How good can a cheap guitar sound?

[string1399]

Try different picks.

[Atalkingsausage]

Wow guy's thanks for all the helpful responses! the basic theme I'm detecting here is that I need to experiment with strings, and improve as a player which is definitely good advice.

[D28A1941]

I would bring the guitar to a good luthier for a set up if you haven't, sometimes that is more important than changing things.

[jlott00]

I'm gonna get flamed for this but you could scallop the braces.....in fact I'll be posting soon about my ej-160e ....I scalloped the braces and I also added two sound ports...made huge difference.....it's a ballzy move though I won't lie. The sound port will for sure improve the sound.

[ecwannabe]

Cheap guitars have become a hobby for me. I've figured out I'm a lousy player but I'm pretty good at finding good deals on used guitars, I enjoy the hunt. I play them for a while, make some improvements then sell them at or near what I paid for them. Basically I'm renting them. Out of all the things I've done to the many cheapies I've owned, the one thing that stands out as the best bang for the buck and effort are 80/20 strings. They always seem to wake up dull sounding guitars. They especially sound more lively from behind the guitar, from the player's point of view.

[warbles]

Originally Posted by Flipguitar_pro

Technique, technique, and more technique...

I'd have to agree w/ Flipguitar.
I learned that lesson years ago when I was studying the violin. I was stumbling through, squeaking and squawking... I thought there was something wrong with my pathetic-sounding violin. Then, someone who really knew how to play picked it up and made it sing. Needless to say, I resolved to practice more.

[mdutr0]

I actually own an Epi AJ220S. I happen to think that they are pretty good guitars, especially considering their price point.

That said, with mine I found that 80/20s really brought some nice tone out of the guitar. I also found that going down a gauge to 11s really seemed to enhance a lot of the tonal qualities that I really like in the guitar. But then again, I am a bare-finger picker and I don't know your playing style so YMMV.

[Rmz76]

Hi,

I'm a big fan of the AJ220s as a starter guitar. I think it's one of the best choices for a beginner at it's price point with potential to be a gigging guitar. If you were buying it hoping to get the poor man's J-45 I think you may have bought the wrong guitar. There are a lot of things that give the J-45 it's signature tone but I believe the short scale length, materials and bracing pattern have the most tonal impact... The AJ220s has a longer/normal scale and really the only thing the AJ220s shares with the J-45 is it's round shoulder shape. I can't think of anything that hasn't been suggested. String choice may help, I would try medium gauge Martin Lifespan PBs.

Next month you'll be able to get the Epiphone AJ-45ME ($599). Which has the all solid wood materials and scale length as the Gibson J-45. I have not played one yet, but if you're looking for something very similar to a Gibson J-45 on a budget I think the AJ-45ME could be a great candidate. You could probably get $100 from our AJ-220s on trade towards one.

[Atalkingsausage]

I actually went back to the store where I bough my AJ and played the one they had hanging on the wall. It sounded perfectly alright. I just made the mistake of not playing a few before I dropped my money on one. That just illustrates to me the huge variance that there can be between guitars even of the same brand and model.

[Captaincranky]

Originally Posted by Atalkingsausage

I actually went back to the store where I bough my AJ and played the one they had hanging on the wall. It sounded perfectly alright. I just made the mistake of not playing a few before I dropped my money on one.....[ ]....

I honestly don't think you should, or can realistically make this call, at least not with the information on hand. The sound of the room is every bit as important as the basic sound of the guitar. So, you would have to take your guitar with you, and play it side by side with the store's AJ, to decide if you made the wrong buy.

Many living rooms, or for that matter, most of most homes are fairly dead acoustically. This is from being loaded with padded furniture, wall to wall carpets, and so forth.

As silly as it sounds, it's also the reason why people sing in the shower. You can hear, ("monitor"), what you're doing, and the hard walls in the bathroom are fairly reverberant. And who doesn't like reverb?

Another thing is strings. We often oversimplify the issue by categorizing strings as "too new", or, "dead". The truth is, "good strings", are just what any given player is willing to tolerate. The truth is, the instant they sound good to you, is the instant they start going bad. They never sound the same, it's simply a "long", (arguably), steady decline.

The best advice so far, is to restring the guitar with an 80/20 alloy set. These will brighten things quite a bit. Something else you might try is testing the Epiphone "Dove, and the Epiphone, "EJ-200 CE". Those are both maple bodied, which is natively bright. If they sound "too bright" in the store, that could translate to "just about right" at home.

[delaorden9]

Originally Posted by trek1500

You know I've been a member of this forum for years and it's amazing how detailed some of the threads can get on the different topics..It's fascinating and really interesting to me..But sometimes I find myself getting too caught up in the minutiae of the discussions and need to take a break now and then.

One time I read an interview a Guitar Magazine had with Paul McCartney and they were peppering him with questions about equipment, strings, etc and asking him how he acquired certain instruments etc. and he simply replied that he always went for the cheapest...i.e. his Hofner...because at the time he was poor and then the Epiphone Texan acoustic which he played "Yesterday" on...(may be viewed on You Tube) because he had been instilled with a sense of value from his dad. He still has both instruments to this day and still plays them!

He went on to tell the interviewer that he wouldn't know about all the technical aspects of the instruments he played but that what was most important to him was the music and the creativity. I loved that answer!

Because at one time I became that "equipment snob" and before you know it I was finding myself not liking my attitude....expecially with younger players who obviously couldn't afford a Taylor or Martin. One day I was humbled when I heard a young man playing a $99 guitar at guitar center and he absolutely blew everyone away! I felt like giving one of my Taylors to him!

So I guess the point I'm trying to make is to be realistic and look at your budget and choose a guitar based upon connection...what I mean by that is that if it speaks to you and you are also wise enough not to get yourself in deep debt....focus on getting better as a player more so than the instrument you get.

I've amassed all my "nicer" instruments in my older years when they became affordable but as a young kid growing up listening to the Beatles I cut my chops on cheap guitars and you know what? I wish I still had them...

This post by trek1500 is beautifully written. Congratulations ...

As for the post .... You claim you have a low end guitar, with a rather low end sound or tone. Did you see my signature guitar ? According to guitar world patterns my Epiphania DR100 all laminated is BELLOW low end. But I'll tell you what... I felt her, I understand her and I give her some nice treatment and she pays me back with some great moments. This guitar is under U$100,00 in EU and US..... I paid US$300,00 here in Brazil, yeah, that's is our reality. To each his own.
Try to put a great deal of soul, feeling and, why not, love, every time you take your guitar. She can feel it. I have seen great guitars sounding poorly, and it wasn't strings or bridges, braces fault.
My mom used to tell me when I was a little kid "...Carlos, take care of your toys, otherwise they would be sad and cry at night when you're sleeping..." sounds silly but I have taken this forever. Good luck !

[stormin1155]

Originally Posted by devellis

On the other hand, if the setup isn't good, that'll hold you back and you may even develop habits you'll have to unlearn if and when you get a better guitar. But if playability is decent, you may want to learn to get the best out of the instrument as it is until you are ready to move up to something else. A lot of great music can come from a humble guitar and the money you could spend on small, incremental upgrades may be put to better use if you put it aside until you're ready for a new guitar.

All just my opinion, of course.

This is one important factor that hasn't been discussed much. A great setup can turn a budget guitar into a very competent instrument. A crappy setup will make even a high end guitar crappy.

I have a luthier/repair shop, and time and time again my customers are amazed how much better their guitar plays AND SOUNDS when it's set up well and the frets are level, nicely crowned, and polished.

So find a good tech, one with a good reputation for setups and fret work, and have him fine tune it for you.


http://www.treeguitarworks.com/

[Fatstrat]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

This is one important factor that hasn't been discussed much. A great setup can turn a budget guitar into a very competent instrument. A crappy setup will make even a high end guitar crappy.

I have a luthier/repair shop, and time and time again my customers are amazed how much better their guitar plays AND SOUNDS when it's set up well and the frets are level, nicely crowned, and polished.

So find a good tech, one with a good reputation for setups and fret work, and have him fine tune it for you.


http://www.treeguitarworks.com/

And even then there's only so much you can do. I'm not guitar snob. But I own a Vintage J-50 and modern Martin 2012 D-18. As well as a cheapo Epiphone PR-150 that currently due to low humidity issues get most of my playing time. I'll bring out the others for a two or three days. And back in their humdified cases they go. But the Cheapo stays on the guitar stand for any impromptu picking sessions that occur.
It's set up and plays wonderfully. And I have 80/20 strings on it that has livened it up considerably. But boy howdy, when the Gibson or Martin come out, the difference in volume & tone is VERY evident.
I like the Epiphone and enjoy playing it. I even spruced it up by changing the pickguard and adding some fret decals to make it look more like a Gibson. But like an old hound dog, you can spruce it up all you like. But it'll never win a dog show.

[Captaincranky]

Originally Posted by Fatstrat

And even then there's only so much you can do. I'm not guitar snob. But I own a Vintage J-50 and modern Martin 2012 D-18. As well as a cheapo Epiphone PR-150 that currently due to low humidity issues get most of my playing time.

It's time for a bit of a reality check here. That particular Epiphone is at the bottom of their line, and has a laminated top. Were you to own something from their higher tier product, the results wouldn't be quite so predictable. Some would argue the Epiphone "Masterbilt" series would give both of your other guitars a run for their money. Even the AJ-220 which is the topic of this thread, has a solid top, and I'd hazard a guess it sounds a fair amount better than a PR-150.

Originally Posted by Fatstrat

It's set up and plays wonderfully. And I have 80/20 strings on it that has livened it up considerably.But boy howdy, when the Gibson or Martin come out, the difference in volume & tone is VERY evident.

OK, I have a couple of laminated top Ibanez, and that's my tactic of choice for getting rid of the dull also, 80/20 brass strings.

With that said, it is very unlikely, that you'll find a laminated top instrument which will have the volume of a solid top of the same general type. Epiphone used to make their EJ-200 SC, (Chinese J-200) with laminated tops, and that was the standard complaint, "it's too quiet for its size". The newer versions have solid tops, which pretty much solves the issue. They do however, still sell an "Artist" model of the EJ-200, which is a pure acoustic, with a laminated top. It's about half the price of the A/E solid top models.

What I have failed to grasp in this topic, is how a setup improves tone in an acoustic instrument. The act of lowering the strings, also lowers the string tension, which can affect the tone unfavorably, if overdone.

Most advice given beginners, centers around getting the strings LAPWOB, and even restringing with a lighter gauge set. None of that helps the tone, it's simply easier on tender fingers.

Now, if you talk to some of the bluegrass guys, they'll tell you they like a fairly high action, and medium strings, and you need that projection and volume, 'cause them durned banjos are pretty loud.

So, a newcomer should absolutely have his or her guitar setup. But, it doesn't do much for the tone.

[Bunny64]

In answer to the question I think they can sound pretty good. I had the same guitar for a while complete with upgrades and it performed very well until I fell in love with a Texan and traded. Other recent purchases of mine include Asian guitars at attractive prices but with high grade spruce solid tops and solid back and sides. I find these guitars are excellent cheaper alternatives to so called higher end guitars especially if you buy second hand. I would agree with other posters on the subject of set-up. Crucial for a beginner.