Have you checked out any PRS SEs? They might be up your alley. Or an LTD?

A Telecaster is always a good choice, too.

Sg is a kind of metal classic and you can find the shape from many manufacturers. Single cuts, too, if you can tolerate them.

Ibanez has lots of models, though depending on how demanding you are, definitely budget for pickup change. 500 is close to used Prestige prices, even.

A little off field would be a Revstar.

And there's always Jackson.

In that budget, and for versatility, a Yamaha Pacifica HSS would be your best bet. Schecter, Squier, and Sterling are great options, too.

Have you checked out any PRS SEs? They might be up your alley. Or an LTD?

A Telecaster is always a good choice, too.

Same. I have an Ibanez with a FR bridge and I'm also done dealing with that. My own research has led me to the LTD guitars, they have several good ones in that price range, all of the [X]-200 series ones. My personal favorite that I played on at a guitar store is the Telecaster shaped TE-200, it plays like a dream and is super comfortable. They all have dual humbucker setups, with coil split on the tone knob, so they can do a lot of different sounds.
The other thing I'm looking into, is just staying with Ibanez, since I love their playability and comfort, and they still sound pretty good, especially after you're out of the Gio lines. The RG/RGA/S 421 line are what you and I are looking for: dual humbucker, fixed bridge setup, and still in the budget range.

Other than those, like other people in the thread recommended, look around for some SG shaped guitars, or even Telecasters! They're a lot more versatile than people give them credit for (and honestly I think I've converted myself into a Tele guy during this research)

Harley benton ex?

People have already mentioned these, but a Squire or equivalent Tele, Revstar or hardtail Pacifica... Does Yamaha sell a hardtail Pacifica for less than £500 these days? Well, if they do, check it out. Cheap Pacificas are generally great value for money.

Of course, my favourite fixed bridge guitar these days is my Worn Casino but I guess it's not as versatile as the others. Still, I think it comes in at under £500. I paid $600 Canadian for mine, with a case.