Rogue guitars?????

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audioforgery

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Hate to say it, but the phrase "decent cheap guitar" is an oxymoron. Jon X is dead on: you do indeed get what you pay for. For all the cheap "hockey sticks" I've owned in my life, I could've had a few great guitars. There's just no getting around the fact that anything under $500US new just can't compete. I have a Les Paul Studio now, and have tossed everything else. In short, save up for a good axe.
 
Anybody played one of these things? They claim, in Musician's Friend, that they have a model produced in an old Strat factory. It only costs $100. That's about what a new guitar out to cost. I saw a black quilted-top Rogue doubleneck that I never heard but it looked very nice. I'm not planning on trading my stuff in but I'm always interested in decent cheap guitars for beginners with low cash funds.
 
I used to look around for inexpensive guitars that were "good enough" in order to add to my collection for recording purposes without blowing tons of money. Unfortunately, I have since discovered that you ultimately get what you pay for. While those cheap guitars would be good for a beginner without $500 to spend on a guitar, I still say someone just starting who is serious about playing guitar long term is better off with a quality instrument that:

1. Will be eaiser to play
2. Will sound better
3. They can hold onto and enjoying playing even when they are at an advanced level.

Of course, if they don't have or don't want to spend the money, cheaper guitars become a very viable option.

As for padding a collection or getting a guitar for a specific sound in recording, if you are considering the cheaper guitars, make sure to play it, play it some more, and then play it again. Then pick up a quality model afterwards that's similar in style. I played a Mexican made Tele last week, then tried even the California model after that and couldn't believe the difference in playability alone. The sound wasn't a huge difference to me, but the playability difference was enormous. Then I plugged in a 90's model Thinline Tele and it blew the others away. Which it should have since it cost double the price of the other two. My personal opinion is I learned that after owning a few quality guitars I don't won't to buy a cheap guitar, even if it's on sale for $100. It's like driving a Mercedes S Class around all day, then getting into a Pinto Station Wagon. Now, remember it's my preference. Some people might like the Pinto for a change of pace now and then. :)

My advice would be to play the guitar first, and definitely don't mail order it from Musician's Friend without playing it first. Unless of course you don't mind sending it back if you don't like it, and they won't charge you any kind of restocking fees. No harm in trying it out for 45 days.

[This message has been edited by Jon X (edited 01-05-2000).]
 
Thanks for the replies but I think you guys missed my point. I'm not looking to get one, I just wanted to know if anyone had any firsthand knowledge of 'em.

As for the "gotta have the best" philosophy, I don't necessarily agree. Remember, I was talking about a beginner. How many people run out and drop $500+ on their first guitar and of those, how many are still playing it 2 weeks later? Yes, a beginner needs something that will stay in tune and have working elctronics but, obviously, will not even understand concepts like 'tone', 'action', 'sustain', etc. Personaly, I recomend that every beginner start out with some lessons in music theory and an acoustic guitar. Does a race car driver start learning to race in a Indy Stock car or even on a paved track? Does a future pilot go buy a Lear jet, gas it up and break out the Idiots Guide to Not Falling Out of the Sky? No way.
If you think there is no such thing as a "decent cheap guitar" then you have truly been bamboozled by today's MTV hype mentality. (Man, if I can get the bucks to buy that Les Paul or that Strat I'll relly be cool like those guys in that video. Thay all use them!) Jimi Hendrix didn't give 2 cents about any of his guitars. Give me a cigar box, a ruler, a thumbtack, and two rubberbands and I'll make that sucker walk and talk! I've been told that Japanese investors hightened the 'vintage' buying craze years ago and 'new' prices soared accordingly. Of course, you can hear anything. I paid $250 for my SG used (no, it's not an Epiphone) and $450 for my Ibanez Artist used (which will out Les Paul almost any 'real' Paul.) I played guitar for 4 years before I got a decent axe and I never felt like I was being held back.
Sorry, I got to rambling there. Anyway, I love going to some band room where someone goes, "Hey man, check out my axe. It's a piece of shit but I like it." 30 seconds later, they are looking at that instrument in a whole new way. Thanks for the advice but I'm not the beginner I'm referring to. I just want to know if the damn Rogues are worth $100 to somebody who doesn't even know what a plectrum is yet.

p.s. Ever heard of Hondo guitars? The most reliable cheap guitars ever produced. I heard one in the late '80s (stock) that had one of the best crunch tones I've ever heard. I have a flying V Hondo with an installed tremelo that is a blast to play!
 
I wasn't attempting to insult you or your guitar playing ability. Just trying to help. If you are even coming close to getting hostile about my post, read it again. I said it was MY preference to not buy cheap guitars, as I have yet to find one I like. I didn't say they didn't exist, or no one could possibly be happy with a cheap guitar. If you have found inexpensive or cheap guitars you like, then that's great. I buy what I like to play without regard to what other people think or what the price is. Beleive me, I wish I could find a guitar I loved for $100. By the way, I'm more VH-1 age than MTV, and I don't buy my guitars because I think they'll make me look cool. :) You asked a question about cheap guitars, I gave you my opinion, with plenty of clarification (I thought) about it being just that: My opinion.
 
No problem Jon X, just didn't want some newbie to think they 'had' to drop major bucks or give up hope. We all know that unless you're financially well off, pawn shop cruisin is the way for an experienced player to go, right? I guess I should have directed my reply more towards Audioforgery's post. No such thing as a decent cheap guitar, sheesh. Hey, wait a minute. S8-N, that's not you up to your tricks again is it?
 
Rogue guitars work. They are to the point. No one will not get a lot out of them. Yes they go to shit over the 12th fret, and yes when you bend the strings more than half a step you need to retune. But for the random beginner they are fine. For that matter they are fine if you want to play a bang up solo and get crazy. A beginner does not tend to opperate past the 5th fret, bleeds when bending and tends to bang the guitar off cabinets more often than a vet. To the point, it is a well spent 100 clams for a beginner. Option b... if you don't like the tone turn up the distortion.
 
Thanks man. I hope this is a trend that will reflect itself in the future pricing of 'good' guitars. I read today that the model I heard about is actually being produced by Squire of the Squire Strat uh, fame. I hope disco, techno, whatever you want to call it tears down the Rock image enough for me to be able to afford some new gear! :)
I bet Fender actually owns Gibson, who actually owns Epiphone, who actually owns Rogue. Whoever it is that runs these 'good' guitar companies are definately some heartless bastards. For them, the bottom line has nothing to do with a bass! How can they sleep at night?
 
hello there all,
i realize this reply may be a little outdated but i have to speak my mind so bare with me.
as a kid i had an acoustic guitar that was made by harmony...that was when the harmony name meant quality...i was never a natural born guitar player but i did alright, when i turned 13 i wanted an electric guitar so that i could make all the noise my guitar heroes did...so i asked for an axe for my birthday, knowing nothing about electric guitars i sought out the advice of a family member who played in a band and with his help purchased a gibson victory it was candy apple red with two humbuckers and a solid one piece neck...it weighed a ton i played it for six months and eventually only picked it up when i was extremely bored...at the age of 22 i traded it for a sigma acoustic
because i wanted to start playing again..it sounded great..i was content...then i saw a rogue acoustic electric...i looked nice and it was cheap so i bought it it sounded like a harp...i restrung the sigma just to compare the two and to my surprize the rogue kicked ass...i traded my sigma and kept the rogue.. i then acquired a cf martin d-1 a great guitar but no greater than my rogue...
i then started thinking about an electric again and found a closeouton a rogue rp250...
i was ecstatic i paid less that 200 bucks and it sounded as good as any 600 or 700 dollar guitar the quality of the guitars are a-1 they are well made. i am so happy with my rogues that i went and bought a rogue bass
too. can't complain there either...now all my guitars are rogues and they have all been exactly what i was looking for...i've been writing and producing my own music for 10 years and i've played all kinds og guitars from ibanez to fender strats to gibson and epiphones..and i'll say gladly that the very best guitar i've ever played is the gibson les paul but if you can't afford the 3 grand there are others out there my second favorite is the epiphone casino...and that at a bargain is 600 bucks..i firmly believe that you should buy a guitar by how it plays and sounds not what it is called...rogue guitar strings are made by cf martin...this means they contract out for their strings...what makes you think they don't contract out for the guitars?
in case you don't get my point...here's the moral of the story...i once worked in a meat processing plant where the made a very popular hot dog...and they also made a "cheaper" brand that sold for 2 bucks less a pack...the only difference? was the label!
 
I agree with the good guitar thing, even if you never ever touched a guitar and just want to know if you really want to learn to play. I say this because a few years when I was just starting I had a very crappy guitar, and I nearly quit because I thought I was a disaster. It was however the guitar that was in such a bad state that I could not get one clear sounding note out of it. I think like anything it is better to go for the best you possibly can in the beginning.
 
I have something to say about this. I think a beginner, if he gets a great guitar straight away, is losing out on something. Remember the satisfaction when you played your first barre chord right ? I started playing on an acoustic that had an action of an inch I think ! (I guess everybody did) But I'm quite sure that I wouldn't have the required strength in my fingers to go for bends or double stop bends if it hadn't been for that one inch action. And as far as cheap good guitars are concerned, I don't think it is an oxymoron because a beginner (For whom a cheap good guitar is meant for anyway) doesn't need a super guitar. He just needs a good guitar with the intonation right. And then when he lays his hand on a beauty he learns to treasure it, to make love to it, not rape it. After all look at the greats man, they'll play like themselves on my Indian acoustic (I'm sure)...
 
i must admit that i am also somewhat intruiged by the rogue line, though none of their models really fits a hole in my arsenal. on the cheap guitar note, however, i bought a hohner RR custom (a copy of the jackson rhodes v) for 100 bucks at a pawn shop near a marine base.. blue with red pinstripes around the perimeter.. haha.. anyway.. neck-through construction, a kahler trem (springs are old so i locked it down-i don't play with the trem much on anything anyway, unless it's a bigsby or something), a decent (if overpainted) neck, stereo (?-2 outputs, i don't remember if the pickups were wired differently-probably not) out, and nice chunky humbuckers. sure, the neck isn't quite as smooth as my explorer, and i can't tap quite as well, but i swear it puts out just as chunky a rythym. i was jamming with a friend of mine who is a death metal wizard, and has a kramer modified to be super-hot, and i still had a meatier sound.. he said that was one of the hottest sounding guitars he'd ever played. i think it's about even with my explorer-maybe a touch less bite and a touch more thump, but it is a worthy counterpart to the explorer on nice heavy tracks. how can you beat that? (i'm looking into a nice guitar to refinish and really trick out the electronics on-i love my current guitars so much that i have to get something else.. maybe a hondo, i see hondo pauls for 100 bucks regularly :)
 
cheap guitars

every guitar i have ever bought was a cheap guitar. bought my first electric in 1976.....a 1966 fender strat, its still my main axe...paid 150 bucks for it. a year later i bought a "made in japan" SG copy for 75 bucks, to play slide on, it actually played and sounded real good....traded it for a 1957 gretch country gentleman with a mint blonde finish. in 1988 i found a mid-70's gibson les paul with a beautiful cherry sunburst finish in the local pawn shop.. it needed a new nut, and one of the pickups didn't work, i picked it up for (i swear this is true) 100 bucks...took it to my favorite music store and they fixed it up good as new for 35 bucks. thats where its at...good used guitars...if you take your time and look around there are some steals out there...i can't count the number of incredible guitar deals i passed on thru the years. im still kicking myself for not buying a gibson firebird a found one time for 200 bucks. so, there ya go, 325 bucks for: a vintage '66 strat....a vintage les paul...and a vintage gretch. so, if your looking for cheap guitars invest some time cruising pawn shops, classifieds and ask around..your dream axe is out there for pennies on the dollar!
 
The Rogues are good for the money. In general, I think everyone should have a cheap guitar sitting in the corner. Mine is a Mexican strat. If I play it for a couple of days then switch to the Strat Plus the change is refreshing & inspiring.
 
I JUST today bought a Rogue strat copy. Came with a Fender Champ 25SE, I wanted the amp, had to take the guitar, but the price was right. The guitar will either go to the studio in New Orleans http://www.studio101llc.com/ or be sold for whatever I can get for it- $75? I won't be playing it too much, as it is righty/I am lefty, but it seems to be a decent beginner guitar- I'd give it to someone I cared about, if he/she were interested in learning to play guitar.
 
And, yeah, I know I resurrected a zombie thread.
 
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