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  #16  
Old 10-01-2017, 08:55 PM
rwmct rwmct is offline
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I have a mid-90s MIM Tele. I see that as basically a lower mid-grade instrument, but I like it a lot. In the last six months or so I have played several squier teles in stores, and a couple of them have felt to me every bit as good as my MIM and as good as several U.S. built teles in the same stores. I am sure the hardware is not as good, but the playability was there. The Squiers were priced at $219, $230, etc. Maybe those were sale prices, I don't know, but they were real bargains, IMO.
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  #17  
Old 10-02-2017, 07:27 AM
Pvee Pvee is offline
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Default My go to guitar

I have owned several tele's and strat's including several that I made.

I currently have a MIM thinline tele with Fender noiseless pickups. I like the guitar but not crazy about the pickups.

But my goto Guitar is a Made in Japan Tele that I bought it used a long time ago and it still looks new.

I have a mini humbucker in the neck position and a four way switch so it gives me the tones I like, and is my favorite for playing out.
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  #18  
Old 10-02-2017, 01:54 PM
paulp1960 paulp1960 is offline
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I recently bought a second-hand Squier classic vibe 50s telecaster.

After a good setup I'm loving it. I was thinking of changing the pickups but after playing it for a while I'm keeping it standard for now, it sounds and plays great.
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  #19  
Old 11-06-2017, 12:36 AM
Tommy_G Tommy_G is offline
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As mentioned...

A G and L Tribute Tele copy and I got along well through a Peavey Delta Blues amp... I really enjoyed playing that guitar. I might buy it someday... I have a G and L Tribute ASAT and that particular guitar had a really good vibe compared to many in the store at any price but I find it a little too generic of a tone with the MFD pickups... Very hifi sounding... I also bought a G and L Tribute L2000 and that particular bass just has it going on... Itsvoicing is perfect for a band mix and lots of tonal flexibilty.

Their Blues Boy guitars came in some custom configurations that would work great too .. Always wanted one.

Overall G and L has impressed me time and again... Price point is great and electronics used to be same as their high end guitars.

Last edited by Tommy_G; 11-06-2017 at 12:45 AM.
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  #20  
Old 11-06-2017, 01:01 AM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by muscmp View Post
... note that your amp will be about 40% of your sound.
I feel like my hands are 99% of my sound.
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  #21  
Old 11-06-2017, 09:59 AM
beninma beninma is offline
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If you listen to a crappy car stereo or something there is a lack of fidelity that makes everything sound bad/fuzz/hissy/distorted. That is something you have to deal with in electric guitars that you don't really have to deal with at all with acoustic guitars.

Lots of the amps under $500 have this in spades. If you go with single coil guitars like Fenders/Squiers they have noise and wiring issues that contribute to this too.

I feel like the cheap Epiphones have a little bit better chance at having cleaner wiring/electronics because they often have humbuckers so that helps there. My experience picking them up in the store though is it would seem like it's harder to get one that has good mechanical quality compared to a Fender MIM or a Squier though.

Yamaha THRs are probably the "FG800 of guitar amps" though. Very easy call there for an inexpensive amp.

Some of this depends on the music you play too. If you're playing blues, power chords, and single line runs you can get better sounds out of the cheap amps and equipment. If you start trying to play fuller sounding chords and particularly with really clean sounds you start running into the limitations of the amps & wiring/pickups, etc..

I ended up upgrading my amp in less than 6 months. I have a MIM Telecaster, got it used cheap. Mechancially it was always fantastic, but I still went through a setup journey. And I upgraded the pickups & wiring myself, it's fantastic now. I probably have $700 in it total.
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  #22  
Old 11-06-2017, 07:49 PM
loco gringo loco gringo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by posternutbag View Post
Consider that +1
Another +1 or the Classic Vibe Squire.

Reverend makes some really nice guitars, too. They are more $ than the Classic Vibe, though.
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  #23  
Old 11-07-2017, 03:05 PM
HesNot HesNot is offline
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Default tough question

This is harder than it seems mostly due to the incredible leap in quality of electric guitars at the lower end of the price spectrum over the past 10+ years.

When I started playing inexpensive guitars were night and day from even slightly more expensive ones. With CNC and other advances plus closer oversight and care from the parent company there are a ton of guitars made in the far east that are really nice instruments.

I currently have 3 electrics and none of them are US made (I have owned two US Teles in the past). One is vintage - the other two - a PRS SE and an Ibanez Talman are newer. Of the two new ones I can find few flaws in the fit or finish of either - the frets edges on the Ibanez aren't perfect but more than usable. Other than that, not much, particularly the PRS which I have zero complaints about from a construction or even component perspective.

As noted - other than labor which is not an insignificant matter - costs have to be cut somewhere and where it is cut varies a bit - usually pickups and hardware but even that is not always the case given that often a branded and unbranded version of something may be the same thing other than the label.

So... particularly if you're willing to shop used - the general consensus models have been named already but I'll second them:

PRS SE (they may be the top of the heap based on my experience)
Fender - Mexican and or Squier
Epiphone - particularly when you edge a bit up in their range.
G&L Tribute
Yamaha Pacifica
Ibanez RG or S

etc... Really it depends on what type of sound you're after. While I can hear the difference between a Martin Dread and a Taylor 714 the difference is not nearly as dramatic as between a Telecaster and a Jackson with EMGs a Floyd Rose tremolo and a sustainiac in it! Also, the sound of an electric is a system really - the guitar itself (pickups, strings and to a lesser extent hardward/wood), any effects you may be using, and the amplifier plus speaker. A Telecaster played through a Deluxe Reverb reissue will sound a good bit different than the same guitar through an Orange OR15 or a Mesa Dual Rectifier. Add in an overdrive, delay whatever and that also colors your tone. At minimum you should consider an amp choice as well since you'll need one...

All that being said I somehow manage to make all my electrics and amps sound oddly similar - partly how I play, partly the effects I use and partly how I tend to EQ an amp...

What style do you play and what kind of sound are you looking to obtain?
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