Budget Guitar equivalents that no one wants you to know about....

[TBman]

I've played an Epiphone AJ-45 that I swear sounds just like Martin's Whiskey Sunset and certain Waterloo guitars. The Epi is considerably less.

What "trade secrets" have you discovered?

[HHP]

Martin D-42's sound almost as good as a D-45 for a lot less.

[OMsong]

IMO you can usually find the best deals on models from years back. Consumers can get trapped in the mindset on "newer must be better" and guitar players aren't necessarily exempt from that. Prices go down once the buzz fizzles out, but the guitars are still the same.

The Guild GADs are great guitars, from what I've read especially the older ones with maple binding. If you want to find the hype on them, you just have to look through the forum archives. It's there. The Masterbilts are highly regarded too. I would also add the lesser known Trinity College guitars made by Saga. All of those I've mentioned feature wider string spacing which can be hard to find in domestic made guitars without paying a lot more.

[rmyAddison]

I don't go by your ears, I go by mine.

I wouldn't have expensive instruments if I thought inexpensive ones sounded as good. I hear the difference, I believe you when you say you don't, believe me when I say I do..........

[Bob from Brooklyn]

I test-driving a $180 Alvarez that's not going back

[Swamp Yankee]

Wechter's T0-8418

000 body size, 12 fret, 1 7/8" nut and a great neck. Great sound and very loud.

I picked one up here in the AGF for very little money for such a guitar. Spruce over mahogany. I love the thing.

I've got my eyes peeled to pick up the same guitar in spruce over rosewood.

[zmf]

The Blueridge guitars always make me smile. If I wanted to start an argument, I'd say that they can sometimes out-Martin Martin. But I don't, so I won't.

[zombywoof]

Personally I do not ever use "for the money" as a qualifier. You either like a guitar or you do not. Case in point, I love Harmony Sovereigns and own three of them. Are they a great sounding guitars you can score on the cheap - you betcha. In my opinion as a rhythm guitar I would take the Harmony over a Martin D-18. Would most agree with me? Probably not. But I have owned and gigged with both. At the end of the day the Martin went bye bye. That first Sovereign is still with me. Then again, I would take my Sovereigns over any Epi AJ-45 I have ever played.

[Truckjohn]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

I wouldn't have expensive instruments if I thought inexpensive ones sounded as good. I hear the difference, I believe you when you say you don't, believe me when I say I do..........

I am kinda in that same boat.... While I understad that there are fantastic budget guitars.. These budget guitars today are better than ever....

But wow - so are the great ones... And the great ones are really really good..

[Swamp Yankee]

One maker that has yet to impress me is Eastman. I took an Eastman parlor guitar off the rack a few weeks ago in my favorite music shop and I was distinctly underwhelmed.
From the lackluster tone to the misaligned position indicator inlays on the side of the fretboard, I was like "....meh"
To be fair, I've only tried 6 or 7 Eastmans over the years...but none of them has really caught my attention. But to be extra fair, I've played any number of Martins over the years that also failed to inspire me to break out the wallet.

[AllThumbsBruce]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

I don't go by your ears, I go by mine.

I wouldn't have expensive instruments if I thought inexpensive ones sounded as good. I hear the difference, I believe you when you say you don't, believe me when I say I do..........

I believe that you believe you do.

[Rosewood99]

I guess it depends on how attuned your hearing is. None of the guitars mentioned (except for the Eastman) sound very good to me. You guys with faulty hearing are so lucky.

[00-28]

Originally Posted by TBman

I've played an Epiphone AJ-45 that I swear sounds just like Martin's Whiskey Sunset and certain Waterloo guitars. The Epi is considerably less.

What "trade secrets" have you discovered?

We are all happy that you are happy with your budget guitars.
.......Mike

[s2y]

I can't believe he started another thread about how much guitars cost.

[cotten]

Budget Guitar equivalents that no one wants you to know about.... I suppose I could tell you, but I don't want to know.

cotten