The only advice I have to those who wants to start playing guitar is 1) Choose a guitar that stay in tune 2) Choose a guitar YOU like to play. It doesn't matter what I think, you are the one that gonna play on it. 3) Choose a guitar that are in your budget
@EM P I knew that I wanted a Stratocaster before I started to play. If you buy 2nd hand, take a friend with you. I wouldn't pick a big guitar to a beginner, they are harder to play on especially if you aren't 1.8 meter tall.
Maybe yamaha but ive played a lot of ibbys their cheap guitars are pretty bad, low quality fretboards, sharp fret ends , very plain looking bad electronics etc. , Used japanese ibbys are some of the best bang for your buck guitars out there though.
Diego M. Yeah ibanez prob has some of the best 500-800 dollar range guitars which is great for people that want a quality guitar on a budget. Their cheap guitars are pretty bad though.
I have $600 PRS. I’ve had it for 15 years still works perfectly. I’ve had comparable priced Fenders and Ibanez that I only had a few years before things started breaking.
Yep felt like that two xD I really love my Korean ml and my Chinese dime slime, my shitty 300 Euro used ml has more sustain then every les Paul classic I played at my local shop 😅 but yeah build quality is a thing. The switch and the pots are just junk.
shoko as a non-metal guy I just have no interest in Washburn or dean guitars , I’ve played decent Washburns but they just don’t really do anything for me
I could see LTD/Schecter/PRS SE etc(higher end imports) in the $800-$1200 mark on C class and their USA/Japan stuff on A class. Custom shop stuff(+$4000) probably S class expectations. I'm curious what people think of Kiesel
Tatsu kun Most ESP guitars ive tried out seem like they are just made as quickly as possible, the feel more industrial to me And LTD seem to always have more time put into them when it comes to production ESPs cost more only because of Kirk Hammet
ESP deserves higher tbh, they're kind of godly. I might be a fanboy but I definitely know they're at least A. EDIT: Also just want to point out that LTD isn't ESP really. that's like calling Epiphone and Gibson the same thing
@@Masterchiefb yep, I absolutely love my Ltd ec-1000. I just upgrade the hardware over time when I feel really need to and that's it. Probably gonna own it for the rest of my life
you've made a great point honestly LTD do have good guitars in the range and ESP have good guitars in their range too putting them together is just wrong both parts have many different price / budget points for all players
I dunno, B tier on both sounds about right. I've seen fewer faults with Fenders but they tend to be pretty bad (things like not having an attached ground wire and two guitars with the same model of Fender pickups sounding wildly different) while Gibson has more faults that aren't too significant in the grand scheme of things (Tooling marks, rough pickup cavity routes due to dull routing bits, etc.) Also, people are more likely to voice their opinions on a product they bought if they have a bad experience vs. if they have a good one, and for that reason we tend to hear more about the duds than we do the good ones.
@@Aarlog I'd say that Gibson is mostly about the LP, since it's their classic. And while they seem great at first, especially to newcomers, the goddamn g string will never stay in tune. This is not a problem caused by a faulty unit but by their LP design itself. So I'd rank them at least one tier below Ibanez for example, as they are incapable of getting their flagship model up to speed.
I think he didn’t include them because he said he wouldn’t rank any guitars he hasn’t played. I’d put G&L in the A tier on their US made stuff. They really make excellent guitars with low production numbers, and I’d say the same for Japanese Yamahas.
After 4 years, I think it’s safe to move Squier and Epiphone up one letter grade. QC has been much better lately. I also haven’t played older Godin guitars, but I think putting them that low is bonkers. Quality, craftsmanship, playability, and sounds are fantastic at their price point.
Suhr, Aristides and Stranberg probably the Holy Trinity Brand of modern era.. Don't know where to put Kisel tho.. and Abasi is probably one of the uprising brand..
@@minimoogle3335 you know what, you bring a great point, though i would put kiesel in the general metal category, STRANBERG in prog and suhr in fusion, but only generally, not mainly, I dont need a comment war.
Suhr quality is great, and their custom shop is more affordable than Fender (though you will still wait 18 months for a custom order). The list is a bit silly though, PRS and Tom Anderson are every bit as good as Suhr, and he's being unfair on the brands that also sell cheaper models, even listing ESP and talking about LTD. An Ibanez J-Custom or a top end Prestige like a Jem is as good as a Suhr in terms of built quality and setup, and the specs are as good as it gets, but obviously an Indonesian made Jem Jr is not the same. I feel like if you're going to compare guitars like this you need to use relative prices... If you're comparing Ibanez to Suhr for example you should be looking at only the top end Prestige models... FWIW I own two high end Ibanez guitars and a custom order Suhr, don't own Tom Andersons or PRS but have played plenty.
Suhr are bespoke, hand-made guitars with highest quality parts. They are like Fender Custom Shop, only with nicer pickups and fancier wood. Suhr does have some more modern shapes than Fender, so there’s more options to choose from.
Schecter I would easily say is the best guitar brand and I'm up to argue with anybody who thinks otherwise. They're affordable, include amazing pick-ups including the sustaniac, they're sound is way more impressive than any other brand.
I agree with the placement on the list. They're a solid C tier. They're bang for your buck in terms of components, I guess, but they do come across a bit like mayonnaise on white bread sort of bland. If there's a couple of them hung up at a guitar shop my eye will naturally glaze over them and gravitate to something a bit more "vibey". They're personally not the sort of guitar that inspires me to want to pick up and play.
I’m actually a fan of squier, I think guitars such as the mustang and stratocaster attract a lot of beginners due to their shapes being so iconic and the price being so affordable and you can’t complain about new people coming to the hobby. Their quality may not be the best but in my opinion for their price they’re pretty decent.
The strat shape with the arm and tummy contours is super comfortable, which makes practicing much more pleasant. The classic vibe guitars are pretty well built, sound good, and are a great bargain,
Spot on! I'd also add that what makes Squiers even better is the ease of improvement. Once you get into electric more and discover modding, you have so many more options with Squier. I barely touch my high end guitars, but regularly change what I get from my Squier Affinity Strat sound!
I have a Vintage modified strat from Squier build in India. Seymore Duncan pups and body made of Indian redwood. Bought it about 10 years ago and never regretted it.
For sure. I have a family ball reserve music man silhouette. And everyone that has played that thing LOVES it. I’ve had 3 americna strats, a les Paul, and played a ton of other guitars and the music man smoked them. I love a really nice Strat, but I never found one for a price that made it worth it. They are overpriced.
Definitely A-tier minimum. I'm shopping for one now, and have tried almost all of them. They all have been absolutely stellar. I've settled on the Valentine Ball Family Reserve walnut model. I wanted the Mariposa BFR, but the neck was just a lil too small for me. The Valentine was perfect. I love the Sabre and Albert Lee HH aswell. I put them ahead of Suhr and Tom Anderson for sure. Those brands are excellent, but they just don't have the same attention to detail as the EBMM, and the BFR level are all just beautiful. I'm generally a Gibson guy, but I wanted something a lil more versatile and with a satin neck, and have tried almost all the top brands recently.
I got a used Mitchell (Guitar Center store brand) with a plywood top that sounds like crap. But I got a Yamaha TransAcoustic solid top that sounds AWESOME and a Seagull twelve string that is spectacular!
The Ibanez RG my uncle gave me a few years ago is my go-to guitar for everything. I like to just right songs and riffs on it, and it carried me through jazz band and every metal song I have ever played. Just great guitars overall and the best fretboard for my fingers.
I have an RG350dx, had it since 2010. Its my go to guitar and can handle everything and anything. Oddly enough, I'm looking to add another guitar to my setup and I cant decide so I ended up here lol
I own or have owned PRS, Fender, Gibson and Schecter. I think you have them placed in the right orders. Every PRS plays like a dream out of the box. Fender and Gibson you need to test drive a bunch of guitars to find the right one because of the inconsistencies. Gibson has really fallen off unfortunately and I'd probably put them in category C now. I've owned a couple of Schecters in the past and I would highly recommend them to anyone trying to find a good guitar in the $400-$650 price range. You get a lot for the money. Very nice guitars for that price range.
Music man and ESP deserve to be higher in the list. And if you include LTD's in the list those are definitely in the same league as ibanez's similarly priced range
That's what I thought when he put ESP on the list, I mean if he split Epiphone and Gibson as well as Squier and Fender, I don't know why he didn't split LTD and ESP.
I think its like he said at the beginning of the video, that he’s looking at the brand as a whole, and for MM that includes the Sterling line, which is night and day when we look at EBMM guitars in quality. If they had a solid/good “mid-tier” line of guitars, it probably would’ve bumped them up. But then again the whole list is subjective, and despite the quality difference from Sterling to EBMM I agree with your opinion that it should def be higher. Def would be A tier at the moment for me. If they get more selection as far affordability and quality, maybe a new line within MM, it would def be in S tier. Also definitely some post-purchase rationalization bias since dropping $2400 for a guitar (in the PRS he bought in A tier) is far different than “playing some” MM guitars (in B tier).
I would say that this tier list has has a major flaw. You should also take into account that companies like prs and suhr doesn’t release really low budget guitars while ibanez does(Cheapest prs se is about 500 bucks while ibanez starts from 200). Edited: Ibanez gio rage is soulless though. Around 500 bucks you get an amazing shred axe.
I don't remember any of the Gio series guitars getting pass the 300$ mark. I don't know where you've found a Gio that costs 500$🤔 The Gio is a budget series that sacrifices the sound quality for a decent build quality( though it still sounds great for any beginner)
@@superrookie-1 Sorry I meant that the cheapest prs se is 500$. Ibanez starts form 200$. In the last line I meant to specify that Ibanez standard which are around 500 are really good. Though I still use a prestige
@@srajangupta2867 I really like my old Ibanez SZ720FM. 2004 model, I picked it up at a pawn shop for $325 USD. The dang thing was still in tune when I brought it home. I like it better than my PRS Santana. MHO. Cheers!
Overall agreed, very fair list. Would put Fender in the A tier but understand why you didn’t. I think the popular makers with a 40 year plus history are at an inherent disadvantage. Some years, they have just bad management, been squeezed by competition etc. Would be hard for a company in that market position to be at an A or S cumulatively.
I wanted a Gibson for so long, looked at cool guitar models, wanted so many other different brands, all apart from Fender. I swore I would never get a fender as I’m in a band that mainly plays alt/hard rock. After ten years of playing, I went to guitar center ready to buy a good guitar. I played every guitar I’d ever wanted and guess what; I walked out with a fender. It’s crazy how everyone’s guitar journey always goes to the unexpected.
No enemy here. Ranking guitars on their soulfulness, vibe and mojo - as well as design and quality control - is a perfectly legitimate approach. The one thing I'd add is, based on what I hear, Epiphone is much like Squier in that their higher end models do skew toward a "B" and not a "D".
I dunno, that scheme seems too subjective. You just end up gravitating towards things because of their aesthetic, its not like vibe or mojo is a measureable thing, and it means massively different things to different people. Like if i were making this list PRS and Music Man would have swapped slots, I've never played a music man I didn't like and I never played a PRS I didn't feel was majorly "off", rather just buy an old gibson at that point.
First video ever... was vibing big time until Epiphone :( Especially with the HUGE history they have. I think ppl overlook how amazing Epiphone as a company was prior to them being purchased by Gibson too! They have and still make amazing stuff. I say this as a luthier/builder myself too... I truly love their vintage stuff... (I also am gigging a Gibson atm so there is that lol)
C'mon man of course he's not talking about the original Epiphone company. Lol. The original Epiphone company made fantastic instruments at the cutting edge of electrical engineering and craftsmanship. You can basically assume any time anyone is ranking Epiphone they're not ranking prehistoric, "Les Paul the traveling country musician" era Epiphone. Epiphone simply became Gibson, Jr. by the 70s, then just became their junk/strat copy Korean/Indonesian import line after that. Now, they're just cheap/knock-off Gibson like Squire is to Fender. Who the hell remembers "prior to them being bought by Gibson" lmao.
Their guitars are overpriced They milk Dimebag's image, i bet he would not be pleased with the quality of their "accessible" guitars I guess they are ok if you spend 1500€
@@xavi9bhgt556 thats how all metal guitars are though. go to the store and pick up any guitar with a floyd rose under $800 and itll play like shit. same shit with esp and jackson
@@lmlCOBHClml Not really, i got a Jackson Pro Series Soloist for under 700 and it plays well, frets are nice, locking tuners, locked bridge tho, and DiMarzio pickups. I can't really advocate for Jackson since it's really a hit or miss company, get a great deal or an absolute crap of a guitar Now some metal guitars have less finish quality for that price like Ibanez or ESP and i hear Schecter is making better shit lately But you're kinda right, some companies put a FR, a nice paintjob, Seymour Duncan or some EMG pickups and forget about the rest
i have had 3 ESP guitars at varying price points, ranging from 600-2000 and compared to similarly priced jackson and ibanez guitars i have owned, the ESP guitars have been generally better in my opinion, never had any issues and the feel of them was great along with the sound.
I would include G&L as an A. They are the PRS of Fender-style guitars. The only consistent complaint I hear about them is that some folks don’t like the headstock. They play well, feel good, sound good (in my opinion), and are crafted well. I never held a crap G&L.
But that's really complicated. It's only possible to look at he neck, the body and the pick ups, without connecting them. There are wayy to many combinations
I own 8 Gibsons (Les Paul, SG, ES335, ...) and all perform outstandingly. I own 3 PRS and I had electronics problems with 2 of them (one from US and one from Korea). So my experience with Gibson was great compared to PRS. I also own 10 Fenders, only one with a problem (truss road) ... the rest, were great (Mexican and US made!)
For beginners squier is a very good starting company. They are not that bad but if ur expecting a strat ur not gonna get one for 200 dollars. They are very good starting guitars so if u can buy one
My personal list : F : bc rich, squier D : Cort, washburn, LTD C : Yamaha, Gibson, Epiphone B : Jackson, Schecter, G&L A : PRS, Ibanez, Fender, Rickenbacker, Musicman S : Suhr, ESP, Tom Anderson
I mostly agree with your list, but I'd put Gibson and Fender together in the B and the G&L in the A. At least the American made ones. The quality (and price) of the foreign made Fenders, Gibsons, and G&L's obviously wouldn't grade this high.
I own an Anderson Tele and a PRS Core 594. I love them both and they are the same flawless quality. I can’t imagine selling either of them. There just aren’t any better guitars out there. I also have a Fender American Pro Strat I bought in 2005 and a recent PRS SE Hollowbody, which are both excellent guitars with similar quality, but I don’t love either of them as much as the Anderson. I feel like the PRS Core guitars are S, and the SE would be a B or an A. Maybe PRS averages out to A, but the Core guitars are amazing.
So your opinion is that ESP make better guitars than Yamaha because your $1000+ Japan made ESP sounds better than a -$50 Indonesian made Yamaha? When I was looking at getting a parlor size acoustic guitar for travel I ended up purchasing the China made Yamaha csf3m for $600 rather than the USA made Taylor gs mini or Martin drj for $1000 & not only because it sounded sooooo much better to me but it is made better ( solid back & sides, etc.) so it wasn't even a competition. Go compare them for yourself & I guarantee you'll at least have a new outlook on where your guitar is made, once you start looking above the $400 price range it doesn't really mean shit these days, we're in the era of affordable quality guitars even "made in China"!
@@JoshManMate But those "ESP" guitars under 400 dollars are not ESP guitars. They are LTD guitars which makes a huge difference. All the actual ESP:s are over 1000 dollars and they are top of the chart.
I do agree there are diminishing returns at different levels of high range guitars, and even midrange guitars for some companies. I will not go so far as to say its the same thing though. The first time I played my custom shop ESP was a totally magical moment, even coming from already owning 2000 dollar guitars. Maybe its not objectively better, its just different, and not to the point someone could hear the difference, but if someone is in the market for an ESP i would never suggest to save money and buy a yamaha.
@@kevingil1817 What do you mean the same thing? & I agree. My point is that Yamaha hold there own very, very well across the board, you always get more bang for your buck & they are made in China/Indonesia with incredibly quality/value. So just because ESP do custom japan made guitars doesn't make them better as an entire brand & justify being on the same level tier even though they subjectively make better electric guitars over $2000 because they make average guitars under $1000.
Own an Ibanez and bought an rg6003fm brand new wizard 3 neck best neck for speed. Solid mohogany body flame maple top 24 fret 5 way switch sick guitar for $279 love it
@@zac8084 People say that, but mine have always been pristine and perfectly set-up out of the case. And they have held together without issue with no problem. BUT... mine were bought in 2002 and 2003 respectively. So maybe the mighty have fallen since then.
I had a b.c. rich platinum warlock and it was perfect! I took it to my friends grandpa who owned a guitar shop for a set up and when I came back a couple days later I came in expecting to pay $60 for a set up fee and the he said 40$ I asked him if he forgot to do a set up and he said I didn't have to do really anything. it was already set up. he said he went over it and only thing he needed to do to it was just put new strings on he said he really liked my guitar and it was a great guitar. he was impressed to say the least. I was shocked. I bought the guitar around the year 2000 - 01
Nice tier list! FYI, I got an amazing Jackson Soloist for around 600$ 5 years ago and it still is the most playable guitar I own. Better then 1000$+ stuff that I own now (Solar, Ibanez and Cort).
I couldn't have made a better tier list honestly. However if you've never played Solar Guitars... You should. I would put them in the B tier list right next to Ibanez
I love schecter guitars. I played a crappy guitar from best buy but when it was time to upgrade I tried a couple of different guitars and didn't think much of them. my guitar teacher handed me a schecter c1 platinum and I was like " wtf is this?" I'd never heard of them but as I started to play I was like "wtf is this!" I loved it I took to it like a fish to water. Since then I've continued to play all sorts of guitars but schecter keeps surprising me. My next guitar is a schecter reaper fr6 passive pickups push pull pots Floyd rose it's a beauty and very versatile
ooof rics are a doozy. I know several people that can attest to BADDDD quality on the newer stuff. also considering their flagship poster boys have since passed (burton, dinizio, petty, beatles) theyre a shadow of what they once were. pain to fix and repair as well.
As Suhr has grown in output, so did their QC devolved. I've played about 20 in my local store and they are not above, say PRS, Fender CS or Andersons - all of them also in the said store. I own Anderson Angel and couldn't be happier.
I feel like it's a bit of an issue to include brands where the top price is under 1k and brands where the minimum is like 2k on the same list. How can those two things be compared?
Nour Mohamed I would say a mexi fender. The plant literally crosses the border. I’ve played tons of fenders when I worked in a music store. I’d also recommend a gretsch. Had one of those as well. I currently have a mexi jaguar. Look for any used or new Japanese fenders as well.
I grabbed a used Suhr Classic in burst/SSS for $1750. It's got a magic to it, the stainless frets are smooth and glassy to play they are thinner than the ubiquitous jumbos (which you don't need given the lifetime of stainless) and between that and it having been plek-ed it plays even smoother than something like a Chapman which also has stainless frets. The ASCII 60 cycle killing thing they put in 'em gives them immaculate clean tones but they have a different character than a Fender, it's a more distilled pure sound but still bright and snappy like a strat. The neck feels chunky when you first grab it (especially compared the flat/wide stuff I usually play) but it feels great to play all around, it's better for chording than a fast neck and with the compound radius it's great for lead too. It stays in tune forever, no string trees, rock solid 1/4 sawed single piece neck. My only gripe is that mine needs another millimeter or two on the high side just for a margin of error/so I don't miss the board when I play to hard and sloppy. Also the Chapman sits in B tier probably, the hardware components are great and the build quality is great, the price is great but they are a little 'soulless' as you would put it. They make solid platforms though, might give mine a pickup swap or something.
Schecter at C? Really dude? Schecter are making so solid guitars. The cheap ones are 99% of the times really, really good for the price and they are making high end guitars for such a cheap price. I have never played a bad schecter in my life. Most underrated brand.
Lol, he says schecter is C because of the vibe xD, compared to all other SE edition guitars 4-600 range, my schecter C1 platinum has better playability then all the other ones around the price range. Agreed brother
I own a 6 string Omen with a Floyd Rose (diamond series ofc). It was my first guitar. I love it to death: great quality, great feel, great tone... and I've never modified it in any way after purchasing it. Schecter kicks ass!
If you are making a distinction between Gibson/epiphone and fender/squier then you should do the same for every other company as well with their high/low end like esp/ltd and musicman/sterling
Good honest review Personally I'm a stratocaster guy but I keep falling into the Les Paul trap, no comparison tho, can't get comfortable with it. Sucks cuz, not cheap
Agreed. If anything it's the real Fenders that are overrated. Seriously what are you getting for such a high price? the build and sound quality isn't all that much better from my experience, and the playability is the same if not worse in some cases due to the more "traditional" neck profiles on them. I tend to always fuck up on Fenders for some reason, yet my absolute piece of shit, cheap-ass Yamaha knockoff I play much better on for some God forsaken reason
News flash buddy ESP is not LTD, haven't played an ESP that was bad. They're high end guitars with fantastic craftsmanship and playability. I'm talking the old standard series and the new original series etc. If you can't afford to pay to play don't complain about it. Any cheap guitar is going to have quality control issues based on your luck and need additional setup and work.
I’ve owned a Gibson, Chapman, Fender, Slick, and now Strandberg in that order. I don’t know what that says about me. Hated the Gibson, was indifferent on the Chapman, loved the Fender, appreciated the Slick, worship the Strandberg. For reference, play progressive pop rock style stuff.
I've got 3 Dean's, 2 EVO's (an X and an XL) and a Vendetta. Aside from a basic set up when they were purchased, they didn't need anything. The frets, fit and finish were excellent on all three and I've never had an issue with tuning stability. I like the chunkiness on my EVO's and the C neck profile for me is great. To be fair, I did eventually change out the pick ups on all of them because I thought the DMT design pick ups lacked some bottom end when you put some distortion to them, but the cleans were always great. I've also swapped Tuners out on them but only because I wanted higher ratios than what came stock, but that was just a personal preference, not because they had any issues.
I think their Dime stuff got a lot of hate that's undeserved to their 79 Vs and Cadillacs and such. The Korean ones I've tried weren't for me but have all been great. IMO a nicer alternative to Epiphone.
I have three minor disagreements. I own both Tom Anderson and Suhr guitars, if Suhr is in the S category, Tom Anderson would definitely be as well. Tom Anderson is slightly better quality in my opinion. The second one is that Music Man should probably be in the A category. Finally, Gibson should be in C, quality wise, but I understand there are subjective factors at play.
I was sad to see Dean at the bottom as I've been recently falling back in love with my 7 string Dean. It's mahogany Strat style body stained red and clear coated, looks beautiful. Dual humbuckers, tunamatic bridge, strung through the body. To be fair this is the only Dean I can recall playing. I bought it used with an aftermarket pickup in the bridge and a half finished fret level. I had the guys at Suttis Guitar Technologies Ltd finish the fret job so any quality issues with fretwork were fixed. Honestly I struggled with it for a while, just getting used to the 7th string. I also found the standard 10s for 7 string were too floppy and loose on the low B string (which I tune to A). I ended up grabbing a D string off a bass to use for the low B (A) string and moved the B to the E, E to A and left the D, G, B and high E as standard. Now I have a tight, fat tone and much more playable guitar. My former guitar teacher was always impressed with its tuning stability, I'd pull it out of its soft case after driving over on my motorcycle and rarely need to do more than a fine tuning. He also dug the clear tone. But my Cort proved to me even lower tier manufacturers can put out the odd gem. Also I love Godins vibe, I would have bumped them up a tier but I'm biased because they're Canadian like me. Thanks for your video.
The best guitars I've ever played are mayones. My favorite brands are mayones, schecter, Taylor, music man. I own at least one of each brand. I would probably never buy another guitar unless they play on their own or something lol
I agree about Squier. I bought a Classic Vibe 70's and added the EMG HSS and a Fender neck to it to make it truly amazing. But even before that, I was genuinely surprised at how good it was.
You do know those “ESP’s” you talked about are LTD’s right? ESP Made In Japan or USA are THE BEST ELECTRIC GUITARS money can buy, up there with Gibson and Fender. Get serious, please!
I would agree with most of the list except for Godin. they produce high quality instruments and they're consistent. i currently own two of their guitars and in the price range they sell it's extremely hard to beat.
I went to a guitar store to get a player plus Strat. Plugged it in and was disappointed with the thinness of the pickups and the OK neck. I decided to try out a Gretsch Streamline 2655, and promptly bought it 10 minutes later. Say what you want, it sounds better.
This list makes no sense at all.You have to make separate list for high end models, custom shop models and low cost lines. Ibanez and Jackson Costum Shop models leave Suhr guitars way behind them. To compare a cheapest Jackson line with Suhr high end models is just plain stupid.
Well of course go to a custom shop and drop 5000 on anything youre gonna get some damn good product. Plus tier list are all subjective to personal experience anyhow. If you aint like somebody's list then have some fun and make your own!
The cost of your guitars on your A list is significantly higher than your B list. To be fair to Gibson and Fender, you should have compared their custom shop guitars. I have a LP Custom that is unbelievable. I would like to see your list comparing guitar brands based on their models between $2.5k - $5k. That would be a valid ranking. You did this on your acoustic ranking as well. Compared mass produced guitars, then at the top listed a boutique guitar. Not a valid comparison
Plus he says Gibson doesn’t get top tier because of inconsistency throughout the years but then excludes all of BC riches top tier 80s history and throws them to F tier
5 years ago putting epiphone in D tier made sense. Now Epiphone is a solid B Tier with the inspired by gibson rebrand. I bought 2 in the past month the upgrade from the old Epiphone is miles ahead.
Just bought one of the lower end Tokai Les Pauls and it’s amazing! My two previous guitars were a Squire Strat and an Epiphone SG, and it out does them both in terms of sound, and build quality, even though it's around the same price. Their higher-end stuff is god-tier, at the store one of the older guys who works there was telling me that he knows a Gibson employee who owns a bunch of Tokai’s because they’re just so much better!
If you're lucky to get a realy good Gibson, it's a REALLY good guitar. If you get a meh Gibson, you still get a good guitar. Yeah, they're expensive and the qc is reportedly variable, but they're generally quite good. And if you're looking for soul and mojo and vibe, Gibson has tons of it. Literally.
Well, one thing, practice gets you better. The better you are, guitars don’t really matter. They sound good in hands of pro. These lists is more of for beginners to see which guitar is what they’d want, based on their budget. And then next it’s the type of guitars. Either short, medium, or long scale finger board, which string thickness, weight, sound (amps and pedals matter too for this one). These can only be found out by actually touching, and play the guitar with your hands.
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The only advice I have to those who wants to start playing guitar is
1) Choose a guitar that stay in tune
2) Choose a guitar YOU like to play. It doesn't matter what I think, you are the one that gonna play on it.
3) Choose a guitar that are in your budget
Couldn't have said it better myself.
@EM P I knew that I wanted a Stratocaster before I started to play. If you buy 2nd hand, take a friend with you. I wouldn't pick a big guitar to a beginner, they are harder to play on especially if you aren't 1.8 meter tall.
@EM P so why did you suggest that people should buy a big guitar? A smaller guitar is much easier to play on, unless you have big hands
Tone is in the hands anyways
Or saving up for the dream guitar!
F Tier: Dean
Dave Mustaine wants your location
Dimebag crawls out of grave to get revenge
Yeah, but Mustaine's guitars are custom shop
He even says its because there entry level guitars are wack
Any reputable company can make a great guitar for an artist, but I've disliked all the Dean and B.C. Rich guitars I've played in a store
dean makes the best feeling guitars to me, they just never have the options i want. dimebag and mustaines guitars feel amazing.
if you're new Yamaha & Ibanez have the best budget choices.
The build quality is good & the sound is amazing for their prices
For real though. It's so surprising what you can get for only 200
Maybe yamaha but ive played a lot of ibbys their cheap guitars are pretty bad, low quality fretboards, sharp fret ends , very plain looking bad electronics etc. , Used japanese ibbys are some of the best bang for your buck guitars out there though.
Diego M. Yeah ibanez prob has some of the best 500-800 dollar range guitars which is great for people that want a quality guitar on a budget. Their cheap guitars are pretty bad though.
Maybe not so much the Ibanez electrics, but their acoustics are so good you wonder how they make them for the money.
I have $600 PRS. I’ve had it for 15 years still works perfectly. I’ve had comparable priced Fenders and Ibanez that I only had a few years before things started breaking.
"I sure hope Dean gets a good spo-"
shoko yea wtf
Yep felt like that two xD I really love my Korean ml and my Chinese dime slime, my shitty 300 Euro used ml has more sustain then every les Paul classic I played at my local shop 😅 but yeah build quality is a thing. The switch and the pots are just junk.
Most good players don’t play or even consider playing deans lol, they’re for metal boomers living in the past wanting a cool looking guitars
@@robdouglas4743 guess I'm a 16 year old Boomer ✊🏻😔
Whats your opinion on Washburn then? Everyone's got Dime on the mind you know...
shoko as a non-metal guy I just have no interest in Washburn or dean guitars , I’ve played decent Washburns but they just don’t really do anything for me
Seeing Jackson being put in the d tier broke my heart
seing Ibanez and Jackson on s broke my heart
I love my Iban so much.
Were was Taylor's two
@@jeffwalker5455 Ibanez is B in that list.
Same, I have a jackson dinky, and a soloist and they are fricking great
*puts shecter and ESP in C tier* every Metalcore band wants your location
I could see LTD/Schecter/PRS SE etc(higher end imports) in the $800-$1200 mark on C class and their USA/Japan stuff on A class. Custom shop stuff(+$4000) probably S class expectations. I'm curious what people think of Kiesel
Metalcore is shit though
James Hetfield(from the 1980's) wants to know you locaton
hmmmeth099 metalcore is great
so ESP is only for metal now? if i had one id be pure clean tones
ESP or LTD? Honestly I think that is very important to differentiate
True
I think LTD guitars honestly have more soul than ESP, I know it’s basically the same company but ive never picked up an LTD that felt lifeless to me
@@skully4411 what do you mean by more soul? Esp is the high-end of LTDs tho...
Tatsu kun Most ESP guitars ive tried out seem like they are just made as quickly as possible, the feel more industrial to me
And LTD seem to always have more time put into them when it comes to production
ESPs cost more only because of Kirk Hammet
@@skully4411 haha- what strange logic you have. Kirk Hammet has LTD models too. I don't think you really know what the Japanese made ESP guitars are.
ESP deserves higher tbh, they're kind of godly. I might be a fanboy but I definitely know they're at least A.
EDIT: Also just want to point out that LTD isn't ESP really. that's like calling Epiphone and Gibson the same thing
Socks im glad people are saying this. ESP is without a doubt A tier
Totally agree but even the higher range LTDs are absolutely amazing guitars
@@Masterchiefb yep, I absolutely love my Ltd ec-1000. I just upgrade the hardware over time when I feel really need to and that's it. Probably gonna own it for the rest of my life
Shut up Boomer :^)
you've made a great point
honestly LTD do have good guitars in the range
and ESP have good guitars in their range too
putting them together is just wrong
both parts have many different price / budget points for all players
Surprised Gibson isn't lower actually. Fender in general has better quality control than Gibson.
Ibanez is better than both.
Where is G&L?
I dunno, B tier on both sounds about right. I've seen fewer faults with Fenders but they tend to be pretty bad (things like not having an attached ground wire and two guitars with the same model of Fender pickups sounding wildly different) while Gibson has more faults that aren't too significant in the grand scheme of things (Tooling marks, rough pickup cavity routes due to dull routing bits, etc.) Also, people are more likely to voice their opinions on a product they bought if they have a bad experience vs. if they have a good one, and for that reason we tend to hear more about the duds than we do the good ones.
@@Aarlog I'd say that Gibson is mostly about the LP, since it's their classic. And while they seem great at first, especially to newcomers, the goddamn g string will never stay in tune. This is not a problem caused by a faulty unit but by their LP design itself. So I'd rank them at least one tier below Ibanez for example, as they are incapable of getting their flagship model up to speed.
I think he didn’t include them because he said he wouldn’t rank any guitars he hasn’t played. I’d put G&L in the A tier on their US made stuff. They really make excellent guitars with low production numbers, and I’d say the same for Japanese Yamahas.
Man those G and L rampages are definitely pretty
@@MrMoneyHelper Just ordered an Ibanez... Hope mine is good 😬
After 4 years, I think it’s safe to move Squier and Epiphone up one letter grade. QC has been much better lately. I also haven’t played older Godin guitars, but I think putting them that low is bonkers. Quality, craftsmanship, playability, and sounds are fantastic at their price point.
I might want to add Sire guitars! Same price range of Squier, great playability, and wonderful tone.
I’m surprised you didn’t include Washburn, Charvel, and G&L in this list
He hasn't played them
Where would you put these Brands into?
pianoworld89 If It were me I would put G&L and Charvel in C, and Washburn in D. I have never played a Strandburg so I don’t have an opinion on that.
0:50
Eetu Koponen true!
Suhr
F: ORIGINALITY
S+: QUALITY
B:price
S+: performance
Suhr, Aristides and Stranberg probably the Holy Trinity Brand of modern era.. Don't know where to put Kisel tho.. and Abasi is probably one of the uprising brand..
@@minimoogle3335 you know what, you bring a great point, though i would put kiesel in the general metal category, STRANBERG in prog and suhr in fusion, but only generally, not mainly, I dont need a comment war.
Suhr quality is great, and their custom shop is more affordable than Fender (though you will still wait 18 months for a custom order). The list is a bit silly though, PRS and Tom Anderson are every bit as good as Suhr, and he's being unfair on the brands that also sell cheaper models, even listing ESP and talking about LTD. An Ibanez J-Custom or a top end Prestige like a Jem is as good as a Suhr in terms of built quality and setup, and the specs are as good as it gets, but obviously an Indonesian made Jem Jr is not the same.
I feel like if you're going to compare guitars like this you need to use relative prices... If you're comparing Ibanez to Suhr for example you should be looking at only the top end Prestige models... FWIW I own two high end Ibanez guitars and a custom order Suhr, don't own Tom Andersons or PRS but have played plenty.
Suhr is to Fender what Friedman is to Marshall, I guess you could say. A refined, modern take on an old design.
Whats the difference
@@Bless_darealone the difference is, they tweak the inconsistencies and make them better than the original
Suhr are bespoke, hand-made guitars with highest quality parts. They are like Fender Custom Shop, only with nicer pickups and fancier wood. Suhr does have some more modern shapes than Fender, so there’s more options to choose from.
I think schecter deserves a higher spot in the list
Who's with me?
Schecter I would easily say is the best guitar brand and I'm up to argue with anybody who thinks otherwise. They're affordable, include amazing pick-ups including the sustaniac, they're sound is way more impressive than any other brand.
Extreme value for money too I'd honestly say it's comparable to ibanez
I absolutely love Schecter. I’ve had 3, one that was around 300, one for 600 and one that was 1200 and they were all excellent
I think now what they have done with the nick Johnson strats and that van nuys traditionals…they are something else!!!
I agree with the placement on the list. They're a solid C tier.
They're bang for your buck in terms of components, I guess, but they do come across a bit like mayonnaise on white bread sort of bland. If there's a couple of them hung up at a guitar shop my eye will naturally glaze over them and gravitate to something a bit more "vibey". They're personally not the sort of guitar that inspires me to want to pick up and play.
I’m actually a fan of squier, I think guitars such as the mustang and stratocaster attract a lot of beginners due to their shapes being so iconic and the price being so affordable and you can’t complain about new people coming to the hobby. Their quality may not be the best but in my opinion for their price they’re pretty decent.
The strat shape with the arm and tummy contours is super comfortable, which makes practicing much more pleasant. The classic vibe guitars are pretty well built, sound good, and are a great bargain,
Spot on! I'd also add that what makes Squiers even better is the ease of improvement. Once you get into electric more and discover modding, you have so many more options with Squier. I barely touch my high end guitars, but regularly change what I get from my Squier Affinity Strat sound!
I like squier, but seriously for their price range a yamaha pacifica is much better
I have a Vintage modified strat from Squier build in India. Seymore Duncan pups and body made of Indian redwood. Bought it about 10 years ago and never regretted it.
@@lamunedonein2656idk how it plays but the Pacifica is one of the ugliest guitars I have ever seen
Music Man is def an A or S. Even the sterling models are great. I’ve owned ten music man guitars in my life, loved em all.
Yeah I see people's expectations with USA Music Man at least A class. Maybe it's not for them but the qc/build itself is at the level.
Man, you guys are projecting my confusion with Ernie Ball being B tier. Their prices aren’t B-tier, that’s for sure.
Agreed, music man guitars in my opinion are some of my favourite sounding guitars, and how much variety they have in their products
For sure. I have a family ball reserve music man silhouette. And everyone that has played that thing LOVES it. I’ve had 3 americna strats, a les Paul, and played a ton of other guitars and the music man smoked them. I love a really nice Strat, but I never found one for a price that made it worth it. They are overpriced.
Definitely A-tier minimum. I'm shopping for one now, and have tried almost all of them. They all have been absolutely stellar. I've settled on the Valentine Ball Family Reserve walnut model. I wanted the Mariposa BFR, but the neck was just a lil too small for me. The Valentine was perfect. I love the Sabre and Albert Lee HH aswell. I put them ahead of Suhr and Tom Anderson for sure. Those brands are excellent, but they just don't have the same attention to detail as the EBMM, and the BFR level are all just beautiful. I'm generally a Gibson guy, but I wanted something a lil more versatile and with a satin neck, and have tried almost all the top brands recently.
Please do the acoustic list
Please
Please! :)
I got a used Mitchell (Guitar Center store brand) with a plywood top that sounds like crap. But I got a Yamaha TransAcoustic solid top that sounds AWESOME and a Seagull twelve string that is spectacular!
What do y'all think of a squier vintage modified jazz master? Where would that fit on the tier list?
Damn no love for the Schecters...
So sad I have 4 syn gates custom s guitars
Mark Knopfler had some beautiful Shecters back in the day.
I’ve found my people
I'd have to agree with him. I love Schecters but compared to companies like ibanez a d suhr... They don't even come close
The Ibanez RG my uncle gave me a few years ago is my go-to guitar for everything. I like to just right songs and riffs on it, and it carried me through jazz band and every metal song I have ever played. Just great guitars overall and the best fretboard for my fingers.
I have an RG350dx, had it since 2010. Its my go to guitar and can handle everything and anything. Oddly enough, I'm looking to add another guitar to my setup and I cant decide so I ended up here lol
schecter: if their good enough for Robert Smith, then their good enough for me
It might be helpful for you to work on your spelling and grammar.
If they're good enough for Synyster Gates they're good enough for me
If they are good enough for Keith Merrow and Nick Johnston, then they're good enough for me.
I think the Robert Smith signature is the only Schecter that stirs a even modicum of emotion from me.
Pete Townsend also is a Schecter player.
I own or have owned PRS, Fender, Gibson and Schecter. I think you have them placed in the right orders. Every PRS plays like a dream out of the box. Fender and Gibson you need to test drive a bunch of guitars to find the right one because of the inconsistencies. Gibson has really fallen off unfortunately and I'd probably put them in category C now. I've owned a couple of Schecters in the past and I would highly recommend them to anyone trying to find a good guitar in the $400-$650 price range. You get a lot for the money. Very nice guitars for that price range.
The curve looks more like a middle finger than a bell. I love PRS guitars, even their SE models are well built.
Music man and ESP deserve to be higher in the list. And if you include LTD's in the list those are definitely in the same league as ibanez's similarly priced range
That's what I thought when he put ESP on the list, I mean if he split Epiphone and Gibson as well as Squier and Fender, I don't know why he didn't split LTD and ESP.
I think its like he said at the beginning of the video, that he’s looking at the brand as a whole, and for MM that includes the Sterling line, which is night and day when we look at EBMM guitars in quality. If they had a solid/good “mid-tier” line of guitars, it probably would’ve bumped them up. But then again the whole list is subjective, and despite the quality difference from Sterling to EBMM I agree with your opinion that it should def be higher. Def would be A tier at the moment for me. If they get more selection as far affordability and quality, maybe a new line within MM, it would def be in S tier.
Also definitely some post-purchase rationalization bias since dropping $2400 for a guitar (in the PRS he bought in A tier) is far different than “playing some” MM guitars (in B tier).
I would say that this tier list has has a major flaw. You should also take into account that companies like prs and suhr doesn’t release really low budget guitars while ibanez does(Cheapest prs se is about 500 bucks while ibanez starts from 200).
Edited: Ibanez gio rage is soulless though. Around 500 bucks you get an amazing shred axe.
I don't remember any of the Gio series guitars getting pass the 300$ mark. I don't know where you've found a Gio that costs 500$🤔
The Gio is a budget series that sacrifices the sound quality for a decent build quality( though it still sounds great for any beginner)
@@superrookie-1 Sorry I meant that the cheapest prs se is 500$. Ibanez starts form 200$. In the last line I meant to specify that Ibanez standard which are around 500 are really good. Though I still use a prestige
@@srajangupta2867 I really like my old Ibanez SZ720FM. 2004 model, I picked it up at a pawn shop for $325 USD. The dang thing was still in tune when I brought it home. I like it better than my PRS Santana. MHO. Cheers!
ray fostore Even I love my ibanez 550 genesis. A Japanese made ibanez under 1000 bucks. Thinnest neck possible.
Ibanez necks are awesome. You can get a good Ibanez like GRG121DX nowadays, and just install Seymour Duncan sh-16 and sh-1n, it will sound excellent.
G&L ASAT (USA) is the best electric guitar I've played in 30+ years. Just awesome.
Overall agreed, very fair list. Would put Fender in the A tier but understand why you didn’t. I think the popular makers with a 40 year plus history are at an inherent disadvantage. Some years, they have just bad management, been squeezed by competition etc. Would be hard for a company in that market position to be at an A or S cumulatively.
I wanted a Gibson for so long, looked at cool guitar models, wanted so many other different brands, all apart from Fender. I swore I would never get a fender as I’m in a band that mainly plays alt/hard rock. After ten years of playing, I went to guitar center ready to buy a good guitar. I played every guitar I’d ever wanted and guess what; I walked out with a fender. It’s crazy how everyone’s guitar journey always goes to the unexpected.
No enemy here. Ranking guitars on their soulfulness, vibe and mojo - as well as design and quality control - is a perfectly legitimate approach. The one thing I'd add is, based on what I hear, Epiphone is much like Squier in that their higher end models do skew toward a "B" and not a "D".
Thanks for the input Ron.
I dunno, that scheme seems too subjective. You just end up gravitating towards things because of their aesthetic, its not like vibe or mojo is a measureable thing, and it means massively different things to different people. Like if i were making this list PRS and Music Man would have swapped slots, I've never played a music man I didn't like and I never played a PRS I didn't feel was majorly "off", rather just buy an old gibson at that point.
"Dimebag's Angel would like to know your location" jk he knows he sad
First video ever... was vibing big time until Epiphone :( Especially with the HUGE history they have. I think ppl overlook how amazing Epiphone as a company was prior to them being purchased by Gibson too! They have and still make amazing stuff. I say this as a luthier/builder myself too... I truly love their vintage stuff... (I also am gigging a Gibson atm so there is that lol)
C'mon man of course he's not talking about the original Epiphone company. Lol. The original Epiphone company made fantastic instruments at the cutting edge of electrical engineering and craftsmanship. You can basically assume any time anyone is ranking Epiphone they're not ranking prehistoric, "Les Paul the traveling country musician" era Epiphone.
Epiphone simply became Gibson, Jr. by the 70s, then just became their junk/strat copy Korean/Indonesian import line after that. Now, they're just cheap/knock-off Gibson like Squire is to Fender.
Who the hell remembers "prior to them being bought by Gibson" lmao.
All these brands offer amazing high quality guitars. However, If we compare their low range, yeah this seems accurate.
Epiphone Plustop Pro vs Fender Player Series Strat? Which one is better in terms of quality and value? I love the sound of both guitars, thanks!
ESP and Dean are some of the best guitars I’ve ever played (at least for my style)
F tear dean made me leave instantly. Dimebag isn’t happy
Their guitars are overpriced
They milk Dimebag's image, i bet he would not be pleased with the quality of their "accessible" guitars
I guess they are ok if you spend 1500€
@@xavi9bhgt556 facts
@@xavi9bhgt556 thats how all metal guitars are though. go to the store and pick up any guitar with a floyd rose under $800 and itll play like shit. same shit with esp and jackson
@@lmlCOBHClml Not really, i got a Jackson Pro Series Soloist for under 700 and it plays well, frets are nice, locking tuners, locked bridge tho, and DiMarzio pickups. I can't really advocate for Jackson since it's really a hit or miss company, get a great deal or an absolute crap of a guitar
Now some metal guitars have less finish quality for that price like Ibanez or ESP and i hear Schecter is making better shit lately
But you're kinda right, some companies put a FR, a nice paintjob, Seymour Duncan or some EMG pickups and forget about the rest
Dean guitars are fucking garbage straight off the wall.
Grocery shopping is now called sourcing your own materials.
i have had 3 ESP guitars at varying price points, ranging from 600-2000 and compared to similarly priced jackson and ibanez guitars i have owned, the ESP guitars have been generally better in my opinion, never had any issues and the feel of them was great along with the sound.
I would include G&L as an A. They are the PRS of Fender-style guitars. The only consistent complaint I hear about them is that some folks don’t like the headstock. They play well, feel good, sound good (in my opinion), and are crafted well. I never held a crap G&L.
Would have been more interesting with models instead of brands
Yeah exactly. LTD 100/LTD 1000/E-II/ESP Japan/USA would probably have their own individual tiers.
Yeah, Schecter has some of the best custom guitars in the game
But that's really complicated. It's only possible to look at he neck, the body and the pick ups, without connecting them. There are wayy to many combinations
Putting Dean as the first brand in the F tier shot me through the heart
Michael Schenker wants his location 🤣
@@randytreadway7467 a wild Dimebag Darrell ghost has appeared
I own 8 Gibsons (Les Paul, SG, ES335, ...) and all perform outstandingly. I own 3 PRS and I had electronics problems with 2 of them (one from US and one from Korea). So my experience with Gibson was great compared to PRS. I also own 10 Fenders, only one with a problem (truss road) ... the rest, were great (Mexican and US made!)
Damn thats a big collection
For beginners squier is a very good starting company. They are not that bad but if ur expecting a strat ur not gonna get one for 200 dollars. They are very good starting guitars so if u can buy one
What about RICKENBACKER?! Where would you place that?
Hitesh_blues has to be S tier
There's a reason every Rickenbacker is over $1,500
Ricks are cool but ricks sound like ricks
The short scales feels absolutely disgusting in my opinion. Yuck.
al chaddinsonbergtilmongheriongola matter of taste I think, my Fender Mustang is one of the better playing guitars I own
My personal list :
F : bc rich, squier
D : Cort, washburn, LTD
C : Yamaha, Gibson, Epiphone
B : Jackson, Schecter, G&L
A : PRS, Ibanez, Fender, Rickenbacker, Musicman
S : Suhr, ESP, Tom Anderson
I mostly agree with your list, but I'd put Gibson and Fender together in the B and the G&L in the A. At least the American made ones. The quality (and price) of the foreign made Fenders, Gibsons, and G&L's obviously wouldn't grade this high.
I own an Anderson Tele and a PRS Core 594. I love them both and they are the same flawless quality. I can’t imagine selling either of them. There just aren’t any better guitars out there.
I also have a Fender American Pro Strat I bought in 2005 and a recent PRS SE Hollowbody, which are both excellent guitars with similar quality, but I don’t love either of them as much as the Anderson. I feel like the PRS Core guitars are S, and the SE would be a B or an A. Maybe PRS averages out to A, but the Core guitars are amazing.
As a guy who owns japan made ESP guitars, and has encoutered yamaha guitars in the toy section, what?!
So your opinion is that ESP make better guitars than Yamaha because your $1000+ Japan made ESP sounds better than a -$50 Indonesian made Yamaha?
When I was looking at getting a parlor size acoustic guitar for travel I ended up purchasing the China made Yamaha csf3m for $600 rather than the USA made Taylor gs mini or Martin drj for $1000 & not only because it sounded sooooo much better to me but it is made better ( solid back & sides, etc.) so it wasn't even a competition.
Go compare them for yourself & I guarantee you'll at least have a new outlook on where your guitar is made, once you start looking above the $400 price range it doesn't really mean shit these days, we're in the era of affordable quality guitars even "made in China"!
@@JoshManMate But those "ESP" guitars under 400 dollars are not ESP guitars. They are LTD guitars which makes a huge difference. All the actual ESP:s are over 1000 dollars and they are top of the chart.
I do agree there are diminishing returns at different levels of high range guitars, and even midrange guitars for some companies. I will not go so far as to say its the same thing though. The first time I played my custom shop ESP was a totally magical moment, even coming from already owning 2000 dollar guitars. Maybe its not objectively better, its just different, and not to the point someone could hear the difference, but if someone is in the market for an ESP i would never suggest to save money and buy a yamaha.
@@artturipura9238
Then a comparable example would be a Yamaha over $1000, not a $50 model from a toy shop.
@@kevingil1817
What do you mean the same thing?
& I agree.
My point is that Yamaha hold there own very, very well across the board, you always get more bang for your buck & they are made in China/Indonesia with incredibly quality/value.
So just because ESP do custom japan made guitars doesn't make them better as an entire brand & justify being on the same level tier even though they subjectively make better electric guitars over $2000 because they make average guitars under $1000.
I'm new on electric guitar. Which brand is best for metal?
Gibson should be F-.
They make furniture pieces, not quality guitars.
Spoken like the typical Gibson hater who's never picked one up their whole life. Keep on with the circlejerk.
rickenbacker? Charvel? Taylor (they make electrics), Washburn? Mitchell? Hamer? Teisco or Hondo ?
forgot Kramer too
forgot danelectro too lol
Own an Ibanez and bought an rg6003fm brand new wizard 3 neck best neck for speed. Solid mohogany body flame maple top 24 fret 5 way switch sick guitar for $279 love it
Would Ibanez be the best brand to go with for a sub $300 guitar?
I'm surprised that you didn't have experience playing G&L.
so which of the Tier B Guitar brands has the best Quality/Price ratio?
I've never played an Epiphone with a QC issue.
I've never played a Gibson without a QC issue.
???????
Aesthetic Deluxe Gibson has horrible quality control
First Epiphone I bought had connectivity issues with the coil tap. Was a Limited Edition Les Paul Custom Pro
@@zac8084 People say that, but mine have always been pristine and perfectly set-up out of the case. And they have held together without issue with no problem. BUT... mine were bought in 2002 and 2003 respectively. So maybe the mighty have fallen since then.
I guess I just got good luck my 2019 Gibson hasn’t given me a single issue
I agree with epiphone mine had tuning issues where it would come out of tune sometimes during play and this was not one of their cheap ones.
I had a b.c. rich platinum warlock and it was perfect! I took it to my friends grandpa who owned a guitar shop for a set up and when I came back a couple days later I came in expecting to pay $60 for a set up fee and the he said 40$ I asked him if he forgot to do a set up and he said I didn't have to do really anything. it was already set up. he said he went over it and only thing he needed to do to it was just put new strings on he said he really liked my guitar and it was a great guitar. he was impressed to say the least. I was shocked. I bought the guitar around the year 2000 - 01
Nice tier list! FYI, I got an amazing Jackson Soloist for around 600$ 5 years ago and it still is the most playable guitar I own. Better then 1000$+ stuff that I own now (Solar, Ibanez and Cort).
If you are placing Fender and Squier as separate brands, you should have done the same with ESP and LTD. Their leap in quality is very noticeable
I'd put Gibson in c or even d tier.
I couldn't have made a better tier list honestly. However if you've never played Solar Guitars... You should. I would put them in the B tier list right next to Ibanez
Esp definitely deserves to be higher. Even with LTD they have very decent quality. I wish you had some more experience with them.
I love schecter guitars. I played a crappy guitar from best buy but when it was time to upgrade I tried a couple of different guitars and didn't think much of them. my guitar teacher handed me a schecter c1 platinum and I was like " wtf is this?" I'd never heard of them but as I started to play I was like "wtf is this!" I loved it I took to it like a fish to water. Since then I've continued to play all sorts of guitars but schecter keeps surprising me. My next guitar is a schecter reaper fr6 passive pickups push pull pots Floyd rose it's a beauty and very versatile
Nate, loved the list. Where is Rickenbacker on your list? I'm sure you must have played a few in your time.
Yeah I really wonder about Ricks. I like them but I need some ideas from people who played some of those guitars.
ooof rics are a doozy. I know several people that can attest to BADDDD quality on the newer stuff. also considering their flagship poster boys have since passed (burton, dinizio, petty, beatles) theyre a shadow of what they once were. pain to fix and repair as well.
@@kionihernandez356 from what I've read about them, their guitars are out of this world but when it comes to their basses, run for the hills!
Do you have experience with Grosh? I think they are better than suhr
What about charvel? They're coming out with some interesting stuff at the moment
I've played Charvel Guitars but never really spent any time with them. Maybe some others here could weigh in on this.
Charvel is Fender, same headstock and made in the same factory.
@@EOHRyan charvel is an edgy fender
Did they take their production to China and only a decade ago or so started to move them back to USA?
As Suhr has grown in output, so did their QC devolved. I've played about 20 in my local store and they are not above, say PRS, Fender CS or Andersons - all of them also in the said store.
I own Anderson Angel and couldn't be happier.
Nice to see Yamaha getting props!
I feel like it's a bit of an issue to include brands where the top price is under 1k and brands where the minimum is like 2k on the same list. How can those two things be compared?
My Epiphone Les Paul Studio ROCKS!!!
Knowing your brand list, what are some good electric guitars in the $500 to $1000 range?
Nour Mohamed I would say a mexi fender. The plant literally crosses the border. I’ve played tons of fenders when I worked in a music store. I’d also recommend a gretsch. Had one of those as well. I currently have a mexi jaguar. Look for any used or new Japanese fenders as well.
Schecter for sure
I understand your reasoning for putting them where you did, but I haven't played a Godin that didn't play like nice Suhr or TA. Fantastic guitars.
I grabbed a used Suhr Classic in burst/SSS for $1750. It's got a magic to it, the stainless frets are smooth and glassy to play they are thinner than the ubiquitous jumbos (which you don't need given the lifetime of stainless) and between that and it having been plek-ed it plays even smoother than something like a Chapman which also has stainless frets. The ASCII 60 cycle killing thing they put in 'em gives them immaculate clean tones but they have a different character than a Fender, it's a more distilled pure sound but still bright and snappy like a strat. The neck feels chunky when you first grab it (especially compared the flat/wide stuff I usually play) but it feels great to play all around, it's better for chording than a fast neck and with the compound radius it's great for lead too. It stays in tune forever, no string trees, rock solid 1/4 sawed single piece neck. My only gripe is that mine needs another millimeter or two on the high side just for a margin of error/so I don't miss the board when I play to hard and sloppy.
Also the Chapman sits in B tier probably, the hardware components are great and the build quality is great, the price is great but they are a little 'soulless' as you would put it. They make solid platforms though, might give mine a pickup swap or something.
Schecter at C? Really dude? Schecter are making so solid guitars. The cheap ones are 99% of the times really, really good for the price and they are making high end guitars for such a cheap price. I have never played a bad schecter in my life. Most underrated brand.
Lol, he says schecter is C because of the vibe xD, compared to all other SE edition guitars 4-600 range, my schecter C1 platinum has better playability then all the other ones around the price range. Agreed brother
I own a 6 string Omen with a Floyd Rose (diamond series ofc). It was my first guitar. I love it to death: great quality, great feel, great tone... and I've never modified it in any way after purchasing it. Schecter kicks ass!
If you are making a distinction between Gibson/epiphone and fender/squier then you should do the same for every other company as well with their high/low end like esp/ltd and musicman/sterling
F tier: BC rich & Dean.
if you want to throw hands, se throw hands
If you were to split the fender and gibson custom shops out, where would you rank them?
Good honest review
Personally I'm a stratocaster guy but I keep falling into the Les Paul trap, no comparison tho, can't get comfortable with it. Sucks cuz, not cheap
Is a Jackson Rhoads pro a good election for an intermediate guitarist that has played an squier for 5 years ???
Squier bullets aren’t even that bad anymore
Agreed. If anything it's the real Fenders that are overrated. Seriously what are you getting for such a high price? the build and sound quality isn't all that much better from my experience, and the playability is the same if not worse in some cases due to the more "traditional" neck profiles on them.
I tend to always fuck up on Fenders for some reason, yet my absolute piece of shit, cheap-ass Yamaha knockoff I play much better on for some God forsaken reason
News flash buddy ESP is not LTD, haven't played an ESP that was bad. They're high end guitars with fantastic craftsmanship and playability.
I'm talking the old standard series and the new original series etc. If you can't afford to pay to play don't complain about it. Any cheap guitar is going to have quality control issues based on your luck and need additional setup and work.
Squire so low!!!???
I’ve owned a Gibson, Chapman, Fender, Slick, and now Strandberg in that order. I don’t know what that says about me. Hated the Gibson, was indifferent on the Chapman, loved the Fender, appreciated the Slick, worship the Strandberg. For reference, play progressive pop rock style stuff.
I understand a lot of people don’t like the dean but I love them for the image n I feel like they have a clunky solid state feel but I like it more
I've got 3 Dean's, 2 EVO's (an X and an XL) and a Vendetta. Aside from a basic set up when they were purchased, they didn't need anything. The frets, fit and finish were excellent on all three and I've never had an issue with tuning stability. I like the chunkiness on my EVO's and the C neck profile for me is great.
To be fair, I did eventually change out the pick ups on all of them because I thought the DMT design pick ups lacked some bottom end when you put some distortion to them, but the cleans were always great. I've also swapped Tuners out on them but only because I wanted higher ratios than what came stock, but that was just a personal preference, not because they had any issues.
I think their Dime stuff got a lot of hate that's undeserved to their 79 Vs and Cadillacs and such. The Korean ones I've tried weren't for me but have all been great. IMO a nicer alternative to Epiphone.
I have three minor disagreements. I own both Tom Anderson and Suhr guitars, if Suhr is in the S category, Tom Anderson would definitely be as well. Tom Anderson is slightly better quality in my opinion. The second one is that Music Man should probably be in the A category. Finally, Gibson should be in C, quality wise, but I understand there are subjective factors at play.
I was sad to see Dean at the bottom as I've been recently falling back in love with my 7 string Dean. It's mahogany Strat style body stained red and clear coated, looks beautiful. Dual humbuckers, tunamatic bridge, strung through the body. To be fair this is the only Dean I can recall playing. I bought it used with an aftermarket pickup in the bridge and a half finished fret level. I had the guys at Suttis Guitar Technologies Ltd finish the fret job so any quality issues with fretwork were fixed.
Honestly I struggled with it for a while, just getting used to the 7th string. I also found the standard 10s for 7 string were too floppy and loose on the low B string (which I tune to A). I ended up grabbing a D string off a bass to use for the low B (A) string and moved the B to the E, E to A and left the D, G, B and high E as standard. Now I have a tight, fat tone and much more playable guitar.
My former guitar teacher was always impressed with its tuning stability, I'd pull it out of its soft case after driving over on my motorcycle and rarely need to do more than a fine tuning. He also dug the clear tone.
But my Cort proved to me even lower tier manufacturers can put out the odd gem.
Also I love Godins vibe, I would have bumped them up a tier but I'm biased because they're Canadian like me.
Thanks for your video.
The G string on my Gibson SG haunts my nightmares. Conversely, I could throw my strat against a wall and it would stay in tune
The best guitars I've ever played are mayones. My favorite brands are mayones, schecter, Taylor, music man. I own at least one of each brand. I would probably never buy another guitar unless they play on their own or something lol
Recently saw a mayones guitar in a music store. Amazing quality. Built to perfection. Great touch, great sound! Really want one.
I agree about Squier. I bought a Classic Vibe 70's and added the EMG HSS and a Fender neck to it to make it truly amazing. But even before that, I was genuinely surprised at how good it was.
Thanks Nate! What do you think of the Guild Starfire semi-hollow bodies?
No experience w G&L? Thought they might be rated highly bc their tribute series has peerless quality control
You do know those “ESP’s” you talked about are LTD’s right? ESP Made In Japan or USA are THE BEST ELECTRIC GUITARS money can buy, up there with Gibson and Fender. Get serious, please!
You obviously haven't played a Suhr.. ;)
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 there it is. the Dumbest thing I've read all year.
@@CozyKG I take it you don't read much.
I would agree with most of the list except for Godin. they produce high quality instruments and they're consistent. i currently own two of their guitars and in the price range they sell it's extremely hard to beat.
I stop the Video after ESP , Schecter in C !!!
I went to a guitar store to get a player plus Strat. Plugged it in and was disappointed with the thinness of the pickups and the OK neck. I decided to try out a Gretsch Streamline 2655, and promptly bought it 10 minutes later. Say what you want, it sounds better.
This list makes no sense at all.You have to make separate list for high end models, custom shop models and low cost lines. Ibanez and Jackson Costum Shop models leave Suhr guitars way behind them. To compare a cheapest Jackson line with Suhr high end models is just plain stupid.
Well of course go to a custom shop and drop 5000 on anything youre gonna get some damn good product. Plus tier list are all subjective to personal experience anyhow. If you aint like somebody's list then have some fun and make your own!
The cost of your guitars on your A list is significantly higher than your B list. To be fair to Gibson and Fender, you should have compared their custom shop guitars. I have a LP Custom that is unbelievable. I would like to see your list comparing guitar brands based on their models between $2.5k - $5k. That would be a valid ranking. You did this on your acoustic ranking as well. Compared mass produced guitars, then at the top listed a boutique guitar. Not a valid comparison
Plus he says Gibson doesn’t get top tier because of inconsistency throughout the years but then excludes all of BC riches top tier 80s history and throws them to F tier
I own a bc rich warlock from 2012 and it plays just as well as guitars 3 to 4 times its price
5 years ago putting epiphone in D tier made sense. Now Epiphone is a solid B Tier with the inspired by gibson rebrand. I bought 2 in the past month the upgrade from the old Epiphone is miles ahead.
S-tier: TOKAI
Fucking love their les Paul knockoffs. (Love rock I think they’re called?)
Just bought one of the lower end Tokai Les Pauls and it’s amazing! My two previous guitars were a Squire Strat and an Epiphone SG, and it out does them both in terms of sound, and build quality, even though it's around the same price. Their higher-end stuff is god-tier, at the store one of the older guys who works there was telling me that he knows a Gibson employee who owns a bunch of Tokai’s because they’re just so much better!
my first guitar was tokai sg. fucking solid:)
My semi hollow guitar is a Tokai. Great guitar and there customer service is very friendly too.
Where would you rank keisel guitar?
I would have given Gibson fkin d or f tier honestly for the price Gibson is just bad
If you're lucky to get a realy good Gibson, it's a REALLY good guitar. If you get a meh Gibson, you still get a good guitar. Yeah, they're expensive and the qc is reportedly variable, but they're generally quite good. And if you're looking for soul and mojo and vibe, Gibson has tons of it. Literally.
I got a Gibson LPJ used for $500. Best electric I've ever played. Heavy as fuck though.
Well, one thing, practice gets you better. The better you are, guitars don’t really matter. They sound good in hands of pro.
These lists is more of for beginners to see which guitar is what they’d want, based on their budget.
And then next it’s the type of guitars. Either short, medium, or long scale finger board, which string thickness, weight, sound (amps and pedals matter too for this one). These can only be found out by actually touching, and play the guitar with your hands.