What cheap guitars have no right to be so darn good?

slacker

Someone I knew about 10 years ago asked me if I could change the strings on her guitar. I agreed and she gave me an acoustic in like a tea towel and said she pick it up in a weeks time. 

So I got this beat up Washburn acoustic and replaced the 100 year old strings. That guitar was amazing. I showed it to a mate of mine who is a fellow muso/collector and he said he had one like it but it wasnt anywhere as good. 

When the owner came to collect it I casually asked if she wanted to sell it. SHe said basically that it cost a lot of money (£100) andshe wouldnt sell it. Oh well. 

The point is that that guitar was good period and also what I considered a cheapie someone else considered a huge investment and wanted to learn how to play it. 

andyp

I keep reading and hearing great things about the Classic Vibe Teles... I think I'm going to have to get one sooner or later.

Megii

hobbio said:

terada said:

In all honesty, when people usually talk about great cheap guitars, somewhere in their comment is the phrase... 'for the money'.

What I'd like to see though, is a Squier that people were happy to pay a grand for, one that's appreciated just on its own merits, and not by its price compared to other options. Now that would be interesting!

I'm guilty of it too, the cheapest guitar I own is a free old acoustic that I was given in a hotel because I was the only person who'd shown any interest in it in 20 years. I love it for the one buzzy tone it makes, and when I want a guitar that sounds a bit sitar-like with a constant drone, then its better than my martin. But I wouldn't pay fifty quid for it, because in reality, its a pile of cr*p that I just happen to have a soft spot for.

Either way the cheapest electric I own is a mex fender. It has sat amongst all my other guitars, and its the only one whose walnut skunk stripe glue has given in (in just over a year) so that the skunk stripe is actually coming out of the neck. In this case, I think it's got no right to be so bad.

Wis'd.

All of my guitars are cheap, and whilst I love my number 1 Epi 339 and I'm getting on with my Shine SIL-510 better now that I've put proper strings on it I consider them good guitars "for the money".

Would I swap them for more expensive guitars? Yep, without a doubt. I can't imagine they'd get much play if I had the Ricky 330 I'm after, or a Fender Tele, or a Gibson 339 etc.

Was wondering how you were getting on with the Shine. I still love both of mine - for me they are just really great guitars. If push came to shove, would I swap one for a PRS semi-hollow? I have to admit the answer to that is (of course) a yes, so I suppose the "for the money" point stands. And of course I've dressed and levelled the frets, changed the pickups etc. But the Shines really are bloody good all the same.

terada

FelineGuitars said:

Your Terada acoustic is totally mad - unreal action (although I suspect if it had fresh strings it might buzz and rattle a bit more than it currently does).

Hah you are bang on Jon! The Terada definitely plays better than any acoustic I've ever played! Perhaps an exception to prove the rule?

That said, though its priceless to me (because of the family connection), I doubt anyone would pay top dollar for it, or swap their prized martins/taylors etc for it!

Nunogilberto

Yamaha Pacifica/ERG121
Epiphone Jr
Vintage V120

57Deluxe

£26 +£15.50 del - new!  Has those authentic '65 tones aplenty and massive loud PUPS that sustaaaaaaain

Tremolo suffers from usual tuning issue if over-whammied, BUT if you have the dirt dialed on your amp/peds, then you get that Jeff Beck effect into tuneful OD with the slightest of arm depressions and no tuning issues.

Has a better neck profile than my authentic 73 Fender!

The Olympic White is also discoloring nicely so makes me think is actually a Cellulose finish to boot! Is a 2008 and you can guess where from...

Spent very little time on setup too... Bargain!

http://i61.tinypic.com/25p5ogx.jpg

Fuzzdog

terada said: FelineGuitars said:Your Terada acoustic is totally mad - unreal action (although I suspect if it had fresh strings it might buzz and rattle a bit more than it currently does). Hah you are bang on Jon! The Terada definitely plays better than any acoustic I've ever played! Perhaps an exception to prove the rule?

Weird - the only other person I know who owns a Terada acoustic also has the most ridiculously bonkers low easy action on it that I have ever seen.  It's seriously mental, I've had widdly superstrats which couldn't get the action as low as it is on her Terada.

Gru

57Deluxe;705224" said:

£26 +£15.50 del - new!  Has those authentic '65 tones aplenty and massive loud PUPS that sustaaaaaaain



Tremolo suffers from usual tuning issue if over-whammied, BUT if you have the dirt dialed on your amp/peds, then you get that Jeff Beck effect into tuneful OD with the slightest of arm depressions and no tuning issues.



Has a better neck profile than my authentic 73 Fender!



The Olympic White is also discoloring nicely so makes me think is actually a Cellulose finish to boot! Is a 2008 and you can guess where from...



Spent very little time on setup too... Bargain!



http://i61.tinypic.com/25p5ogx.jpg

I have no idea where it's from. Stolen?

Interested to know what it is though.

Gru

I agree that the Classic Vibes are very nice, I chose one over an American Special. 2nd hand I have seen them for as little as £150 in what looks like fantastic condition.

The Andertons video where Lee and Chappers seemed to have trouble telling between a Custom Shop and CV tele in a blindfold test is still a powerful message on how we shop with our eyes and on (so called) reputation/prestige.

57Deluxe

@Gru - China of course!

Budgie

Not exactly cheap cheap but only marginally over £500... my Graham Coxon tele, it's brilliant, I really don't play anything else nowadays. 

ThePrettyDamned

I did have a Korean bc rich gunslinger with ofr and dimarzio super distortion stock.

Bloody great for £200! Newer ones have a cheaper licensed Floyd and a cheaper pickup.

Gru

But

57Deluxe;705292" said:

@Gru - China of course!

But where? Who With? That's stupid money!

57Deluxe

Gru said:

But

57Deluxe;705292" said:

@Gru - China of course!

But where? Who With? That's stupid money!

Yeah BUT -  I lucked out on the Strat - cos I only paid £35 inc for the Tele from same ppl!! And if silver sparkle was good enough for Lou Reed, then was good enough for me... ! Were sold on ebay by a German co. but from China - badged ALBA (sorted that though straight off!).

http://i58.tinypic.com/2r5f4zt.jpg
                                        This thing is SO resonant that you can play it as an acoustic!!

http://i58.tinypic.com/2mff05d.jpg

Sassafras

Best cheap guitar I've got is a Vintage AV-2, looks a bit like a Thinline Tele but it's got 2 coil tapped humbuckers. Plays very nicely with a load of tones. Cost me £100 in perfect condition.

GuitarZero

I bought a 2nd hand SE Singlecut for 200 quid delivered a while back.  Came upgraded with Tonerider pickups and grover tuners.  A lot of guitar for 200 nicker.  Ebay does throw up the odd gem now and again.

dogload

freakboy1610 said: Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. The pickup switch can be a bit iffy but otherwise a superb guitar for the money. It's my favourite guitar of all that I've owned, but not the most expensive by a long way.


Most definitely! Apart from the bridge these are such good guitars. Have been my main 'gigging' guitars since I got one.

Danny1969 said:

I also have an old Tokai Strat copy which I was given when I  converted a garage into a man cave for a friend. At first I privately though a Fender one would be better but I honestly wouldn't swap it for a Fender now, it just sounds so sweet and it's the perfect Strat for me. Looking at Ebay prices points to it being worth about £350 so another cheap guitar 

My Tokai that I bought new in 1982 or 83 when they were selling them off for 150 quid (much cheaper than any other good Strat at the time) is still miles better than any other Strat I've tried or owned since. Even if I could sell it, I wouldn't.

crunchman

Gibson True Historics!


:P

Samgb

I paid £80 on Ebay for my Vintage V6. £65 for a set of Bulldog Sweet 62s to go in. Love it.  

Total Outlay Versus Stratocastus In Excelsis = A+ Win    

Bucket

My Raygun Relics Junior... not super, super cheap (£325) but it really, really does look like it could have cost thousands, it nails the beaten-up 50s Gibson aesthetic. You won't find a more expensive-looking guitar under £500.

Feels and sounds great too.