I have four Crafters, including an older GAE-8. I prefer its features (e.g., top mounted controls with clear tuner, scratchplate & more ornate soundhole inlay), so it looks like they've cut costs in the latest version. I think it's still made in Korea but am not 100% sure. They may have moved production to China. For anyone considering a mid-priced guitar, I recommend this brand, which punches above its weight.
I'm fixing a Crafter GAE 6/N. Cost me equivalent of $20USD. Got smashed by an angry ex-girlfriend years back, NOT MINE! Read on and one will see my close experience with the guitar so far. But my point here is my Crafter is a really well built guitar. Korean built, and that's usually a good start. A guitar buddy thinks the crafter electronics in mine are Fishman built for Crafter. Either way they are nice from appearances. Most important to me is the factory fret work. This is where guitars usually come short. Not just cheapo guitars either. Just a tiny tickle of fret sprout on the low side of the 21st fret. So it matters not. "Can't Touch This". Frets are all quite level from my fret rocker inspection (could change with strings on, but a good start) and the fret ends are really smooth and rounded off. I don't think the prev owner did that. Just good factory work. And it took just 10 minutes to polish the frets, which means they went out of the factory nice and smooth. The generic machine heads (tuning keys) are good enough in quality I think. All have the right 'turn' feel without strings. So I'd consider a new or used Crafter. When I finish mine it'll be a keeper...not just because I'm a guitar hoarder! 13 isn't THAT MANY guitars. BTW, the same previous owner gave me a broken electric guitar also. This one's neck is fine, but the body broke in half in a friendly tussle at a drunken rugby party that his band played at. And I'll glue that one too...someday. I think my guitars live an easy life by comparison, even with my son having access to ALL of them at any time since he was 8. Thankfully for me he's mostly a drummer thus far...all guitar players NEED drummers! How it broke: It was kicked hard from its stand and kicked again at the brace. Makes me sad. No cracks on the spruce top from the first kick, just two dents that look like a toe and heal from a woman's boot. But the usual neck split down from the headstock to about the third fret from falling over. Not a complete break which is much easier to repair. Fretboard un-effected. Wood glue and some creative clamping and that's now all sorted. There is some tactile roughness along the cracks and battle scars but I can live with it. Scraped and sanded is as far as I'll sort that. Not worth a luthier restoration effort. Some light cracking on the back near the neck brace, but very isolated and not any through cracks. And now fixed enough as well. Mostly just cracks to the finish really. The input jack, located similar to a Tele or LP position in my 2008 model, is gone and the hole took a good bash. I'd guess it was plugged in at the time. Its replacement must have a square base and screws to cover and brace that damage, but that's not hard nor expensive. Nut broke off and is missing. So that sucks! Saddle is gone but prev owner found it a few months ago...but I don't have it yet. So I assume I'll be sorting both and the lovely out-of-the-box set up described by Phil will be up to me. Last bit: I'm just an ordinary person with non-tradesman like training and experience. Intermediate player on a good day. All of my guitars are improved from factory or built from junk. Only one is semi-expensive (Cause I turned 50 and somebody loves me) and it needed fret love too. Guitars are pretty forgiving to work on. Valve amps...not so much. They can kill. So if anybody read my book above, give it a thumbs up. I won't hold my breath!
I just bought a used crafter gae8/tbu acoustic/electric and can’t find any info on it whatsoever. The seller said it was his grandfathers’ guitar and didn’t know much about it. It’s a beautiful blue colour and sounds amazing!
One condition to have more beautiful sound on accoustic guitar is : the diameter of the soundhole should not more than 9 cm long .Peypey ,Bandung ,Indonesia.
I have crafter gae 8 and If i tune strings in open- tune is OK , but in frets tune is little to high on 0,50hz. But not everytime, somtimes is tune in open position and in frets is the same and tune perfect.
Mine has developed a problem and i dont know why - high e string has very low action compared to teh others and is buzzing over about 5 or 6 frets from about 10-14 - unplayable. The truss rod cant redress it - already completely wound off and going tighter just bows the neck worsening the problem. It had been fine the past few years but now is unplayable - all i can think is the cold winters here (freezing for 3 months) might have warped the neck? I'm very disappointed as it was very comfortable and easy to play previously. Any suggestions.
I have four Crafters, including an older GAE-8. I prefer its features (e.g., top mounted controls with clear tuner, scratchplate & more ornate soundhole inlay), so it looks like they've cut costs in the latest version. I think it's still made in Korea but am not 100% sure. They may have moved production to China. For anyone considering a mid-priced guitar, I recommend this brand, which punches above its weight.
I have ga 8 made in Korea, guitar is old about ~15 years. When start made in China?
I have Crafter made in China, can’t complain 😉
I'm fixing a Crafter GAE 6/N. Cost me equivalent of $20USD. Got smashed by an angry ex-girlfriend years back, NOT MINE! Read on and one will see my close experience with the guitar so far. But my point here is my Crafter is a really well built guitar. Korean built, and that's usually a good start. A guitar buddy thinks the crafter electronics in mine are Fishman built for Crafter. Either way they are nice from appearances. Most important to me is the factory fret work. This is where guitars usually come short. Not just cheapo guitars either. Just a tiny tickle of fret sprout on the low side of the 21st fret. So it matters not. "Can't Touch This". Frets are all quite level from my fret rocker inspection (could change with strings on, but a good start) and the fret ends are really smooth and rounded off. I don't think the prev owner did that. Just good factory work. And it took just 10 minutes to polish the frets, which means they went out of the factory nice and smooth. The generic machine heads (tuning keys) are good enough in quality I think. All have the right 'turn' feel without strings. So I'd consider a new or used Crafter. When I finish mine it'll be a keeper...not just because I'm a guitar hoarder! 13 isn't THAT MANY guitars. BTW, the same previous owner gave me a broken electric guitar also. This one's neck is fine, but the body broke in half in a friendly tussle at a drunken rugby party that his band played at. And I'll glue that one too...someday. I think my guitars live an easy life by comparison, even with my son having access to ALL of them at any time since he was 8. Thankfully for me he's mostly a drummer thus far...all guitar players NEED drummers!
How it broke: It was kicked hard from its stand and kicked again at the brace. Makes me sad. No cracks on the spruce top from the first kick, just two dents that look like a toe and heal from a woman's boot. But the usual neck split down from the headstock to about the third fret from falling over. Not a complete break which is much easier to repair. Fretboard un-effected. Wood glue and some creative clamping and that's now all sorted. There is some tactile roughness along the cracks and battle scars but I can live with it. Scraped and sanded is as far as I'll sort that. Not worth a luthier restoration effort. Some light cracking on the back near the neck brace, but very isolated and not any through cracks. And now fixed enough as well. Mostly just cracks to the finish really. The input jack, located similar to a Tele or LP position in my 2008 model, is gone and the hole took a good bash. I'd guess it was plugged in at the time. Its replacement must have a square base and screws to cover and brace that damage, but that's not hard nor expensive. Nut broke off and is missing. So that sucks! Saddle is gone but prev owner found it a few months ago...but I don't have it yet. So I assume I'll be sorting both and the lovely out-of-the-box set up described by Phil will be up to me. Last bit: I'm just an ordinary person with non-tradesman like training and experience. Intermediate player on a good day. All of my guitars are improved from factory or built from junk. Only one is semi-expensive (Cause I turned 50 and somebody loves me) and it needed fret love too. Guitars are pretty forgiving to work on. Valve amps...not so much. They can kill.
So if anybody read my book above, give it a thumbs up. I won't hold my breath!
That's the Crafter GAE 8/N . Sounds fantastic👌
I just bought a used crafter gae8/tbu acoustic/electric and can’t find any info on it whatsoever. The seller said it was his grandfathers’ guitar and didn’t know much about it. It’s a beautiful blue colour and sounds amazing!
Nice review buddy
One condition to have more beautiful sound on accoustic guitar is : the diameter of the soundhole should not more than 9 cm long .Peypey ,Bandung ,Indonesia.
I have crafter gae 8 and If i tune strings in open- tune is OK , but in frets tune is little to high on 0,50hz. But not everytime, somtimes is tune in open position and in frets is the same and tune perfect.
Mine has developed a problem and i dont know why - high e string has very low action compared to teh others and is buzzing over about 5 or 6 frets from about 10-14 - unplayable. The truss rod cant redress it - already completely wound off and going tighter just bows the neck worsening the problem. It had been fine the past few years but now is unplayable - all i can think is the cold winters here (freezing for 3 months) might have warped the neck? I'm very disappointed as it was very comfortable and easy to play previously. Any suggestions.
the headstock looks cooler than epiphone, where can i buy them in the uk?
Just watched a factory video for Crafter. All the stuff on the headstock is a decal. I like the shape of it though.
Sounds great! What is this guitar worth?
Starts from $200 , depends on ornament and either made in Korea ( more expensive) or in China.
Howmuch ??
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