What is the best cheap electric guitar?

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webstop

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What would be the most comfortably playable cheap electric guitar?
I need one for practicing and home studio work.
Also, cheap guitars appear to be manufactured in China, Indenesia, Korea etc. What country of origin is more preferable?
 
I don't know really really cheap guitars too well, but the Mexican Telecasters($300-350) are a steal, beautiful sound low price...
 
I play a Tele as my main electric, but would have to say the the Strats are the sound most associated with electric guitar. The Mexican Standard Strat or Tele is what I say.

(Telecasters are ugly as hell until you play one, then the shape grows on you and the sound keeps you from turning back.)
 
I still think my Korean Squire, made in the late 80's, is the best guitar I have owned. She's my girl and we're never gonna part! :p
 

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You can find some pretty decent Mexi Strats and Mexi Tele's in the $300-$400 range - however the Strat is probably a better choice - the Tele is more of a one dementional axe (don't bash me guys - I own a Tele and a Strat - and I like them both).

A Yamaha Pacifica is a decent $200 axe (which has a wide range of sounds) I was very satisfied with my Pacifica (until I traded up to a 57' reissue Strat).

I agree the Ibenex GAK70 is a decent $200 axe (for more of a "Gibson" sound) and the Ibenex GSA60 isn't bad - also in the $200 range. I have always been satified with the Ibenez guitars I've owned.
 
the yamaha pacifica is a great guitar for only 200 smackers. one of my students just bought one and i set it up for her and man it plays nice im realy impressed, and the sound is great,its a strat copy and the sound is what youd expect and then some outta a cheaper srat copy. im thinking about buying one just to have around for my kid to play. id definately check them out.
 
flash2ace said:
the yamaha pacifica is a great guitar for only 200 smackers.
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The Pacifica is highly regarded over in UK Music Guitar news group as the best build-quality for an inexpensive guitar. It's generally recommended as the best guitar for a starter.

--
BluesMeister
 
I can recommend the Gregg Bennett series of guitars by Samick. Each model line starts out cheap and gets progressively better. If you pick one of the mid to high level, you'll get a good guitar for $300-$400 US. They have Grover tuners, Duncan pickups, good quality wood, nice bridges, play and sound very nice.
 
Yamaha Pacifica (the PAC012 or PAC112)...under $200

and $$$ for $$$, the best guitar you will find.....



Schecter makes some damn nice guitars for the $$$$ also.....
 
I've got an Epiphone SG that absolutely rocks, but I'll admit I went through a dozen or so to find it. BTW, country of origin? Japan/Korea good. Indonesia sometimes good. China almost always bad.-Richie
 
I agree with both Gidge and Dan DA.

The Yamaha Pacifica is the best guitar under $200 US..... and nothing else even comes close to it's build-quality and tone for the price.

If you can afford a bit more to spend, the Samick/Greg Bennett line of guitars are far superior to the Mexican Strats in the $300 to $400 range. Not just because they have superior hardware (Grover tuners, Wilkinson tremolos, Duncan-designed pickups), but because they have far better quality control than the Mexican Strats.

I happen to own both of the guitars I am suggesting.
You're getting first-hand knowledge from a VERY satisfied owner who has done his homework and played just about every guitar under $500 that's out there right now.
I have a Pacifica PAC 012 (Strat copy) and a Samick Ultramatic UM-4 (PRS copy).

Samick's Avion AV-6 is an awesome guitar for the money.... I highly recommend that one, too.

Gidge also mentioned Schecter guitars being really nice guitars for the money.
Well, they should be... they're made by Samick!! :)
 
Well I don't know much about Samick guitars, but they build a pretty good cheap recurve bow (I'm an archery coach). 20% of them have to be returned, but the other 80% are the best beginner bow in the business. What the hell, if they're good enough for Josie and the Pusseycats, I guess I'll have to sell the Gibson and buy ten of them.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
Well I don't know much about Samick guitars, but they build a pretty good cheap recurve bow (I'm an archery coach). 20% of them have to be returned, but the other 80% are the best beginner bow in the business. What the hell, if they're good enough for Josie and the Pusseycats, I guess I'll have to sell the Gibson and buy ten of them.-Richie
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You know that Epiphone SG of yours that you said "absolutely rocks" in your previous thread? If it was made in Korea, it's made by Samick! There are also cheap, low-end Chinese-made Epi SG's (the Epi SG Special is one of them), but the better SG models are all Samick. It's a no-brainer that you had to search through several of them to find the best SG.... simply because Epiphone does their own final inspections on their guitars, not Samick. Samick has better quality control on the guitars that bear their own name on the headstock.
 
webstop said:
What about brands like Washburn, ESP, OLP?

I find a lot of those in $200 range.
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Cheap hardware, cheap electronics and higher tolerances.

In other words, most of them don't play or sound nearly as good as the Yamaha's and Samicks.
 
Well, no, Buck. My SG was made in Indonesia. I didn't like the finish on the back of the neck on the Korean version, although the tuners were better.-Richie
 
http://www.jayturser.com/

This guy makes "copies" of popular name brand guitars for a fraction of the price. I bought an SG copy from him and it's virtually identical to the SG I already had. I actually play it more often than my Epiphone because it plays better.
 
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