In 10th place came Squier by Fender Vintage Modified '72 Thinline Telecaster.  It’s not a current model so seeking one out will be through luck more than anything else.  If you don’t have the appetite for trawling countless guitars stores to snag that particular model you can always look at the new Classic Vibe replacement - keep on reading…

In 9th place is Schecter with their Omen Extreme 6.  Schecter appeared 3 times in the top half of the results making it a respectable choice and far less scary than its name would have you believe.

In joint 8th place is the very popular Yamaha Pacifica PAC112V which has acquired countless accolades in this category since its introduction in the early 90s.

Also in joint 8th place is Epiphone’s first showing in the Top 10 with the Les Paul Special II.  It’s also the lowest price in this category.

In 7th place, and appearing higher up the scale in more reviews, is Epiphone stablemate the G-400 PRO, based on the famous double cutaway SG design.  Like the Special II the price is comfortable within the $500 range and popular with novice and experienced players alike.

Pulling in at 6th place comes Yamaha’s racer bike inspired RevStar RS420, which has been burning rubber since 2015.

5th spot goes to the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Stratocaster.  While its median score placed it 5th, it achieved 2 silver medals offering it some distinction.

In 4th place came the ESP LTD Eclipse EC-256.  8 out of 10 reviews included this model in their ranks and it snagged a single bronze medal in the process.

In 3rd place is the Epiphone Les Paul Standard.  It was awarded a single Gold, Silver and Bronze and matched the EC-256 score with half the number of votes.

There was quite a gap between third and second place which goes to the Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 50’s Telecaster.  With a Gold and Silver medal it didn’t match arch rival Epiphone, but with 50% more top 10 placings pulled away to become runner up.

And in a closely contested top 3, the winner is the PRS SE Standard 24.  With the top points score, joint second highest appearances in Top 10s and 2 Gold Medals and 2 Bronze medals the SE Standard 24 is a deserved winner.  The only possible fly in the ointment, and due to its own success, might be trying to find one.