Electric Guitars That Are Good and Cheap (Help)

[yag]

I will also recommend you to try the yamahas, I have been owning one for 8-9 years and pretty happy with it.

 

[Purge]

Under $600?

Decent rock/metal tones?

How about an Ibanez? Great bang for the buck. I own a decent Les Paul, and I play my Ibanez just as often as I play the Gibson. (Granted, my Ibanez actually cost as much as the Les Paul...but I've also owned a lot of cheap Ibanez guitars that I totally dug.)

Worth a look, especially used. Ibanez guitars don't hold their value worth a shit, so you'd be surprised at how much guitar you can get for a few bills.

 

[Zaphod B]

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...........

You give me two identical guitars (as identical as they can be, given that they're wood) with one being a nitro finish and one being poly, and I assert that the player's technique will be far more important than the finish at determining the sound that comes out of the amp.

I offer David Gilmour as a prime example of a player that imposes an unmistakable tonality on every guitar he plays, by dint of technique.

 

[muttley600]

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.

Thats some funny shit in that link right there. I haven't had such a good laugh in days. Thanks for posting it..

 

[ermghoti]

I don't see too much complaining about either Rondo or Xaviere guitars, considering how many are sold. The real problem is stuff like feel, neck shapes, etc. Xaviere necks run a little flatter/modren, Rondo's lean rounder. I think the X's have better electronics out of the box, something like an SX is dirt cheap, if you want to replace everything anyway, they might be a better value.

I've bought a gang of Xavieres, a pile of Guitar Fetish pickups and two SX basses. Haven't done done badly with any of them, and there are some champs in the mix.

 

[Milnoque]

You give me two identical guitars (as identical as they can be, given that they're wood) with one being a nitro finish and one being poly, and I assert that the player's technique will be far more important than the finish at determining the sound that comes out of the amp.

I offer David Gilmour as a prime example of a player that imposes an unmistakable tonality on every guitar he plays, by dint of technique.

One of these days I'm gonna take a cheap solidbodied guitar and record it through a clean amp. Then I'm gonna slather it with a thick layer of latex house paint and let it dry a few days and record it again on the same settings. I'm not saying it won't make any difference, but I bet it won't make as much difference as many would expect. Over the years I've played some really great guitars that had been buggered up by ignorant owners. It wasn't all that rare to see a custom color pre-CBS Strat that had been stripped and had Danish Walnut Minwax glopped all over it still sounding amazing.

Given my druthers I'd still prefer nitro, but I almost think it's for old times sake where solid bodies are concerned.

 

[Zaphod B]

One of these days I'm gonna take a cheap solidbodied guitar and record it through a clean amp. Then I'm gonna slather it with a thick layer of latex house paint and let it dry a few days and record it again on the same settings. I'm not saying it won't make any difference, but I bet it won't make as much difference as many would expect.

I suspect you're right.

After seeing solidbodied guitars laminated with leather, metal, and various sticker and paint jobs, I'm convinced that it all makes a lot less difference than the finish purists would claim. I mean, you take a solid block of ash, poplar, mahogany, whatever, and talk about the wood "breathing" better with a nitro coat than with other finishes, and I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, and I've been playing the damned things for over 40 years now.

If someone wants to offer some quantifiable evidence then I'm all ears.

 

[Alighieri]

The Final Notes

Well when it comes down to finishes, I believe it makes minute tonal changes. I've had the opportunity to play a finished guitar with out any paint or finishes what so ever. But when applied the finishing touches it does make a, again, minute tonal change. I think its because of the weight of the paint. Certain finishes go through odd changes when it cures and it might affect the wood. But again, this is all just stipulation. And when it comes down to a simple guitar that is affordable and good in tone, it is a ridiculous subject to take into consideration.

I think that in order to make a definable change in tone to a guitar you need to do something to it like drive a bolt at the neck or body. I heard that Adam Jones from Tool has a 1981 Gibson Silverburst Les Paul Custom with a screw driven in it. He said that he is afraid of taking it out because it might change the unique tone the guitar posses.

Also the amps do make a definitively change to the overall tone that one wants.

I have a couple of brands in mind. The basics like Marshall and Randall.

Another thing that people need to take into consideration is the types of pedals ones uses and if one wants to use single pedals or board pedals. But that's is delving in the realm for a more experience player.

I thank you all very much for sharing your experiences and suggestions. I will take every ones advice and considerations when purchasing my first electric guitar.