I've read a number of eBay reviews ranting on about how bad fake guitars are. About buyers who paid for a 'Gibson' or 'Fender' that normally sales for £1000 or more who are disappointed when they receive the fake for which they paid £100.

So more fool them!! Do they really think there are idiots out there who are prepared to accept £100 for a guitar that cost them £1000?

Any person with half a brain should realise that there are fake goods on the international market these days and that if you want to pay for a fancy named, branded item - guitar or otherwise - unless you buy from a reputable dealer you stand the chance of being ripped off.

But that does not mean that cheap guitars - which these days usually means guitars that are made in China - are all duff.

Indeed many of the top US guitar makers use Chinese factories to manufacture their low end products (though they still put astronomical profit margins on them because of the brand name).

So where does that leave us?

Well if you are looking for a 'value for money' guitar do not give up. They are out there. All you have to do is forget the fancy brand names you see on MTV and look for less well known brands that offer a fair and honest deal.

From experience the one  I depend on, and I now have a wide range of guitars in my collection, is Harrier Guitars.

This crowd, based in Devon England, offer really good guitars for low cost.  Sure they are not up to the standard of a custom made Fender but let's be honest for £100 or less what reasonably astute guitarist would expect them to be? And sure you cannot telephone or visit them (they operate as a virtual store on eBay) - when I asked why, they told me it was because whenever they are not setting up or packing guitars they have sold they are playing their guitars and making music. Now that's the kind of people I want to buy guitars from.

What Harrier offer is a range of six stringers and bass electric guitars that any novice or semi-professional player could find incredible value for money.  

I'm not saying Harrier Guitars is the only company that offers good low priced guitars - there are others out there I guess. Some on eBay too. But I'm happy sticking to the guitar supplier that I know and trust.

What I am saying is don't knock foriegn made guitars because you thought you were going to get the bargain of the century because you paid a few quid for what was advertised as a Fender or a Gretsch - life ain't that easy! If it was we would all be millionaires.

For me it means sticking to guitars that may not have such a high profile name but offer great value for money. Guitars like those offered on eBay by Harrier.

Ben Cavendish