Did they ever re-issue the radiator? I pretty much only play sevens now, but that is a guitar I'd put in my stable. Even though they weren't very expensive when new, I was broke when they were being sold, so I never ended up getting one.
Took the words right off my keyboard. I think everything Leo didn't like about his work on his Fenders and Music Man guitars & basses he perfected at G&L. Especially the bridges. Massive.
Matty I own 5 G&L's with Leo's gold signature. They are professional instruments. They are tight due to they use the metric system. They were built by a small crew. Each one what 5x checked .They were setup and intonated.when they left the factory. Most guitars were sold to shops in Japan. G&L used the metric system than the Imperial system. What that means everything was more precise. When G&L arrived in Japan, they did not need to do a setup and it was in tune. So you own one?
I own a '77 Gibson Les Paul and 4 G&Ls. G&Ls are like getting a Fender custom shop guitar at half the price. Buy one used at $800-$1000 and it's like getting a $2000+ guitar. Good analysis.
@@DMSProduktions I bought a Vox guitar from Guitar Center over a decade ago that's shaped alot like an LP and has pickups that go from a P-90 to twin rail Humbuckers with a flip pf the switch. I played it more than my Strat, S-G, LTD, or anything else. It has a mahogany neck thru body with bellied gold top. No pick gaurd. I loved it from first sight. 😊
Small correction: Most of the PRS SE line is now made by Cor-Tek (Cort) in Indonesia rather than World Music in Korea. I believe some might still be made in Korea but they are being phased out.
Gordon Smith guitars are made and assembled in England with hand wound pickups that are also done here in England. Any finish/equipment/mod is accommodates by prior arrangement and they sound AMAZING. I once borrowed a GS model from a mate for a week or so back in the days before the company changed ownership and the quality was a litttle more variable. Now they’ve gone into ownership with Auden acoustics the quality is superb abs they’ve still got the character that made them a very very popular instrument with discerning pros in the seventies and early 80s. Hope Shane can find time or / dollars to buy one. They start at around £700gbp and go right up to well over £2k if you go daft with the finish.
One of my oldest friends has owned a G&S guitar since the mid 80s ; it supplanted his '67 SG and was his sole gigging guitar for over a decade that his band was touring . It needs a refret but he loves it nearly as much as his wife 😃
I can't recommend Eastman guitars highly enough for the money. I just recently picked up the t64v casino/es330 type, with bigsby & lollar p90s. It just rings like a bell. Shudder to think an equivalent gibson would cost! Just when I thought my gas was under control, damn you Shane!! ;)
Godin should be on this list...quality at a reasonable price. I bought a like new Session plus on Craigslist for $400. The neck feels so good on that guitar and it has quality components and pickups.
For me, G&L is a secret that some folks just dont get-they make great guitars, even the Tribute series made in Indonesia which can stand up to MIM Fenders and are significantly cheaper than MIM Fenders at least here in US (max street price of G&L Tribute guitar here in US is about $550 wheras MIM Fender starts at $600 -700 and goes up to $1K) And the American made G&Ls are an even greater bargain in comparison to Fender American Pro or Ultra-especially if you buy used. So the fact that G&L has a perplexingly lower resale value-and this is a double edged sword-but it works in your favor if you find one you love and plan to keep!!! My budget doesnt allow me to collect American G&Ls but I have several G&L Tributes that I will be keeping long term-and some of them I bought used/NOS from Reverb for less than $400-compare that to used MIM Fender Teles which people are asking $500+ in used comdition on Reverb-often with numerous cosmetic damages (sorry, not into reliced guitars personnally)-and even 20 years old-from a time when MIM Fenders were not as consistently good in quality as they are now. And as for the G&L headstocks-I like em-kinda similar to Fender but with their own vibe-G&L pickups are solid to great (esp the MFD and Z coils!) and Leo’s more modern bridges are cool and usually more comfortable to play. So try out a G&L-buy a Tribute if you can’t find one locally to try in person-to try out the pickups and hardware and get your feet wet, esp if an American G&L is kinda outa your budget-then save up and buy a used American G&L on Reverb if you enjoy the Tribute. By the way-today (Thurs Aug 13) is International Left’s day-shout out and Happy Southpaw day to you Shane!!!! Keep up the great work on your channel and thanks for all you do to educate and inform us!!!
Personally I'd rather have a G&L Tribute than a Fender Player Series. I've been extremely disappointed with the fretwork on the Player Series guitars recently.
Having just bought a hard to find (in WA anyway) Yamaha Pacifica I can only agree that it is a superb guitar. Why spend 1,000's on a guitar when the Pacifica, which cost me AU$479, is excellent in every way? I especially like the P90, the ability to split the humbucker coils, the locking tuners and the special man-made nut. I play blues mainly and tend to use only the neck p/u but on the Pacifica I use mainly the combined middle setting which gives a Blues sound I really like.
From Leo: Good reminder that Fender and Gibson are not the only brands with credibility. I have several G&L's, bought used at a great price. Great guitars. A "name" on the headstock has no value to me, and I am far past paying extra for it. The guitar needs to speak for itself. The G&L's speak feel, fit and sound loud and clear.
@@ratatatuff YOU ARE SOOO RIGHT !! Gibson should be EMBARRASSED with their EPI Acoustics. I wanted a lower priced model as a knock around guitar to take on trips or just noodling outside on my deck . NO LIE - Had to send back THREE (3) of them. In the end I lost patience and went to a entry level FENDER and loved the quality and tone for the money.
@@SteveBurke03181962 Love my Asat - the only - only change I would make is in the aesthetics. They left the head-stock a raw, pale, maple - A nice honey tint would have been appreciated - really sticks out. Everything else good, real good :)
The best les Paul I've ever owned is a epiphone les Paul vintage edition. It is a bolt on neck but has the best sustain out of any of the guitars I've had, including American les Paul standards. Maybe I just got lucky.
Godin....you missed Godin guitars from your list...even though a Canadian company with the majority of models made in Canada and some made (or assembled) in the US...their largest following i believe is Europe. Don't know their availability in Ausy land.
I agree to the fact that they are great guitars, but... Are they really under rated? Doesn't everyone know how good they are? Might be wrong, sure... But, imho, I don't think they are under rated. Peace
My favorite electric is an Epiphone Les Paul Junior with a humbucker. You can find them used for less than a hundred bucks pretty regularly. It should be a piece of crap but it’s honestly a really good guitar. The pickup was actually really good sounding and the tuners, despite looking like your average garbage Epiphone tuners, actually stay in tune rather well. I’ve honestly thought about buying several more of these many times.
My Epi Special LP Jr gets more play time than the Gibsons in the fleet. Just a lot of fun. Some of them have poor fretwork but after touching that up they play easy, weigh half a Gibson LP and get just as great of tones. ... these will be collector items ;) the replacement models in 2020 are minimum $400 new.
REVEREND GUITARS - Shane, I own 3 of them and have to say that the build quality of the older models "feel" better than the newer ones. HOWEVER, PRICE WISE this doesn't seem to matter because Reverend guitars hold their value and most times increase in value BETTER THAN ANY Asian made guitar on the market. I am a hobbyist collector and buy & sell about a half dozen guitar and amps a year for the last 15 yrs and amazed that I can get double the price for any Reverend I own. I have a Flatroc, Club King, and Buckshot. My favorite is my Club King with the RevTron pups. That one is not for sale - a real keeper.
I have a 390 and Old Gil Parris and while I really like them at the price I paid @ $550 back in the day I can't see the price north of 1K from retailers today. Back when I got the GP I was able to get Joe Naylor to sign the headstock.
G&L - Yep, I have an ASAT TELE in my collection and love it. More versatile over the Fender BUT if its the Tele twang you're looking for, maybe a Fender Tele is still your best bet.
In the backroom at G&L, I replaced the bridge pickup with Leo's humbucker. I split the pickup so I could control each one as a single coil. It had anditional switch to control the tone of the bridge pickup. It was a 3way: 1 single coil, 2 humbucker 3 single coil with a bass-boost. It was not put in production as Lep died. Read my reply to Matty B.
When I got my first holiday job, I saved all the money to buy the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 - was the first guitar I personally bought with my own money! Lovely guitar :)
I have four Reverend Guitars, and I play three of 'em more than I do my PRS Custom 24. Two of 'em have whammy bars, one a Bigsby and the other a Wilkinson, and I really have to go out of my way to knock any of 'em out of tune! The bass contour knob is basically a tone control done right, and I've used it in the last four years (when I first purchased my first Reverend) more than any tone control on any guitar I've had for the last 35 years! I already have my eye on my fifth Reverend. They're creepin' up in price for new ones, but you can still get them used for a good price! Great guitars!
You missed TOKAI they have just the best Les Paul around the world. Got one for 900 dollars and it sounds better than a Gibson that would cost 2500 dollars.
Love my Reverend Jetstream 390 it's quickly become my #1 guitar! 3 p90s w strat style controls and the bass contour, you can get endless tones along the whole spectrum. Also dig their designs and color choices. For me they hit that perfect balance of looking classic but at the same time new and different! Excellent brand especially for the price!
Let me speak about Yamaha Pacificas: I've been playing for about 5 years, got 4 electric guitars (some over a grand) and the Pacifica is the cheapest of them all. A model 112V with alnico pups. I was recently thinking of getting an actual Fender HSS and tried to justify it because its going to be better/have better parts/costs more therefore better, etc. But after checking them out and trying to find any reason why the Pacifica is terrible I could not. It's an amazing guitar, so versatile in sound, the neck is so smooth and fast, the electronics work perfectly, the pups are so versatile too and have a quality tone, the bridge (usually a weak point on cheaper guitars) is solid and doesn't hurt tuning at all and the tuning pegs stay put (I like bending strings a lot too). Really, if you're a beginner or even intermediate the Pacifica 112 with alnicos is just amazing. Even if you want to mod eventually, the basics on this is guitar are so solid that it would be an amazing investment. Please don't think its rubbish because its cheap in price.
I am a drummer with a hybrid Spain set, Pearl Master series, Yamaha Oak Custom and Stage custom. In the drumming world some people do not see Tama Pearl or DW they think it stinks. Others know Yamaha build quality. I am looking at a 612 Pacifica with Seymour Duncan pickups.
Thank God you didn’t bring up Harley Benton, Glarry, etc. Way too many reviews on those. Getting sick of hearing about them. You should also check out Relish, especially the new lower cost line.
Great video Shane. It may sound stupid to mention, but I think Gretsch are underrated! It's not all rockabilly & country; "Won't Get Fooled Again"? Also, I'd take a Duo - Jet over a Les Paul Standard. My opinion of course.
I use my Eastman T184 mx with custom Lollar imperials regular on my youtube channel for covers. And it does not only look awesome they also play and sound awesome. One of the best guitars in my collection.
Nice video Shane! I’m glad you included MusicMan guitars. They’re completely underrated and I’m not sure why. I own the aforementioned Axis Sport, a Super Sport, Mariposa, Valentine and even one of their sub brand Sterling Valentine guitars (chambered). Really great guitars IMO.
Glad to see the Eastman make the list. I have a T64. Incredible build, sound, and feel. Definitely competes with guitars three times the cost. And they are beautiful.
What a great video. I bought a Michael Kelly T style guitar a few years ago and was really impressed with how much guitar I got for the price. I think their other models are very lacking in quality control but their T style axes are great (your mileage may vary, lol).
I think the Samick brand is really good and totally underrated! The old 90s strat I have has really great pickups and a real rosewood neck, and I bought it for $12 and out about $100 into it for new bridge and tuners. I believe Samick manufactured for epiphone and squier and well as a bunch of other brands too. I have the cheapest model they make but it still sounds great, and I’ve played a couple higher end ones and they are also fantastic for the price
I like mine as well. I just got a late nineties silvertone by samick single cut style, in near mint with the plastic still on the covers and pickgaurd for 70 bucks on ny auctioneer buddys auction. Sat in a ladies finished basement for years in a hard case. Some new strings, rounded the fret ends, polished the frets, and setup my action, conditioned the fretboard, it sounds and plays great! Also scored a vintage peavey bandit 112 red stripe (made in USA) for 85 bucks as well! Little much for my bedroom though...Sike! ! Psych for all you douchebags. Happy jammin on a budget, be safe.
@@grinningintheirface2685 Now we have all wondered WTH that meant, ever since we heard Eddie Murphy use it in Delirious! NEVER translated to our Antipodean senses of humour!
Hi, nice video! I bought a Fender Heartfield rr9 crt by "accident", set neck, mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard (dalbergia latifolia), dot inlays, 22x frets, 648mm scale, 2x active humbucker, 1x volume, 1x tone, 3-way blade switch, american delxue tremolo, nickel hardware, color, made in Japan, and it even came with a Fender hardcase. Great guitar in my opinion sounds and plays fantastic. Price range maybe like the more expensive Epiphones.
I’ll be adding a Reverend to my collection someday. I also have two Ibanez Prestige’s and they are fantastic. I would never replace the pickups. You’re right, they sound amazing.
My vote goes to Carvin. They made some really fantastic guitars and at great prices for what were essentially semi-custom instruments. I have a beautiful koa-topped DC127 and it's one of my favorite guitars I ever owned. The quality is great, and the playabilityand tone are just as good.
@intheblues. So weird to see myself on your video! That was actually at the Lucky Horseshoe in August 2017. I think it was called Skip’s Tavern before. That Fender amp is underrated. It’s super super loud and sounds great.
DeArmond Starfire IV is mostly underrated, some know, but definitely undervalued. I think the build quality from Korea is fab, and the pickups are legendary USA DeArmond Gold Tone hb. Owned one in early 2000's paid 280 for it on ebay, then later sold it. Then had to get one again because I knew selling the old one was a mistake I had to rectify. Found one last year for 700 to restore the harmonic balance. I totally agree that godin and pacifica are highly underrated.
I also had a G & L ASAT Classic Tribute and totally agree with all your comments re the neck and overall quality of the guitar, especially when compared to a comparable Fenders. When I ended up trading it in I was hammered by the dealer who repeated your comments that the punters are only looking for “Fenders and Squiers”. These guitars in my opinion are highly recommeded as keepers and I regret to this day parting with mine.
Bill Bermudez Hi Bill - I appreciate your feedback and insight especially the use of metric measurements. Coming from the UK it always seems odd that the US persists with imperial but I guess to change the whole country over would be a very big deal - it was in the UK but you eventually get used to it. I had forgotten that I have a G & L Doheny Tribute in my collection - ironically I bought it because I could not get the Jazzmaster I was looking for! While it looks like a JM it has its own sound , the great G & L tone controls and build quality. I won’t make the same mistake again - unless I fall on hard time’s! All the best Bill.
Aria have made great instruments for decades and across the price spectrum. The Japanese models are very good and the budget models have always delivered, especially for the money.
Keep it! The Squires are good guitars. I own a couple of >1000 € Gibsons and Fenders and got me an Affinity-HSS Strat on the fleemarket for 80€ just for fun... Now, it's one of my favorites! 😂
Learn to set it up yourself and you're in business! Lot of good videos on yootyube: neck relief, saddle height, and intonation. Your tuners are likely to wear out early -- Grovers are a good upgrade.
I bought an Eastman T185 Mx Bd late last year and fell in love with it immediately. After having done more study on the company, a became a true fan of the Eastman brand. My second Eastman purchase was the T484. This is the guitar I’m playing the most right now. It gives me the tone I’ve been coveting ever since I started studying Jazz. I love the guitar but now want replace my Epiphone Dot with the T486. I considered the Sheraton II pro but couldn’t pass on the price I paid for the T486. It’s in shipping at the time of this post. Yes, I’m a converted Eastman fan boy.
Portuguese captions looking good. I'd just replace the "vamos entrar nisso" translation for "let's get into it" to "vamos em frente" (let's go ahead) or "vamos ao trabalho" (let's work it), which are more used in out language.
Vintage BC Rich. They were far ahead of their time. I'm mostly a bassist and I picked up a 1980 BC Rich Eagle bass for the best deal you can imagine. Insanely well built and versatile.
I’m glad you put Eastman in the group Shane. I bought one of their thin lines after seeing them at the Melbourne Guitar show a couple of years ago. Just magnificent guitars. Cost me less than $1300. High quality and fair prices what more could you want.
That's good to know that you're still pleased with it . I was very tempted at one point to buy a T58-V as although it's not a cheap guitar at £2100 British money, it is such a magnificent Gretsch type to the point where this would be a £5000+ Gretsch custom shop order . As Eastman's are made in China , I've been curious to know how they play years down the line and if the quality is just cosmetic.
Shaun W they are really high quality mate. Totally handmade as I understand it with no cnc machines. Yes made in China but not in the Chibson type factories. Also top flight electronics etc. If you get a chance to pick one up you won’t regret it.
?intheblues Revelation guitars - If you get a chance to try them I have the RJT-60 Quad - Offset bolt-on, 4 Entwistle single coils and an ATN tone selector (Varitone'ish) The range of tones is extra wide. Low-Mid price range. They do many models with different pickup choices. I'm surprised that Tubers haven't caught on.
G was George Fullerton and L was Leo Fender. They are real Fenders. I have an ASAT. They started Music Man as well. Godin guitars are one of the best values out there, acoustic or Electric. Having government subsidies helps with its pricing.
Stout Lager you can still get the completely standard Iliad for £450 which is way superior to all of fenders mex offerings. I don’t know prices in the states though.
PRS S2 series. Everyone knows the SE's, wood library, and the CE24, but the S2's are always overlooked. I have an S2 and it's my fav. INCREDIBLE guitars.
Shijie guitars from China, custom shop quality at a price of under 1k. Basically are Suhr and Fender style guitars with stainless steel frets and everything you want to put it in.
I have a Mexican '72 Telecaster Deluxe that I bought used for $400 and it is fantastic. Two humbuckers- Articulate, sweet, plays great, holds tuning, Still can't decide if it is ugly. Black pickguard on a brown body. Bummed I missed Shane performing live in America.
I'd love to hear which guitars/brands you think are highly underrated as well! If we get enough comments I'll make a list with all of the most suggested instruments. All of the guitars on this list I have played or owned. Links to everything is in the description. 😎 🎸 Edit: Thanks for all the thumbs up! I also added timestamps in the description.
Those Oswald guitars Dave Simpson has are amazing, I've had a look at one at a gig and it was superb! There not cheap, but there quite reasonable for custom built guitars, literally thousands less than the Fender Custom Shop!
You should check out Levinson Blade, Blade Guitars. The RH4 Strat is out of this world. Materials and finish quality is incredible. The active electronics add massive tonal options and their falcon tremelo that stays in tune even when a string breaks defies logic. They're pricey but resale value is poor so bargains can be found on ebay. Sometimes 40% cheaper than retail. Their weak point is their weight both Blades I've owned the RH4 strat and the T2 Classic Tele were very heavy slices of Sen Ash. Check them out.
A friend of mine got a Levinson Blade guitar and it sounded so good. 2 weeks or so later his car got stolen with the guitar in there :(. I might see if there's any lefties floating around. Thanks for the heads up. :)
@kevindlinc A Swiss made RH4 is a $3k plus guitar. Even a beat up one will sell for over $2k now. As for the weight a friend still has his from the late 80's / early 90's and it's 7lb at the most. Unfortunately he's not selling. Most of them though are quite heavy - maybe that explains pricing.
For some unknown reason GC and MF put G&L Tributes on sale pretty often and I've bought three: an ASAT Special, an ASAT Classic and a Legacy and all are fantastic and way better than anything else for the money. As good overall (fit and finish, playability, sound) as my MIM Strat and in some ways superior for half the money. The ASAT Special, especially, deserves a look from anyone wanting a hot rod Tele; the MFD pickups are some of the best in any guitar at any price, period. And the rest of the guitar is top-notch also! Can't say enough great things about G&L, everyone should try one!
You’re spot on. I have a 611 which has the sort of spec (Seymour Duncan pups, locking tuners, graphite nut etc) that you’d be paying 3 times the price with Fender on the headstock and actually getting a more versatile guitar (split coil hum bucker and p90 means the best of all worlds!). Mine cost £220 second hand, top notch condition and including a decent case, much less than a lower spec MIM. I would say that the higher spec Pacificas are even more under the radar because they’re labelled with a ‘lesser’ brand (Yamaha) and a ‘budget’ range sticker (Pacifica).
@@WebbChannel1 purchased both my Revs new in the last 6 years, no problems with fit and finish, although I have heard the older ones were constructed completely different and were very good
Hey Shane! Love the channel. I have a fender american prof tele, love it. I just picked up a G&L ASAT Tribute, love it. The American Fender Tele cost $1300 the ASAT Tribute cost $300. The Fender tele is better, but not by much and not $1000 USD better. I also own the G&L S style tribute and it’s much better than a MiM strat. G&L is a hidden gem, and i hope they stay hidden! You can get basically a custom shop for $1200-$1500 USD. What a steal 👌
My Reverend Club King is awesome, bought it in May and its like my perfect non-Strat companion. Been playing for 26 years and I’m a Strat guy, I’ve owned and sold many guitars and still have three custom Strats other guitars have came and went but the Club King 290 is like all the best parts of other guitars I’ve played rolled into one killer instrument. So versatile, immaculately finished and setup out of the box, stays in tune for days on end even with lots of use of the Bigsby. The 25.5in scale made it really easy for me to adapt to. It’s a keeper. I’ll be buying more Reverend guitars in the future, finances allowing.
Video idea: does scale length affect tuning stability? For example does a 25.5" scale like Fender stay in tune more than a 24.75" like Gibson or Epiphone or Fender Jaguar at 24"?
Great list of under appreciated guitar brands!!! As much of a Fender/Gibson fanboy I’ve been, some of these brands would definitely be a great choice for my next guitar. The Vola Vasti is perhaps the one model I would buy over a Fender Telecaster 🤭😯😲!!! Yes I said it! Something about it’s shape and the tones just makes it a better option for me. The PureSalem Mendiola is another great Tele alternative. There’s nothing wrong with something outside of the normal guitar shapes we all have seen over the years and I must thank you Shane for opening my eyes to these quiet gems!😁😁 Cheers!!🎸👍🏾👏🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Thanks for the reviews Shane! I have been playing for 50+ years just to say I really have played many guitars. One of the most underrated guitars to me are the Korean made Brian Moore guitars. They are really wonderful instruments with great tone, finish and playability. I have had many Strats over the years , but recently purchased a G&L S500...WOW, it's like a super Strat. The quality and tone are head and shoulders over any Strat I have ever owned.
I own a USA made 2000 G&L ASAT Classic semi hollow body and I couldn't agree with you more about this brand being underrated. FYI, I am now subscribed to your channel but, have been enjoying your videos for awhile now. Keep up the good work!!! Happy New Year!
Hey , I am a Sarasota native and have lived here my whole life ! I dont remember a place called Jerrys lefties guitars.... I must have missed that one. We had Thoroughbred Music,Troll Music in Venice and a bunch of pawn shops that sold guitars. I was surprised to hear you mention Sarasota but we do have a few famous rockers here like Bryan Johnson and Joe Perry.
It is strange to see subtitles in Danish, As a Dane i only use the English terms for the parts on the instrument. When translated to Danish it seem wrong when switch is translated to "omskifter" Generally we use so many English words in Denmark that sometimes it is half Danish half English when we communicate. My bid to the list is the infamous Starsound that you can buy for 47 $ and down to free, it is that bad. So why mention it ? Well i upgrade them for up to 160$ and they are amasing, but none want to buy an upgraded instrument for what it is worth after my time in the workshop. The best thing is that these instruments weight around 8 pounds and they sound and feels as good as any expensive instrument. I use my own logo on the headstock with Fender fonts. Fusker By Working Poor Productions. Fusker means Dabbler in English.
Amazing to have a channel with a lefty player! Knows the pain of searching through a million right handed guitars to find the one option *Clicks subscribe*
I have a wonderful G & L Legacy. Maple board....it is so much better than ANY Fender that I have ever owned or tried....and I've tried a LOT, really wanting to "like" one. The G & L is it for me. Better playability, feel, and trem system. Before I found this one I had one of their S500 models... I like the more "traditional" pickups on the Legacy and sold the S500 when I found the Legacy. But both were great guitars!
Washburn had some good stuff come out of their Korean factory ten or twenty years back. Not sure if that's still the case but around 2000 or so they were nice quality for reasonably cheap.
15:25 The low key comedy highlight of this video! Love the smoke casually drifting in during the epic guitar solo. My vote goes to Cort guitars. Not only do they make nice guitars with their own brand name on the headstock, they seem to make guitars for almost all the big name brands as well, which is a sure sign they know what they are doing. PRS have actually shifted their SE production to these guys and Squires are built by them too. Indonesia is still a cheap place for manufacturing guitars but Korea now, not so much. That is why the Reverend guitars may seem overpriced, but Korea is now a highly developed country with the wages that go along with that. This forced PRS to either put prices up or look elsewhere for their SE line guitars manufacture, & they went with Cort.
Hi, Shane! Thx, nice review, very interesting. I own only Epiphone from your list - very solid guitar. My preferred brand (for last time) is Aria Pro II - very interesting instruments. 615 tl tele very nice, ta tr1 semi hollow is descent. Chip and good, I like it. Cheers! :)
I got a lefty tobacco special II, they been discontinued for years and are a rare bird in lefty guise here in Australia . Mines got a bone nut, upgraded vintage tuners and a roller bridge. Don't think I'll ever sell it, it's just too cool lol
An another underrated guitar brand is Godin guitars
Do you mean the wildly-popular, extremely highly-rated Godin guitars, or some other Godin brand that is actually underrated?
@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888 I think the word underrated is overrated.
@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888 I think when it comes to electric guitars I wouldn't call Godin wildly popular
@@fdfsdfsvsfgsg4888 I wouldn't call godin "wildly-popular".
Did they ever re-issue the radiator?
I pretty much only play sevens now, but that is a guitar I'd put in my stable. Even though they weren't very expensive when new, I was broke when they were being sold, so I never ended up getting one.
I knew G&L would be on this list. I'm glad to see where they are on the list. They are CRAZY underrated.
Took the words right off my keyboard. I think everything Leo didn't like about his work on his Fenders and Music Man guitars & basses he perfected at G&L. Especially the bridges. Massive.
Matty I own 5 G&L's with Leo's gold signature. They are professional instruments. They are tight due to they use the metric system. They were built by a small crew. Each one what 5x checked .They were setup and intonated.when they left the factory. Most guitars were sold to shops in Japan. G&L used the metric system than the Imperial system. What that means everything was more precise. When G&L arrived in Japan, they did not need to do a setup and it was in tune. So you own one?
@@billbermudez9456 yes, I have a left handed Asat Classic tribute. Looks like a telie but Sooooooooo not a telie. Even better.
@Space Monkey mine is indonesian. I don't have any problems with it. Plays better than a $1,300 American Fender Custom Telecaster
Yamaha Revstar RS502T (the P90 model). Absolutely fantastic quality and tone.
Hi Shane great vid, I personally believe that Godin is a brand that deserves much more appreciation in the guitar world.
I owned several Godins and Seagulls. They are no bueno. Really dull sounding with poor playability.
I own a '77 Gibson Les Paul and 4 G&Ls. G&Ls are like getting a Fender custom shop guitar at half the price. Buy one used at $800-$1000 and it's like getting a $2000+ guitar. Good analysis.
Reverend FTW. Their Eastsider T is my main axe and I also own a double agent og. Love both. Super fun and inspiring to play.
How is ibanez underrated? They're very popular.
I have an Ibanez Gio and it's cheap and I love it. I mostly tend to play heavy metal.
I had an Epiphone les paul special years ago, crummy tuners, but it played great and I absolutely loved it, so wish I still had it!
NOT a real 'Special'! LP Specials, SC or DC have P90 pick ups, not hum bucker types.
The new ones have lower end grover machine heads that are quit good. You can get them with P90's or Humbuckers. Blues On....💙
I Still have my 86 epiphone. Sold my Gibby custom and gibby standard because the epi sounds and plays better.
@@DMSProduktions I bought a Vox guitar from Guitar Center over a decade ago that's shaped alot like an LP and has pickups that go from a P-90 to twin rail Humbuckers with a flip pf the switch. I played it more than my Strat, S-G, LTD, or anything else. It has a mahogany neck thru body with bellied gold top. No pick gaurd. I loved it from first sight. 😊
@@tonyfedor9052 I have played the DC versions of them and quite liked them! The pick ups were interesting too!
Small correction:
Most of the PRS SE line is now made by Cor-Tek (Cort) in Indonesia rather than World Music in Korea. I believe some might still be made in Korea but they are being phased out.
Koreans wanted to be paid living wages so PRS couldn't have that. lol
Gordon Smith guitars are made and assembled in England with hand wound pickups that are also done here in England. Any finish/equipment/mod is accommodates by prior arrangement and they sound AMAZING. I once borrowed a GS model from a mate for a week or so back in the days before the company changed ownership and the quality was a litttle more variable. Now they’ve gone into ownership with Auden acoustics the quality is superb abs they’ve still got the character that made them a very very popular instrument with discerning pros in the seventies and early 80s. Hope Shane can find time or / dollars to buy one.
They start at around £700gbp and go right up to well over £2k if you go daft with the finish.
One of my oldest friends has owned a G&S guitar since the mid 80s ; it supplanted his '67 SG and was his sole gigging guitar for over a decade that his band was touring . It needs a refret but he loves it nearly as much as his wife 😃
I can't recommend Eastman guitars highly enough for the money.
I just recently picked up the t64v casino/es330 type, with bigsby & lollar p90s. It just rings like a bell. Shudder to think an equivalent gibson would cost!
Just when I thought my gas was under control, damn you Shane!! ;)
Reverend's are amazing, I have a Jetstream HB best guitar I've ever had.
A couple of brands that I think are under rated are dangelico, godin and michael kelly.
I fully agree with you on the D'Angelico. Need to add one to my collection. I don't have experience with the other 2 brands.
Godin definitely. Never played a bad one, even in low-mid price ranges.
Godin should be on this list...quality at a reasonable price. I bought a like new Session plus on Craigslist for $400. The neck feels so good on that guitar and it has quality components and pickups.
@@JimmyRadloff Yeah, that neck on sessions feels so premium...
Godin indeed
For me, G&L is a secret that some folks just dont get-they make great guitars, even the Tribute series made in Indonesia which can stand up to MIM Fenders and are significantly cheaper than MIM Fenders at least here in US (max street price of G&L Tribute guitar here in US is about $550 wheras MIM Fender starts at $600 -700 and goes up to $1K) And the American made G&Ls are an even greater bargain in comparison to Fender American Pro or Ultra-especially if you buy used. So the fact that G&L has a perplexingly lower resale value-and this is a double edged sword-but it works in your favor if you find one you love and plan to keep!!! My budget doesnt allow me to collect American G&Ls but I have several G&L Tributes that I will be keeping long term-and some of them I bought used/NOS from Reverb for less than $400-compare that to used MIM Fender Teles which people are asking $500+ in used comdition on Reverb-often with numerous cosmetic damages (sorry, not into reliced guitars personnally)-and even 20 years old-from a time when MIM Fenders were not as consistently good in quality as they are now. And as for the G&L headstocks-I like em-kinda similar to Fender but with their own vibe-G&L pickups are solid to great (esp the MFD and Z coils!) and Leo’s more modern bridges are cool and usually more comfortable to play. So try out a G&L-buy a Tribute if you can’t find one locally to try in person-to try out the pickups and hardware and get your feet wet, esp if an American G&L is kinda outa your budget-then save up and buy a used American G&L on Reverb if you enjoy the Tribute. By the way-today (Thurs Aug 13) is International Left’s day-shout out and Happy Southpaw day to you Shane!!!! Keep up the great work on your channel and thanks for all you do to educate and inform us!!!
I see people spending mad money on Fenders and I’m just like... but G&L...🤷🏽♂️. They also have so many more options!
Played a few Indonesian guitars. All great. Rank them second behind Korea.
Read my reply to Matty B
Personally I'd rather have a G&L Tribute than a Fender Player Series. I've been extremely disappointed with the fretwork on the Player Series guitars recently.
Having just bought a hard to find (in WA anyway) Yamaha Pacifica I can only agree that it is a superb guitar. Why spend 1,000's on a guitar when the Pacifica, which cost me AU$479, is excellent in every way? I especially like the P90, the ability to split the humbucker coils, the locking tuners and the special man-made nut. I play blues mainly and tend to use only the neck p/u but on the Pacifica I use mainly the combined middle setting which gives a Blues sound I really like.
From Leo: Good reminder that Fender and Gibson are not the only brands with credibility. I have several G&L's, bought used at a great price. Great guitars. A "name" on the headstock has no value to me, and I am far past paying extra for it. The guitar needs to speak for itself. The G&L's speak feel, fit and sound loud and clear.
yes they are
Gibson and credibility in the same sentence?
@@ratatatuff YOU ARE SOOO RIGHT !! Gibson should be EMBARRASSED with their EPI Acoustics. I wanted a lower priced model as a knock around guitar to take on trips or just noodling outside on my deck . NO LIE - Had to send back THREE (3) of them. In the end I lost patience and went to a entry level FENDER and loved the quality and tone for the money.
asat here
@@SteveBurke03181962 Love my Asat - the only - only change I would make is in the aesthetics. They left the head-stock a raw, pale, maple - A nice honey tint would have been appreciated - really sticks out. Everything else good, real good :)
The best les Paul I've ever owned is a epiphone les Paul vintage edition. It is a bolt on neck but has the best sustain out of any of the guitars I've had, including American les Paul standards. Maybe I just got lucky.
Everytime I see a A/B on RUclips between a Gibson lp standard and an Episode LP STANDARD, the Epi had more sustain
Godin....you missed Godin guitars from your list...even though a Canadian company with the majority of models made in Canada and some made (or assembled) in the US...their largest following i believe is Europe. Don't know their availability in Ausy land.
I agree to the fact that they are great guitars, but... Are they really under rated? Doesn't everyone know how good they are? Might be wrong, sure... But, imho, I don't think they are under rated.
Peace
Canadian here. Lots of Godins here, especially the A series...those acoustic/electrics are awesome. I have the 12 string A12.
My favorite electric is an Epiphone Les Paul Junior with a humbucker. You can find them used for less than a hundred bucks pretty regularly. It should be a piece of crap but it’s honestly a really good guitar. The pickup was actually really good sounding and the tuners, despite looking like your average garbage Epiphone tuners, actually stay in tune rather well. I’ve honestly thought about buying several more of these many times.
Absolutely agree. I picked up one of these for AUD80 and it plays really nicely and stays in tune.
My Epi Special LP Jr gets more play time than the Gibsons in the fleet. Just a lot of fun. Some of them have poor fretwork but after touching that up they play easy, weigh half a Gibson LP and get just as great of tones. ... these will be collector items ;) the replacement models in 2020 are minimum $400 new.
Pure Salem owner is a lefty player. For that reason alone, we lefties should support it.
REVEREND GUITARS - Shane, I own 3 of them and have to say that the build quality of the older models "feel" better than the newer ones. HOWEVER, PRICE WISE this doesn't seem to matter because Reverend guitars hold their value and most times increase in value BETTER THAN ANY Asian made guitar on the market. I am a hobbyist collector and buy & sell about a half dozen guitar and amps a year for the last 15 yrs and amazed that I can get double the price for any Reverend I own. I have a Flatroc, Club King, and Buckshot. My favorite is my Club King with the RevTron pups. That one is not for sale - a real keeper.
I have an 2007 roundhouse probably best guitar i have ever owned
Sensei 290 I have is killer...it hangs with my American made Strat..Tele and Paul any day.
I’m really wanting a reverend Baritone Descent looks amazing just hard to track down where I am.
I have a 390 and Old Gil Parris and while I really like them at the price I paid @ $550 back in the day I can't see the price north of 1K from retailers today. Back when I got the GP I was able to get Joe Naylor to sign the headstock.
Tricky, Manta Ray, Club King, Sensei & a brand new Jetstream RB. I HEAR YA!
G&L - Yep, I have an ASAT TELE in my collection and love it. More versatile over the Fender BUT if its the Tele twang you're looking for, maybe a Fender Tele is still your best bet.
In the backroom at G&L, I replaced the bridge pickup with Leo's humbucker. I split the pickup so I could control each one as a single coil. It had anditional switch to control the tone of the bridge pickup. It was a 3way: 1 single coil, 2 humbucker 3 single coil with a bass-boost. It was not put in production as Lep died. Read my reply to Matty B.
When I got my first holiday job, I saved all the money to buy the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 - was the first guitar I personally bought with my own money! Lovely guitar :)
I had a special ii, I hated jt after a while, never stayed in tune and tbe pickups always had problems
Godin Guitars! Simply amazing and dirt cheap especially on the used market!
I have four Reverend Guitars, and I play three of 'em more than I do my PRS Custom 24. Two of 'em have whammy bars, one a Bigsby and the other a Wilkinson, and I really have to go out of my way to knock any of 'em out of tune! The bass contour knob is basically a tone control done right, and I've used it in the last four years (when I first purchased my first Reverend) more than any tone control on any guitar I've had for the last 35 years! I already have my eye on my fifth Reverend. They're creepin' up in price for new ones, but you can still get them used for a good price! Great guitars!
You missed TOKAI they have just the best Les Paul around the world. Got one for 900 dollars and it sounds better than a Gibson that would cost 2500 dollars.
I play a Musicman Albert Lee and I love this guitar. The neck is just amazing. The shape is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think they look great.
Read my comments about Music Man
Love my Reverend Jetstream 390 it's quickly become my #1 guitar! 3 p90s w strat style controls and the bass contour, you can get endless tones along the whole spectrum. Also dig their designs and color choices. For me they hit that perfect balance of looking classic but at the same time new and different! Excellent brand especially for the price!
I have a JS 390 as well. Great tones and options. I find it a little heavy tho.
Let me speak about Yamaha Pacificas: I've been playing for about 5 years, got 4 electric guitars (some over a grand) and the Pacifica is the cheapest of them all. A model 112V with alnico pups. I was recently thinking of getting an actual Fender HSS and tried to justify it because its going to be better/have better parts/costs more therefore better, etc. But after checking them out and trying to find any reason why the Pacifica is terrible I could not.
It's an amazing guitar, so versatile in sound, the neck is so smooth and fast, the electronics work perfectly, the pups are so versatile too and have a quality tone, the bridge (usually a weak point on cheaper guitars) is solid and doesn't hurt tuning at all and the tuning pegs stay put (I like bending strings a lot too).
Really, if you're a beginner or even intermediate the Pacifica 112 with alnicos is just amazing. Even if you want to mod eventually, the basics on this is guitar are so solid that it would be an amazing investment. Please don't think its rubbish because its cheap in price.
I am a drummer with a hybrid Spain set, Pearl Master series, Yamaha Oak Custom and Stage custom. In the drumming world some people do not see Tama Pearl or DW they think it stinks. Others know Yamaha build quality. I am looking at a 612 Pacifica with Seymour Duncan pickups.
G&L guitars are pure gems. Feel, tone, the whole package.
Let the church say amen! 🙌🏻 It's the ultimate guitar. Leo went out with a bang that's for sure. G&L is his under appreciated gift to the world
Was thinking about them during the whole video. The G&L Comanche is my dream guitar!
Read my comments to A.W. adn & Matty B. I also posted my comments.
Thank God you didn’t bring up Harley Benton, Glarry, etc. Way too many reviews on those. Getting sick of hearing about them. You should also check out Relish, especially the new lower cost line.
Hey Shane, here's a couple of guitars you may have missed. Burns, Guild, D'angelico
Great video Shane. It may sound stupid to mention, but I think Gretsch are underrated! It's not all rockabilly & country; "Won't Get Fooled Again"? Also, I'd take a Duo - Jet over a Les Paul Standard. My opinion of course.
Duesenberg and high end Cort, the former excellent design, quality and nicely different, the latter highly underated and are really nice to play.
The Cort source is amazing guitar
Shut up about Cort! I really would love for them to stay underpriced while I hoard them all.
I just bought a Cort G290 FAT and I love it. My next guitar
will be a Schecter Ultra III
I use my Eastman T184 mx with custom Lollar imperials regular on my youtube channel for covers. And it does not only look awesome they also play and sound awesome.
One of the best guitars in my collection.
My G&L Legacy is the nicest strat ive ever played! the neck is SUPERB!
S-500 I redesigned it with hotter pickups. See my comments to A. W. & Matty B.
intheblues drinking game: "As well". Don't make any plans after watching a 23min video. Have a comfy pillow ready, as well.
haha! I don't script any of my videos so sometimes I get a bit oblivious to stuff like that.🤣
@@intheblues It just means I'm watching a ton of your content! Keep it up, as well.
Johannes Labusch i enjoy Shane...as well.
@@JohannesLabusch I like this sort of honest feedback, I will be way more onto that next video haha :) Thanks again. :)
I have to give that a go lol
Nice video Shane! I’m glad you included MusicMan guitars. They’re completely underrated and I’m not sure why. I own the aforementioned Axis Sport, a Super Sport, Mariposa, Valentine and even one of their sub brand Sterling Valentine guitars (chambered). Really great guitars IMO.
Glad to see the Eastman make the list. I have a T64. Incredible build, sound, and feel. Definitely competes with guitars three times the cost. And they are beautiful.
I have a Burns Steer Cutaway , the look maybe not for everybody, but sounds and plays fantastic.
What a great video. I bought a Michael Kelly T style guitar a few years ago and was really impressed with how much guitar I got for the price. I think their other models are very lacking in quality control but their T style axes are great (your mileage may vary, lol).
I think the Samick brand is really good and totally underrated! The old 90s strat I have has really great pickups and a real rosewood neck, and I bought it for $12 and out about $100 into it for new bridge and tuners. I believe Samick manufactured for epiphone and squier and well as a bunch of other brands too. I have the cheapest model they make but it still sounds great, and I’ve played a couple higher end ones and they are also fantastic for the price
I like mine as well. I just got a late nineties silvertone by samick single cut style, in near mint with the plastic still on the covers and pickgaurd for 70 bucks on ny auctioneer buddys auction. Sat in a ladies finished basement for years in a hard case. Some new strings, rounded the fret ends, polished the frets, and setup my action, conditioned the fretboard, it sounds and plays great! Also scored a vintage peavey bandit 112 red stripe (made in USA) for 85 bucks as well! Little much for my bedroom though...Sike! ! Psych for all you douchebags. Happy jammin on a budget, be safe.
@@grinningintheirface2685 Now we have all wondered WTH that meant, ever since we heard Eddie Murphy use it in Delirious! NEVER translated to our Antipodean senses of humour!
Epi semi-hollow guitars and Masterbilt acoustics are still built at the Samick plant in Indonesia. Probably the hollowbodies as well.
Hi, nice video!
I bought a Fender Heartfield rr9 crt by "accident", set neck, mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood
fretboard (dalbergia latifolia), dot inlays, 22x frets, 648mm scale, 2x active humbucker, 1x volume, 1x tone, 3-way
blade switch, american delxue tremolo, nickel hardware, color, made in Japan, and it even came with a Fender hardcase. Great guitar in my opinion sounds and plays fantastic. Price range maybe like the more expensive Epiphones.
I’ll be adding a Reverend to my collection someday. I also have two Ibanez Prestige’s and they are fantastic. I would never replace the pickups. You’re right, they sound amazing.
Reverend Guitars =Feel Amazing, Amazing Pickups, ..yea, that bass contour, and they are just TANKS.
My vote goes to Carvin. They made some really fantastic guitars and at great prices for what were essentially semi-custom instruments. I have a beautiful koa-topped DC127 and it's one of my favorite guitars I ever owned. The quality is great, and the playabilityand tone are just as good.
Since I saw my exact Reverend model in the picture I had to watch!
Thumbs up for Reverend. I really want to get one from them someday.
@intheblues. So weird to see myself on your video! That was actually at the Lucky Horseshoe in August 2017. I think it was called Skip’s Tavern before. That Fender amp is underrated. It’s super super loud and sounds great.
haha! I hope you're doing well mate! :) I couldn't remember what it was called I had a feeling I got the name wrong :). Cheers mate.
I worked for G&L from 1980-1982 Great Finishing Department in Fullerton,Ca.
DeArmond Starfire IV is mostly underrated, some know, but definitely undervalued. I think the build quality from Korea is fab, and the pickups are legendary USA DeArmond Gold Tone hb. Owned one in early 2000's paid 280 for it on ebay, then later sold it. Then had to get one again because I knew selling the old one was a mistake I had to rectify. Found one last year for 700 to restore the harmonic balance. I totally agree that godin and pacifica are highly underrated.
I also had a G & L ASAT Classic Tribute and totally agree with all your comments re the neck and overall quality of the guitar, especially when compared to a comparable Fenders. When I ended up trading it in I was hammered by the dealer who repeated your comments that the punters are only looking for “Fenders and Squiers”. These guitars in my opinion are highly recommeded as keepers and I regret to this day parting with mine.
David you made me cry. Check out my comments to A.W. and Matty B. I also have my own comments.
Bill Bermudez Hi Bill - I appreciate your feedback and insight especially the use of metric measurements. Coming from the UK it always seems odd that the US persists with imperial but I guess to change the whole country over would be a very big deal - it was in the UK but you eventually get used to it.
I had forgotten that I have a G & L Doheny Tribute in my collection - ironically I bought it because I could not get the Jazzmaster I was looking for! While it looks like a JM it has its own sound , the great G & L tone controls and build quality. I won’t make the same mistake again - unless I fall on hard time’s! All the best Bill.
Aria have made great instruments for decades and across the price spectrum. The Japanese models are very good and the budget models have always delivered, especially for the money.
What about my brand new squier bullet🥺 I could only afford that😭
Keep it! The Squires are good guitars. I own a couple of >1000 € Gibsons and Fenders and got me
an Affinity-HSS Strat on the fleemarket for 80€ just for fun...
Now, it's one of my favorites! 😂
Learn to set it up yourself and you're in business! Lot of good videos on yootyube: neck relief, saddle height, and intonation. Your tuners are likely to wear out early -- Grovers are a good upgrade.
Have three G&L (two Tribute and one Special Edition)….so, i want more.
I bought an Eastman T185 Mx Bd late last year and fell in love with it immediately. After having done more study on the company, a became a true fan of the Eastman brand. My second Eastman purchase was the T484. This is the guitar I’m playing the most right now. It gives me the tone I’ve been coveting ever since I started studying Jazz. I love the guitar but now want replace my Epiphone Dot with the T486. I considered the Sheraton II pro but couldn’t pass on the price I paid for the T486. It’s in shipping at the time of this post. Yes, I’m a converted Eastman fan boy.
Also, I've owned a Michael Kelly guitar. Really poor resale values for quality made instruments, especially the older Korean made guitars.
Portuguese captions looking good. I'd just replace the "vamos entrar nisso" translation for "let's get into it" to "vamos em frente" (let's go ahead) or "vamos ao trabalho" (let's work it), which are more used in out language.
Vintage BC Rich. They were far ahead of their time. I'm mostly a bassist and I picked up a 1980 BC Rich Eagle bass for the best deal you can imagine. Insanely well built and versatile.
I recently found me a Reedoox, a Korean custom shop quality Anderson copy,would live to hear your opinion of them
I’m glad you put Eastman in the group Shane. I bought one of their thin lines after seeing them at the Melbourne Guitar show a couple of years ago. Just magnificent guitars. Cost me less than $1300. High quality and fair prices what more could you want.
That's good to know that you're still pleased with it . I was very tempted at one point to buy a T58-V as although it's not a cheap guitar at £2100 British money, it is such a magnificent Gretsch type to the point where this would be a £5000+ Gretsch custom shop order . As Eastman's are made in China , I've been curious to know how they play years down the line and if the quality is just cosmetic.
Shaun W they are really high quality mate. Totally handmade as I understand it with no cnc machines. Yes made in China but not in the Chibson type factories. Also top flight electronics etc. If you get a chance to pick one up you won’t regret it.
?intheblues
Revelation guitars - If you get a chance to try them
I have the RJT-60 Quad - Offset bolt-on, 4 Entwistle single coils and an ATN tone selector (Varitone'ish)
The range of tones is extra wide.
Low-Mid price range.
They do many models with different pickup choices.
I'm surprised that Tubers haven't caught on.
I have an RT45 semi hollow, a Starcaster model without the ugly headstock.. Lovely guitar, but i am not a good enough guitarist to compare to others.
I don't know if you get them in OZ, but I would love to see you get some Michael Kellys on the channel. great vid as always :)
We get MIchael Kelly guitars in Australia. Musos Corner in Newcastle has them. Similar prices to Schecter import line.
G was George Fullerton and L was Leo Fender. They are real Fenders. I have an ASAT. They started Music Man as well.
Godin guitars are one of the best values out there, acoustic or Electric. Having government subsidies helps with its pricing.
FGN (Fujigen) guitars. In particular the Iliad, Neo Classic and Masterfield guitars. Unbelievable for the cash.
The price on those is creepy up. Secret seems to be out.
Stout Lager you can still get the completely standard Iliad for £450 which is way superior to all of fenders mex offerings. I don’t know prices in the states though.
PRS S2 series. Everyone knows the SE's, wood library, and the CE24, but the S2's are always overlooked. I have an S2 and it's my fav. INCREDIBLE guitars.
These are in fact very nice guitars! The PRS Vela semi-hollow is also fantastic.
Shijie guitars from China, custom shop quality at a price of under 1k. Basically are Suhr and Fender style guitars with stainless steel frets and everything you want to put it in.
Mines stunning 😊
I have a Mexican '72 Telecaster Deluxe that I bought used for $400 and it is fantastic. Two humbuckers- Articulate, sweet, plays great, holds tuning, Still can't decide if it is ugly. Black pickguard on a brown body. Bummed I missed Shane performing live in America.
It's a reissue
My MIM 72 Tele Deluxe is not only my number 1, but the least expensive guitar I own.... by a huge margin!
I'd love to hear which guitars/brands you think are highly underrated as well! If we get enough comments I'll make a list with all of the most suggested instruments. All of the guitars on this list I have played or owned. Links to everything is in the description. 😎 🎸 Edit: Thanks for all the thumbs up! I also added timestamps in the description.
HUXLEY, sold by Aldi! BEST $70 Tele I ever bought!
@@DMSProduktions Wait, what... Aldi sell cheap guitars?!?! I'm going to stop shopping at Lidl! :-)
Those Oswald guitars Dave Simpson has are amazing, I've had a look at one at a gig and it was superb! There not cheap, but there quite reasonable for custom built guitars, literally thousands less than the Fender Custom Shop!
@@oncameramastery HAH! Serves you right! ;oP
Would love to see you review any of the Yamaha Revstars. The 620 would be awesome.
You should check out Levinson Blade, Blade Guitars. The RH4 Strat is out of this world. Materials and finish quality is incredible. The active electronics add massive tonal options and their falcon tremelo that stays in tune even when a string breaks defies logic. They're pricey but resale value is poor so bargains can be found on ebay. Sometimes 40% cheaper than retail. Their weak point is their weight both Blades I've owned the RH4 strat and the T2 Classic Tele were very heavy slices of Sen Ash. Check them out.
A friend of mine got a Levinson Blade guitar and it sounded so good. 2 weeks or so later his car got stolen with the guitar in there :(. I might see if there's any lefties floating around. Thanks for the heads up. :)
Blades are awesome. A little bit of weight to the original euro models but build quality is sensational as are the active pickups.
@kevindlinc A Swiss made RH4 is a $3k plus guitar. Even a beat up one will sell for over $2k now. As for the weight a friend still has his from the late 80's / early 90's and it's 7lb at the most. Unfortunately he's not selling. Most of them though are quite heavy - maybe that explains pricing.
For some unknown reason GC and MF put G&L Tributes on sale pretty often and I've bought three: an ASAT Special, an ASAT Classic and a Legacy and all are fantastic and way better than anything else for the money. As good overall (fit and finish, playability, sound) as my MIM Strat and in some ways superior for half the money. The ASAT Special, especially, deserves a look from anyone wanting a hot rod Tele; the MFD pickups are some of the best in any guitar at any price, period. And the rest of the guitar is top-notch also! Can't say enough great things about G&L, everyone should try one!
Outstanding Randall. G&L are professional instruments. Check out my comments to A.W. and Matty B. I also have my own comments.
''Yamaha Pacifica'' has a lot of range of guitars, i'm about to buy a PAC 812w, and i would say it's even better than a Fender american performer
You’re spot on. I have a 611 which has the sort of spec (Seymour Duncan pups, locking tuners, graphite nut etc) that you’d be paying 3 times the price with Fender on the headstock and actually getting a more versatile guitar (split coil hum bucker and p90 means the best of all worlds!). Mine cost £220 second hand, top notch condition and including a decent case, much less than a lower spec MIM. I would say that the higher spec Pacificas are even more under the radar because they’re labelled with a ‘lesser’ brand (Yamaha) and a ‘budget’ range sticker (Pacifica).
Hagstrom, Godin, I'll go on record as saying G&L over Fender any day of the week, Vox
My first guitar was a epiphone special II. After one or two years I have to change the 3-way switch, but other than that, it was a good instrument.
Danelectro, for originality and tone.
I have 2 Reverend guitars, a Dean and a Yamaha Pacifica, all of them are great and played perfect right out of the box!
@@docamosroxie8686 they have a lot of models now, check their website and plenty of videos on youtube
30% of this video is now confirmed! :) Thanks, Mark.
intheblues I also have G&L both Fullerton and Tribute!
@@docamosroxie8686 due to build quality slightly going down on the Reverend I would buy used before buying new. Just a suggestion.
@@WebbChannel1 purchased both my Revs new in the last 6 years, no problems with fit and finish, although I have heard the older ones were constructed completely different and were very good
Hey Shane! Love the channel. I have a fender american prof tele, love it. I just picked up a G&L ASAT Tribute, love it. The American Fender Tele cost $1300 the ASAT Tribute cost $300. The Fender tele is better, but not by much and not $1000 USD better. I also own the G&L S style tribute and it’s much better than a MiM strat. G&L is a hidden gem, and i hope they stay hidden! You can get basically a custom shop for $1200-$1500 USD. What a steal 👌
And to clarify the American G&Ls are basically as good as some custom shop Fenders.
How do you feel about the fallout? Thinking on getting one.
It's a scientifically proven fact that lefties can't do anything right! ")
I do dig the channel brosephus!
Jack ~'()'~
Canada
i got a Sterling by Music Man Albert Lee (the one on the thumbnail) off Ebay for less than $200 and its the best guitar I own. Fantastic instrument.
$200 !!!! I almost bought one of those years ago new ,but pulled the plug. Lucky for you no knows who Albert Lee is.(young people anyway)
Revstars and Vintages are also underrated
I love the PS body shape so much
Another underrated guitar is Carvin guitars.
You missed FGN guitars. I've got 2 FGN Neo Classic LP style, one NLS10 and an NLC20 -E. Two of the best LP style guitars I've ever played.
My Reverend Club King is awesome, bought it in May and its like my perfect non-Strat companion. Been playing for 26 years and I’m a Strat guy, I’ve owned and sold many guitars and still have three custom Strats other guitars have came and went but the Club King 290 is like all the best parts of other guitars I’ve played rolled into one killer instrument. So versatile, immaculately finished and setup out of the box, stays in tune for days on end even with lots of use of the Bigsby. The 25.5in scale made it really easy for me to adapt to. It’s a keeper. I’ll be buying more Reverend guitars in the future, finances allowing.
Video idea: does scale length affect tuning stability? For example does a 25.5" scale like Fender stay in tune more than a 24.75" like Gibson or Epiphone or Fender Jaguar at 24"?
Great list of under appreciated guitar brands!!! As much of a Fender/Gibson fanboy I’ve been, some of these brands would definitely be a great choice for my next guitar. The Vola Vasti is perhaps the one model I would buy over a Fender Telecaster 🤭😯😲!!! Yes I said it! Something about it’s shape and the tones just makes it a better option for me. The PureSalem Mendiola is another great Tele alternative. There’s nothing wrong with something outside of the normal guitar shapes we all have seen over the years and I must thank you Shane for opening my eyes to these quiet gems!😁😁 Cheers!!🎸👍🏾👏🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Thanks for the reviews Shane! I have been playing for 50+ years just to say I really have played many guitars. One of the most underrated guitars to me are the Korean made Brian Moore guitars. They are really wonderful instruments with great tone, finish and playability. I have had many Strats over the years , but recently purchased a G&L S500...WOW, it's like a super Strat. The quality and tone are head and shoulders over any Strat I have ever owned.
I own a USA made 2000 G&L ASAT Classic semi hollow body and I couldn't agree with you more about this brand being underrated. FYI, I am now subscribed to your channel but, have been enjoying your videos for awhile now. Keep up the good work!!! Happy New Year!
Hey , I am a Sarasota native and have lived here my whole life ! I dont remember a place called Jerrys lefties guitars.... I must have missed that one. We had Thoroughbred Music,Troll Music in Venice and a bunch of pawn shops that sold guitars. I was surprised to hear you mention Sarasota but we do have a few famous rockers here like Bryan Johnson and Joe Perry.
It is strange to see subtitles in Danish, As a Dane i only use the English terms for the parts on the instrument. When translated to Danish it seem wrong when switch is translated to "omskifter" Generally we use so many English words in Denmark that sometimes it is half Danish half English when we communicate. My bid to the list is the infamous Starsound that you can buy for 47 $ and down to free, it is that bad. So why mention it ? Well i upgrade them for up to 160$ and they are amasing, but none want to buy an upgraded instrument for what it is worth after my time in the workshop. The best thing is that these instruments weight around 8 pounds and they sound and feels as good as any expensive instrument. I use my own logo on the headstock with Fender fonts. Fusker By Working Poor Productions. Fusker means Dabbler in English.
I personally own two Dean's and I absolutely love them. Both of them are at two different price points (400 & 800), but they both play amazing
Two expensive brands that deliver are Collings and Xotic. One model of guitar that I feel needs more appreciation is Gibson ES-339 (I have a lefty).
Amazing to have a channel with a lefty player! Knows the pain of searching through a million right handed guitars to find the one option *Clicks subscribe*
I have a wonderful G & L Legacy. Maple board....it is so much better than ANY Fender that I have ever owned or tried....and I've tried a LOT, really wanting to "like" one. The G & L is it for me. Better playability, feel, and trem system. Before I found this one I had one of their S500 models... I like the more "traditional" pickups on the Legacy and sold the S500 when I found the Legacy. But both were great guitars!
Washburn had some good stuff come out of their Korean factory ten or twenty years back. Not sure if that's still the case but around 2000 or so they were nice quality for reasonably cheap.
Another vote for G&L being awesome. I have a HSS legacy as my main guitar for about 10 years. Have never thought of replacing it.
Read my comments to A. W. & Matty B.
I learned how to play on Special II that I borrowed from my friend. It will always hold a, *ahem*, SPECIAL, place in my heart :)
15:25 The low key comedy highlight of this video! Love the smoke casually drifting in during the epic guitar solo.
My vote goes to Cort guitars. Not only do they make nice guitars with their own brand name on the headstock, they seem to make guitars for almost all the big name brands as well, which is a sure sign they know what they are doing. PRS have actually shifted their SE production to these guys and Squires are built by them too. Indonesia is still a cheap place for manufacturing guitars but Korea now, not so much. That is why the Reverend guitars may seem overpriced, but Korea is now a highly developed country with the wages that go along with that. This forced PRS to either put prices up or look elsewhere for their SE line guitars manufacture, & they went with Cort.
Hi, Shane! Thx, nice review, very interesting. I own only Epiphone from your list - very solid guitar. My preferred brand (for last time) is Aria Pro II - very interesting instruments. 615 tl tele very nice, ta tr1 semi hollow is descent. Chip and good, I like it. Cheers! :)
I got a lefty tobacco special II, they been discontinued for years and are a rare bird in lefty guise here in Australia . Mines got a bone nut, upgraded vintage tuners and a roller bridge. Don't think I'll ever sell it, it's just too cool lol