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It’s impossible not to be aware that the credit crunch is all around us at the moment. With the government all a fluster and media hype making sure that everyone knows that now is the time to start tightening the belts, it’s a tough time for retailers keen to keep customers snapping up that stock.

The lower end of the electric guitar market is therefore a crucial battleground in the war to keep consumers spending, and ensuring that music stores across the country stay in business. With economic hard times ahead, and folks looking for ways to save money and stay indoors, taking up a musical instrument is a great way to keep indoors and count those pennies – but anything too expensive is starting to look out of the question for most.

Thankfully, the last few years has seen a rise in both quality and choice at the bottom end of the market, as companies have fought to retain possession of market share in what is a hotly contested area. There has never been a wider array of shapes and configurations on offer for new guitarists keen to start their journey on the long road to guitar playing nirvana, and thanks to improved quality control in the Far East and a concerted effort on the part of manufacturers to make value for money the number one priority, the current crop of starter electrics are perhaps better than they have ever been.

With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at the key contenders, and find out which guitars will be keeping frugal hands busy in the coming months.

Ashton
Performing exceptionally well across the board at the moment, Ashton has carved itself out a large share of the lower end of the market that can be put down to a number of factors – positive marketing, a raft of excellent reviews, some great new product and a growing reputation for quality instruments at an affordable price.

One need only look at a selection from its current offering to understand how the company has become so successful in recent months, but now with the addition of  Sparrow Guitars, a new direction has opened up.

Sparrow offers five guitar models in seven hand-crafted finishes and various styles of pin-striping and flames with names like Big Daddy, Rat Rod and Twang Master. The models are made in Asia, but Sparrow takes them, dismantles them and then puts them back together with startling designs and quality hardware. If you haven’t had a chance to look at them yet, get on the phone to Ashton and arrange a viewing or visit. A bit special these ones.

Yamaha
Yamaha's sub-£250 electric guitar offering is significant, to say the least.

By far the biggest share of the company's sales in this market go to the Pacifica 112 – in actual fact the company's most successful electric guitar ever. Not only does it represent a good chunk of business for Yamaha, it is also largely responsible for the massively increased quality in this sector in the last 15 years.

Launched in 1993, the Pacifica 112 had a different focus to that of most guitars in its price range. The pickups were wax potted, the electronics used high-grade components, the setup was consistent and, possibly most importantly, the body was solid wood.

Unchanged for 15 years as the 112, 2008's model, the 112V, retains all of the key specs of the original, but adds custom wound Alnico V pickups (with coil tapped humbucker as standard), a new upgraded tremolo, new finishes, upgraded hardware and the original Pacifica 'short' scratchplate that sees the humbucker mounted on the body and the single coils mounted on the scratchplate for optimum tone for each pickup type.

Backing up this upgrade to the product, and carrying on the theme of treating the Pacifica 112 like a top-end model, Yamaha have produced a 'Play Harder' advertising campaign to promote the fact that Pacifica 112V allows you to do just that. The campaign includes a rich media mini-site at play-harder.co.uk and artist-backed print adverts carrying the message that Pacifica is the best guitar at the price, from Yamaha players including Status Quo, Kevin Roentgen (Orson) and Bill Kelliher (Mastodon). The latest additions to the range are the 'CX ' models, featuring matching headstocks, lacquered necks and either vintage white/tortoiseshell or black/black colour options – available now.

However, the Pacifica 112 isn't the only sub-£250 guitar from Yamaha; there is also the single cut Pacifica 120S, the more modern, rock-styled RGX121Z and the entry level models of Pacifica 012 and ERG121. All in all, an impressive line up.

Aria
AN established brand that continues to be popular amongst beginners, Aria has a good spread of starter models that make it plainly obvious why it has maintained such a steady presence in the market for so long.

The PE Studio, for example, is a stripped down contemporary take on what has become a classic 1970s design from Aria. A body designed by the manufacturer and echoing familiar patterns whilst retaining a sufficiently individualistic edge for those who want something a bit different from the crowd, it features a heel-less neck, patented PE bridge and tail piece, a maple carved top body and neck, chrome hardware and a sufficiently ball breaking humbucker.

JHS
With a sterling reputation for keeping the lower end of the market stuffed to the gills with quality product, JHS has an excellent range of budget electrics that continue on the company’s tradition of proving that you don’t need to break the bank to own a guitar that you can be more than proud of.

There are a number of excellent guitars on offer from JHS in this price range, including the Encore Blaster electrics, that often find their way into the hands of the new player, while almost everything in the Vintage, Vintage Advance and excellent Vintage Icon range comes into the range of the budget buyer. Even the Fret King Eclat, from Trev Wilkinson’s much lauded new range, is up for grabs at a sub-£500 price point, so there is undoubtedly plenty to choose from here.

Fender
Keeping the Fender flag flying on the budget side of things, the Squier range is still one of the best options out there for starters who are looking to replicate as closely as possible Leo Fender’s greatest legacy. The Squier Standard Stratocaster and Telecaster models are massive sellers, that look, sound and play the part. Another big innovation from Squier is the Vintage Modified range – check out the Vintage Modified Tele – which combines classic and modern stylings for a nicely original take on classic designs.

EMD
Another budget specialist, EMD and its Stagg range has been providing the building blocks for many a budding Jimmy Page for some time now and continues to be the first choice for a huge number of retailers who are safe in the knowledge that Stagg products have regualr deliveries and great margins.

Covering off all the familiar shapes, as well as a few more unconventional ones, Stagg has a huge selection of instruments available, and thanks to its reputation has become an obvious choice for many a shop assistant suggesting a cost-effective first instrument that will look the part, play well, and not turn fingers into lumps of sliced flesh at the first given opportunity.

Stagg has a huge variety in its electric guitar range, and it is obvious why such a broad reaching brand has become such an institution among first timers eager to get their sweaty mitts around their first axe.

P&R Howard
The Scottish distributor has been providing an excellent selection of entry-level instruments with its Westfield brand, and has built a solid share of the market due to its diligence in dealing with retailers and a canny eye for what will prove popular among first time buyers.

The Westfield range covers every major shape, from S-type to SG and is a consistent seller thanks to the highly playable nature of its guitars and high build quality. A stalwart of P&R Howard’s offering for some time now, there are many guitarists out there who started on a Westfield and never looked back.

Indie
Well on the way to becoming one of the leading lights in this area of the market, the Oxfordshire based Indie has been putting out plenty of high-spec, eye-catching guitars for a while now.

With a summer festival lined up next year, as well as a US launch, there is lots more in the pipeline for the company, which, thanks to its application of thorough marketing, combined with an excellent standard of instrument manufacture, has experienced significant growth in the last year.

Take a look at the souped-up Tele stylings of the Super T, which has both great looks and a classic feel that will no doubt appeal to players looking for something that looks and plays a whole lot better than the lowly price tag might suggest.

House Music
The home to the Red Special, the Brian May look-a-like guitar, House Music has fulfilled the dreams of many a big-haired wannabe Queen guitarist. The Red Special is instantly recognisable to pretty much any guitarist and at an affordable price means that even first timers are able to channel their inner Bohemian Rhapsodist.

A range of colours are available, including the classic vintage cherry, honey sunburst, black, white, baby blue, gold and three tone sunburst and while these guitars aren’t quite handmade by the man himself – as the original – they are still as close as you can get without robbing the May household.

Great looking and capturing the essence of Queen’s distinctive guitarist with ease, these are great guitars that are pleasing on the eye and raise an eyebrow – and not just from passing Queen fans.

Peavey
Peavey’s prime contender in this area of the market, an area in which they have always traditionally performed well, is the brand new PXD Tomb which will be finally available in January.

The guitar is the entry level option from the PXD range, a new breed of extreme electric guitars that aims to capture the aggression and attitude of modern metal players, who like nothing better than making a nice bit of loud, angry noise.

Supercharged active pickups and a mahogany body, the guitar is designed to compliment the Peavey 6505 series guitar amplifiers – a series that has made its way into the backline of bands like Trivium, In Flames, Bullet For My Valentine and Machine Head, which should give you a fair idea of just where the market for the PXD Tomb lies. A small guitar with a big future.

Freestyle
The recent revival of the Eko brand has led to a lot of interest for Freestyle music from players attracted to its distinctive Italian looks.

The Eko Kadett SL1 features a linden body, maple neck, Wilkinson trem and H-S-S pickup layout for a bit of flexibility. Available in black, natural and metallic red, it’s sure to prove a success with the growing legion of Eko fans out there. Also available is the Cobra 2HHB Vintage Reissue, with basswood body, maple next, and a pair of growling humbuckers.

So, whilst the scaremongers continue to whip the public into an economic frenzy, there is still lots to be hopeful about.

As more people stay indoors, wondering what the hell to do on those long winter nights taking up the electric guitar has the potential to look like a better money saving option than it has done is quite some time.

The staggering amount of choice on offer, combined with low prices across the board for really very good guitars indeed could, for the switched on retailer, ensure that the hard times ahead aren’t nearly as difficult as they could be.