@@scarmyguitar, saw it and I thought that guitar was even worse than a Glarry. I buy Glarrys because they are cheaper than kits and I don't have to fool around with paint. The other reason I buy Glarry is because if you're doing a bar gig nobody wants to borrow or steal a Glarry. They never notice the Seymour Duncan or Fender Noiseless pickups or the Hipshot bridge on my bass. I love brand snobs!
I'm retired and I have a very small guitar shop in my home. I buy D'Addario 9-42 XL's bulk, 25 sets/box. The last box I bought they averaged ~$3.00/set. For neck shims, StewMac has gone nuts on those, $12! For a 5d wood shim!! Time to go back to match books, business cards and cig box's like the old days!! I thought this could be a ringer too! Even the wiring looked good, for what it is. Peace --gary
@@mnpd3 I had saved this, and just found it again. How did you make out with yours? Flame maple neck? Hand wiring w/quality components? Just curious, I belong to another channel and I wanted to talk about it. Thanks much!! 8) --gary
I bet they did all the necessary fret work, intonated it, set it up, shimmed it for proper neck angle, then shipped it to you! And now they are of course $179! It's amazing what these companys will do to move product!
The shim is a good thing,It shows they cared enough to make correct ajustments ,A shim is part of the guitar ajustment ,and probably works better than fenders micro tilt.Leo use to shim alot to get proper neck angle ,I do too .Your upper string action will be as good at the 15th fret as it is at the 10th fret, and all the way to the last fret.Shim is part of the guitar.
I taught guitar for decades & I always said ‘if it doesn’t stay in tune it’s useless…doesn’t matter what it looks like or how it sounds if it doesn’t stay in tune’ amen
My experience with the Leo Jaymz I bought, the flag fender looking thing, was not very good. You got one that HAD to be pre setup. I had to do everything to mine to get it to play even close to others I have. Shimed neck, reduced neck thickness, replaced tuners & 2 pickups. Neck was raw wood & ruff as a cactus. Radius is 14, flat as a pankake. Glad yours was free. No more of those for me.
They said they were gonna "change your mind", translation, we are gonna take a bunch of extra time on the neck so it feels really good and hope you talk about how nice it plays, so we can sell pieces of shit to everyone else
Damn you …. Two things came outta watching this post just now , #1 , I hit the Like button because I hate Monkeys playing with my ears 🤨 & #2 , I looked at the Leo Jaymz link you added & I’m gonna try to convince the wife I need another guitar to make it #14 now….🤔😉😎👍. For $139 how can you go wrong ?? Thanks for getting me in probably more trouble now ….
I don’t know what budget guitars you’ve tried before, but there are some really nice budget guitars out there, like, EART,Jet, Amuse, and FireFly, just to name a few! These guitars have roasted maple necks, stainless steel frets, full size pots, and the list of specs goes on! I know there are some really bad ones out there, but, if you try some of the ones I listed, you won’t be disappointed! Now, I’ve tried Leo Jaymez also and in my opinion, they don’t hold a match to the ones I’ve named! Give ‘em try, if you dare!
How you can tell if you have a "photo-finish" vs. a real wood veneer is to look for what is known as "chatoyance". What that means is the natural shimmer of the woodgrain under strong light. The fibers of the wood are whatever color the wood is, but the connective tissue (think gristle) that binds the fibers together is clear, so when you look at the guitar under strong (or sun) light and you tilt the guitar back and forth, the woodgrain glows prettily and seems to move a little bit under the clear finish as you tilt the guitar back and forth. Any flamey Gibson will show tons of this. If you do this and the light doesn't dance with the woodgrain and seems very static and unchanging, it's a photo-finish. Which isn't necessarily bad - I've seen some photo-finishes that were damned attractive. Some early photo-finishes from the late 90s when they came up with the idea are now turning to crap as either the paper or the adhesive deteriorates due to age. I imagine they have better methods now, but I don't have data on it.
For a first guitar, it's pretty impressive. I'll still cast a skeptical eye because of the parts' durability over time. If nothing else, it's a nice starting platform for modifications.
I got one a week ago, mine is very satisfactory . I did do a fret level,crown and polish . Most novice owners probably wouldn't have the knowledge to tackle that and in reality it was playable out of the box. I commonly do this to most all my guitars to get the best possible action. I also rolled the fingerboard edges. I did replace the crappy plastic nut , however it was cut well and useable. To me the pickups are fine ,the electronics are quiet and work smoothly. Very happy with it and the price is more than fair. Very good job on packing.I recommend it without a doubt.
Sure - push the over seas cheap items made by prison labor or by workers paid next to nothing. These knock offs of a great guitar generally support governments and corporation that are some of the biggest human rights violators in the world. This type of approach is terribly short-sighted and not in the best interest of our Country. Great job comrade🤨
I loved the moment when you first started playing plugged in, heard the tone and looked confused before you even said anything as if to say "this can't be, it sounds beautiful!" :p thank you for a great video :)
It looks gorgeous. How good are the tuners? The pickups sound pretty good for cheap ceramics too. I agree, a pickup and electronics upgrade is all it needs to be super sweet.
The body is made of Philippine Mahogany not Honduras "real" Mahogany. It's a much lighter less dense wood that's easy to machine and is stable. A good choice when cost is important.
I didn't say anything, but did have an idea that any guitar sent out for review would be prepped. Anyway, I ordered one - even with the price markup to $179 it's would still be a deal according to your review. The guitar just arrived today. Yep; double boxed with a nice gray gig bag, but not inside the bag as if that matters. Tools are taped to the neck (though the smaller allen fits nothing on the guitar), same inner packing as yours. Mine is clearly a hard maple neck, but not a flicker of flame in it - no skunk stripe either. I didn't examine the electronic guts since the stuff couldn't be any different than yours; didn't bother looking for a neck shim either. The bridge pickup is actually labeled "Alnico V" (not a brand name but a claim of the strongest possible alloy magnet). Nut is well cut - no whittling needed. Frets ends are remarkably well-manicured and the frets are level and polished. Low action - a bit too low as there's some fret buzzing, but after tuning tension is applied there's still a bit of back bowing; can fix that in a jiffy. The intonation on mine is quite a bit off... all strings note flat one-octave higher (12th fret for you country folks :) ). All that said, I've bought new Fenders that needed the same touching up. Your review is outstanding and the guitar is a bargain even with the recently elevated price!
I recently got the same one in the brown/tobacco type flame and I haven't found a reason to change anything about it except the knobs which I changed to zebra wood to match the body. You simply can not beat this for the price! Drooling over another one. Subbed!
Great video, great channel. I got my son a LTD Phoenix, and I could not believe how great the machining is these days. It's no handmade Firebird, but it is very sweet.
As an older viewer ( in my 70’s) I can tell you that when I was a kid, the cheap guitars were shit. The affordable guitars today are so far superior to the stuff in the old days. For people who can’t afford a top flight instrument, at least they can get something that’s reasonably playable. That wasn’t the case way back when.
When you buy a guitar for $139 or $250 you assume certain things. Most of the time these target new players that are learning. You also assume the pickups and pots aren’t the best out there but how could they be at that price point? Look at it for what it is, an entry level budget guitar. Will it accomplish what you want it to accomplish? It doesn’t make sense to compare it to a $1K guitar? I would buy one in a heartbeat for my kid (if she was still a kid) to learn on. Just my 2 cents about budget guitars. The word budget is in there for a reason.
I ordered one because of this video. It arrived today in a single small triangle shaped box. Instead of a gig bag, it was in a white plastic sack. The action looked good, but only because of a severe back bow. Every string fretted out when using open chords. The fret tops were as rough as a fingernail file and the ends were very sharp to snag my fingers. No flame on the neck and no skunk stripe on the back. They scammed us with this ringer.
You just got a turd buddy. Probably just needs a good once over. I'm sure this guitar was a ringer, but it started out like yours'. Meaning this guitar was in the same shape as the one you got before someone set it up. As for wood, they are chinese they use whats cheap atm. Send it back that simple
@@scarmyguitar Too late to send it back. I already pulled the neck, straightened it with the two-way truss rod, leveled, crowned and polished the frets, dressed the sharp fret ends, replaced the damaged strings, filed the nut slots, set the string height and pickup height. I did not have to touch the intonation. It took a few hours, but now plays like a $600 guitar. I was just upset that the one you reviewed isn't what arrives when anyone else buys one. You truly get what you pay for.
I own two Leo Jaymz tele models and they came hot like this one right out of the box. If I had a hankering, I might drop some Fender pickups in one of them, but truth be told, they sound and play fantastic!
Harmony used to "stripe" their (birch) guitar backs with a fine-pointed spraypaint gun, and I have an old factory-made fiddle with a flamed maple back which was actually laid down with a needle-point torch (the flame figure was evident on the purfling, which should have been intact). In 1978, Hondo II LP copies rolled out the "roto" manufacturing method of printing a photo of figured wood on a plain top, since adopted by nearly everybody since. Manufacturers have clever ways to make inexpensive guitars look amazing. Given the price of raw stripe maple, this may well be a combination of some of these methods. Having said that, if a guitar feels good and plays good, IT IS GOOD. High or low, price be damned.
Wow. Guitar renaissance at the moment. You make beautiful guitars but what’s coming out of the east right now is astonishing. As an amateur home luthier why even build your own if you don’t have a proper shop. Just upgrade and do the simple things. I like the clear pick guard.
Leave the stock pickups, spend time adjusting their height and bass/treble tip by ear for the best tone, and swap the pots, switch, and jack. That's it.
I was going to change some things on my Classic Vibe Squier but maybe I'll buy something like this instead for a modding platform. It would be nice to have a vintage appointment and a more modern appointment Tele. Two things kinda bug me about it though. Not sure about the clear guard. I guess they wanted to show off that flame top and it does look fantastic but it leaves the truss rod access hole to be seen and that's second gripe I'd have as I prefer access to the truss rod up by the nut. Still though like you said for 139 bills can't expect perfect. Thx for sharing.
try a EART, before they became a popular cheap option and the price went up they were $150-$250. the headless i got was nice, the bridge meh $60 bridge, the rest holy crap! the strat i grabbed for my buddy is better than any other cheap guitar i've had.
Honestly without seeing and hearing before I can't believe the price for a playable guitar . Sounds and looks great . I'd play it on a gig ..well a few songs . I have a Fisher handmade in Coalport , Pa by an ex dentist who decided to make guitars . Half the good players in town own at least one .24 fret neck , one piece neck thru and some have 24 frets . I think you'd love them ! Nice review ! Still unreal for the price .
Thanks for the informative video. However, I noticed your Fender Frontman 212R in the background. I have a 2007 Model, but loaded with one WGS ET-65, and one WGS Retro 30. Hence, the sound went from below average with the original Fender Design Speakers, to just killer tones with incredible headroom straight in, no matter the genre. In short, it can sound as sweet as Carlos Santana, to as roaring as EVH. No problem.
Cool vid. I dig these guitars. Maybe they sent you one that was plecked, since they know you are a reviewer. Maybe not. But they sure as he11 don't know who I am.... and I've bought 4 Leos. All 4 were at least "Very good," with a couple being damm near perfect... right slam out of the box. I absolutely love what Leo Jaymz has been doing the last couplea' years. Awesome guitars, for the cash they ask.
Said it before, I'll say it again. EVERYTHING on my channel was recorded with $105 Squire Stratocaster Hardtail Bullet guitars.....stock. I'm an ok guitar player and they work well. (Alright, I'm better than ok!) I didn't use them because they're cheap, I just love the necks on them.
I have been hearing alot about this company. I have seen multiple videos on different models and it seems they are a good value. That tele looks pretty sweet.
I like your enthusiasm and humour and of course your knowledge. That's a great guitar for the money from what I can and certainly hear. I like your playing do you have vid of you playing anywhere?
A political/economic tactic that some countries use is to export and sell products in other countries for a price that is actually below the cost of manufacturing. The manufacturers are subsidized by their government, in other words that foreign government absorbs some of the cost of manufacturing the products (s.g., that foreign government may cover the cost of labor or may provide manufacturing facilities or cover the cost f energy, etc). This is done to undermine foreign economies and/or obtain US currency. If a country does what is described above it is typically or often a violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules - if that country of origin is a member of the WTO, which most countries are.
First time I seen your channel and I've watched her do the guitar so I followed the link they jacked the price on you it's 179 on sale for 159. I was looking through it I was thinking about getting that green one the same style that you had and then there's an American flag That one's 119
That looks like a good platform for some mods...I.E. pickups, pots & switch for sure. That top doesn't look like a photo...too much movement in the flame. 👍👍 Damn sure beats the 1k x 2k price of some of the leading makers.
I just happened on this channel - this guy is interesting, down to earth - someone I could crack a beer and hang out with. I like his approach, at one point he had me laughing so hard I spilled my coffee! Nice tele, some of these deals are amazing, and a lot of the work you can do yourself if you're mechanically inclined. Think I'll be back... 😏
Man you do one fun reiew. You might have even sucked me into buying one just for curiosity. Hell if the guitar seriously underwhelms me at least it's a good piece of wall art.
Ahh Blueburst, a man of fine taste. Recently subscribed. Love your videos. Greetings from Japan! I have a blueburst Epiphone Japan Les Paul. I've been meaning to upload a video for a while. Might need to add this Tele to my collection 😁
You make in Japan exellent Tele models : FGN And that for 500 euro's. In Japan you know how to make exellent cheap guitars with the precision that's almost not normal .You pay 1000 euro's more for a comparable Fender Tele . The only thing , if you want , is to change the P.U. but it sounds very good as it is. We pay far too much for the well known brands.
Damn for 139 that's a whole lot of guitar. Looked like the bridge was alinco instead of the standard Chinese ceramic. It Def had a Lil bit of that Tele twang. The pickups didn't sound bad. Honestly I'd upgrade the switch to a super switch or a 3pole 4way, a multi point jack and maybe throw on some CTS or Alpha pots (those little cheap ones are normally better than we give them credit for). Then I'd call it a win.
All excellent suggestions! I'd more classify this as a modding platform rather than a guitar I planned to play any length of time. Those little dime pots corrode right away if they're not already badly corroded by the time you get the guitar. And that cheesy wiring needs to be discarded and replaced with copper asap
Few years ago I got a budget (SX) Tele with "Flame Maple Neck". Took it to some guys that built guitars and they got a laugh. Seems they used something like a Heated Rope to get the effect. You might tale it to a local Hardwood dealer and have him look to see if it really is Flame or Not.
Your review just upped the price to $179! :) I just bought one at that price... like I need another guitar! I would have never bought it without your review.
Same here, just got mine yesterday. You should get a commission! I could not believe it, tuned it, checked the intonation-it was right on. Nice little gig bag too. Wasn’t even looking for another guitar, but somehow stumbled on to your video. After watching it I couldn’t resist. Love it!
If the pickups was potted I don’t think you would hear the noise of the switch or a faster way is dip them in lacquer. Love your channel I get real opinions about real guitars from a real person .
Hi - nice guitar for the money! Two things - #1 the hole in the neck pocket is a registration hole for the CNC milling machine and #2 I didn't see a ground wire going from the bridge plate to the back of one of the pots.
Hello from your old time viewer Sean, hope you doin fine 🙏 That guitar neck is my fav part of the guitar, because for me, the neck determine how good the guitar will feel in your hands. So, a perfect fret job and a flame maple neck is perfect for me. I would prefer a string through Tele. GBU Sean
Rock on! Miss seeing you around Rudy! Hope you are doing well. Yes, the neck is insane! I love it for real! I'm about to put some lipstick on this pig!
It has a microphonic bridge pup and/or bridge. A buddy bought a Glarry Tele for my birthday. Bridge and Bridge pickup so microphonic you could hear my eyeballs thru the amp if I even looked at it. Guitar was good after 2 hours work and shopping carefully for $80.00 in parts.
Yeah and the neck is different when you look on the back You got that stripe up the side of that neck but the one in in the link doesn't have that dark stripe up the middle
I love your show man. I've been playing for few decades and I've just Dalles in love with Harley Benton. The JA22 jazzmaster is my newest favorite guitar for under 150
Nice guitar, I checked with the link you supplied, unfortunately, this model is not there, the only ones I found are $400 and dont look as good as this one. Thanks for the demo.
I was pleased to see that good guitar, maybe someone's first guitar, could actually be a cheap made in China guitar. As a kid I'd have traded my soul for good guitar. Now I wouldn't have to.
Thanks for the vid brother! Some people get overly excited about name and brand, but Eddie could have played any guitar and would still sound like Eddie. If you can’t set up action that’s different. It’s a pretty guitar, but that headstock drives me NUTSSSS. Not a huge deal, just not a pretty design. Have an LTD telecaster that I love! In cases you don’t know, LTD is the lower model of ESP, like Squire / Fender.
Add the same attitude about "Cheapies" So Bought a Fazley Outlaw Coyote T - Style From a Company Called Bax,,,Ash Body, Roasted Canadian Maple Neck And Finger Board. Wilkinson HardWare...Tusq Nut Came with a Gig bag... In The Uk £122 Delivered.. Had it Four Months And have Not Picked Up My Fender T's Since.
Are you sure they didn't send you a prepped ringer? The strings and the shim is the big tell.
Watch this video where I call it out ruclips.net/video/sq783ud4ihc/видео.html&t
@@scarmyguitar, saw it and I thought that guitar was even worse than a Glarry. I buy Glarrys because they are cheaper than kits and I don't have to fool around with paint. The other reason I buy Glarry is because if you're doing a bar gig nobody wants to borrow or steal a Glarry. They never notice the Seymour Duncan or Fender Noiseless pickups or the Hipshot bridge on my bass. I love brand snobs!
I'm retired and I have a very small guitar shop in my home. I buy D'Addario 9-42 XL's bulk, 25 sets/box. The last box I bought they averaged ~$3.00/set. For neck shims, StewMac has gone nuts on those, $12! For a 5d wood shim!! Time to go back to match books, business cards and cig box's like the old days!! I thought this could be a ringer too! Even the wiring looked good, for what it is. Peace --gary
I'll know tomorrow when mine arrives. :)
@@mnpd3 I had saved this, and just found it again. How did you make out with yours? Flame maple neck? Hand wiring w/quality components? Just curious, I belong to another channel and I wanted to talk about it. Thanks much!! 8) --gary
Wish we woulda had stuff like this 40 years ago
Would have killed to have that when I was 18
How about sixty two years ago I am seventy nine
Why. I’d getFender Strats for 150 bucks. Nice late 60,s ones! SGs for 200. Yeah. Guitars where reasonable for American made then
Yeah the best we could get was a Cort for twice the price and half the quality.
@@michaelmillican5592cort makes guitars for virtually every brand, and are known for quality.
I bet they did all the necessary fret work, intonated it, set it up, shimmed it for proper neck angle, then shipped it to you! And now they are of course $179! It's amazing what these companys will do to move product!
The shim is a good thing,It shows they cared enough to make correct ajustments ,A shim is part of the guitar ajustment ,and probably works better than fenders micro tilt.Leo use to shim alot to get proper neck angle ,I do too .Your upper string action will be as good at the 15th fret as it is at the 10th fret, and all the way to the last fret.Shim is part of the guitar.
I bought my Fender Squier for $179 and it sounds awesome enough to me. 😊
What a time for beginning guitar players..you get a decent guitar now for very little money ...
oommg... i wasnt expecting this... SOO SOLID SOUND !!! okay i am buying
The problem is the same color is not on the market now.
I taught guitar for decades & I always said ‘if it doesn’t stay in tune it’s useless…doesn’t matter what it looks like or how it sounds if it doesn’t stay in tune’ amen
If that's the deal breaker I'll have to throw out all three of my fenders and my les Paul
The best thing about budget guitars . Modding them . Thanks for the video.
I picked up a Leo Jaymz Les Paul copy. 200 bucks and it plays and sounds excellent. Looks pretty sharp too. For the price point, you can't beat it!
My experience with the Leo Jaymz I bought, the flag fender looking thing, was not very good. You got one that HAD to be pre setup. I had to do everything to mine to get it to play even close to others I have. Shimed neck, reduced neck thickness, replaced tuners & 2 pickups. Neck was raw wood & ruff as a cactus. Radius is 14, flat as a pankake. Glad yours was free. No more of those for me.
Thanks for sharing
I love the reviews I found you recently but I've been playing for well over 10 years thank you so much for everything you do!
Great review, man! Thanks for being honest about it…
Always!
I’m gonna start ranting about cheap lambo kit cars!!
Someone might send me one yo wreck… er I mean test drive! ✌🏽🤨✌🏽
They said they were gonna "change your mind", translation, we are gonna take a bunch of extra time on the neck so it feels really good and hope you talk about how nice it plays, so we can sell pieces of shit to everyone else
Great review Sean . I;m impressed .
They sent you the best example of what they have. I'm sure they spent more time on it than they would normally.
This guitar was not sent to me by the company it was sent to me by a subscriber straight from Amazon
@@scarmyguitar Wow! That's pretty awesome. I might get myself one!
Hey if you're here watching my video, hit the like button or a little monkey is gonna run up your body and do bad things to your ears!!
NO PLEASE NOT THE MONKEY!
@@JaMeshuggah OG wuz up!!
@@scarmyguitar 😎🥂😎
SSDD
"Miz Rudolph, miz Rudolph, can you please do somethin' about the monkey!"
Damn you …. Two things came outta watching this post just now , #1 , I hit the Like button because I hate Monkeys playing with my ears 🤨 & #2 , I looked at the Leo Jaymz link you added & I’m gonna try to convince the wife I need another guitar to make it #14 now….🤔😉😎👍. For $139 how can you go wrong ?? Thanks for getting me in probably more trouble now ….
WTF? How did I just find this channel!!
Had to subscribe.
I don’t know what budget guitars you’ve tried before, but there are some really nice budget guitars out there, like, EART,Jet, Amuse, and FireFly, just to name a few! These guitars have roasted maple necks, stainless steel frets, full size pots, and the list of specs goes on! I know there are some really bad ones out there, but, if you try some of the ones I listed, you won’t be disappointed! Now, I’ve tried Leo Jaymez also and in my opinion, they don’t hold a match to the ones I’ve named! Give ‘em try, if you dare!
Yes sir! I will!
How you can tell if you have a "photo-finish" vs. a real wood veneer is to look for what is known as "chatoyance". What that means is the natural shimmer of the woodgrain under strong light. The fibers of the wood are whatever color the wood is, but the connective tissue (think gristle) that binds the fibers together is clear, so when you look at the guitar under strong (or sun) light and you tilt the guitar back and forth, the woodgrain glows prettily and seems to move a little bit under the clear finish as you tilt the guitar back and forth. Any flamey Gibson will show tons of this. If you do this and the light doesn't dance with the woodgrain and seems very static and unchanging, it's a photo-finish. Which isn't necessarily bad - I've seen some photo-finishes that were damned attractive. Some early photo-finishes from the late 90s when they came up with the idea are now turning to crap as either the paper or the adhesive deteriorates due to age. I imagine they have better methods now, but I don't have data on it.
Thanks for the info my man! Need more guys like you around here!
For a first guitar, it's pretty impressive. I'll still cast a skeptical eye because of the parts' durability over time. If nothing else, it's a nice starting platform for modifications.
I got one a week ago, mine is very satisfactory . I did do a fret level,crown and polish . Most novice owners probably wouldn't have the knowledge to tackle that and in reality it was playable out of the box. I commonly do this to most all my guitars to get the best possible action. I also rolled the fingerboard edges. I did replace the crappy plastic nut , however it was cut well and useable. To me the pickups are fine ,the electronics are quiet and work smoothly. Very happy with it and the price is more than fair. Very good job on packing.I recommend it without a doubt.
Thanks for the input. Most guys don't take the time.
Sure - push the over seas cheap items made by prison labor or by workers paid next to nothing. These knock offs of a great guitar generally support governments and corporation that are some of the biggest human rights violators in the world. This type of approach is terribly short-sighted and not in the best interest of our Country. Great job comrade🤨
I loved the moment when you first started playing plugged in, heard the tone and looked confused before you even said anything as if to say "this can't be, it sounds beautiful!" :p thank you for a great video :)
It looks gorgeous. How good are the tuners? The pickups sound pretty good for cheap ceramics too. I agree, a pickup and electronics upgrade is all it needs to be super sweet.
It's good
The body is made of Philippine Mahogany not Honduras "real" Mahogany. It's a much lighter less dense wood that's easy to machine and is stable. A good choice when cost is important.
My favorite neck is the MIM classic 50' vintage soft V shape lacquered. It's beautiful. Stratocaster.
that is a alot of guitar for 139 bucks wow nice review man
Just shows how much markup there is on brand name guitars made in china. It's a shame the quality isn't this good on some of them.
Thanks for the review!
Glad it was helpful!
Nice demo brother...thanks! Liked and Subscribed!!!!
Awesome, thank you!
I didn't say anything, but did have an idea that any guitar sent out for review would be prepped. Anyway, I ordered one - even with the price markup to $179 it's would still be a deal according to your review. The guitar just arrived today. Yep; double boxed with a nice gray gig bag, but not inside the bag as if that matters. Tools are taped to the neck (though the smaller allen fits nothing on the guitar), same inner packing as yours. Mine is clearly a hard maple neck, but not a flicker of flame in it - no skunk stripe either. I didn't examine the electronic guts since the stuff couldn't be any different than yours; didn't bother looking for a neck shim either. The bridge pickup is actually labeled "Alnico V" (not a brand name but a claim of the strongest possible alloy magnet). Nut is well cut - no whittling needed. Frets ends are remarkably well-manicured and the frets are level and polished. Low action - a bit too low as there's some fret buzzing, but after tuning tension is applied there's still a bit of back bowing; can fix that in a jiffy. The intonation on mine is quite a bit off... all strings note flat one-octave higher (12th fret for you country folks :) ). All that said, I've bought new Fenders that needed the same touching up. Your review is outstanding and the guitar is a bargain even with the recently elevated price!
I recently got the same one in the brown/tobacco type flame and I haven't found a reason to change anything about it except the knobs which I changed to zebra wood to match the body.
You simply can not beat this for the price! Drooling over another one.
Subbed!
I can’t buy the parts for that price! Wonder what they feed the labor?
Those pups sound almost as good as the Seymour Duncan pickups I bought for about $130...each!!
That looked like a pretty thick shim.
Been wanting a tele for a while now. Definitely take one like that .
Great video, great channel. I got my son a LTD Phoenix, and I could not believe how great the machining is these days. It's no handmade Firebird, but it is very sweet.
That is awesome!
As an older viewer ( in my 70’s) I can tell you that when I was a kid, the cheap guitars were shit. The affordable guitars today are so far superior to the stuff in the old days. For people who can’t afford a top flight instrument, at least they can get something that’s reasonably playable. That wasn’t the case way back when.
When you buy a guitar for $139 or $250 you assume certain things. Most of the time these target new players that are learning. You also assume the pickups and pots aren’t the best out there but how could they be at that price point? Look at it for what it is, an entry level budget guitar. Will it accomplish what you want it to accomplish? It doesn’t make sense to compare it to a $1K guitar? I would buy one in a heartbeat for my kid (if she was still a kid) to learn on. Just my 2 cents about budget guitars. The word budget is in there for a reason.
Thanks for the video. I just ordered the same for $139. Arrives Tuesday before my first lesson!!!
I ordered one because of this video. It arrived today in a single small triangle shaped box. Instead of a gig bag, it was in a white plastic sack. The action looked good, but only because of a severe back bow. Every string fretted out when using open chords. The fret tops were as rough as a fingernail file and the ends were very sharp to snag my fingers. No flame on the neck and no skunk stripe on the back. They scammed us with this ringer.
You just got a turd buddy. Probably just needs a good once over. I'm sure this guitar was a ringer, but it started out like yours'. Meaning this guitar was in the same shape as the one you got before someone set it up. As for wood, they are chinese they use whats cheap atm. Send it back that simple
@@scarmyguitar Too late to send it back. I already pulled the neck, straightened it with the two-way truss rod, leveled, crowned and polished the frets, dressed the sharp fret ends, replaced the damaged strings, filed the nut slots, set the string height and pickup height. I did not have to touch the intonation. It took a few hours, but now plays like a $600 guitar. I was just upset that the one you reviewed isn't what arrives when anyone else buys one. You truly get what you pay for.
I've never seen a $150 Chinese guitar with perfect fret levelling.
They definitely sent you a "special" on for review lol
I own two Leo Jaymz tele models and they came hot like this one right out of the box. If I had a hankering, I might drop some Fender pickups in one of them, but truth be told, they sound and play fantastic!
Harmony used to "stripe" their (birch) guitar backs with a fine-pointed spraypaint gun, and I have an old factory-made fiddle with a flamed maple back which was actually laid down with a needle-point torch (the flame figure was evident on the purfling, which should have been intact). In 1978, Hondo II LP copies rolled out the "roto" manufacturing method of printing a photo of figured wood on a plain top, since adopted by nearly everybody since.
Manufacturers have clever ways to make inexpensive guitars look amazing. Given the price of raw stripe maple, this may well be a combination of some of these methods.
Having said that, if a guitar feels good and plays good, IT IS GOOD. High or low, price be damned.
Oh my GAWD!! $139??? How in the....
Wow. Guitar renaissance at the moment. You make beautiful guitars but what’s coming out of the east right now is astonishing. As an amateur home luthier why even build your own if you don’t have a proper shop. Just upgrade and do the simple things. I like the clear pick guard.
How come the Strat on the wall has an identical finish? I mean it looks like the paint came from the same gun by the same hand!
That sounds correct. I want a great Telecaster so bad. Thanks for the video! Subbed
Awesome, thank you!
I was waiting for some shredding 🎉🎉🎉
Leave the stock pickups, spend time adjusting their height and bass/treble tip by ear for the best tone, and swap the pots, switch, and jack. That's it.
Thanks for the heads up and the review, the price is now $179
I was going to change some things on my Classic Vibe Squier but maybe I'll buy something like this instead for a modding platform. It would be nice to have a vintage appointment and a more modern appointment Tele. Two things kinda bug me about it though. Not sure about the clear guard. I guess they wanted to show off that flame top and it does look fantastic but it leaves the truss rod access hole to be seen and that's second gripe I'd have as I prefer access to the truss rod up by the nut. Still though like you said for 139 bills can't expect perfect. Thx for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by! I got some cool stuff coming up, so I hope you stick around!
try a EART, before they became a popular cheap option and the price went up they were $150-$250. the headless i got was nice, the bridge meh $60 bridge, the rest holy crap! the strat i grabbed for my buddy is better than any other cheap guitar i've had.
It even has that Tele chime that sets it apart from other guitars! Lot of budget Tele's don't chime so well.
I am not crazy about the pickups,but as a beginner instrument, it’s great. Intonation and tuning are key.
I lost my sheet at 3:14 spit my coffee out laughing🤣🤣🤣
That's NOT a "gig bag" that's a nylon wrapper with a zipper on it
Honestly without seeing and hearing before I can't believe the price for a playable guitar . Sounds and looks great . I'd play it on a gig ..well a few songs . I have a Fisher handmade in Coalport , Pa by an ex dentist who decided to make guitars . Half the good players in town own at least one .24 fret neck , one piece neck thru and some have 24 frets . I think you'd love them ! Nice review ! Still unreal for the price .
Thanks for the informative video. However, I noticed your Fender Frontman 212R in the background. I have a 2007 Model, but loaded with one WGS ET-65, and one WGS Retro 30. Hence, the sound went from below average with the original Fender Design Speakers, to just killer tones with incredible headroom straight in, no matter the genre. In short, it can sound as sweet as Carlos Santana, to as roaring as EVH. No problem.
Cool vid. I dig these guitars. Maybe they sent you one that was plecked, since they know you are a reviewer. Maybe not. But they sure as he11 don't know who I am.... and I've bought 4 Leos. All 4 were at least "Very good," with a couple being damm near perfect... right slam out of the box. I absolutely love what Leo Jaymz has been doing the last couplea' years. Awesome guitars, for the cash they ask.
Said it before, I'll say it again. EVERYTHING on my channel was recorded with $105 Squire Stratocaster Hardtail Bullet guitars.....stock. I'm an ok guitar player and they work well. (Alright, I'm better than ok!) I didn't use them because they're cheap, I just love the necks on them.
I have been hearing alot about this company. I have seen multiple videos on different models and it seems they are a good value. That tele looks pretty sweet.
I like your enthusiasm and humour and of course your knowledge. That's a great guitar for the money from what I can and certainly hear. I like your playing do you have vid of you playing anywhere?
instagram.com/scarmyguitar/
A political/economic tactic that some countries use is to export and sell products in other countries for a price that is actually below the cost of manufacturing. The manufacturers are subsidized by their government, in other words that foreign government absorbs some of the cost of manufacturing the products (s.g., that foreign government may cover the cost of labor or may provide manufacturing facilities or cover the cost f energy, etc). This is done to undermine foreign economies and/or obtain US currency. If a country does what is described above it is typically or often a violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules - if that country of origin is a member of the WTO, which most countries are.
First time I seen your channel and I've watched her do the guitar so I followed the link they jacked the price on you it's 179 on sale for 159. I was looking through it I was thinking about getting that green one the same style that you had and then there's an American flag That one's 119
After your detailed inspection and plugging it in ... descent sound for the money!
🤘🔥🔥🤘just subbed glad i came aross this channel
That looks like a good platform for some mods...I.E. pickups, pots & switch for sure. That top doesn't look like a photo...too much movement in the flame. 👍👍 Damn sure beats the 1k x 2k price of some of the leading makers.
I just happened on this channel - this guy is interesting, down to earth - someone I could crack a beer and hang out with. I like his approach, at one point he had me laughing so hard I spilled my coffee!
Nice tele, some of these deals are amazing, and a lot of the work you can do yourself if you're mechanically inclined.
Think I'll be back... 😏
Thanks bro hope to see you around!
Just found your channel, I like it!
Awesome, thank you!
Man you do one fun reiew. You might have even sucked me into buying one just for curiosity. Hell if the guitar seriously underwhelms me at least it's a good piece of wall art.
Love the look of the neck on this..reminds me of my old 80s guitars. Lol
That is a very beautiful telecaster. For $139 dollar ❤
$180.00
Sean, maybe I'll get one of these to play with before I cut that big slab of Walnut I have...
The pickups sound great .... You rock much love
Ahh Blueburst, a man of fine taste. Recently subscribed. Love your videos. Greetings from Japan! I have a blueburst Epiphone Japan Les Paul. I've been meaning to upload a video for a while. Might need to add this Tele to my collection 😁
You make in Japan exellent Tele models : FGN
And that for 500 euro's.
In Japan you know how to make exellent cheap guitars with the precision that's almost not normal .You pay 1000 euro's more for a comparable Fender Tele . The only thing , if you want , is to change the P.U. but it sounds very good as it is.
We pay far too much for the well known brands.
I really love your videos dude.
i love that you love em! Thanks! Share if ya dare!
Damn for 139 that's a whole lot of guitar. Looked like the bridge was alinco instead of the standard Chinese ceramic. It Def had a Lil bit of that Tele twang. The pickups didn't sound bad. Honestly I'd upgrade the switch to a super switch or a 3pole 4way, a multi point jack and maybe throw on some CTS or Alpha pots (those little cheap ones are normally better than we give them credit for). Then I'd call it a win.
All excellent suggestions! I'd more classify this as a modding platform rather than a guitar I planned to play any length of time. Those little dime pots corrode right away if they're not already badly corroded by the time you get the guitar. And that cheesy wiring needs to be discarded and replaced with copper asap
great axe man! looks and sounds great for the $$$$$'s cheers for the demo... NZ
Few years ago I got a budget (SX) Tele with "Flame Maple Neck". Took it to some guys that built guitars and they got a laugh. Seems they used something like a Heated Rope to get the effect. You might tale it to a local Hardwood dealer and have him look to see if it really is Flame or Not.
It is. I've handled plenty. You can see the curl, it's like a hologryphic.
Your review just upped the price to $179! :) I just bought one at that price... like I need another guitar! I would have never bought it without your review.
Rock on!
Same here, just got mine yesterday. You should get a commission! I could not believe it, tuned it, checked the intonation-it was right on. Nice little gig bag too.
Wasn’t even looking for another guitar, but somehow stumbled on to your video. After watching it I couldn’t resist. Love it!
Thank you for sharing. Boy that sure looked pretty and sounds good too.
Plug that hole with a hardwood dowel. Just before you glue the dowel in, check how it sounds by dry fitting the dowel.
If the pickups was potted I don’t think you would hear the noise of the switch or a faster way is dip them in lacquer. Love your channel I get real opinions about real guitars from a real person .
Hi - nice guitar for the money! Two things - #1 the hole in the neck pocket is a registration hole for the CNC milling machine and #2 I didn't see a ground wire going from the bridge plate to the back of one of the pots.
That may explain the cow bell sound on the switch?
Hello from your old time viewer Sean, hope you doin fine 🙏
That guitar neck is my fav part of the guitar, because for me, the neck determine how good the guitar will feel in your hands.
So, a perfect fret job and a flame maple neck is perfect for me.
I would prefer a string through Tele.
GBU Sean
Rock on! Miss seeing you around Rudy! Hope you are doing well.
Yes, the neck is insane! I love it for real! I'm about to put some lipstick on this pig!
It has a microphonic bridge pup and/or bridge. A buddy bought a Glarry Tele for my birthday. Bridge and Bridge pickup so microphonic you could hear my eyeballs thru the amp if I even looked at it. Guitar was good after 2 hours work and shopping carefully for $80.00 in parts.
$160.00 total cost what my friend paid plus my upgrades. I love it now.
Thanks for sharing!
Yeah and the neck is different when you look on the back You got that stripe up the side of that neck but the one in in the link doesn't have that dark stripe up the middle
I love your show man. I've been playing for few decades and I've just Dalles in love with Harley Benton. The JA22 jazzmaster is my newest favorite guitar for under 150
Nice guitar, I checked with the link you supplied, unfortunately, this model is not there, the only ones I found are $400 and dont look as good as this one. Thanks for the demo.
I was pleased to see that good guitar, maybe someone's first guitar, could actually be a cheap made in China guitar. As a kid I'd have traded my soul for good guitar. Now I wouldn't have to.
Sean to my ear it's not full tele twang, but it's smartly made!
Great neck and Mahogany body.
Cheers 😎
If I’m not. Is taken that bridge pickup looked like it probably has alnico pole pieces, pretty good for a cheep guitar
Have you ever thought of flipping the control plate around for the Bill Kirchen easy roll off style?
Thanks for the vid brother! Some people get overly excited about name and brand, but Eddie could have played any guitar and would still sound like Eddie. If you can’t set up action that’s different. It’s a pretty guitar, but that headstock drives me NUTSSSS. Not a huge deal, just not a pretty design. Have an LTD telecaster that I love! In cases you don’t know, LTD is the lower model of ESP, like Squire / Fender.
Well said!
I'm tellin you you need to check out IYV bone nut , 3 layerbinding, tuners aren't grover but they work
My first clue that it's definitely a $139 guitar would have been at first glance and noticing the missing inlays on the entire neck.
Add the same attitude about "Cheapies" So Bought a Fazley Outlaw Coyote T - Style From a Company Called Bax,,,Ash Body, Roasted Canadian Maple Neck And Finger Board. Wilkinson HardWare...Tusq Nut Came with a Gig bag... In The Uk £122 Delivered.. Had it Four Months And have Not Picked Up My Fender T's Since.
Really good, fun review dude
Thanks for watching