Don't be hate'n on the cheap guitars!

futuresoptions · 09-25-2010, 07:20 PM

Finally got my daughters Ibanez Gio put back together with new tuners / strings after the recent repaint... I really wish I hadn't of given her this guitar before I had a chance to play it... for a $150. axe (new) it really does sound amazing... it's a HSS configuration with medium frets... real fast and clean sounding... In all honesty, it plays better than my Epiphone, but it doesn't have the sustain of the Epi... I have had a few Squire strats in the past and if I still had them and a mini ice age came upon us, the Squires would be firewood.... I will be keeping an eye out on Craigslist so that maybe I can pick myself up one...

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Right now is somewhat of a "golden era" for cheap instruments. When I was a kid cheap instruments were terrible. Now, $100 can buy you a totally serviceable electric guitar or bass. The factories in China and Indonesia have it down pat.

BlueSkyJaunte · 09-25-2010, 11:07 PM

No kidding--was talking to the local guitar shop owner today and he said one of the reasons is the increased use of CNC in (electric) guitar manufacturing. After that it's all fitting and finishing. In fact China's labor rates are now too high now for truly "cheap" axes, and Indonesia and India are where it's at for the real bargains.

I have a Korean-made ES-335 copy that I picked up in a pawn shop back in the mid-90's for $250. It's amazing how much nicer a brand-new $250 guitar is than that POS.

I also found out how much my '93 Ibanez JEM is bringing on the secondary market and nearly collapsed.

To think it just hangs out on its stand where my kids can wipe their grubby hands on it...

Time to "invest" in a few decent cheap guitars and put the Vai away for safekeeping.

Rick V · 09-26-2010, 02:50 AM

My fav cheap axe is my Peavey Raptor. I put strat pickups and pots in it, since I could not deal with the Jed Clampet tone but it plays as easy and fast as my SG. I think I grabbed this thing for $150 a few years back.

09-26-2010, 03:49 AM

I borrowed a friend's old Alvarez for awhile and was pretty amazed at how nicely it played compared with my Taylor 814CE Limited Edition. Action was actually a little better, though it didn't compare on sound.

My son's Squire, OTOH, is junk.

on2wheels52 · on2wheels52's Garage

I have at least a dozen electrics I would be happy to sell for $30/ea.
Jim

futuresoptions · 09-26-2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madcorgi

I borrowed a friend's old Alvarez for awhile and was pretty amazed at how nicely it played compared with my Taylor 814CE Limited Edition. Action was actually a little better, though it didn't compare on sound.

My son's Squire, OTOH, is junk.

I purchased a new Alvarez acoustic back about 4yrs ago for about $250. had to sell it when I hit hard times... that thing sounded amazing!!!! I don't know how those guys do it, but I played everything else in that price range and nothing even came close... I compared the sound to more expensive acoustics and figured I would have had to of layed down $600.-$800. to replicate the deep, rich sound... and absolutely no buzz out of that thing whatsoever unless I was really hitting it hard... Just an amazing acoustic... sadly the large music store that carried them here, I hear is no longer in operation... I have been looking at possibly getting an Ovation Applause electric acoustic for recording purposes, but I may try to track another Alvarez down... I can get one online, but when it comes to acoustics I think I would rather sit down and play one before purchase just because you can play two of the same models and end up getting a different tone/feel out of each....

futuresoptions · 09-26-2010, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

I have at least a dozen electrics I would be happy to sell for $30/ea.
Jim

PM me with what you got.... I may be interested in a couple..

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

About 10 yrs. ago I picked up an early 80's Kramer Pacer with full maple neck, three EMG's and an orginal Floyd Rose for $220 at the Guitar Center. I more than double my money parting it out on eBay.

futuresoptions · 09-26-2010, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

I also found out how much my '93 Ibanez JEM is bringing on the secondary market and nearly collapsed.

To think it just hangs out on its stand where my kids can wipe their grubby hands on it...

Time to "invest" in a few decent cheap guitars and put the Vai away for safekeeping.

Yeah, I bet that thing plays SWEEEEET!!! I was looking at a few of the newer Ibanez's, one in particular is the GRGA32T I think it is an awesome looking guitar...

It has a mahogany body vs. the adler or basswood variants... I don't know how I will like the 24 fret setup, but I know that I will like the medium frets vs. the jumbo frets with shark tooth inlay that most of their models seem to have... This will probably be my next guitar after I get myself a Gio like my daughters... This guitar seems like alot of bang for the buck at only $300. In all honesty, I had about 5 Les Pauls on my wish list.... This little Gio has totally changed my wish list by knocking my Les Pauls down to just one.... I am really sold on the Ibanez neck... it just fits my hand better.... I will probably end up with 3-4 Gio's eventually and will experiment with installing different types of pickups... sorry for the ramblin fella's

07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

I have at least a dozen electrics I would be happy to sell for $30/ea.
Jim

My wife has me on a strict guitar moratorium. My wish list:

1970's Guild F40 with maple back/sides
Telecaster w/ maple neck
Any Rickenbacker 12 string
Danelectro
Kay (like Jack White's)
Les Paul Junior

targa911S · 09-26-2010, 08:48 AM

Yes I agree. I have been looking at getting into a couple of fretless basses (thanks nostatic) and I have been looking at a Dean acoustic and (shudder) a Fender MIM jazz for the electric side. I can buy BOTH of them for under $500.00!

sammyg2 · 09-26-2010, 08:52 AM

I have an Aria that I picked up slightly used for under $100, it's branded as a Fullerton (where fender started).
This thing plays way better than any squire and I'd say it does better than the MIM strats that were circulating around a while ago.

If I had any talent I could really shred with this thing.

on2wheels52 · on2wheels52's Garage

"I have been looking at getting into a couple of fretless basses"

A guy wanted to sell me a fretless Peavy last thursday, I turned it down as I already had a couple of standards. No one has ever asked for a fretless, thought one would be hard to move.
Jim

targa911S · 09-26-2010, 09:08 AM

prolly would be jim.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

There's a guy on our local gun board with a neck-thru-body Fender Squire with Floyd Rose in new condition for $200.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

My son has a Schecter guitar that he loves. The low cost guitars can be decent, you have to try them out 1st!

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by targa911S

Yes I agree. I have been looking at getting into a couple of fretless basses (thanks nostatic) and I have been looking at a Dean acoustic and (shudder) a Fender MIM jazz for the electric side. I can buy BOTH of them for under $500.00!

If it is any consolation, you've now got me looking at this:

Mike Lull T5

I actually just bought a Lull PJ5 - should be here next week.

The darling of talkbass these days are SX basses. They are dirt cheap and evidently highly playable and take mods well:

Rondo Music Fretless Bass Guitars

09-26-2010, 10:45 AM

nosataic-- Mike Lull is up here in my neck of the woods. He set up my Talyor, including machining the frets of some sort of German fret machining machine.

Let me know if you need any help.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Already talked with Paul from Lull's shop. The bass I bought is in Nashville and I've got a short return period if I don't dig it. From all accounts Lull does great work. The machine you're referring to is the Plek. Pretty interesting beast...