Black Friday sale has some of the best plugin discounts you'll see this year
 
 
Alex Skolnick play his silverburst ESP signature model [left] while Joe Satriani plays his JS signature Ibanez
“You can be an educated musician but also have feel and be a street player”: Alex Skolnick on what he learned from Joe Satriani
 
 

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

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • 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...