Ranking Worst To Best Import Guitar Brands Under $300
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
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Here are some Affiliate Links to some of the highest rated guitars that I liked
My Favorite Sub $300 Gretsch
imp.i114863.net/zEaEm
My Favorite sub $300 Epiphone
imp.i114863.net/EmamX
My favorite sub $300 Jackson
imp.i114863.net/bx3xB
My Favorite sub $300 Traveler guitar
imp.i114863.net/3nPnv
My favorite sub $300 Yamaha
imp.i114863.net/vBnBA
My favorite sub $300 Harley Benton
www.thomannmusic.com/harley_b...
My favorite sub $300 C&G
reverb.grsm.io/cg4276
My favorite sub $300 Tagima guitars
reverb.grsm.io/tagima
My favorite sub $300 Ibanez
imp.i114863.net/Y6g6O
This is were I buy my used gear online
reverb.grsm.io/PhillipMcKnight
Here are some other products from a dealer I trust and buy from online
imp.i114863.net/c/2224555/791...
This is the pick I use
amzn.to/3e3NhH5
These are the cables I use Klotz 15ft Cable with breaker ( You will never go back)
amzn.to/2YilLQS
String Swing Wall Hangers. The only Stands and Hanger I use
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The straps I use are Dimarzio straps and I've been using them since 1992
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D Addario Fret Polish Kit
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Solid Body Import Guitar Brands Under $300
35. Donner/Silvertone 0:25
34. Monoprice 0:46
33. Hardluck Kings 1:01
32. Oscar Schmidt 1:17
31. Glary 1:33
30. Peavey 2:04
29. AXL 2:32
28. SX 2:43
27. Hofner 2:57
26. Auston 3:11
25. Washburn 3:34
24. Aria 3:43
23. Stagg 4:05
22. Vintage 4:31
21. Mitchell 4:53
20. Daisy Rock 5:13
19. Traveler 5:40
18. Hadean 6:12
17. Kramer 6:31
16. Schecter 6:48
15. C&G 7:12
14. Slick 7:37
13. Xaviere 7:57
12. Sterling 8:14
11. Yamaha 8:47
10. Dean 9:16
9. Cort 9:54
8. Squier 10:12
7. Ibanez 11:13
6. Gretsch 11:36
5. Jackson 12:50
4. Fire Fly 13:29
3. Epiphone 14:34
2. Tagima 15:18
1. Harley Benton 16:06
The SX vintage series strat style neck with jumbo frets is really nice.
ugh
@@alittlebitoflight every single cheap Gretsch guitar I've ever played has held tune just fine.
@@parker486 I'm happy for you (sincerely). I was hoping to buy one. Really liked the pickups on the solid body I played (G5222) and the ones in their older slim hollow bodies. But I'm not paying a grand+ (Australian) for something that won't hold tune (all hardtail too, no licenced Bigsby).
@@alittlebitoflight That's completely fair. I'm sorry your experience was less than stellar.
Well, we are glad you dig our guitars Phil :) All the best Bene
I love you guys
@@isaacyesca4728 Thanks Rogelio!
I have a question,
I wanna buy one of your guitars but i dont know if i should get the paradise flame prs or the sc 200 student pack,
I am left handed btw
I have the H.B. TE-70 RW, and if not for this stinking virus causing shipping delays,I would own several more models by now. The only mod I did to this guitar was locking fender tuners. Not because the tuners were bad. I just like locking tuners.
We would LOVE to have more access to these here in the USA!! With shipping being an extra $100 it's hard for those of us who haven't had our hands on one to buy 3 or 4 of them to make the shipping worth it...You guys make about 15 guitars I want to buy really bad!!
I got hooked on Harley Benton guitars for about a year. I now have 6 of them, and bought two for my son. Great bang for your buck.
I went way overboard- also 6. weird. They really are phenomenal for what they cost, even with higher shipping. I also have a Monoprice Tele copy and a couple Xaviere tele copies. I think I have a tele problem. HA! But Harley Bentons are for sure an amazing value. Their PRS inspired double cutaway guitars are fantastic.
I've got 14 guitars, but no super strat. I'm looking at one of their Fusion 2 guitars. Maybe the green one.
Harley Benton is *THE* mod platform brand. You get the top-tier build quality for cheap so you can drop in $150 on electronics, pickups, and tuners and have a $1000 feeling guitar for under $400.
@@Kylora2112 well said. Absolutely accurate too. I threw new p90s in the SC GT450. Not saying it's as good as a les Paul gold top but way better than what I'd get elsewhere for the same money
@@simontemplar3359 Yeah, you can put $500 into a Harley Benton and parts and get something on par with a $1000+ Schecter or LTD. And I love Schecter and LTD.
Who knew there were 35 brands under $300? 🤷♀️
They are technically 36
@@abcrx32j There's actually more. I was a pawn broker for several years, and the brands we could order to sell new were Main Street, Kona, Johnson, and a few others. However, most of those are not worthy of even being in the top 60. Bad fret sprout, electronics issues. I was in a local pawn shop the other day and noticed they are selling new Silvertone Strats. That's a recent development. Silvertone's were never available in the catalog's when I was ordering.
@@abcrx32j mmmmmmmmmm
Mmmm
Mmm
Jim Nelson what the fuck...
heavyvibrationstudiopl.bandcamp.com/releases
I'm really glad I chose a Tagima! It was actually yours and Marty's videos that convinced me and I absolutely love it. I upgraded the switch and the pots, as well as installed a push/push pot in the bottom tone knob to engage the neck pickup so I can get those Gilmour sounds. Thanks again!
Whew, glad Firefly made the list. I've been happy with them, the epi special ll is another one. Thanks for the reviews!
This is the list that I have been waiting on. thank you
Thanks, Phil. I like to keep up with your posts. I always learn something new. I pray all is well, brother.
Been digging firefly for 3 years now. Love them.
Great now make a list about guitar under 15$ because thats all the cash in my wallet right now.
Here's something they call a "plectrum"
I can Print out a luscious cardboard guitar for you in that price range. Just sayin'.
Hahahahaha. Damn that really made laugh.
I wish that I could afford a wallet
Glarry uh... no wait.......
So excited for this! You really get to see a brand’s consistency’.
Awesome list definitely keeping an eye out for some of these brands
Hello from Brazil! Thanks for showcasing Tagima guitar once more. The first Tagimas were totally handmaded, with a superior quality, and a faithful copy of a Fender 1976, with bullet tuss rod, but with brazilian electronics (a little les quality) and different woods, like Marupá and the neck in ivorywood, woods that could be considerated exotic in US. The former owner of Tagima, Seizi Tagima, has another brand, the low-coast SEIZI GUITARS. Tks
Muito bom ver uma marca brasileira numa posição de destaque em um canal gringo, principalmente sabendo que aqui dentro muita gente torce o nariz pra ela.
I have 2 IYV guitars I bought for under $200. The SG model has 24 frets and has become one of my all-time favorites. Playes as well as a Gibson or Fender.
Awesome info on this video. I'm not really in the market but my buddies are always asking me about guitars for their kids. Good job!
YES! Love the video Phil! Thank you for all your hard work!
I've heard a lot of good things about Harley Bentons. I'm not surprised that they made number one on the list. Good video!
I've got 2 now. Amazing for the money..
I bought the $75 to the door Glarry. I heard they were decent for the price, and I just wanted something to use to practice my custom paint technique. They do work way waaaay better than the beginners stuff we bought for same price in 1977. Remember back then $75 was a weeks wages\months rent in my town back then. $75 is now a days pay.
Awesome vid. Love this series!!!
What a great video! Thank you so much dude, this actually helped a lot. Many students ask about cheap guitars all the time, and this is amazing!
Really cool to see Tagima ranked so high. They're kind of overlooked here in Brazil, maybe because they're so common place. People tend to value Squiers and they can get kind of expensive here, so your opinion is very insightful and might be useful for people thinking about "upgrading" their Tagimas to Squiers when it could potentially be just a sidegrade
Same thing happen to Cort in Indonesia. People tend overlooked Cort because it so common here. Little did they know almost half of squier and ibanez even the PRS SE is made in PT Cort. Put respect in Cort name
To me my perception is they’re starting to get a bit more popular now in the US by getting on most of our radar for the first time by launching their made in Asia stuff which had been selling okay on import on Reverb and stuff now finally getting into online retailers over here. To me that stuff is very obviously Fender inspired, but kind of boutique, sort of like a Squier meets Michael Kelly.
I never had a cheap Tagima that was not garbage. And when they are garbage, Tagima does nothing to help. Their customer service is non-existent. i don't know anything about their Brazilian stuff, but the Asian stuff is crap. More importantly, if you buy the crap, you are stuck with it. People comparing Tagima's Asian stuff to Mexican fenders are hallucinating. Mexican Fenders and even cheap Squiers are far superior guitars. It's really not close. I would much rather have a Bullet than a Tagima.
I was literally looking for sub $300 guitars for my dad about 30 minutes before this video dropped, perfect timing!
Has can take 4 days to 4 weeks to arrive in the US. If you're in Europe, delivery is much more predictable.
Look up EART guitars, Don't buy Harley Benton , trust me on this.
Great list, Phillip. Video was excellent. Steve
Thanks so much this is one of the best videos I have seen all year ❤
The Epi Studio LT is an AMAZING guitar. The pickups are very good. It's not a baseball bat neck. It sits well. It's not very heavy. It's VERY much a Les Paul for the cheap.
I tried a Harley Benton and absolutely love it. I now have 5 different styles and play them more than my top name brands. Thanks for the video brother. 🎶🎸🎶
Brilliant video - packed with information and engagingly presented. Lots to think about and a wonderful service to guitar fans and players.
Phillip is definitely the guy you want to walk round the guitar store with if you have some spare cash!
Really great list, love your commentary Phil.
I've got 3 mid-high end guitars (fender pro tele and strat, and Gibson Les Paul studio) and I love them, but you know what I play more? Hard Luck Kings Bossman (LP style- I replaced the bridge with a Kaish) , Squire bullet telecaster, and Glen Burton tele, which I got for $50, and I can't believe the neck in this thing! Luck of the draw? Anyway, you like what you like, and if you like it, you'll play it more.
I kept seeing Harley Benton videos and hardly a bad comment on any of them. I thought for the price I'll take a chance just to see for myself. I was shocked at the quality for the price range. Great guitar, at least the one I bought was. I'm considering buying another one.
I've got heaps of them and in my opinion there cheapest models are no different from the no name guitars you can by on eBay. Big difference is thomann will give you a refund if you get a dud which does happen often. When you get the higher end Harley Bentons SC-Custom, HB-35+, CST 24T you get shockingly good guitars for the price.
@@Mark-OutWest its kinda rediculous to blame the brand for that. UPS workers and mail workers in general in the US are being complete dicks lately, and i think its the extra workload that quarantine is causinf
@@Mark-OutWest - I've been following the arrivals of HBs to the US on the Facebook page and it is shocking how bad those boxes look. Serious piñata practice before those things get to the buyer. I mean, amazingly awful.
If you buy a guitar, and I may some day, you have to buy a hard case with it if you want to be assured of it arriving in a condition that you won't immediately pack it up and ship it back.
well on my experiement about HB guitars are like good to bad perhaps nowadays that quality is on a top than years a go many guitar what I had was like hollow and didn´t played at all like dull sounded on acoustic side... but I have to say good thing about HB strings not oily anymore and that brightness is awsome
Cool, what model did you buy?
Thanks so much, great information about Tagima!
I luv these best and worst videos! Thank you!!!
Great List! some other guitar makers that are working hard to improve their Brands are: Grote & IYV.
those tagima guitar rock, my friend has a guitar shop and he bought some tagimas great sound was set and ready to play and the quality and finish was beautiful,
Gonna have to disagree. I have had several Asian Tagimas and they were all garbage. Customer service is non-existent. People who compare them to Mexican Fenders have never played a Mexican Fender. I would rather have a Squier Bullet for about half the price.
Favorite list so far. Useful information.
Very useful to have your thoughts, and I was delighted to see HB come out on top, as I have a TE70 Delux arriving for Christmas from the missus! My first Tele, so can't wait! Stay safe, regards from Wales.
Love the Epiphone bolt ons, and the Squier Bullet Tele is phenomenal. This is really a golden era for low buck/high quality guitars! 😁👍
The Squier Bullet Tele is excellent. I have an FSR version in Butterscotch Blonde. It cost £130. I can't imagine a better guitar for the price. It isn't perfect, but it's also a great platform for upgrades.
Paul B I have the Surf Green one. Imho, it compares very favorably to my American Pro. 😁👍
@@artamussumatra6286 It's a great guitar. My Vintera Telecaster is obviously better, but it cost three times as as much, second hand. If you can't play the Bullet, you can't play. A very good example of why it's more important to practice than to worry about how much your guitar cost.
Paul B Yup, a great guitar is a great guitar, regardless of price. My Ampro Tele cost 10X what my Bullet Tele did, but I love them both equally.
I also used to have a Mexican Standard Tele, that I’ve always regretted selling, it was fantastic. I won’t make the same mistake with the ones I’ve got now, they’re both keepers for sure!
Yeah I like the epi bolt-ons too because the neck problem on the demand Gibson's you can always replace it easier
Harley Benton went through a little bit of a renaissance over the last 10-15 years. Initially when they were introduced, they were bad. Quality of parts, fit and finish and playability were all terrible. I don't know what happened, whether they shook up management or changed factories or maybe invested more into their R&D department but Harley Benton is now a serious contender in every price bracket under like, 800 bucks. It's great to have choices in that price bracket.
I'm so happy a brand like them exists.
They don't even make their own guitars, they are Chinese outsourced..
@@joshwallace2183 So does Ibanez, ESP.. and over half the others out there.. SQUIER is outsourced by Fender.. EPIPHONE is by Gibson.. SO WHAT??
@@Luckyrider1958 This guy probably expects each brand to build a fricking factory of their own, lmao. Not gonna happen if you don't want all the guitars to cost 1000+ dollars.
@@edorissen Exactly.
Hey, thanks for putting out really honest and great information..
I’m really glad you talked about Gretsch and Epiphone because I own one of each I bought under $350. The Epi was used but I got it restrung and set up and it’s perfect! The Gretsch is original, straight from the box and love it! Both are heavy guitars though so I also bought a Squier Telecaster for the lighter weight. I knew very little about brands, just went with how they felt and playability so really good to know my views are shared by someone more expert. Thank you for this excellent review.
I love these lists, generally. They are very helpful. I don't necessarily agree with all of the ratings (I think the Tagima guitars are crap and their customer service sucks) but it's a great way to start a conversation. I really think that the customer service aspect of Squier should rank them a bit higher and the affinity is great guitar. Harley Bentons are shipped by idiots. About half of them are damaged in shipping. It's a pain.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Phil was gonna say a bit more on each brand, but cut it off or edited it out for time considerations?
heavyvibrationstudiopl.bandcamp.com/releases
@@tomix1970pl1 I would have to say that kicks ass ! 💪😎👍 You ever listen to Pat Travers from the early to mid 70'2 on into the 80's ? Check out the album " Putting it Straight" with "Snorting' Whiskey and drinking' Cocaine" and "Crash and Burn" . . . 😁
Stop picking it apart and just play it!! 🤘
I felt that way too.
holy crap i needed this video, thank you
Thank you for all these videos. This video had a ton of information that I learned. Great job 👏
harley benton is great. the shipping kills it. it adds up. and if there's something wrong you cant return it. For $300 you can get a decent ibanez.
yea id say their 100-200 guitars arent worth it tbh unless youre in europe. but something like the fusions and amarocks? they are worth the shipping easily. super high speced guitars for the price
I don't know how Grote guitar was left off the list. It is currently one of the best affordable guitar companies ever. They build guitars that most companies would not even entertain the idea of building. Firefly is a great guitar and I'm glad you put it on the list. IYV is doing some special things as well. These Asian guitar makers are absolutely destroying the market!
Thanks will look into
Agreed in IYV guitar s
IYV guitars look awesome. All CNC produced.
Based on my guitar experience, I agree with you Michael, IYV, Firefly, and Grote. My top three in that order.
Extraordinary knowledge of guitars... great video
Glad to see Firefly up there. I have a bespoke Strat I built back in '89 but set up my luthier bench again a few months ago and decided to grab a cheap guitar to muck around with. Got a Firefly Thinline Tele for $135 and was really amazed at the fit and finish and wood. Yes, I did quite a lot of fret work and setup, but only spent an additional $14 on a set of Wilkinson compensated saddles. Now plays as well as some custom shop Fenders I've played in the past. It really is stunning how this price segment has improved over the years...
Squier should bring back the Vintage Modified line. That sub-$300 price point with nearly Classic Vibe levels of quality and kit. Plus, they had that lovely-but-quirky "Squier Vintage Modified '51", which is just a sweet instrument for the price.
I've got a "51 and is really is a great guitar. Agree on Vintage Modified- what a great value.
Pretty much the 70s classic vibe Strats are just a vintage modified with a classic vibe logo.
Good list! I would have put Yamaha in the top 5 or 7, easily. Also, really surprised to see Gretsch as high as that given how little selection they have at this price point. Especially after seeing you mark so many others down for apparently not offering enough (but at least as much as Gretsch). 🤔 NO WAY Firefly should be in the top 5 IMO. Their quality control is horrible! That alone should put them below companies like Yamaha. Firefly belongs in the teens at best. Really hard to argue with your number 1.
great video, you did a lot of work tx
Loving these vids Phil- keep it up.
I'm surprised you completely missed IYV (Inyen VIna) guitars (Korean company making guitars in Viet Nam) with a similar business model to Firefly. I've set up 4-5 of them now and I think they blow Firefly, SX, Hadean, Indio, Starshine, etc., away. II can't believe there is not a bigger buzz on them... but at least the prices will stay low.
Totally agree
I agree i just pivked one up on a trade and i am totally in love with it. Honestly my favorite electric guitar ive ever owned.
I have 3 different models now (one I got on a black friday deal for $110), and in the price/quality comparison of every other guitar I own - they blow the rest out of the water. Love their work, and play these guitars more than any of my others.
Surprised to not see Donner or IYV
There has been a very obvious lack of reviews on the larger guitar forums for IYV guitars. Just on the smaller channels. I guess they aren’t paying anyone for reviews yet
I got an EPI Les Paul Special II P90 delivered for $139 and it’s a total keeper.
How and where please?
I searched for promo codes and got a 20% off from retailmenot - it wasn’t supposed to apply to Epiphone but it did. Use a desktop as their site is not optimized for mobile. Just as a warning if you like that color? The actual color is nothing like the picture. It is barely yellow at all. www.wwbw.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Special-I-P90-Electric-Guitar-H77433-H77433000002000.wwbw
Nice video. I appreciate all the research
Haven’t heard of a lot of these guitars! Interesting, great video
For the most part, a very rational list. Two exceptions: I would rate SX much higher--great guitars--and I would rate Firefly much lower--they are infamous for Q.A. issues.
One of my favorite guitars is a Firefly (the Les Paul style). One of my least favorite is a Firefly (the ES-335 style). But the LP with Alnico 5 pickups and me setting it up...that thing is dynamite and I'm not going to spend big money when I have this. It is in my top 3 (out of 14 electrics, all very different from one another).
I have an XS Bass. I swear it plays as good as basses I've spent $500 on.
texanfournow I recently bought three SX guitars and they all had scratched up frets with horrible filing marks in them
@@aarons.8532 BASS. Doesn't apply. We all know it has fewer notes.
I have owned a few sx guitars complete junk i own two fireflys way better than sx guitars...sx are not even in the same league.........The two fireflys are on par with the squier classic vibes i have tried...the fireflys have bone nuts alnico pickups full size pots great setup out of the box the sx junk has non of this......
SX is pretty solid for budget guitars, I have a liquid and a hawk. Liquid has p90’s and the hawk is a strat copy. Both pretty good and playable without upgrades.
I was debating between an SX or Harley Benton. Was thinking about Bad Cat but then I seen on Amazon Hard Luck Kings LP is identical to Bad Cat LP. Only difference was the brand on headstock.
@@koDaffi HB's are great.. have several.. But shipping has gotten really high.. used to be you could ship up to 3 for 39 bux.. now it's like 80 bux.. if you order more than one (you, or you and a few pals) you can divide the shipping cost per Pc by 3...
SX are also solid bets.. Have Several of those too, and they are really a working guitar.. Rondo often has some on sale.. that's when I got mine,...
Love the video. Thanks for the help
This series is awesome. Great idea.
Sterling Sub Guitars and basses. Under 300$ and the best guitars for modern styles of music . I have gigged and recorded with both and they are my favorite
Seconded
I noticed you didn't mention IYV guitars. I recently bought a thinline style tele with p90s that I was pretty impressed with for $150. Came with good setup,, only needs minor adjustment, pickups sound good, neck is straight, no fret sprout, stays in tune well, pretty finish. I think I agree about the Gretsch thought, my next inexpensive guitar too.
I just bought one myself. Great tone and sustain.
Brilliant,very helpful and clear.
Love this series Phil!
Most of those guitars probably just come out of the same factories in China, Indonesia and Korea.
Yeah, I see a lot of the same parts.
My Monoprice Indio telecaster is the best $99 I’ve ever spent. It’s beyond gorgeous. Needed a little end filing. 20 minutes later I have a guitar that smokes. And yes, has the tele twang.
Cool. Nothing brings the joy quite like a cheap, yet great tele! I love my Squier Bullet, it gets as much play time as my American Pro.
Excellent video. Thank you!!!
Thanks. This helps me advise my grandson who is just starting to learn guitar.
I have a Harley Benton Tele copy TE-52 and a L.P. copy SC450 deluxe, they've quickly become my favorite guitars !!
Ken Hall the TE 52 is they absolut classic. I own one too besides my real American Stat and Les Paul because I wanted to own a tele. When I picked up a 400 Bucks Classic Vibe squier last week I was shocked how cheep they feel compared to any harley benton I touched. Returned it immidiatly.
Stagg Chili is actually pretty good with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese some diced onions and a liberal shaking of Franks Red Hot !
Lmao
Thanks.. This helps my research for a next
Well done! Short and sweet.
Phil,..Remember I used to have an issue with the beginning of your channels success but I didnt hate it...Something happened over that first year with your tone, you found your niche and found it you did indeed. Classy, clean and non biased and no Mr. KNOWITALL mentality. Which I knew you were not that guy in the beginning. Thus the success you found. Being you is what sold your channel to many. Your passion was the key to the gate and you swung it open. Keep smiling and stay you!! Always a pleasure watching your show, live and non....peace. PS. THE ROO says Hi!!
If you capture the young player with your product you have the chance to keep them forever.
Well put!
@@PhillipMcKnight I learned to play on a Teisco that I talked my Mother into buying for Christmas when I was 12 or maybe a bit older. But that guitar had great action. It was pretty easy to play surprisingly. I did have an acoustic since I was around 10 and that thing was certainly not easy to play. This was in the late 60's going into the 70's. the choices out there today are mind blowing not to mention youtube lessons instead of all the records that I destroyed learning by ear and then the Sony Walkman's that I had worn out. 3 I believe. Young people right now have all the reason in the world to learn. They have no clue how much time they are going to save compared to us older people. lol Love your channel.
This is a spot on review! I’m currently waiting for a Gretsch jet jr, owning a couple of epiphine Sg g400 and a Cort m520, and couldn’t be more in Tune with this review. I mostly work on studio recording environment, and I’m usually more inclined to working with any of my sub 300 guitars than the more expensive ones I own (Jem, Ibanez SA prestige, Jackson, tele standard and Washburn)
This took alot of research, thanks for that. Interesting input on Firefly. I've played a couple and they are impressive for the price point. Thanks for all the info.
Being a dumpster diver for 30 years i just found my first guitar. Cadenza electric. Wish I knew how to play it.
Easy play the notes on the 3rd 5th and 7th fret. They all will be in key.
Check out IYV guitars. I've got a really impressive LP style.
I was looking at the stagg stingray for a long time, almost ordered it several time so I was glad to hear you like it.
I bought a used Stagg bass for $100. Well worth it in my opinion.
This is another great review...king of gear reviews this channel is
I've honestly never heard a bad word about Harley Benton hey. I've been really tempted to order a fusion, even from Australia, because I just can't find a lefty guitar like it at that kind of price...
Go for it! I too can vouch. Harley Benton guitars cannot be beat for value for the money. Every guitar I received from them came set up well and for the most part play almost as good as guitars 3x the price. My Harley Benton TE-52 was only $136 and it sounds and plays as good as the $400 classic vibe Squier Tele.
@@Cookie4yabro mate that's the recommendation I needed! haven't found a classic vibe guitar I didn't like!
Hey Phil, have you ever looked at Dragonfire pickups? I'd be interested to hear your take on them.
I’d like to know about this brand too.
I have dragonfires in like 7 of my guitars now lol. I may be addicted
I bought a Harley Benton TE-20 and started changing out pickups and wiring harness now I have the guitar i wanted for way cheaper! Love my Harley Benton and had a blast learning about the insides of a guitar while working on it!
Great videos, I would love to see a couple of videos like this on bass guitars.
It really magnifies how the "premium" guitars are way overpriced.
What about the IVY brand from Vietnam?
Also didn’t notice this was from 2 yrs ago, lol
Absolutely spot on 👌
Great video, thanks!
I can't believe I still haven't tried a harley benton. They are crushing it
take the plunge. you won't regret it.
@@FloridaManRacer I've been sooooo close. They make a double neck sg??
@@everythingbobbywolfe Indeed, they do. DC-Custom 612 Cherry
@@greevar well, son of a bitch. I predict 2020 is gonna be the.year
@@everythingbobbywolfe sure do. and it's a looker... www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_dc_custom_612_cherry.htm
I bought a Harley Benton SC450 for 180€ this year. And honestly: I was really shocked how great this guitar is. Top built without any flaws, came even perfectly intonated. And the P90s sound amazing. This guitar is an absolute keeper and the price is unbeatable. Especially here in Europe you can hardly get a better guitar for that money.
Agreed. I've had a couple of Harley Bentons too. They were all good. Not just for the price, but good... period.
Mr McKnight you have a great talent of directly explaining it. Thank you so much. Definitely a go to for the real stuff.
I bought one of those Sterlings you showed in this video. The only issues I had with it were the frets weren't smoothed and polished, and the neck was a little out of alignment. But those are easy fixes. I just loosened the bolts, moved the neck into position, and tightened them back down. I also used the Stewmac fret erasers and some Frine to polish up the frets. Did a quick setup and it plays great.
Then I put in new pots, a fender switch, DiMarzio Pickups, Gotoh locking tuners, and I'm having a Gotoh 510 tremolo put in as we speak. But all-in-all I like the feel of it, and the electronic upgrades really brought it to life.
So glad he called out Hard Luck Kings for the pieces of firewood that they are. Their attitude also sucks.
Maybe I got lucky with them. Last year I got a spider which is their version of a firebird. Setup was perfect and plays great. Only thing I did was a 1/4 turn of the truss rod once it got used to the Florida humidity. Only negative it's a big heavy beast due to the body shape and it's 2 inches thick solid wood at the center piece. Not for those with weak backs.
Love my HLK Lady Luck
The green one in my pic is from them and played like a dream out of the box.
When are we gonna do one of these for us lowly bass players? We spend and make money too...
It's safe to say bass players make more money! They are spending less time getting laid 😂
@@mitchellvanvliet you're right, we'd rather spend our time doing something fun ;)
Awesome video! Super helpful. I play acoustic and have been looking for an electric that won't break the bank. This video really answered some of my questions.
I actually just got an Xaviere PRO830 (Tele copy with mini rail humbuckers instead of single coils) and I was VERY impressed by the quality of the guitar, it being only $230. A lot of guitars under $300 usually come with pickups you'd be better off replacing, but GFS is obviously already known for their awesome pickups, so its nice getting a cheap guitar with great pickups out of the box. Highly recommend.
HB dominates this category. I am up to 6 of them. Yep, it is a commom "problem". The finish, wood quality, and set up's have been very good. Go for the higher end of the line up, the extra $50 or so is a big step at these prices. The SC-Custom's have all but been removed from the line-up. These and the SC-550's are mighty beasts, built with love.
If I were 12 again(30 years ago) with these selections, Hardluck Kings for me.
For sure. Kids these days get some pretty awesome cheap guitar choices. When we were that young, we had Lotus...LOL
@@dbmabe Damn right they do. It's a beginner guitarist paradise! Literally.
@@wiseguy9202 If you're not worried about the name on the headstock, its good for everyone. I will admit to name brand worship, but I'm working on that lol...
@@kitoyobeni1 you want what you want right man? I went out of my way to make my one fender a mij at least to not just be fully unoriginal 😅
@@DatBoi-mo9vc My strat is an early 80s MIJ Squier (and heavily modified).
I have three Jackson JS 22's, two of them I bought used, they are older. I have the deep blue one you put up, then I have one that's in a natural finish, and one with a tobacco burst finish. I also have a Kelly JS 32 which I just bought in March. I Love Jackson's Ceramic Magnet Humbuckers, I love there output, there clearness and dim-brightness while I'm soloing, and there heavy midrange and kinda muddy chunk while playing Rythym. I've been a Guitarist for 20 year's, when I switched from ESP to Jackson 8 year's ago, it was the best decision I ever made for myself as a Musician. Take care man. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Great list