People don't realise that aftet a certain price range you are just paying for a setup of the guitar. I go to this luthier in my hometown and he makes the cheapest shittiest guitars feel "expensive"
That is worth noting for sure. Some guitars that you buy come to you not set up properly and you’re going to assume they’re shitty guitars when they really just need a setup!
I owned a lot of different guitars. I’ve had a lot of cheap guitars and now in my life I have a few very expensive guitars. There is a difference. I hope you can experience that as well. You will get 90% there with a cheap Guitar, but I will tell you, there is a difference that is tangible, and it’s a very enjoyable thing to have a Gucci guitar. Nothing wrong with the cheap one. I hope you have the experience one day of the other end.
Hahaha- FALSE- as you can pay thousands of dollars for a guitar and it still play bad…frets sharp..string height is crazy- nut not cut properly- won’t stay in tune…so be a gear SNOB towards INSANE $$$ for guitars that are treading on the name and NOT the quality of the instrument!!
You can't go wrong with Squier Classic Vibe or $400 ish Epiphones. Bonus points for a good set up and electronics upgrades of your choice if needed. Most of us can do well enough with something like a Boss Katana, Orange Super Crush 100 or a Vox Valvetronix. I have the Vox VTX 100, which I bought for $171 used mint condition. It sounds amazing. Also if you get the cheaper guitars you can own a few more and not break the bank.
True but if you have a specific fret size you want you would have to buy a separate neck or refret plus the cost of fret leveling or plecking. The total amount will most likely go over a $1000 especially if you want specific pick ups to your taste. The bottom line is that if you have specific specs you want, you could have to pay over a $1000 even if the guitar is $200
Hey man, cool video. Just subscribed. You hit a lot of valid points here. I have two Schecter basses. A Stiletto/Studio 4 and 5. I’ve used the 5 for majority of my bass playing career. It has been on tours, festivals, theaters, dive bars, backyard parties, local gigs, etc. That thing is an absolute workhorse. Going from Metal and Rock, to post Hardcore, and now playing in a Latin/Funk band. That bass always fits what I need. And they’re only $1000 new. I know that may seem a bit much but in todays world it’s not bad compared to other brands. I love that bass so much I got the 4 string counterpart and same thing, very versatile and another amazing workhorse. I think once you find what works for you, you tend to want to stick with that and that’s totally fine.
Good video! I like my expensive guitar because it looks nice and I've helped a luthier stay in business by buying it. Neither makes it any better as an instrument.
Yes, exactly. I've owned a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and a Gibson V... amazing guitars. I regret selling them, BUT now I play MIM Fenders, Squires and Epiphones. They're solid guitars and I gig with them all the time. If a cheaper guitar sounds good to you, then it is good.
The argument at 11:13 is a great way of putting into words what I've been thinking for the past year or so. I have some pretty decent gear in my opinion. And I've been thinking about this concept with some of the decisions I've made and will make.
Why are guitar players so concerned about other people’s opinions on their opinions about gear Get what you want and enjoy it. Dont depend on validation from other people before you can enjoy your guitar. If you have money and want to buy expensive stuff, go for it. If you’re poor and can’t afford much, stop comparing yourself to people who are blessed with more I have expensive gear and I have cheap gear. I bought the stuff because I wanted to. I sell the stuff I end up not liking. The journey is fun and getting everything right at the beginning is unlikely
I bought a Harley Benton Les Paul Hybred custom I'm not sure what it's called. It kind of looks like Pat Martino's guitar. it was a B stock I think I paid 150 bucks. its frets are rough and the Roswell pickups are weak the locking tuners are great a little fretwork would not hurt but I needed a jazz guitar other than my Tele, something I could put heavier flat-wound strings on. I figured it would do the trick until I bought an archtop, plus it was just sitting around doing nothing. i put flatwounds on it got a setup and now it's my number one guitar. I'm actually loving the rawness of the frets and wrestling the instrument a little to get it to sound right. it's so heavy and raw feeling. i was going to change the pickups and get it re-fretted. I have gotten used to the pickups and use an EQ or a clean boost if needed. It gives me the jazz sound I'm looking for out of my Spark 40. so the archtop is on hold for now and I don't think I will mod the guitar at all til the frets become unworkable then il add out -of out-of-phase switch with the re-fret. it has forced me to play differently and I'm growing from it. budget gear can be inspiring to play as well
Honestly, I gotta agree with you. If you are just looking at it from a sound and playability standpoint, you can just get whatever cheap guitar that feels good to you and upgrade the pickups/other parts that are not to your liking. Although even that is often not necessary. I have an old Ibanez RG421-WK that cost less than 300€ in 2015 and that things rips. That being said, I also have a FGN Neo Classic LS10 (costs around 1400€ nowadays) and whenever I have it in my hand, it just screams quality and makes me happy to play it. The wood is beautiful and there are no little imperfections that I see on lots of cheaper guitars. Expensive guitars do have their place but from a practicality standpoint they are absolutely not needed. ESPECIALLY if you gig with them, since they'll get banged up anyways.
Of course, it’s crazy to me how some companies are doing it nowadays. They’re making instruments that feel like expensive gear for $350-600 bucks and they actually have the nicer hardware in them.
I've been planning to buy and transition to an electric guitar for a while now. I've been looking at these guitars that aren't expensive, around mid-range, obviously like any other person I wanted one. However, I don't have the budget to buy guitars from that range. I kept hearing people say "It's not the bow, it's the archer, but an archer that has a bow with a crosshair would have sharper shots." and it crossed my mind that maybe I should just start with a cheaper guitar that has decent quality and improve with that guitar than buying branded guitars. This video convinced me to focus on improving instead of buying expensive and branded gears.
@@jameindarasu I’m glad this video spoke to you! I can tell you for sure that I have bought expensive guitars and it was not worth it and my cheaper guitars even play better than those expensive guitars
I appreciate the video and the genuine calls made. Especially the comment about the sound engineers they are there to help. Subbed by the way. Gear/ tone chasing is exhausting 😂. Make do with what you have 😊.
Just a reminder: James Hetfield of Metallica recorded first records with a Japanese 200$ guitar Electra (his white V-shaped guitar). He recorded Death Magnetic on this guitar as well. Based on his interviews we can tell it's his favourite guitar. And we're talking 'bout the man who rocked literally on every continent of our planet.
i sold all my high-dollar guitars and bought 3 Harley Benton guitars. I got them set up and modded to my specifications ex changing pickups (iron gear best bang for your buck any day I use nothing else but iron gear)coil splitting, out-of-phase, live electronics, blues tone switch, etc plugged them into a spark 40, and have never been happier. for under 1200$, I have 3 guitars modded to the hilt and a great solid state no maintenance amp
Totally agree with this take. I hate having to baby or worry about gear. I really like SGs but I’ve had some issues over the years with their durability and some expensive repairs due to their designs. I started playing Teles more and went from being a Strat and SG guy to a Tele person. I don’t have to worry about questionable strap buttons, finicky trem systems, bad heel joints, or headstock angles. And Teles actually acquire more character if the get a little beat up. They are simple and functional and extremely versatile. If I want to swap something out there is huge aftermarket support and it doesn’t look weird if you play a non-standard configuration like a HH or single coil and Filter-trons unlike with a Les Paul where if throw in anything but PAFs or P90s it looks like you ruined an exquisite piece of art.
The best guitar is the guitar that is your hands. That said, I hope everyone can experience owning a high-end guitar. There are so many small but important differences. You can get 90% there with a cheap Guitar. That 10% will cost you. It is a wonderful thing to experience.
@@rileypaynestewart I feel like it is all the little things, fit, and finish, electronics. it all adds up to a different experience. Honestly, it’s hard to verbalize. It’s one of those things that you know, when you know. Nothing wrong with any Guitar in any price point. They’re just a difference.
It's also so interesting that we, as musicians, care SO much about tone and make guitar/pickup/pedal/amp decisions SO precisely to get the PERFECT tone for a live audience. When, at the same time, the audience is primarily going to hear the riff over the tone. Maybe I'm speaking for myself, but even as a musician, when I'm an audience member, I've never scoffed at a player's tone on stage. I'm just having a good time hearing the performance. It just feels like we tinker for tone, when the only person who cares about it is the player. Even the other band members don't really mind if you use a Harley Benton vs a Gibson.
Even if the audience cared about your tone, that is still in the hands of the sound guy. Your ever-so-precious tone will sound completely different depending on the venue. It just doesn't matter.
Exactly, I don’t really know if tone is exclusive to any brand. If you have pickups that do the same thing as any other guitar I think you can get a tone that is almost exact. And on electric guitar when you’re talking about tone woods I don’t think that should really be in the conversation.
I love that this video comes out shortly after I also modified my Harley Benton Custom II (had passive PUs) by putting in PRS pickups from a Chris Robertson SE Signature who insisted on a US pu in the bridge. I got the guitar for 100 Euro used, the PUs for 50, already leearned to do my own setups and musterd up the courage to put a remelt to place a soapbar P90 at the neck and I really feel now there isn't much left that a ... let''s say Custom LP (You'd need custom to get a mix of P90 and PAF) would do better other than impress with the headstock. Quite to the contrary the Harley Benton (or to be fair the guitar that inspired it, an LTD 1000 something) already came with a lot of little quality of life improvements over a Gibson. Sadly I somehow cought the G String problem, propably more string tension in the new ones. And the bigger magnets did scratch away some sustain. So the next mods are already planned, a string tree and a bone nut. It has a graphite now, but since it is a hardtail, it doesn't need that ones special advantages. I also love the PRS Core line, but when I look at the prices I already can see that I'd be very afraid to take the anywhere - and they had the stupid idea to now have nitro based color so you can't place them everywhere anymore because it can react with some materials. You just know they sell those more to collectors than to people who actually make music. Those predominately use the SE line and the signature artists are the ones who often press to get an SE model (Santana was even so insistent that the branch was created in the first place). Btw. Your Custom 24 did not have a Floyd Rose, only a Stage IIII PRS patended pretty classic "tremolo" like you know from your strats. My next project guitar will be a Harley Benton CST24 in Emerald green, which looks close to a PRS Core and sounds very PRS Custom - which I actually wasn't happy about at first, but it won me over. And I wan't to upgrade it with sone PRS parts as well, nut, 85/15 TCI Pick Ups, tuners... but the bridge will be replaced with something else entirely.
One other thing I realized over the years is that your amp, modeler, or pedals probably make more of a difference than the guitar and pickups for getting the tone that is in your head. Ultimately that’s more important than the guitar even though most people have more of an emotional attachment to their guitars. But you really play your amps and effects as much as your instrument. This was tough for me to come to grips with because I don’t get as excited about amps, cabs, pedals, microphones, etc as I do guitars because there isn’t that tactile connection as with an instrument. Still, it’s probably a better investment to get a guitar that feels good enough and has high enough quality components to stay in tune and not distract you from practicing than to buy something really expensive that you are afraid to play because it is too nice. Spend the money saved on the expensive guitar on lessons, other tone shaping kit, or maybe just a different style of guitar for some versatility and to keep things interesting or to inspire a different vibe indoor playing.
I’ve played an affinity and it was pretty good too. They have a good balance of value for the money. I would say all they need is a pickup upgrade and you’re good to go play a show!
Just a note - Squire is not made by Fender at all. Fender sold the Template for the guitar, and therefore is licensed. Another note, Fender now, is a totally different company with the same principle - they sold the template to a bunch of stakeholders. Fender today has no connection with Fender in the 50's. I found a great video on a guy upgrading a Squire Affinity to the same hardware / electronics as an American Professional and the name on the headstock cost $700 basically.
I used to own a Gibson LP studio back in 2010, definitely the most expensive guitar I've ever had and it did sound great. I sold it in 2015 and I went back to budget guitars and didn't necessarily feel like I was playing a lesser instrument. I own 2 Harley Benton telecaster, a $250 Schecter, a $200 Epiphone SG and a $600 Swing Telecaster, the Harley Benton and the Swing feel as good as my old LP with a little bit of TLC. When it comes to modelers/sims/amps the most noticeable difference comes from the speakers. I was accidentally scrolling Tonex presets on Tonet with my IR loader active in the DAW and I couldn't figure out why ALL amps sounded almost the same until I checked my signal chain. Definitely playing through a good cabinet/IR wether it is with sims through a power amp or directly to the PA with IRs is what's gonna make the majority of the difference. I watched a video a while back where someone was somehow able to load high quality IRs into the original line 6 pod (the bean) and I couldn't believe how much better it sounded (still not as good as a helix or modern modelers but you get the point). What matters the most to me as a bedroom musician (for the most part) is being able to sound good enough to my ears and play an instrument that feels good to me and that makes me want to play it. After 15 years I'm still learning, I wanna learn to properly use a DAW for recording and improving my guitar skills. I don't need $5000 tube amps or guitars when I didn't even meet my goal in terms of playing skills yet.
My two main guitars were like 140, gave them to someone to fully setup and make them perfect. Both guitars from 1980s and they are the best guitars I have ever played. If anyone ever plays them they always comment on how easy and great they feel to play, as well as sound. IMO, Theres no point playing super expensive guitars unless you have that extra income to support it.
Absolutely. Do not go and buy a really expensive guitar and think you are better off having that than something more affordable. Again, I’ve owned $300 guitars that I feel like suit me better than the $1500 guitars I’ve owned. Just find the cheapest guitar that feels decent in your hands (try a bunch out because a lot feel different) and then buy that one. Upgrade to something nice in the future but not till you figure out what you value in a guitar and spend your money on that! Thanks for watching
@@rileypaynestewart haha thanks for the advice, im not gonna be trying a lot out anytime soon, im just going for the cheapest one on amazon for now, maybe in a few years though lol
I agree man. I have Jackson's USA and ESP and I my favorite guitar is a J&D that costed me $50 plus upgrades and I can play it and take it anywhere with peace of mind. I'm actually getting rid of the collection pieces and keeping the J&D.
I spent 900 dollars making a strat , has everything I wanted. I bought a D'Angelico hollowbody for 350 dollars, put 61 burstbuckers in it 200 Dollars, it sounds like a million bucks now. I have been at this for 48 years, great pickups and quality hardware will solve most issues if it has good bones.
I did the same thing with my Harley Benton, it’s one of my favorite guitars now. People don’t realize how easy it is to make a guitar your own signature model
Once you know how to set up your instrument, the need for an expensive one goes out the door. $3 roll of copper tape and an allen wrench has fixed the issues I've ever had with any budget Squier. The only real downside is resale value, but if you're buying cheap and modding it to your liking, you'll probably never want to part with it anyway.
Absolutely. As I get more and more experience in my career I find that it is more exciting playing on a value instrument rather than one from popular brand that is expensive.
@@timscarrow9151 I need to do a video on my setup, since I play shows so much and hate carrying gear I have such a minimal setup. Don’t even use an amp I just go direct in with a multiFX pedalboard. I carry everything into the venue in one trip
@@timscarrow9151Similar here, except I'm still gigging and I'm using my own home baked pedals. It is so easy and so fun to build yourself a half decent Blues Breaker, OCD or TS808 and just break it open. I'm on a bass gig right now and have my own version of a Sansamp BDDI, which doesn't have an XLR out, I'm trying to refine the preamp. I'm getting CLOSE!
When it comes to electric instruments, you can get good ones for £500 and anything else is paying for branding, custom made pieces that do the same job and a feeling of superiority but acoustic instruments start getting good at about £2000
Don’t know if I really agree about acoustic guitars getting good at that price point. I’d have to explore that more, I do have an acoustic that is under $1000 and just really like it but I don’t play enough acoustics to know definitively. Would be an interesting video in the future!
I get people on my channel complaining all the time If I say a guitar that is less than $300 dollars plays awesome. If you feel good playing a $300 guitar its going to sound awesome, if it feels off playing $2000 guitar is going to sound like a $50 guitar
If you're playing in pubs, you don't want a high dollar guitar on you.... If you're playing some place very safe, like church... or using it in a studio... get whatever sounds and plays like gold.
Good way of looking at it. I even play some really nice venues sometimes like festivals where a lot of artists would probably like to show off expensive gear but I find myself brining my workhorse guitars because I know I can rely on themn
I hope you read this I'm 21 years old I built My own guitar from scratch in my grandpa's garage using hand tools no heavy machinery cause we couldn't afford expensive machinery I also use a modern modified Tube amp that has vintage parts for the preamp tube it has an RCA 12AU7 for the power tube it has a 6V6 Silvertone tube My grandpa has 2 degrees in electronics And also woodworking He was also in the Navy I've had my homemade guitar since I was 12 and when I'm dirt in my coffin I'll be buried with my guitar also use my own custom set of Thomastik flatwounds I take a thin pack of 7s from an Ernie Ball pack My custom gauges 7/38 flatwounds with a 18 wound third One other thing you'll be surprised of how much we spent on parts for the guitar and it wasn't that expensive and it has high quality parts all Fender parts the pickup on the other hand is custom-made and the knobs are from a 1940s radio they don't make the knobs that are on My Guitar anymore Also my number one Guitar hero has always been Luther Perkins
@@rileypaynestewart trust me you'll love doing it me and my grandfather loved doing it It's been my main gitar ever since forgot to mention it's also a hollow body with a metal frame inside of it to hold it together but the coolest thing is I can play it acoustic unplugged and if you're wondering do I ever get feedback nope I've never gotten feedback because I have a built-in noise gate in my tube amp
I bought an Ibanez in the mid '80s that apparently was the first Ibanez to have a Floyd Rose, it was a used guitar and I don't remember the model, it played just great in the store, got it home and changed the strings, that was a pain! and I couldn't get the damn thing to stay in tune, pain in the arse! and so I sold it to someone that knew about Floyds, I don't buy those type of guitars anymore. I play Telecasters and Les Pauls and I have a collection of budget (ish) guitars that play just great and sound great, In my defence, I bought the Teles and LP's in the '80s when budget guitars were absolute rubbish!
Floyd rose is spring balanced. You gotta use the same string gauge every time or you will have to adjust the spring screws to set string height. It's a pain and fortunately my Greg Bennett Les Paul copy doesn't have a Floyd, thank God. Paid $120 for it and absolutely love it. They are the most undervalued used guitar out there. From the tuners to the lower angled head to the awesome neck, it actually sends you vibes. You will have a relationship with these guitars!
People don't realise that aftet a certain price range you are just paying for a setup of the guitar. I go to this luthier in my hometown and he makes the cheapest shittiest guitars feel "expensive"
That is worth noting for sure. Some guitars that you buy come to you not set up properly and you’re going to assume they’re shitty guitars when they really just need a setup!
I owned a lot of different guitars. I’ve had a lot of cheap guitars and now in my life I have a few very expensive guitars. There is a difference. I hope you can experience that as well. You will get 90% there with a cheap Guitar, but I will tell you, there is a difference that is tangible, and it’s a very enjoyable thing to have a Gucci guitar. Nothing wrong with the cheap one. I hope you have the experience one day of the other end.
Hahaha- FALSE- as you can pay thousands of dollars for a guitar and it still play bad…frets sharp..string height is crazy- nut not cut properly- won’t stay in tune…so be a gear SNOB towards INSANE $$$ for guitars that are treading on the name and NOT the quality of the instrument!!
same here. I buy cheap mod to the max and I have a 3000$ guitar
most of the time I have invested way less than 800$
@@Vermonster23 I’ve certainly had the experience and I like nice guitars don’t get me wrong I’m just saying it’s not always worth it
You can't go wrong with Squier Classic Vibe or $400 ish Epiphones. Bonus points for a good set up and electronics upgrades of your choice if needed. Most of us can do well enough with something like a Boss Katana, Orange Super Crush 100 or a Vox Valvetronix. I have the Vox VTX 100, which I bought for $171 used mint condition. It sounds amazing. Also if you get the cheaper guitars you can own a few more and not break the bank.
@@brostoevsky22 you get it
True but if you have a specific fret size you want you would have to buy a separate neck or refret plus the cost of fret leveling or plecking. The total amount will most likely go over a $1000 especially if you want specific pick ups to your taste. The bottom line is that if you have specific specs you want, you could have to pay over a $1000 even if the guitar is $200
200-500 price range 🤝
🤝
Hey man, cool video. Just subscribed. You hit a lot of valid points here.
I have two Schecter basses. A Stiletto/Studio 4 and 5. I’ve used the 5 for majority of my bass playing career. It has been on tours, festivals, theaters, dive bars, backyard parties, local gigs, etc. That thing is an absolute workhorse. Going from Metal and Rock, to post Hardcore, and now playing in a Latin/Funk band. That bass always fits what I need. And they’re only $1000 new. I know that may seem a bit much but in todays world it’s not bad compared to other brands. I love that bass so much I got the 4 string counterpart and same thing, very versatile and another amazing workhorse.
I think once you find what works for you, you tend to want to stick with that and that’s totally fine.
Nice man! Thanks for subbing! And yeah in todays world $1000 isn’t too crazy I agree
Good video!
I like my expensive guitar because it looks nice and I've helped a luthier stay in business by buying it. Neither makes it any better as an instrument.
@@MyAmpTurnsUpTo11 nice! Good thing you’re not a snob about it! Haha
Yes, exactly. I've owned a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and a Gibson V... amazing guitars. I regret selling them, BUT now I play MIM Fenders, Squires and Epiphones. They're solid guitars and I gig with them all the time. If a cheaper guitar sounds good to you, then it is good.
100%
The argument at 11:13 is a great way of putting into words what I've been thinking for the past year or so. I have some pretty decent gear in my opinion. And I've been thinking about this concept with some of the decisions I've made and will make.
Thanks for watching mate
Why are guitar players so concerned about other people’s opinions on their opinions about gear
Get what you want and enjoy it. Dont depend on validation from other people before you can enjoy your guitar. If you have money and want to buy expensive stuff, go for it. If you’re poor and can’t afford much, stop comparing yourself to people who are blessed with more
I have expensive gear and I have cheap gear. I bought the stuff because I wanted to. I sell the stuff I end up not liking. The journey is fun and getting everything right at the beginning is unlikely
Absolutely! Thanks for watching
I bought a Harley Benton Les Paul Hybred custom I'm not sure what it's called. It kind of looks like Pat Martino's guitar. it was a B stock I think I paid 150 bucks. its frets are rough and the Roswell pickups are weak the locking tuners are great a little fretwork would not hurt but I needed a jazz guitar other than my Tele, something I could put heavier flat-wound strings on. I figured it would do the trick until I bought an archtop, plus it was just sitting around doing nothing. i put flatwounds on it got a setup and now it's my number one guitar. I'm actually loving the rawness of the frets and wrestling the instrument a little to get it to sound right. it's so heavy and raw feeling. i was going to change the pickups and get it re-fretted. I have gotten used to the pickups and use an EQ or a clean boost if needed. It gives me the jazz sound I'm looking for out of my Spark 40. so the archtop is on hold for now and I don't think I will mod the guitar at all til the frets become unworkable then il add out -of out-of-phase switch with the re-fret. it has forced me to play differently and I'm growing from it. budget gear can be inspiring to play as well
@@thehappyheretic2136 that sounds awesome
Honestly, I gotta agree with you. If you are just looking at it from a sound and playability standpoint, you can just get whatever cheap guitar that feels good to you and upgrade the pickups/other parts that are not to your liking. Although even that is often not necessary. I have an old Ibanez RG421-WK that cost less than 300€ in 2015 and that things rips. That being said, I also have a FGN Neo Classic LS10 (costs around 1400€ nowadays) and whenever I have it in my hand, it just screams quality and makes me happy to play it. The wood is beautiful and there are no little imperfections that I see on lots of cheaper guitars. Expensive guitars do have their place but from a practicality standpoint they are absolutely not needed. ESPECIALLY if you gig with them, since they'll get banged up anyways.
Of course, it’s crazy to me how some companies are doing it nowadays. They’re making instruments that feel like expensive gear for $350-600 bucks and they actually have the nicer hardware in them.
I've been planning to buy and transition to an electric guitar for a while now. I've been looking at these guitars that aren't expensive, around mid-range, obviously like any other person I wanted one. However, I don't have the budget to buy guitars from that range. I kept hearing people say "It's not the bow, it's the archer, but an archer that has a bow with a crosshair would have sharper shots." and it crossed my mind that maybe I should just start with a cheaper guitar that has decent quality and improve with that guitar than buying branded guitars. This video convinced me to focus on improving instead of buying expensive and branded gears.
@@jameindarasu I’m glad this video spoke to you! I can tell you for sure that I have bought expensive guitars and it was not worth it and my cheaper guitars even play better than those expensive guitars
I appreciate the video and the genuine calls made. Especially the comment about the sound engineers they are there to help. Subbed by the way. Gear/ tone chasing is exhausting 😂. Make do with what you have 😊.
Thanks for watching and thank you for the kind words!
Just a reminder: James Hetfield of Metallica recorded first records with a Japanese 200$ guitar Electra (his white V-shaped guitar). He recorded Death Magnetic on this guitar as well. Based on his interviews we can tell it's his favourite guitar. And we're talking 'bout the man who rocked literally on every continent of our planet.
Didn’t know that, that’s badass though!
i sold all my high-dollar guitars and bought 3 Harley Benton guitars. I got them set up and modded to my specifications ex changing pickups (iron gear best bang for your buck any day I use nothing else but iron gear)coil splitting, out-of-phase, live electronics, blues tone switch, etc plugged them into a spark 40, and have never been happier. for under 1200$, I have 3 guitars modded to the hilt and a great solid state no maintenance amp
Totally agree with this take. I hate having to baby or worry about gear. I really like SGs but I’ve had some issues over the years with their durability and some expensive repairs due to their designs. I started playing Teles more and went from being a Strat and SG guy to a Tele person. I don’t have to worry about questionable strap buttons, finicky trem systems, bad heel joints, or headstock angles. And Teles actually acquire more character if the get a little beat up. They are simple and functional and extremely versatile. If I want to swap something out there is huge aftermarket support and it doesn’t look weird if you play a non-standard configuration like a HH or single coil and Filter-trons unlike with a Les Paul where if throw in anything but PAFs or P90s it looks like you ruined an exquisite piece of art.
For sure, teles are tanks!
The best guitar is the guitar that is your hands.
That said, I hope everyone can experience owning a high-end guitar. There are so many small but important differences. You can get 90% there with a cheap Guitar. That 10% will cost you. It is a wonderful thing to experience.
I'm curious what elements you think you can't get anywhere other than a higher end guitar?
@@rileypaynestewart I feel like it is all the little things, fit, and finish, electronics. it all adds up to a different experience. Honestly, it’s hard to verbalize. It’s one of those things that you know, when you know. Nothing wrong with any Guitar in any price point. They’re just a difference.
It's also so interesting that we, as musicians, care SO much about tone and make guitar/pickup/pedal/amp decisions SO precisely to get the PERFECT tone for a live audience. When, at the same time, the audience is primarily going to hear the riff over the tone. Maybe I'm speaking for myself, but even as a musician, when I'm an audience member, I've never scoffed at a player's tone on stage. I'm just having a good time hearing the performance. It just feels like we tinker for tone, when the only person who cares about it is the player. Even the other band members don't really mind if you use a Harley Benton vs a Gibson.
Even if the audience cared about your tone, that is still in the hands of the sound guy. Your ever-so-precious tone will sound completely different depending on the venue. It just doesn't matter.
You can get the same tone as Gibson from any 24.75 scale guitar, if you upgrade the pickups.
Exactly, I don’t really know if tone is exclusive to any brand. If you have pickups that do the same thing as any other guitar I think you can get a tone that is almost exact. And on electric guitar when you’re talking about tone woods I don’t think that should really be in the conversation.
I love that this video comes out shortly after I also modified my Harley Benton Custom II (had passive PUs) by putting in PRS pickups from a Chris Robertson SE Signature who insisted on a US pu in the bridge. I got the guitar for 100 Euro used, the PUs for 50, already leearned to do my own setups and musterd up the courage to put a remelt to place a soapbar P90 at the neck and I really feel now there isn't much left that a ... let''s say Custom LP (You'd need custom to get a mix of P90 and PAF) would do better other than impress with the headstock. Quite to the contrary the Harley Benton (or to be fair the guitar that inspired it, an LTD 1000 something) already came with a lot of little quality of life improvements over a Gibson. Sadly I somehow cought the G String problem, propably more string tension in the new ones. And the bigger magnets did scratch away some sustain. So the next mods are already planned, a string tree and a bone nut. It has a graphite now, but since it is a hardtail, it doesn't need that ones special advantages.
I also love the PRS Core line, but when I look at the prices I already can see that I'd be very afraid to take the anywhere - and they had the stupid idea to now have nitro based color so you can't place them everywhere anymore because it can react with some materials. You just know they sell those more to collectors than to people who actually make music. Those predominately use the SE line and the signature artists are the ones who often press to get an SE model (Santana was even so insistent that the branch was created in the first place). Btw. Your Custom 24 did not have a Floyd Rose, only a Stage IIII PRS patended pretty classic "tremolo" like you know from your strats. My next project guitar will be a Harley Benton CST24 in Emerald green, which looks close to a PRS Core and sounds very PRS Custom - which I actually wasn't happy about at first, but it won me over. And I wan't to upgrade it with sone PRS parts as well, nut, 85/15 TCI Pick Ups, tuners... but the bridge will be replaced with something else entirely.
Awesome! Thanks for watching! You’d probably like my videos modifying my Harley Benton as well. Love that guitar
One other thing I realized over the years is that your amp, modeler, or pedals probably make more of a difference than the guitar and pickups for getting the tone that is in your head. Ultimately that’s more important than the guitar even though most people have more of an emotional attachment to their guitars. But you really play your amps and effects as much as your instrument. This was tough for me to come to grips with because I don’t get as excited about amps, cabs, pedals, microphones, etc as I do guitars because there isn’t that tactile connection as with an instrument. Still, it’s probably a better investment to get a guitar that feels good enough and has high enough quality components to stay in tune and not distract you from practicing than to buy something really expensive that you are afraid to play because it is too nice. Spend the money saved on the expensive guitar on lessons, other tone shaping kit, or maybe just a different style of guitar for some versatility and to keep things interesting or to inspire a different vibe indoor playing.
100% agree!
One of the best guitars that I ever owned was a Squire Affinaty strat , it got stolen and I miss playing on it.
I’ve played an affinity and it was pretty good too. They have a good balance of value for the money. I would say all they need is a pickup upgrade and you’re good to go play a show!
Just a note - Squire is not made by Fender at all. Fender sold the Template for the guitar, and therefore is licensed.
Another note, Fender now, is a totally different company with the same principle - they sold the template to a bunch of stakeholders. Fender today has no connection with Fender in the 50's.
I found a great video on a guy upgrading a Squire Affinity to the same hardware / electronics as an American Professional and the name on the headstock cost $700 basically.
@@DLeRoux I have people tell me they are made by fender and some people say they aren’t. After doing research I couldn’t find anything definitive.
I used to own a Gibson LP studio back in 2010, definitely the most expensive guitar I've ever had and it did sound great. I sold it in 2015 and I went back to budget guitars and didn't necessarily feel like I was playing a lesser instrument. I own 2 Harley Benton telecaster, a $250 Schecter, a $200 Epiphone SG and a $600 Swing Telecaster, the Harley Benton and the Swing feel as good as my old LP with a little bit of TLC.
When it comes to modelers/sims/amps the most noticeable difference comes from the speakers. I was accidentally scrolling Tonex presets on Tonet with my IR loader active in the DAW and I couldn't figure out why ALL amps sounded almost the same until I checked my signal chain.
Definitely playing through a good cabinet/IR wether it is with sims through a power amp or directly to the PA with IRs is what's gonna make the majority of the difference.
I watched a video a while back where someone was somehow able to load high quality IRs into the original line 6 pod (the bean) and I couldn't believe how much better it sounded (still not as good as a helix or modern modelers but you get the point).
What matters the most to me as a bedroom musician (for the most part) is being able to sound good enough to my ears and play an instrument that feels good to me and that makes me want to play it. After 15 years I'm still learning, I wanna learn to properly use a DAW for recording and improving my guitar skills. I don't need $5000 tube amps or guitars when I didn't even meet my goal in terms of playing skills yet.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching
My two main guitars were like 140, gave them to someone to fully setup and make them perfect. Both guitars from 1980s and they are the best guitars I have ever played. If anyone ever plays them they always comment on how easy and great they feel to play, as well as sound. IMO, Theres no point playing super expensive guitars unless you have that extra income to support it.
100%! Thanks for watching
i cant play guitar yet, but this is a great video to get some peace of mind
Absolutely. Do not go and buy a really expensive guitar and think you are better off having that than something more affordable. Again, I’ve owned $300 guitars that I feel like suit me better than the $1500 guitars I’ve owned. Just find the cheapest guitar that feels decent in your hands (try a bunch out because a lot feel different) and then buy that one. Upgrade to something nice in the future but not till you figure out what you value in a guitar and spend your money on that! Thanks for watching
@@rileypaynestewart haha thanks for the advice, im not gonna be trying a lot out anytime soon, im just going for the cheapest one on amazon for now, maybe in a few years though lol
I own 2 american strats by accident they were too great of a deal to not go for it
I agree man. I have Jackson's USA and ESP and I my favorite guitar is a J&D that costed me $50 plus upgrades and I can play it and take it anywhere with peace of mind. I'm actually getting rid of the collection pieces and keeping the J&D.
That's the way to do it man, make it your own!
I spent 900 dollars making a strat , has everything I wanted. I bought a D'Angelico hollowbody for 350 dollars, put 61 burstbuckers in it 200 Dollars, it sounds like a million bucks now. I have been at this for 48 years, great pickups and quality hardware will solve most issues if it has good bones.
I did the same thing with my Harley Benton, it’s one of my favorite guitars now. People don’t realize how easy it is to make a guitar your own signature model
Once you know how to set up your instrument, the need for an expensive one goes out the door. $3 roll of copper tape and an allen wrench has fixed the issues I've ever had with any budget Squier. The only real downside is resale value, but if you're buying cheap and modding it to your liking, you'll probably never want to part with it anyway.
@@FasterThanJaws exactly!
I agree. The older I get the less I care about price. The way I figure it if I’m afraid to gig with it then I don’t need it.
Absolutely. As I get more and more experience in my career I find that it is more exciting playing on a value instrument rather than one from popular brand that is expensive.
Gig, hell I can't carry the gear anymore😭
@@timscarrow9151 I need to do a video on my setup, since I play shows so much and hate carrying gear I have such a minimal setup. Don’t even use an amp I just go direct in with a multiFX pedalboard. I carry everything into the venue in one trip
@@rileypaynestewart I don't gig anymore so I'm sitting here with a Laney cub 8, and a bunch of pedal clones I made. A great bedroom rig.
@@timscarrow9151Similar here, except I'm still gigging and I'm using my own home baked pedals. It is so easy and so fun to build yourself a half decent Blues Breaker, OCD or TS808 and just break it open. I'm on a bass gig right now and have my own version of a Sansamp BDDI, which doesn't have an XLR out, I'm trying to refine the preamp. I'm getting CLOSE!
When it comes to electric instruments, you can get good ones for £500 and anything else is paying for branding, custom made pieces that do the same job and a feeling of superiority but acoustic instruments start getting good at about £2000
Don’t know if I really agree about acoustic guitars getting good at that price point. I’d have to explore that more, I do have an acoustic that is under $1000 and just really like it but I don’t play enough acoustics to know definitively. Would be an interesting video in the future!
I get people on my channel complaining all the time If I say a guitar that is less than $300 dollars plays awesome. If you feel good playing a $300 guitar its going to sound awesome, if it feels off playing $2000 guitar is going to sound like a $50 guitar
@@SearchingForTone exactly!
There is a bigger issue of guitarists being jealous and envious of people that buy expensive gear than so called "gear snobs"
I definitely see it the other way around more from my experience. I know a few bands that use cheaper gear and they all love their equipment.
Drop Vinnie’s band he’s touring with. I’m in Clarksville, TN rn 😂
Backcountry Boys, they’re very good!
If you're playing in pubs, you don't want a high dollar guitar on you.... If you're playing some place very safe, like church... or using it in a studio... get whatever sounds and plays like gold.
Good way of looking at it. I even play some really nice venues sometimes like festivals where a lot of artists would probably like to show off expensive gear but I find myself brining my workhorse guitars because I know I can rely on themn
@@rileypaynestewart When playing church, I'll take a Gretch Falcon, or a Rickenbacker.. perhaps a Gibson. The pub??? A Peavey or an Epiphone.
What camera are you using lmao
Sony A6400
fixed, hard tail bridge and locking tuners can go a long way on a guitar
For sure. Oftentimes those are also the easiest and cheapest mods to do.
I hope you read this I'm 21 years old I built My own guitar from scratch in my grandpa's garage using hand tools no heavy machinery cause we couldn't afford expensive machinery
I also use a modern modified Tube amp that has vintage parts for the preamp tube it has an RCA 12AU7 for the power tube it has a 6V6 Silvertone tube
My grandpa has 2 degrees in electronics
And also woodworking
He was also in the Navy
I've had my homemade guitar since I was 12 and when I'm dirt in my coffin I'll be buried with my guitar also use my own custom set of Thomastik flatwounds I take a thin pack of 7s from an Ernie Ball pack
My custom gauges 7/38 flatwounds with a 18 wound third
One other thing you'll be surprised of how much we spent on parts for the guitar and it wasn't that expensive and it has high quality parts all Fender parts the pickup on the other hand is custom-made and the knobs are from a 1940s radio they don't make the knobs that are on My Guitar anymore
Also my number one Guitar hero has always been Luther Perkins
@@southernpride2003 I want to do that eventually on this channel is build a guitar from scratch. Maybe something I’ll have to do this year.
@@rileypaynestewart trust me you'll love doing it me and my grandfather loved doing it
It's been my main gitar ever since forgot to mention it's also a hollow body with a metal frame inside of it to hold it together but the coolest thing is I can play it acoustic unplugged and if you're wondering do I ever get feedback nope I've never gotten feedback because I have a built-in noise gate in my tube amp
@@rileypaynestewart I'm still surprised we managed to do it without the heavy machinery and routing tools we did everything by hand
I bought an Ibanez in the mid '80s that apparently was the first Ibanez to have a Floyd Rose, it was a used guitar and I don't remember the model, it played just great in the store, got it home and changed the strings, that was a pain! and I couldn't get the damn thing to stay in tune, pain in the arse! and so I sold it to someone that knew about Floyds, I don't buy those type of guitars anymore.
I play Telecasters and Les Pauls and I have a collection of budget (ish) guitars that play just great and sound great, In my defence, I bought the Teles and LP's in the '80s when budget guitars were absolute rubbish!
Yeah budget gear has definitely come a long way, it’s crazy what some companies are doing now
Floyd rose is spring balanced. You gotta use the same string gauge every time or you will have to adjust the spring screws to set string height. It's a pain and fortunately my Greg Bennett Les Paul copy doesn't have a Floyd, thank God. Paid $120 for it and absolutely love it. They are the most undervalued used guitar out there. From the tuners to the lower angled head to the awesome neck, it actually sends you vibes. You will have a relationship with these guitars!
Well apparently you've never played an ESP not an LTD an ESP
I love ESP
love u
@@vinniecilli 🙉🙊
brokie
I just have a lot of experience with a bunch of different instruments and this is my opinion