Somewhat relevant regarding acoustic guitars. I noticed the Eagles playing budget priced Takamines (which I think are great) on tour, I'm guessing leaving their very expensive studio quality guitars safely at home.
Many years ago I bought a new Fender Strat Mexican made guitar. I was learning at the time and my tutor asked if he could try it out, he played so amazingly and I recorded what he played and still have that recording to this day, the main interest to me was he stating, "this is the very best playing guitar I have ever played straight out of the box". That meant the world to me although not an expensive guitar, and I still have that guitar.
The Mexican made Fenders are well made guitars. My Vintera strat is almost impossible to put down once I plug it in. I can't even boast that with some of my more expensive guitars.
I used to pride myself - and amuse my friends - by buying cheap guitars and upgrading all the components until I had what I wanted. Then, one day I got a high(er) end guitar (to cheer myself up after serious illness) and was ruined for life. I said I could handle it, but I couldn’t. All the arguments against high end guitars are valid… until you have one.
I went to a guitar store with the sole purpose to get a PRS cause they were for the price great, but then I played a SG standard… paid almost double that day than what I expected lmao
Cheap guitars are often cheap for a reason. I have only guitars in the upper middle level, far above entry but before Custom shop, and I have modded all of them slightly. I’m very satisfied with the guitars I have.
It’s not about the specs. It’s about the fit and finish, the fret edge treatment, the quality of the wood.. you get it. Yes, a 5000€ guitar isn’t 5x better than a 1000€ guitar. But man it feels so great to play.
I am a 70yo beginner (1 year) and I play an Affinity Tele and a Classic Vibe 50s Strat. I am very happy with these two guitars. I will probably stay with them because of my age, arthritis and chronic pain. I can afford high end guitars but it doesn’t make sense to me. Your points are all well made. Thanks for sharing a thoughtful, insightful and well made video. ✌️
Good for you sir ! keep at it .I'm 71 & just learned the lead licks to Mississippi Queen.Check out a Vidami pedal f.y.i (allows u to slow/loop at different 4 speeds w/your FOOT !) if u enjoy learning anything, from RUclips videos. From Les Paul's hometown.
I’ve been playing for 38 years and I made the leap into the unattainable in 1999 with a PRS Custom 24 and that was the beginning of the spiral into high end and Custom Shop guitars. I agree with you that once you open pandora’s box you can never close it. If you are truly serious about learning to play I think a middle level instrument is the perfect choice. That way you can get something for it if and when you decide to go to the next level. Great content.
Excellent advice. It took me decades of playing and listening to know what I wanted from a guitar. For players beginner to advanced, forget the high end hype and you can get a really nice playing and sounding guitar for about $700 to a grand. Pay attention to how it sounds, both from the wood it's made of and the electronics. Start with the wood, build it according to your taste, and you can create a sound that is unique to you. Way better than a $5000 vintage or custom, and you'll have a personal connection with it. Something special in a human existence.
Guitarists WANT to spend $5000 on a guitar. No one wants a $100 Amazon guitar that is as good as a Gibson Custom Shop guitar! Guitarists WANT to suffer for their love of music and work hard and save up for that Holy Grail guitar ! That's because they're all fucking crazy.
Agreed. I'd also recommend paying a guitar technician to professionally set up low to mid range guitars. My first guitar was a Mexican Strat and I'd messed around with the intonation and made a bit of a mess of things. Also, I wasn't interested in using the tremolo arm and wanted the mechanism locked to make tuning and re-stringing easier. When I collected it from my local guitar tech, I was gobsmacked at how playable it had suddenly become. I fell back in love with playing guitar after that.
Back in 2001, I bought an Epiphone "335" that was made in Korea (by Samick I believe). This model was above the Epiphone "DOT" as it had gold hardware and 490T pickups.The salesman at Guitar Center told me it was just as good as the Gibson ES 335,and it has the Gibson logo on the truss rod cover. I swapped out the neck pickup for the Gibson "Wes Montgomery" Custom 57 pickup which cost half as much as the guitar! I still have it and you can hear it on all of my songs on my RUclips channel. I've played the $4000 ES 335 and I can't tell the difference in sound or feel.
I still use my LP Studio -- my first electric after many years with classical --. I did upgrade the pickups to the well known EMG-60/81 combo. I like it because it's super light and easy to play. I think there is an intermediate point between quality and sound. Sometimes, cheap guitars are not very playable. You can always find a good used guitar and upgrade a few components, e.g. creamier pickups if you want that LP classic tone, etc. I always advocate for any beginner to always have the chance to start with a decent instrument.
I've spoken to a lot of luthiers and all of them say that bolt-on sonstruction is not really cheaper or easier than set neck. it's just a different process. makes total sense to me as well. i think it's a bit of a marketing stunt, just like the thing with longer sustain on set necks. just doesn't check out in practice and depends on a lot of stuff
Bolt on is a cheaper process by reducing waste. A defective guitar with a set neck is completely discarded. With bolt on construction, a defect will be either on a neck or on a body, easy to replace.
I suck at guitar but i did sell the cheap guitars i had and bought a nice used Gibson LP trad pro V in transparent ebony for 1800 bucks. And i got one of the Andertons, fender player plus strats with roasted neck, hss- american pickups, in charcoal frost metallic for 40% off on sale one time from fender. I love both of them and they definitely inspire me to practice and get better. I play either or both every day.
Here’s my advice…I’ve been playing high end guitars for a long time. That’s how I make my living. It’s still just a single dude’s opinion but at the very least, I’ve been there…and been there at length. Buying a high end guitar for branding reasons (Nike, Adidas, Gibson) is the wrong mindset. Buying a high end guitar because you’ve wanted one since you were a child, you can afford it and it makes you happy…THAT’S the right reason. I play Paul Reed Smiths primarily and what fascinated me about them early on is that they were known for their unearthly stability as well as their tonal/structural middle ground between Fender and Gibson. Do some people think they’re too expensive? Yes…but I don’t. I’ve set up my main cu24 maybe 5 times since 2002. It’s never once failed me and it’s only gotten better with age. Do your research and buy for the right reasons, that’s all. Don’t ever let someone make you feel like you shouldn’t buy a nice guitar or that you don’t deserve one. If you can’t afford something crazy, buy the nicest thing you can buy. Gear is the last thing that makes you what you are as a musician.
My advice, buy an 80s MIJ Fender contemporary strat. E5 I have 3 and they are absolutely fantastic. My 96 Mij is great. They sound better than my American Ultra
I am a retired guitarist (87) & my main guitar for many years was a Hohner E35 Professional semi guitar. I have & still own a Gibson SG & a Fender Tele. which I bought just for the name on the head stock. I bought these guitars fairly late in life. At the moment I am impressed with the Ibanez jazzers, of which I have two. AF 95.
Great video. I think that one of the trends that I see today is that the general view/understanding/expression of “high end” guitars seems to be shifting. And, to many, a Fender American Standard (professional II) Strat / Gibson Les Paul Standard is not viewed as high end anymore… it is the custom shop or beyond (Murphy Lab, Private stock etc)…and the goal posts keep moving further and further away.
Thanks for your comments and thoughts on this. Your point is a good one. That being said I've been playing since the mid 60's and have owned my share of vintage guitars('57 Tele, 61 Les Paul(SG), '64 Strat, '67 Mustang to name a few) and have also owned guitars like a mid '90's Parker Fly, certainly a "high end" instrument at that time. What I have found in recent years is that there are some great quality guitars being made at very affordable prices. An example is IYV which are made in VietNam. I ordered one out of curiosity and was blown away by how good it was so I ordered a few others to see if it was a fluke. It wasn't. Are they perfect? No. In fact each needed some tweaking & minor adjustments, but once I did this they became part of my regular rotation of guitars to use. Another guitar that surprised me was an Eart Tele (made in China)with roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets that played great right out of the box. In truth this guitar out-plays a number of Tele's I've owned and is currently one of my favorites to use. After this experience I decided to order an Eart Strat- same story here. I also bought an Epiphone SG which is a replica of en early '60's Gibson and, having owned the real thing, I'm here to tell you that this is as close as I've found(also made in China). Back in the old days we had no such options- the inexpensive or cheaper guitars were mostly junk. This is no longer the case and if you're not married to a "name" or status(or resale/collector value) then you can find some great guitars at very affordable prices. I would use anyone of these in the studio or on stage.Thanks again for your video
I bought a Taylor Gs mini recently, love the resonance on that thing. I also have a Squier Strat with Marshall G10 Amp, can play anything I throw at it. I won’t be upgrading guitars anytime soon. Awesome video.
I feel this sentiment quite a bit, once you set the precedent of getting your first nice guitar, it's incredibly hard to look at lower price points. I own the J-45 Studio Rosewood, and any potential acoustic acquisition from now on is at the same price point or higher and you rationalize it. But well said points.
I have 3 Squiers that I like better than any Fender I have ever had. And each one was about 500 bucks. They play great, sound great and look stellar. And a fair price.
I’ve played Telecasters for many years, but never owned an American Fender. I know I want one now because it’s my favourite style of electric guitar, and I’ve put the hours in on Squiers to know how much one would mean to me. If I find the right one, it will probably be a lifetime guitar for me
My 1973 Martin D-18 goes for €4800.- in today's market. That's much more than what I invested, which shows that buying a high-end guitar is not always a financially bad move. Electric guitars are 1950s technology. It's simple to make them. Making a good acoustic requires real craftsmanship.
@@gingerbeer914a mid range acoustic also costs 5k $ and a High end comes out easily at over 10k. So the price usually also reflects that. And the Sound is a lot more different in the price Ranges.
Don’t speak about things you don’t know. No real master luthier builts a classical guitar under 3.500 €. Up to 10k or even 12k. For electric guitar it’s a little different.
@@mikerophone7805 Nobody wants to hold 12k in their hand. One drop and kaboom. Plus, just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better. Money doesn't buy you the Holy Grail.
@@TheRichie213 I know many professional classical musicians. They all are hold 10k+ in their hands, sometimes 20k and more.. Flutists, cellists, violinists, etc. etc. and guitarists. Classical accordions can cost you 30k.
A lot comes down to good fretwork and pickups. If you know what you're doing or have a good luthier, it really isn't that hard to get a cheap guitar to play like an expensive one.
That’s exactly what happened to me when I finally found a luthier with 20+ years experience. He works from home. His fees are fair. When he turned my $429 Epiphone LP Standard into a great playing, nice looking and sounding guitar for just $460, I sent him my other 4 Epiphone Les Pauls.
When i received my first standard series esp after playing Edwards and ltd guitars, maybe its a placebo effect, but just having the guitar rested in the playing position, it does feel more premium than the other guitars i own. The fret edges are damn near seamless on the outer sides of the neck, and the components, and the body/neck just has a more premium feel to it. Im sure the signature/custom shop guitars will have that plus the wow factor with its exclusive additions and changes, but that's like supercar territory haha.
I have high end, and cheap guitars. I have to say one of my favorites is my Harley Benton Te-52. No upgrades whatsoever. An absolute dream of a guitar.
So... ...as with most of us, my experiences with various guitars, techs, luthiers and such, spanning 50 years, forms the basis of my expertise...such as it is. I've learned the hardest lesson in guitar shopping: don't fall in love with a pretty face. My first really great electric guitar was a 1976 BC Rich Seagull 2 (or II...the one without the point, forerunner to the Eagle) It was gorgeous. And it had one great sound. Flip the booster and it would scream for days, but it had no real flat tone, no soul. I had a 63 Silvertone that had more tone. So I started exploring low end instruments: Behringer V tone, which was every inch a Strat. $85 used. 1958 Supro/Valco Belmont 33 Special A real find at $225, this one looked like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. But...I plugged it in and played for 30 seconds. Yep; -knees shaking? ✓ -sweating? ✓ -hard nipples? ✓ I've since put 500-600 bucks into it. Worth every penny. 2023 Squier Sonic Telecaster $150 used My current guitar. Wish I'd known about Telecasters before I bought the BC Rich. Leo (Fender) got it right the first time. This is the most versatile guitar I've ever played. Name the genre: the Tele has a tone for that. Even the cheapest ones sound like the real thing.
I was lucky enough to start out with a good guitar, but if you can't play it, it doesn't matter like you said. I kept thinking it was an equipment issue, I needed this or that type of amp or pedal but that wasn't the problem. I couldn't play.
For binding, there’s actually a newer way that this is done on brands like Music Man where they blow it into a mold like toothpaste and sort of plek it away, so it’s gotten a lot easier to do.
A couple of days ago I saw a video of Rik Emmett of Triumph playing live and he was playing on a Yamaha Pacifica. It was one of the better ones but still just a Pacifica. Probably just had it set up by someone who does the job right. You can throw whatever pickups you like and properly shield it, etc and sound just that good. This was post-Triumph days but the guy still owns expensive guitars. It’s not because he’s not making the same money he did in the Triumph days. I’ve seen the same with higher end Squiers set up well with a couple of upgrades. No huge overhaul.
My best guitar is a bexgears Flying V kit that was given to me as a gift. I must’ve gotten really lucky cause it feels outstanding and the white paint I put on it has a ton of imperfections so I have no need to be careful with it. After I upgrade the pickups to something a little nicer it’ll be perfect
I set out about 3 months ago to try to find “the sound” I’ve had in my head for the past 15 years. I set a budget that I just blew out of the water last week because I played a Fender Custom Shop ‘63 Tele light relic (which I’ve always hated)….and it is just IT. Life achievement unlocked.
Once you get over a certain price (I’m going to say around $1500-2000), you’re not getting much more from the more expensive models. However, I fully agree with the ending sections. Once you get a LP custom/PRS core/ ebmm JP/ Ibanez prestige or j.custom it’s hard to get excited for cheaper models.
I straight swapped a genuine, but hideously worn 1974 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty for a secondhand road worn Custom Shop Fender Telecaster. Best swap I ever did, my back thanks me for it. The custom shop Fenders really do stand out in tone and playability. I was however pleasantly surprised by Gibson when they’d got some of the basics back on track, and bought a new LP Junior in 2018 with wrap bridge and single P90 for under £600. That Junior is still my No.1, it cooks even when it’s not plugged in. Don’t look at the price, listen to the instrument.
Guitarists WANT to spend $5000 for a guitar! They don't want a $100 Amazon guitar that is as good as a Gibson Custom Shop! Some people don't realize this.
I have 50+ playing experience. One of best players I have is Baretta knockoff I got for 75 off OfferUp. First thing I did was adjust truss rod, next was polishing frets and installing new volume pot and old Gibson Dirty Finger I had laying around.
Baretta? That would be a Kramer, right? They even made a Guitar Hero version of it for the PlayStation. I never liked guitars with only one pickup... especially if that was a shrill bridge pickup. But I could make an exception for the Fender Esquire, I guess...
i found warmoth to be a very good, less expensive alternative to the fender CS stuff. when painted and put together by a professional luthier, combined with high end pickups and hardware it yields an amazing instrument
I always wanted a Fender Custom Shop Strat, when they released the Bonnie Raitt signature i raided my savings to order one, when arrived i was in tears, the neck and body had dings the blue colour was not the correct burst one and they had fitted a standard neck instead of the special narrow one as per the specs, so with a lot of help from the dealer i rejected it. The dealer then suggest trying a highly regarded luthier that they had used, so i took the plunge and it was perfect, the only thing missing were the Fender decals as he refused to make fakes. It was everything that the Fender should have been and at a lower cost. My advice is think before you waste a lot of money on "Custom Shop " guitars, that decal comes at a very high price.
Would like to have a greater amount of time teach myself, 2 jobs can get in the way. About a year ago I purchased a 2021 Epiphone LP modern on reverb, listed as used-excellent for $540. Looked like new out of the box with a good look over, couldn’t find one thing wrong. The tones and playability were well above what I expected. Decent bang for the buck.
Great video. Just one thing I thought I'd add as a guitarist of almost 30 years. Taking the time to learn how to set up your own guitars, i.e. intonation, action, truss rods, fret dressing, basic electronics, etc., will give you the ability to make nearly ANY guitar at ANY price point play and sound great. It's totally worth the time and effort. I own very expensive guitars and I have some cheapies, but I can make them all sing... and you can too. 😎💯
I own a Cobalt Blue ESP 256, and to say the least it’s one of the best guitars I’ve ever played. For 500$ it is absolutely incredible. I’ve owned higher priced Epiphone’s than this and I think this just way out preforms them. Great fret work, fretboard feels amazing, the neck is incredibly comfortable, and it just feels nice in overall quality. I had the pickups swapped for Seymour Duncan 59s in the neck and bridge and it just brings all the mojo you could ever want from a guitar.
I’m relatively new to the guitar thing but i am a professional violinist and have been playing very high end instruments which are extremely pricey my entire life. It’s absolutely fundamental for me in what I do for a living. In the world of fine bowed instruments, there are a great number of fantastic builders available ranging in price from several thousands to millions of dollars. It’s pretty insane but we learned long ago to not only strive to play Stradivari or Guarneri as the literally cost millions. There are many more options than Fender and Gibson and when a player knows exactly what to look for in a great instrument, you can get one that’s outstanding for something more reasonable and still have it be on the level of the more well-known builders. Smitty and Shishkov, for example both make killer guitars. My Smitty was 2650€ made to my specs and it’s amazing. It’s easily on par with Fender CustomShop. Obviously one isn’t going to find one at Guitar Center but it’s a lot of fun having someone build you something. You are right however in that it’s not entirely necessary to have the greatest thing ever to play music. For some, it’s obviously a priority but for most of us, most guitars will get it done just fine.
You're absolutely right about once you have a high end guitar you can never look back just like business vs economy travel. It took me over 25 years to finally find out which guitar brings out the best in me and that's my friend is my Gibson Les Paul custom.
As a left-handed guitarist lower costing guitars have more manufacturing defects. I have unfortunately found this to be the case. After having been stuck with defective guitars that would cost more to repair than its value. I pawned these off and bought an American made guitar. This is just my experience and from 30+ years ago.
Fellow lefty here. Over time, I have found that even in the most subtle ways, the world is right handed. The first thing I look at now on a guitar is string alignment. So many have the high E too close to the edge of the fret board and the low E farther from the edge. It's pretty noticeable even on some very expensive guitars and makes them uncomfortable. The high E can get pulled off the fret board and especially on some Gibsons, get caught in the area where the nib meets the fret end if it isn't perfectly smooth there.
I actually hate binding on my guitars and try not to get it when I can but sometimes it's just impossible like if you want a Les Paul standard you just have to get it
I agree 💯 % 🙂 I’m done with purchasing high end guitars. I’ve been blessed to have my Gibson LP Standard, PRS Custom 24, Fender Edge Signature, and Jackson SL1 & SL2H. The new BUDGET guitars are Great guitars! I’ve been selling off my expensive guitars to get a bunch of new Budget guitars.
@@fefloria Nope, not at all. I play my guitars more than collecting them now. Seriously why would I care or does it matter if anyone can have it? My skills impress people, not my gear. Honestly, it’s more impressive to see someone make the guitar sound great on a simple setup without any reverb or a bunch of FX 🙂 Just switch out the pickups to the ones you like and you’re ready to go.
My cousin bought a Chibson totally stripped it , fitted his own hard wear right down to the nut , cost him about £300 all in and it sounds unbelievable . Cool experiment with ver satisfying results , looks bloody lovely too .
I am a strat player so I am already on the "lower" end of the spectrum. I have played some really nice Gibsons and PRS guitars and I thought "Wow, this a really good guitar" but for whatever reason the strat just fits better. I have a couple of actual vintage strats and they are great, and I have some squiers and they are also great. My #1 is an 80s japanese "pre squire" that is just unbelievable. I probably spent almost twice as much on the upgrades (mostly pickups) as I paid for the guitar itself but still probably in the $700 range total cost. I am not here to tell you to just buy cheap and upgrade, it's not that simple. However if you go to the store a lot and play a lot of guitars you will find the diamonds in the rough among the squires/etc. This is YOU putting in the effort to be the quality control to find some really good pieces of wood. I have an off brand guitar I bought in a consignment shop in south america for $75 that stays in tune, plays in tune and rings like a bell, they even did a great job on the sunburst finish. Great "cheaper" guitars are definitely out there.
Remember Epiphone was established in 1873 then making guitars 1928 and Gibson became partnered in 1957. I've always leaned towards the originals and all my Epiphone guitars are great. George Fullerton and Leo Fender made their guitars here in the OC G&L an amazing affordable Guitar also the Squire line. 👍🏻 The factory is very visible and visitor friendly.😎
@@ethanhusak if you ever get the opportunity to visit the Anahiem / Fullerton border area the G&L factory is on fender Blvd next to Homedepot by the Railroad tracks. And visit the Homedepot it was a tank factory in WW2 the assy. Line hangers are still on the sealing. 👍🏻🇺🇸
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster, bought used from Guitar Center website in about 2018 for $285. Love it! Did a minor setup myself, and later replaced the wonky 5-way switch.
Gretsch Electromatic, Squier CV, Sire 3 & 5, Tokai etc...can be had for $400/650 respectively. Short: around $1500-1900 one can have three (3) very nice and playable guitars. Not talking resale value but just enjoying and playing and keeping the darn things 🤠 Got a Gretsch G5421 and Sire S3 hss. Not high end or anything but I don't mind if there is a dent or scratch on it and like them 😎
The most expensive guitar I bought was 15 years ago. It was a Gibson Original Collection SG Special Vintage Cherry, which I purchased for 900 Euros. Now, they are at least 30% more expensive. I think it is good value for the money. I still play it every day. I also have an Epiphone Black Beauty III but prefer the sound of the Gibson over the Epiphone. It has more body and character. Love your take on the topic .
I've owned a lot of expensive guitars. PRS, Gibson, EBMM, Fender CS, LsL, etc. They were all nice, but I never wanted to play them more than my '80s Fujigen Squiers. Granted, those guitars aren't as affordable as they once were, and they needed new electronics to sound their best, but from a workmanship point of view, they stacked up with all the high-end stuff. All my $2-3k guitars are gone, the Squiers remain.
The Acoustic you have is an Alvarez Regent. I just retrieved mine again. I also have a Guild MAH acoustic and I agree with what you have said. I am on tour with MIM strats and a MIJ tele and Squier CV 50's tele, a 80's bolt on EPi LP and H&K amp with a Yamaha backup. It is funny these are my low end axes and they do the job. I may own the only bolt on EPI LP in Germany! It cost $80 30 years ago. My high end stuff is in the states and I do not miss the playability just the opportunity. I have cutdown from over 210 guitars to 20 and more is not better. I would have spent half the money on lessons if I were wiser. My cheapest strat stands up to my strat deluxe, and my best Epi are on par with my LP Custom and Studio. My Alvarez is not as good as my Yari or masterworks tone but very close in playability and hundreds cheaper.
I was fortunate enough to have ordered my Novo Serus J before the prices really went up. I'm certain it would be another $1,500 now for the same specs. With that said it is one of the best guitars I have ever owned, and I've had over 60. I several high end (expensive) guitars and they are all worth the money. The quality is unmistakable. I also have Korean Epiphones and MIJ Fenders that are awesome guitars, that I paid a fraction of what they others cost.
Went for AV2 61 Strat and Eastman SB59v LP Style. Couldnt be happier. There is Mojo in both of them big time. I am not tha great guitar Player even After 30 years of Findling arroud - but i love and appretiate the Touch, feel and Sound comming out of them. Since 2 days i own G&L Asat Tribute Classic Semihollow, much more affordable, not that much mojo but i am not affraid to take her out and bit her up. So yes, there still will be need for "normaly" Priced Guitars no Macher if there are nunber x of expecive ones standing arround. And they are good too 👍
I own $2-$4K guitars and several in the $500-$1500 range. The high end guitars generally play better, sound better and hold tune better. However, the one I grab most often is a PRS SE standard with upgraded pickups and tuners. If I were to knock down the gloss on the back of the neck, it would rival my most expensive axe in terms of sound and playability.
I got my first high end guitar saving up until my freshman year (04?). It was a Norlin-era 78' ES-335. I spent around 1300. My next high end guitar was a Red Firebird VII from 09' (a terrible guitar), that cost me 1200. I ran an Ampeg V4, Sound City, Roland JC-120, Marshall Bluesmaster, multiple modded JCM-900 with an 800 mode, Mesa Lonestar all for under 1000 and some under 600. I had many other crappier cheaper guitars used as backups to backups and a million boutique and cheap pedals bought for beans on craigslist and eBay. I just saw one of them, a Jaguar Thinline that I got for about 800 being sold for 3.2k. I even had Peavey T-40 that I got for free from a friend (that are now being sold for insane prices). About a decade ago I got rid of most of my gear because of apartment space and a shift to synthesizer. I bought new gear in 2017 before the boom. Got a VT-22 and a Norlin Era ES-347, run through an FX8. I spent 1700 on the ES-347 (now going for 3.5-4k at the same store I bought it from) and less than 700 on the other two pieces of gear. Recently I have been playing and writing a lot more and was looking into a backup guitar. It has become very clear that we are in a golden age of Indonesian production. Guitars like the Yamaha Revstar, G&L Tributes, Sires, etc. play and sound really good. And if you pop in some new electronics and pickups you are off to the races. Maybe you need to re-fret the guitar in 10 years. But the idea of spending money on a high end Gibson or Fender is legitimately insane. And there are also 100 different excellent luthiers releasing guitars for 2k that have legitimate advancements over comparable guitars. I just checked out the Valiant Jupiter (a Jazzmaster style guitar) that is cooler than any reissue I have seen. Though I wish high end guitars had the same availability that they did in the 00s-mid teens, it is cooler that I can put together 1k and buy a Revstar and a G&L Doheny Tribute and mod them to my specifications. As someone who has owned a fair amount of good gear over their life, this is actually a better time, as long as you can throw away your preconceptions. If all you care about is tone, wait until you're famous and get the real vintage guitars.
LTD deluxe, Solar 1. series, epiphone, pro series jackson, etc. all seem like they're near the top to me especially if you get a good one. Finessing frets if needed, action, intonation, truss, etc. vs. buying a guitar that's 4x the price, the choice is clear to me/imo. Sure a Suhr or wood stock or other US/high end guitars might feel great out of the box, sound 10-20% better (with the same pickups), but what other differences are there really besides cut (neck, for ex), and weight. Something that opened my eyes was a video by Glenn Fricker/SMG Studios that featured blind tests of four guitars and the tone was best on some of the cheapest, imo.
I own an r9, a japanese fender strat, a mexican jazzmaster, and an american vintage II tele. They all feel and sound great. Get a good setup, it bridges the gap.
I have and I've had a lot of guitars in my years ranging from $99 to $1000. The ones around $1000 are all super nice, but I got a Gibson SG about 6 weeks ago. I sit here all the time and play a bunch of different ones...but I always find my way back to the Gibson and I play it every day. It just has mojo. I was only supposed to review it, but I'm keeping it. Just gotta figure out how to pay for it now.😄
I bought an epiphone muse with an tremendous good sound. After I brought it to an guitar builder to rework the binding and the height of the strings it is tremendous. I think it is worth it.
Why do we play? That is the real question. How often do you practice? My aim is to play every day and preferably a couple of times a day as this helps me improve. I dont own anything else that I use as much as my guitars. I play both classical and electric. I struggle with a cheap yamaha or any other cheap guitar. The action isnt pleasant the sound is poor and I just dont enjoy playing them. So basically your absolutely correct. Once you experience a great guitar, if your serious. There is no going back. I play a Yairi and a LP Standard.
Never owned a guitar worth more than £500 with all the ones I've had over the years, but I'm just a home player. TBH with what you can get for your money these days I would personally say £1,000 - £1200 would be my limit for which you can get a fantastic specd instrument. After that it's diminishing returns. I'd say the only exceptions to this would be things like Strandbergs or maybe Evertune equipped guitars where specifically technology is unique to the increased cost.
Excellent! ...personally, went from a LP / Bigsby - Mesa Boogie S60 to a Epi VE LP - Blackstar V2 40W. The only thing I really miss is the standby switch.... 😎
Quality components are important: bridge, tuners, knobs, etc...Tuning stability too! But now you can have that at any price range. I play much more on my Sire T7 with stock pickups than on my Ibanez Prestige from 2005 loaded with Bare Knuckles. Note that one is better than the other, it`s just that it`s great enough to be played on and it really depends on the context. It also depends on how long you want to keep the guitar. I have had the Ibanez for a very long time and I have played live on it for more than 15 years and it's still a pretty solid machine. In the end, do what makes you happy and what works for you within your budget and your context. Not everybody can afford guitars like Slash anyway.
I agree but a Fender Strat is a great buy, it doesn't matter where it's made, just as long as It lasts! I personally have an American made one and it's really durable and just a workhorse for songwriting, and is gonna last me years. But with a custom shop or any guitar over $4000 ($2,700 US), I'd be scared to even use it.
Strats are lame compared to a mid-priced Charvel, new or from the 80s.You'll hate the buzz, the thinness of the sound, the neck profile and the cylindrical fretboard. Start with a compound radius neck and inexpensive wood like Alder or Basswood, may have to look to find a good one, and swap out the electronics for ones you like. Save a bunch of money and end up with a guitar you love to play.
I bought a couple of Suhr guitars years back. I’m 67, started buying guitars in the 70s. The Suhr guitars, to me, are head and shoulders over my other two dozen guitars … except one run of the mill Les Paul with p-90s that is one of those guitars that has a bit of magic. So there is something to be said for expensive guitars- however a persons playing ability is the core issue of your sound. 🤙
Agreed! SUHR guitars are just sick, in a good way in terms of quality. I have a 24 fret "The Collection" Modern Pro/Govan and the playability is way beyond any overpriced $8,000 Murphy Lab 1959 LP, and it never goes out of tune.
Rather than cave to.custom shop prices for a nice guitar, I opted to build one from a kit. I upgraded the hardware, hand picked the pickups, and did all the finish, wiring, and set up work myself after researching what luthier skills were involved. I have a Les Paul, a ES-335, L-5, Strat, and a cpl Telecasters all for the price of maybe 1 Les Paul from the Gibson Custom Shop. For example, my L-5 Custom was a kit customed from the shop for $450, then hand selected hardware, just 1 neck pickup, and an acoustic style bridge total cost being abt $600. There is one flaw: the kit shop didn't do fret markers on the side, but I can fix that if I want to.
I have seen two video's where people said they wish they had learned to play guitar in the dark. Most pro's play from muscle memory, and don't look at fret markers.
"If you can't make the cheap guitar sound good". I think that's something that has improved immensely over the last couple of decades. Going back 30 years it was perfectly possible to find cheap guitars that were completely atrocious. So I'd say that the "minimum you need to spend for a perfectly acceptable guitar" has come down by a lot.
The magic of a guitar is a well cut nut. If you learn how to do this yourself, you will be very happy. Be prepared to fail over and over again, but once you _understand_ you will be able to perform magic. Being able to level and crown frets is a close second. Everything else is superfluous.
My prs se is always in tune, sounds great and plays great. I have several American made Strats that I keep in their cases and treat them as precious heirlooms but my SE is always in the mix, esp for heavy rock.
@@ethanhusak it’s the heaviest guitar I ever lifted. And the tone is incredible. When I started working on movie sets back then I got my first check and it was $750… so I went straight out and spent it!!!
Across all levels of tech. Smartphones, TVs, electronics, appliances, and of course, guitars, advances in manufacturing have made it so that good things have become cheaper, and cheaper things have become good. You can get guitars from excellent, experienced brands like Cort and Tokai with all the specs, offerings and playability of a main name brand guitar that would cost at least double. Many Japanese, Korean and Indonesian guitar factories are making amazing instruments for incredible prices. Do not need to pay for the top of the line. This is the best time in history to be a guitar player!
I did buy a Gibson Les Paul Standard & a PRS Custom 24 10Top (both are pre-owned). That's the start of my problem too as I'm going for Les Paul Custom or Private Stock/Wood Library. Luckily I ended up selling my Les Paul Standard (buying an E-II Eclipse II due to few factors & preference since I ❤ Les Paul body so much) & maintain my Custom 24 as I did try the Wood Library which the difference is only the cosmetic parts as PRS guitars are well built for me even for the normal one. I guess I buy guitars with value for money 😎
I don’t have a custom shop but I have 2 2000+$ fenders and while my 800$ tele is great and a professional level instrument, the quality of my 70 Anniversary ultra Strat with custom shop pickups is just something you can’t get replicate easily
I have a Pyle Les Paul that I got with an amp. It plays great. and it has binding. 2 humbuckers, 3-way switch with separate volume and tone for each pickup. My brother has a vintage Gibson Les Paul. I don't see much difference.
I own a chinese Les Paul, a Harley Benton tele and a Jackson Dinky and now i'm building a Japanese Jackson "Frankenstein" (JSX 94 Body + Performer PS3 neck + Floyd Rose) and i'm very happy.
I had a squire Telecaster for about 4 years and in recent years after a long hiatus a Yamaha Guitar caught my eye a Pacifica 611VFM and ive had it so far for almost 3 years gotta say it got me really surprised by the quality and all the features for the price plus i customized it to my liking. The Guitar is easy to play its really smooth. I gotta say its really underrated. I was going tk pick up originally a Mexican Fender Strat. Im kinda glad i didn't, oh dont get me wrong. Fender has a nice spot in my heart but Yamaha and Ibanez really have been stepping up their game.
I was playing a Gretsch White Falcon at a nee church and one of their other guitarist came up to me after service and was talking to me about the Falcon sitting on the stand and looking at it. I told him he could pick it up and play it if he wanted to, to which he said, "No... I don't want to know what good gear is like." Haha
I got a South Korean made Peavey bass at a thrift store in Connecticut for $69. It comes close to quality of my Fender Jazz Bass. 4:07 How about a pickup selector switch? 50 times the price for a toggle switch is fair.
I've owned one Gibson, SG standard 4 Fenders One USA 2 MIM I MIJ 7 Epipiphones 5 Squires and I loved the higher end ones but the lower end stuff was really just as good
If you can afford a high end guitar and you want it there is no reason to avoid buying it. I have high end guitars and cheap guitars that I really like. My favorite affordable guitar is a Danelectro 12 string. I also have a Mexican strat that is really nice. I ended up putting an entire American strats guts and pickguard in it. I rewired my American strat with Seymour Duncan’s installed in a new mint green pickguard. Strats are cool because they are easy to upgrade.
If you want a Tele...(I have all kinds, including a CS)...I'd recommend one that comes FULLY SET UP...to perfection...that also didn't cost a fortune. AIO TC4. I might get a second one. With better pups...it'll rival an MIA Tele,...sound better too. My CS purchase a few months ago was supposed to end my GAS....it only slowed it down...but now I'm buying budget Tele's to mod and tinker for the fun of it. At 62, I'm having a ball....and wifey is OK with it.
Even the "hand made" thing is nonsense. ALL guitars, from boutique to budget are made in part by hand and in part by machines. Sure, there may be little tweaks here and there but it's inconsequential. As for the additional cost of binding -- there are $300 Squiers and Hofners that have binding. The reason most had made guitars cost more is because they can't sell as many so they cash in on the "snob appeal." I disagree with the "once you play something high end you'll never want to go back" notion. I've owned several boutique instruments that seemed great at first but all had their limitations. Of course there are some instruments clearly superior and you often get what you pay for, but spending insane money on the belief that you're going to get something that much better is a fools errand.
You can certainly put together a wonderful guitar from parts, saving thousands of dollars. I assembled a one- piece lightweight ash body, roasted neck, Callaham hardware with Mark Foley pickups. It is not s resale guitar but a player's guitar.
My first guitar was a $150 affinity strat. I loved it and played it until I wore out the frets, after 6 years it was pretty unplayable but it got me through the bulk of my learning and it sounded pretty “ok” for that. After a few more low budget guitars I now I have mid-priced, import guitars (Mexican Strat and a PRS SE) and I’m happy with them. Would I like a custom shop level guitar? Of course, but I can’t justify the price for myself. So you’re right, I will stay away and not be ruined 😂
I'm not trashing Epiphone (they're good guitars), but the difference in quality between them and a Gibson isn't only noticable, it's obvious. Even the little screws that hold on the plates and tuning pegs are higher quality. I'm always getting stripped screws and shit on my Epiphone, but every one on the Gibson is solid and never strip. That's just a tiny difference, but the main differences like tone and playability aren't even close. Gibson takes the cake every time. You pay for the name, but there's a reason it's a name you pay for
Sorry I played a G&L FULLERTON ASAT CLASSIC and it's an amazing guitar and in time I will get it ‼️ G&L FULLERTON is a very well built guitar. Now I just got a Tease SBH-HD Series T Style TUMMY CUT 13.0K Alnico V Humbucker for $250 and I'm very surprised that there's a lot of guitar for the price ‼️ The reason I got the guitar is Torsten's ( owner) mindset on customer service. Tease Guitar is a good company ‼️
price isnt what matters, features and quality of the build are what matters. There are many brands that make excellent quality stuff for a lot less, and sometimes with more features. Look for a nice combo of reliability of the build, hardware quality features, and price...... there are a lot of guitars from 600-1200USD that are in such a nice sweet spot.
I'm sharing my opinion hoping that someone might profit from it - or disagrees with it and shares why they think I'm wrong so I might learn something: Only buy a high-end guitar if what you get for your money is exactly what you want in a guitar (that you can not get in any kind of cheaper option). If it is not exactly - and I do mean exactly - what you want from a guitar then do not waste your money. My personal experience and way to asses this is to write down the specs I really want - for example: - Good build quality (doesn't need to be perfect but should be good enough to not annoy me) - Strat style - HH pickups - Richlite Fretboard (due to fantastic stability in differing conditions) - SS-Frets (barely any wear over the years) - 25.5 - 26.5" Neck - Fixed Bridge ......and so on, you get the gist. Once that list is set and I am 100% sure that these are the specs I need, I'll look for that exact guitar. In my case I ended up buying an Aristides... and then two more (6, 7 and 8 str). This way you're not sitting there with a $3k+ guitar thinking "man I really wish this had [insert feature]". Buy once, cry once - be happy with that guitar forever. Yeah the investment is massive but now whenever I sit down to play I don't think about the guitar anymore - just the playing, writing and practicing. Makes such a huge difference. And if you're at a point where you don't really know what you want (and therefor can't get make a list, because maybe you don't have that much experience yet or haven't had the chance to try different guitars with different features) - you're absolutely not ready for it and maybe go buy some cheaper/mid-range guitars until you figure it out.
I buy used Suhr moderns for about £1300-1500 so I guess equivalent to $1700. The most I would ever consider paying for a guitar is $2000. The Suhrs are built about as good as it gets and they don't really depreciate at all from that price, I see them as the perfect workhorse gigging guitars. I wouldn't go near a Fender or Gibson for the same money, the build quality is a lottery. I have a lot of time for Ibanez especially the Japanese ones, my only gripe is that so few of their guitars have ss frets and they put floyds on everything.
Hi. I've had 1 each Gibson and Fender guitars in my lifetime. I didn't fall in love with either, although experience has taught me why those axes weren't favorites. At this point, though, neither Gibson nor Fender nor any of the other big guys are likely to see my money. I recently acquired what amounted to my "grail" guitar, which was merely a neck-through Jackson-Soloist-like super cheapo which, despite its very modest price point, included a gig bag I've seen sold at $25-30 USD, a functional tuner, a decent cable and a so-so strap -- and which required very little adjustment to make it play like a champ. It even came equipped with ALNICO HUMBUCKERS, which I would have sworn would be too expensive for a guitar like this one. Granted, I'm swapping in new pickups, but it's for LOOKS, not tone. This guitar was grail-like for me because I now have at least one of all of the major neck groups: Neck through body, set neck (glued in), and -- of course -- bolt (screw) on. Last I looked, a new crop of them has popped up on Amazon for about $240 -- nearly no money for a decent neck-through! I hear you talkin', though. In decades past, I once saw a Fender Stratocaster Plus Ultra(!), offered then at a price of about $1500 ... a veritable king's ransom! I halfway fell in love with it at a glance, but when my then brother in law offered to seek a chance for me to play the thing, I demurred -- quickly! I KNEW that I would fall the rest of the way in love with it at a touch, and I ALSO knew that there was NO CHANCE of acquiring that goddess! Why suffer? I've had something close to the experience of high end guitars, too, because so many of today's guitars punch WAY above their price points, as I know from experience. I also know no fear of working on these cheaper guitars, since wrecking them does spoil a large investment; I write off such losses as "experience." At this point in my life, there can never be an upscale guitar that will give the the value I derive from several of the guitars I currently own!
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Every time I cheap out on anything, it just winds up adding that price to the price of the thing I should have bought instead. Cry once at checkout.
Buy once cry once. That's my philosophy
Yup. The only place I cheap out is Harbor Freight, but their newer low-price tools are very good quality. I'm a customer for life there. LOL
True but my custom shop tele isn’t any better than my squier baritone tele, like what 20x the price?
@@ethanhusak😂😂😂
Somewhat relevant regarding acoustic guitars. I noticed the Eagles playing budget priced Takamines (which I think are great) on tour, I'm guessing leaving their very expensive studio quality guitars safely at home.
Many years ago I bought a new Fender Strat Mexican made guitar.
I was learning at the time and my tutor asked if he could try it out, he played so amazingly and I recorded what he played and still have that recording to this day, the main interest to me was he stating, "this is the very best playing guitar I have ever played straight out of the box".
That meant the world to me although not an expensive guitar, and I still have that guitar.
That's awesome
The Mexican made Fenders are well made guitars. My Vintera strat is almost impossible to put down once I plug it in.
I can't even boast that with some of my more expensive guitars.
MIM Strat FTW
I used to pride myself - and amuse my friends - by buying cheap guitars and upgrading all the components until I had what I wanted. Then, one day I got a high(er) end guitar (to cheer myself up after serious illness) and was ruined for life. I said I could handle it, but I couldn’t. All the arguments against high end guitars are valid… until you have one.
😂😂😂
I went to a guitar store with the sole purpose to get a PRS cause they were for the price great, but then I played a SG standard… paid almost double that day than what I expected lmao
Cheap guitars are often cheap for a reason. I have only guitars in the upper middle level, far above entry but before Custom shop, and I have modded all of them slightly. I’m very satisfied with the guitars I have.
It’s not about the specs.
It’s about the fit and finish, the fret edge treatment, the quality of the wood.. you get it.
Yes, a 5000€ guitar isn’t 5x better than a 1000€ guitar. But man it feels so great to play.
Yeah!!
You have to be worthy of playing it. Otherwise it's throwing pearls before swine.
That's a bit dramatic. Plus it's really just overpriced.@@ChrisTian-rm7zm
I am a 70yo beginner (1 year) and I play an Affinity Tele and a Classic Vibe 50s Strat. I am very happy with these two guitars. I will probably stay with them because of my age, arthritis and chronic pain. I can afford high end guitars but it doesn’t make sense to me.
Your points are all well made. Thanks for sharing a thoughtful, insightful and well made video. ✌️
Awesome. Thanks!
Classic vibe's can't be beat for price !!
Good for you sir ! keep at it .I'm 71 & just learned the lead licks to Mississippi Queen.Check out a Vidami pedal f.y.i (allows u to slow/loop at different 4 speeds w/your FOOT !) if u enjoy learning anything, from RUclips videos. From Les Paul's hometown.
@@kimalexander3914 … Waukesha? Nice! Wauwatosa here. 👍✌️
Now you need a Epiphone LP Special with the P-90 pickups, everyone should have a strat, a Tele and a Les Paul.
I’ve been playing for 38 years and I made the leap into the unattainable in 1999 with a PRS Custom 24 and that was the beginning of the spiral into high end and Custom Shop guitars. I agree with you that once you open pandora’s box you can never close it. If you are truly serious about learning to play I think a middle level instrument is the perfect choice. That way you can get something for it if and when you decide to go to the next level. Great content.
Thanks for the comment!
PRS are awesome!
Excellent advice. It took me decades of playing and listening to know what I wanted from a guitar. For players beginner to advanced, forget the high end hype and you can get a really nice playing and sounding guitar for about $700 to a grand. Pay attention to how it sounds, both from the wood it's made of and the electronics. Start with the wood, build it according to your taste, and you can create a sound that is unique to you. Way better than a $5000 vintage or custom, and you'll have a personal connection with it. Something special in a human existence.
Most guitars will work just fine but spending a little more has made me a happier player.
The feeling you get when playing is a huge part of the experience
Guitarists WANT to spend $5000 on a guitar. No one wants a $100 Amazon guitar that is as good as a Gibson Custom Shop guitar! Guitarists WANT to suffer for their love of music and work hard and save up for that Holy Grail guitar ! That's because they're all fucking crazy.
Agreed. I'd also recommend paying a guitar technician to professionally set up low to mid range guitars. My first guitar was a Mexican Strat and I'd messed around with the intonation and made a bit of a mess of things. Also, I wasn't interested in using the tremolo arm and wanted the mechanism locked to make tuning and re-stringing easier. When I collected it from my local guitar tech, I was gobsmacked at how playable it had suddenly become. I fell back in love with playing guitar after that.
Back in 2001, I bought an Epiphone "335" that was made in Korea (by Samick I believe). This model was above the Epiphone "DOT" as it had gold hardware and 490T pickups.The salesman at Guitar Center told me it was just as good as the Gibson ES 335,and it has the Gibson logo on the truss rod cover. I swapped out the neck pickup for the Gibson "Wes Montgomery" Custom 57 pickup which cost half as much as the guitar! I still have it and you can hear it on all of my songs on my RUclips channel. I've played the $4000 ES 335 and I can't tell the difference in sound or feel.
This USED to be true, but nowadays, US Custom Shop instruments are hit or miss. Especially with Gibson. Japanese made guitars are always top shelf.
Thanks for the comment
You can pick up a used FGN Strat from Japan for about $500 + shipping. It will be a better guitar than anything with Fender written on it.
I still use my LP Studio -- my first electric after many years with classical --. I did upgrade the pickups to the well known EMG-60/81 combo. I like it because it's super light and easy to play.
I think there is an intermediate point between quality and sound. Sometimes, cheap guitars are not very playable. You can always find a good used guitar and upgrade a few components, e.g. creamier pickups if you want that LP classic tone, etc.
I always advocate for any beginner to always have the chance to start with a decent instrument.
I've spoken to a lot of luthiers and all of them say that bolt-on sonstruction is not really cheaper or easier than set neck. it's just a different process. makes total sense to me as well. i think it's a bit of a marketing stunt, just like the thing with longer sustain on set necks. just doesn't check out in practice and depends on a lot of stuff
That makes sense. To each their own
Bolt on is a cheaper process by reducing waste. A defective guitar with a set neck is completely discarded. With bolt on construction, a defect will be either on a neck or on a body, easy to replace.
It's been proven that bolt on neck guitars are just as good sonically as set neck guitars.
yea exactly when I've heard it I was like what a BS, sorry, cannot stand this
I suck at guitar but i did sell the cheap guitars i had and bought a nice used Gibson LP trad pro V in transparent ebony for 1800 bucks. And i got one of the Andertons, fender player plus strats with roasted neck, hss- american pickups, in charcoal frost metallic for 40% off on sale one time from fender. I love both of them and they definitely inspire me to practice and get better. I play either or both every day.
Awesome! I always look for bargains like that. I got a Gibson Firebird a few years ago for $800
1800 for a Gibson is a good price
Here’s my advice…I’ve been playing high end guitars for a long time. That’s how I make my living. It’s still just a single dude’s opinion but at the very least, I’ve been there…and been there at length. Buying a high end guitar for branding reasons (Nike, Adidas, Gibson) is the wrong mindset. Buying a high end guitar because you’ve wanted one since you were a child, you can afford it and it makes you happy…THAT’S the right reason. I play Paul Reed Smiths primarily and what fascinated me about them early on is that they were known for their unearthly stability as well as their tonal/structural middle ground between Fender and Gibson. Do some people think they’re too expensive? Yes…but I don’t. I’ve set up my main cu24 maybe 5 times since 2002. It’s never once failed me and it’s only gotten better with age. Do your research and buy for the right reasons, that’s all. Don’t ever let someone make you feel like you shouldn’t buy a nice guitar or that you don’t deserve one. If you can’t afford something crazy, buy the nicest thing you can buy. Gear is the last thing that makes you what you are as a musician.
You should watch my video about why the expensive guitars are worth it. I talk about the same stuff!
@@ethanhusak
🤙🤙🤙
I am agree, I have several guitars and some of them a master instruments, never ever regret that I bought them.
Very well said my friend.
My advice, buy an 80s MIJ Fender contemporary strat. E5 I have 3 and they are absolutely fantastic. My 96 Mij is great. They sound better than my American Ultra
Excellent points and delivery- thank you!
Thanks for watching!
I am a retired guitarist (87) & my main guitar for many years was a Hohner E35 Professional semi guitar. I have & still own a Gibson SG & a Fender Tele. which I bought just for the name on the head stock. I bought these guitars fairly late in life. At the moment I am impressed with the Ibanez jazzers, of which I have two. AF 95.
Thanks for the comment
Great video. I think that one of the trends that I see today is that the general view/understanding/expression of “high end” guitars seems to be shifting. And, to many, a Fender American Standard (professional II) Strat / Gibson Les Paul Standard is not viewed as high end anymore… it is the custom shop or beyond (Murphy Lab, Private stock etc)…and the goal posts keep moving further and further away.
Very true
Thanks for your comments and thoughts on this. Your point is a good one. That being said I've been playing since the mid 60's and have owned my share of vintage guitars('57 Tele, 61 Les Paul(SG), '64 Strat, '67 Mustang to name a few) and have also owned guitars like a mid '90's Parker Fly, certainly a "high end" instrument at that time. What I have found in recent years is that there are some great quality guitars being made at very affordable prices. An example is IYV which are made in VietNam. I ordered one out of curiosity and was blown away by how good it was so I ordered a few others to see if it was a fluke. It wasn't. Are they perfect? No. In fact each needed some tweaking & minor adjustments, but once I did this they became part of my regular rotation of guitars to use. Another guitar that surprised me was an Eart Tele (made in China)with roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets that played great right out of the box. In truth this guitar out-plays a number of Tele's I've owned and is currently one of my favorites to use. After this experience I decided to order an Eart Strat- same story here. I also bought an Epiphone SG which is a replica of en early '60's Gibson and, having owned the real thing, I'm here to tell you that this is as close as I've found(also made in China). Back in the old days we had no such options- the inexpensive or cheaper guitars were mostly junk. This is no longer the case and if you're not married to a "name" or status(or resale/collector value) then you can find some great guitars at very affordable prices. I would use anyone of these in the studio or on stage.Thanks again for your video
Thanks for sharing your experience
I bought a Taylor Gs mini recently, love the resonance on that thing. I also have a Squier Strat with Marshall G10 Amp, can play anything I throw at it. I won’t be upgrading guitars anytime soon. Awesome video.
I feel this sentiment quite a bit, once you set the precedent of getting your first nice guitar, it's incredibly hard to look at lower price points. I own the J-45 Studio Rosewood, and any potential acoustic acquisition from now on is at the same price point or higher and you rationalize it. But well said points.
Thanks for watching!
I have 3 Squiers that I like better than any Fender I have ever had. And each one was about 500 bucks. They play great, sound great and look stellar. And a fair price.
Awesome!
Beautifu😅l Squire's!! @@ethanhusak
You haven’t played custom shops. Like just stop man, this is such an ignorant comment.
@@suqies Do you know me? No, you don't so the only one speaking out of ignorance is you.
@@GeoffByrdMusic @suqies let's be friendly guys. We all love guitars!
I’ve played Telecasters for many years, but never owned an American Fender. I know I want one now because it’s my favourite style of electric guitar, and I’ve put the hours in on Squiers to know how much one would mean to me. If I find the right one, it will probably be a lifetime guitar for me
Good stuff!
Anything over 4k is just a gimmick. A 10k guitar isn't twice as good as a 5k guitar. But some people like to buy guitars that are expensive as cars.
My 1973 Martin D-18 goes for €4800.- in today's market. That's much more than what I invested, which shows that buying a high-end guitar is not always a financially bad move.
Electric guitars are 1950s technology. It's simple to make them. Making a good acoustic requires real craftsmanship.
@@gingerbeer914a mid range acoustic also costs 5k $ and a High end comes out easily at over 10k. So the price usually also reflects that. And the Sound is a lot more different in the price Ranges.
Don’t speak about things you don’t know. No real master luthier builts a classical guitar under 3.500 €. Up to 10k or even 12k.
For electric guitar it’s a little different.
@@mikerophone7805 Nobody wants to hold 12k in their hand. One drop and kaboom. Plus, just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better. Money doesn't buy you the Holy Grail.
@@TheRichie213 I know many professional classical musicians. They all are hold 10k+ in their hands, sometimes 20k and more.. Flutists, cellists, violinists, etc. etc. and guitarists. Classical accordions can cost you 30k.
A lot comes down to good fretwork and pickups.
If you know what you're doing or have a good luthier, it really isn't that hard to get a cheap guitar to play like an expensive one.
That’s exactly what happened to me when I finally found a luthier with 20+ years experience. He works from home. His fees are fair. When he turned my $429 Epiphone LP Standard into a great playing, nice looking and sounding guitar for just $460, I sent him my other 4 Epiphone Les Pauls.
When i received my first standard series esp after playing Edwards and ltd guitars, maybe its a placebo effect, but just having the guitar rested in the playing position, it does feel more premium than the other guitars i own. The fret edges are damn near seamless on the outer sides of the neck, and the components, and the body/neck just has a more premium feel to it.
Im sure the signature/custom shop guitars will have that plus the wow factor with its exclusive additions and changes, but that's like supercar territory haha.
I have high end, and cheap guitars. I have to say one of my favorites is my Harley Benton Te-52. No upgrades whatsoever. An absolute dream of a guitar.
Nice!
So...
...as with most of us, my experiences with various guitars, techs, luthiers and such, spanning 50 years, forms the basis of my expertise...such
as it is.
I've learned the hardest lesson in guitar shopping:
don't fall in love with a pretty face.
My first really great electric guitar was a 1976 BC Rich
Seagull 2 (or II...the one without the point, forerunner to the Eagle) It was gorgeous. And it had one great sound. Flip the booster and it would scream for days, but it had no real flat tone, no soul. I had a 63 Silvertone that had more tone. So I started exploring low end instruments:
Behringer V tone, which was every inch a Strat. $85 used.
1958 Supro/Valco
Belmont 33 Special
A real find at $225, this one looked like Charlie Brown's
Christmas tree.
But...I plugged it in and played for 30 seconds. Yep;
-knees shaking? ✓
-sweating? ✓
-hard nipples? ✓
I've since put 500-600 bucks into it. Worth every penny.
2023 Squier
Sonic Telecaster
$150 used
My current guitar.
Wish I'd known about Telecasters before I bought the BC Rich. Leo (Fender) got it right the first time.
This is the most versatile guitar I've ever played. Name the genre: the Tele has a tone for that.
Even the cheapest ones sound like the real thing.
Thanks for sharing your story. It's funny how everyone seems to say that about the Tele
I was lucky enough to start out with a good guitar, but if you can't play it, it doesn't matter like you said. I kept thinking it was an equipment issue, I needed this or that type of amp or pedal but that wasn't the problem. I couldn't play.
Haha yeah. Happens to the best of us
For binding, there’s actually a newer way that this is done on brands like Music Man where they blow it into a mold like toothpaste and sort of plek it away, so it’s gotten a lot easier to do.
Thanks for the info. I didn't know that
A couple of days ago I saw a video of Rik Emmett of Triumph playing live and he was playing on a Yamaha Pacifica. It was one of the better ones but still just a Pacifica. Probably just had it set up by someone who does the job right. You can throw whatever pickups you like and properly shield it, etc and sound just that good. This was post-Triumph days but the guy still owns expensive guitars. It’s not because he’s not making the same money he did in the Triumph days. I’ve seen the same with higher end Squiers set up well with a couple of upgrades. No huge overhaul.
Thanks for the comment!
My best guitar is a bexgears Flying V kit that was given to me as a gift. I must’ve gotten really lucky cause it feels outstanding and the white paint I put on it has a ton of imperfections so I have no need to be careful with it. After I upgrade the pickups to something a little nicer it’ll be perfect
I set out about 3 months ago to try to find “the sound” I’ve had in my head for the past 15 years. I set a budget that I just blew out of the water last week because I played a Fender Custom Shop ‘63 Tele light relic (which I’ve always hated)….and it is just IT. Life achievement unlocked.
Haha! That's awesome. Congrats!
Once you get over a certain price (I’m going to say around $1500-2000), you’re not getting much more from the more expensive models.
However, I fully agree with the ending sections. Once you get a LP custom/PRS core/ ebmm JP/ Ibanez prestige or j.custom it’s hard to get excited for cheaper models.
That is the problem😂
I straight swapped a genuine, but hideously worn 1974 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty for a secondhand road worn Custom Shop Fender Telecaster. Best swap I ever did, my back thanks me for it. The custom shop Fenders really do stand out in tone and playability. I was however pleasantly surprised by Gibson when they’d got some of the basics back on track, and bought a new LP Junior in 2018 with wrap bridge and single P90 for under £600. That Junior is still my No.1, it cooks even when it’s not plugged in. Don’t look at the price, listen to the instrument.
Guitarists WANT to spend $5000 for a guitar! They don't want a $100 Amazon guitar that is as good as a Gibson Custom Shop! Some people don't realize this.
I have 50+ playing experience. One of best players I have is Baretta knockoff I got for 75 off OfferUp. First thing I did was adjust truss rod, next was polishing frets and installing new volume pot and old Gibson Dirty Finger I had laying around.
Baretta? That would be a Kramer, right? They even made a Guitar Hero version of it for the PlayStation.
I never liked guitars with only one pickup... especially if that was a shrill bridge pickup. But I could make an exception for the Fender Esquire, I guess...
@@gingerbeer914 I`m not that much of a uterus myself.
Subject shold be...
Don`t Let Dotardly Guitar Eunuchs Tell You What`s The Shit....
i found warmoth to be a very good, less expensive alternative to the fender CS stuff. when painted and put together by a professional luthier, combined with high end pickups and hardware it yields an amazing instrument
I always wanted a Fender Custom Shop Strat, when they released the Bonnie Raitt signature
i raided my savings to order one, when arrived i was in tears, the neck and body had dings
the blue colour was not the correct burst one and they had fitted a standard neck instead of
the special narrow one as per the specs, so with a lot of help from the dealer i rejected it.
The dealer then suggest trying a highly regarded luthier that they had used, so i took the plunge
and it was perfect, the only thing missing were the Fender decals as he refused to make fakes.
It was everything that the Fender should have been and at a lower cost.
My advice is think before you waste a lot of money on "Custom Shop " guitars, that decal comes
at a very high price.
Thanks for the info!
Would like to have a greater amount of time teach myself, 2 jobs can get in the way. About a year ago I purchased a 2021 Epiphone LP modern on reverb, listed as used-excellent for $540. Looked like new out of the box with a good look over, couldn’t find one thing wrong. The tones and playability were well above what I expected. Decent bang for the buck.
Awesome!
Great video. Just one thing I thought I'd add as a guitarist of almost 30 years. Taking the time to learn how to set up your own guitars, i.e. intonation, action, truss rods, fret dressing, basic electronics, etc., will give you the ability to make nearly ANY guitar at ANY price point play and sound great. It's totally worth the time and effort. I own very expensive guitars and I have some cheapies, but I can make them all sing... and you can too. 😎💯
Thanks for the advice! Some other folks have said the same thing
I own a Cobalt Blue ESP 256, and to say the least it’s one of the best guitars I’ve ever played. For 500$ it is absolutely incredible. I’ve owned higher priced Epiphone’s than this and I think this just way out preforms them. Great fret work, fretboard feels amazing, the neck is incredibly comfortable, and it just feels nice in overall quality. I had the pickups swapped for Seymour Duncan 59s in the neck and bridge and it just brings all the mojo you could ever want from a guitar.
I’m relatively new to the guitar thing but i am a professional violinist and have been playing very high end instruments which are extremely pricey my entire life. It’s absolutely fundamental for me in what I do for a living.
In the world of fine bowed instruments, there are a great number of fantastic builders available ranging in price from several thousands to millions of dollars. It’s pretty insane but we learned long ago to not only strive to play Stradivari or Guarneri as the literally cost millions. There are many more options than Fender and Gibson and when a player knows exactly what to look for in a great instrument, you can get one that’s outstanding for something more reasonable and still have it be on the level of the more well-known builders. Smitty and Shishkov, for example both make killer guitars. My Smitty was 2650€ made to my specs and it’s amazing. It’s easily on par with Fender CustomShop. Obviously one isn’t going to find one at Guitar Center but it’s a lot of fun having someone build you something.
You are right however in that it’s not entirely necessary to have the greatest thing ever to play music. For some, it’s obviously a priority but for most of us, most guitars will get it done just fine.
Thanks for the comment
@@ethanhusak thanks for the well-done video. I enjoyed watching it.
You're absolutely right about once you have a high end guitar you can never look back just like business vs economy travel. It took me over 25 years to finally find out which guitar brings out the best in me and that's my friend is my Gibson Les Paul custom.
Heck yeah!
As a left-handed guitarist lower costing guitars have more manufacturing defects. I have unfortunately found this to be the case. After having been stuck with defective guitars that would cost more to repair than its value. I pawned these off and bought an American made guitar. This is just my experience and from 30+ years ago.
Thanks for sharing!
Fellow lefty here. Over time, I have found that even in the most subtle ways, the world is right handed. The first thing I look at now on a guitar is string alignment. So many have the high E too close to the edge of the fret board and the low E farther from the edge. It's pretty noticeable even on some very expensive guitars and makes them uncomfortable. The high E can get pulled off the fret board and especially on some Gibsons, get caught in the area where the nib meets the fret end if it isn't perfectly smooth there.
Definitely would have been the case 30+ years ago. But cheap guitars today are exponentially better in quality, might want to check it out
I think it's also better to buy several guitars of absolutely different styles when you are a beginner, rather than one expensive guitar.
Yeah I always advocate for trying out different things until you know what you like
I actually hate binding on my guitars and try not to get it when I can but sometimes it's just impossible like if you want a Les Paul standard you just have to get it
Thanks for the comment
I agree 💯 % 🙂 I’m done with purchasing high end guitars. I’ve been blessed to have my Gibson LP Standard, PRS Custom 24, Fender Edge Signature, and Jackson SL1 & SL2H. The new BUDGET guitars are Great guitars! I’ve been selling off my expensive guitars to get a bunch of new Budget guitars.
That's great!
Do you regret it? Would you trade your expensive guitars for something anyone can have?
@@fefloria Nope, not at all. I play my guitars more than collecting them now. Seriously why would I care or does it matter if anyone can have it? My skills impress people, not my gear. Honestly, it’s more impressive to see someone make the guitar sound great on a simple setup without any reverb or a bunch of FX 🙂 Just switch out the pickups to the ones you like and you’re ready to go.
My cousin bought a Chibson totally stripped it , fitted his own hard wear right down to the nut , cost him about £300 all in and it sounds unbelievable . Cool experiment with ver satisfying results , looks bloody lovely too .
I am a strat player so I am already on the "lower" end of the spectrum. I have played some really nice Gibsons and PRS guitars and I thought "Wow, this a really good guitar" but for whatever reason the strat just fits better. I have a couple of actual vintage strats and they are great, and I have some squiers and they are also great. My #1 is an 80s japanese "pre squire" that is just unbelievable. I probably spent almost twice as much on the upgrades (mostly pickups) as I paid for the guitar itself but still probably in the $700 range total cost. I am not here to tell you to just buy cheap and upgrade, it's not that simple. However if you go to the store a lot and play a lot of guitars you will find the diamonds in the rough among the squires/etc. This is YOU putting in the effort to be the quality control to find some really good pieces of wood. I have an off brand guitar I bought in a consignment shop in south america for $75 that stays in tune, plays in tune and rings like a bell, they even did a great job on the sunburst finish. Great "cheaper" guitars are definitely out there.
Remember Epiphone was established in 1873 then making guitars 1928 and Gibson became partnered in 1957. I've always leaned towards the originals and all my Epiphone guitars are great. George Fullerton and Leo Fender made their guitars here in the OC G&L an amazing affordable Guitar also the Squire line. 👍🏻 The factory is very visible and visitor friendly.😎
My Tele and Bass are both G&L!
@@ethanhusak if you ever get the opportunity to visit the Anahiem / Fullerton border area the G&L factory is on fender Blvd next to Homedepot by the Railroad tracks. And visit the Homedepot it was a tank factory in WW2 the assy. Line hangers are still on the sealing. 👍🏻🇺🇸
Oh sweet!
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster, bought used from Guitar Center website in about 2018 for $285. Love it! Did a minor setup myself, and later replaced the wonky 5-way switch.
The quality of a guitar depends a lot on the wood and parts. Workmanship is as important as well. These factors as a whole are important.
Gretsch Electromatic, Squier CV, Sire 3 & 5, Tokai etc...can be had for $400/650 respectively.
Short: around $1500-1900 one can have three (3) very nice and playable guitars. Not talking resale value but just enjoying and playing and keeping the darn things 🤠
Got a Gretsch G5421 and Sire S3 hss. Not high end or anything but I don't mind if there is a dent or scratch on it and like them 😎
I think it's a great idea to buy things in that price range just to try things out until you figure out what you like
The most expensive guitar I bought was 15 years ago. It was a Gibson Original Collection SG Special Vintage Cherry, which I purchased for 900 Euros. Now, they are at least 30% more expensive. I think it is good value for the money. I still play it every day. I also have an Epiphone Black Beauty III but prefer the sound of the Gibson over the Epiphone. It has more body and character. Love your take on the topic .
Thanks!
I've owned a lot of expensive guitars. PRS, Gibson, EBMM, Fender CS, LsL, etc. They were all nice, but I never wanted to play them more than my '80s Fujigen Squiers. Granted, those guitars aren't as affordable as they once were, and they needed new electronics to sound their best, but from a workmanship point of view, they stacked up with all the high-end stuff. All my $2-3k guitars are gone, the Squiers remain.
I have a Squire Strat that I won in a drawing, and I absolutely love it.
Lucky guy
The Acoustic you have is an Alvarez Regent. I just retrieved mine again. I also have a Guild MAH acoustic and I agree with what you have said. I am on tour with MIM strats and a MIJ tele and Squier CV 50's tele, a 80's bolt on EPi LP and H&K amp with a Yamaha backup. It is funny these are my low end axes and they do the job. I may own the only bolt on EPI LP in Germany! It cost $80 30 years ago. My high end stuff is in the states and I do not miss the playability just the opportunity. I have cutdown from over 210 guitars to 20 and more is not better. I would have spent half the money on lessons if I were wiser. My cheapest strat stands up to my strat deluxe, and my best Epi are on par with my LP Custom and Studio. My Alvarez is not as good as my Yari or masterworks tone but very close in playability and hundreds cheaper.
Thanks for the comment!
I was fortunate enough to have ordered my Novo Serus J before the prices really went up. I'm certain it would be another $1,500 now for the same specs. With that said it is one of the best guitars I have ever owned, and I've had over 60. I several high end (expensive) guitars and they are all worth the money. The quality is unmistakable. I also have Korean Epiphones and MIJ Fenders that are awesome guitars, that I paid a fraction of what they others cost.
Thanks for the comment
Went for AV2 61 Strat and Eastman SB59v LP Style. Couldnt be happier. There is Mojo in both of them big time. I am not tha great guitar Player even After 30 years of Findling arroud - but i love and appretiate the Touch, feel and Sound comming out of them. Since 2 days i own G&L Asat Tribute Classic Semihollow, much more affordable, not that much mojo but i am not affraid to take her out and bit her up. So yes, there still will be need for "normaly" Priced Guitars no Macher if there are nunber x of expecive ones standing arround. And they are good too 👍
Thanks for the comment
I own $2-$4K guitars and several in the $500-$1500 range. The high end guitars generally play better, sound better and hold tune better. However, the one I grab most often is a PRS SE standard with upgraded pickups and tuners. If I were to knock down the gloss on the back of the neck, it would rival my most expensive axe in terms of sound and playability.
Thanks for the comment
I got my first high end guitar saving up until my freshman year (04?). It was a Norlin-era 78' ES-335. I spent around 1300. My next high end guitar was a Red Firebird VII from 09' (a terrible guitar), that cost me 1200. I ran an Ampeg V4, Sound City, Roland JC-120, Marshall Bluesmaster, multiple modded JCM-900 with an 800 mode, Mesa Lonestar all for under 1000 and some under 600. I had many other crappier cheaper guitars used as backups to backups and a million boutique and cheap pedals bought for beans on craigslist and eBay. I just saw one of them, a Jaguar Thinline that I got for about 800 being sold for 3.2k. I even had Peavey T-40 that I got for free from a friend (that are now being sold for insane prices). About a decade ago I got rid of most of my gear because of apartment space and a shift to synthesizer.
I bought new gear in 2017 before the boom. Got a VT-22 and a Norlin Era ES-347, run through an FX8. I spent 1700 on the ES-347 (now going for 3.5-4k at the same store I bought it from) and less than 700 on the other two pieces of gear. Recently I have been playing and writing a lot more and was looking into a backup guitar. It has become very clear that we are in a golden age of Indonesian production. Guitars like the Yamaha Revstar, G&L Tributes, Sires, etc. play and sound really good. And if you pop in some new electronics and pickups you are off to the races. Maybe you need to re-fret the guitar in 10 years. But the idea of spending money on a high end Gibson or Fender is legitimately insane. And there are also 100 different excellent luthiers releasing guitars for 2k that have legitimate advancements over comparable guitars. I just checked out the Valiant Jupiter (a Jazzmaster style guitar) that is cooler than any reissue I have seen.
Though I wish high end guitars had the same availability that they did in the 00s-mid teens, it is cooler that I can put together 1k and buy a Revstar and a G&L Doheny Tribute and mod them to my specifications. As someone who has owned a fair amount of good gear over their life, this is actually a better time, as long as you can throw away your preconceptions. If all you care about is tone, wait until you're famous and get the real vintage guitars.
LTD deluxe, Solar 1. series, epiphone, pro series jackson, etc. all seem like they're near the top to me especially if you get a good one. Finessing frets if needed, action, intonation, truss, etc. vs. buying a guitar that's 4x the price, the choice is clear to me/imo. Sure a Suhr or wood stock or other US/high end guitars might feel great out of the box, sound 10-20% better (with the same pickups), but what other differences are there really besides cut (neck, for ex), and weight. Something that opened my eyes was a video by Glenn Fricker/SMG Studios that featured blind tests of four guitars and the tone was best on some of the cheapest, imo.
Thanks for the comment
I am a broke ass guitar player, and I approve of this message.
😂😂
Nice.
I can elaborate further
I own an r9, a japanese fender strat, a mexican jazzmaster, and an american vintage II tele. They all feel and sound great. Get a good setup, it bridges the gap.
Thanks for the comment
I have and I've had a lot of guitars in my years ranging from $99 to $1000. The ones around $1000 are all super nice, but I got a Gibson SG about 6 weeks ago. I sit here all the time and play a bunch of different ones...but I always find my way back to the Gibson and I play it every day. It just has mojo. I was only supposed to review it, but I'm keeping it. Just gotta figure out how to pay for it now.😄
Haha! That's how they get you! Did you see my video on why you SHOULD get those guitars?
@@ethanhusak Nope, but I subbed and will.
Awesome thanks!
I bought an epiphone muse with an tremendous good sound.
After I brought it to an guitar builder to rework the binding and the height of the strings it is tremendous.
I think it is worth it.
Thanks for the comment
Why do we play? That is the real question. How often do you practice? My aim is to play every day and preferably a couple of times a day as this helps me improve. I dont own anything else that I use as much as my guitars. I play both classical and electric. I struggle with a cheap yamaha or any other cheap guitar. The action isnt pleasant the sound is poor and I just dont enjoy playing them. So basically your absolutely correct. Once you experience a great guitar, if your serious. There is no going back.
I play a Yairi and a LP Standard.
Thanks for the comment!
Never owned a guitar worth more than £500 with all the ones I've had over the years, but I'm just a home player. TBH with what you can get for your money these days I would personally say £1,000 - £1200 would be my limit for which you can get a fantastic specd instrument. After that it's diminishing returns. I'd say the only exceptions to this would be things like Strandbergs or maybe Evertune equipped guitars where specifically technology is unique to the increased cost.
Excellent! ...personally, went from a LP / Bigsby - Mesa Boogie S60 to a Epi VE LP - Blackstar V2 40W. The only thing I really miss is the standby switch.... 😎
Haha!
Quality components are important: bridge, tuners, knobs, etc...Tuning stability too! But now you can have that at any price range. I play much more on my Sire T7 with stock pickups than on my Ibanez Prestige from 2005 loaded with Bare Knuckles. Note that one is better than the other, it`s just that it`s great enough to be played on and it really depends on the context. It also depends on how long you want to keep the guitar. I have had the Ibanez for a very long time and I have played live on it for more than 15 years and it's still a pretty solid machine. In the end, do what makes you happy and what works for you within your budget and your context. Not everybody can afford guitars like Slash anyway.
I agree but a Fender Strat is a great buy, it doesn't matter where it's made, just as long as It lasts! I personally have an American made one and it's really durable and just a workhorse for songwriting, and is gonna last me years. But with a custom shop or any guitar over $4000 ($2,700 US), I'd be scared to even use it.
I thought that at first with my custom shop LP, but I love it so much that I can't leave it sitting
@@ethanhusak Sick lol, that contradicts the video but I see your point on both aspects (the video and your comment).
Strats are lame compared to a mid-priced Charvel, new or from the 80s.You'll hate the buzz, the thinness of the sound, the neck profile and the cylindrical fretboard. Start with a compound radius neck and inexpensive wood like Alder or Basswood, may have to look to find a good one, and swap out the electronics for ones you like. Save a bunch of money and end up with a guitar you love to play.
I bought a couple of Suhr guitars years back. I’m 67, started buying guitars in the 70s. The Suhr guitars, to me, are head and shoulders over my other two dozen guitars … except one run of the mill Les Paul with p-90s that is one of those guitars that has a bit of magic. So there is something to be said for expensive guitars- however a persons playing ability is the core issue of your sound. 🤙
Agreed! SUHR guitars are just sick, in a good way in terms of quality. I have a 24 fret "The Collection" Modern Pro/Govan and the playability is way beyond any overpriced $8,000 Murphy Lab 1959 LP, and it never goes out of tune.
Rather than cave to.custom shop prices for a nice guitar, I opted to build one from a kit. I upgraded the hardware, hand picked the pickups, and did all the finish, wiring, and set up work myself after researching what luthier skills were involved. I have a Les Paul, a ES-335, L-5, Strat, and a cpl Telecasters all for the price of maybe 1 Les Paul from the Gibson Custom Shop. For example, my L-5 Custom was a kit customed from the shop for $450, then hand selected hardware, just 1 neck pickup, and an acoustic style bridge total cost being abt $600. There is one flaw: the kit shop didn't do fret markers on the side, but I can fix that if I want to.
Awesome!
I have seen two video's where people said they wish they had learned to play guitar in the dark. Most pro's play from muscle memory, and don't look at fret markers.
I put fender ultra noiseless on my Squier. Upgraded the electronics and saddles. Totally awesome.
Sweet
"If you can't make the cheap guitar sound good". I think that's something that has improved immensely over the last couple of decades. Going back 30 years it was perfectly possible to find cheap guitars that were completely atrocious. So I'd say that the "minimum you need to spend for a perfectly acceptable guitar" has come down by a lot.
That's definitely true. But none of it matters if you don't know how to play
The magic of a guitar is a well cut nut. If you learn how to do this yourself, you will be very happy. Be prepared to fail over and over again, but once you _understand_ you will be able to perform magic. Being able to level and crown frets is a close second. Everything else is superfluous.
Thanks for the comment
@@ethanhusak He carries the torch so that others may see.
@@ethanhusak You're welcome. Now give us a _squeeze_ ! 💛
My prs se is always in tune, sounds great and plays great. I have several American made Strats that I keep in their cases and treat them as precious heirlooms but my SE is always in the mix, esp for heavy rock.
I don’t like binding on Les Paul’s. So I bought a studio and a tribute. Love them.♥️
Thanks for the comment!
I have a 75 les Paul custom and am glad no one talked me out it buying it. Of course that was in 1992 and was only $750
Awesome!
@@ethanhusak it’s the heaviest guitar I ever lifted. And the tone is incredible. When I started working on movie sets back then I got my first check and it was $750… so I went straight out and spent it!!!
@@benharrison7244 haha!
Across all levels of tech. Smartphones, TVs, electronics, appliances, and of course, guitars, advances in manufacturing have made it so that good things have become cheaper, and cheaper things have become good.
You can get guitars from excellent, experienced brands like Cort and Tokai with all the specs, offerings and playability of a main name brand guitar that would cost at least double.
Many Japanese, Korean and Indonesian guitar factories are making amazing instruments for incredible prices. Do not need to pay for the top of the line.
This is the best time in history to be a guitar player!
Agreed!
I did buy a Gibson Les Paul Standard & a PRS Custom 24 10Top (both are pre-owned). That's the start of my problem too as I'm going for Les Paul Custom or Private Stock/Wood Library. Luckily I ended up selling my Les Paul Standard (buying an E-II Eclipse II due to few factors & preference since I ❤ Les Paul body so much) & maintain my Custom 24 as I did try the Wood Library which the difference is only the cosmetic parts as PRS guitars are well built for me even for the normal one. I guess I buy guitars with value for money 😎
Nice!
I don’t have a custom shop but I have 2 2000+$ fenders and while my 800$ tele is great and a professional level instrument, the quality of my 70 Anniversary ultra Strat with custom shop pickups is just something you can’t get replicate easily
Thanks for the comment!
I have a Pyle Les Paul that I got with an amp. It plays great. and it has binding. 2 humbuckers, 3-way switch with separate volume and tone for each pickup. My brother has a vintage Gibson Les Paul. I don't see much difference.
Thanks for the comment
I own a chinese Les Paul, a Harley Benton tele and a Jackson Dinky and now i'm building a Japanese Jackson "Frankenstein" (JSX 94 Body + Performer PS3 neck + Floyd Rose) and i'm very happy.
Awesome!
i got a Revstar 2 years old, stainless frets, $700. Binding, set neck too
I had a squire Telecaster for about 4 years and in recent years after a long hiatus a Yamaha Guitar caught my eye a Pacifica 611VFM and ive had it so far for almost 3 years gotta say it got me really surprised by the quality and all the features for the price plus i customized it to my liking. The Guitar is easy to play its really smooth. I gotta say its really underrated. I was going tk pick up originally a Mexican Fender Strat. Im kinda glad i didn't, oh dont get me wrong. Fender has a nice spot in my heart but Yamaha and Ibanez really have been stepping up their game.
I was playing a Gretsch White Falcon at a nee church and one of their other guitarist came up to me after service and was talking to me about the Falcon sitting on the stand and looking at it. I told him he could pick it up and play it if he wanted to, to which he said, "No... I don't want to know what good gear is like." Haha
😂😂
I got a South Korean made Peavey bass at a thrift store in Connecticut for $69. It comes close to quality of my Fender Jazz Bass. 4:07 How about a pickup selector switch? 50 times the price for a toggle switch is fair.
😂😂 fair
I've owned one Gibson, SG standard 4 Fenders One USA 2 MIM I MIJ 7 Epipiphones 5 Squires and I loved the higher end ones but the lower end stuff was really just as good
A lot of people seem to have that same experience
If you can afford a high end guitar and you want it there is no reason to avoid buying it. I have high end guitars and cheap guitars that I really like. My favorite affordable guitar is a Danelectro 12 string. I also have a Mexican strat that is really nice. I ended up putting an entire American strats guts and pickguard in it. I rewired my American strat with Seymour Duncan’s installed in a new mint green pickguard. Strats are cool because they are easy to upgrade.
If you want a Tele...(I have all kinds, including a CS)...I'd recommend one that comes FULLY SET UP...to perfection...that also didn't cost a fortune. AIO TC4. I might get a second one. With better pups...it'll rival an MIA Tele,...sound better too. My CS purchase a few months ago was supposed to end my GAS....it only slowed it down...but now I'm buying budget Tele's to mod and tinker for the fun of it. At 62, I'm having a ball....and wifey is OK with it.
Even the "hand made" thing is nonsense. ALL guitars, from boutique to budget are made in part by hand and in part by machines. Sure, there may be little tweaks here and there but it's inconsequential. As for the additional cost of binding -- there are $300 Squiers and Hofners that have binding. The reason most had made guitars cost more is because they can't sell as many so they cash in on the "snob appeal." I disagree with the "once you play something high end you'll never want to go back" notion. I've owned several boutique instruments that seemed great at first but all had their limitations. Of course there are some instruments clearly superior and you often get what you pay for, but spending insane money on the belief that you're going to get something that much better is a fools errand.
Thanks for the comment
You can certainly put together a wonderful guitar from parts, saving thousands of dollars. I assembled a one- piece lightweight ash body, roasted neck, Callaham hardware with Mark Foley pickups. It is not s resale guitar but a player's guitar.
My first guitar was a $150 affinity strat. I loved it and played it until I wore out the frets, after 6 years it was pretty unplayable but it got me through the bulk of my learning and it sounded pretty “ok” for that. After a few more low budget guitars I now I have mid-priced, import guitars (Mexican Strat and a PRS SE) and I’m happy with them. Would I like a custom shop level guitar? Of course, but I can’t justify the price for myself. So you’re right, I will stay away and not be ruined 😂
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I'm not trashing Epiphone (they're good guitars), but the difference in quality between them and a Gibson isn't only noticable, it's obvious. Even the little screws that hold on the plates and tuning pegs are higher quality. I'm always getting stripped screws and shit on my Epiphone, but every one on the Gibson is solid and never strip.
That's just a tiny difference, but the main differences like tone and playability aren't even close. Gibson takes the cake every time. You pay for the name, but there's a reason it's a name you pay for
Thanks for the comment! If you haven't yet, you should check out my video on why I think it's worth buying the pricey ones
Gibson is overpriced as hell
Legendary Japanese swordsman, Musashi, said in his 'Book Of Five Rings' -- don't buy fancy swords, buy one you can afford.
That's a reference I never wouldn't known
Sorry I played a G&L FULLERTON ASAT CLASSIC and it's an amazing guitar and in time I will get it ‼️ G&L FULLERTON is a very well built guitar.
Now I just got a Tease SBH-HD Series T Style TUMMY CUT 13.0K Alnico V Humbucker for $250 and I'm very surprised that there's a lot of guitar for the price ‼️ The reason I got the guitar is Torsten's ( owner) mindset on customer service. Tease Guitar is a good company ‼️
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If you're going to get spendy, get a great amp with great speaker(s). It is an electric guitar and the amp is the translator.
Great point
price isnt what matters, features and quality of the build are what matters. There are many brands that make excellent quality stuff for a lot less, and sometimes with more features. Look for a nice combo of reliability of the build, hardware quality features, and price...... there are a lot of guitars from 600-1200USD that are in such a nice sweet spot.
That Citizen guitar I show in my most recent video is a great example of that!
I have a Les Paul Special and like it a lot. Mine was made in 1960.
Dude that's awesome!
I'm sharing my opinion hoping that someone might profit from it - or disagrees with it and shares why they think I'm wrong so I might learn something: Only buy a high-end guitar if what you get for your money is exactly what you want in a guitar (that you can not get in any kind of cheaper option). If it is not exactly - and I do mean exactly - what you want from a guitar then do not waste your money.
My personal experience and way to asses this is to write down the specs I really want - for example:
- Good build quality (doesn't need to be perfect but should be good enough to not annoy me)
- Strat style
- HH pickups
- Richlite Fretboard (due to fantastic stability in differing conditions)
- SS-Frets (barely any wear over the years)
- 25.5 - 26.5" Neck
- Fixed Bridge
......and so on, you get the gist.
Once that list is set and I am 100% sure that these are the specs I need, I'll look for that exact guitar. In my case I ended up buying an Aristides... and then two more (6, 7 and 8 str).
This way you're not sitting there with a $3k+ guitar thinking "man I really wish this had [insert feature]". Buy once, cry once - be happy with that guitar forever. Yeah the investment is massive but now whenever I sit down to play I don't think about the guitar anymore - just the playing, writing and practicing. Makes such a huge difference.
And if you're at a point where you don't really know what you want (and therefor can't get make a list, because maybe you don't have that much experience yet or haven't had the chance to try different guitars with different features) - you're absolutely not ready for it and maybe go buy some cheaper/mid-range guitars until you figure it out.
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I buy used Suhr moderns for about £1300-1500 so I guess equivalent to $1700. The most I would ever consider paying for a guitar is $2000. The Suhrs are built about as good as it gets and they don't really depreciate at all from that price, I see them as the perfect workhorse gigging guitars. I wouldn't go near a Fender or Gibson for the same money, the build quality is a lottery. I have a lot of time for Ibanez especially the Japanese ones, my only gripe is that so few of their guitars have ss frets and they put floyds on everything.
Hi. I've had 1 each Gibson and Fender guitars in my lifetime. I didn't fall in love with either, although experience has taught me why those axes weren't favorites. At this point, though, neither Gibson nor Fender nor any of the other big guys are likely to see my money. I recently acquired what amounted to my "grail" guitar, which was merely a neck-through Jackson-Soloist-like super cheapo which, despite its very modest price point, included a gig bag I've seen sold at $25-30 USD, a functional tuner, a decent cable and a so-so strap -- and which required very little adjustment to make it play like a champ. It even came equipped with ALNICO HUMBUCKERS, which I would have sworn would be too expensive for a guitar like this one. Granted, I'm swapping in new pickups, but it's for LOOKS, not tone. This guitar was grail-like for me because I now have at least one of all of the major neck groups: Neck through body, set neck (glued in), and -- of course -- bolt (screw) on. Last I looked, a new crop of them has popped up on Amazon for about $240 -- nearly no money for a decent neck-through!
I hear you talkin', though. In decades past, I once saw a Fender Stratocaster Plus Ultra(!), offered then at a price of about $1500 ... a veritable king's ransom! I halfway fell in love with it at a glance, but when my then brother in law offered to seek a chance for me to play the thing, I demurred -- quickly! I KNEW that I would fall the rest of the way in love with it at a touch, and I ALSO knew that there was NO CHANCE of acquiring that goddess! Why suffer? I've had something close to the experience of high end guitars, too, because so many of today's guitars punch WAY above their price points, as I know from experience. I also know no fear of working on these cheaper guitars, since wrecking them does spoil a large investment; I write off such losses as "experience." At this point in my life, there can never be an upscale guitar that will give the the value I derive from several of the guitars I currently own!
Awesome story. Thanks for the comment