Guitar brands that everyone love?

Blaendulais

PRS SE line are superb.  Dentists also buy these but so do people for whom money is a struggle and they are desperate for a quality built instrument

Skipped

When I was still at school, I would spend hours in guitar shops, somehow and inexplicably being allowed to play the second hand guitars.

The fact that I was drawn, like a magnet, to the second hand Gibson models, mainly Sg's and 330's, was possibly triggered by conditioning. But I think not. The guitars that struck me as very desirable were the Gibsons and the Epiphones. I did not know - then - that the Epiphone guitars had been made in the same factory in Kalamazoo. I just knew that I really liked them.

I accept that I am Gibson fan boy. I am arguing that this faith was not unjustified and was based on the guitar in my hands and not on the headstock logo.

Hattigol

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, loves a Ricky......don't they?

Funkfingers

docbaker said:

what did you mean for PRS - dentists?

The jibe is that US-made Paul Reed Smith (to name but one brand) guitars are so expensive that only dentists, lawyers and other well remunerated persons can afford them.

In my opinion, this prejudice stems from the damn fool notion that the monetary value of a player's instrument is, in some way, a reflection on their musical abilities. This delusion is easy to debunk. I cite that YouTube example of Satriani, in some student's dorm bedroom, shredding the bejeezus out out a dogbreath Stratocaster copy and solid state amplifier.

Some say that there may be an element of petty jealousy or envy involved. I couldn't possibly comment.

mr_air

Reverend guitars might not be a major player, but they are moving up and I haven't really heard anything negative about the brand.

thegummy

Panama_Jack666 said:

I've never heard a bad word about Feline! So them!

I've never heard and words about them outside this forum lol.

I'd say Fender were pretty much universally loved. People who don't play music know them and I've heard it assumed they're the best and I'd think most players either have or would want a nice Strat or tele unless they're strictly in to a genre where they're not appropriate. Even then, I could imagine a sludge metal purist still not minding a single Strat for occasional play

impmann

Hattigol said:

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, loves a Ricky......don't they?

Er, no... not everyone. :-)

dazzajl

mr_air said:

Reverend guitars might not be a major player, but they are moving up and I haven't really heard anything negative about the brand.

 
I cant vote for them sadly. 

I played a PA1 that blew my socks off. Better than most Gretschs is I’d played, at a third the cost. Beautifully put together, sounded amazing and felt wonderful to play. Based on this I saved up to get myself something HH and the Strat copy. 

Except when when I got to actually play them they were flat and lifeless. Playing every Rev in the shop showed that some were incredible and others just weren’t the same. I was absolutely gutted, had my heart very set on them. 

I’d definitely agree with Squier though, every one I’ve played I’d be very happy to take from the shop to a gig. 

Legionreturns

LuttiS said:

Panama_Jack666 said:

I've never heard a bad word about Feline! So them!

Haha we have a winner, guess we can close the thread now then

At the cheaper end, Vintage seem to be accepted as doing incredibly good guitars for sensible prices. I've got a couple myself.

Lodious

Hamer made some nice guitars, and apart from Hameritis, I've not heard much bad about them.

ICBM

Ernie Ball/MusicMan use litigation to bully small companies and steal innovations including the Earvana nut and the technology behind the ‘Game Changer’ circuitry, so I wouldn’t give them the time of day. Personally I also find their guitars rather lacking in character anyway.

Danelectro are owned by someone who has financially supported campaigning for homophobic legislation in California so they won’t get money from me either.

octatonic

Ervin Somogyi.

BintyTwanger77

Fidelity Guitars. Beautiful looking and sounding guitars made in Cambridge.

I will own one someday.

ewal

dazzajl said:

mr_air said:

Reverend guitars might not be a major player, but they are moving up and I haven't really heard anything negative about the brand.

 
I cant vote for them sadly. 

I played a PA1 that blew my socks off. Better than most Gretschs is I’d played, at a third the cost. Beautifully put together, sounded amazing and felt wonderful to play. Based on this I saved up to get myself something HH and the Strat copy. 

Except when when I got to actually play them they were flat and lifeless. Playing every Rev in the shop showed that some were incredible and others just weren’t the same. I was absolutely gutted, had my heart very set on them. 

I’d definitely agree with Squier though, every one I’ve played I’d be very happy to take from the shop to a gig. 

I've not played enough of them to reach a conclusion, however the two I've had (Club King and Manta Ray) are/were superb. I guess with such an extensive set of models - they are not going to always get it right.

carlos

Vigier. Although I think zero fret is a dead end design-wise (ask me for more details).
I'm very impressed by our UK builders like @KempGuitars , @StormshadowGuitars , @skelf .

Kitsune

Hattigol said:

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, loves a Ricky......don't they?

................I never got on with my 330. Gorgeous looking, but a bitch to play.

meltedbuzzbox

impmann said:

meltedbuzzbox said:

impmann said:

The Dentist thing with PRS is a bit tiresome, especially when you look at the flippin huge prices asked for Gibson CS stuff 

Bitch please, that's only because you own two of them.

If I can afford two, then they are hardly in the realm of dentists!! ;-)

Dentists assistant?

OilCityPickups

Blaendulais said:

PRS SE line are superb.  Dentists also buy these but so do people for whom money is a struggle and they are desperate for a quality built instrument

Dentists buy PRS dental hygienists buy PRS SE? :-) 

Flanging_Fred

If one owns a brace of PRS, does that make one an Orthodontist?

DiscoStu

Are we including acoustics?  Faith seem to be universally liked.