Dagan speaks the truth. He may not be in a famous rock band but to me he is a rock star. He has got my trust. Something I dont say often. Awesome video.
I've gotten to a point where like maybe four things really matter: 1. Do I like the neck profile? 2. Do I like the position of the bridge? (in other words it's not too far to the left when I hold the guitar) 3. Does the finish and overall build feel cheap? 4. Do I think the guitar *looks* cool for what I want to use it for? Newer Epiphones, higher end Squires, and brands like Schecter, LTD, etc, basically meet all these criteria for me. As long as you stick with established name brands, it's hard to get an instrument with really severe problems like neck warping today. Hardware and electronics can always be swapped out if something doesn't quite meet my standards (for example I'll probably swap out the tuners and bridge on my CV Tele soon). Everything else like the name on the headstock, whether it has a poly or nitro finish (as long as the poly isn't caked on like some older Epiphones), hell even things I used to think were really important like neck construction don't really factor into my decision making anymore. Sure, a Gibson, American Fender or Schecter, or ESP will always have that extra little bit of "wow" factor that can be cool, but at that point it's a question of whether or not you're prepared to spend 3-8x the amount of money to get it.
I show almost exclusively shop with Sweetwater and usually buy the middle-of-the-road style guitars. Made outside the USA in a factory-type stuff. Range from $500-1000. I have sweetwater PLEK the guitar and professionally set it up with specific parameters and every single one of my guitars (Epiphones, SE PRS, etc.) plays 10x better than a made in the USA guitar off the wall and only costs an extra $150 or so. Set up is definitely the most important factor as long as you're not dealing with extremely poor quality materials/electronics.
I would quite happily swap my Fender USA made Tele for a couple more "affordable" branded guitars. It just doesn't really have the mojo, it's ok, but nothing special. These days your Squires, Epiphones, G&Ls are bloody fantastic quality & value. Having spent a bit of time in California, the high probability is that your Corona USA Strat or Tele is made by a Mexican anyway.
I recently saw a review where the guy got two epiphones one was a les. paul the other was an SG for under £1,000 they sounded fantastic albeit they were plugged into a god fender amp.
I will tell you that I bought a West plywood body Maple neck back in the eighties. I was 20 years old and lost track of it. But that was the best feeling guitar I've ever played. Play what feels good! And never get rid of your guitars keep them all!
Awesome stuff man and yet more musical things added to my G.A.S. List! Ive got quite a few guitars, as well as Basses n amps. My faves are a chapman ml1 i bought second hand. The previous owner had replaced the pickups with the Het set. The tones are just beautiful. I’ve recently picked up, at a cash converter, a beautiful squeir strat in mint green for under a hundred quid n playing that the tones, the feel etc are just sublime. Particularly, playing on the Hendrix pack for the Spark 40. Back when started to play guitar I bought a satellite singlecut and I don’t need to get into its “quality”! Thanks for the entertaining video dude!
I'm a geezer, played the 'guitar lottery' for over 40yrs and been lucky. Owned expensive name instruments and down-budget pretenders... But I can do woodworking/finishing, tinker well mechanically, and solder. Have recently scored well with a couple Epiphones and a Squier that for little cash and with a little work on my part, mostly in my easy chair with a drink, now rival or surpass new or valuable old Gibsons and Fenders, and they're MINE and have a piece of my soul. To Dagan's point, THIS IS WHAT YOU PAY OTHERS TO DO on expensive and custom guitars and I wouldn't do it free for anyone else either. So why should Gibson and Fender, right? But, Epis and Squiers etc. make price-point guitars today that indeed shame such from my early days. I wish we had what you can get for 2-300 $ or quid now. Enough, cheers!
Wouldn't the best one be if you made it yourself, because you could take as much time as needed to get it just right? I mean make the body and neck, and buy the pickups, controls, keys and fret wire. You can actually buy Les Paul kits for a few hundred, just assemble and put the finish on yourself, nice flamed tops and everything. Buying them pre-made is paying a lot for assembly and finish application.
Hi Dagan, great vid! My question is - pardon my ignorance - can a cheaper guitar be set up as easiliy and accurately as one of the more expensive ranges, so that it will be just as easy to play??...putting aside the difference in personal 'feel'. Cheers!
Yes. The only set-up innovation (and this can be found on $200 guitars) is the wheel truss adjustment at the base of the neck, which makes for easier adjustment than conventional. But since you rarely need to adjust it, doesn't make much difference.
It's still shit. Incorrect pickups installed, inoperable electronics, tool marks on fretboard and binding. They're about the worst out of the major manufacturers.
Dagan, you seem like a nice guy. But Gibson Quality Control is STILL CRAP (and you know it's still crap). Problem is, it will stay crap until Gibson fanboy's start sending back their new guitars that have nut problems and tool marks on the fretboard etc. My last Gibson Les Paul standard had a problem with the nut (which I fixed rather than send it back). It also had few other minor problems which I also fixed. I hear you fanboys saying, "Don't be so picky, it was nothing you couldn't fix ya self". If you are paying £2200 to £2400, YOU should not have to do QC for Gibson, it's THEIR job. Now if you are paying £300 to £500 OK.
When choosing a guitar the main thing really is just to make sure you are comfortable playing it. If you like its neck shape and it has the right hardware for the genre you play (thinking humbuckers for metal, single coil for funk, etc) you are good to go. You can always switch pickups for better ones if you don't like their sound, and remember that a good amp sounds great with any guitar that has some decent pickups
Ergonomically, I also find that where the bridge falls relative to where the guitar sits on my leg also matters to me. I don't like the way Strats and SGs feel because the bridge is slightly too far to the left and where my hand naturally wants to strum is right on top of the bridge. Whereas the bridge on LPs, Teles, Jazzmasters, and some other models seems slightly further to the right. Could just be a me thing but worth considering!
These days there are so many options to choose from in the semi-affordable range of guitars ($500 -$700 ish) that are quality in build, playability, and tone. 25 or so years ago this wasn't quite the case. Budget friendly guitars have come a long way in the last few decades. Even the cheap starter guitars have. Epiphone, Squier, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Jackson to name a few all have great guitars in or around the $500 price point. None of which I would be ashamed to gig with (if I were still able to gig) no matter how large or intimate the venue. These days, I happen to be a huge fan of Gretsch guitars. Even their lowest budget ones are built well, look beautiful, and have tone for days. 🤘🎶🤘
@@jasoncurry207 Exactly! I understand the allure of higher end axes but personally I'd rather have two or three great ones out of the midrange price over say a custom shop etc. More variety that way and loads of tone.
Bought a Harley Benton SC for just under 350..i was blown away stainless steel frets and looks amazing...atraight out of the box all I did was tune it ..it was setup perfect..played amazing..i changed the tuners to locking..bridge to tone pros locking..pots to CTS..orange caps.switch craft switch n Jack...and a 59/ custom pup in the bridge..all mods were around $300...now it plays superbly ..sounds fckn amazing..and I play the crap out of it..i have $600 epiphones with pup and bridge changes putting them in the $800 or more range.ibanez..even an ESP kamakazi with some mods...but I mostly play the HB for the price and sound I'm not AFFRAID to wear it the FCK out...lol
@@pablo9364 No kidding. The only thing I've found that I would swap possibly (although I always run my volume and tone fully open) would be the pots for smoother roll off. It seems to be a common issue unless you're breaking the bank and shooting for the professional models. However, if changing the pots is the only real mod needed to make the most noticeable difference between the more affordable option and the higher end option and it still keeps you hundreds of dollars below professional level cost...just saying. Sorry, I know I rant. Music and art are my life source. I get carried away far too easily especially when discussing the former.
Friendly reminder guitar friends its about the person not the gear example Stevie ray Vaughan once played a squier and made the same sounds he did like on a Fender 😎🤠🎸🎸🎸
@@Dram1984 The more distortion that they use, the more difficult it is to hear the difference between a 300 dollar guitar and a 3000 dollar guitar. The player will likely be able to discern a difference in feel, which can inspire a better performance. Edit: hey, the guitar is probably not the source here, it sounds more like a problem with the mic audio chain. Impedance mismatch? Bad shielding? Maybe there was an unterminated input being mixed into the audio.
Pushing the Tonewood nonsense with electric guitars again. The pickups are magnetic and they only pick up the string disturbing the magnetic field. They don't pick up the wood. Unless your pickups are not POTTED, you don't hear the wood. And, once you plug in an electric guitar with normally potted pickups, Tonewood disappears. Music hucksters never cease. There's always a financial advantage to fostering ignorance. So, when someone tells you about Tonewood, see if they're making MONEY off of it.
Only sustain can change with the wood & that comes way down the list of all the other variables & should not even be considered. He also mistakenly mentioned that set necks have better sustain & through necks are better still. When actually measured bolt on necks sustain the best, followed by set necks with through necks last. All about what contacts the strings, namely the frets, the nut & the bridge, The bridge on most electrics are held by a few screws or 2 posts & that is where they are anchored. The body is just a base for the anchor & it is the mass of the bridge that will effect the sustain. Tone is affected by the pickups, the sustain is essentially just affected by the string vibration, the vibration is affected by the pickup magnets & the 2 end points of the string.
I noticed that only guitar store channels and sponsored channels (cough-MIW-cough-PRS) push the Tonewood myth with electric guitars. It's all about the Payola - even if they have to lie through their teeth, and sell their integrity, to get it.
It's been proven so many times & luthiers who make the guitars say that tone woods for solid body guitars & yes even semi hollow body guitars are not a thing. Yes they are still tone woods, but once they are constructed for a solid or semi solid guitar they no longer perform as tone woods. What does make difference regarding the type of wood is sustain, that has nothing to do with tone though. And as for set necks or through necks having more sustain then it is the complete opposite. Bolt on necks have been proved to have more sustain, followed by set necks & then the through necks. Even so it is not a big issue because it all comes down to what the strings actually touch namely the nut on open played strings, the frets when played fretted & the bridge. More mass in the bridge will make it sustain more, the material of the nut & the fret material all play a part. But as long as the guitar is constructed well it really comes down to the pickups. As for the type of finish on the guitar body then that is a typical case of people listening with their eyes, absolutely ridiculous to thing a solid body guitar will sound different depending on what finish is on the body or neck.
I don't think most modern players care about tone wood and all that jazz (myself included). We just want something that is comfortable and stays in tune. I think your pick attack and general technique along with your amp is 95 percent of your sound. The sad part is most people choose to be forum idiots who only care about the last 5 percent lol.
I’d say it all comes down to a cross section of an (more or less) objective value and a subjective worth. The make up of a guitar has a certain cost, but there are factors that are worth more to some players and less to others. The prestige of a custom shop guitar may rank higher on one person’s list, even if it sacrifices playability, while another person may think the playability of their Squier classic vibe trumps any certificate that would come with a US Fender. Every player looks for the unicorn that perfectly fits that cross section of value and worth.
SRV played a Pau Ferro fretboard which is a South American tonewood with a smooth feel and sonic characteristics similar to rosewood, but lighter in color and harder. Indian Laurel (also lighter in color than rosewood) is a Asian species of tree and NOT what SRV used. Still a great video and review anyway!!!
In Brazil has this wood, pau ferro, very used by Tagima guitars in Brazil series on fingerboards. There are some amazing woods like Freijó, Brazilian Cedar, Imbuia, Marupá(a soft wood), Cerejeira(Umburana) for bodies; Garapeira, Imbuia, Maracatiara, Muirapiranga, Brazilian Maple for necks.
Goldilocks zone for a guitar is 400-700 GBP. Any more and you're paying a lot for only slight noticeable improvements. Think a high end Epiphone or a Mexican Fender.
I have 16 "cheap" guitars (11 epiphones) and one very expensive gibson sg standard. And i have to say: i love all of them. My favorite ones are my epiphone sg g400 and my epiphone zakk wylde les paul. I love the gibson sg, but its not worth the money.
I think you see big quality improvements up to around a $1000usd. After that quality imprímenos get more and more expensive, after about $2000usd you’re mostly not paying for quality anymore.
I agree with the first part of your comment - the law of diminishing returns. It’s applies to pretty much everything on sale, not just guitars. The last part I don’t agree with. There’s a substantial quality difference in my opinion between a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard and an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, but almost as big a difference between a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard and a Gibson Custom Shop Historic/Reissue.
@@davidburke2132 Real question: What would be the quality differences between, let's say a $2700 Gibson LP Standard and the $850 Epiphone '59 LP Standard Inspired By Gibson? Not the electronics, that's for sure, as the Epi uses Gibson's BurstBuckers, CTS pots, and Switchcraft toggle and jack. Maybe the finishing (veneer vs solid maple top)? But that won't affect the playability, performance and sound. Or is it the setup?
@@elzafir I’ve never played one of those specific Epiphones. Sorry. I do recall one video on RUclips that ran through the differences between that guitar and a Gibson USA, and much of that video if I recall correctly focused on the still quite significant quality difference in the woods used.
I like guitars bout the £600 - £900 range. Alls I need is something resonant. Decent hardware and electronics. I don't need binding or flame maple tops. Worst case you end up with an ornament. For me I wanna belt out some tunes on a workhorse
Me too (actually £300-600), and at this price point you don't devalue your investment by modifying it. I paid £175 for a used Mexican Tele, and amongst its many mods I took a belt sander to it to contour the body. It'll only ever be worth anything if I become famous; which is unlikely!
@@ParaBellum2024 I never worry about resale value. I'm on a Austin powers kinda deal. As long as it has mojo. The main thing is picking up the damn guitar and not stressing out about dings. Also modding is sweet so more power to you. 👍
I've got a Squier Classic Vibe 60s strat and it plays like a dream. Better than my friend's Mexican Strat. It has the sweetest neck I've ever played on a guitar. I wouldn't swap it for anything. It doesn't have to be expensive to love it and it certainly doesn't make you play any better
Why do the big companies prefer to recreate what they did in the past. I'm an SG player and I love my inspired by gibson SG. But most of the shapes, les paul, strat, tele etc have been around forever. Even the coronet has made a return. Why don't they come up with something completely original more often.
Dagan, what is your opinion on richlite? You mentioned it briefly but didn't really give an opinion. My new SG has a richlite fingerboard and people online are shitting all over it because of the richlite
A truly great guitar is so much more then the sum of its parts or price one way or the other. And sorry LOTS of people on RUclips - you cant know it by being a specsheet expert. You have to get out and try them, lots of them.
The quality of budget guitars are so good these days that I would only buy a 'genuine' model ( like fender tele or Gibson Les Paul) as part of a collection. But to actually play, I'll buy a HB, Vintage or something of that ilk.
There's something called the law of diminishing returns. The difference between a $100 and $200 guitar is great. Difference between a 200 and 400$ guitar, pretty big. Difference between a 400 and 800 guitar, noticeable but not great. And as you keep doubling the price the difference keeps getting less. It's not like paying 10x the price gets you a 10x better sounding and easier playing guitar. Rather, if you compare the sound between a 500$ guitar and a 5000$ guitar side by side, unless you have money to burn, you'll probably wonder why you spent an extra 4500 on something that doesn't really sound or play that much better. Instead of it being 10x better it may be 10%, or maybe even less. And if you are a skilled player it will matter even less. And learning on shitty guitars can actually help you become a better player since they are harder to play.
What makes or breaks a gud/bad guitar is the distance between the bridge and the pickups. You get a slight shift in which higher harmonics are recorded by the p.u.'s and THAT is why the epi sounds different from a gibby (epi LP's have a a full to a half bridge width difference from the real deal) That is why an SG sounds different from a LP. You can check this out by comparing the 3-pickup SG's and LP's (no need to measure. you can eye-ball it.) The 3-pickup LP's have more space between the pickups (and this causes different spacing, which results in picking up different higher harmonics). It's not rocket science or toanwould mumbojumbo (tonewood is a GRADE of wood, and nothing else (says the 51 y.o. joiner/carpenter)) Swapping pickups in the same guitars is just a waste of money. If you want to change the basic toawn of a guitar, you need to move the pickups. Now, pickup your favorite guitar and play some noats, dumbasses...
I don't get the whole relic thing. I just bought my first used guitar a few weeks ago. A MIM 2003 Fender Strat in white like what Jimi played. That's the closest I'll ever get to relic. Btw, the 2003 Strat plays so well. So much so that I turned down buying the 2020 version at Sam Ash because it had buzzing in the low E and A strings when I went up the Fretboard. Guitar Center is right across the street and is where I bought my 2003.
I listen to a lot of heavy rock/metal and picked up a Jackson JS32 a few weeks back and love it so much, I just went out tonight to GC and got a Jackson JS22-7. My JS32 I immediately put new strings on it and tuned it for Drop C, and I’ve actually been *playing* guitar! I can’t wait to start banging along to some of my 7-string favorite songs
Right, how about this: take 10 different guitars from Les Paul to Steinberger and every shape in between, Strandberg, acrylic etc. and instal same pickups in. Never mind the hight and everything identical like the number of windings and what have you. Dont even put the same strings and frets and bridge and nut on. Just leave everything else as is but put same pickips in and do a blind test. How many would you have to guess in your estimation in order for that silly idea to be justified? 9? All 10? How many do you think you would be able to guess if the test was a hundred guitars? What about if someone elase is playing but you are guessing? You can start calling it 'feel wood' or 'resonates differently on my belly when I play it wood'.
I've got 5 electric guitars and my favourite is the . . . Squier Bullet Telecaster ! The only reason to buy any guitar is that it makes you want to pick it up and play it
Gibson guitars are a classic case of the law of diminishing returns. You are paying primarily for the brand history and American wages and environmental legislation. A Japanese tokai LP for example is just as good for two thirds of the price. The guitarists ability is the main factor, a good one will sound good using a Squire a bad one will sound shite playing an original 58 LP. Worth noting that the general rule (but not always the case) is that attention to detail is what you should expect to find the more money you spend.
SO I was an advocate for buying mid range guitars and upgrading basically everything - custom wiring, better caps, electronics, hardware, pickups the lot. Logically I couldn't think that tonally there could be a big difference between expensive vs mid range......I mean it's the same wiring, same pickups, same electronics how big of a difference can there be right, if wood doesn't contribute to tone then they should sound the same more or less. The problem was I never bought and played an expensive guitar and boy was I wrong......my old guitar isn't even in the same universe as my new one, everything is better. Honestly I won't just talk BS I would have conceded if it was a rip off but..... playability is way better, ergonomics, resonance is out if this world......the dynamics super responsive and also super resonant and sustains when I play as soft as I physically can. The tone is warm, biggest difference for me is in the top end, high frequency response, warm, clear yet a smoothness that is difficult to explain. Hands down buy an expensive guitar, worth it. The two guitars that I compared are a heavily modded, and I mean edge rolled frets, oli neck, new everything, bass cut pot switch craft jack etc etc the freakin works......Ibanez RG2570Z Prestige vs Ibanez ATZ100-SBT......The ATZ100 worth every freakin penny......I would have paid double to be honest. Awesome experience.
Those old ones might have really really worn frets and boards. Wanna see a Gibson from 64(?) that was played??? Wood - back in the day, old growth was denser wood, think less "air space". Tones??? are you playing for the people that paid to attend, or trying hard to impress the "dog eared pros"? Most people would be clueless if it was a 130 USD or a $13,000 classic.
Made in Japan or Designed in Japan and built in Indonesia or Korea for me. Overpriced American made Fender and Gibson have had their day when they were the 'best' game in town because they were the the only game in town.
With CNC now the QC is then just down whatever the company will put into a product. I can understand wanting to buy a more expensive product if you get more of a guarantee it will be good. Also agree a more expensive product should have better features, with a guitar over a certain price point expectations are that it will sound good, not have even minor problems & will last. But once you get to a certain price point paying more than that is just paying for something that will not actually improve the sound or the actual product. And as for reselling a guitar, unless that guitar will go up in price, inflation will mean you will lose money. So even if a cheaper guitar you lose 50% of the price you paid, if you paid £200 & lose £100, you will lose more with an expensive guitar even if the % loss is far less. Same occurs with cars, most cars outside sought after ones lose money. Pay more for a car, you will lose more money even if the % loss is lower.
As guitarists we keep getting the elitist bullshit that American made Instuments are so much better than any other worldwide production locations....the finest electronic and electrical goods are all made in the far east as well as most high end sporting equipment. So why would anyone think that Guitar Plants in China/Tiawan/Korea wouldn't know how to assemble a decent instrument. It's the Hardware that's cheaper not the production methods. You ship all the components of a Gibson LP to China and get it assembled it will be a great instrument. The price would be $1000. Conversely, I dont think if you sent the cheap parts to Gibson USA for assembly....you'll get a ropey guitar at $1000. So stop listening to the bullshit marketing and do the math.
Dont believe the hype. Blackie was a parts mutt and it was used to create legendary music. Frankie was a parts mutt and used to make legendary music SRV number 1 was a parts mutt. You dont need a 4k dollar guitar or even a 1k dollar guitar to make great music. You need TALENT and that cant be purchased.
It's weird. Price is no guarantee you'll "bond" with the guitar. I love my Gibson, PRS, Hamers, but spend most of my time with a sub $200.00 Kramer and a mid priced Schecter.
VIDEO IDEA: it would be great if you make like the same video idea but with amps. PS: great info, even if you're not a beginner this still being so useful
I say stick with the guitars that your favorite player is playing. regardless of price. So with that being said, Gibson, Ibanez, Fender still rule the roost as far as I'm concerned 🤙🏾
Are you telling me that there are people that can tell what kind of wood a guitar is made of by just hearing the guitar? I would like to see that and see how many they get right...
If you're thinking about what guitar to buy then do yourself a favour and don't even think about what wood it's made of. The pickups are 90% of the tone, buy a cheaper guitar and put top tier pickups in it and it will sound better than a guitar double the price that has worse pickups but wood with a fancier name.
The main thing to remember is if you wore your watch on your strumming hand, whilst playing a guitar with the clasp scratching up the surface, whilst demo'ing it..that you should instantly lose your job as a Guitar demonstrator. Guitar is worth much more than the casio gshock mate. Learn to wear your watch on your left hand, I did this recently.. it will feel weird and unnatural at first (single faucet taps are a danger when you turn them on and clatter it on the under side of the faucet..and door frames need to be remastered) but hey it's worth it. I am assuming you are not demo'ing or advertising watches btw.
Greetings from the lovely State of Kentucky. You are awesome Dagan! We appreciate you keeping us informed about all the awesome new gear. Happy New Year to you brother!
Guitar makers have to find a way to make their cheap guitars play like shit so you will keep on spending more and more for their "good" ultra expensive guitars.
I love the debate on relic guitars. I love the way they look, I've never been lucky enough to play one but I'm sure they feel phenomenal. This will sound pretentious but vintage guitars and beat up ones have a story. I don't like the idea of paying such a large amout of money for a manufactured story on a guitar. That's why I'm sure one day mine will all be beat up to shit because I have no plans on selling them lmao
Name and country of origin aren’t as important as the neck if the neck feels good everything else is replaceable get a guitar with a good neck feel and everything will fall in place pickups hardware and tuners are easily replaced get a guitar that feels good
With Fender some of the parts come from the same place no matter what country builds them. The wood can vary. I feel if you create your sound with layered effects you have more options. As for myself, I play clean and only sometimes use an effect for color. How a guitar plays clean is most important to me.
Mine is about $250 dollars, and in the middle of the night it starts dancing, and sometimes screams at me. I slap it, give it a dog bisket, then it stands up and begs me to hold it, pet it and make it sing.
Why do you have to play distorted on every video you make? Most of us do know how a pedal works, but when we see guitar videos, we would like to know how it sounds clean
For perspective, cost of mfg labor in Korea is about half that in the US, and labor in Mexico or SE Asia can be 20% or less. It then may be a matter of quality control. Then you need to factor your conscience about the countries themselves and their treatment of laborers when considering the lowest prices. Agree with other post about price sweet spot and diminishing returns. And ditch the Pau Ferro please, it just looks cheap.
Thank you. It’s also a matter of companies deliberately withholding “good parts” etc… from their import brands to differentiate product lines. Fender won’t let Squire use the best woods, not because they can’t but because the don’t want Squire to canabalize their Fender sales.
@@vorpalblades Absolutely. It’s hard to avoid in some cases, particularly if there is no way of knowing or if just components are made in a problem country. Or if you just can’t afford anything else. But for major purchases where you do have opportunity to know and choose, you should make the ethical choice. BTW, I own several guitars made in SE Asia and Mexico, I just try to avoid a few specific countries with ethics issues.
i own a gibson and epiphone les paul and prefer the epiphone due to it being the guitar i have giged with and i learnt to play on plus im not afriad to mod an epiphone to hell and back
I have now accumulated 11 Guitars 2 amps, a keyboard and many many pedals, and i am not a great guitarist, i just love guitars, they are just so tactile Love your videos Dagan, i have been in your shop, great experience great staff and the stock was brilliant, when i move to the Toon this year, you will have a regular customer, keep up the great work, you inspire young musicians with your info, and your passion.
Please explain the difference between Fender guitars made by Mexicans in the USA versus Fender guitars made by Mexicans in Mexico. Not including custom shop guitars.
In my humble opinion a guitar can only get so good, and a dude with a 10,000 dollar guitar isn't necessarily better than a guy playing a Yamaha guitar from the pawn shop. That said I think squires are terrible guitars and you're better off spending alittle more for a significant change in quality. Never played a squire that held a tune or felt nice
I have expensive guitars and cheap ones and I can honestly say that one of the cheapest guitars I have (Vintage Thomas Blug) plays much better than a PRS core stays in tune all day long .I’m somewhat disappointed with the PRS in comparison to some other guitars in my collection .
Ha! Same. I have a Tagima Strat which is around $260 vs a US made Gibson Les Paul. I like em both but if I were to start all over again I would think twice.
Dagan speaks the truth. He may not be in a famous rock band but to me he is a rock star. He has got my trust. Something I dont say often. Awesome video.
He's an awesome player.
The best guitar ever is the one that makes you want to pick it up and play every time you look at it.
Absolutely
Yes indeed
Absolute facts
Bingo !! 💪😎👍
P.s. wtf is Paully finish ?? Thanks 🙏
…before you look at it. The one you’re itching to get back home to 40min into your workday 😂
I've gotten to a point where like maybe four things really matter:
1. Do I like the neck profile?
2. Do I like the position of the bridge? (in other words it's not too far to the left when I hold the guitar)
3. Does the finish and overall build feel cheap?
4. Do I think the guitar *looks* cool for what I want to use it for?
Newer Epiphones, higher end Squires, and brands like Schecter, LTD, etc, basically meet all these criteria for me. As long as you stick with established name brands, it's hard to get an instrument with really severe problems like neck warping today. Hardware and electronics can always be swapped out if something doesn't quite meet my standards (for example I'll probably swap out the tuners and bridge on my CV Tele soon). Everything else like the name on the headstock, whether it has a poly or nitro finish (as long as the poly isn't caked on like some older Epiphones), hell even things I used to think were really important like neck construction don't really factor into my decision making anymore. Sure, a Gibson, American Fender or Schecter, or ESP will always have that extra little bit of "wow" factor that can be cool, but at that point it's a question of whether or not you're prepared to spend 3-8x the amount of money to get it.
I show almost exclusively shop with Sweetwater and usually buy the middle-of-the-road style guitars. Made outside the USA in a factory-type stuff. Range from $500-1000. I have sweetwater PLEK the guitar and professionally set it up with specific parameters and every single one of my guitars (Epiphones, SE PRS, etc.) plays 10x better than a made in the USA guitar off the wall and only costs an extra $150 or so. Set up is definitely the most important factor as long as you're not dealing with extremely poor quality materials/electronics.
Stick to USA made guitars,
I would quite happily swap my Fender USA made Tele for a couple more "affordable" branded guitars. It just doesn't really have the mojo, it's ok, but nothing special. These days your Squires, Epiphones, G&Ls are bloody fantastic quality & value. Having spent a bit of time in California, the high probability is that your Corona USA Strat or Tele is made by a Mexican anyway.
I recently saw a review where the guy got two epiphones one was a les. paul the other was an SG for under £1,000 they sounded fantastic albeit they were plugged into a god fender amp.
I will tell you that I bought a West plywood body Maple neck back in the eighties. I was 20 years old and lost track of it. But that was the best feeling guitar I've ever played. Play what feels good! And never get rid of your guitars keep them all!
Awesome stuff man and yet more musical things added to my G.A.S. List! Ive got quite a few guitars, as well as Basses n amps. My faves are a chapman ml1 i bought second hand. The previous owner had replaced the pickups with the Het set. The tones are just beautiful. I’ve recently picked up, at a cash converter, a beautiful squeir strat in mint green for under a hundred quid n playing that the tones, the feel etc are just sublime. Particularly, playing on the Hendrix pack for the Spark 40. Back when started to play guitar I bought a satellite singlecut and I don’t need to get into its “quality”! Thanks for the entertaining video dude!
Seems like the fretboard would be a big difference. How low the frets are and how easily can slide.
Very well done as usual - thank you.
I'm a geezer, played the 'guitar lottery' for over 40yrs and been lucky. Owned expensive name instruments and down-budget pretenders... But I can do woodworking/finishing, tinker well mechanically, and solder. Have recently scored well with a couple Epiphones and a Squier that for little cash and with a little work on my part, mostly in my easy chair with a drink, now rival or surpass new or valuable old Gibsons and Fenders, and they're MINE and have a piece of my soul. To Dagan's point, THIS IS WHAT YOU PAY OTHERS TO DO on expensive and custom guitars and I wouldn't do it free for anyone else either. So why should Gibson and Fender, right? But, Epis and Squiers etc. make price-point guitars today that indeed shame such from my early days. I wish we had what you can get for 2-300 $ or quid now. Enough, cheers!
Wouldn't the best one be if you made it yourself, because you could take as much time as needed to get it just right? I mean make the body and neck, and buy the pickups, controls, keys and fret wire. You can actually buy Les Paul kits for a few hundred, just assemble and put the finish on yourself, nice flamed tops and everything. Buying them pre-made is paying a lot for assembly and finish application.
Outstanding!
Hi Dagan, great vid! My question is - pardon my ignorance - can a cheaper guitar be set up as easiliy and accurately as one of the more expensive ranges, so that it will be just as easy to play??...putting aside the difference in personal 'feel'. Cheers!
Yes. The only set-up innovation (and this can be found on $200 guitars) is the wheel truss adjustment at the base of the neck, which makes for easier adjustment than conventional. But since you rarely need to adjust it, doesn't make much difference.
@@Sankara561 Thank you, LM!
Gibson QG used to be bad, I recently got a new Les Paul ProV and it was perfect
It's still shit. Incorrect pickups installed, inoperable electronics, tool marks on fretboard and binding. They're about the worst out of the major manufacturers.
My £250 esp Ltd m400 played better then my now sold £1900 maybach lester . Absolutely loved the maybach,but I just couldn’t get on with it 😫
Cort.
As great as the Gibson is I think your paying ex amount purely because of the brand and likewise with the American strat.
Tonewood my ass
Dagan, you seem like a nice guy. But Gibson Quality Control is STILL CRAP (and you know it's still crap). Problem is, it will stay crap until Gibson fanboy's start sending back their new guitars that have nut problems and tool marks on the fretboard etc. My last Gibson Les Paul standard had a problem with the nut (which I fixed rather than send it back). It also had few other minor problems which I also fixed. I hear you fanboys saying, "Don't be so picky, it was nothing you couldn't fix ya self". If you are paying £2200 to £2400, YOU should not have to do QC for Gibson, it's THEIR job. Now if you are paying £300 to £500 OK.
talk too much
When choosing a guitar the main thing really is just to make sure you are comfortable playing it. If you like its neck shape and it has the right hardware for the genre you play (thinking humbuckers for metal, single coil for funk, etc) you are good to go. You can always switch pickups for better ones if you don't like their sound, and remember that a good amp sounds great with any guitar that has some decent pickups
Ergonomically, I also find that where the bridge falls relative to where the guitar sits on my leg also matters to me. I don't like the way Strats and SGs feel because the bridge is slightly too far to the left and where my hand naturally wants to strum is right on top of the bridge. Whereas the bridge on LPs, Teles, Jazzmasters, and some other models seems slightly further to the right. Could just be a me thing but worth considering!
I also thought that the main thing is, how much money you have in your wallet.
Truth! If i buy a cheaper guitar and don't like the pickups i'll just throw in some SD's and i'm good to go....
@@zackakai5173 I think string through guitars are the most comfortable 👌
Dont need humbuckers for metal though
The best guitars are the ones you want to play, no matter what they cost
What is always really impressive is seeing someone playing really really phenomenal on a budget guitar it always makes that guitar so much cooler
These days there are so many options to choose from in the semi-affordable range of guitars ($500 -$700 ish) that are quality in build, playability, and tone. 25 or so years ago this wasn't quite the case. Budget friendly guitars have come a long way in the last few decades. Even the cheap starter guitars have. Epiphone, Squier, Gretsch, Ibanez, and Jackson to name a few all have great guitars in or around the $500 price point.
None of which I would be ashamed to gig with (if I were still able to gig) no matter how large or intimate the venue.
These days, I happen to be a huge fan of Gretsch guitars. Even their lowest budget ones are built well, look beautiful, and have tone for days. 🤘🎶🤘
Several huge names do indeed tour with the brands you just listed
@@jasoncurry207 Exactly! I understand the allure of higher end axes but personally I'd rather have two or three great ones out of the midrange price over say a custom shop etc. More variety that way and loads of tone.
Bought a Harley Benton SC for just under 350..i was blown away stainless steel frets and looks amazing...atraight out of the box all I did was tune it ..it was setup perfect..played amazing..i changed the tuners to locking..bridge to tone pros locking..pots to CTS..orange caps.switch craft switch n Jack...and a 59/ custom pup in the bridge..all mods were around $300...now it plays superbly ..sounds fckn amazing..and I play the crap out of it..i have $600 epiphones with pup and bridge changes putting them in the $800 or more range.ibanez..even an ESP kamakazi with some mods...but I mostly play the HB for the price and sound I'm not AFFRAID to wear it the FCK out...lol
Yes Gretsch surprised me. Superb guitars
@@pablo9364 No kidding. The only thing I've found that I would swap possibly (although I always run my volume and tone fully open) would be the pots for smoother roll off. It seems to be a common issue unless you're breaking the bank and shooting for the professional models. However, if changing the pots is the only real mod needed to make the most noticeable difference between the more affordable option and the higher end option and it still keeps you hundreds of dollars below professional level cost...just saying. Sorry, I know I rant. Music and art are my life source. I get carried away far too easily especially when discussing the former.
Friendly reminder guitar friends its about the person not the gear example Stevie ray Vaughan once played a squier and made the same sounds he did like on a Fender 😎🤠🎸🎸🎸
This dude speaks the truth.
I’ve seen lots of great players gig with budget gear and they all sound the same as they do with high end gear.
@@Dram1984 The more distortion that they use, the more difficult it is to hear the difference between a 300 dollar guitar and a 3000 dollar guitar. The player will likely be able to discern a difference in feel, which can inspire a better performance. Edit: hey, the guitar is probably not the source here, it sounds more like a problem with the mic audio chain. Impedance mismatch? Bad shielding? Maybe there was an unterminated input being mixed into the audio.
Dagan always brings us quality content xD
Pushing the Tonewood nonsense with electric guitars again. The pickups are magnetic and they only pick up the string disturbing the magnetic field. They don't pick up the wood. Unless your pickups are not POTTED, you don't hear the wood. And, once you plug in an electric guitar with normally potted pickups, Tonewood disappears. Music hucksters never cease. There's always a financial advantage to fostering ignorance. So, when someone tells you about Tonewood, see if they're making MONEY off of it.
Only sustain can change with the wood & that comes way down the list of all the other variables & should not even be considered. He also mistakenly mentioned that set necks have better sustain & through necks are better still. When actually measured bolt on necks sustain the best, followed by set necks with through necks last. All about what contacts the strings, namely the frets, the nut & the bridge, The bridge on most electrics are held by a few screws or 2 posts & that is where they are anchored. The body is just a base for the anchor & it is the mass of the bridge that will effect the sustain. Tone is affected by the pickups, the sustain is essentially just affected by the string vibration, the vibration is affected by the pickup magnets & the 2 end points of the string.
Tone wood is a myth designed to sucker us into buying overpriced guitars
I noticed that only guitar store channels and sponsored channels (cough-MIW-cough-PRS) push the Tonewood myth with electric guitars. It's all about the Payola - even if they have to lie through their teeth, and sell their integrity, to get it.
Exactly. If you went out and bought the wood yourself . It’s not that expensive to buy at all.
It's been proven so many times & luthiers who make the guitars say that tone woods for solid body guitars & yes even semi hollow body guitars are not a thing. Yes they are still tone woods, but once they are constructed for a solid or semi solid guitar they no longer perform as tone woods. What does make difference regarding the type of wood is sustain, that has nothing to do with tone though. And as for set necks or through necks having more sustain then it is the complete opposite. Bolt on necks have been proved to have more sustain, followed by set necks & then the through necks. Even so it is not a big issue because it all comes down to what the strings actually touch namely the nut on open played strings, the frets when played fretted & the bridge. More mass in the bridge will make it sustain more, the material of the nut & the fret material all play a part. But as long as the guitar is constructed well it really comes down to the pickups. As for the type of finish on the guitar body then that is a typical case of people listening with their eyes, absolutely ridiculous to thing a solid body guitar will sound different depending on what finish is on the body or neck.
@@triax7006 agree. Of course Billy Corgan infamously said white guitars have better tone. lol
Nah, it's a way to sell cheap rainforest wood at premium prices. You are barking up the wrong tree.
I don't think most modern players care about tone wood and all that jazz (myself included). We just want something that is comfortable and stays in tune. I think your pick attack and general technique along with your amp is 95 percent of your sound. The sad part is most people choose to be forum idiots who only care about the last 5 percent lol.
I’d say it all comes down to a cross section of an (more or less) objective value and a subjective worth. The make up of a guitar has a certain cost, but there are factors that are worth more to some players and less to others. The prestige of a custom shop guitar may rank higher on one person’s list, even if it sacrifices playability, while another person may think the playability of their Squier classic vibe trumps any certificate that would come with a US Fender. Every player looks for the unicorn that perfectly fits that cross section of value and worth.
SRV played a Pau Ferro fretboard which is a South American tonewood with a smooth feel and sonic characteristics similar to rosewood, but lighter in color and harder. Indian Laurel (also lighter in color than rosewood) is a Asian species of tree and NOT what SRV used. Still a great video and review anyway!!!
In Brazil has this wood, pau ferro, very used by Tagima guitars in Brazil series on fingerboards. There are some amazing woods like Freijó, Brazilian Cedar, Imbuia, Marupá(a soft wood), Cerejeira(Umburana) for bodies; Garapeira, Imbuia, Maracatiara, Muirapiranga, Brazilian Maple for necks.
Goldilocks zone for a guitar is 400-700 GBP. Any more and you're paying a lot for only slight noticeable improvements. Think a high end Epiphone or a Mexican Fender.
yeah, the law of diminishing returns applies here.
Or a PRS SE.
I have 16 "cheap" guitars (11 epiphones) and one very expensive gibson sg standard. And i have to say: i love all of them. My favorite ones are my epiphone sg g400 and my epiphone zakk wylde les paul. I love the gibson sg, but its not worth the money.
i always say epiphony!
Relic guitars are ugly junk. They did not come by those scars honorably.It's a fad. I hope it ends soon
I own many guitars but my favourite to play is a Squier Affinity Strat that I modded. The neck is beautiful
I think you see big quality improvements up to around a $1000usd. After that quality imprímenos get more and more expensive, after about $2000usd you’re mostly not paying for quality anymore.
I agree with the first part of your comment - the law of diminishing returns. It’s applies to pretty much everything on sale, not just guitars.
The last part I don’t agree with. There’s a substantial quality difference in my opinion between a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard and an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, but almost as big a difference between a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard and a Gibson Custom Shop Historic/Reissue.
@@davidburke2132 Real question: What would be the quality differences between, let's say a $2700 Gibson LP Standard and the $850 Epiphone '59 LP Standard Inspired By Gibson? Not the electronics, that's for sure, as the Epi uses Gibson's BurstBuckers, CTS pots, and Switchcraft toggle and jack. Maybe the finishing (veneer vs solid maple top)? But that won't affect the playability, performance and sound. Or is it the setup?
@@elzafir I’ve never played one of those specific Epiphones. Sorry. I do recall one video on RUclips that ran through the differences between that guitar and a Gibson USA, and much of that video if I recall correctly focused on the still quite significant quality difference in the woods used.
I like guitars bout the £600 - £900 range. Alls I need is something resonant. Decent hardware and electronics. I don't need binding or flame maple tops. Worst case you end up with an ornament. For me I wanna belt out some tunes on a workhorse
Me too (actually £300-600), and at this price point you don't devalue your investment by modifying it. I paid £175 for a used Mexican Tele, and amongst its many mods I took a belt sander to it to contour the body. It'll only ever be worth anything if I become famous; which is unlikely!
@@ParaBellum2024 I never worry about resale value. I'm on a Austin powers kinda deal. As long as it has mojo. The main thing is picking up the damn guitar and not stressing out about dings. Also modding is sweet so more power to you. 👍
Yes £600-£900 for me includes the best guitars.
I've got a Squier Classic Vibe 60s strat and it plays like a dream. Better than my friend's Mexican Strat. It has the sweetest neck I've ever played on a guitar. I wouldn't swap it for anything. It doesn't have to be expensive to love it and it certainly doesn't make you play any better
Why do the big companies prefer to recreate what they did in the past. I'm an SG player and I love my inspired by gibson SG. But most of the shapes, les paul, strat, tele etc have been around forever. Even the coronet has made a return. Why don't they come up with something completely original more often.
Dagan, what is your opinion on richlite? You mentioned it briefly but didn't really give an opinion. My new SG has a richlite fingerboard and people online are shitting all over it because of the richlite
I like richlite fingerboards. Nice solid smooth feel
A truly great guitar is so much more then the sum of its parts or price one way or the other. And sorry LOTS of people on RUclips - you cant know it by being a specsheet expert. You have to get out and try them, lots of them.
The quality of budget guitars are so good these days that I would only buy a 'genuine' model ( like fender tele or Gibson Les Paul) as part of a collection. But to actually play, I'll buy a HB, Vintage or something of that ilk.
There's something called the law of diminishing returns. The difference between a $100 and $200 guitar is great. Difference between a 200 and 400$ guitar, pretty big. Difference between a 400 and 800 guitar, noticeable but not great. And as you keep doubling the price the difference keeps getting less. It's not like paying 10x the price gets you a 10x better sounding and easier playing guitar. Rather, if you compare the sound between a 500$ guitar and a 5000$ guitar side by side, unless you have money to burn, you'll probably wonder why you spent an extra 4500 on something that doesn't really sound or play that much better. Instead of it being 10x better it may be 10%, or maybe even less. And if you are a skilled player it will matter even less. And learning on shitty guitars can actually help you become a better player since they are harder to play.
I think USA guitars are more cuz of labor costs 🤔
Ibanez highest end stuff still Japan made right?
What makes or breaks a gud/bad guitar is the distance between the bridge and the pickups. You get a slight shift in which higher harmonics are recorded by the p.u.'s and THAT is why the epi sounds different from a gibby (epi LP's have a a full to a half bridge width difference from the real deal)
That is why an SG sounds different from a LP.
You can check this out by comparing the 3-pickup SG's and LP's (no need to measure. you can eye-ball it.)
The 3-pickup LP's have more space between the pickups (and this causes different spacing, which results in picking up different higher harmonics). It's not rocket science or toanwould mumbojumbo (tonewood is a GRADE of wood, and nothing else (says the 51 y.o. joiner/carpenter))
Swapping pickups in the same guitars is just a waste of money. If you want to change the basic toawn of a guitar, you need to move the pickups.
Now, pickup your favorite guitar and play some noats, dumbasses...
I don't get the whole relic thing. I just bought my first used guitar a few weeks ago. A MIM 2003 Fender Strat in white like what Jimi played. That's the closest I'll ever get to relic. Btw, the 2003 Strat plays so well. So much so that I turned down buying the 2020 version at Sam Ash because it had buzzing in the low E and A strings when I went up the Fretboard. Guitar Center is right across the street and is where I bought my 2003.
I listen to a lot of heavy rock/metal and picked up a Jackson JS32 a few weeks back and love it so much, I just went out tonight to GC and got a Jackson JS22-7. My JS32 I immediately put new strings on it and tuned it for Drop C, and I’ve actually been *playing* guitar! I can’t wait to start banging along to some of my 7-string favorite songs
Right, how about this: take 10 different guitars from Les Paul to Steinberger and every shape in between, Strandberg, acrylic etc. and instal same pickups in. Never mind the hight and everything identical like the number of windings and what have you. Dont even put the same strings and frets and bridge and nut on. Just leave everything else as is but put same pickips in and do a blind test. How many would you have to guess in your estimation in order for that silly idea to be justified? 9? All 10? How many do you think you would be able to guess if the test was a hundred guitars? What about if someone elase is playing but you are guessing? You can start calling it 'feel wood' or 'resonates differently on my belly when I play it wood'.
If a £100 guitar feels better in your hands than a £5000 guitar then go for the £100 one. It’s all about feel not price.
I've got 5 electric guitars and my favourite is the . . . Squier Bullet Telecaster ! The only reason to buy any guitar is that it makes you want to pick it up and play it
Gibson guitars are a classic case of the law of diminishing returns. You are paying primarily for the brand history and American wages and environmental legislation. A Japanese tokai LP for example is just as good for two thirds of the price. The guitarists ability is the main factor, a good one will sound good using a Squire a bad one will sound shite playing an original 58 LP. Worth noting that the general rule (but not always the case) is that attention to detail is what you should expect to find the more money you spend.
Last year I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Classic. I hadn’t bought a guitar in 20 years. It’s amazing for the price.
SO I was an advocate for buying mid range guitars and upgrading basically everything - custom wiring, better caps, electronics, hardware, pickups the lot. Logically I couldn't think that tonally there could be a big difference between expensive vs mid range......I mean it's the same wiring, same pickups, same electronics how big of a difference can there be right, if wood doesn't contribute to tone then they should sound the same more or less.
The problem was I never bought and played an expensive guitar and boy was I wrong......my old guitar isn't even in the same universe as my new one, everything is better.
Honestly I won't just talk BS I would have conceded if it was a rip off but..... playability is way better, ergonomics, resonance is out if this world......the dynamics super responsive and also super resonant and sustains when I play as soft as I physically can. The tone is warm, biggest difference for me is in the top end, high frequency response, warm, clear yet a smoothness that is difficult to explain.
Hands down buy an expensive guitar, worth it. The two guitars that I compared are a heavily modded, and I mean edge rolled frets, oli neck, new everything, bass cut pot switch craft jack etc etc the freakin works......Ibanez RG2570Z Prestige vs Ibanez ATZ100-SBT......The ATZ100 worth every freakin penny......I would have paid double to be honest. Awesome experience.
Those old ones might have really really worn frets and boards. Wanna see a Gibson from 64(?) that was played???
Wood - back in the day, old growth was denser wood, think less "air space".
Tones??? are you playing for the people that paid to attend, or trying hard to impress the "dog eared pros"? Most people would be clueless if it was a 130 USD or a $13,000 classic.
Made in Japan or Designed in Japan and built in Indonesia or Korea for me. Overpriced American made Fender and Gibson have had their day when they were the 'best' game in town because they were the the only game in town.
With CNC now the QC is then just down whatever the company will put into a product. I can understand wanting to buy a more expensive product if you get more of a guarantee it will be good. Also agree a more expensive product should have better features, with a guitar over a certain price point expectations are that it will sound good, not have even minor problems & will last. But once you get to a certain price point paying more than that is just paying for something that will not actually improve the sound or the actual product. And as for reselling a guitar, unless that guitar will go up in price, inflation will mean you will lose money. So even if a cheaper guitar you lose 50% of the price you paid, if you paid £200 & lose £100, you will lose more with an expensive guitar even if the % loss is far less. Same occurs with cars, most cars outside sought after ones lose money. Pay more for a car, you will lose more money even if the % loss is lower.
As guitarists we keep getting the elitist bullshit that American made Instuments are so much better than any other worldwide production locations....the finest electronic and electrical goods are all made in the far east as well as most high end sporting equipment.
So why would anyone think that Guitar Plants in China/Tiawan/Korea wouldn't know how to assemble a decent instrument.
It's the Hardware that's cheaper not the production methods.
You ship all the components of a Gibson LP to China and get it assembled it will be a great instrument.
The price would be $1000.
Conversely, I dont think if you sent the cheap parts to Gibson USA for assembly....you'll get a ropey guitar at $1000.
So stop listening to the bullshit marketing and do the math.
SRV loved PAU PERRO >< Indian Laurel, all mexican Fenders come with Pau Ferro, Epiphone uses Indian Laurel
Hi Dagon. I love your videos. But i like to see my favourite brand JACKSON more often in your videos!
Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹
Dont believe the hype.
Blackie was a parts mutt and it was used to create legendary music.
Frankie was a parts mutt and used to make legendary music
SRV number 1 was a parts mutt.
You dont need a 4k dollar guitar or even a 1k dollar guitar to make great music. You need TALENT and that cant be purchased.
It's weird. Price is no guarantee you'll "bond" with the guitar. I love my Gibson, PRS, Hamers, but spend most of my time with a sub $200.00 Kramer and a mid priced Schecter.
VIDEO IDEA: it would be great if you make like the same video idea but with amps.
PS: great info, even if you're not a beginner this still being so useful
I say stick with the guitars that your favorite player is playing. regardless of price.
So with that being said, Gibson, Ibanez, Fender still rule the roost as far as I'm concerned 🤙🏾
It all boils down to your hands. The sound is in your hands.
Perfect comment. The worst one might cost $3,500 in a $400!case it’s unfrvyour bed and for many excuses you never play it!
Are you telling me that there are people that can tell what kind of wood a guitar is made of by just hearing the guitar? I would like to see that and see how many they get right...
If you're thinking about what guitar to buy then do yourself a favour and don't even think about what wood it's made of.
The pickups are 90% of the tone, buy a cheaper guitar and put top tier pickups in it and it will sound better than a guitar double the price that has worse pickups but wood with a fancier name.
The main thing to remember is if you wore your watch on your strumming hand, whilst playing a guitar with the clasp scratching up the surface, whilst demo'ing it..that you should instantly lose your job as a Guitar demonstrator. Guitar is worth much more than the casio gshock mate.
Learn to wear your watch on your left hand, I did this recently.. it will feel weird and unnatural at first (single faucet taps are a danger when you turn them on and clatter it on the under side of the faucet..and door frames need to be remastered) but hey it's worth it.
I am assuming you are not demo'ing or advertising watches btw.
Greetings from the lovely State of Kentucky. You are awesome Dagan! We appreciate you keeping us informed about all the awesome new gear. Happy New Year to you brother!
Over $500 a guitar becomes guitar porn. I've seen $500 guitars that played better than any guitar no matter how expensive.
Great job. I learned a lot ! I think expensive guitars are way over rated and over priced. My opinion.
My favorite guitar was cheap as hell from Craigslist is was 100 dollars then I put work into it and now it's 400$ it's an epiphone les paul standard
Price tags mean nothing in the 21st century professional quality guitars made everywhere on all 4 corners of the world
Guitar makers have to find a way to make their cheap guitars play like shit so you will keep on spending more and more for their "good" ultra expensive guitars.
Shreddy Krooger
I love the debate on relic guitars. I love the way they look, I've never been lucky enough to play one but I'm sure they feel phenomenal.
This will sound pretentious but vintage guitars and beat up ones have a story. I don't like the idea of paying such a large amout of money for a manufactured story on a guitar. That's why I'm sure one day mine will all be beat up to shit because I have no plans on selling them lmao
Great overview.
The best camera 📷 (🎸) ... is the one you have with you (when a “moment” arrives)😀
Gibson began in Kalamazoo, Michigan, not Nashville, Tennessee.
Name and country of origin aren’t as important as the neck if the neck feels good everything else is replaceable get a guitar with a good neck feel and everything will fall in place pickups hardware and tuners are easily replaced get a guitar that feels good
With Fender some of the parts come from the same place no matter what country builds them. The wood can vary. I feel if you create your sound with layered effects you have more options. As for myself, I play clean and only sometimes use an effect for color. How a guitar plays clean is most important to me.
Mine is about $250 dollars, and in the middle of the night it starts dancing, and sometimes screams at me. I slap it, give it a dog bisket, then it stands up and begs me to hold it, pet it and make it sing.
Why do you have to play distorted on every video you make? Most of us do know how a pedal works, but when we see guitar videos, we would like to know how it sounds clean
2017 Les Paul Standard. Quality? Crap! I have one!
A good player can take a shite instrument and make it sound phenomenal. A shite player can take a phenomenal instrument and make it sound like 💩
The price difference seems way more extreme than the quality difference
Its just not worth it
nice video !! why there is a buzz sound on it ?
Likely sources of hum include: Poor or non-existent ground or shielding, high gain used with single coils, fluorescent lights.
For perspective, cost of mfg labor in Korea is about half that in the US, and labor in Mexico or SE Asia can be 20% or less. It then may be a matter of quality control. Then you need to factor your conscience about the countries themselves and their treatment of laborers when considering the lowest prices.
Agree with other post about price sweet spot and diminishing returns. And ditch the Pau Ferro please, it just looks cheap.
Thank you. It’s also a matter of companies deliberately withholding “good parts” etc… from their import brands to differentiate product lines. Fender won’t let Squire use the best woods, not because they can’t but because the don’t want Squire to canabalize their Fender sales.
@@Dram1984 True!
Do you consider that when buying appliances or clothing? You really don't have much choice, those are the countries that produce them.
@@vorpalblades Absolutely. It’s hard to avoid in some cases, particularly if there is no way of knowing or if just components are made in a problem country. Or if you just can’t afford anything else. But for major purchases where you do have opportunity to know and choose, you should make the ethical choice.
BTW, I own several guitars made in SE Asia and Mexico, I just try to avoid a few specific countries with ethics issues.
I just bought a Custom Les Paul and it was worth every penny!
"I'm not saying these guitars are crap and great", love your videos 😂
i own a gibson and epiphone les paul and prefer the epiphone due to it being the guitar i have giged with and i learnt to play on plus im not afriad to mod an epiphone to hell and back
One phrase:Cost of Labor-Wages are different in all countries
i have a wooden bed and if i lean my epiphone lp on it it resonates quite fun 😂
I have now accumulated 11 Guitars 2 amps, a keyboard and many many pedals, and i am not a great guitarist, i just love guitars, they are just so tactile Love your videos Dagan, i have been in your shop, great experience great staff and the stock was brilliant, when i move to the Toon this year, you will have a regular customer, keep up the great work, you inspire young musicians with your info, and your passion.
I have a bunch of guitars, too, and I'm not the greatest guitarist in the world, either. As a hobbyist I like playing and working on them.
Gibsons we’re made in Kalamazoo MI back in the day
Love your videos man
Please explain the difference between Fender guitars made by Mexicans in the USA versus Fender guitars made by Mexicans in Mexico. Not including custom shop guitars.
Fender American-Mexico
Fender USA- United States.
Every day is a school day. I learn with each of your vidz
In my humble opinion a guitar can only get so good, and a dude with a 10,000 dollar guitar isn't necessarily better than a guy playing a Yamaha guitar from the pawn shop. That said I think squires are terrible guitars and you're better off spending alittle more for a significant change in quality. Never played a squire that held a tune or felt nice
Yeah there is a point of diminishing returns. Some brands I think the higher tier is just fancier paint.
Opinions are like noses!? 😂 Even if I forget everything about guitars, I will remember this. You are a guitar Philosopher!
🤘😂
I have expensive guitars and cheap ones and I can honestly say that one of the cheapest guitars I have (Vintage Thomas Blug) plays much better than a PRS core stays in tune all day long .I’m somewhat disappointed with the PRS in comparison to some other guitars in my collection .
Ha! Same. I have a Tagima Strat which is around $260 vs a US made Gibson Les Paul. I like em both but if I were to start all over again I would think twice.
Either way you are going to have to put 10 years work in.