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The Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster is made in Japan and features a contoured ash body with a stunning figured maple top, and comes with DiMarzio pickups and Gotoh tuners.
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  1. Guitars

Total Guitar Reader Awards 2014: best signature guitar

News
By Total Guitar ( Total Guitar ) published 22 December 2014

7 of the best idiosyncratic electrics

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

Introduction

Introduction

The best guitar designs are often borne out of input from the players themselves, so it figures that your line-up of 2014's best signature guitars features some of the most forward-thinking models out there. Here, we present your favourites from the past year...

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Farida Artist Designed Freddie Cowan GNA TV Deluxe

Farida Artist Designed Freddie Cowan GNA TV Deluxe

Created by and for Freddie Cowan of The Vaccines fame, the GNA's triple-pickup oozes retro cool, but eschews the price tag associated with some vintage gear.

There's an alder body and a mahogany neck, while an ingenuous switching system helps you make the most of the three Farida Jazz humbuckers.

5 out of 5

Read our full Farida Artist Designed Freddie Cowan GNA TV Deluxe review

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar NOS

Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar NOS

We raved about the Kurt Cobain Jaguar upon its initial release in 2011, and the latest edition features all the same mods, but comes with an NOS (New Old Stock) finish.

If the road-worn look isn't your bag, this is the one for you. Everything else we loved about the original is pretty much unchanged and it's a versatile axe, capable of much more than simply aping Nirvana tones.

5 out of 5

Read our full Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar NOS review

BUY: Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar NOS currently available from:
UK: Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Epiphone Slash Rosso Corsa Les Paul

Epiphone Slash Rosso Corsa Les Paul

Another notch on the bedpost for one of Gibson/Epiphone's most prolific endorsees, the Rosso Corsa features an exclusive limited edition finish previously found only on a now-discontinued Gibson model.

The maple cap and weight-relieved mahogany body both looks and sounds the part, while the neck apes the mix of 50s and 60s profiles found on Slash's main Les Paul.

5 out of 5

Read our full Epiphone Slash Rosso Corsa Les Paul review

BUY: Epiphone Slash Rosso Corsa Les Paul currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
PRS SE Zach Myers Signature

PRS SE Zach Myers Signature

The SE Zach Myers Signature - named after its Shinedown patron - is notable for being the first ever semi-hollow Singlecut from PRS.

As expected, the build quality is typically flawless, the satin neck is super playable and you get all that history-making for a street price of less than £600/$700.

5 out of 5

Read our full PRS SE Zach Myers Signature review

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

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster

Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster

Completing a trio of signature Fender models, the mahogany-bodied Jim Root Jazzmaster has quickly won a lot of fans among the metal community.

It looks the business, with its stripped-down matt black finish and brushed EMG humbuckers and is a boundary pushing signature that takes the Jazzmaster shape to new extremities.

4 out of 5

Read our full Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster review

BUY: Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
LTD Ben Weinman BW-1 FM/ET

LTD Ben Weinman BW-1 FM/ET

Dillinger Escape Plan man Ben Weinman was never going to have a conventional signature model, but - with the help of LTD - he's come up with a design to be truly proud of in the BW-1 FM/ET.

Packing an Evertune bridge and EMG-81/85 pickup pairing into a semi-hollow design and making it sound this good is a serious achievement. What's more, the build quality on our review model was very high, it looks great and somehow the pricing isn't set to 'totally unattainable'.

5 out of 5

Read our full LTD Ben Weinman BW-1 FM/ET review

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 6

Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 6

Prior to this Pro Series model, a Jackson signature model for Megadeth's Chris Broderick would cost you the best part of four grand.

The Pro Series Soloist 6 brings a pared-down, but nonetheless seriously impressive metal-making machine in for under £700/$900. It's also a shred guitar that can actually deliver clean tones and there's loads of fun to be had with the in-built killswitch.

5 out of 5

Read our full Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 6 review

BUY: Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 6 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Total Guitar
Total Guitar
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Total Guitar is Europe's best-selling guitar magazine.

Every month we feature interviews with the biggest names and hottest new acts in guitar land, plus Guest Lessons from the stars.

Finally, our Rocked & Rated section is the place to go for reviews, round-ups and help setting up your guitars and gear.

Subscribe: http://bit.ly/totalguitar

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Read more
The Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster is made in Japan and features a contoured ash body with a stunning figured maple top, and comes with DiMarzio pickups and Gotoh tuners.
Fender gives Richie Kotzen’s figured-maple topped MIJ signature Strat a global release
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
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
Jackson X and JS Series Surfcasters: the long-awaited offset electric guitar is now being offered in white, satin black and metallic black, and and at the entry-level JS price point and the mid-priced X Series.
“A bold new take on a classic metal machine”: Having ridden the wave of popular demand, Jackson’s Surfcaster offset has landed – and it’s built for speed
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
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