Electric Guitars That Are Good and Cheap (Help)

Alighieri

Alighieri

New member
I've read a couple of threads already about some guitars that are affordable and sound good. I mainly heard of Xavier, Rondo, and Stellar. I actually have looked into Stellar with little to no help on the guitars only learning that they can basically be bought only through Ebay and are okay in sound quality for the price that they ask. What are your recommendations for guitars? And are any of the three that I've mention any good? If so what models would you recommend?
 
As you go down the scale in price it becomes more important that you test before you buy. For instance I have seen some Squire strats that were surprisingly good instruments, but they are the exceptions. Hit the music stores and try out everything in your price range. use your hands and ears, not your eyes. Avoid focusing on brand names and flash.

My Two Cents
 
I would agree with Milnoque for any serious guitar purchase.

My vote would be any of the Rondo (any SX model). If you do order this guitar it will need setup when it arrives. So you will need to take it to a trusted guitar tech. (should be about $50). Even if you replace the tuning pegs you can't beat the price.

Let us know what you decide...
 
All the really cheap ones like Rondo, Xaviere, etc., are inconsistent so you may have to go through returning one or more before you find a keeper.

That said, my Xaviere strat-like guitar is a keeper - it plays great and the GFS Texas Stagger pickups are kickass.

If you want to move up a notch, there are a few models from Eastwood and Reverend in the $500 - $800 range that are really fine. :)
 
I bought a squire bullet ($99) great neck and body, in fact the neck is surprisingly excellent...binned everything else and spent another $100+ getting a guitar that sounds like a $300-$400 one (well certainly as good as a MIM strat)...


there are some deals to be had on pickups on ebay if you keep your eyes open and guitar fetish is great as well, check their clearance section for parts and even whole guitars
http://store.guitarfetish.com/
 
I have an Xavier thinline tele (w/ humbuckers) I bought JUST to have a cheap guitar I didn't care about for beach gigs.
I was quite surprised to prefer it to many of my other guitars (I have 14).
It's been sitting in the case for a while now but at the time I found myself using it for all my gigs ...... a great guitar for $160
 
I picked up a Rogue strat (around $75 cheap) because I liked the neck.
Put some Sperzel locking tuners (somewhat of a pain in the ass) and changed the pick guard to a loaded Carvin setup (not a pain in the ass ;)) and am pretty damn happy with it.
So if you're not adverse to a little work, something like this might be the ticket for ya.
All in all, I'm into it about $275.
 
Heres a pic of my cheapo :)
DSC04527.jpg

new
pickguard
pot + wiring (who needs a tone knob..I mean really ;) )
saddle
locking tuners
ceramic trees
jackplate and jack
strap buttons
humbucker's a seymour duncan JB

great for just farting about and making some noise..plus I dont mind taking it out the house...I mean who's gonna steal a squire???
 
Also, depending on your budget, a used MIM Fender strat might be worth a look - it's not unheard of to see them in the $250 range.
 
Milnoque said:
As you go down the scale in price it becomes more important that you test before you buy.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. When I picked up a cheapo bass a while back, I played quite a few models at GC before deciding on a Yamaha ($160). I then asked the rep to bring out 3 more of them in boxes, and ended up comparing 5 total. Of those, only one made me smile. The greatest differences were related to the neck, especially fret quality and neck straightness. I also found differences in the level of the pickups' background noise. At that low price point, I expected the quality to vary and factored in plenty of time to compare. Worked for me and was actually an enjoyable afternoon.
 
Violin makers have known for centuries that one the most important things is the finish.

There's still a market for $30K+ violins, actually a waiting list. You don't find that in guitars, and because of that most guitars are finished with modern finishes. The expensive violins are still finished the old way.

This site had a big effect on me:
http://www.mother-of-tone.com/lacquer.htm

I've made a few cabinets along the lines of what he says there, with homemade varnish and I'm convinced he's on to something, which isn't really something new but something very old.

The way most guitars are finished came from the advances the DuPont Company made in car paints for Henry Ford 100 years ago, and it's based on making things quickly and great looking, not for aural reasons.
 
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Well currently I am looking at a pretty big price range consisting from FREE (as if:p) to around $600. I also agree with Milnoque on playing the guitars. I personally spent some good time playing a couple of basses before I ever made a final decision on my current Washburn bass. It cost me a good $300 + tax with a separate amp and cable (It wasn't a bundle). To this day I still have it and use it and it sounds great. I think I will go to different music stores around my area and play a couple of guitars in my price range and see if maybe I can find them cheaper online.

I really thank you all for replying.

Now that that's settle. What brands do you all recommend for rock and metal tones? Guitars I mean. I hear that Squires are good for rock and blues. Also, though pricey, the Gibson Les Paul's are good for hard rock and even metal.

Dintymoore also brought up a good point. Saying that the finishes on guitars do have a certain affect to the tones that the guitars generate. If I remember correctly many people didn't like the Gibson Silverburst Les Paul Customs because the metallic finishes affected the tones. What are your thoughts on this.
 
I'll get flamed for this but, I believe that finish makes much less of a tone difference on solid body guitars than many people claim. In your price range I wouldn't even worry about it other than aesthetics.

IMHO the silverburst Pauls were inpopular because too few people found them attractive. Remember that the finish on almost all Les Pauls made prior to mid 1957 was gold and full of metal. Gold topped Les Pauls are still quite popular.

I'm sorry, I wouldn't be a good judge of what would be a good budget guitar for metal tones. Look at what the guys whose tone you like are playing and check out guitars in your price range that have the same configuration.

The Gibson Sonex from the '80s has very little collectors value. You might find one on e-bay in your price range. The pickups on those things were very hot. Has anyone here ever tried one for metal? It always seemed to me like it would work. Get a second opinion before you go there.
 
hate to say this but you are soooo wrong.........finsihes make a huge difference in sound on most guitars.........there are exceptions to every rule.......
most guys who want a cleaner sound want nitro..........
most of the metal guys actually prefer poly finishes......
depends on the sounds u want...........
 
One more thing I really wanted to add:

An electric guitar is the guitar AND the amp. Once you have found a guitar to suit your needs you will only be halfway there. The amp will have as much or more to do with your tone as the guitar. You would do yourself a favor getting some reccommendations on what amp and settings to try the axe through when you hit the music stores. Again, I'm not the best guy to make a recommendation for metal tone.

This would be a great time for you to try out the search function here. There have been many threads on the subject.
 
purerad said:
hate to say this but you are soooo wrong.........finsihes make a huge difference in sound on most guitars.........there are exceptions to every rule.......
most guys who want a cleaner sound want nitro..........
most of the metal guys actually prefer poly finishes......
depends on the sounds u want...........
Click to expand...
well, there's a difference but I'm gonna agree with milnoque, it's not HUGE and is not as big as things like what p/ups .... etc.
But it doesn't matter in this thread because he specifically asked about cheap guitars and when you're buying a cheap guitar you ain't gonna get nitro.
 
Alighieri said:
Well currently I am looking at a pretty big price range consisting from FREE (as if:p) to around $600. I also agree with Milnoque on playing the guitars. I personally spent some good time playing a couple of basses before I ever made a final decision on my current Washburn bass. It cost me a good $300 + tax with a separate amp and cable (It wasn't a bundle). To this day I still have it and use it and it sounds great. I think I will go to different music stores around my area and play a couple of guitars in my price range and see if maybe I can find them cheaper online.

I really thank you all for replying.

Now that that's settle. What brands do you all recommend for rock and metal tones? Guitars I mean. I hear that Squires are good for rock and blues. Also, though pricey, the Gibson Les Paul's are good for hard rock and even metal.

Dintymoore also brought up a good point. Saying that the finishes on guitars do have a certain affect to the tones that the guitars generate. If I remember correctly many people didn't like the Gibson Silverburst Les Paul Customs because the metallic finishes affected the tones. What are your thoughts on this.
Click to expand...


well my crappy squire sounds excellent...I have a gibson SG 61 reissue...its a blinding guitar..great tones and good for just about everything but I play that crappy squire just as much..especially when I want more noise, ha ha...the gibson I'll keep for life but I may buy another squire just to stick different pups in...at $99 for the bullet you cant really do badly and the necks on these things are really good...do some internet research Im not alone in thinking this :)


good luck on your search
 
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