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You have narrowed it down to two names on the headstock. One is Squier, the affordable side of Fender. The other is Epiphone, the affordable side of Gibson. Both sell a full size electric guitar for under £300, both have loyal fans, and every forum thread on the subject seems to end in a stalemate. I am a songwriter, and I build FencyGuitar, a guitar learning app, so the question I care about is a practical one: which of these guitars will a new player actually keep picking up after the first month?

This comparison goes tier by tier, because that is how you really shop. Nobody chooses between "Squier" and "Epiphone" in the abstract. You choose between a £159 Strat and a £249 Les Paul, or between two guitars at £400. All prices below are UK prices, checked on 25 October 2026, and I will be blunt about what each brand gets wrong as well as what it gets right.

The Short Answer

If you want the classic Strat sound, a lighter guitar and the lowest possible price, buy a Squier. If you want thick, rock friendly humbuckers and a brand that keeps getting better the more you spend, buy an Epiphone. Here are the three guitars I would point most people towards.

The rest of this article explains why, and where each of those picks stops being the right answer.

Two Brands That Rarely Meet Head On

The first thing to understand is that Squier and Epiphone are not really making the same guitars. Each one builds affordable versions of its parent company's designs, so the shape you fall for usually settles the argument before build quality even comes into it.

Squier

Squier started life as a string maker. Victor Carroll Squier ran a violin and string business in Battle Creek, Michigan, from the 1890s, and Fender bought the company in 1965. The name came back as a guitar brand in 1982, when Fender launched Squier guitars built in Japan as a cheaper alternative to its American instruments. Today Squier is Fender's official entry point, which means you get the real Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster and Precision Bass designs, with the Fender logo small on the headstock and the Squier logo big.

That official link matters: when you eventually upgrade to a Fender, the move will feel familiar.

Epiphone

Epiphone is the older brand by a long way. Anastasios Stathopoulos founded the business in Smyrna, now Izmir in Turkey, in 1873, and his son Epaminondas later moved it to New York and gave it the Epiphone name. In the 1930s Epiphone archtops were genuine rivals to Gibson. Gibson bought Epiphone in 1957, and since then Epiphone has been Gibson's more affordable line.

So an Epiphone gives you Gibson shapes: the Les Paul, the SG, the ES 335 and the Explorer. Since 2020 the main range has carried the "Inspired by Gibson" label, with headstocks that now match Gibson's own shape on many models.

In short: if your heroes play Strats and Teles, start with Squier. If they play Les Pauls and SGs, start with Epiphone.

Where They Are Made Today

Old forum posts warning you away from one country or another are mostly out of date. The great majority of current Squier and Epiphone electrics come from large factories in China and Indonesia, and the country is printed on the headstock or neck plate if you want to check.

What matters far more is the individual guitar. At this price, two of the same model can feel slightly different: one with a nut cut a touch high, another with a fret end that catches your hand. These are small, fixable issues, and they affect both brands roughly equally.

That is why I would rather buy from a UK shop that checks guitars before they ship, or one with a fair returns policy, than save a few pounds with an unknown seller. Under the Consumer Rights Act, a guitar bought from a retailer has to be of satisfactory quality. If you buy online, check tuning, electronics and fret ends as soon as it arrives, while you are still inside the return window.

Sound: Single Coils vs Humbuckers

This is the real heart of the decision, and it has nothing to do with the logo.

Most Squier Strats use three single coil pickups. Single coils sound bright, clear and glassy. Chords ring out with plenty of detail, which is lovely for indie, pop, funk, blues and anything where you want each string to speak. The in between positions on a Strat (two and four on the five way switch) give that hollow, slightly quacky tone that a lot of recorded guitar is built on. The trade off is noise. Single coils pick up mains hum, and when you add a lot of distortion that hum gets louder and the sound can turn thin.

Most Epiphone Les Pauls use two humbuckers. A humbucker is essentially two coils wired together to cancel the hum, and the result is a thicker, warmer, louder sound. Humbuckers handle distortion beautifully. Power chords sound big, single note riffs have weight, and you can turn the gain up without a constant buzz in the background.

As a songwriter, I think about it this way. If your songs live on open chords, arpeggios and clean or lightly driven tones, single coils will flatter them. If your songs start from a riff, or you already know you love the sound of a cranked amp, humbuckers will make you sound finished sooner.

There are crossovers. Squier's HSS Strats add a bridge humbucker for rock grunt, and Epiphone's P90 models, such as the Les Paul Junior, sit between the two. If you cannot decide, an HSS Squier is the most flexible guitar either brand sells under £200.

If you want to go deeper on drive tones, our guide to the Blues Driver vs Tube Screamer vs Klon covers how each pedal pairs with single coils and humbuckers.

Feel and Playability

Sound gets the attention, but feel decides whether you practise. Here the two brands are genuinely different.

Scale length. A Strat has a 25.5 inch scale (648mm). A Les Paul has a 24.75 inch scale (about 629mm). That small difference changes a lot. On the shorter Epiphone scale, strings feel slightly looser at the same gauge, bends come more easily, and the frets sit a little closer together. On the longer Squier scale, strings feel tighter and snappier, and notes have more attack.

Weight and body. A Strat body is contoured, with a belly cut at the back and a forearm cut on the front. It sits comfortably against you and, on most budget Squiers, it is fairly light. A Les Paul is a slab of solid wood with a carved top, and the Epiphone versions use mahogany on most models. They are noticeably heavier, and if you stand for long rehearsals or gigs your shoulder will notice. If the Les Paul sound appeals but the weight worries you, look at an Epiphone SG instead, which is much lighter.

Necks. The Squier Sonic Stratocaster has a C shape neck with a 9.5 inch fingerboard radius and a 42mm nut. The Epiphone Les Paul Tribute has a '60s SlimTaper neck and a 43mm nut, and the Les Paul Standard '50s has a fuller, rounded medium C shape with a flatter 12 inch radius. Slim necks suit smaller hands and fast chord changes. Fuller necks suit players who grip the neck with the thumb over the top.

Upper frets. The Strat's deep double cutaway lets you reach the top frets easily. The Les Paul's single cutaway and chunky neck heel make the very top of the neck harder to reach.

If you cannot hold both before buying, choose the one whose weight you can live with.

The Entry Level Models

This is where most first guitar decisions happen, and where Squier has its biggest advantage: price.

Squier Sonic Stratocaster

The Squier Sonic Stratocaster is the cheapest full size Strat that Squier makes, at £159 for the standard model at guitarguitar when I checked. You get a poplar body, a maple neck with a C shape and a 9.5 inch radius, 21 narrow tall frets, three Squier ceramic single coils, sealed die cast tuners and a six saddle vintage style tremolo bridge.

That is a sensible spec for the money. Narrow tall frets make clean notes easier for beginners, and the 9.5 inch radius is comfortable for chords. The ceramic pickups are the weak point: fine for clean and lightly driven tones, harsh and noisy under heavy gain. Owner reports suggest using the tremolo gently if you want it to stay in tune. Hardtail versions without the tremolo avoid that problem, and the Sonic Stratocaster pack, with a small amp and gig bag, was £239.

Who should skip this: players who already know they want high gain metal, and anyone who will be frustrated by the occasional need to retune after using the tremolo.

Models Worth Checking Out

Epiphone Les Paul Tribute

For years the standard cheap Epiphone was the Les Paul Special Satin E1, a basic guitar with a poplar body, a bolt on neck and a single volume and tone control. Retailers are now running out of it, and Epiphone's new entry point is the Epiphone Les Paul Tribute, listed at £249 at guitarguitar.

The Tribute is a far more complete Les Paul. It has a mahogany body and mahogany neck, a laurel fingerboard, a '60s SlimTaper neck profile, a 43mm nut, and Epiphone's 650R and 700T ceramic humbuckers with nickel covers. Crucially, it has the full Les Paul control layout: two volume controls, two tone controls and a three way selector. That matters more than it sounds, because blending the two volume controls is how you get many classic Les Paul tones.

It costs £90 more than the Sonic Strat, so it is not a like for like budget match. Think of it as a slightly more serious first guitar, aimed at someone who already knows they want the Les Paul sound.

Who should skip this: anyone sensitive to weight, younger players, and anyone whose music leans towards clean funk, country or jangly indie, where a Strat or Tele will suit better.

Models Worth Checking Out

The Mid Priced Models

Between £350 and £550 both brands make guitars good enough that many working players never move beyond them. This is where I would spend if the budget allows, because the jump in quality from entry level is bigger than the jump in price.

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster

The Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster is the guitar that changed how people talk about Squier, and at £399 it is still the model experienced players recommend more than any other Squier. It uses alnico single coil pickups designed by Fender, a maple neck with a tinted gloss finish and a C shape, a 9.5 inch radius, narrow tall frets and a six saddle vintage style tremolo. Depending on the finish, the body is pine or nato, so check the listing for the colour you want.

Alnico pickups are the big upgrade over the Sonic. They sound warmer and smoother, without the brittle edge of cheaper ceramic pickups, and they clean up nicely when you roll the volume back.

If the '50s neck feels too chunky, the Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster has a slimmer feel and a laurel fingerboard. If you want humbucker power, the Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSS was £399 to £409.

Who should skip this: players who want modern features such as a flatter fingerboard radius, jumbo frets or locking tuners. The Classic Vibe is deliberately vintage in feel.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard '50s

The Epiphone Les Paul Standard '50s is where Epiphone starts to pull ahead. It was £499 to £549 at guitarguitar depending on finish, with some colours listed lower at other UK shops. You get a mahogany body with a maple cap, a set mahogany neck with a rounded medium C profile, a 12 inch radius rosewood fingerboard, ProBucker humbuckers, CTS pots with '50s style wiring and a Graph Tech nut.

Those are the parts that used to separate a real Gibson from a budget copy. CTS pots and '50s wiring keep the guitar bright when you turn the volume down, and the Graph Tech nut helps strings return to pitch after bends.

The Epiphone Les Paul Standard '60s gives you a slimmer neck and slightly hotter, brighter pickups for a similar price.

Who should skip this: anyone with a firm £400 ceiling, and anyone who stands to play for hours and dislikes heavy guitars.

At this tier I give Epiphone the edge on hardware and electronics, and Squier the edge on comfort and value. The Classic Vibe is £100 to £150 cheaper and does its job beautifully. The Les Paul Standard '50s simply feels closer to its expensive parent.

The High Tier Models

This is the clearest difference between the brands, and the reason the "which is better" argument changes depending on budget.

Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSS

Squier's ceiling is low. The Classic Vibe range, topping out at around £400 to £420 for models such as the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Stratocaster HSS, is essentially the top of the brand. Squier has released special anniversary editions in the past, but at the time of writing UK shops are not listing anything meaningfully more expensive.

That is a deliberate choice by Fender. Above Squier sits Fender's own Player II series, made in Mexico, which competes directly with upper Epiphone models. So if you have £600 or more and want a Strat, the honest answer is that the "Squier" option is really a Fender. Squier wins the low end; it does not try to win the top.

Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue

Epiphone keeps going. The Inspired by Gibson Custom range includes reissues of famous Gibson models, and the Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue was £999 to £1,099 at guitarguitar when I checked, depending on finish. The range is built to replicate Gibson Custom Shop specs much more closely than the standard Epiphone line, and it comes with Gibson made pickups and a hard case.

It is far cheaper than a Gibson Les Paul Standard, and more than most beginners should spend. If you are weighing it up against a real Gibson, our Gibson vs Epiphone Les Paul comparison goes through what you do and do not get.

Who should skip this: first time buyers. Learn on something cheaper, then come back here once you know what you like.

Quick Comparison Table

What I Don't Like About Either Brand

Every guitar at this price has compromises, and you should know them before you buy.

Squier. The cheapest models use ceramic pickups that sound thin and noisy under high gain. Factory setups vary, so some guitars arrive with high action that makes them harder to play than they should be. The vintage style tremolo on budget Strats can pull strings out of tune if you lean on it. And Squier's ceiling means that if you get serious, your next guitar will probably not be a Squier.

Epiphone. Les Pauls are heavy, and that is not a small complaint for a beginner who may stand to play. Entry pricing is higher than Squier's, so the cheapest Epiphone Les Paul is about £90 more than the cheapest Squier Strat. Owner reports on cheaper models often mention strings catching in the nut slots, which causes tuning drift after bends. Some lower models use laurel fingerboards rather than rosewood, which some players find drier in feel.

Both. In a UK winter, central heating dries guitars out, and cheap guitars are more likely to show sharp fret ends as the fingerboard shrinks slightly. A professional setup at a local shop fixes this along with high action and nut problems. Budget roughly £40 to £60 for it. A cheap guitar that is set up well plays better than a more expensive one that is not.

Who Should Skip Both

These brands are the right choice for most first guitars, but not for everyone.

Buying Used in the UK

Both brands are easy to find second hand on Reverb, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and in shop pre owned sections. Used prices are where good deals hide: when I checked, used Classic Vibe '50s Strats were listed at around £280 to £300, against £399 new.

Before you hand over money, check the following:

A private sale gives you far fewer rights than a shop, so buy used from a retailer with a returns window where you can.

So, Squier or Epiphone?

Here is my answer by budget, because that is how you will actually decide.

Under £200. Squier, clearly. The Squier Sonic Stratocaster is the best full size electric either brand sells at this price, and the HSS version covers rock as well.

£200 to £350. It depends on the music. If you want rock and humbuckers, the Epiphone Les Paul Tribute is the more complete instrument. If you want versatility and a lighter guitar, the Squier Affinity Stratocaster is the safer pick.

£350 to £550. Both are excellent. The Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster is the value champion. The Epiphone Les Paul Standard '50s has the better hardware and feels more like its expensive parent.

Over £600. Epiphone, or step up to Fender. Squier does not really compete here.

Whichever you choose, budget for an amp too. A small modelling amp makes a much bigger difference to how a cheap guitar sounds than most people expect. Our best practice amps roundup and our Boss Katana vs Positive Grid Spark comparison are good places to start, and if you want lots of sounds from one box, see our Valeton GP-50 vs Boss GT-1 vs Zoom G1X Four comparison.

And if neither a Strat nor a Les Paul excites you, that is worth listening to. Some players stick with the guitar that looks unlike anything else on the wall. Fency Music, our sister store, carries the Mojolnir Pixel Zero, an 8 bit styled electric for exactly that kind of player.

Why Liverpool Music

Liverpool Music is run by Zhong Gu, a songwriter who also builds FencyGuitar, a guitar learning app. We think a lot about the gap between buying a guitar and actually learning to play it, and that is the lens we use here.

We checked every price against UK retailers on 25 October 2026, mainly guitarguitar, with Andertons and Gear4music for comparison. We cross checked specs against manufacturer listings, and when a point comes from owner reports rather than our own hands, we say so. Fency Music is our sister store, which is why we say so at the top of the page. We do not currently earn affiliate commission from any retailer we mention. If a price or spec has changed, tell us and we will correct it.

FAQ

Is Squier or Epiphone better for a complete beginner?

Squier is the better choice for most complete beginners because it is cheaper and lighter. The Squier Sonic Stratocaster costs £159 and covers many styles. Choose Epiphone instead if you already know you want a rock sound built on humbuckers, and you are comfortable carrying a heavier guitar.

Which brand holds its value better second hand?

Mid priced models from both brands hold their value best. Squier Classic Vibe Strats and Epiphone Les Paul Standards sell easily on the used market. The cheapest models lose a larger share of their price, so buying an entry level guitar used, from a shop with a returns window, is often the smartest money.

Is a Les Paul too heavy for a first guitar?

A Les Paul is heavier than a Strat, but it is not too heavy for most adults. Sitting down, the weight hardly matters. Standing for long sessions, it can tire your shoulder, so use a wide padded strap. If weight is a real concern, an Epiphone SG gives you a similar sound in a much lighter body.

Do I need a setup on a new Squier or Epiphone?

A professional setup is worth it on almost every budget guitar. It lowers the string height, fixes nut slots and smooths fret ends, which makes the guitar much easier to play. In the UK, expect to pay roughly £40 to £60. Some shops include a basic setup when you buy from them.

Can I play metal on a Squier?

You can play metal on a Squier, especially an HSS model with a bridge humbucker. A standard three single coil Strat will sound thin and noisy with heavy distortion. For drop tunings and very high gain, a guitar built for metal, from a brand such as Ibanez or Jackson, will be easier.

The Bottom End

If you want one sentence: buy the shape you love, at the tier you can afford, and get it set up properly. Squier is the stronger brand below £250 and the better choice for anyone who wants a light, versatile guitar. Epiphone is the stronger brand above £450, and the one to choose if your songs start with a riff and a loud amp. In the middle, both make guitars that working musicians gig with every week. The worst choice is the one that sits in its case. Pick the guitar that makes you want to play tonight.