In praise of cheap guitars

[Steel and wood]

I own a Samick Greg Bennett designed Royale semi (made in Indonesia) which I bought brand new close to 16 years ago.

It's a real stunner and a great player. (Build quality is impeccable, Semour Duncan designed humbuckers sound fantastic and the whole guitar is extraordinary value for money considering what I paid for it and comparing it to an American made Gibson guitar at more than seven or eight times the price).

Lots of great guitars (acoustic and electric) being made in Asian factories at fantastic prices. (Quality control is simply not an issue anymore).

As for Mexican made Fender guitars, they've always been great guitars (in my experience), however I'm noticing prices for new MIM guitars have been inching their way up towards their USA made Fender counterparts.

[Ian111]

Good and great equipment are more easily accessible than ever in the history of guitar. But the most inspiring guitar based music was created when most people could only afford mediocre or even bad instruments. It took quite an effort to buy an American Fender Martin or Gibson. And for most that guitar was the only one you had. If you only had a Strat and needed it to sound like a Les Paul hollowbody or an acoustic you worked with it the best you could. I think that forced people to become more creative.

I think adversity and not having all the advantages we have today pushes people to be more inspired. I simply don’t believe having a nice expensive guitar makes for more inspiring music. They might help us be more enthusiastic about playing guitar but it certainly isn’t helping us as a whole to propel us to the same greatness of the past.

[alnico5]

I like my $200-something Harley Benton DC LP JR.

[Texsunburst59]

Up until 4 yrs. ago, I had about 35+/- low-med good quality guitars in my collection.

They were great guitars for the money, but they were never going increase much in value in the next 15-20 yrs.

I sold all of them off because I had WAY too much money tied up in them.

I now only buy the best quality used guitars I can find for the least amount of money.

Most all my guitars are used quality made in the USA and a few good quality MIJ guitars.

A LOT of he USA & MIJ in my collection were bought for CRAZY low prices, that at times were scored for what a used Fender Squier CV guitar/bass could be bought for.

[DukeX]

In 2012 I paid $434 for an Epi Dot Deluxe with a gorgeous flame top and HSC. Immediately replaced the electronics with a vintage wiring kit using the highest quality components ($75) and two Seymour Duncan Antiquity humbuckers ($225). You can't get better electronics IMO. Total invested = $734. Eight years later and this tone machine is still putting a big smile on me every time I play it.

[Dru Edwards]

One of my favorite electrics is my Gibson SGJ. I paid $500 CAD for it a few years ago - new. They were being blown out the door at the time.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I like to say that because of all the really nice low cost choices, there has never been a better time to start playing guitar. It wasn't this way when I started playing in 1970. At least not in my home town.

Bob

Tru Dat...!

[Watt]

I agree that inexpensive guitars, both electric and acoustic, are better than ever. The nice thing about inexpensive electrics is that their shortcomings are easily fixed. Frets can be levelled, filed, and polished. Shielding can be added. Pots, switches, and wiring can be replaced, if needed. And upgraded pickups, though a more costly mod, can literally make $400 guitar sound like a $2,000 one. There's nothing that can be done with an inexpensive acoustic that would have a similar effect.

[Psychopasta]

Originally Posted by Ian111

Good and great equipment are more easily accessible than ever in the history of guitar. But the most inspiring guitar based music was created when most people could only afford mediocre or even bad instruments. It took quite an effort to buy an American Fender Martin or Gibson. And for most that guitar was the only one you had. If you only had a Strat and needed it to sound like a Les Paul hollowbody or an acoustic you worked with it the best you could. I think that forced people to become more creative.

I think adversity and not having all the advantages we have today pushes people to be more inspired. I simply don’t believe having a nice expensive guitar makes for more inspiring music. They might help us be more enthusiastic about playing guitar but it certainly isn’t helping us as a whole to propel us to the same greatness of the past.

^^^This
I have more and better guitars, amplifiers, effects and studio gear than Sun Records, Stax or Motown ever had. Where are my hit records?

Instead I spend my time taking pristine recordings and trying to make them sound lo-fi Using a stompbox to 'add' that authentic wow and flutter the old tape machines had...if this was someone else doing it, I'd think they were mad.

[blue]

Let's not even talk about what you can buy on sale. If you drop in regularly to GC, you can find stupid prices on lower end Gretsch, Ibanez, Epiphone, etc. Late last year I picked up a D'angelico "premier" level 335 style guitar. At the street price of $800 it compares favorably to others of the same price and comes with a nice gigbag. I got it for $349. New. I played 3 or 4 and picked "the good one". I swear it just happened to be the only black one. The color had nothing to do with it!

a $350 335 style guitar with a 3 piece neck that nothing needs to be replaced on? Pretty ridiculous.

[1neeto]

This is part of GC’s Black Friday sale. I wish I knew more about this guitar company, but everything about this guitar seems right. Set neck, flamed carved top, alnico pups with coil split, and a 15% off for Black Friday that ends on the 2nd.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchel...00000010447.gc

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

This is part of GC’s Black Friday sale. I wish I knew more about this guitar company...

Mitchell is GC/MF's house brand - IME the electrics are somewhat better-built/more consistent than the acoustics but strictly beginner fare in any case - and if you're looking in this price range you'd be better-served with an Ibanez or Squier CV (if you can cherry-pick one of the latter)...

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Mitchell is GC/MF's house brand - IME the electrics are somewhat better-built/more consistent than the acoustics but strictly beginner fare in any case - and if you're looking in this price range you'd be better-served with an Ibanez or Squier CV (if you can cherry-pick one of the latter)...

It caught my eye when I was looking at this one. One gold top in stock at my local GC. I have nothing but strat shaped guitars and sold the only LP I had because it was a very cheap special model I bought at a garage sale for 25 bucks so I gifted it.

Les Paul Classic Worn Electric Guitar: https://guitarcenter.smart.link/0d5t...tric-Guitar.gc

[Steely Glen]

While I agree that the current offering of cheap guitars is better than it ever has been—both in terms of quality and quantity—I still prefer, appreciate, and gladly pay for the craftsmanship that goes into higher end boutique guitars. An Eastman or PRS SE is nice but they simply don’t hold a candle to a Suhr, Tom Anderson, or Collings in terms of final product. Both will get the job done but there is a difference in the experience.

[blews]

I just bought a Gretsch Streamliner G2420 for around $400 new on a Black Friday sale.....may have found it cheaper elsewhere? But I love it - absolutely love the guitar.....never thought a $400 hollow body would sound and feel so good.....It truly is amazing the quality out there - especially in electrics in the sub $500 range...