Cheap guitar vs. Expensive guitar

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robertt8
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LocusLarsen said:
ya, I don't think that if someone "plays" an expensive guitar in a store counts toward how it compares to their cheap guitar. Guitars are never setup right and almost any expensive guitar minus 1 out of a hundred, will play perfect as soon as it is set up properly.

I've never had any guitar that wouldn't play perfectly once I'd set it up. Except the extremely cheap one (I bought it new for $25.00 when I was in 7th grade) that had the frets in the wrong places. That one still played alright, just not in tune.

I own guitars in all price ranges. I have one that I paid $1000.00 for back in the 80s and it doesn't play (or sound) any better than any other guitar that I have.
 
I've made this point befor, but will spit it out again. A whole lot of the actual sound quality is controlled by your rig, not by your guitar. Yes yes, hotter or warmer pickups are hotter or warmer. BUT once the signal hits the processor it is subject to being broken down and "processed" in the exact same way.

Now physical craftmanship is a true consideration with cheap vs expensive. But how much of your buck is going to pay for a logo?

A $500 Ibanez, in my opinion, out plays damn near any strat I have ever held. Some freakish way those Ibanez necks seem to be almost lubed.
 
This thread reminds me of that old saying "Shut up and play guitar" sorry for the humor, (inside bass joke) I couldn't resist. :)
 
Inexpensive vs Expensive Guitars – The debate Continues…

Argument 1:
I have an expensive guitar. I can justify the expense by saying it’s better made and better playing than any cheap foreign-made guitar. It will hold its resale value when I sell it.

Argument 2:
I have an inexpensive foreign-made guitar. It’s better value than any brand-name US-made guitar and plays just as well. I don’t particularly care about re-sale value; I didn’t purchase it as an investment.

Argument 3:
I bought this inexpensive guitar because I can’t afford, nor can I justify, the expense of the one I really wanted.

Argument 4:
I bought what I wanted. I don’t need to justify my purchase. Please excuse me while I play my guitar.

Buy what you want friends. :) You may have to wait 20 years for it... Don't get snobbish about its place of origin, it's how it plays that counts. That's jut my opinion of course, it's not the gospel.

--
BluesMeister
 
I'd rather spend £200 on a guitar, then get a decent ampand cab (or POD+power amp+cab) than buy a £700 guitar. I think that way I would get a much better sound.

However, if I had £2000 to spend, I would get that Gibson SG I've always wanted.

Neil
 
If a cheap guitar feels and plays good than I say go for it! if you dont plan on reselling it then don't worry about it. If I spent $2000 on golf clubs I would still suck at GOLF! I have played many squire strats that sound to me and play just as good as a $1200 American strat. I have a Gibson Les Paul but have played epiphones that I like better! every guitar is different. And later on down the road you can upgrade the electronics, and maybe even pick up different necks or whatever you want.
 
Everyone who thinks a squire plays and sounds better than a $1200 American made strat should immediately run out and buy a couple. Someone needs to buy those things.
 
I didnt say that they all sound better! I have played some that I don't like! There is nothing wrong with the Mexican made strat, and every guitar is different. People like you that hype up the american made strats are why they cost so much!
 
evhwanabe said:
I didnt say that they all sound better! I have played some that I don't like! There is nothing wrong with the Mexican made strat, and every guitar is different. People like you that hype up the american made strats are why they cost so much!

Of course... you don't care what an American made one costs because it's no better than a squire anyway. I think you should buy a couple of those squires.
 
this post is almost as cool as if someone were to make one on how metal is dead because it sucks..........
 
I'm sorry, I mean to say, almost as cool as the other 20 envy posts about cheap shit verses quality goods...............
 
is metal dead? i knew it sucked for a long time, but i didn't see it die. :D:D:D
 
My guitar before the PRS was a $200 Squire, and the difference is Nigel Tufnel and Steve Vai.
I like Nigel Tufnel better than Steve Vai! I mean, if I was going to go to a concert, and get to see one of them do his guitar solo, it would be Nigel. You know that the Steve Vai solo is going ot be perfect and awesome and predicatably virtousic. But then, Nigel kicks those guitars on the stands, and plays some sloppy classical piece, and does some horrible violin stuff... I'm sure it would be MUCH more entertaining...

As far as the debate, my $150 yamaha sounds pretty good, but the neck is a little chunky, and it's not the easiest guitar to play. It holds tuning well. My strat feels way better, plays itself a little more. My Les Paul Standard cost me $1800, and I thought of it as an investment guitar, but now I can get the same guitar on ebay for $1100. Sucks big time. It's a great guitar to play, but it's also a beast that kills shoulders.
 
i always think in terms of best bang for the buck. if a particular guitar inspires you to pick it up more often or to write more, you should stick to it, no matter what price tag it carries. it has a lot to do with the tactile experience as well as the sound. when i had an american strat, i hardly picked it up. it didn't play itself enough to me. also i like to play electric guitar unplugged, that's why i got a semi-acoustic.
 
"Of course... you don't care what an American made one costs because it's no better than a squire anyway. I think you should buy a couple of those squires."

I told you I have played both of them before, I don't want to buy any guitars, my friend has a Mex w/ DG20 (gilmour emg's) and he also has an american w/ lace sensors, and pound for pound I would take the Mexican first, it plays and sounds better. But thats my opinion. To tell ya the truth I don't really like strats I like Les Pauls and I own 2 (GIBSON's) so I don't really know why I am arguing with you. Everyone has their own opinion! and chances are you wouldnt sound any better w/ a 1000 dollar guitar than you would with a 500 dollar guitar cause you are still probably playing thru a Hondo Amp hehe.
 
I love expensive guitars, and cheap ones. I use an SG Supreme w/ Seymour Duncans with taps, and a $179 Epiphone SG Special with mods. A Taylor 710CE, and an old Epiphone acoustic. You gotta have a cheap guitar for travel, camping, etc, and just for an old friend. Anybody who has ever had the honor of picking up a mint condition D'Angelico arched top knows there are some things no cheap guitar can do. Solidbodies are planks with necks, tuners, and pickups. If you build enough of them, a few will be built right by accident. In my case, I think some Indonesian dude just had a clue. Once you find that cheap plank with a good neck, you can add the pickups and tuners.
I'd say, buy a moderately priced solid body, and spend the big bucks on hollow bodies and acoustics. I'm sorry, but the great cheap acoustic guitar pretty much doesn't exist.-Richie
 
About people who have "played" an expensive guitar, but own a cheap one...from my experience, there are a lot of people with good guitars that are setup HORRIBLY. Just because you have played A american strat, doesn't mean that you have ever acually played one...Even more so when it was at Guitar Center. You have to own one to understand. Sorry. Thats how it is.

Now everyone calm down and help me out a bit more with my busted ass BJ!
 
This brings to mind something a friend of mine once said on the topic:

"What difference does it make??? It's just a trigger for effects anyway!"

:D
 
Der, what are effects?

My guitar has a hole, and sound comes out of it.
 
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