Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton Strat copy every night of 113-date arena tour

Scott Poley
(Image credit: Scott Poley/YouTube)

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always the case that high-profile guitarists – with their seemingly endless pool of guitar gear resources – opt to play the most expensive electric guitars on the market. In fact, some of the most well-known pro players have played cheap guitars, from Prince and Brian May all the way to Eddie Van Halen and St. Vincent.

It’s testament to the fact that you really don’t need to fork out a fortune on an instrument when far more affordable, and reliably robust, alternatives are out there.

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Matt Owen

Matt is a Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.