This is the perfect time to be a beginner or young guitarist – you can currently score more than $250 off our fave entry guitars from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha and more

This ‘50s-style Strat gives crisp alnico pickups, a vintage-tint maple neck and classic tremolo, exactly the tone and feel you want in a beginner’s first serious guitar. It comes with a bunch of essential extras such as a strap, bag and cable, and it also looks properly smart in this Surf Green finish! Read our full 4.5-star review.

With a lightweight alder body, maple neck, Alnico V pickups and a coil-split humbucker, this guitar delivers everything in one attractive, tonally versatile package which is ideal for learners. It’s available in a load of colours, but we love this Sonic Blue finish. Read our full 5-star review.

A full-hollow maple body and Broad’Tron BT-3S humbuckers (with coil-split) give warm jazz tones, bright rock chording and classy sustain, perfect for beginners who want something soulful and versatile. Read our full 4.5-star review.

This mini Stratocaster is a great buy for the new guitar player, or just someone who wants a good quality travel electric. The small scale makes it ideal for younger children, adults with smaller hands, or anyone who prefers the compact feel of a short-scale guitar. With a sweet $30 off the price at Musician's Friend, it's a great buy for beginner guitar players.

The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster is a cult classic that has become a genuine favorite among all manner of players for its bold looks and stripped-back spec. Used prices went through the roof a few years ago, but move quickly and you can snap one up for under $400 at Sweetwater.

For the beginner bass player in your life (or you yourself, if you’ve yet to take the plunge), you can’t say fairer than the Debut. It captures the P-Bass vibe at a bargain price, with that trademark split-coil pickup and an easy-playing comfortable neck. In our review, we noted you might need to give it a bit of TLC when it comes to string height, but with 20% off the usual price, you can afford a quality setup.

Read more: Squier Debut Precision Bass review

How often do you see a discount on Fender’s perennially popular Player II range? Hardly ever. But for Black Friday, Guitar Center is clearing out this limited-edition British Racing Green beauty with $140 off. Player Series Alnico 5 single coils deliver that cutting Jazz tone, while a satin-finished neck with rolled fingerboard edges makes for a comfortable, ahem, player. Did we mention that finish? This deal won’t hang around long.