Eddie Van Halen’s famous Frankenstrat was a total DIY hack job-a $50 Charvel reject body, cheap parts, spray paint, and electrical tape. The 3-way/5-way switch? Hacked to keep all pickups on and duct-taped in the middle. And that quarter holding the bridge in place? Pure chaos. It was ridiculous-but in Eddie’s hands, it was pure magic. If Eddie Van Halen hadn’t become a legend and it was just the guitar he cobbled together, the Frankenstrat probably wouldn’t have been worth much at all-maybe a few hundred bucks at best as a curiosity piece. most people wouldn’t look twice at it even at a pawn shop. ------- Saw a replica of the guitar the other day.. I just chuckled to myself what a monster it was.
Only the bridge pickup was actually wired and straight to the volume. No tone pot. I played five of his guitars, including a white body Strat with single coils that he kept changing or adding paint colors and a fav version ended up that iconic red/blk:wht Frankenstein. We had the same luthier, Karl Sandoval, who built my red Star. The first body cut, second fully assembled/painted. George Lynch, another friend, has the finished Star in white, also built by Karl. I paid $700ish, relatively expensive in those days, including the ‘65 Strat neck I bought on my own that Karl installed as a set neck & replaned & refretted. Karl also frequently refretted necks for Ed because wore them out quickly. To be clear, Karl also worked on several guitars for Ed and sold him his own custom for a high price (I think $2k?). I played it (awesome!) before Ed bought it. Ed calls it The Detonator and played on tracks on the VH1. It’s the yellow rectangular guitar on the inside cover of VH1.
@@erichkaanikin3555 I really miss Eddie man. Saw his last tour. His playing had never been better. His son was on bass. David Lee Roth was singing. Sorta wish Sammy could have been there too man... Knowing it was his last tour. Fantastic concert. Can't believe we'll never hear anything more from him!!! I like his son's playing a lot as well.
I was just talking about this very subject to my local guitar shop owner not long ago, and he summed it up like this: If it looks good to you, plays good to you, and sounds good to you, then it IS good! When the fan boys start paying YOUR bills, then have them come and talk. I have 4 guitars - A Squier, a Peavey, a Yamaha, and a Gibson. All of them have good points and bad - including the Gibson. Funny thing is, they all sound like me when I play - imagine that..........
@@rockerbuck967 You're not a professional there's no way you can tell me that Stevie Ray Vaughan is going to play great to an $80 TG&y fender Stratocaster because if you do you're lying to yourself, not to me
@@rockerbuck967 The fanboys have always paid my bill always, they're the ones who want me to perform at my best cuz they love me. So I go out and buy the smoothers playing guitar that I can find and it usually cost more than $80
Just bought 2 inexpensive guitars from China - and I can't stop playing them, to the detriment of my other guitars. They just feel right... and they sound excellent; that's all that matters!
At the end of the day, as a guitarist, what matters is: Did you enjoy what you played, and are you a better guitarist than you were yesterday? If the answer to at least one of those is yes, it doesn't matter what you were playing. Good opening, J.
3:17 “A guitar that costs $200 is pretty much the same as a guitar that costs $3,000”. Not exactly sure what you mean by “pretty much the same”, but this statement really jumped out at me. Maybe you were just speaking with a little hyperbole? If not, play a Taylor 814 Builders Edition, and then pick up a Taylor 114ce. They’re not the same. Play a USA EVH signature Wolfgang, and then play an EVH Wolfgang Standard. They’re not even close to being the same. Oh and by the way, just for full disclosure, I have the cheaper Taylor and the cheaper Wolfgang. So it’s not like I’m punching down here. I just think there’s a huge difference. Feel, sound, etc.
I'm talking electric guitars for sure. But the differences I've noticed were very minor, maybe a bit better fretwork, maybe sweeter tone, which is lost the minute you throw some high gain pedal on it. I guess I would ask you to explain what you mean by not even close? What were the major differences you could see/feel between the two. I own a $550 Epiphone SG and a $175 Fojill SG, they are almost identical. The pickups in the Epihone are better but again, in a mix you'd never notice. Now, I played a Gibson SG at Guitar Center on Thursday and I didn't see or feel any difference between that guitar which costs over $2000 and the Epiphone and Fojill. In fact, the body on the Gibson felt flimsy. Again, your experience may differ.
There's a similar issue with acoustic guitars. But there we know that it takes a lot of labor to make the guitar as thin as possible and not collapse. But there's not a lot of research on this, so there's a great deal of uncertainty.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Well, based on my opinion ure right.. guitars are low tech devices; the tech haven't changed ,or have advanced since their invention... ure right it's just wood, some pigments , metal ,& some screws.. the ingredient's aren't that expensive ; we are just paying for the cost of labor & inflation.. ure right even with pickups the tech is still low tech ,& there hasn't been any real advancement in pickup tech, ure also right guitars are pretty much at a dead end, so there's nowhere really for them to go unless they become like computers with built in software that make them like digital instrument's that rely on data ,& can produce their own sound ,& tone digitally that never need strings or tuning this is why Digital keyboard are way ahead of the guitar & all those synthesizers. the guitar is pretty much dead... I am surprised that guitar loyalists haven't or been willing to take a giant leap forward. the guitar has reached it's evolution.. I even been to a live concept show once, in which none of the musicians used any instruments other than a computer & backing tracks & a live singer; it was a 2 person band, but I am pretty sure the singer was getting help from an autotune or something .
@@JayceAllanGuitar re: “not even close”; I would start with the USA signature Wolfgang having better tuners (plus having mother of pearl (or pearloid) knobs), birdseye maple or roasted neck, ebony fretboard, nicer inlays (mother of pearl for example), a carved top, binding around the body, better pickups (I forget the exact differentiation between the two models….but the standard is known to have inferior pups), plus the sound of the USA signature just absolutely jumps off the guitar (even just unplugged; played acoustically….its quite noticeable). I guess that’s what I mean by “not even close”. 🤷🏻♂️
The difference between say a $200 guitar and even a $600 guitar is the finishing work and QC. IMO. I recently picked up a Firefly, my first one, the frets were horrible (not level and not polished), the wood around the floyd trem post was broken (in the trem cavity), the neck needed to be reset, etc..I got a partial refund and did all the work, now it plays great. For somebody who has no idea how to do that stuff themselves they would have just sent the POS back or spent another $200 or more getting it repaired. Now compare that to a mid level Ibanez I own and the QC is night and day. I didn't have to do a damn thing with my Ibanez except swap the strings. But, I also have a 2022 MIM Charvel that was a POS out of the box and I had to do work on that, like recrown 8 frets that weren't finished properly. I got a partial refund on that as well. Then I have a MIM Fender Strat and a Squier Strat that needed no work at all. My Epiphone Les Pauls needed no work. QC is all over the place these days. In general I think once you get below $300 with certain brands QC generally goes out the door. But, QC on some higher priced guitars also goes out the door at at times. I think manufacturing across the board with multiple brands has suffered since 2020. I'm also convinced a lot of the cheaper guitars on Amazon are all being produced by the same factories and just changing the headstock shape and brand name. I have a few M Musi guitars, those were a step above the other cheap Amazon guitars IMO, and their strat bodies are the same exact deal as Eart, Firefly, etc...but their QC is good. Too bad you can't get them now. Learn to play your instrument well and learn how to fix guitars yourself and you can make anything sound good.
ive been a guitarist for 30 years and i only play with the cheapest shit i can get my hands on, as long as it stays in tune and sounds alright then its alright by me. i try and get my stuff second hand too that saves me alot of money
I have a different viewpoint. Price is not that important, but the personal experience/connection with the instrument is important. and let's be real, if money is no objection you would not buy the used squier tele custom in your video, but a real real vintage Fender 60 tele custom. It's a different experience. That's why we buy stuff that looks like les pauls, SGs, tele etc. because our heroes played one and that is the connection, having an instrument that is more desirable is part of the experience etc etc.
I couldn’t agree more. I believe that the law of diminishing returns strongly applies to high-end instruments. I play four different instruments and cannot afford the instruments most commonly preferred by collectors. There are many quality instruments available in the sensible price range. Musicians, reach your audience with your skill.
At 72 here is what I’ve noticed: How is the neck and then there is staying relatively in tune, the frets and electronics. I may re-fret, change the pots and then there is the AMP and ME.
I have expensive $3k+ and used $30 budget guitars. Expensive guitars mainly only need standard maintenance, whereas budget guitars need work to match the level of expensive guitars. Thanks Jayce for speaking the truth here and for being brave against the non-believers.
Please don't misunderstand, I LOVE INEXPENSIVE GUIATRS ! As a hobbyist almost all of my collection is entry level instruments that have been lovingly modded in most cases. However, my best friend has a collection of name brand beauties and a couple of custom shop level guitars, that I exclusively maintain. As much as I LOVE my budget beauties, many of which I've had offers on from collectors with far more exclusive tastes, the truth is that they're not at the same level as the big boys! Period. I have a PRS Se. It was a gift that I will cherish and love for the rest of my days. It is a great guitar that will never leave me needing anything more. However, compared to my friends core model from the nineties, its a different experience completely. I have Squires and I have an American Strat from the eighties. I love all of them truly, but my American Strat is better than my Squires, it just is. I have nothing but love for affordable well made guitars. Their place in the hobby we all love so much is legitimate and undeniable, however, even my American Strat has trouble comparing to my friends custom shop relic Nash Strat. The sad truth is, the more time a luthier spends toiling over and loving the guitar he's building, the better it's goi g to be. Affordable guitars, unfortunately, don't have much time or care spent on them.
Right, but it's because the key is time spent, not magic wood or metal. As long as the wood for the body is good and the neck is good, etc., then you can create your own custom guitar that plays like it cost over $1000 but only cost around $300. i never knew this until I started building my own. I used to think Fender and Gibson had some kind of magic formula that only they could make a truly great guitar. I was so wrong, and this obsession with collection the vintage ones is about as insane a phenomenon as I've ever seen. The guitar industry has benefitted mostly from ignorance and brand worship. That's all it is. This video nails the reality of what makes guitars great.
@@stevenpipes1555 I have a friend like you that I play with on my off days, I'm a professional, and he is so scared to take out his expensive guitars because he might accidentally bump into something. That's not a guitar player That's a hobbyist like you
@@matsumoku1 But that's not all it is. OK. I found a Sqire affinity at a flea market for 50 bucks. Thin body, sinle ply guard,and cheap hardware, but otherwise like new. The neck, however, was completely flamed so I baught it. I put Graphtech saddles, nut, string tree, and strap buttons on it. I put a thick brass bridge block on it. 53 Tele neck pickup with Texas Specials in middle and bridge positions. I wired it like a Tele, on a three way switch controlling neck and bridge positions, and the middle pickup mixes in on its own volume pot. Master vol and tone to control the whole mix. A set of Hipshot open gear locking tuners, a fresh level crown and polish on the frets and the paint carved away leaving it gloss black hotrod flames over bare wood. Its a truly unique custom hot rod that looks plays and sounds KILLER! However it's still a thinner body and a narrower neck. As boutique and custom as it looks and sounds, it still has the original bone structure of a 90 dollar student guitar.
I owned a 1968 Fender Telecaster Custom in 1973. I sold it in 1982. Today I own 10 Guitars and they are all less than $400 except for two new Gretsch Guitars and one of those was the 140th anniversary edition release. I love them all. I have an Epiphone SG400 Pro SG $349 used and an Agile AL200 Les Paul $250 used in a Gibson Case ....they don't get much better than that. Reaffirmed what I have been doing. I think you video was spot on ... I really liked it I will watch more !!!!
I agree wholeheartedly with the concept of the law of diminishing returns, I’d say the sweet spot is around 500 unless there’s some sort of groundbreaking innovation which does still happen, robot guitars, MIDI guitars, transtrems, roller nuts, sustainiacs, killswitches, etc what I’m saying is you’re right about not letting the hype trick people into wasting their money on marginal (if any) improvement but rather focusing on the parts that make it a functional tool for how one intends to use it! Honestly wish there was a factory outlet website we could just spec and order budget priced guitars so I can have a headless star shaped guitar with a sustainiac and trem for under a grand
I generally agree. But I’ll be honest, I purchased my PRS custom 24 more than a decade ago now and I have personally never played another guitar since then that I felt was as good. I have noodled around on guitars that cost twice as much and I have noodled around on far more guitars that cost a lot less. Nothing compares, at least for me. I think the custom 24 is probably the best guitar ever made. It’s just everything I’m looking for in a guitar. And if mine ever got destroyed or stolen, I am almost certain that I would save up the money to replace it and until I was able to replace it, I would severely miss having one, even though I also own a Gibson SG and a few cheaper guitars.
I have a PRS McCarty but I personally love playing my Mexican Strat that I bought on Marketplace for 350 bucks more. The PRS is rarely use. I have 13 guitars ranging from 2000 to 140 bucks. All sound great.
I agree that no one cares about my Custom Shop 62 Telecaster, but I care and that's what matters. I will say that the Classic Vibe 60's Tele is a very good guitar. I regret the day I got rid of mine, but it weighed like 8,000 pounds. My arthritis just couldn't take it anymore.
@@schreds8882 I'm telling shred, my guitars are in the 1200 range. They are so smooth, so rigid and strong that they make me play better than an $80 wannabe. And that's why I buy the better guitar cuz it makes me play better
@@efrenpichardo8643 I also have a Pro II Tele and it plays amazing. What you get with the higher end guitars is a level of fit and finish that lets the instrument be an extension of the musician. The downside to a very inexpensive guitar is that you find yourself fighting the instrument which you don't get with better guitars. I usually suggest that you buy the best guitar your budget will allow.
@schreds8882 thank you, I spoke with Kyle Hudson from Tulsa Oklahoma. He is someone to consider better than I am. And he told me that some of the guitars I played were squires! So! I stand corrected. He also declared that the squires, at around $500, are very good today!
@@efrenpichardo8643 No worries. I've played the entry level Pacifica and it's every bit as good as a high end Squier. Strats are not my go-to style of guitar, but I also had the chance this year to play one of those $500 Yamaha Revstars and those are blow your mind good. I love a two-pickup guitar. 😁
So I kind of agree with you, there is much like smartphones a point of diminishing returns for sound and that comes down to the actual wood used, which can decide if the sound is good or bad but arguably the most important part is the quality of electronics. You could take a PRS se and put PRS electronics in it and on a recording you wouldn't be able to tell the two apart unless you got golden ears. That being said the other thing not tone wise you pay for is the feel in your hands, a really high end PRS feels incredible I played one of the Private Stock ones in a music store and then played the closest se model and it's insane the feel difference and that comes down to how much more time and effort is put into each one to refine that, more budget guitars aren't gonna feel as good because it's a generic build that's pumped out as fast as possible to maximise profit because that's where Gibson and Fender make their money. The main brand will sell to pro musicians or well off aspiring ones, but the majority of sales? Kids and adults looking to become musicians and need a starter guitar so the volume required is WAY higher thus attention to detail drops for that.
Yeah. The debate about price of the guitar vs. how "good " it actually was, was something I would think a lot about...until I actually started buying cheaper guitars, tearing them down, learning about electronics, wood, fret levelling, etc... I am still learning, but I think a lot of the difference in price should be... the SET-UP of the guitar. A good set-up can make a HUGE difference in how a guitar feels and plays, and can be the difference in it sitting on a stand, or actually getting played. So called "crappy" guitars from a pawn shop can be made to be real players! I actually enjoy turning someone's discarded "cheap junk" into shredders! There is of course, nothing wrong with having nice things, but when you are on a budget, just like everything else, it's also not a bad idea to try get the most for you money...
I have a mid priced guitar and a sort of higher priced guitar, they both plays great, I can’t say 1 is better than the other, they’re both inspiring, for music making I think they’re pretty much the same, they serve different purpose. But I can say my higher priced guitar feels more solod like something that would last a lil bit more and there is just something on it that feels really premium. I shy away from buying fenders or Gibson coz i feel like Im not getting enough for my money, try some other great brands and maybe you’ll see difference.
Honestly 95% of fender styled guitarists should just get the MIM version of the guitar they want. You can get a used mim between 350-500 on marketplace and the quality is great and it has the “right” name on the headstock. As for expensive American vs budget foreign guitars… I can feel/hear subtle differences. USUALLY you get a better piece of wood, the finish feels better, the selector switch tends to be smoother, the tuners feel better but all these slight improvements aren’t enough to justify the price in my eyes. The differences are slight but noticeable if you’ve been playing long enough to notice. At the end of the day, if you’ve know how to do a setup and know what you like, you can buy and gig damn near anything. The audience doesn’t give a shyt what you play and in most cases, unless they paid to specifically see you, your audience wishes you weren’t even there and hopes the bar turns you off and the jukebox on.
One thing I look for is the necks. some brands will use multiple pieces for a neck such as Jackson and Ibanez. this is to stabilize and reduce the possibility of unwanted flex or twisting. All wood will shrink and expand throughout its life. Different coatings on the necks can help seal and not allow moisture to add to the expansion contraction. The truss rod is the main part helping to keep everything perfect. A piece of wood with more growth rings is usually stronger but the type of cut is also key to how or what direction the wood wants to naturally twist. Just because a guitar is cheap wouldn't mean the neck wood is terrible. However guitar builders building high end customs will definitely pick through and pick out the best pieces. Wood that doesn't meet the quality for high end builds is still used on lower end builds. Does that mean it will make bad guitars? not necessarily. Wood is graded by a person looking at it so it's not 100% and nobody can tell for sure how the wood will turn out. Guitar builders Just like woodworkers in general do know the general attributes of woods and a general idea of how they act in manufacturing. Wood for the bodies of electrics is less important except other than for density and appearance.
I agree with the title but that's about it. There has been a ton of technological advancement in the design and construction of guitars. The use of CNC machines are an obvious one. Others include new finishes, hardware, shapes, and materials (roasted maple for one). Also, inexpensive guitars are better than they ever have been and have benefited the most from these advancements in construction. However, to say that there is no difference between a $200 guitar and a $3000 is absurd. There is a lot of highly labour-intensive work that only really gets done on higher end instruments. There can even be a huge difference in quality between one $3000 guitar and another.
Advances in production techniques but no advances in the instrument itself. Some of Fender and Gibson’s best selling guitars are reissues. A different paint color and roasted wood isn’t an innovation. It’s purely esthetic. But as I state in the video. I’m just telling what my experience is. Yours may be completely different.
@@JayceAllanGuitar If you're looking for innovation don't look to Gibson. Nostalgia is their whole thing. Plenty of other manufacturers are innovating in other ways. Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I like that one. I have the 50’s version. I agree. I have 5 Gibsons (although moderate priced ones) a Charvel San Dimas, an EVH Bumblebee ect but my $300 - $700 guitars see the most play. For me the hardware and electronics are a big deal when it comes to quality and mid price is where that stuff starts to show up.
I played a squire vintage modified 5 string jazz bass on stage for 10 years ish. Gave it a fret leveling and it played like butter. I have more gear than I can shake a stick at and I can grab whatever off the wall. kept choosing that one because it felt like home and I didn't have to watch it like a hawk because I didn't care. Some drunk kid at a bar I was playing spilled a pitcher of beer on it and I left it in my car overnight. It cracked the body in half, so I built a new body out of flamed maple. I put flats on it. Still play it on gigs every once in a while. Best money I ever spent.
If copyright laws meant anything there wouldn’t be any $200.00 guitars. Sounds like sour grapes. Gear that started rock and roll was expensive in its day and expensive to build and sell, no internet, probably less likely to purchase a guitar by mail back in the day and probably not many collecting gear only playing. The major build companies recognize the cost for us average folk and started making the Epiphone, Squier etc.. so they could continue to sell gear and the Bonamassa types and Japanese gear companies could hoard the best from new purchases, from guitar shows or individuals they pay to source collectible valuable gear around the world. They’ve eventually raised the price of the Epiphone’s etc… because they were still attainable by us average folk and today those have gone up in price with builders citing the quality is better, is it? All self reported me thinks. I played sports growing up and my baseball glove was handed down to me by a cousin. The local sport shops today want $300.00 for a decent glove. I was about 30 years old when playing guitar first interested me. Now at 62 yrs. old I’m reminded that at every step along the way I was taken advantage of until I learned what I was doing. I ran across the guy this summer that sold me my first tuner along with my first Strat pack 30 yrs years ago. I asked if he thought it was really necessary to sell me a $120.00 tuner with my $299.00 Strat pack and he literally turned red in the face. Learn what’s going on, save a little money and buy what you want not what they’re selling! I bought my last guitar new in 2014, at a Guitar Center, one of seven in my area, it was a PRS Santana SE for $329.00 new, no gig bag or case. I still have it today in an original plain PRS case that cost $300.00 new back in the day, I paid $50.00 for it used in excellent because no one wants a case anymore they say. I buy from individuals at a fair price not at a price I can beat ‘em on and rest easy at night knowing the companies and their employees don’t. I’ll check out the channel I think your heart is in the right place.
Thank you. I appreciate the comments. Fender never pursued lawsuits against the copy cats. Gibson did but lost some of them. They use trademarks to protect their designs not copyright. I think copyright is more for printed work. I know Fender had patents on some of their designs but I know patents run out eventually. Sounds like you’ve scored some great deals.
Guitars between 500 and 1000 euro are great. All my guitars and a bass are in this range. I would suggest to buy used and 500 euro can get very nice guitars.
I've seen a RUclips vid and the guy, (Norm) said bodys get sent to Mexico for painting they send guitars north for work so there are few made in America guitars by Fender today.
@billleith7110 I personally don't know about that though it can happen..I've played Mexican strats and they are nice guitars but I own and play American strats and I can really tell you the big difference..that's why they're pricey a bit,same goes for les Paul's! That's just my opinion and to each their own😉
I disagree.Cheaper guitars take for instance a squire is made it of cheaper wood and weighs more,the pickups are cheaper and don’t sound as good as a more expensive one,the bridge ,the tuners switches,potentiometers are cheap.So You’re better off buying a better quality guitar and by doing this you can also buy a signature guitar like a Brent Mason model,Brad Paiseley a Buck Owens model,orJames Burton model or even a favorite rock artist signature guitar and it will cost more but it will make a lot of difference.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your point of view. I agree with your thoughts. I have found that many budget guitars hold their own against more expensive brands in terms of play & feel. To me, if a guitar sounds good to your ear, feels good in your hands, and when you see it you have to pick it up and play its a great guitar. Love my Squire Classic Vibes. Rock on!
I think it bears repeating since I continue to get comments when I review cheap guitars about how they're junk and I should be reviewing "real" guitars.
@JayceAllanGuitar Valid. Among my modest group of guitars, I have a Les Paul Custom and a 110$ T-style I modded up; honestly, if there was a fire, I'd be torn on which to save.
I owned a £1300 Martin D15M, which I had sell it due to financial issues and needed money. I now own a Brunswick BTK-50 which cost £170. While the Brunswick sounds lovely, the Martin actually sang like an Angel. There is a difference.
I am extremely glad that you have made this point rather effectively. My personal best example is a pine acoustic - circa 1928 or so. Sears and Roebuck that I found in a thrift store. I paid $1 for the warped plywood box, and proceeded to create the absolute BEST lap slide track I've ever heard with it. One Dollar folks. People started demanding it at shows.......
Alas, that guitar became a wall hanger for a late friend, and from there I have no idea what happened to it. There are PLENTY of old cheap axes out there with warped necks. Lol...Find one, and give it a whirl. You might need to lift the nut, and I highly recommend the 'Joe Walsh method ' of using an appropriate sized piece of Balsa as a replacement - or an old Stevens riser nut if you have one kicking around...! Happy New Year!
If the quality is there, and you know roughly what things sell for. I feel like like a 500 bucks for a fender mim is worth it for like new condition. Even the fender parts individually are expensive, and people are happy to pay those prices, cause they feel its quality made. The Chinese guitars at fine for the price, but there quality is questionable. Especially, when there's no difference from knockoff guitars and Chinese brands. But if you know how to do your own setup work and mods, you can make the cheap guitars works. With the fender stuff and squier stuff, parts can be interchanged. Where as it isn't certain if other Chinese brands are using similar specs to fender for neck pocket. Like the classic vibes are good value, you can clearly see they put more effort into making them. You can get a nice used classic vibe for not much and have it retain its value better than no name brands. Whatever people are willing to spend on a guitar usually dictates its prices. If no one is buying, they will just lower the price in a future sale. I guess those higher prices can only represent what the brands wants to be seen as, a premium guitar. Except the prices don't reflect the quality in some cases.
An expensive smartphone and a cheap one makes tou do the same stuff , they both do phone calls , they both makes photos , they both surf the net, so to summarize , they do the same job... What you have , at the end of the day , with the expensive one , is a more pleasant experience, thats exactly the same with guitars , you got what you pay for, if you strip down all of the hardware and pickups from a fender Custom shop and put them on a squier , the squier will never sound the same of the fender CS. Mass production at lower prices wont let you age and stabilize the woods , not to mention that youre gonna start from the cheapest kind'o woods... Especially on necks this translates onto very poorly made necks that will twist and bend very fast and be subject to dramatic humidity/temperature change modifications, dead spots on fretboard due to soft wood etc etc. Often i have on the lab brand new epiphones (especially the ones that were produced in winter) that needs a fret level from the moment the customer bring them home , last week ive had to level an epi SG 61 inspired by gibson with 7 frets that were too high (this particular model is a nightmare because of its very thin neck, associated by the fact that they use a broke ass wood makes a perfect mix for the disaster) But again , if you think that there isn't a big difference, let's say between a 300 euros Harley Benton and a 7000 euros Gibson CS LP, thats your right to think so... There are people that thinks that the earth is flat and I'm most happy for them ... P.S. you're entering into the Guitar Business via RUclips, just remember that the people (customers) that moves money in this world (and GAS) are not the one that enter the shops and bring home the squier bullet, so MAYBE, you've gotta think again the target you wanna aim. Just my 2 cents But if you're happy to
I have been playing and touring on off 40 years ..only difference that I can feel anyway is in the fret work... everything else not much difference..comparing EPI Les Paul verses a Gibson...in my experience anyway..but I agree cheaper guitars are quite amazing these days.god bless
I started with a $300 used Epi LP. Later traded it in for an Epi 60s Standard Limited Edition. Later traded that in for a used Gibson. Was a $300-$600 "upgrade" each time, but it was easier than $1600 at once, and I had a guitar to play while I saved up. Now I get called a guitar snob with a boomer brand 😂 I love it 😅
Yeah, I think I'm going to break down here soon and get a Gibson SG or Les Paul if only to make a video about. I mean, I live in Michigan, birthplace of Gibson, I probably should own one.
I just recently bought a Squier Jazzmaster XII twelve string when Fender was having a sale. Three hundred seventy dollars, although apparently nobody cares about that. I had ordered a set of actual Jazzmaster pickups before I got the guitar since I knew that the stock pickups were actually P90s. Once I got the guitar, I discovered that the stock pickups were actually quite nice, although very much lacking in dynamics. The tuning machines were awful, and the pots were physically noisy, although they sounded fine. The input jack was very cheap and flimsy. The fit and finish of the body and neck was beautiful however. So, after changing the tuners, all electronics--pickups to output jack, shielding the pickguard, filing down a few high frets, filing flush and hand filing the fret ends to make them smooth, replacing the bridge, while not particularly necessary, with a Gotoh that didn't look cheap, and doing a setup, I have a guitar that is very nice indeed. I love playing it. I doubled the price of my investment, only because I did all the work myself. If I hired a luthier to do it, the price would have tripled . So, that's what your extra money gets you, a guitar that is actually pleasant to play.
I've amassed over 40 guitars over the last 30 years ranging from super cheap to very expensive and I enjoy playing them all. Truth be told I actually like my squire more than my American strat. The neck is way better and I dont worry about scratching it. Price doesnt make it play better.
I look at it like this. If you're a weekend warrior, or you spend your time playing and recording at home or with some friends, then the $3,000 guitar really isn't necessary. And to me, the high price Gibsons, Fenders, Musicman, PRS, they are for the touring or session musician. A weekend warrior who is working a factory job with a wife and kids isn't going to be able to afford high price equipment. I buy the cheaper stuff because 1: I can fix it the way I like and 2: they sound pretty damn good these days. I am a big fan of the Peavey Bandit series. I am not into modelling amps. I like an amp that takes pedals well. I have a Volgoa Tele copy and an Epiphone LP II Slash model that I put super distortions in. And for me, it plays and sounds great. I have a Squire Tele that I put Hotrails in. Sounds great. I am going to replace the neck. To me, guitars and vehicles are things I don't care about the name on it. As long as it works, then I am happy.
My very first electric guitar was a Memphis Strat copy that I believe was on sale for $99 back in the mid-80's. A $99 guitar today would blow my Memphis out if the water and it was a pretty decent guitar by the standards of the day. But I had my heart set on an American Standard Strat and the rest is history as they say
It's a very interesting time to be a guitar player and collector. For the simple fact that there are absolutely many things that have changed in the guitar manufacturing world. To say not much has changed since the 50's is inaccurate. They have laser 3D scanners now. That can be waved over an original model, like a magic wand. Then a CNC digital program is created, and loaded into the milling machines. That machine can be anywhere in the world. Not just the U.S. When you stick a hunk of wood in one end of it. A perfect reproduction of that original guitar will basically pop out the other side. That's being done with a level of precision never accomplished before. That's very new tech, if you ask me.
@@andrewbecker3700 One thing wrong with you is that you're not a player, an everyday 3 hours a day got to get it perfect or else you don't get paid player. Don't be scared to say a more expensive guitar is better because it is
I love my expensive guitars much more than cheap ones. The quality and craftsmanship makes them beautiful. If you have cheap instruments and like them and its makes you happy. I play better sound on expensive in spite of technique. My cheapest made guitar is the one I've been offered 4k for twice because of its sound.
Fender has contracted Squiers through many, manufacturers. Some do a better job than others. The current Cort I. built Squiers are nice. I like the old CXS built Squiers too. They are Chinese but have a full thickness body. The old Pro-Tone Squiers are much sought after. They were Korean. Even the cheapest Affinity can be a decent guitar with a bit of work. Very practical for a guy who isn't a star and is just playing local gigs. Folks look silly playing a 100$ per man gig with 5000$ in equipment.
It maybe because you are young you have this point of view? I do not disagree or agree with you. I have SG's by Gibson and SG's by Burny, Firefly and on and on. My 1971 SG was a gift from my parents after the war in Indochina. It is a very fine guitar and I own a faded red Gibson SG Standard '61 Faded Maestro Vibrola Electric Guitar - Vintage Cherry. Also an excellent guitar. To me it is the workmanship of the product and the attention to detail. There is nothing wrong with my $500 dollar Burny except it does not have the same professional workmanship my other 2 guitars have in attention to detail. You are correct no one cares how much my guitars cost. You have an interesting view on the lower end models. When I play out no one cares but they do care that I can play well for the job I am hired to do. That is attention to details of my arrangements. Last point...when you get to a certain price point threshold: all the guitars that cost some more money they are all good! You can only go sideways in quality. Thanks for listening...I dropped out at 8:37...I see these kind of guitars everyday.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm 54, so not young in my opinion! LOL. As far as my views on the SG, I can only compare my Epiphone SG 61 Standard and Fojill SG to a few Gibson SG's I've played at Guitar Center. I don't see much difference at all. The "copies" are modeled after the Gibson's and they are pushing quality to attract buyers. They have to do something to pull market share away from Epiphone. So they offer a guitar every bit as good, for half the price, and 1/10th the price of a Gibson.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I appreciate your thoughts! I have worked on guitars forever and I wish you could play mine. I purchased my 2nd SG from a big outfit . It was a floor demo model. Strings were crusty and it a bad concave bow. I knew I could get in playing I shape I felt I had a good deal. I trained in 1969 and in 70 was over in Southeast Asia. The year you were born correct? My parents paid $200 cash plus my 330 semi-hollow body in trade. guitar came from Kalamazoo. I am prescribing to your channel. lol that is what the old folks say. Keep it coming you are doing a great job! We do not have to agree...that is why we fight for freedom. Ciao
What I have noticed, generally speaking is that today's budget guitars are much better than they were 25+ years ago. But even back then, as now, they mostly only lack the quality hardware and fretwork that the more expensive guitars have. The most important "workmanship" is the quality of the neck and fretwork. After that, just about everything else is upgradeable. I just bought a $100 off brand strat and after I put locking tuners on it and leveled/buffed the frets, after proper set up, it plays and sounds as good as any guitar will. But before that, it had high action and wouldn't hold tuning, and thus would have been rightly considered a crap guitar.
@@matsumoku1 yes the quality is quite a bit better. I think most of the channels address the pricier guitars. I teach guitar and as a parent I will by a sale in favour of getting a very good guitar. If the kids quits as a parent you are stuck and most parents do not know the market. Even though it is changing as we talk. I think within the last 3 to 5 years the quality has gone up. If they get good tuners and and half way decent pickups look Epiphone!
Wow, there's a lot of rudeness going on in your comments section.... Maybe it's something to do with the hooky and clickbaity title... ruffled a few juvenile feathers with eight words... you should do more of it, whether one agrees or disagrees with your opinion is irrelevant, create the discord and they will come...
@@MrMinddoctor pretty much. I can tell by some comments the people that don’t even bother watching the video. Same with my video called “Is Fender and Gibson ripping us off?” The video actually explores how guitars have kept pace with inflation but wages have not.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Yup, I watched that vid then went to the comments... I almost took the bait on a few occasions, then decided to stay out of it. You definitely need to do loads more of these divisive titles, get that inner rage boiling and spewing out in the comments section. you are probably doing the nation a bit of good, an outlet for pre-pubescent rage and vitriol. Imagine if that level of hostility was released in their homes. Welcome to the age of tolerance... Damn, I've now offended myself, I'm off to go cancel myself right this moment...
Fair call pal. I own two acoustics, a Sigma and Alvarez, both just have the solid top and play very well. I think with acoustics probably more differences but with electrics it feels like you pay a lot for the name. I guess the only thing I'd say is I am willing to pay a bit more to at least play a guitar in a shop. It's important to have a place to try especially with acoustics.👍
my opinion Acoustics all have issues over time.. All of my acoustics devolved issues over time like needing a neck reset, & other issues & all of my guitars were played under normal usage & being they are all solid tops doesn't mean they will sound good because of the top, some Laminates could sound better Acoustics are too much trouble in my opinion once your guitars start to have issues you gonna be forced to throw them out it becomes over time not worth fixing them..
I should have put a disclaimer on this video that I'm referring to electric guitars. You pay more for a solid top acoustic and all solid wood acoustic, but you definitely hear the difference in my opinion.
Damn Phats, that sucks. I've owned the same Eastman acoustic, all solid wood, for, going on 10 years now. They say solid top guitars "break in" but this one sounds about the same as it did when I bought it. It's a work horse. I've bought a few solid top acoustics off Goodwill that had hairline cracks in the top, but they still sounded fine. I will agree, Yamaha laminated guitars sound amazing.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I'll Name names, I have a fender Newporter complete POS in my opinion had it less than 5 years going on 4 years but it already has a neck issue, took it for a repair was gonna cost more than I paid for it ,so I am gonna just throw it out it's not playable . I'll never ever buy another acoustic ever again too much drama
Respectfully disagree. Squire is an awesome brand that makes great guitars. Epiphone are Hot Garbage. I repair, refurbish and build guitars/bass. They are 3-4 piece body’s with 3 piece necks made out of Asian mahogany source ( not real thing) Pot metal hardware. A Chibson is just as good for $300. All marketing. I’ve worked on Amazon ones that were better. You cannot buy a filet Mignon with McDonald’s money
A guitar is not comparing filet mignon to hamburger. A guitar is comparing a single plain hamburger from Rally’s to a triple decker hamburger from Red Robin. They’re both hamburgers. One just has more crap on it. Someone might think the Rally burger is superior to the Red Robin burger. It’s all subjective. I have an Epiphone SG 61 Inspired by Gibson and it’s an amazing guitar. I also own a $175 Fojill SG that is very close in quality and sound to that Epiphone. I picked up a Gibson SG at Guitar Center last week and played it. It felt cheap. Bad paint. Too light. I think they chambered the body maybe. Don’t sound any better than any other guitar I’ve ever played. Wood types are almost irrelevant. The important part about wood choice is that the wood is properly cured and stable before building with it.
8:07 🎤🎶🎸🎸🎹🥁Oh…..who else is gonna bring you….a guitar from Broken Arrow, who else is gonna bring you, a bundle of strings….here he goes…..movin’ across the show-room floor…..da, da, da….
I mean, a lot of people do. Just like they care about what clothes you wear, the car you drive etc. I couldn't care less tho, and would much rather prefer unbranded items, and in this case a guitar. There's at least 10 amazing guitars in the $500 range that is just as good as the known brand $1500 ones.
A lot of folks say they need a special instrument to feel inspired. This is nonsense. It’s the music that inspires you. Evh had a cobbled together partscaster and ruled the world. No fancy finish no name brand. Get over yourself and play music.
Two way truss rods, grade of stainless steel frets, quality of body material, quality/gauge/composition of pickup wire, type of pickup magnets, bridge and saddle materials, tuning machine quality... it all adds up. Sure, you can change all those things but wouldn't it be easier to get them in the first place?
I have a Firefly Les Paul style, made from all Mahogany, maple top, stainless frets, actual rosewood fretboard, two way truss rod, alnico pickups, great tuners. I think I paid less than $200 for it. Not to mention it sounds great.
Where the heck do folks play where they use a 100 watt head?.....what kind of incredible gig warrants that? I just want that gig! Keep the amp and guitar....please tell me you are an international touring act and that this isn't your bedroom amp......
Please dont fall into the neck size bs hype! Go watch a dozen tiny girls play a classical guitar ( classical guitars have HUGE necks) Worrying and talking guitar neck stuff is just an excuse folks who can't play use....
I bought a B stock Hagstrom Les Paul copy about 10 years ago. Put way more money & effort into it than I originally spent on it, ~$150 on Ebay. Didn't know it at the time, but that little babe would be my main squeeze for many years, hopefully many years to come. I almost feel bad that I make her sleep in the garage.
something with a straight neck, solid neck joint, decent pickups & tuners that don't slip, what else do you want? On the path to tone nirvana, the last 5% costs more than the first 95%. The last 1% costs more than the first 99%. The last 0.1% costs more than the first 99.9%. These things are statistically distributed, so you have to throw a +/-2% error bar on it. Thinking that a 3-4 sigma guitar will make you sound good when you're a 1 sigma player, which most of us are, Lassie be barking down the wrong well. In the end you have guys looking for a particular guitar. That can't simply be purchased, but has to be found, like a 4 leaf clover. At that level cost isn't a relevant parameter. When your playing and people are listening no one will know or hear the difference. How many videos about great players do we need of them talking about their guitar to realize its not a Gibson or a Fender, its that guitar, and there's only one.
NorCal winters are not really winter. The real travesty, my Martin that my wife named Heather, got left out there for a few days, they are both still mad at me.
Guitars are 70+ year old design. They are all made with CNC machines and so things like a set neck versus a bolt on neck doesn't matter in terms of difficulty of making the guitar. They just use different parts. This is what I was laughing at when people are dissing the Trump Guitars. A very expensive Gibson you are paying for a luxury name for that price. For a Trump Guitar you are paying for the rarity, novelty, and potentially the signature of Trump. In both cases the additonal cost of a decent 200-300 guitar has the value in something other than the quality. Also, most people don't know that a lot of their favorite players and songs are recorded on cheap budget minded guitars. Prince played a lot of his music on a 30 dollar tele that wasn't a name brand. That all said, not a fan of white pickguards at all.
I agree. But I'd add that also no one cares how inexpensive your guitar is but is "just as good" as the 10x more $$ version. Your price range is only the most guitar value for YOUR money, not everyone else's. Just for me, as I get deeper into guitars, it becomes less about the physical materials and more about who is making beautiful music with a guitar like this that I want to emulate.
@@MrRossharrell makes sense. I tend to just love guitars in general and when I see a new guitar on Amazon that’s around $200 I’m curious how good it is. Guitars can be as much about collecting as they are to play music on. It’s a unique item.
I once saw a video where George Benson played a guy's strat. George turned down the tone control and sounded just like George. I saw a similar vid where Eric Johnson played a 335 instead of his iconic strats. Same thang, Eric sounded like Eric Johnson... No matter what guitar you own. You can not escape this fact: You will sound like you, no matter what.
@@rustyshackleford9557 although you are making a "how does is sound" argument I like and agree with, you're missing my point: guitars are not only about the physical elements that make it up. I would include the sound in "physical elements". When I see a vintage D-35 with "Martin" on the headstock, I'm thinking and feeling Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". The objective materials and sound characteristics matter less than how it feels.
@MrRossharrell hnmmm....when I see a old D35,....I immediately think, "whiney old Bluegrass guy and he will likely bitch that I am playing an Asian built guitar". I have done lots of luthier work for decades. I have a bias against pricey guitars, they are usually owned by guys who can barely play.
If I had a $2000 budget for guitars, it would be more beneficial to spend that on 10 $200 guitars than just one $2000 guitar for several reasons. My favorite reason is you can have a bunch of guitars, each with any of the following... 2 humbuckers 3 hum 3 single coils 1 hum, 2 single 2 hum, 1 single 1 hum, 1 single 1 P-90 2 P-90s Different tremolos/bridges Different tunings (guitars dedicated, properly set-up and intonated for alternate tunings) Baritone Bass Semi-hollow Acoustic 12 string... etc Also, I think it's a good idea to have guitars with different neck profiles, scale lengths, & fretboard radii so you can adapt easier than if you are only familiar with just one profile/scale/radius. There is a point of diminishing returns when spending more than, say $500 on a guitar. Quality doesn't really go up after that, you are only paying for the name on the headstock or aesthetics (such as a figured top, binding, gold hardware, inlays other than standard dots, etc...) On occasion I have gotten cheaper guitars with muddy sounding pickups. Doesn't cost much to replace them. (I usually get GFS pickups from guitarfetish.com... sound great at good prices.) Budget guitars have come a long way since the days of plywood bodies with bad single-coil pickups in the guise of humbuckers.
I'm a big proponent of cheap guitars because a lot of them are amazingly well-made. I have two high-end guitars (2 Godins) that I got great deals on the used market but the guitar I play most is a cheap Wasburn Strat that was my first guitar. I also have a cheap Beaver Creek acoustic dreadnought and I've ordered a couple of Donners. I got one of the two Donners already but it had a warped neck and a loose tuner but other than that, it was fantastic. Ive sent it back but I have a replacement on the way. Hopefully, the next one will be better.
I've never owned an expensive guitar I have played some tho. To be honest, my Squier strat, Tele, Epiphone Les Paul and 2 Jackson guitars feel and play just as well as their pricy counterparts. Sure they needs some tlc and tweaking but so do a lot of high priced guitars. It all comes down to how skilled a player is, not how much cash one lays out .
Nice Tele, can't go wrong with a Classic Vibe. I heard the Guitar Wizard say "You Have Chosen Wisely Young Man" 😂 It's exactly the Squier I thought it was in your post. I didn't try and guess the model, didn't want to take anything away from your thunder ✌️
I think this a partial truth. Electrics are easier to produce good sound and lower costs, acoustics not so much. I also think, pick ups, hardware, tuners, pick ups , fret work, neck quality, all reflect the quality of a guitar. I've found that mid tier instruments tend to provide the best value. The rule of diminishing returns kicks in around 750 mark to me
Are the bodies slightly thinner on Squier guitars verses full size bodies on fenders...not sure about classic vibes..I know most squiers are thinner bodies..
In my 48 years I’ve never even considered anything from fender or Squier. In the past two month I’ve purchased 3 Squiers and 4 firefly’s. All 7 cost me around 2000. They all feel fantastic. The first 12 of my guitars were not so wallet friendly. I’m so done paying more than 250-350 for a guitar.
This is just a matter of material science. And it's a scientific field that's been neglected and so there's a great deal of uncertainty. But clearly the pickups measure roughly the same and they're responsible for most of the sound of the guitar, so I can imagine that squires and fenders and Fender players all sound roughly the same. And if they don't sound exactly the same if the pickups are wound a little bit more on one and another it is not related to the cost.
it seems like what we’re actually talking about is where does the law of diminishing returns kick in for guitars, I disagree a little bit with your particular price points I think $500 guitar is noticeably better than a $200 guitar in significant ways. But I would agree that much past $600. You’re not getting a great deal more in function. I also think the equation is a little different for acoustic guitars, these days to drop off is probably over $1000 somewhere.
I'd say the $200 price range is a crap shoot, some are great others have issues. I have a couple Firefly guitars that are absolutely amazing and less than $200. But I think in the video I did put the price range at $250/$300 to $600. The $250 to $300 is the grey area. But definitely once you get into the $350 to $600 range you get some really quality guitars.
Its more like comparing a space shuttle and a Cesna but ALSO realizing the owner likely can not fly either well enough to justify the price without some lessons.
And thanks to you Jayse.... I'm going to sound better than ever because people are going to be listening to 20 guitars and not my smooth blues that you can get only from a well-made guitar
Exactly, we're down to cosmetics.& nonsense for guitars. They're trying carbon fiber & other things like built in effects, pcb surface mount boards for switches & pots. It's almost comical the lengths they are going to, to double the price of a guitar. Imagine that, anyone that made a hit song did it with the cheapest instrument they could find. When big traditional brands showed up ? The song was already written, practiced & quite often performed. Jack White wrote albums of material with Department store Airline & Kay guitars from the 1960's that MSRP for under $ 100 back then. I'm sure he's used plenty of big name brands too. But what he made his name with were Valco guitars. He never sits around & talks about how his guitars are never in tune or what they feel like or not. Granted my $ 100 Chinese guitars don't feel like Custom Shops, but in a few years they will. Just set them up properly, play them in & eventually they will be as good as any Fender/Gibson ever will be. How many Fender/Gibson guitars get returned or resold because they weren't all that ? With the Chinese guitars, one has to get past the decal & name of the brand, that inferiority complex that a $ 100 guitar can't possibly be remotely as good as a Made in USA brand.
Every guitar 🎸 players I have known have all started with inexpensive guitars... Look Eddie Van Halen had a rejected body & neck he hand chiseled the cavity for the pickups... Spray paint 🎨 body. It's the player. If Say Zack Wylde picks up a budget guitar 🎸 say DONNER, West Creek Leo Jamz IYV Fire Fly etc he will sound like himself. If one of critical people here pick up Zack s guitar as well as myself we will sound like us not him...FACT. CNC MACHINING Leveled the playing field.. You can up grade the electronics & the hardware say on a Glary Guitar and your good. Or a Chipson . Knock Off.... The signal chain is more important than the guitar especially the Speakers or Sims and then the AMPLIFIER or AMP SIM 🎤 mic SIM or Mic .. next strings.. look Spector Studios Did a comparison guitars from $200 a Harley Benton and next guitar $2,000 all the way to a $20,000 guitar 🎸.. Same Signal Chain ie Amp Speaker Cab speakers pedals. All the same. Pro player so same player blind test & the Harley Benton WON A $200 GUITAR.. Even the player picked the Harley Benton WOW.. Nice Demo. Yeah supporting small store is important. Although most of my purchases are Internet. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎵🎶🎶🎶
You are correct. Jayce probably means that it reduces the number of middlemen. There are often multiple whole sellers, distributers, delears and finally a retailer in order for many guitars to reach the consumer. They all get a cut. It reduces the cost of operating a brick and mortar buisiness and staffing it. And it avoids a huge advertising and promotion expenditure.
Sounds fantastic. Skill is acquired though practice, not purchase. I have both expensive, and inexpensive guitars, and I love, and play them all. Before you fire up your Affirm account for a fancy American made axe, with questionable quality control, ask yourself. “ is the label, worth the labor”? Rock on🎸🎸🎸
I cannot buy me an expensive guitar ,my most expensive guitar was a 500 dollar godin session. feel guilty to mod it even on 500 ,imagine if it over 1000. sold it and get 300 dollar Chinese brand copy of suhr modern.easier 22nd fret acces with extra room,light in weight , guilt free modification and upgrade.
My hand engraved, D2 steel hammer with pearl inlays and Custom Rosewood handle does not make me a carpenter, nor does it help me drive nails. Reality hurts Very few guitar owners can even play. It is mostly about ownership. Come on! Listen to em play!!! It sure isn't about music. Dang! Too many years selling and fixing and bangin' on guitars but honestly about 5%of my total customers can actually play.
Well, I am scrawny, unathletic, not very bright, lack any sense of humor, bald, overweight, divorced 26 times, live in my mom's basement, dislexic and play guitar worse than Li'l Wayne. My expensive guitar collection is the ONLY thing about me that might impress ANYONE. And now you hurt my feelings.
Guitars are like cars. You start off on something cheap and functional and have the choice to upgrade in time if it’s within your means. I don’t buy cheap guitars but I don’t buy very exclusive custom shop guitars either. I buy interesting guitars with a heritage and history, mostly used, some as early as the 80s, for their mojo and a sense of passing the torch to the next player.
Inexpensive guitars today are better because the market demands it. Back in the day, ages ago, you either bought a real instrument or a cheapshit copy. Right now, any guitar less than $300 is going to be similar in crapness. I would much rather have two to five excellent instruments than a stable full of deadwood.
Eddie Van Halen’s famous Frankenstrat was a total DIY hack job-a $50 Charvel reject body, cheap parts, spray paint, and electrical tape. The 3-way/5-way switch? Hacked to keep all pickups on and duct-taped in the middle. And that quarter holding the bridge in place? Pure chaos. It was ridiculous-but in Eddie’s hands, it was pure magic.
If Eddie Van Halen hadn’t become a legend and it was just the guitar he cobbled together, the Frankenstrat probably wouldn’t have been worth much at all-maybe a few hundred bucks at best as a curiosity piece. most people wouldn’t look twice at it even at a pawn shop.
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Saw a replica of the guitar the other day.. I just chuckled to myself what a monster it was.
Only the bridge pickup was actually wired and straight to the volume. No tone pot. I played five of his guitars, including a white body Strat with single coils that he kept changing or adding paint colors and a fav version ended up that iconic red/blk:wht Frankenstein.
We had the same luthier, Karl Sandoval, who built my red Star. The first body cut, second fully assembled/painted. George Lynch, another friend, has the finished Star in white, also built by Karl.
I paid $700ish, relatively expensive in those days, including the ‘65 Strat neck I bought on my own that Karl installed as a set neck & replaned & refretted.
Karl also frequently refretted necks for Ed because wore them out quickly.
To be clear, Karl also worked on several guitars for Ed and sold him his own custom for a high price (I think $2k?). I played it (awesome!) before Ed bought it.
Ed calls it The Detonator and played on tracks on the VH1. It’s the yellow rectangular guitar on the inside cover of VH1.
@@erichkaanikin3555 Appreciate the expertise sir! Happy playing
@@erichkaanikin3555 I really miss Eddie man. Saw his last tour. His playing had never been better. His son was on bass. David Lee Roth was singing. Sorta wish Sammy could have been there too man... Knowing it was his last tour.
Fantastic concert. Can't believe we'll never hear anything more from him!!! I like his son's playing a lot as well.
I was just talking about this very subject to my local guitar shop owner not long ago, and he summed it up like this:
If it looks good to you, plays good to you, and sounds good to you, then it IS good! When the fan boys start paying YOUR bills, then have them come and talk. I have 4 guitars - A Squier, a Peavey, a Yamaha, and a Gibson. All of them have good points and bad - including the Gibson. Funny thing is, they all sound like me when I play - imagine that..........
@@rockerbuck967 I always sound the same too. No matter what name is on the headstock.
Well said!!🎸🤘🏽
@@rockerbuck967 You're not a professional there's no way you can tell me that Stevie Ray Vaughan is going to play great to an $80 TG&y fender Stratocaster because if you do you're lying to yourself, not to me
@@rockerbuck967 The fanboys have always paid my bill always, they're the ones who want me to perform at my best cuz they love me. So I go out and buy the smoothers playing guitar that I can find and it usually cost more than $80
Just bought 2 inexpensive guitars from China - and I can't stop playing them, to the detriment of my other guitars. They just feel right... and they sound excellent; that's all that matters!
Rock on!
At the end of the day, as a guitarist, what matters is: Did you enjoy what you played, and are you a better guitarist than you were yesterday? If the answer to at least one of those is yes, it doesn't matter what you were playing. Good opening, J.
Thank you.
This is the best quote I've seen all day. I like that.
3:17 “A guitar that costs $200 is pretty much the same as a guitar that costs $3,000”. Not exactly sure what you mean by “pretty much the same”, but this statement really jumped out at me. Maybe you were just speaking with a little hyperbole? If not, play a Taylor 814 Builders Edition, and then pick up a Taylor 114ce. They’re not the same. Play a USA EVH signature Wolfgang, and then play an EVH Wolfgang Standard. They’re not even close to being the same. Oh and by the way, just for full disclosure, I have the cheaper Taylor and the cheaper Wolfgang. So it’s not like I’m punching down here. I just think there’s a huge difference. Feel, sound, etc.
I'm talking electric guitars for sure. But the differences I've noticed were very minor, maybe a bit better fretwork, maybe sweeter tone, which is lost the minute you throw some high gain pedal on it. I guess I would ask you to explain what you mean by not even close? What were the major differences you could see/feel between the two. I own a $550 Epiphone SG and a $175 Fojill SG, they are almost identical. The pickups in the Epihone are better but again, in a mix you'd never notice. Now, I played a Gibson SG at Guitar Center on Thursday and I didn't see or feel any difference between that guitar which costs over $2000 and the Epiphone and Fojill. In fact, the body on the Gibson felt flimsy. Again, your experience may differ.
There's a similar issue with acoustic guitars. But there we know that it takes a lot of labor to make the guitar as thin as possible and not collapse.
But there's not a lot of research on this, so there's a great deal of uncertainty.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Well, based on my opinion ure right.. guitars are low tech devices; the tech haven't changed ,or have advanced since their invention... ure right it's just wood, some pigments , metal ,& some screws..
the ingredient's aren't that expensive ; we are just paying for the cost of labor & inflation.. ure right even with pickups the tech is still low tech ,& there hasn't been any real advancement in pickup tech, ure also right guitars are pretty much at a dead end, so there's nowhere really for them to go unless they become like computers with built in software that make them like digital instrument's that rely on data ,& can produce their own sound ,& tone digitally that never need strings or tuning this is why Digital keyboard are way ahead of the guitar & all those synthesizers.
the guitar is pretty much dead... I am surprised that guitar loyalists haven't or been willing to take a giant leap forward. the guitar has reached it's evolution.. I even been to a live concept show once, in which none of the musicians used any instruments other than a computer & backing tracks & a live singer; it was a 2 person band, but I am pretty sure the singer was getting help from an autotune or something .
@@JayceAllanGuitar re: “not even close”; I would start with the USA signature Wolfgang having better tuners (plus having mother of pearl (or pearloid) knobs), birdseye maple or roasted neck, ebony fretboard, nicer inlays (mother of pearl for example), a carved top, binding around the body, better pickups (I forget the exact differentiation between the two models….but the standard is known to have inferior pups), plus the sound of the USA signature just absolutely jumps off the guitar (even just unplugged; played acoustically….its quite noticeable). I guess that’s what I mean by “not even close”. 🤷🏻♂️
@@e.c.6707 pretty looking guitars are like pretty women after a while their glitter fades, & they all start to sound the same..
The difference between say a $200 guitar and even a $600 guitar is the finishing work and QC. IMO. I recently picked up a Firefly, my first one, the frets were horrible (not level and not polished), the wood around the floyd trem post was broken (in the trem cavity), the neck needed to be reset, etc..I got a partial refund and did all the work, now it plays great. For somebody who has no idea how to do that stuff themselves they would have just sent the POS back or spent another $200 or more getting it repaired. Now compare that to a mid level Ibanez I own and the QC is night and day. I didn't have to do a damn thing with my Ibanez except swap the strings. But, I also have a 2022 MIM Charvel that was a POS out of the box and I had to do work on that, like recrown 8 frets that weren't finished properly. I got a partial refund on that as well. Then I have a MIM Fender Strat and a Squier Strat that needed no work at all. My Epiphone Les Pauls needed no work.
QC is all over the place these days. In general I think once you get below $300 with certain brands QC generally goes out the door. But, QC on some higher priced guitars also goes out the door at at times. I think manufacturing across the board with multiple brands has suffered since 2020. I'm also convinced a lot of the cheaper guitars on Amazon are all being produced by the same factories and just changing the headstock shape and brand name. I have a few M Musi guitars, those were a step above the other cheap Amazon guitars IMO, and their strat bodies are the same exact deal as Eart, Firefly, etc...but their QC is good. Too bad you can't get them now.
Learn to play your instrument well and learn how to fix guitars yourself and you can make anything sound good.
ive been a guitarist for 30 years and i only play with the cheapest shit i can get my hands on, as long as it stays in tune and sounds alright then its alright by me. i try and get my stuff second hand too that saves me alot of money
I have a different viewpoint. Price is not that important, but the personal experience/connection with the instrument is important. and let's be real, if money is no objection you would not buy the used squier tele custom in your video, but a real real vintage Fender 60 tele custom. It's a different experience. That's why we buy stuff that looks like les pauls, SGs, tele etc. because our heroes played one and that is the connection, having an instrument that is more desirable is part of the experience etc etc.
I couldn’t agree more. I believe that the law of diminishing returns strongly applies to high-end instruments. I play four different instruments and cannot afford the instruments most commonly preferred by collectors. There are many quality instruments available in the sensible price range. Musicians, reach your audience with your skill.
@@Davysprocket213 musician reach your skill, on a TG&y Stratocaster, I don't think so buddy
At 72 here is what I’ve noticed: How is the neck and then there is staying relatively in tune, the frets and electronics. I may re-fret, change the pots and then there is the AMP and ME.
@@scottbee501 then instantly guitar has gone from $80 to $500
@@efrenpichardo8643Sounds expensive. 🎸😝
I have expensive $3k+ and used $30 budget guitars. Expensive guitars mainly only need standard maintenance, whereas budget guitars need work to match the level of expensive guitars. Thanks Jayce for speaking the truth here and for being brave against the non-believers.
@@JessePizano thanks for watching. I appreciate the comments.
Please don't misunderstand, I LOVE INEXPENSIVE GUIATRS ! As a hobbyist almost all of my collection is entry level instruments that have been lovingly modded in most cases. However, my best friend has a collection of name brand beauties and a couple of custom shop level guitars, that I exclusively maintain.
As much as I LOVE my budget beauties, many of which I've had offers on from collectors with far more exclusive tastes, the truth is that they're not at the same level as the big boys! Period. I have a PRS Se. It was a gift that I will cherish and love for the rest of my days. It is a great guitar that will never leave me needing anything more. However, compared to my friends core model from the nineties, its a different experience completely. I have Squires and I have an American Strat from the eighties. I love all of them truly, but my American Strat is better than my Squires, it just is. I have nothing but love for affordable well made guitars. Their place in the hobby we all love so much is legitimate and undeniable, however, even my American Strat has trouble comparing to my friends custom shop relic Nash Strat. The sad truth is, the more time a luthier spends toiling over and loving the guitar he's building, the better it's goi g to be. Affordable guitars, unfortunately, don't have much time or care spent on them.
Right, but it's because the key is time spent, not magic wood or metal. As long as the wood for the body is good and the neck is good, etc., then you can create your own custom guitar that plays like it cost over $1000 but only cost around $300. i never knew this until I started building my own. I used to think Fender and Gibson had some kind of magic formula that only they could make a truly great guitar. I was so wrong, and this obsession with collection the vintage ones is about as insane a phenomenon as I've ever seen. The guitar industry has benefitted mostly from ignorance and brand worship. That's all it is. This video nails the reality of what makes guitars great.
@@stevenpipes1555 I have a friend like you that I play with on my off days, I'm a professional, and he is so scared to take out his expensive guitars because he might accidentally bump into something. That's not a guitar player That's a hobbyist like you
@@matsumoku1 But that's not all it is. OK. I found a Sqire affinity at a flea market for 50 bucks. Thin body, sinle ply guard,and cheap hardware, but otherwise like new. The neck, however, was completely flamed so I baught it. I put Graphtech saddles, nut, string tree, and strap buttons on it. I put a thick brass bridge block on it. 53 Tele neck pickup with Texas Specials in middle and bridge positions. I wired it like a Tele, on a three way switch controlling neck and bridge positions, and the middle pickup mixes in on its own volume pot. Master vol and tone to control the whole mix. A set of Hipshot open gear locking tuners, a fresh level crown and polish on the frets and the paint carved away leaving it gloss black hotrod flames over bare wood. Its a truly unique custom hot rod that looks plays and sounds KILLER! However it's still a thinner body and a narrower neck. As boutique and custom as it looks and sounds, it still has the original bone structure of a 90 dollar student guitar.
Except you don’t have a vibrato.
@@ckelly5141 Who are you referring to not having a vibrato?
I owned a 1968 Fender Telecaster Custom in 1973. I sold it in 1982. Today I own 10 Guitars and they are all less than $400 except for two new Gretsch Guitars and one of those was the 140th anniversary edition release. I love them all. I have an Epiphone SG400 Pro SG $349 used and an Agile AL200 Les Paul $250 used in a Gibson Case ....they don't get much better than that. Reaffirmed what I have been doing. I think you video was spot on ... I really liked it I will watch more !!!!
@@BrianJohnson-cj8xf thank you. I appreciate that.
I agree wholeheartedly with the concept of the law of diminishing returns, I’d say the sweet spot is around 500 unless there’s some sort of groundbreaking innovation which does still happen, robot guitars, MIDI guitars, transtrems, roller nuts, sustainiacs, killswitches, etc what I’m saying is you’re right about not letting the hype trick people into wasting their money on marginal (if any) improvement but rather focusing on the parts that make it a functional tool for how one intends to use it! Honestly wish there was a factory outlet website we could just spec and order budget priced guitars so I can have a headless star shaped guitar with a sustainiac and trem for under a grand
I generally agree. But I’ll be honest, I purchased my PRS custom 24 more than a decade ago now and I have personally never played another guitar since then that I felt was as good. I have noodled around on guitars that cost twice as much and I have noodled around on far more guitars that cost a lot less. Nothing compares, at least for me. I think the custom 24 is probably the best guitar ever made. It’s just everything I’m looking for in a guitar. And if mine ever got destroyed or stolen, I am almost certain that I would save up the money to replace it and until I was able to replace it, I would severely miss having one, even though I also own a Gibson SG and a few cheaper guitars.
I have yet to own a PRS. I'll have to check one out.
I have a PRS McCarty but I personally love playing my Mexican Strat that I bought on Marketplace for 350 bucks more. The PRS is rarely use. I have 13 guitars ranging from 2000 to 140 bucks. All sound great.
I agree that no one cares about my Custom Shop 62 Telecaster, but I care and that's what matters. I will say that the Classic Vibe 60's Tele is a very good guitar. I regret the day I got rid of mine, but it weighed like 8,000 pounds. My arthritis just couldn't take it anymore.
It's pretty heavy. I should have weighed it. It's probably a good 7 to 8 pounds.
@@schreds8882 I'm telling shred, my guitars are in the 1200 range. They are so smooth, so rigid and strong that they make me play better than an $80 wannabe. And that's why I buy the better guitar cuz it makes me play better
@@efrenpichardo8643 I also have a Pro II Tele and it plays amazing. What you get with the higher end guitars is a level of fit and finish that lets the instrument be an extension of the musician. The downside to a very inexpensive guitar is that you find yourself fighting the instrument which you don't get with better guitars. I usually suggest that you buy the best guitar your budget will allow.
@schreds8882 thank you,
I spoke with Kyle Hudson from Tulsa Oklahoma. He is someone to consider better than I am. And he told me that some of the guitars I played were squires! So! I stand corrected. He also declared that the squires, at around $500, are very good today!
@@efrenpichardo8643 No worries. I've played the entry level Pacifica and it's every bit as good as a high end Squier. Strats are not my go-to style of guitar, but I also had the chance this year to play one of those $500 Yamaha Revstars and those are blow your mind good. I love a two-pickup guitar. 😁
So I kind of agree with you, there is much like smartphones a point of diminishing returns for sound and that comes down to the actual wood used, which can decide if the sound is good or bad but arguably the most important part is the quality of electronics. You could take a PRS se and put PRS electronics in it and on a recording you wouldn't be able to tell the two apart unless you got golden ears. That being said the other thing not tone wise you pay for is the feel in your hands, a really high end PRS feels incredible I played one of the Private Stock ones in a music store and then played the closest se model and it's insane the feel difference and that comes down to how much more time and effort is put into each one to refine that, more budget guitars aren't gonna feel as good because it's a generic build that's pumped out as fast as possible to maximise profit because that's where Gibson and Fender make their money. The main brand will sell to pro musicians or well off aspiring ones, but the majority of sales? Kids and adults looking to become musicians and need a starter guitar so the volume required is WAY higher thus attention to detail drops for that.
Yeah. The debate about price of the guitar vs. how "good " it actually was, was something I would think a lot about...until I actually started buying cheaper guitars, tearing them down, learning about electronics, wood, fret levelling, etc... I am still learning, but I think a lot of the difference in price should be... the SET-UP of the guitar. A good set-up can make a HUGE difference in how a guitar feels and plays, and can be the difference in it sitting on a stand, or actually getting played. So called "crappy" guitars from a pawn shop can be made to be real players! I actually enjoy turning someone's discarded "cheap junk" into shredders! There is of course, nothing wrong with having nice things, but when you are on a budget, just like everything else, it's also not a bad idea to try get the most for you money...
Well said. I think part of the fun is tinkering.
I have a mid priced guitar and a sort of higher priced guitar, they both plays great, I can’t say 1 is better than the other, they’re both inspiring, for music making I think they’re pretty much the same, they serve different purpose. But I can say my higher priced guitar feels more solod like something that would last a lil bit more and there is just something on it that feels really premium. I shy away from buying fenders or Gibson coz i feel like Im not getting enough for my money, try some other great brands and maybe you’ll see difference.
Squier and Epiphone are easier to retrofit / upgrade. Alot of manufacturers state "will fit Squire."
Don't need to worry about parts not fitting.
Honestly 95% of fender styled guitarists should just get the MIM version of the guitar they want. You can get a used mim between 350-500 on marketplace and the quality is great and it has the “right” name on the headstock. As for expensive American vs budget foreign guitars… I can feel/hear subtle differences. USUALLY you get a better piece of wood, the finish feels better, the selector switch tends to be smoother, the tuners feel better but all these slight improvements aren’t enough to justify the price in my eyes. The differences are slight but noticeable if you’ve been playing long enough to notice.
At the end of the day, if you’ve know how to do a setup and know what you like, you can buy and gig damn near anything. The audience doesn’t give a shyt what you play and in most cases, unless they paid to specifically see you, your audience wishes you weren’t even there and hopes the bar turns you off and the jukebox on.
@@misterknightowlandco MIM Strats are pretty much the same in my opinion. I’ve owned a few and they are great guitars.
One thing I look for is the necks. some brands will use multiple pieces for a neck such as Jackson and Ibanez. this is to stabilize and reduce the possibility of unwanted flex or twisting. All wood will shrink and expand throughout its life. Different coatings on the necks can help seal and not allow moisture to add to the expansion contraction. The truss rod is the main part helping to keep everything perfect. A piece of wood with more growth rings is usually stronger but the type of cut is also key to how or what direction the wood wants to naturally twist. Just because a guitar is cheap wouldn't mean the neck wood is terrible. However guitar builders building high end customs will definitely pick through and pick out the best pieces. Wood that doesn't meet the quality for high end builds is still used on lower end builds. Does that mean it will make bad guitars? not necessarily. Wood is graded by a person looking at it so it's not 100% and nobody can tell for sure how the wood will turn out. Guitar builders Just like woodworkers in general do know the general attributes of woods and a general idea of how they act in manufacturing. Wood for the bodies of electrics is less important except other than for density and appearance.
I can't argue with that, although I've never had a guitar neck warp on me.
People paying for the Name & His-Story/History 🎸🎸🎸🎸 & Some For return in value --- Like collecting Stamps & Coins. Thanks For Sharing 🧠🎸🎶✌️
Thanks for tuning in.
Kinda disagree. Crooks care about how expensive your guitar is. Reverb and guitar stores seem to care how expensive your guitar is.
Well there's that. I was thinking more the average person, or your audience when playing.
Hard to argue that for sure.🎸👍
@@JayceAllanGuitarsome people just like to disagree lol.
I agree with the title but that's about it. There has been a ton of technological advancement in the design and construction of guitars. The use of CNC machines are an obvious one. Others include new finishes, hardware, shapes, and materials (roasted maple for one). Also, inexpensive guitars are better than they ever have been and have benefited the most from these advancements in construction. However, to say that there is no difference between a $200 guitar and a $3000 is absurd. There is a lot of highly labour-intensive work that only really gets done on higher end instruments. There can even be a huge difference in quality between one $3000 guitar and another.
Advances in production techniques but no advances in the instrument itself. Some of Fender and Gibson’s best selling guitars are reissues. A different paint color and roasted wood isn’t an innovation. It’s purely esthetic. But as I state in the video. I’m just telling what my experience is. Yours may be completely different.
@@JayceAllanGuitar If you're looking for innovation don't look to Gibson. Nostalgia is their whole thing. Plenty of other manufacturers are innovating in other ways. Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
You are right, absolutely right!
I like that one. I have the 50’s version. I agree. I have 5 Gibsons (although moderate priced ones) a Charvel San Dimas, an EVH Bumblebee ect but my $300 - $700 guitars see the most play. For me the hardware and electronics are a big deal when it comes to quality and mid price is where that stuff starts to show up.
I played a squire vintage modified 5 string jazz bass on stage for 10 years ish. Gave it a fret leveling and it played like butter. I have more gear than I can shake a stick at and I can grab whatever off the wall. kept choosing that one because it felt like home and I didn't have to watch it like a hawk because I didn't care. Some drunk kid at a bar I was playing spilled a pitcher of beer on it and I left it in my car overnight. It cracked the body in half, so I built a new body out of flamed maple. I put flats on it. Still play it on gigs every once in a while. Best money I ever spent.
If copyright laws meant anything there wouldn’t be any $200.00 guitars. Sounds like sour grapes. Gear that started rock and roll was expensive in its day and expensive to build and sell, no internet, probably less likely to purchase a guitar by mail back in the day and probably not many collecting gear only playing. The major build companies recognize the cost for us average folk and started making the Epiphone, Squier etc.. so they could continue to sell gear and the Bonamassa types and Japanese gear companies could hoard the best from new purchases, from guitar shows or individuals they pay to source collectible valuable gear
around the world. They’ve eventually raised the price of the Epiphone’s etc… because they were still attainable by us average folk and today those have gone up in price with builders citing the quality is better, is it? All self reported me thinks. I played sports growing up and my baseball glove was handed down to me by a cousin. The local sport shops today want $300.00 for a decent glove. I was about 30 years old when playing guitar first interested me. Now at 62 yrs. old I’m reminded that at every step along the way I was taken advantage of until I learned what I was doing. I ran across the guy this summer that sold me my first tuner along with my first Strat pack 30 yrs years ago. I asked if he thought it was really necessary to sell me a $120.00 tuner with my $299.00 Strat pack and he literally turned red in the face. Learn what’s going on, save a little money and buy what you want not what they’re selling! I bought my last guitar new in 2014, at a Guitar Center, one of seven in my area, it was a PRS Santana SE for $329.00 new, no gig bag or case. I still have it today in an original plain PRS case that cost $300.00 new back in the day, I paid $50.00 for it used in excellent because no one wants a case anymore they say. I buy from individuals at a fair price not at a price I can beat ‘em on and rest easy at night knowing the companies and their employees don’t. I’ll check out the channel I think your heart is in the right place.
Thank you. I appreciate the comments. Fender never pursued lawsuits against the copy cats. Gibson did but lost some of them. They use trademarks to protect their designs not copyright. I think copyright is more for printed work. I know Fender had patents on some of their designs but I know patents run out eventually. Sounds like you’ve scored some great deals.
Components are very different. Whether that matters to you is another question. But it does make a difference.
I had a Gibson l6s stolen, so someone cared it was valuable
That is a very nice looking Tele! Great review, thanks, Jayce! Cheers!
No problem. Thank you.
Nowadays what really matters it's amps and pedals and imagination of each guitar player.
Yeah, that's what matters, talent boxes. What rubbish...
Guitars between 500 and 1000 euro are great. All my guitars and a bass are in this range. I would suggest to buy used and 500 euro can get very nice guitars.
Buying a USA made strat ain't like the ones made in Mexico..that's facts from an experienced guitarist 😉
I've seen a RUclips vid and the guy, (Norm) said bodys get sent to Mexico for painting they send guitars north for work so there are few made in America guitars by Fender today.
@billleith7110 I personally don't know about that though it can happen..I've played Mexican strats and they are nice guitars but I own and play American strats and I can really tell you the big difference..that's why they're pricey a bit,same goes for les Paul's! That's just my opinion and to each their own😉
I saw that video too.
I care, as some of the amounts I've paid for guitars scare me silly!
I love the title. I'm saving this to my watch later playlist.
Thank you.
I disagree.Cheaper guitars take for instance a squire is made it of cheaper wood and weighs more,the pickups are cheaper and don’t sound as good as a more expensive one,the bridge ,the tuners switches,potentiometers are cheap.So You’re better off buying a better quality guitar and by doing this you can also buy a signature guitar like a Brent Mason model,Brad Paiseley a Buck Owens model,orJames Burton model or even a favorite rock artist signature guitar and it will cost more but it will make a lot of difference.
no, a guitar that cost $200 is not the same quality as a guitar that costs $3,000.
Nice score on the Tele! That's s keeper.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your point of view. I agree with your thoughts. I have found that many budget guitars hold their own against more expensive brands in terms of play & feel. To me, if a guitar sounds good to your ear, feels good in your hands, and when you see it you have to pick it up and play its a great guitar. Love my Squire Classic Vibes. Rock on!
Hey thanks for watching.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Of course, I dig the channel, bro.
Cool vid. Not sure how new or fresh the whole "Hey Gearsnob, you're wrong as usual" mantra is, but it doesn't hurt to be repeated.
I think it bears repeating since I continue to get comments when I review cheap guitars about how they're junk and I should be reviewing "real" guitars.
@JayceAllanGuitar Valid. Among my modest group of guitars, I have a Les Paul Custom and a 110$ T-style I modded up; honestly, if there was a fire, I'd be torn on which to save.
That’s a good topic for a video. What guitar would you save if you could only take one! 😂🎸
@JayceAllanGuitar Yeah that is a good topic for discussion AND comments.
10$ set of Guyker compensated tele saddles, ( 14$ for the Wilkinson) are an easy fix to help with intonation.
I owned a £1300 Martin D15M, which I had sell it due to financial issues and needed money. I now own a Brunswick BTK-50 which cost £170. While the Brunswick sounds lovely, the Martin actually sang like an Angel. There is a difference.
I am extremely glad that you have made this point rather effectively. My personal best example is a pine acoustic - circa 1928 or so. Sears and Roebuck that I found in a thrift store. I paid $1 for the warped plywood box, and proceeded to create the absolute BEST lap slide track I've ever heard with it. One Dollar folks. People started demanding it at shows.......
And even better, it's now a one of a kind.
@@chasmenear7130 sounds like a Mary Poppins story
Alas, that guitar became a wall hanger for a late friend, and from there I have no idea what happened to it. There are PLENTY of old cheap axes out there with warped necks. Lol...Find one, and give it a whirl. You might need to lift the nut, and I highly recommend the 'Joe Walsh method ' of using an appropriate sized piece of Balsa as a replacement - or an old Stevens riser nut if you have one kicking around...! Happy New Year!
If the quality is there, and you know roughly what things sell for. I feel like like a 500 bucks for a fender mim is worth it for like new condition. Even the fender parts individually are expensive, and people are happy to pay those prices, cause they feel its quality made.
The Chinese guitars at fine for the price, but there quality is questionable. Especially, when there's no difference from knockoff guitars and Chinese brands. But if you know how to do your own setup work and mods, you can make the cheap guitars works.
With the fender stuff and squier stuff, parts can be interchanged. Where as it isn't certain if other Chinese brands are using similar specs to fender for neck pocket.
Like the classic vibes are good value, you can clearly see they put more effort into making them. You can get a nice used classic vibe for not much and have it retain its value better than no name brands.
Whatever people are willing to spend on a guitar usually dictates its prices. If no one is buying, they will just lower the price in a future sale. I guess those higher prices can only represent what the brands wants to be seen as, a premium guitar. Except the prices don't reflect the quality in some cases.
I'd like to get a classic vibe strat. This tele is very impressive.
An expensive smartphone and a cheap one makes tou do the same stuff , they both do phone calls , they both makes photos , they both surf the net, so to summarize , they do the same job... What you have , at the end of the day , with the expensive one , is a more pleasant experience, thats exactly the same with guitars , you got what you pay for, if you strip down all of the hardware and pickups from a fender Custom shop and put them on a squier , the squier will never sound the same of the fender CS. Mass production at lower prices wont let you age and stabilize the woods , not to mention that youre gonna start from the cheapest kind'o woods... Especially on necks this translates onto very poorly made necks that will twist and bend very fast and be subject to dramatic humidity/temperature change modifications, dead spots on fretboard due to soft wood etc etc. Often i have on the lab brand new epiphones (especially the ones that were produced in winter) that needs a fret level from the moment the customer bring them home , last week ive had to level an epi SG 61 inspired by gibson with 7 frets that were too high (this particular model is a nightmare because of its very thin neck, associated by the fact that they use a broke ass wood makes a perfect mix for the disaster)
But again , if you think that there isn't a big difference, let's say between a 300 euros Harley Benton and a 7000 euros Gibson CS LP, thats your right to think so... There are people that thinks that the earth is flat and I'm most happy for them ... P.S. you're entering into the Guitar Business via RUclips, just remember that the people (customers) that moves money in this world (and GAS) are not the one that enter the shops and bring home the squier bullet, so MAYBE, you've gotta think again the target you wanna aim. Just my 2 cents
But if you're happy to
I have been playing and touring on off 40 years ..only difference that I can feel anyway is in the fret work... everything else not much difference..comparing EPI Les Paul verses a Gibson...in my experience anyway..but I agree cheaper guitars are quite amazing these days.god bless
I started with a $300 used Epi LP. Later traded it in for an Epi 60s Standard Limited Edition. Later traded that in for a used Gibson.
Was a $300-$600 "upgrade" each time, but it was easier than $1600 at once, and I had a guitar to play while I saved up.
Now I get called a guitar snob with a boomer brand 😂 I love it 😅
Yeah, I think I'm going to break down here soon and get a Gibson SG or Les Paul if only to make a video about. I mean, I live in Michigan, birthplace of Gibson, I probably should own one.
I just recently bought a Squier Jazzmaster XII twelve string when Fender was having a sale. Three hundred seventy dollars, although apparently nobody cares about that. I had ordered a set of actual Jazzmaster pickups before I got the guitar since I knew that the stock pickups were actually P90s. Once I got the guitar, I discovered that the stock pickups were actually quite nice, although very much lacking in dynamics. The tuning machines were awful, and the pots were physically noisy, although they sounded fine. The input jack was very cheap and flimsy. The fit and finish of the body and neck was beautiful however. So, after changing the tuners, all electronics--pickups to output jack, shielding the pickguard, filing down a few high frets, filing flush and hand filing the fret ends to make them smooth, replacing the bridge, while not particularly necessary, with a Gotoh that didn't look cheap, and doing a setup, I have a guitar that is very nice indeed. I love playing it. I doubled the price of my investment, only because I did all the work myself. If I hired a luthier to do it, the price would have tripled . So, that's what your extra money gets you, a guitar that is actually pleasant to play.
I've amassed over 40 guitars over the last 30 years ranging from super cheap to very expensive and I enjoy playing them all. Truth be told I actually like my squire more than my American strat. The neck is way better and I dont worry about scratching it. Price doesnt make it play better.
I look at it like this. If you're a weekend warrior, or you spend your time playing and recording at home or with some friends, then the $3,000 guitar really isn't necessary. And to me, the high price Gibsons, Fenders, Musicman, PRS, they are for the touring or session musician. A weekend warrior who is working a factory job with a wife and kids isn't going to be able to afford high price equipment. I buy the cheaper stuff because 1: I can fix it the way I like and 2: they sound pretty damn good these days. I am a big fan of the Peavey Bandit series. I am not into modelling amps. I like an amp that takes pedals well. I have a Volgoa Tele copy and an Epiphone LP II Slash model that I put super distortions in. And for me, it plays and sounds great. I have a Squire Tele that I put Hotrails in. Sounds great. I am going to replace the neck. To me, guitars and vehicles are things I don't care about the name on it. As long as it works, then I am happy.
Well said.
My very first electric guitar was a Memphis Strat copy that I believe was on sale for $99 back in the mid-80's. A $99 guitar today would blow my Memphis out if the water and it was a pretty decent guitar by the standards of the day. But I had my heart set on an American Standard Strat and the rest is history as they say
The greatest guitar ever that sounds as good as it looks is the one you would always prefer to have....
It's a very interesting time to be a guitar player and collector. For the simple fact that there are absolutely many things that have changed in the guitar manufacturing world.
To say not much has changed since the 50's is inaccurate. They have laser 3D scanners now. That can be waved over an original model, like a magic wand. Then a CNC digital program is created, and loaded into the milling machines.
That machine can be anywhere in the world. Not just the U.S. When you stick a hunk of wood in one end of it. A perfect reproduction of that original guitar will basically pop out the other side. That's being done with a level of precision never accomplished before. That's very new tech, if you ask me.
@@andrewbecker3700 One thing wrong with you is that you're not a player, an everyday 3 hours a day got to get it perfect or else you don't get paid player. Don't be scared to say a more expensive guitar is better because it is
I love my expensive guitars much more than cheap ones. The quality and craftsmanship makes them beautiful. If you have cheap instruments and like them and its makes you happy. I play better sound on expensive in spite of technique. My cheapest made guitar is the one I've been offered 4k for twice because of its sound.
I have six Gibson guitars. Love them all. If you were trying to make me feel guilty about that try harder next time.
Nope not trying to make anyone feel guilty. In fact trying to let people who might feel bad about not owning a brand name guitar that it’s okay.
Squiers are terrible. Like a toy, the tuners don't even work right and the pickups sounds like they cost 3 dollars to make. Epiphones are good though.
Fender has contracted Squiers through many, manufacturers.
Some do a better job than others.
The current Cort I. built Squiers are nice.
I like the old CXS built Squiers too. They are Chinese but have a full thickness body.
The old Pro-Tone Squiers are much sought after. They were Korean.
Even the cheapest Affinity can be a decent guitar with a bit of work.
Very practical for a guy who isn't a star and is just playing local gigs.
Folks look silly playing a 100$ per man gig with 5000$ in equipment.
@@joej6041 what Squiers are you playing. I just bought a Squier Telecaster Customer Classic Vibe for $400 used and it’s an incredible guitar.
It maybe because you are young you have this point of view? I do not disagree or agree with you. I have SG's by Gibson and SG's by Burny, Firefly and on and on. My 1971 SG was a gift from my parents after the war in Indochina. It is a very fine guitar and I own a faded red Gibson SG Standard '61 Faded Maestro Vibrola Electric Guitar - Vintage Cherry. Also an excellent guitar. To me it is the workmanship of the product and the attention to detail. There is nothing wrong with my $500 dollar Burny except it does not have the same professional workmanship my other 2 guitars have in attention to detail. You are correct no one cares how much my guitars cost. You have an interesting view on the lower end models. When I play out no one cares but they do care that I can play well for the job I am hired to do. That is attention to details of my arrangements. Last point...when you get to a certain price point threshold: all the guitars that cost some more money they are all good! You can only go sideways in quality. Thanks for listening...I dropped out at 8:37...I see these kind of guitars everyday.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm 54, so not young in my opinion! LOL. As far as my views on the SG, I can only compare my Epiphone SG 61 Standard and Fojill SG to a few Gibson SG's I've played at Guitar Center. I don't see much difference at all. The "copies" are modeled after the Gibson's and they are pushing quality to attract buyers. They have to do something to pull market share away from Epiphone. So they offer a guitar every bit as good, for half the price, and 1/10th the price of a Gibson.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I appreciate your thoughts! I have worked on guitars forever and I wish you could play mine. I purchased my 2nd SG from a big outfit . It was a floor demo model. Strings were crusty and it a bad concave bow. I knew I could get in playing I shape I felt I had a good deal. I trained in 1969 and in 70 was over in Southeast Asia. The year you were born correct? My parents paid $200 cash plus my 330 semi-hollow body in trade. guitar came from Kalamazoo. I am prescribing to your channel. lol that is what the old folks say. Keep it coming you are doing a great job! We do not have to agree...that is why we fight for freedom. Ciao
@@JayceAllanGuitar I am going to try Fojill SG soon! I just like SG's
What I have noticed, generally speaking is that today's budget guitars are much better than they were 25+ years ago. But even back then, as now, they mostly only lack the quality hardware and fretwork that the more expensive guitars have. The most important "workmanship" is the quality of the neck and fretwork. After that, just about everything else is upgradeable. I just bought a $100 off brand strat and after I put locking tuners on it and leveled/buffed the frets, after proper set up, it plays and sounds as good as any guitar will. But before that, it had high action and wouldn't hold tuning, and thus would have been rightly considered a crap guitar.
@@matsumoku1 yes the quality is quite a bit better. I think most of the channels address the pricier guitars. I teach guitar and as a parent I will by a sale in favour of getting a very good guitar. If the kids quits as a parent you are stuck and most parents do not know the market. Even though it is changing as we talk. I think within the last 3 to 5 years the quality has gone up. If they get good tuners and and half way decent pickups look Epiphone!
PSSST! 😂😂😂 Well, this true, however some high end guitars are frikin beautiful and will spark conversation! 😊
I have a few expensive guitars but I really like the few $100 guitars I have just as much.
Also..it's really in the hands and the way you attack your instrument.... doesn't matter what it is ...
Wow, there's a lot of rudeness going on in your comments section.... Maybe it's something to do with the hooky and clickbaity title... ruffled a few juvenile feathers with eight words... you should do more of it, whether one agrees or disagrees with your opinion is irrelevant, create the discord and they will come...
@@MrMinddoctor pretty much. I can tell by some comments the people that don’t even bother watching the video. Same with my video called “Is Fender and Gibson ripping us off?” The video actually explores how guitars have kept pace with inflation but wages have not.
@@JayceAllanGuitar Yup, I watched that vid then went to the comments... I almost took the bait on a few occasions, then decided to stay out of it. You definitely need to do loads more of these divisive titles, get that inner rage boiling and spewing out in the comments section. you are probably doing the nation a bit of good, an outlet for pre-pubescent rage and vitriol. Imagine if that level of hostility was released in their homes. Welcome to the age of tolerance... Damn, I've now offended myself, I'm off to go cancel myself right this moment...
Fair call pal. I own two acoustics, a Sigma and Alvarez, both just have the solid top and play very well. I think with acoustics probably more differences but with electrics it feels like you pay a lot for the name. I guess the only thing I'd say is I am willing to pay a bit more to at least play a guitar in a shop. It's important to have a place to try especially with acoustics.👍
my opinion Acoustics all have issues over time.. All of my acoustics devolved issues over time like needing a neck reset, & other issues & all of my guitars were played under normal usage & being they are all solid tops doesn't mean they will sound good because of the top, some Laminates could sound better Acoustics are too much trouble in my opinion once your guitars start to have issues you gonna be forced to throw them out it becomes over time not worth fixing them..
I should have put a disclaimer on this video that I'm referring to electric guitars. You pay more for a solid top acoustic and all solid wood acoustic, but you definitely hear the difference in my opinion.
Damn Phats, that sucks. I've owned the same Eastman acoustic, all solid wood, for, going on 10 years now. They say solid top guitars "break in" but this one sounds about the same as it did when I bought it. It's a work horse. I've bought a few solid top acoustics off Goodwill that had hairline cracks in the top, but they still sounded fine. I will agree, Yamaha laminated guitars sound amazing.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I'll Name names, I have a fender Newporter complete POS in my opinion had it less than 5 years going on 4 years but it already has a neck issue, took it for a repair was gonna cost more than I paid for it ,so I am gonna just throw it out it's not playable . I'll never ever buy another acoustic ever again too much drama
Respectfully disagree. Squire is an awesome brand that makes great guitars. Epiphone are Hot Garbage. I repair, refurbish and build guitars/bass. They are 3-4 piece body’s with 3 piece necks made out of Asian mahogany source ( not real thing) Pot metal hardware. A Chibson is just as good for $300. All marketing. I’ve worked on Amazon ones that were better. You cannot buy a filet Mignon with McDonald’s money
A guitar is not comparing filet mignon to hamburger. A guitar is comparing a single plain hamburger from Rally’s to a triple decker hamburger from Red Robin. They’re both hamburgers. One just has more crap on it. Someone might think the Rally burger is superior to the Red Robin burger. It’s all subjective. I have an Epiphone SG 61 Inspired by Gibson and it’s an amazing guitar. I also own a $175 Fojill SG that is very close in quality and sound to that Epiphone. I picked up a Gibson SG at Guitar Center last week and played it. It felt cheap. Bad paint. Too light. I think they chambered the body maybe. Don’t sound any better than any other guitar I’ve ever played. Wood types are almost irrelevant. The important part about wood choice is that the wood is properly cured and stable before building with it.
Y eso lo dice alguien que no sabe escribir "squier"
8:07 🎤🎶🎸🎸🎹🥁Oh…..who else is gonna bring you….a guitar from Broken Arrow, who else is gonna bring you, a bundle of strings….here he goes…..movin’ across the show-room floor…..da, da, da….
My theme song!
I mean, a lot of people do. Just like they care about what clothes you wear, the car you drive etc. I couldn't care less tho, and would much rather prefer unbranded items, and in this case a guitar. There's at least 10 amazing guitars in the $500 range that is just as good as the known brand $1500 ones.
A lot of folks say they need a special instrument to feel inspired. This is nonsense. It’s the music that inspires you. Evh had a cobbled together partscaster and ruled the world. No fancy finish no name brand. Get over yourself and play music.
Two way truss rods, grade of stainless steel frets, quality of body material, quality/gauge/composition of pickup wire, type of pickup magnets, bridge and saddle materials, tuning machine quality... it all adds up. Sure, you can change all those things but wouldn't it be easier to get them in the first place?
I have a Firefly Les Paul style, made from all Mahogany, maple top, stainless frets, actual rosewood fretboard, two way truss rod, alnico pickups, great tuners. I think I paid less than $200 for it. Not to mention it sounds great.
@@JayceAllanGuitar I believe you. Enjoy.
However, plug it into a 100 watt Marshal and tell me it souds as good as a Gibson Les Paul. I bet it's a screamer.
Where the heck do folks play where they use a 100 watt head?.....what kind of incredible gig warrants that?
I just want that gig!
Keep the amp and guitar....please tell me you are an international touring act and that this isn't your bedroom amp......
Ed I had a 20 watt Marshall head. Loudest flipping amp I’ve ever owned!
Would a Jackson Monarch be a good guitar for people with smaller hands to learn on?🎸🤔
I don't know. I don't play them. I should probably dive into other brands like Jackson, Carvin, Charvel, etc.
Please dont fall into the neck size bs hype!
Go watch a dozen tiny girls play a classical guitar ( classical guitars have HUGE necks)
Worrying and talking guitar neck stuff is just an excuse folks who can't play use....
I bought a B stock Hagstrom Les Paul copy about 10 years ago. Put way more money & effort into it than I originally spent on it, ~$150 on Ebay. Didn't know it at the time, but that little babe would be my main squeeze for many years, hopefully many years to come. I almost feel bad that I make her sleep in the garage.
Hope the garage is heated! 🤣
something with a straight neck, solid neck joint, decent pickups & tuners that don't slip, what else do you want? On the path to tone nirvana, the last 5% costs more than the first 95%. The last 1% costs more than the first 99%. The last 0.1% costs more than the first 99.9%. These things are statistically distributed, so you have to throw a +/-2% error bar on it. Thinking that a 3-4 sigma guitar will make you sound good when you're a 1 sigma player, which most of us are, Lassie be barking down the wrong well. In the end you have guys looking for a particular guitar. That can't simply be purchased, but has to be found, like a 4 leaf clover. At that level cost isn't a relevant parameter. When your playing and people are listening no one will know or hear the difference. How many videos about great players do we need of them talking about their guitar to realize its not a Gibson or a Fender, its that guitar, and there's only one.
NorCal winters are not really winter. The real travesty, my Martin that my wife named Heather, got left out there for a few days, they are both still mad at me.
😂🎸
Guitars are 70+ year old design. They are all made with CNC machines and so things like a set neck versus a bolt on neck doesn't matter in terms of difficulty of making the guitar. They just use different parts. This is what I was laughing at when people are dissing the Trump Guitars. A very expensive Gibson you are paying for a luxury name for that price. For a Trump Guitar you are paying for the rarity, novelty, and potentially the signature of Trump. In both cases the additonal cost of a decent 200-300 guitar has the value in something other than the quality. Also, most people don't know that a lot of their favorite players and songs are recorded on cheap budget minded guitars. Prince played a lot of his music on a 30 dollar tele that wasn't a name brand. That all said, not a fan of white pickguards at all.
I agree. But I'd add that also no one cares how inexpensive your guitar is but is "just as good" as the 10x more $$ version. Your price range is only the most guitar value for YOUR money, not everyone else's. Just for me, as I get deeper into guitars, it becomes less about the physical materials and more about who is making beautiful music with a guitar like this that I want to emulate.
@@MrRossharrell makes sense. I tend to just love guitars in general and when I see a new guitar on Amazon that’s around $200 I’m curious how good it is. Guitars can be as much about collecting as they are to play music on. It’s a unique item.
I once saw a video where George Benson played a guy's strat. George turned down the tone control and sounded just like George.
I saw a similar vid where Eric Johnson played a 335 instead of his iconic strats. Same thang, Eric sounded like Eric Johnson...
No matter what guitar you own. You can not escape this fact: You will sound like you, no matter what.
@@JayceAllanGuitar we are very much on the same page with both love and curiosity for guitars.
@@rustyshackleford9557 although you are making a "how does is sound" argument I like and agree with, you're missing my point: guitars are not only about the physical elements that make it up. I would include the sound in "physical elements". When I see a vintage D-35 with "Martin" on the headstock, I'm thinking and feeling Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". The objective materials and sound characteristics matter less than how it feels.
@MrRossharrell hnmmm....when I see a old D35,....I immediately think, "whiney old Bluegrass guy and he will likely bitch that I am playing an Asian built guitar".
I have done lots of luthier work for decades. I have a bias against pricey guitars, they are usually owned by guys who can barely play.
If I had a $2000 budget for guitars, it would be more beneficial to spend that on 10 $200 guitars than just one $2000 guitar for several reasons. My favorite reason is you can have a bunch of guitars, each with any of the following...
2 humbuckers
3 hum
3 single coils
1 hum, 2 single
2 hum, 1 single
1 hum, 1 single
1 P-90
2 P-90s
Different tremolos/bridges
Different tunings (guitars dedicated, properly set-up and intonated for alternate tunings)
Baritone
Bass
Semi-hollow
Acoustic
12 string... etc
Also, I think it's a good idea to have guitars with different neck profiles, scale lengths, & fretboard radii so you can adapt easier than if you are only familiar with just one profile/scale/radius.
There is a point of diminishing returns when spending more than, say $500 on a guitar. Quality doesn't really go up after that, you are only paying for the name on the headstock or aesthetics (such as a figured top, binding, gold hardware, inlays other than standard dots, etc...)
On occasion I have gotten cheaper guitars with muddy sounding pickups. Doesn't cost much to replace them. (I usually get GFS pickups from guitarfetish.com... sound great at good prices.)
Budget guitars have come a long way since the days of plywood bodies with bad single-coil pickups in the guise of humbuckers.
@@markdeloria20 diminishing returns. Well said.
Buy something nice or buy something twice...
I'm a big proponent of cheap guitars because a lot of them are amazingly well-made. I have two high-end guitars (2 Godins) that I got great deals on the used market but the guitar I play most is a cheap Wasburn Strat that was my first guitar. I also have a cheap Beaver Creek acoustic dreadnought and I've ordered a couple of Donners.
I got one of the two Donners already but it had a warped neck and a loose tuner but other than that, it was fantastic. Ive sent it back but I have a replacement on the way. Hopefully, the next one will be better.
Hope the new one is better. Seems odd. I’ve never had a guitar with such a bad issue.
I've never owned an expensive guitar I have played some tho. To be honest, my Squier strat, Tele, Epiphone Les Paul and 2 Jackson guitars feel and play just as well as their pricy counterparts. Sure they needs some tlc and tweaking but so do a lot of high priced guitars. It all comes down to how skilled a player is, not how much cash one lays out .
Pffffft.
Nice Tele, can't go wrong with a Classic Vibe. I heard the Guitar Wizard say "You Have Chosen Wisely Young Man" 😂 It's exactly the Squier I thought it was in your post. I didn't try and guess the model, didn't want to take anything away from your thunder ✌️
@@davidkastin4240 thanks for watching
Most of my guitars were around $1000 CAD (~$700 USD). That being said, I have played gigs with much less expensive guitars that performed perfectly.
I think this a partial truth.
Electrics are easier to produce good sound and lower costs, acoustics not so much.
I also think, pick ups, hardware, tuners, pick ups , fret work, neck quality, all reflect the quality of a guitar.
I've found that mid tier instruments tend to provide the best value.
The rule of diminishing returns kicks in around 750 mark to me
can't argue with that.
Squier, Epi & PRS SE are all great guitars. I have several and all get played and get me paid.
Are the bodies slightly thinner on Squier guitars verses full size bodies on fenders...not sure about classic vibes..I know most squiers are thinner bodies..
Some are, some aren’t. I think the classic vibes are full thickness.
Should I chop up my 73 les paul custom up and get me a cheap sg epiphone ? I bought it new in March of 73.
In my 48 years I’ve never even considered anything from fender or Squier. In the past two month I’ve purchased 3 Squiers and 4 firefly’s. All 7 cost me around 2000. They all feel fantastic. The first 12 of my guitars were not so wallet friendly. I’m so done paying more than 250-350 for a guitar.
Once you realize how well made these cheap brands are, it's very hard to justify spending thousands on a guitar.
@ yeah no way. Not anymore in these days.
This is just a matter of material science. And it's a scientific field that's been neglected and so there's a great deal of uncertainty.
But clearly the pickups measure roughly the same and they're responsible for most of the sound of the guitar, so I can imagine that squires and fenders and Fender players all sound roughly the same. And if they don't sound exactly the same if the pickups are wound a little bit more on one and another it is not related to the cost.
it seems like what we’re actually talking about is where does the law of diminishing returns kick in for guitars, I disagree a little bit with your particular price points I think $500 guitar is noticeably better than a $200 guitar in significant ways. But I would agree that much past $600. You’re not getting a great deal more in function. I also think the equation is a little different for acoustic guitars, these days to drop off is probably over $1000 somewhere.
I'd say the $200 price range is a crap shoot, some are great others have issues. I have a couple Firefly guitars that are absolutely amazing and less than $200. But I think in the video I did put the price range at $250/$300 to $600. The $250 to $300 is the grey area. But definitely once you get into the $350 to $600 range you get some really quality guitars.
That's like saying your Toyota Corolla drives like a Porsche 911, only it didn't cost as much...
Try smelling what you're shoveling...
Its more like comparing a space shuttle and a Cesna but ALSO realizing the owner likely can not fly either well enough to justify the price without some lessons.
And thanks to you Jayse.... I'm going to sound better than ever because people are going to be listening to 20 guitars and not my smooth blues that you can get only from a well-made guitar
Wrong! My wife cares, how much my guitar costs😂
😅🤣😂
Exactly, we're down to cosmetics.& nonsense for guitars. They're trying carbon fiber & other things like built in effects, pcb surface mount boards for switches & pots. It's almost comical the lengths they are going to, to double the price of a guitar. Imagine that, anyone that made a hit song did it with the cheapest instrument they could find. When big traditional brands showed up ? The song was already written, practiced & quite often performed. Jack White wrote albums of material with Department store Airline & Kay guitars from the 1960's that MSRP for under $ 100 back then. I'm sure he's used plenty of big name brands too. But what he made his name with were Valco guitars. He never sits around & talks about how his guitars are never in tune or what they feel like or not. Granted my $ 100 Chinese guitars don't feel like Custom Shops, but in a few years they will. Just set them up properly, play them in & eventually they will be as good as any Fender/Gibson ever will be. How many Fender/Gibson guitars get returned or resold because they weren't all that ? With the Chinese guitars, one has to get past the decal & name of the brand, that inferiority complex that a $ 100 guitar can't possibly be remotely as good as a Made in USA brand.
Every guitar 🎸 players I have known have all started with inexpensive guitars... Look Eddie Van Halen had a rejected body & neck he hand chiseled the cavity for the pickups... Spray paint 🎨 body. It's the player. If Say Zack Wylde picks up a budget guitar 🎸 say DONNER, West Creek Leo Jamz IYV Fire Fly etc he will sound like himself. If one of critical people here pick up Zack s guitar as well as myself we will sound like us not him...FACT. CNC MACHINING Leveled the playing field.. You can up grade the electronics & the hardware say on a Glary Guitar and your good. Or a Chipson . Knock Off.... The signal chain is more important than the guitar especially the Speakers or Sims and then the AMPLIFIER or AMP SIM 🎤 mic SIM or Mic .. next strings.. look Spector Studios Did a comparison guitars from $200 a Harley Benton and next guitar $2,000 all the way to a $20,000 guitar 🎸.. Same Signal Chain ie Amp Speaker Cab speakers pedals. All the same. Pro player so same player blind test & the Harley Benton WON A $200 GUITAR.. Even the player picked the Harley Benton WOW.. Nice Demo. Yeah supporting small store is important. Although most of my purchases are Internet. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎵🎶🎶🎶
Well said. I was at Guitar Center on Thursday and played a $2800 Gibson Les Paul...I still sounded like shit! LOL
@JayceAllanGuitar 😂😆😂 You play great... Cheers 🍻
Amazon IS a middleman…..
You are correct.
Jayce probably means that it reduces the number of middlemen.
There are often multiple whole sellers, distributers, delears and finally a retailer in order for many guitars to reach the consumer. They all get a cut.
It reduces the cost of operating a brick and mortar buisiness and staffing it.
And it avoids a huge advertising and promotion expenditure.
Fair point
Sounds fantastic. Skill is acquired though practice, not purchase. I have both expensive, and inexpensive guitars, and I love, and play them all. Before you fire up your Affirm account for a fancy American made axe, with questionable quality control, ask yourself. “ is the label, worth the labor”? Rock on🎸🎸🎸
@@Dragon_rls I feel I have to do it just for the content! LOL.
I cannot buy me an expensive guitar ,my most expensive guitar was a 500 dollar godin session. feel guilty to mod it even on 500 ,imagine if it over 1000.
sold it and get 300 dollar Chinese brand copy of suhr modern.easier 22nd fret acces with extra room,light in weight , guilt free modification and upgrade.
Except the guy who can't afford one!! Lol
My hand engraved, D2 steel hammer with pearl inlays and Custom Rosewood handle does not make me a carpenter, nor does it help me drive nails.
Reality hurts
Very few guitar owners can even play.
It is mostly about ownership.
Come on! Listen to em play!!!
It sure isn't about music.
Dang! Too many years selling and fixing and bangin' on guitars but honestly about 5%of my total customers can actually play.
Well, I am scrawny, unathletic, not very bright, lack any sense of humor, bald, overweight, divorced 26 times, live in my mom's basement, dislexic and play guitar worse than Li'l Wayne.
My expensive guitar collection is the ONLY thing about me that might impress ANYONE.
And now you hurt my feelings.
Guitars are like cars. You start off on something cheap and functional and have the choice to upgrade in time if it’s within your means. I don’t buy cheap guitars but I don’t buy very exclusive custom shop guitars either. I buy interesting guitars with a heritage and history, mostly used, some as early as the 80s, for their mojo and a sense of passing the torch to the next player.
I've got squiers that have played better than the fender I've owned. The Squier J Mascis is proof.
Inexpensive guitars today are better because the market demands it.
Back in the day, ages ago, you either bought a real instrument or a cheapshit copy.
Right now, any guitar less than $300 is going to be similar in crapness.
I would much rather have two to five excellent instruments than a stable full of deadwood.
Well, I rather have an old guitar and yes fender or a Gibson will work, others won't but it's the sound that goes with the cash and playability.