SLEEPERS guitars that surprise heck out of folks when they play them

[CASD57]

My all Laminate Yamaha 1982 CJ818... It opened the world up for Laminates for me

[bufflehead]

Breedlove Pursuit Concert with Red Cedar top.

Warm and magical. Absolutely phenomenal for a $500 guitar. I still can't believe I bought a cutaway acoustic/electric guitar, let alone that I love it. Thank goodness MF had an open-box deal that helped me move past my prejudices.

[llew]

Eastman E20D-TC. Baked Adirondack top over EIR. Exceptional build quality and a vintage voicing I wasn't expecting at it's price point. A lot of guitar...

[ChrisE]

A few years ago I started playing open mics and a guy there was playing a Cort (I'm not sure what model it was) and the plugged-in tone was amazing.

[PorkPieGuy]

I owned an all-laminte Yamaha FG-335.

I didn't need it, so I put it in a local store. I said to myself, "The first person who picks this up and strums it one time will want it." Sure enough, that's what happened. Sold within 2-3 days of it being on consignment.

[The Watchman]

Thanks for sharing. I had one of those late '70s Hohners as my first adult guitar. I always thought it was pretty good for what I paid.

[Tube Sound]

My 1960's Kay Country. Once I put EB Aluminum Bronze on, very nice. A pic as I found it before cleaning and set-up. I'm considering a Baxendale conversion to improve the playablity and send the tone to another level.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Pickcity]

Epiphone EJ200. I have played 3-4 of them while goofing off in the music store over the past couple years, and all have been great guitars. Sound, playability and looks. They are awesome guitars.

[renoslim]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

For my money the real sleepers are Voyage Air guitars. Any of them. A guitar with a folding neck would seem to be a gimmick but they are great guitars. The laminate models sound and play great and the all solid, like my VAD-1, rivals my D-18. So much so that I have had serious players play mine and be enthralled with the sound, then amazed when I folded it up to show them. My VAD-1 could easily be someone’s number 1 or only one.

This. My VAOM-4 sounds GREAT and plays like buttah .... :-)

[rabbuhl]

I have a Fender Gemini II that my parents bought for me around 1985. I read the Prince liked this guitar and recorded with it on a a few albums.

https://www.mixonline.com/recording/...mini-ii-366174

[TacomaDR20]

I used to have a pre-Fender Tacoma DR20 rosewood dread. Sold it when my shoulder veto'd dreads, but I've had more than one very experienced player almost drop it after strumming the first chord; it was incredible.

[TDavis]

My teacher was playing a guitar one night during my lesson time that sounded like a really, really good Martin...and when I asked, he put the guitar in my hand. It was a featherlight Eastman OM that had a tag price of less than $300!! I was totally blown away.

[C-ville Brent]

Sleeper guitars, uhm... I agree with Dreadfulnaught that the (CF) Marlboro Points guitars are much better than they should be - not a CF Martin by any stretch (but $50, even has a bound neck). I started out playing solo with one. I also have a Rogue RA-090 Concert that is much better than it should be. Seagull S6 GT (spruce top) I got for $250 at MF STOTH punches above its cost. On the higher end, my Blueridge BR-180 is a guitar I really enjoy and the price I bought it for, playability, tone, and of course bling make it a real value.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by rabbuhl

I have a Fender Gemini II that my parents bought for me around 1985...

I'm surprised Ampeg never sued for trademark infringement - the Gemini II amp was a mainstay of the line, and produced into the early-70's...

[inadu ridge]

Originally Posted by TacomaDR20

I used to have a pre-Fender Tacoma DR20 rosewood dread. Sold it when my shoulder veto'd dreads, but I've had more than one very experienced player almost drop it after strumming the first chord; it was incredible.

I have a pre-Fender DM9 that has amazingly good tone. When you get a good Tacoma dread, there is no better sounding guitar for the money out there.