[Rick Lee]

I have a Mexican Strat that I bought new in 1996 for about $300. I sanded the neck down and put EMG's in it and it's a super guitar now. My first guitar was a $150 Hondo, which I cut up and customized into an also nice guitar. Unless you really know what you're doing, you won't be able to tell the difference between an expensive and cheapo axe. I think Eddie Van Halen has about $250 into his famous red, white and black Frankenstrat guitar and no one ever said he didn't get a decent sound out of it. It's all in the hands first, amp next, effects next and guitar last.