With all the discussions on expensive custom shop and vintage guitars, I've been thinking lately about how over recent years the quality of budget guitars has come on in leaps and bounds.
So, I've been considering buying a guitar for gigging around £300 - 400 max, new or second hand, that I wouldn't worry about getting damaged or stolen. Within reason I don't care about make, but would be interested in anything that's good and meets the following criteria:
1. Genuinely still sounds great but an absolute must have is that it can deliver both humbucker and single coil tones - the target is LP and Strat tones, preferably without the Strat 60 cycle hum.
2. Comfortable to play with nice neck and frets and sufficiently good build quality to still be considered a professional standard gigging guitar.
3. Must have good hardware for reliable tuning/intonation. A decent trem would be a plus but I don't use a trem much so not essential.
4. I'm quite traditional and not interested in anything that looks pointy or avant-garde.
So what do you think guys...anything out there you can recommend that fits the bill?
I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
Comments
It's a funny looking thing but it's an excellent guitar sound-wise. It's light and it plays very easily.
I've been thinking about what neck I prefer, and I think I'm more comfortable with the Gibson style shorter scale neck. In fact hardtail is going to be more stable so I'm now not bothered about a trem.
I had a 510v it was excellent (the hardware was brilliant- locking Grovers, Wilkinson trem, SD P-rails and a tusq but), but the nut was a bit narrow for me.
The MIM standard is routed for a bridge HB anyway and they're always easy to find.
Plenty of aftermarket parts for Fenders too if you want to mod it over time
I can guarantee that if you gig in the UK you will not get 60-cycle hum with any guitar.
For the budget you could afford to replace the pickups with something really decent if the stock ones don't cut it.
For a while I had a Chinese Squier HH Strat which I put a Duncan Jazz/Distortion pickup pair in, with a Superswitch to give PRS-style inner and outer split-coil sounds. Didn't change anything else, and it was easily good enough for gigs - the trem and machineheads were fine.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Really versatile. Agree was bit narrower at nut than the usual but it widens out more and quite quickly as you go up the neck. I guess the idea is it's easier for chords and better for soloing further up.
Found some vids and it sounds great and very versatile. However, its way above my budget and it doesnt even come with a gig bag either. Have found a brand new 611 vfm for £505 (£575 - 625 elsewhere) with free delivery, but I won't buy one without playing it first.
If I like it, I'll try and find a vfm used.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEVINSON-BLADE-TEXAS-Player-in-Candy-Red-BRAND-NEW-OLD-STOCK-BARGAIN-RRP-549-/322329249979?hash=item4b0c5208bb:g:G8MAAOSw44BYKyCB