Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Plugin Week 25
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Plugin Week A-Z
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
Kramer Volante HSGT Triburst: the all-new high-performance S-style from the GIbson-owned shred brand is a grown-up looking S-style.
Electric Guitars “It’s as comfortable as a guitar can”: Kramer Volante HSGT Triburst review
Epiphone goes high-end with its Inspired By Gibson Custom 2025 collection: [from left] the '63 Firebird in Polaris White is joined by a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a '64 SG Standard, a 1960 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow and a 1962 ES-335 reissue.
Guitars Epiphone expands and upgrades Inspired By Gibson Custom range with 8 stunning "reissue" electrics
Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT
Electric Guitars "This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Guitars Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
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
EVH Gear Wolfgang WG Standard T.O.M.
Guitars Hold the Floyd: EVH reimagines Wolfgang Standard as a high-performance shredder with a TOM bridge
Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue TV Yellow
Electric Guitars Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue TV Yellow review
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

The best solidbody electric guitars of 2014

News
By Guitarist ( Guitarist ) published 31 December 2014

The finest electrics we've reviewed

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

Tom Anderson Raven

Tom Anderson Raven

It might not have been a classic year for the solidbody electric guitar, but these four would rise to the top of any class...

All of the gear here was reviewed in Guitarist magazine from January 2014 onwards, representing outstanding performance, build quality and value. First on the list, it's the Tom Anderson Raven...

Tom Anderson Raven

Tom Anderson has long been one of the finest modern electric guitar makers.

While the Raven has a more retro aesthetic it has all of his ultra-quality features: incredible playability in the A-Wedgie bolt-on neck, Buzz Feiten Tuning System, stainless steel frets, Anderson pickups and VA boost. Superb!

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Tom Anderson Raven review

Page 1 of 4
Page 1 of 4
Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Stratocaster

Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Stratocaster

How many of us will look this good at 60?

A superb, subtly upgraded Strat with flatter fingerboard radius and two-post vibrato on a Desert Sand-finished ash body with gold anodised scratchplate.

If you can’t afford the USA guitars, rest assured these Mexican Classic Players are seriously good. Happy birthday.

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Fender 60th Anniversary Classic Player 50s Stratocaster review

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

Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
Vigier Excalibur Thirteen

Vigier Excalibur Thirteen

Not everyone is swayed by past designs alone, certainly not Patrice Vigier. This continually upgraded 20-plus-year-old design is state of the art.

It combines a vintage-feel graphite reinforced French maple neck with high-spec hardware and versatile Amber humbuckers, coil-splits and micro killswitch. As near to perfect as a modern rock guitar gets.

4.5 out of 5

Read our full Vigier Excalibur Thirteen review

Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4
PRS S2 Singlecut

PRS S2 Singlecut

It’s taken PRS nearly 30 years to crack the ‘affordable’ USA-made guitar, but with its S2 range - introduced in 2013 - it finally has.

Made in the same factory as the higher-ticket ‘core’ guitars, but on a different production line, the S2 models feature a different neck construction, simplified body contours, a faster finish and a combination of USA and Korean-made hardware and electrics.

The result is an increasing range of guitars that are not only half the price of the core models but have a less posh aesthetic and are consequently appealing to a different audience.

Powered by S2 #7 humbuckers, with a four-control layout, wrapover Stoptail bridge, locking tuners, 635mm (25-inch) scale and typically slick playability, the S2 Singlecut sets a new price-led benchmark for the single-cut solidbody.

4.5 out of 5

Read our full PRS S2 Singlecut review

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

Page 4 of 4
Page 4 of 4
Guitarist
Guitarist
Social Links Navigation

Guitarist is the longest established UK guitar magazine, offering gear reviews, artist interviews, techniques lessons and loads more, in print, on tablet and on smartphones Digital: http://bit.ly/GuitaristiOS If you love guitars, you'll love Guitarist. Find us in print, on Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and other digital readers

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Kramer Volante HSGT Triburst: the all-new high-performance S-style from the GIbson-owned shred brand is a grown-up looking S-style.
“It’s as comfortable as a guitar can”: Kramer Volante HSGT Triburst review
Epiphone goes high-end with its Inspired By Gibson Custom 2025 collection: [from left] the '63 Firebird in Polaris White is joined by a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a '64 SG Standard, a 1960 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow and a 1962 ES-335 reissue.
Epiphone expands and upgrades Inspired By Gibson Custom range with 8 stunning "reissue" electrics
Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT
"This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac: the new semi-hollow signature model is a stunning singlecut with a quilted maple build in a natural finish.
“Unbeatable... A play-anything guitar”: Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac Session Man review
EVH Gear Wolfgang WG Standard T.O.M.
Hold the Floyd: EVH reimagines Wolfgang Standard as a high-performance shredder with a TOM bridge
Latest in Electric Guitars
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Strandberg Boden Standard NX 6 Plini Edition Mirage
Strandberg launches limited edition Plini Boden Standard with glow-in-the-dark Mirage graphic finish
PRS Herman Li Chloe: the new shred-ready signature model for the DragonForce guitarist comes in two finishes and features an all-new body design.
PRS activates total shred mode for Herman Li of DragonForce’s feature-stacked Chloe signature guitar
Epiphone Jeff Beck Oxblood 1954 Les Paul
Epiphone unveils Inspired By Gibson Custom version of Jeff Beck’s iconic 1954 Oxblood Les Paul
Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac: the new semi-hollow signature model is a stunning singlecut with a quilted maple build in a natural finish.
“Unbeatable... A play-anything guitar”: Duesenberg Alliance Series Tom Bukovac Session Man review
Mark Knopfler
"I did everything wrong, but I think they’re perfect notes”: Mark Knopfler's favourite guitar solo
Latest in News
Joe Armon-Jones
Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on the imagined musical apocalypse that inspired All The Quiet
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control
Melbourne Instruments' Roto-Control gets Bitwig Studio integration following 2.0 firmware update
Waves 4th of July
Waves just made building a pro-level plugin chain a lot cheaper - grab 2 for $59.99 or 4 for $99.99
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Celebrate the 4th of July in style with hundreds slashed off gear from Gibson, Fender, Alesis, Roland, Yamaha, Boss and more
Paul McCartney at the piano at Live Aid
Bob Geldof on how Paul McCartney’s Live Aid performance was almost a disaster
ai band
Who is behind The Velvet Sundown, the AI-generated band that blew up the internet?

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...