Before we start, I have a confession. Back when I first began pestering my Mum and Dad to buy me a guitar, I was bought a basic model travel guitar from a cheap local music shop. After about a week of play it, I hated it and refused to practice on it, instead borrowing my friends Squier Stratocaster. Now some 11 years on, I meet my old enemy. But this time things were different...much different.

The Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar was nothing like my schoolboy nemesis. Sure it’s a low cost Chinese import but it doesn’t really show. It has a nice basswood neck, the body is finished well comes with decent gig bag and cable.

It does feel a little weird as the balance is off compared to a normal electric guitar and can be a bit awkward to play at first. It took me some time to get used to it.
Where it really gets interesting is when you start to play. It sounds much better than I expected. The humbucker is loud and bright, and has to be one of the most responsive guitars I’ve played especially at this price range. Throw on a few pedals and you’d be amazed at the tone that you can produce. After a bit of fiddling I even managed to run a few riffs and licks in a clean 60’s tone that I love.

The action on the strings is tremendous and the pickup is just as good, so feel free to put your shredding hat on and go for it. From sheer play-ability, and tonality aspect, the Hofner is miles ahead of its counterparts.

I didn’t think I would ever say this about a travel guitar but I genuinely love the Hofner Shorty. Not because it is easy to travel with but because out of all the guitars in this sort of price range I've ever played, I’ve never played anything that sounds as good and plays as well as the Hofner Shorty. Quite simply, the Hofner does the job it was designed to do and it does it well.  

If you are in the market for a low cost travel electric guitar, that sounds great, offers a nice bright tone and not just “another guitar”, you have to check out the Hofner Shorty Travel Guitar model, a great axe for the intrepid travellers amongst us.

A lot of you might not know this interesting fact, but Kurt Cobain played guitar and happened to be the lead singer for a band called Nirvana. Though Nirvana achieved a bit of success back in the early 90's, Cobain has now been commemorated with a reissue by Fender of his 1965 Jaguar, one of the few guitars he didn't smash up on stage.

Kurt Cobain bought his infamous left-handed '65 Jaguar second-hand and became his main guitar during the band’s “Nevermind” touring era. Kurt's guitar featured substantial modifications, carried out by its previous owner, which Fender has incorporated on the tribute model.

These include DiMarzio PAF and DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckers in the neck and bridge positions respectively, as well as a second volume control, a black three-position toggle switch and black chrome Gotoh bridge.

The combination of the DiMarzio humbuckers and the unusual wiring setup gives the Fender a completely unique sound especially when compared to other Fender models. The DiMarzio humbuckers give the Jag a touch of added sustain in comparison to Fender’s usual signature axes but you can really push out some other distortion types other than grunge. In the style of Cobain himself, the Fender Jaguar gives an abrasive, aggressive and unapologetically raw sound.

Personally, my favourite feature is the Cobain inspired Stratocaster-esque headstock, complete with 'spaghetti' Fender logo, which was not in commission back in ‘65 but further adding to the authenticity to Kurt's Jaguar. Due to it being a tribute guitar, the Road-Worn aged finish and hardware treatment have been knocked up a notch.

Fender isn’t new to artificially aging it’s guitars but the Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar is particularly impressive. The level of detail is impeccable on almost every aspect, to the point of jamming dirt into the dents in the pickup screws. Regardless of your thoughts of artificial aging on guitars, Fender has done this so well that every bump, groove and scratch looks authentic.

The fact that the Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar is Mexican made is probably the only real “unauthentic” attribute of the tribute. With a great sound, an impressively aged body and a truly unique playing experience, Fender have done a fantastic job of commemorating Generation X’s most missed rock legend.

Gibson have a great story about Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, Appetite for Destruction, where a young Slash was getting frustrated when trying to achieve the right “tone” with a range of contemporary electric guitars. “Then someone handed him a reissue-style Les Paul Standard, and that was all she wrote.”

With the Les Paul in hand, Slash laid down a host of riffs powered the biggest-selling debut album of all time and propelling songs like “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City”, into the hearts and minds of musicians everywhere.

With the rock legend offering his valuable input, the Gibson Slash Appetite Les Paul model focuses on maintaining the impeccable styling of the original first sold in 1952 as well as tweaking the sound to fit Slash’s playing style.

Just like Slash’s original guitar he used for “Appetite for Destruction”, the Gibson Slash Appetite Les Paul mimics a lot of the most admired features of the original Les Paul Standards from the late 50’s and early 60’s, such as a slim neck profile and a body based on a 1959 Les Paul.

Gibson have done a brilliant job in the authentic finish that gives the Slash Appetite Les Paul the look of a gently aged vintage guitar and features like a traditional Les Paul carved maple top and mahogany back and a one-piece mahogany neck give this axe tremendous character.

The Gibson Slash Appetite Les Paul model features Slash inspired hardware in two Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Slash signature humbucker pickups at both the neck and bridge positions, which offer players an incredible selection of sounds with a mini-toggle switch inserted between the iconic volume control knobs to help regulate acoustic and hybrid acoustic/electric tones.

From the second I plugged this thing into my Marshall Amp, the classic-rock sound I had been hoping for just exploded out of the speakers. The sound is exactly what you’d expect from a Les Paul/Marshall combo with chords giving a nice thick, chunky, deep tone, and lengthy, howling notes when soloing.

With features and characteristics that inspire Slash, Gibson Custom has created one of its most distinct and best sounding Les Paul models ever, and quite possible the perfect axe for any Slash fans.

The Washburn guitar company started making guitars in 1883 in Chicago and since then has gained a lot of recognition from the extreme metal, hardcore punk and post-rock genres.

The Washburn Idol Series has been around for over 10 years and hasn’t changed much since it’s inception in 1999. As with most guitar series, Washburn Original Idol electric guitars vary in price depending on features and specification. There are several guitars that make up the Washburn Original Idol series such as the Washburn WIPRO Lite, WIDLXLITE and WI STDLITE.

Washburn has the knowledge and experience you can rely on, and that kind of experience is well built into WI STDLITE. With a mahogany body and neck, the WI STDLITE is sturdy enough for even the most hardened rockers. The cherryburst finish is immaculate and complements the pearl wing inlays of the fretboard. To put it plainly, this guitar looks amazing. It feels reliable and Washburn have clearly put a great deal of time and effort into producing such a good-looking guitar.

The Washburn has a rosewood fretboard that feels very similar to popular guitars such as a Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster, offering players immediate familiarity.

The WI STDLITE is fitted with all the features you could possibly wish for in a mid range guitar and suits a variety of playing styles. You can see that Washburn have carefully chosen features to ensure that they leave no guitar player's desire unfulfilled.

Though it is advertised as “ready to play out of the box”, the Washburn WI STDLITE needs a little tinkering before it’s ready to roll. Thankfully it’s very easy to set it up and you can be playing within a few minutes of adjustments.

The fitted Duncan USM Humbucker pickups are tremendous and give a real crunchy sound out the mid tones. Ideal for rock/metal players that are after something a bit different. Played through my Marshall 100 watt tube, the Washburn makes it really easy to get perfect tones out of it. Playing this guitar day in day out is a pure joy. It stays in tune despite prolonged use and travelling.

If you need an instrument that’s sturdy enough to deal with life’s mishaps, looks great and carries an impressive sound then you really should take a look at the Washburn WI STDLITE. Built to last and sound great, you’d be hard pushed to find another guitar that offers the same bang for your buck than the Washburn WI STDLITE.

So what are you waiting for? Begin your search for cheap musical instruments now at Instrumania.com

The original Fender Stratocaster was designed in 1954, and has since become one of the most well known guitars in the world and has featured on a number of iconic tracks at the hands of some of the most talented guitarists in music history.

Squier, a marque of Fender, have a lower cost version of the iconic guitar available for those looking for the classic style without the price tag, The Squier Stratocaster.

A standard Squier Stratocaster is usually made in Indonesia or China and uses local readily available wood for the body, such as agathis and basswood. It’s fairly durable and doesn’t break easily, though when considering buying a Squier Stratocaster, be sure to go for the affinity series as opposed to the bullet series. Although you will save money, the affinity is the superior quality guitar, and is less liable to break.

It is really beautiful both in looks and feel. Its tone is fair, as you would expect from a Squier. Stratocaster guitars like this are suitable for playing alternative and distorted rock although the single coils do let it down a bit. The pickups are Fender Squier stock pickups, and are some of the cheapest and inexpensive out there and provide no real boost to the tone of the guitar, and generate a fair amount of hum and buzz.

The bridge provides no help with staying in tune, especially when using the tremolo bar. The stock strings are Fender 3235’s, but this shouldn’t be taken into consideration if buying the guitar as these can be changed easily. Yet for the price, the Squier Stratocaster is one of the best starter guitars on the market, though the Floyd-Rose style bridge would give beginners a hard time on adjustments.

The Fender Squier Stratocaster is one of the most affordable guitars on the market, and I am sure Leo Fender would be glad to see so many people enjoying the pleasure of his designs, especially on a limited budget.