I enjoy making inexpensive guitars playable, gigging them, then giving them away... the smile on young players faces with a playable guitar is priceless
Absolutely.. I just got a brand new American pro 2 that needed a neck, pickup, and action adjustment, and tightening of everything out of the box. Fret work was spot on tho.. Just part of getting things off of the internet. Its taught me how to do my own setups over the years. Its an amazing guitar post setup.
I got stuck in London-away from home, flight cancelled, full lockdown had no instrument so I ordered a couple Glarry instruments to keep practicing. I got P style bass which plays a lot better than I could ever expect with minimal work. The acoustic guitar needed quite some work but I really enjoyed refreshing my luthier knowledge and thanks to you and your amazing videos my lockdown became a lot more interested.
One of your best and like always honest videos. I bought the same Glarry guitar in yellow and had the exact same issues. Paid $95 US free shipping. I have all the tools and experience to fix the issues. Lots of fun working on it. I did upgrade the bridge pup though. It sounds very good even unplugged. I'd recommend it to anyone that wants do some minor work on it or look learn how to with a small investment in tools. You'll get a lot of satisfaction doing your own work. Thanks for the video
I just ordered an identical guitar with gig bag, a 20W amp and free shipping for $95 USD. I have all the skills and the tools to do the things you needed to do, and I have no intention or putting two $150 pickups in it. ;-) For someone like me, this was a perfect introduction to this guitar. Extremely pragmatic and none of the BS hype that we see on some sites. That's getting tiresome elsewhere. Thanks for the video! I think I'll have fun tinkering with this one and will have it playing nicely in about 90 minutes.
I think that the skills of setting up your own guitar in this 'buy to try age' is invaluable. Guitars showing up in the mail are only mildly set up, especially when you like a floyd rose or equivilant. (At least there isnt a nut to screw with...) Plus you can dial it in as you really like it. Party on!!
Kudos for showing the actual cost of a cheap guitar including the work it takes to make a guitar really playable. Of course, any investment in a guitar like this is not recoverable. A Glarry will never appreciate in value. I advise my friends to take the cost of a new cheap guitar plus luthier fees and try to find a used guitar of a known brand for the same price. I found a carved top mahogany set neck Ibanez ART90 for $115 out the door at a local pawn shop. No fret wear - needed nothing. Sold new only for 2 years (2012-2013). I think the original price was between $300 - $400. I saw the same guitar on local CL for similar price. So there are bargains out there locally if you're willing to look. Thanks for your videos, Phillip. By the way, those cheap nut "files" are really welding tip cleaners and have no "teeth". You can pick them up at auto parts store but don't waste your money. It would take you weeks to cut a new nut with them.
John Ulrich. Nice score on the Ibanez. Once in awhile you can find a good deal on used guitars, and some prices are stupid high. I bought 5 used guitars in the past 5 years. 2 needed a little work, all are excellent. Ironically all are discontinued models and are worth more than they cost me.
A fender/squire neck will fit perfect with slight modification. The butt of the neck pocket for the glarry body is straight. Fender has a curve. You have to route a very slight curve in it. Then fill and redrill the bolt holes.
I did the same thing w a Firefly LP. I learned how to do all of those things without worry of butchering a nice guitar. Thanks for the tip! Love your channel sir
I'm a beginner at guitar, and this model was my first guitar. Thank you for making this video, it helped me look for problems that I now can address where I would not have known about that before 👍🏻
Phil thank you. This is a good video. I have some cheap tool from harbor freight and I find what you say is very helpful. It is really cool to work on my own guitar especially since it is a cheap guitar and a good place to develop my skill set. I have purchased more expensive guitars and had fret sprout and fret wear problems as well. Here I feel I can do most of the work especially with your excellent videos and those as others. I have decided to buy mostly fenders because of the resale value, but you did a very good job and I have decided not to further look at expensive guitar gibby, PRS, Taylor, Collins, etc. I am satified with playing whit moderate priced guitars until I get to Carnegie Hall than I will pull out y Dove and LP custom. Thanks man for the very good video work.
We call those '90%' guitars. When they made them they were 90% done. The last 10%, usually all the 'hand' work, or 'skilled setup' work is left. As Phil said, it all depends on where, how and who does the work for price. I really like 'Agile' guitars for 90%-ers. The LP types are a really good value. Tone Pros and Grover hardware! I usually replace the wiring, pots, switches and pups, and do the last 10%. (Usually with StewMac stuff). Then donate them to disabled vets. I can do that for ~$600 all in, w/case, for a great LP type guitar. 8) JMHO --gary
Ordered one here in the UK 24th Dec. Turned up on the 28th. Perfectly set up and intonated out of the box. Only issue is the string spacing between the high E and B. Fret ends were smooth, I polished the frets and oiled the board,fitted bone nut, Strung it with Ernie 09s. Got some locking tuners I'll fit soon. I've been playing it a lot. Amazingly, it's only £75 here. Massive bargain. I had to pay more than 25% more than the US price for my Mex Tele. Thanks PM.
That's how I learned to work on guitars. But back in the 80s there weren't the selections of new,cheap guitars there are today. I bought a used Hondo Les Paul copy & worked on it . As time went on I finally bought a 2002 Les Paul standard(new). Since then I've ground to sawdust other cheap guitars, but my LP standard is still going strong. Cheap guitars are awesome. Mod them,paint them & play them,have a blast. Then by the time you've decided that you want to play for the rest of your life, (like I did)then maybe buy a high quality guitar. But most of all,have fun!!!
I am a flute player and need a complete set up once a year for my instrument for $180, professional player need that twice a year and I have found a flute on Amazon for $80 which I am buying it for the sole porpouse to destroy it in order to learn and save on routine service.
Thanks much, Phil, for doing this. I bought a Harley-Benton TE-20 and a Squier Affinity, both Tele-style, and did the same mods on both. Cost more than the Glarry because I put Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils in both, but I wanted to see how they'd turn out. I did none of the work myself - I trust my guitar tech - and am quite pleased with the result. Selling the H-B because it's a pound heavier than the Affinity, and I prefer light guitars (I'm an old guy with a bad back), but they play, sound, and look great. Now I'm going to be in the market for a Glarry to do something similar to.
I had a HB TE 20 sound great gave it to a fella who’s house burnt down and got an HB TE 70 rosewood beautiful put some Wiggins pups looks and sounds great
I just received my Glarry S type today. No sharp fret ends, no dead spots, neck dead straight. I tuned stretched strings, played it ( the intonation is very close, I haven't yet used my digital tuner to check it) tuned it again and have let it set for a while, the neck is still straight. It stays in tune after using the whammy bar. The only problem was a very small amount of roughness on the back of the neck. I buffed it with a stiff cloth (muslin/canvas). Now it is great, very slick. I did lower the action some, it could still go down a little more, but I like it. I'm very happy I decided to get one. I've been a Epiphone/Gibson double humbucker guy. Actually, I'm a bass player and have been practicing and working on my 6 string technique. First time I've experienced 60 cycle hum without any ground loop issue.
Bought the same model featured in the video. The whole ashtray was off by 1/4 to the treble side, making the E string unplayable above the seventh fret. I recut the pup caviity, got rid of that stupid gap between the ashtray and pick guard, ( got a different pick guard also, new bone nut, " waffle iron tuners, American Standard string trees, and re shaped the head stock. I didn't have to mess with the frets, but yes to the steel wool on the neck. I love that guitar now!! I also own a Epi LP Special, with a Maestro tremolo with a roller bridge. I love both of them!!
Like a few that have commented below... I have done adjustments on some of my (if not all) of the guitars in my collection. From vintage Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones and especially to the parts castors!
I bought one (the Red one)... I love it! I bought some Fender locking tuners and have spare stock Fender and Gibson pickups, pots, switches etc. No real problems with mine except, as with MOST guitars... it'll need a setup, but that's easy if you have the tools and know what you're doing. As with most of these type of Guitars... great looking and a great Modifying platform.
Good post, Phillip. Thanks for sharing the steps for setup. My white Squire @ $199 delivered didn't need the time to setup. w/Fender .10's the tone and action is fine. & with no pitch bend on the first fret.
I have an old 80's 22 frets strat copy, nothing written anywhere, even inside ! (even no serial numbers on any part) The neck is not maple, it's darker with lines in it, rosewood fingerboard radius 12" or 14", headstock same as a Cort, maybe one of the very first of that brand, but again, nothing written; and it's very good ! vibrates in your hands when unplugged almost like an acoustic, incredible. Bought 15 years ago at a flea market for 80 euros. Incredible, as good as much more expensive guitars ! Cheers from France.
I picked up my squier strat for 25 new tuners tremlo and block used mim pickups only into it for 120 while my setup is far from perfect its playable only used what tools i had Still thinking about buying some of the actual tools and work on redoing the setup As is it still sounds better then i can currently play
Dude, thank you again for another great video! Hey, I'm all for these budget guitar videos because I've learned a TON from them. I also specifically love the Glarry videos for the respect and honesty you provide the brand. I'm sure they're cool with it too!
I bought the yellow, (which is more like butterscotch) thin-line and replaced the neck with a squire tele maple neck.. Lined up the heel with the bottom side neck pocket and shimmed the top to center it correctly. I had to Dremel a minor amount out of the corners of the neck pocket to match the heel, then filled the neck holes in and drilled to match the bolt on neck plate. I replaced the bridge pickup with a hot dual rail humbucker,(didn’t like the tone of the original). Looks beautiful and sounds even better. I’m relatively new to your channel and enjoy your honesty in presentation. Thanks dude and be safe! Did I mention I put a set of 11 flat wound Chromes, what a nice mellowing tone.
Even with all the flaws, that's still a ridiculously low price for a guitar. Hey, Phil! We gave you a little shout-out in our latest studio tour video. Hope you enjoy it!
Just ordered that exact model on the 31st. I have been watching you for some time while I work and contemplated tinkering. Hearing you are from Tucson was neat as well. I have a few nice guitars but want something I am not afraid to get my hands dirty with. Keep up with the great content! If you are ever back down in Tucson I would love some feedback.
Just wanted to know, how did the Glarry turn out? Mine required major surgery, and some new parts, but mine looks and sounds a whole lot better than more expensive makes.
@@jameshatch5722 I think it turned out beautifully. Routed and conductive painted the internal cavity. Had to level and roll the fret board then installed SS frets. Ratio locking tuners and a Graphtech nut allowed me to ditch a string tree. Ended up with GFS for a GF'Tron 3 saddle bridge with a GF'Tron neck pickup as well. Changed out electronics and output jack with kwik plugs from guitar fetish. The only thing left is a custom pickguard. I love the wide unfinished neck though! Fits my hands like it was made for them. After all that it is still (almost) my cheapest guitar and it is the one I love to play the most!
I buy cheap new guitars to improve my luthier skills instead of learning on my higher end guitars and like I noticed a couple others here , I enjoy giving a decent guitar to a kid that wants to play but can't afford one 🎸🤟🍻
Wonderful kind & humane thing to do Joe, way to go mate, kudos to you! Easybeat & later producer hitmaker & recording genius (of Vanda & Young, house of hits, Ted Albert's Studio Sydney in the '70's) - a dutch immigrant to Australia, Harry Vanda knew a kid who could play sh*thot guitar but didn't have a decent instrument, so he gifted one of his many guitars, a '63 Gretsch Jet Firebird to this prodigy - Malcolm Young. You never know what may become of philanthropic gifts practical & tangible like this u give too Joe, good onya mate! Heartwarming stuff!
For conversation purposes only, the supposed fret filers are made for cleaning gas welding tips, tiny “blobs” of metal flare up in the cutting or welding process and partially clog the copper tip. The ridges are rolled rather than cut, so when using on a nut you are wearing rather than cutting material. Little known fact about lesser known subjects. Junk store needle files better for nuts
I think your point of, "sure it cost $300 but you also have some tools to show for it," is valid for most of your audience that like DIY or have multiple guitars that need to be maintained over the years. But I really like that you added a sum total for the person who thinks they might be interested in learning to play guitar and might not be sure that they even want the tools if guitar playing is something they don't stick with. Or someone looking to buy a guitar for a new beginner (like a son or daughter) that doesn't have the time or skills to do the setup themselves. Thank you!
Thanks Phil! You are a source of great information! I have one that you may have missed. Giannini strat or tele style. Can usually get a new one on Reverb for about the same price (sub $200) BUT... the NECK is very good right out of the box, the body is solid and all you need to do is update the harness, and if you like the pegs & pickups. I was so impressed with my tele style Giannini that I bought a strat-style G-100 - JUST FOR THE NECK. (it went on a custom-made body). However, I threw another neck on this G strat body and fashioned a EVH Frankenstrat "tribute" out of it. Now I have two really good guitars!
If you're a lefty like me, then you buy whatever ax is available and make it work. You get real good at turning trash in to treasure. Every guitar I've ever bought, new or used, name brand or department store, needed a professional setup. I assume any guitar i buy will need that and add the cost to my purchase budget.
This was really insightful, thank you Philip! Unfortunately, there are too many reviews out there that simply make it seem like guitars at this price point will require no work whatsoever and will rival some custom shop builds :-) With that said, these are really interesting to me because I would like to learn some of these repairs/setup tasks and for this price, it seems like a great option.
In the dry climate that we have during winter, it seems like it is hard to find new guitars that does not have fret sprout after a while. Even my USA made G&L guitars experienced it. I do'n know if I would dare to buy let's say a more expensive guitar e.g. a new Fender / Gibson Custom Shop guitar. Don't want to start filing fret ends on such...
amazing what you can get for your cash these days. The only guitar or bass I have that did not need work when new was a 1992 made in Japan Squier stratocaster. Great out of the box, the dealer did not need to touch it. Still using it today, rarely needs any tweeking, although may need refretting soon
Thanks for the video. This is perfect. You described almost all of the issues with my Glarry Strat. I think that about 75% of my frets had "sprouted" and had to to tapped down. You are right - don't buy these unless you are willing to do the work. I also had to realign the neck. I did replace the nut. I think that the Glarry nut was simply garbage - set up WAY too high is is cheap soft plastic. However, I am more than satisfied with my purchase, but I am also better at working on stuff like this than I am playing guitar.
Your shop looks great! I got my son’s $99 Epiphone to play pretty well. Saving up for a set of nut files and fret tools. Thanks for showing a little work and skill pays off.
Just this past couple weeks I've come to the conclusion that I think I'm done with cheap guitars. Like sub $300 guitars. Guitars that cheap just don't stay in my possession. I have a Harley Benton JA-60 with upgraded Hipshot locking tuners, Graphtech string trees, a GFS bridge, and I had a full set up done on it, and although I like it, it's probably getting sold this year. It doesn't play as well as I want it to, it's one dimensional, and I probably put the full cost of the guitar into just upgrades and the set up. I'm a recording guy so I like a wide variety of sounds, but I also don't like having guitars just sit on the rack collecting dust. I do like playing it though and it turns out I like Jazzmaster style guitars. So yeah cheap guitars are fun but I can't justify buying them anymore. I want guitars that I'm going to keep.
I too have sworn off sub $600 guitars. The main reason being - i like to sell off most of my guitars eventually, and the cheap ones are just impossible to get your money back out of.
@Peter Piper Honestly there's a lot to like about it. It looks awesome, especially the finish on the back of the neck. It's a great stain colour they chose. And the neck pickup is fat as fuck. But yeah there's just inherent quality differences between this and even something like the Schecter Omen 6 I have which is just a few hundred dollars more. So you know, maybe it would save me money in the long run to just spend a little more up front and get something that I'll want to keep.
@@mojo-hand4539 Mine are pretty much unsellable sometimes. Like my Schecter has the finish all stripped off, different pickups and electronics, probably gonna get a new paint job and locking tuners. Like there's no way something like that would sell for more than $150 Canadian. So I've just accepted that it's mine forever. XD
I got 2 of these.... First had 2 busted springs on saddles and half of saddle height adjust screws were loose causing vibrations / buzz. Also had body damage. Complained, sent me another one more body damage. My plan was to remove half the frets like Music Is Win's half-fretless PRS.
Mine came in a raw state too. I did a number of the things you did too Phil, but I had to raise the saddles considerably and set the intonation. The nut was set too high and I had to chip out the slot a bit. After putting on D'Addario 10s and tweaking everything a bit the guitar sounds great and plays great too. It has taken just a few hours but I got something nice now. I got the SS version and I think the pickups are decent. They don't have the ice pick sound you get on cheap guitars. Surprisingly the neck pick up sounds as warm as the humbucker, but not muddy.
You should do a follow up on the breaking even point. If this Glarry needs ~$125 in work, would it be better to invest in a $250 guitar? Is a mid tier Squire actually a better investment at that point?
I paid 300 bucks for my first squire stratocaster in 1988, which i still own by the way, and i can't believe how good and cheap you can get guitars for now days. If this existed back in 88, i would have probably bought one. :)
I bought a new 335 gibson few years ago, and it had endless defects and problems, so i got rid of it. You can have expensive issues with brand guitars too
I think knowing what makes a guitar good is the trick, I picked a Tokai Les Paul up just after Christmas, nut needed some work, tuners could do with being replaced, but tonally as good as any Gibson, input jack needs rewired, beautiful black beauty, can't wait for Lockdown to be over to really crank it live.
Thank u for all your videos. Over the years i have purchased guitars & basses and many of them needed some type of work, for me that's normal. I guess Glarry is like a almost put together guitar kit.
8:18 Excellent question that we were all wondering. A follow-up is: if one spent $X on Glarry + setup, is it comparable to a used guitar that costs $X ?
I like my Glarry Strat. I did do some work to it, yes. I have most of the tools necessary because the closest place to have any work done is about a 45 minute drive, so it was overall easier for me to learn and invest and do it all myself for all my guitars. Unless it's a total fret level... I ain't touching that one, lol. I'll drive and pay in that case, and thankfully that's a rare last resort for the most part if you maintain things well.
Ima tinkerer and the appeal of the cheap guitars served me well for a while. I learned the basics all the while having a go at several different types of guitars that I never could have with a standard guitar. For instance I learned about a Tele on a Harley Benton TE-20 then bought a Fender and so on. I had a Glarry bass as well and couldn't get rid of that fast enough. Now I am unloading my budget guitars and won't buy like an HB again. They are great for what they are but no matter what you do to one it will not play as well as the real deal and I had versions of cheap guitars and their above 1k big brothers.
Great video! Just posted this under another video, but seems appropriate to post it here. It’s about my experience with a Harley Benton (fusion model) It’s great for a $400 guitar. But still is a $400 guitar. You get what you pay for. The specs are great, but your money is spread veeeeery thin. I kept mine because I love the neck, specs and the weight of it (and looks). Almost sent it back because of QC issues. Biggest was a ‘big’ gap between de neck and the body and the neck was on crooked (to be fair, high end Fenders also can have that last problem in my experience). Anyway, fixed the neck pocket, changed out all the electronics, put some Duncans in there, dressed the frets, filed the nut and now it is REALLY good and I love it. I’m writing this just to be honest and share my experience. In the end I have an amazing guitar that I genuinely love, but BOY it took some work... Fortunately I like working and tinkering with my guitars, but as Phil says, if you don’t: then something like this is not for you!
Good vid Phil, that's exactly what I've experienced with budget imports,as well, and my upgrade usually costs about the same or a little more, because I take the maganetic strips off the pickups and put good alnico magnets, and of course rewax em. I also put better pots and an orange drop in, plus upgrade the wiring, that chi-com copper breaks from use pretty quickly. I know that's a lot of up grade, but good or bad guitars seem to last FOREVER, so they might as well be playable
The wood grain on that one looks nicely matched, but I wouldn't press my luck with the natural finish personally. I like the orange, wish they had a peach or shell pink.
Great video. I would not use the 30 degree fret end file block and instead I would dress the fret ends without putting bevel on them as to preserve as much fret material at the end as possible. I would also roll off the edges of the fretboard and it's best done with frets removed but I've done it with the frets still on and using a fine file. That makes a huge difference in the feel of the neck and it feels great. Most of the cheap guitars will require some woodworking, that's a given. Even more expensive ones won't escape this reality. It's best if you invest in good tools and learn to do the job yourself and you'll be rewarded with making the guitar the best it can be. Then you won't be afraid to buy any guitar out there because you can make any guitar great.
I spent $330 with shipping and got a Harley Benton CST-24T. I had to adjust the bridge, truss rod, put on my preferred string gauge (Elixir .009-.042 Optiwebs, I prefer the nanoweb, but that's what they had), gave the neck a little lemon oil, added a bit of nut sauce, and it's good to go. Stays in tune beautifully, plays like a dream, and sounds ridiculous. Plus, no fret work was needed I can understand as a beginner not wanting to spend a bundle for a decent guitar to learn on, hell, my first guitar was free from a friend of mine who decided he didn't want to play. For a little more, though, you get something that still isn't what I'd call "expensive", and I certainly wouldn't mind gigging with this one and using my Ibanez as a backup. In fact, as soon as it's safe, I plan to do exactly that!
If anyone is thinking about one of these but doesn’t want to do all that work, check out the Indio by Monoprice Retro DLX Plus Solid Ash Tele, I had one and sold it but they are fantastic! None of this work needs to be done! The set up was great, very playable right out of the box. Pickups sounded good for ceramics. The neck was so nice to play! I only sold it because I had too many guitars and needed to sell a few to finance a partscaster build, (I had it for about 4 months, but played it daily, I still miss that nice satin neck). Now I have never played a glarry but the Indio Retro DLX Plus Ash currently retails for $199. Even at $199 it was well worth it and would have been a hell of a modding platform (which was my intention) but I impulsively bought a killer MJT body to build my partscaster with and so like I said had to sell off a few axes to pay for the MJT build.
Found your channel, and got the bug to work on guitars. Ordered a SG kit, bought some used Fishman classics all based on your videos. Ordered tools to set it up, your channel if a lot of fun. 10 Dollar Holla.
I got a Glarry tele recently, and the bridge pickup was very noisy and microphonic (seems to be a common problem), so I bought a new pickup to replace it. Turns out that the rout wasn't big enough for the new pickup, so had to rout it out further (just using a drill because the basswood isn't very dense). Although it was a good learning experience, turned out to be a lot more effort than expected. I'd also strongly recommend getting replacement bridge saddles, because I found the standard ones made it almost unplayable when bending strings. Overall, spent £80 on the guitar, plus another £30-40 on upgrades. I'd recommend spending that money on a Squier bullet instead - similar price all in and playable out the box
I was looking for a cheap Tele style guitar and almost bought one of the Glarry's. In the end I went for one of the Donner's and I am glad I did. Most of the fixable issues you mentioned were addressed out of the box. The neck on mine was straight, the tuners pegs were tightened down, the nut was well cut/slotted. The best part was the frets were relatively smooth and I had no fret sprout. The action was a bit high for my taste, but certainly playable for a beginner. I ended also up buying their HSS Strat , and thin line semi hallow Tele and both were on par setup wise. I would love to see your reaction/review of one of the Donner guitars. I don't see how they make money on these cheap guitars, but I'll take it.
Funny thing. I got one of these and I just love it so much I bought a second one specifically for the neck. It's going on a Fender body body because (it's) neck sucks.
A lot of us got into modding guitar’s the last few years,we don’t need to go into the reason why,but now thirty guitar’s later a ton of experience working on guitar’s,just being able to make the ones play better, that I had before this buying spree, including all the tools,was worth the whole journey,all I knew how to do was raise and lower the bridge,even though I played for years,never thought about action,intonation,but now that I think back, I played some horrible guitar’s,even gigged in a band,so before going out and buying a guitar,just learn how to play one first,then just go buy a good one,nobody will no the difference except you, but it may take you years to find out,if you have any talent it’s going to shine,on a guitar that’s set up properly,but if your a beginner,stay away from the cheap stuff.
Cheap Ibanez, Jackson and LTD models are very suitable for live shows and rehearsals were you don't have to worry about any damage. If the fretboard is ok, the new pickups and some locking tuners will really upgrade the instrument.
I really appreciate this video and the other ones you put out. I picked up an identical guitar from a November Pre-Black Friday sale from Walmart for $86. I figured I could not go too far wrong and could use it as a vehicle to learn about setting it up etc.. I did need to adjust the truss rod. I also swapped out the tuners for a set of $25 locking tuners from Guitar Fetish. I found that the bridge was cheap (of course) and adding to a tinny sound and was causing part of the high action. I swapped that out for a better Wilkinson version from Amazon with the traditional 3 saddles each - a big improvement. There was fret sprout and I have gotten 90+% of that resolved by using sand paper (per another guy's video) to correct that. I have a file, but ruined a neck on another guitar years back, so I am hesitant to use it too much. The strings are .009's and make up a little for the action even after the adjustments. So all in my cost was about $135 for a very nice looking and decent playing and sounding thin-line model, which I did not have prior.
I think that beginners are best to pay a bit more and buy a well setup new or used guitar. These budget guitars are fine if you have the expertise to attend to the issues that they all seem to have, if you have to pay to have them made playable, then they are just not a bargain for new players. From my own experience of trying to learn on a very bad Squire Affinity Start, as soon as i took some lessons, my guitar tutor instantly pointed out that that Squire was not fit to learn on. I gave it away, and bought a Yamaha Pacifica 112V, what a difference a good guitar makes!
Yeah I suspected this for years in that you have to spend a minimum of $300 to avoid most of these problems, but i saw a few videos that seemed to show it s s decent. So I took a chance. I went to the guitar center they tried to address the dead frets but couldn't lower the action unless I spend $165. So that cost me $50 or more. I like the pickups and the color and the rest of the hardware of the body and I like the way it looks. All my other guitars in the past had terrible colors for the most part.
Absolutely a great video I loved it. I bought one of these it has not arrived yet and I like your honesty of what it needs to happened to get used to play nice. Exactly what I want to do is learn how to work on guitars so this would be a great stepping stone thank you so much for a great video again Phil.
I just got this same guitar (although in red), and I agree with you. For a new player or someone who needs it to be good to go straight out of the box, probably a bit of a letdown, but as a modding platform, it's a really cheap way to get a thinline style tele, and especially with the Keith Richards pickup configuration. I found the bridge pickup really harsh, so I replaced it with an Alnico V pickup. While I was at it, I threw in a Wilkinson 3 saddle bridge. I was super skeptical of the stock bridge. It was a couple hours worth of work, but it was enjoyable work. I have to admit I wish I got the natural color. My wife would kill me (and be right to) if I were to acquire another one!
I'm not a beginner, but not yet to what I would call "intermediate". I'm looking at one of these Glarry Thinlines or 335 style semi-hollows specifically so I can have a maintenance learning lab guitar. I already have a basic maintenance tool kit. If I completely wreck it, I'm only out 100 bucks or so. I can live with that.
interested in this one. Glarry's are great to learn how to work on guitars and do fret work, that's what is did. Love the fret board protector using the fret with a whammy bar tip on it.
Great point! 120$ guitar may need....nothing...if we do not play it!! Then here comes the pocket thinnering! On the other hand, we all know that somewhere out there we could find a yamaha pacifica pocket-money-cheap to start building!!
Either way you end up getting the work done. Learning how to do it & that really pays off going forward. As simple as the guitar looks it's a bunch of parts & concepts that work together hat one has to juggle and orchestrate to get where you put he GLarry. Add the $ 100 to a Squier/Affinity level guitars too is what I see with that level instrument just the same. The deal with the GLarry, you're probably getting one with relatively more microphonic pickup(s). Add the Squier guitars have better resale value. I went Monoprice, the video you did ranking brands, it didn't rank highly. Anyway, I ended up in a couple of their Retro Classic Telecasters for $75 each delivered. I had to get the Blonde & the 3TSB. And the Blonde was the slight edge for the 1st one as a Father's day sale, about 4 months later a sale, Halloween sale. I can't imagine after putting in a little effort for a set up, that Squier has an appreciably better guitar at least for a Bullet/Afiinity.
I think there is a line there. "Affordable" could be Glarry affordable or Harley Benton affordable. I have a Glarry strat. Unplayable out of the box. I have a couple HBs and they were not perfect (one was pretty close to perfect), but perfectly playable with no major defects. So, between a $60 Glarry or a $130 HB, I would go with the HB unless you are buying it specifically to practice working on your guitar (which is exactly what I was doing). I spent way more than the $60 purchase price on parts. That being said, HB has $80 strats also, and those are probably going to need significant work as well. Actually I would step up to one of their $150ish models. Still dirt cheap.
From Leo: You mention working with that guitar. Do you have a standard pattern Tele pick guard to lay on it and see if it is shaped the same? I have a Jay Turser that a Fender pickguard is either gaping at the neck end by a 1/2 inch or gaping at the control plate by 1/2 inch. Just enough I had to saw out a pick guard from scratch. WAY too much work for quick mods.
always getting a good laugh about the amount of fret sprout and dryness issues you have there. Here in balmy gulf coast i have never experienced noticeable sprout from a dry board or other dry wood related issues in 40 years lol. Just move here! its like Hawaii...without the clear water or palm trees...and everything smells like petrochemical plants 🤣
The Glarry bass necks are notably "tall", dunno about the guitars but my associates on TalkBass have to used flat-full pocket shims if they use aftermarket necks. YMMV Having said that, I think these instruments are phenomenal for learning how to do maintenance/modding.
Just goes to show that you can get an OK guitar for peanuts IF you can do some work on it yourself. Done this myself with a HB JA60 that I got for less than £100 B stock. Couple of hours work and some roller string trees and I’ve got a very nice guitar! Next possible option is to get a roller bridge and maybe some Irongear P90’s to replace the Roswell ones.
8:28 in that area you will be pushing up strings when playing. What I recommend to do, is to put the fret-level angled in alignment to where those strings will be pushed. You'll be very suprised when they start rocking heavy in certain places, even though straight across is fine. Getting low action WITH bends on a tele is almost impossible because the guartar is cursed or something. But what's good about that particular strat is it doesn't have THIN frets. Hollow-body tele's don't sound good at all in my opinion.
That is good information to know! Also, could you please make a shop video and talk about each tool and the layout you decided to make and why? I am a huge nerd about organization and I like the look of your shop! Thanks!
Drove 12 hours each way, VA to IN and back over Christmas. Your podcast made it easy. Thanks for the video.
Been there!! This is a great series and one of my favorites.
Out of TUNE!
Indiana for the win! Not a win in sports tho... we suck at sports
I listen while I work
Indiana, the state where I live. Presently the only good thing about Indiana is Sweetwater being about an hour & a half north of me.
I enjoy making inexpensive guitars playable, gigging them, then giving them away... the smile on young players faces with a playable guitar is priceless
That's awesome dude, keep doing that.
@@ZitherBeast jjnnjjbnnñnhjjjjji
@@michaeldefrancisco7442 Say Wha? JAJAJAJahahahahaHAHAHA
What a lovely thing to do.
U Saint
Thanks Phil, most of what "work" was needed, seems to be standard on most new guitars,(no matter WHAT the price)!
Absolutely.. I just got a brand new American pro 2 that needed a neck, pickup, and action adjustment, and tightening of everything out of the box. Fret work was spot on tho.. Just part of getting things off of the internet. Its taught me how to do my own setups over the years. Its an amazing guitar post setup.
Agreed, my MIM Strat came with sprouted frets right out of the box.
Haven't addressed it yet as I'm building my skills.
I got stuck in London-away from home, flight cancelled, full lockdown had no instrument so I ordered a couple Glarry instruments to keep practicing.
I got P style bass which plays a lot better than I could ever expect with minimal work. The acoustic guitar needed quite some work but I really enjoyed refreshing my luthier knowledge and thanks to you and your amazing videos my lockdown became a lot more interested.
One of your best and like always honest videos. I bought the same Glarry guitar in yellow and had the exact same issues. Paid $95 US free shipping. I have all the tools and experience to fix the issues. Lots of fun working on it. I did upgrade the bridge pup though. It sounds very good even unplugged. I'd recommend it to anyone that wants do some minor work on it or look learn how to with a small investment in tools. You'll get a lot of satisfaction doing your own work. Thanks for the video
I just ordered an identical guitar with gig bag, a 20W amp and free shipping for $95 USD. I have all the skills and the tools to do the things you needed to do, and I have no intention or putting two $150 pickups in it. ;-) For someone like me, this was a perfect introduction to this guitar. Extremely pragmatic and none of the BS hype that we see on some sites. That's getting tiresome elsewhere. Thanks for the video! I think I'll have fun tinkering with this one and will have it playing nicely in about 90 minutes.
I think that the skills of setting up your own guitar in this 'buy to try age' is invaluable. Guitars showing up in the mail are only mildly set up, especially when you like a floyd rose or equivilant. (At least there isnt a nut to screw with...) Plus you can dial it in as you really like it. Party on!!
Kudos for showing the actual cost of a cheap guitar including the work it takes to make a guitar really playable. Of course, any investment in a guitar like this is not recoverable. A Glarry will never appreciate in value. I advise my friends to take the cost of a new cheap guitar plus luthier fees and try to find a used guitar of a known brand for the same price. I found a carved top mahogany set neck Ibanez ART90 for $115 out the door at a local pawn shop. No fret wear - needed nothing. Sold new only for 2 years (2012-2013). I think the original price was between $300 - $400. I saw the same guitar on local CL for similar price. So there are bargains out there locally if you're willing to look. Thanks for your videos, Phillip. By the way, those cheap nut "files" are really welding tip cleaners and have no "teeth". You can pick them up at auto parts store but don't waste your money. It would take you weeks to cut a new nut with them.
John Ulrich. Nice score on the Ibanez. Once in awhile you can find a good deal on used guitars, and some prices are stupid high. I bought 5 used guitars in the past 5 years. 2 needed a little work, all are excellent. Ironically all are discontinued models and are worth more than they cost me.
The trick is getting a good one. I bought all the tools and fix up cheap guitars, but I've never gotten one that was dialed in very well.
"try to find a used guitar of a known brand " I agree, and that price of $115 or about £120-150 will get you a good second hand guitar in England.
Much of this work is also needed on guitars 500 dollars-plus
Facts I have a terdichion it needed fret work and and setup the guitar was 6 or 7 hundred new but its worth it
Very very true
@Chris Etzel the shop should have guaranteed the guitar (at that price) was not delivered in that condition to your hands!
@@bgw316 so not true.
$5000+!
Best breakdown on this brand on RUclips.
A fender/squire neck will fit perfect with slight modification. The butt of the neck pocket for the glarry body is straight. Fender has a curve. You have to route a very slight curve in it. Then fill and redrill the bolt holes.
I just purchased a Fender Squier Bullet and it needs all this and more. I do love it though!
I did the same thing w a Firefly LP. I learned how to do all of those things without worry of butchering a nice guitar. Thanks for the tip! Love your channel sir
I'm a beginner at guitar, and this model was my first guitar.
Thank you for making this video, it helped me look for problems that I now can address where I would not have known about that before 👍🏻
Phil thank you. This is a good video. I have some cheap tool from harbor freight and I find what you say is very helpful. It is really cool to work on my own guitar especially since it is a cheap guitar and a good place to develop my skill set. I have purchased more expensive guitars and had fret sprout and fret wear problems as well. Here I feel I can do most of the work especially with your excellent videos and those as others. I have decided to buy mostly fenders because of the resale value, but you did a very good job and I have decided not to further look at expensive guitar gibby, PRS, Taylor, Collins, etc. I am satified with playing whit moderate priced guitars until I get to Carnegie Hall than I will pull out y Dove and LP custom. Thanks man for the very good video work.
We call those '90%' guitars. When they made them they were 90% done. The last 10%, usually all the 'hand' work, or 'skilled setup' work is left. As Phil said, it all depends on where, how and who does the work for price. I really like 'Agile' guitars for 90%-ers. The LP types are a really good value. Tone Pros and Grover hardware! I usually replace the wiring, pots, switches and pups, and do the last 10%. (Usually with StewMac stuff). Then donate them to disabled vets. I can do that for ~$600 all in, w/case, for a great LP type guitar. 8) JMHO --gary
I've never regretted spending money on good tools. And my $1k Korean made Gretsch needed work as delivered (though it was 5 yr NOS when I bought it).
Ordered one here in the UK 24th Dec. Turned up on the 28th. Perfectly set up and intonated out of the box. Only issue is the string spacing between the high E and B. Fret ends were smooth, I polished the frets and oiled the board,fitted bone nut, Strung it with Ernie 09s. Got some locking tuners I'll fit soon. I've been playing it a lot. Amazingly, it's only £75 here. Massive bargain. I had to pay more than 25% more than the US price for my Mex Tele.
Thanks PM.
That's how I learned to work on guitars. But back in the 80s there weren't the selections of new,cheap guitars there are today. I bought a used Hondo Les Paul copy & worked on it . As time went on I finally bought a 2002 Les Paul standard(new). Since then I've ground to sawdust other cheap guitars, but my LP standard is still going strong. Cheap guitars are awesome. Mod them,paint them & play them,have a blast. Then by the time you've decided that you want to play for the rest of your life, (like I did)then maybe buy a high quality guitar. But most of all,have fun!!!
I am a flute player and need a complete set up once a year for my instrument for $180, professional player need that twice a year and I have found a flute on Amazon for $80 which I am buying it for the sole porpouse to destroy it in order to learn and save on routine service.
BEST $80 you'll EVER spend!
Worth every penny
Thanks much, Phil, for doing this. I bought a Harley-Benton TE-20 and a Squier Affinity, both Tele-style, and did the same mods on both. Cost more than the Glarry because I put Seymour Duncan stacked single-coils in both, but I wanted to see how they'd turn out. I did none of the work myself - I trust my guitar tech - and am quite pleased with the result. Selling the H-B because it's a pound heavier than the Affinity, and I prefer light guitars (I'm an old guy with a bad back), but they play, sound, and look great. Now I'm going to be in the market for a Glarry to do something similar to.
I had a HB TE 20 sound great gave it to a fella who’s house burnt down and got an HB TE 70 rosewood beautiful put some Wiggins pups looks and sounds great
I just received my Glarry S type today. No sharp fret ends, no dead spots, neck dead straight. I tuned stretched strings, played it ( the intonation is very close, I haven't yet used my digital tuner to check it) tuned it again and have let it set for a while, the neck is still straight. It stays in tune after using the whammy bar. The only problem was a very small amount of roughness on the back of the neck. I buffed it with a stiff cloth (muslin/canvas). Now it is great, very slick. I did lower the action some, it could still go down a little more, but I like it. I'm very happy I decided to get one. I've been a Epiphone/Gibson double humbucker guy. Actually, I'm a bass player and have been practicing and working on my 6 string technique. First time I've experienced 60 cycle hum without any ground loop issue.
Comprehensive video - honest appraisal of the guitar and the work needed to make it playable. Keep up the good work, Phil!
Bought the same model featured in the video. The whole ashtray was off by 1/4 to the treble side, making the E string unplayable above the seventh fret. I recut the pup caviity, got rid of that stupid gap between the ashtray and pick guard, ( got a different pick guard also, new bone nut, " waffle iron tuners, American Standard string trees, and re shaped the head stock. I didn't have to mess with the frets, but yes to the steel wool on the neck. I love that guitar now!! I also own a Epi LP Special, with a Maestro tremolo with a roller bridge. I love both of them!!
Like a few that have commented below... I have done adjustments on some of my (if not all) of the guitars in my collection. From vintage Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones and especially to the parts castors!
I bought one (the Red one)... I love it! I bought some Fender locking tuners and have spare stock Fender and Gibson pickups, pots, switches etc. No real problems with mine except, as with MOST guitars... it'll need a setup, but that's easy if you have the tools and know what you're doing. As with most of these type of Guitars... great looking and a great Modifying platform.
Good post, Phillip. Thanks for sharing the steps for setup. My white Squire @ $199 delivered didn't need the time to setup. w/Fender .10's the tone and action is fine. & with no pitch bend on the first fret.
I got an Affinity Tele, and it sounds pretty good! Needed a small tweak of the rod..frets were all nice and smooth..Alohas
I have an old 80's 22 frets strat copy, nothing written anywhere, even inside ! (even no serial numbers on any part) The neck is not maple, it's darker with lines in it, rosewood fingerboard radius 12" or 14", headstock same as a Cort, maybe one of the very first of that brand, but again, nothing written; and it's very good ! vibrates in your hands when unplugged almost like an acoustic, incredible. Bought 15 years ago at a flea market for 80 euros. Incredible, as good as much more expensive guitars ! Cheers from France.
I love inexpensive guitars, so many models to choose from, colors, and you can make them your own with a few upgrades
I picked up my squier strat for 25 new tuners tremlo and block used mim pickups only into it for 120 while my setup is far from perfect its playable only used what tools i had
Still thinking about buying some of the actual tools and work on redoing the setup
As is it still sounds better then i can currently play
Dude, thank you again for another great video! Hey, I'm all for these budget guitar videos because I've learned a TON from them. I also specifically love the Glarry videos for the respect and honesty you provide the brand. I'm sure they're cool with it too!
I bought the yellow, (which is more like butterscotch) thin-line and replaced the neck with a squire tele maple neck.. Lined up the heel with the bottom side neck pocket and shimmed the top to center it correctly. I had to Dremel a minor amount out of the corners of the neck pocket to match the heel, then filled the neck holes in and drilled to match the bolt on neck plate. I replaced the bridge pickup with a hot dual rail humbucker,(didn’t like the tone of the original). Looks beautiful and sounds even better. I’m relatively new to your channel and enjoy your honesty in presentation. Thanks dude and be safe! Did I mention I put a set of 11 flat wound Chromes, what a nice mellowing tone.
Even with all the flaws, that's still a ridiculously low price for a guitar. Hey, Phil! We gave you a little shout-out in our latest studio tour video. Hope you enjoy it!
Great video, I'm thinking of a thinline project next myself.
Just ordered that exact model on the 31st. I have been watching you for some time while I work and contemplated tinkering. Hearing you are from Tucson was neat as well. I have a few nice guitars but want something I am not afraid to get my hands dirty with. Keep up with the great content! If you are ever back down in Tucson I would love some feedback.
Just wanted to know, how did the Glarry turn out? Mine required major surgery, and some new parts, but mine looks and sounds a whole lot better than more expensive makes.
@@jameshatch5722 I think it turned out beautifully. Routed and conductive painted the internal cavity. Had to level and roll the fret board then installed SS frets. Ratio locking tuners and a Graphtech nut allowed me to ditch a string tree. Ended up with GFS for a GF'Tron 3 saddle bridge with a GF'Tron neck pickup as well. Changed out electronics and output jack with kwik plugs from guitar fetish. The only thing left is a custom pickguard. I love the wide unfinished neck though! Fits my hands like it was made for them. After all that it is still (almost) my cheapest guitar and it is the one I love to play the most!
@@johndrake1100 just taking a break from playing mine.. They are a blast ain't they,? Really light, and I don't mind " heavy " guitars. Enjoy,🤠
I buy cheap new guitars to improve my luthier skills instead of learning on my higher end guitars and like I noticed a couple others here , I enjoy giving a decent guitar to a kid that wants to play but can't afford one 🎸🤟🍻
Wonderful kind & humane thing to do Joe, way to go mate, kudos to you! Easybeat & later producer hitmaker & recording genius (of Vanda & Young, house of hits, Ted Albert's Studio Sydney in the '70's) - a dutch immigrant to Australia, Harry Vanda knew a kid who could play sh*thot guitar but didn't have a decent instrument, so he gifted one of his many guitars, a '63 Gretsch Jet Firebird to this prodigy - Malcolm Young.
You never know what may become of philanthropic gifts practical & tangible like this u give too Joe, good onya mate! Heartwarming stuff!
That’s awesome man!! 🤘
Thanks for taping down the frets instead of going straight to leveling/filing frets. 👍
Impressive at that price, and benefited by your talents.
For conversation purposes only, the supposed fret filers are made for cleaning gas welding tips, tiny “blobs” of metal flare up in the cutting or welding process and partially clog the copper tip. The ridges are rolled rather than cut, so when using on a nut you are wearing rather than cutting material. Little known fact about lesser known subjects. Junk store needle files better for nuts
I think your point of, "sure it cost $300 but you also have some tools to show for it," is valid for most of your audience that like DIY or have multiple guitars that need to be maintained over the years.
But I really like that you added a sum total for the person who thinks they might be interested in learning to play guitar and might not be sure that they even want the tools if guitar playing is something they don't stick with. Or someone looking to buy a guitar for a new beginner (like a son or daughter) that doesn't have the time or skills to do the setup themselves. Thank you!
Thanks Phil! You are a source of great information!
I have one that you may have missed. Giannini strat or tele style. Can usually get a new one on Reverb for about the same price (sub $200) BUT...
the NECK is very good right out of the box, the body is solid and all you need to do is update the harness, and if you like the pegs & pickups.
I was so impressed with my tele style Giannini that I bought a strat-style G-100 - JUST FOR THE NECK. (it went on a custom-made body).
However, I threw another neck on this G strat body and fashioned a EVH Frankenstrat "tribute" out of it. Now I have two really good guitars!
If you're a lefty like me, then you buy whatever ax is available and make it work. You get real good at turning trash in to treasure.
Every guitar I've ever bought, new or used, name brand or department store, needed a professional setup. I assume any guitar i buy will need that and add the cost to my purchase budget.
This was really insightful, thank you Philip! Unfortunately, there are too many reviews out there that simply make it seem like guitars at this price point will require no work whatsoever and will rival some custom shop builds :-)
With that said, these are really interesting to me because I would like to learn some of these repairs/setup tasks and for this price, it seems like a great option.
In the dry climate that we have during winter, it seems like it is hard to find new guitars that does not have fret sprout after a while. Even my USA made G&L guitars experienced it. I do'n know if I would dare to buy let's say a more expensive guitar e.g. a new Fender / Gibson Custom Shop guitar. Don't want to start filing fret ends on such...
amazing what you can get for your cash these days. The only guitar or bass I have that did not need work when new was a 1992 made in Japan Squier stratocaster. Great out of the box, the dealer did not need to touch it. Still using it today, rarely needs any tweeking, although may need refretting soon
Thanks for the video. This is perfect. You described almost all of the issues with my Glarry Strat. I think that about 75% of my frets had "sprouted" and had to to tapped down. You are right - don't buy these unless you are willing to do the work. I also had to realign the neck. I did replace the nut. I think that the Glarry nut was simply garbage - set up WAY too high is is cheap soft plastic. However, I am more than satisfied with my purchase, but I am also better at working on stuff like this than I am playing guitar.
Your shop looks great!
I got my son’s $99 Epiphone to play pretty well. Saving up for a set of nut files and fret tools.
Thanks for showing a little work and skill pays off.
Just this past couple weeks I've come to the conclusion that I think I'm done with cheap guitars. Like sub $300 guitars. Guitars that cheap just don't stay in my possession. I have a Harley Benton JA-60 with upgraded Hipshot locking tuners, Graphtech string trees, a GFS bridge, and I had a full set up done on it, and although I like it, it's probably getting sold this year. It doesn't play as well as I want it to, it's one dimensional, and I probably put the full cost of the guitar into just upgrades and the set up. I'm a recording guy so I like a wide variety of sounds, but I also don't like having guitars just sit on the rack collecting dust. I do like playing it though and it turns out I like Jazzmaster style guitars. So yeah cheap guitars are fun but I can't justify buying them anymore. I want guitars that I'm going to keep.
I too have sworn off sub $600 guitars. The main reason being - i like to sell off most of my guitars eventually, and the cheap ones are just impossible to get your money back out of.
@Peter Piper Honestly there's a lot to like about it. It looks awesome, especially the finish on the back of the neck. It's a great stain colour they chose. And the neck pickup is fat as fuck. But yeah there's just inherent quality differences between this and even something like the Schecter Omen 6 I have which is just a few hundred dollars more. So you know, maybe it would save me money in the long run to just spend a little more up front and get something that I'll want to keep.
@@mojo-hand4539 Mine are pretty much unsellable sometimes. Like my Schecter has the finish all stripped off, different pickups and electronics, probably gonna get a new paint job and locking tuners. Like there's no way something like that would sell for more than $150 Canadian. So I've just accepted that it's mine forever. XD
I buy everything last month a glarry thinline and today my Gibson LP Studio arrived from sweetwater
I got 2 of these.... First had 2 busted springs on saddles and half of saddle height adjust screws were loose causing vibrations / buzz. Also had body damage.
Complained, sent me another one more body damage.
My plan was to remove half the frets like Music Is Win's half-fretless PRS.
Mine came in a raw state too. I did a number of the things you did too Phil, but I had to raise the saddles considerably and set the intonation. The nut was set too high and I had to chip out the slot a bit. After putting on D'Addario 10s and tweaking everything a bit the guitar sounds great and plays great too. It has taken just a few hours but I got something nice now. I got the SS version and I think the pickups are decent. They don't have the ice pick sound you get on cheap guitars. Surprisingly the neck pick up sounds as warm as the humbucker, but not muddy.
You should do a follow up on the breaking even point. If this Glarry needs ~$125 in work, would it be better to invest in a $250 guitar? Is a mid tier Squire actually a better investment at that point?
I paid 300 bucks for my first squire stratocaster in 1988, which i still own by the way, and i can't believe how good and cheap you can get guitars for now days. If this existed back in 88, i would have probably bought one. :)
Is your squier made in japan, or korea? I have a 97 and 96 squier strats made in korea. I love them. Japanese squiers are known for their quality
$300 in 1988 is worth $640 today factoring inflation.
Korea I believe, its held up pretty well over the years.
I bought a new 335 gibson few years ago, and it had endless defects and problems, so i got rid of it. You can have expensive issues with brand guitars too
I think knowing what makes a guitar good is the trick, I picked a Tokai Les Paul up just after Christmas, nut needed some work, tuners could do with being replaced, but tonally as good as any Gibson, input jack needs rewired, beautiful black beauty, can't wait for Lockdown to be over to really crank it live.
Thank u for all your videos. Over the years i have purchased guitars & basses and many of them needed some type of work, for me that's normal. I guess Glarry is like a almost put together guitar kit.
i just ordered a solid body Glarry Tele style guitar before I get a more expensive Fender Tele. Can't wait to play it, I'm so excited lol
8:18 Excellent question that we were all wondering. A follow-up is: if one spent $X on Glarry + setup, is it comparable to a used guitar that costs $X ?
I like my Glarry Strat. I did do some work to it, yes. I have most of the tools necessary because the closest place to have any work done is about a 45 minute drive, so it was overall easier for me to learn and invest and do it all myself for all my guitars. Unless it's a total fret level... I ain't touching that one, lol. I'll drive and pay in that case, and thankfully that's a rare last resort for the most part if you maintain things well.
Ima tinkerer and the appeal of the cheap guitars served me well for a while. I learned the basics all the while having a go at several different types of guitars that I never could have with a standard guitar. For instance I learned about a Tele on a Harley Benton TE-20 then bought a Fender and so on. I had a Glarry bass as well and couldn't get rid of that fast enough. Now I am unloading my budget guitars and won't buy like an HB again. They are great for what they are but no matter what you do to one it will not play as well as the real deal and I had versions of cheap guitars and their above 1k big brothers.
Great video! Just posted this under another video, but seems appropriate to post it here. It’s about my experience with a Harley Benton (fusion model)
It’s great for a $400 guitar. But still is a $400 guitar. You get what you pay for. The specs are great, but your money is spread veeeeery thin. I kept mine because I love the neck, specs and the weight of it (and looks). Almost sent it back because of QC issues. Biggest was a ‘big’ gap between de neck and the body and the neck was on crooked (to be fair, high end Fenders also can have that last problem in my experience). Anyway, fixed the neck pocket, changed out all the electronics, put some Duncans in there, dressed the frets, filed the nut and now it is REALLY good and I love it.
I’m writing this just to be honest and share my experience. In the end I have an amazing guitar that I genuinely love, but BOY it took some work... Fortunately I like working and tinkering with my guitars, but as Phil says, if you don’t: then something like this is not for you!
I got a deal a while back, i got 2 g&l's a cream tele and Candy apple red strat for 500 , the only thing wrong was a little fret sprout
Good vid Phil, that's exactly what I've experienced with budget imports,as well, and my upgrade usually costs about the same or a little more, because I take the maganetic strips off the pickups and put good alnico magnets, and of course rewax em. I also put better pots and an orange drop in, plus upgrade the wiring, that chi-com copper breaks from use pretty quickly.
I know that's a lot of up grade, but good or bad guitars seem to last FOREVER, so they might as well be playable
The wood grain on that one looks nicely matched, but I wouldn't press my luck with the natural finish personally. I like the orange, wish they had a peach or shell pink.
Great video. I would not use the 30 degree fret end file block and instead I would dress the fret ends without putting bevel on them as to preserve as much fret material at the end as possible. I would also roll off the edges of the fretboard and it's best done with frets removed but I've done it with the frets still on and using a fine file. That makes a huge difference in the feel of the neck and it feels great. Most of the cheap guitars will require some woodworking, that's a given. Even more expensive ones won't escape this reality. It's best if you invest in good tools and learn to do the job yourself and you'll be rewarded with making the guitar the best it can be. Then you won't be afraid to buy any guitar out there because you can make any guitar great.
I spent $330 with shipping and got a Harley Benton CST-24T. I had to adjust the bridge, truss rod, put on my preferred string gauge (Elixir .009-.042 Optiwebs, I prefer the nanoweb, but that's what they had), gave the neck a little lemon oil, added a bit of nut sauce, and it's good to go. Stays in tune beautifully, plays like a dream, and sounds ridiculous. Plus, no fret work was needed I can understand as a beginner not wanting to spend a bundle for a decent guitar to learn on, hell, my first guitar was free from a friend of mine who decided he didn't want to play. For a little more, though, you get something that still isn't what I'd call "expensive", and I certainly wouldn't mind gigging with this one and using my Ibanez as a backup. In fact, as soon as it's safe, I plan to do exactly that!
We can't put a price on the satisfaction and pride we feel when the job is complete and correct. Great video Sir.
If anyone is thinking about one of these but doesn’t want to do all that work, check out the Indio by Monoprice Retro DLX Plus Solid Ash Tele, I had one and sold it but they are fantastic! None of this work needs to be done! The set up was great, very playable right out of the box. Pickups sounded good for ceramics. The neck was so nice to play! I only sold it because I had too many guitars and needed to sell a few to finance a partscaster build, (I had it for about 4 months, but played it daily, I still miss that nice satin neck). Now I have never played a glarry but the Indio Retro DLX Plus Ash currently retails for $199. Even at $199 it was well worth it and would have been a hell of a modding platform (which was my intention) but I impulsively bought a killer MJT body to build my partscaster with and so like I said had to sell off a few axes to pay for the MJT build.
Found your channel, and got the bug to work on guitars. Ordered a SG kit, bought some used Fishman classics all based on your videos. Ordered tools to set it up, your channel if a lot of fun. 10 Dollar Holla.
Excellent breakdown of the difference 👌
I got a Glarry tele recently, and the bridge pickup was very noisy and microphonic (seems to be a common problem), so I bought a new pickup to replace it. Turns out that the rout wasn't big enough for the new pickup, so had to rout it out further (just using a drill because the basswood isn't very dense). Although it was a good learning experience, turned out to be a lot more effort than expected.
I'd also strongly recommend getting replacement bridge saddles, because I found the standard ones made it almost unplayable when bending strings.
Overall, spent £80 on the guitar, plus another £30-40 on upgrades. I'd recommend spending that money on a Squier bullet instead - similar price all in and playable out the box
I was looking for a cheap Tele style guitar and almost bought one of the Glarry's. In the end I went for one of the Donner's and I am glad I did. Most of the fixable issues you mentioned were addressed out of the box. The neck on mine was straight, the tuners pegs were tightened down, the nut was well cut/slotted. The best part was the frets were relatively smooth and I had no fret sprout. The action was a bit high for my taste, but certainly playable for a beginner. I ended also up buying their HSS Strat , and thin line semi hallow Tele and both were on par setup wise. I would love to see your reaction/review of one of the Donner guitars. I don't see how they make money on these cheap guitars, but I'll take it.
Funny thing. I got one of these and I just love it so much I bought a second one specifically for the neck. It's going on a Fender body body because (it's) neck sucks.
I noticed a pile of String Joy boxes. I use them and I’m very happy with them.
Good question by the Patrons. Thanks for going over the price of fixing this.
Those would make great out reach Missionary guitars..
A lot of us got into modding guitar’s the last few years,we don’t need to go into the reason why,but now thirty guitar’s later a ton of experience working on guitar’s,just being able to make the ones play better, that I had before this buying spree, including all the tools,was worth the whole journey,all I knew how to do was raise and lower the bridge,even though I played for years,never thought about action,intonation,but now that I think back, I played some horrible guitar’s,even gigged in a band,so before going out and buying a guitar,just learn how to play one first,then just go buy a good one,nobody will no the difference except you, but it may take you years to find out,if you have any talent it’s going to shine,on a guitar that’s set up properly,but if your a beginner,stay away from the cheap stuff.
Cheap Ibanez, Jackson and LTD models are very suitable for live shows and rehearsals were you don't have to worry about any damage. If the fretboard is ok, the new pickups and some locking tuners will really upgrade the instrument.
I really appreciate this video and the other ones you put out. I picked up an identical guitar from a November Pre-Black Friday sale from Walmart for $86. I figured I could not go too far wrong and could use it as a vehicle to learn about setting it up etc.. I did need to adjust the truss rod. I also swapped out the tuners for a set of $25 locking tuners from Guitar Fetish. I found that the bridge was cheap (of course) and adding to a tinny sound and was causing part of the high action. I swapped that out for a better Wilkinson version from Amazon with the traditional 3 saddles each - a big improvement. There was fret sprout and I have gotten 90+% of that resolved by using sand paper (per another guy's video) to correct that. I have a file, but ruined a neck on another guitar years back, so I am hesitant to use it too much. The strings are .009's and make up a little for the action even after the adjustments. So all in my cost was about $135 for a very nice looking and decent playing and sounding thin-line model, which I did not have prior.
Honest review. This is exactly what I would expect if I bought a glary.
I think that beginners are best to pay a bit more and buy a well setup new or used guitar.
These budget guitars are fine if you have the expertise to attend to the issues that they all seem to have, if you have to pay to have them made playable, then they are just not a bargain for new players.
From my own experience of trying to learn on a very bad Squire Affinity Start, as soon as i took some lessons, my guitar tutor instantly pointed out that that Squire was not fit to learn on.
I gave it away, and bought a Yamaha Pacifica 112V, what a difference a good guitar makes!
Yeah I suspected this for years in that you have to spend a minimum of $300 to avoid most of these problems, but i saw a few videos that seemed to show it s s decent. So I took a chance. I went to the guitar center they tried to address the dead frets but couldn't lower the action unless I spend $165. So that cost me $50 or more. I like the pickups and the color and the rest of the hardware of the body and I like the way it looks. All my other guitars in the past had terrible colors for the most part.
Your new studio/workshop is fantastic Phil! Great upgrade to the channel!
Damn! That's a nice looking guitar Phillip. I'm not buying one myself, but I think that if one was truly on a limited budget, that's the way to go.
Absolutely a great video I loved it. I bought one of these it has not arrived yet and I like your honesty of what it needs to happened to get used to play nice. Exactly what I want to do is learn how to work on guitars so this would be a great stepping stone thank you so much for a great video again Phil.
I just got this same guitar (although in red), and I agree with you. For a new player or someone who needs it to be good to go straight out of the box, probably a bit of a letdown, but as a modding platform, it's a really cheap way to get a thinline style tele, and especially with the Keith Richards pickup configuration. I found the bridge pickup really harsh, so I replaced it with an Alnico V pickup. While I was at it, I threw in a Wilkinson 3 saddle bridge. I was super skeptical of the stock bridge. It was a couple hours worth of work, but it was enjoyable work. I have to admit I wish I got the natural color. My wife would kill me (and be right to) if I were to acquire another one!
I'm not a beginner, but not yet to what I would call "intermediate". I'm looking at one of these Glarry Thinlines or 335 style semi-hollows specifically so I can have a maintenance learning lab guitar. I already have a basic maintenance tool kit. If I completely wreck it, I'm only out 100 bucks or so. I can live with that.
interested in this one. Glarry's are great to learn how to work on guitars and do fret work, that's what is did. Love the fret board protector using the fret with a whammy bar tip on it.
Great point! 120$ guitar may need....nothing...if we do not play it!! Then here comes the pocket thinnering! On the other hand, we all know that somewhere out there we could find a yamaha pacifica pocket-money-cheap to start building!!
Either way you end up getting the work done. Learning how to do it & that really pays off going forward. As simple as the guitar looks it's a bunch of parts & concepts that work together hat one has to juggle and orchestrate to get where you put he GLarry. Add the $ 100 to a Squier/Affinity level guitars too is what I see with that level instrument just the same. The deal with the GLarry, you're probably getting one with relatively more microphonic pickup(s). Add the Squier guitars have better resale value.
I went Monoprice, the video you did ranking brands, it didn't rank highly. Anyway, I ended up in a couple of their Retro Classic Telecasters for $75 each delivered. I had to get the Blonde & the 3TSB. And the Blonde was the slight edge for the 1st one as a Father's day sale, about 4 months later a sale, Halloween sale. I can't imagine after putting in a little effort for a set up, that Squier has an appreciably better guitar at least for a Bullet/Afiinity.
I think there is a line there. "Affordable" could be Glarry affordable or Harley Benton affordable. I have a Glarry strat. Unplayable out of the box. I have a couple HBs and they were not perfect (one was pretty close to perfect), but perfectly playable with no major defects. So, between a $60 Glarry or a $130 HB, I would go with the HB unless you are buying it specifically to practice working on your guitar (which is exactly what I was doing). I spent way more than the $60 purchase price on parts. That being said, HB has $80 strats also, and those are probably going to need significant work as well. Actually I would step up to one of their $150ish models. Still dirt cheap.
From Leo: You mention working with that guitar. Do you have a standard pattern Tele pick guard to lay on it and see if it is shaped the same? I have a Jay Turser that a Fender pickguard is either gaping at the neck end by a 1/2 inch or gaping at the control plate by 1/2 inch. Just enough I had to saw out a pick guard from scratch. WAY too much work for quick mods.
Phil you're the best the shred god
If you look at the G&L Bluesboy, it has the same gap between the bridge and pickguard.
Good point
always getting a good laugh about the amount of fret sprout and dryness issues you have there. Here in balmy gulf coast i have never experienced noticeable sprout from a dry board or other dry wood related issues in 40 years lol. Just move here! its like Hawaii...without the clear water or palm trees...and everything smells like petrochemical plants 🤣
The Glarry bass necks are notably "tall", dunno about the guitars but my associates on TalkBass have to used flat-full pocket shims if they use aftermarket necks. YMMV
Having said that, I think these instruments are phenomenal for learning how to do maintenance/modding.
Just goes to show that you can get an OK guitar for peanuts IF you can do some work on it yourself. Done this myself with a HB JA60 that I got for less than £100 B stock. Couple of hours work and some roller string trees and I’ve got a very nice guitar!
Next possible option is to get a roller bridge and maybe some Irongear P90’s to replace the Roswell ones.
8:28 in that area you will be pushing up strings when playing. What I recommend to do, is to put the fret-level angled in alignment to where those strings will be pushed. You'll be very suprised when they start rocking heavy in certain places, even though straight across is fine. Getting low action WITH bends on a tele is almost impossible because the guartar is cursed or something. But what's good about that particular strat is it doesn't have THIN frets. Hollow-body tele's don't sound good at all in my opinion.
That is good information to know! Also, could you please make a shop video and talk about each tool and the layout you decided to make and why? I am a huge nerd about organization and I like the look of your shop! Thanks!
Can you do a video comparing Suhr versus PRS in the $3k price range?
I like your videos because you've got something for everyone. I've learned a lot from your videos. Thank you.