Peach Guitars | The best Strat under £900?

These days you don’t have to look far, or have much of a budget, to be met with a vast array of incredible electric guitars. With build techniques and quality control across high production run models at an all-time high, you can get a serious amount of guitar for a reasonably modest outlay.

As you’d expect one of the most popular body shapes is the Stratocaster, a timeless icon that countless brands have offered their own version of. The sheer amount of options available can be somewhat overwhelming, even for an experienced hand, so we’d like to help make the process a little bit easier!

In this blog we’ve pulled together 3 of our favourite “S” style guitars, all feature the traditional SSS pickup configuration and all retail at less than £900. There are countless other viable options, and we love a number of these options too, but for straight-up comparison these 3 offer equal bang for your buck!

Let’s kick off with the original, the big daddy, the Fender Player Series Stratocaster. Replacing the now iconic Mexican Standard range was no easy feat, but you know what, the Player Series has done it without even breaking sweat. With more models, and greater variation, the Player Series is the best selling range around. 

The Player Series Stratocaster features a traditional Alder body, typically well-balanced and comfortable, as all Strat's should be. It’s super resonant and delivers a bell-like high end, punchy mids and robust lows with flawless precision.

The Maple neck offers a 9.5" radius, a C shape profile and 22 medium jumbo frets. It's a really comfortable playing experience and equally at home playing big chords or intricate lead work. A trio of Player Series Alnico 5 single coils provide classic Strat spank. Offering a touch more bite than traditional Strat pickups, the Player Series is crisp and articulate. With a classic 2-point trem you can add some really sweet textures to your sound without compromising tuning stability. We really rate it, and we’ve sold these by the absolute bucketload, check out our Player Series videos above!

If you don’t know who Nick Johnston is, where have you been! One of the most fluid and impressive virtuoso players on the scene, Nick plays with a flair and precision that is a joy to experience. We’ve been fortunate to have him down at Peach on a couple of occasions and he never fails to impress!

A long-time Schecter Custom Shop player, Nick has several high-profile signature lines attached to his name, so it came as no surprise when the Schecter Diamond Series Nick Johnston was announced. 

This vintage styled Strat features an Alder body finished in a range of aptly named Atomic finishes; Atomic Coral, Atomic Frost, Atomic Green, Atomic Silver and Atomic Snow. They are vibrant and absolutely delicious!

The super smooth Roasted Maple neck boasts an Ebony fingerboard which not only looks amazing, but feels silky smooth, enabling extremely easy playing. With 22 frets, a 14" fretboard radius and a Thin "C" profile, this guitar feels incredible to play, allowing you to effortlessly bend and vibrato your way to guitar tone heaven! Loaded with 3 Schecter Diamond 'Nick Johnston' signature single coil pickups, you can achieve a diverse range of tones, from classic Strat vibes to shred-worthy highs; it's a powerhouse guitar that's for sure.

Last but by no means least; no Strat list would be complete without the most controversial of them all, that’s right, we can only be talking about the PRS SE John Mayer Silver Sky! John Mayer has a reputation for being a bit of a stickler for killer tone, and as a multi Grammy Award winner and heir to the modern blues throne, you wouldn't expect anything less. 

The PRS SE Silver Sky is a familiar iteration of the original Silver Sky model, delivering a killer tone with awesome playability at a consumer-friendly price point. The original Silver Sky was based around John and Paul's favourite elements from their own vintage '63 and '64 guitars. Those ideals have certainly not been lost and are visible all over the SE model as its loaded with the instantly recognisable PRS magic, creating a brilliant reimagining of the classic vintage single coil guitar.

With a Poplar body, it features the signature PRS lower horn scoop, allowing for great access up the neck. Rocking 22 frets, a 25.5" scale length, slightly flatter 8.5" radius, and a slimmer 41mm nut width, this Maple neck, which has small bird inlays, offers a classic yet modern feel. The single coil pickups have been designed to provide the same vintage and glassy tone associated with late 60s single coil guitars. The 635JM "S" set is smooth sounding and incredibly touch sensitive. These precision engineered single coils are everything you would expect a tone junkie like Mayer to dig.

Which one is best, well that’s for you to decide, we love and appreciate each one just as much as the next. Why not book an appointment and try them out for yourself?

As always, you can buy with confidence from Peach Guitars. From meticulously inspecting each piece of equipment, professionally setting up each guitar, tracking every package, and delivering the best after-sales customer service, our team will do our best to make you feel welcome and offer genuine, professional advice.