Small budget good guitar suggestions.

I will say this...
Most modern guitars are pretty good build wise. The days of warped necks and unplayable cheapo guitars are pretty much over with. Even the cheapest of the cheap guitars have decent necks and properly cut neck pockets. The cheaper guitars now days have had corner cut mainly on the pots, pickups, keys, and fret finishing. Also, the body on the very cheap one may be plywood.
plywood bodied guitars sound good with a good set of pickups.

The thing is that even though the hardware and electronics can be upgraded on a cheap guitar, you spend less if you just go ahead a buy a used guitar that already has the good stuff in it.
 
CoolCat said:
I agree with jimistone....around here US Strats and Gibson LP's of some models are common at $500-$600 CList. These guitars are mass produced for the most part, usually by automation, and are well built and in excess supply. So you get a good guitar for cheap.

MIM Strats are $200, great guitar, some like them better than the US...definitely the price. Guitar Center Outlet was selling MIM brand new at $200, great for my son whose playing live a lot (which means open to thieves and damaged gear). CL they are $150-$250. Again an ocean of them, built mainly by robot machines so consistent assembly lines, and cheap.

I wonder what the numbers are today, in the 50's it was like 3000 guitars a year for Fender Strat's, now they can probably do 300,000 Strats a month.
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Hey, where are you? Those MIM Strats are at least 2X that around here (Boston area).
 
i dont think people even need to upgrade MIM really, thats all subjective improvements leaning towards cork-sniffing...or just DIY fun.

If its DIY fun, MIM are good to go but...Squier's are best for that, they have good bodys and necks...a great guitar to mod and have fun messing with different pups and learning how to do nuts and whatever DIY-ists do. I learned how to change nuts and stuff on Squiers. Those can be had around $70-$80 with a good alder neck and body. They stay in tune fine too. Epiphones can be found really cheap too, SG especially cheap. Leaves $$$$ left to customize/diy.
I guess in the end you could have $100- $400-$500 more in the guitar and not have any resale.

Ive sold several US Strats and they sell better than most anything. imo. got to have the American decal. the one Hendrix and all the famous people owned.. US model.. they just sell well. To me they are too "nice" and I prefer guitars I can nick and play and lean against a wall and just play without worrying if I scratched it and the resale falls. I can do my own "roadworn" I dont need to pay Fender to ding it up for me.

Im selling my US $700 with case, mint and like new even the shipping box, I had it a few years and never played it, and needed money, I got it for $650. So made $50. I think this is the 4th or 5th one Ive owned/sold. Funny. my Squiers Ive owned from 20yrs because they never get sold, they arent worth anything. On recordings I can't hear a difference. They stay in tune and have good pickups too. There is a feel and differences but again I think its subjective to personal taste. I love the new rolled edges on US STrats, but have read some like the older ones and say they get more fret space on those on the E strings?

OP says $500-$600 , he could buy a Epi and a MIM!
 
mjbphotos said:
Hey, where are you? Those MIM Strats are at least 2X that around here (Boston area).
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Dallas area, for the Guitar Centers...geez theres like 4 or 5 of them and the Outlet...within a pretty close area.

The outlet had the $200 brand new MIM, from the previous year or something.

Thats another thing, Ive found out our area of CL is pretty active, been comparing nationwide to quantities of posts on CL and theres a active quantity of posts around here so maybe the prices are lower?
 
CoolCat said:
Dallas area, for the Guitar Centers...geez theres like 4 or 5 of them and the Outlet...within a pretty close area.

The outlet had the $200 brand new MIM, from the previous year or something.

Thats another thing, Ive found out our area of CL is pretty active, been comparing nationwide to quantities of posts on CL and theres a active quantity of posts around here so maybe the prices are lower?
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Dallas has nice Guitar Centers. Houston too. There's like 5 or 6 GCs plus a bunch of other gear shops. Big Craigslist market too. If you're ever down this way, check out Hermes Music on I-45. They're a mexican music company that opened a store in north Houston. I don't know how they do it, maybe they rob trucks or something, but their prices are stupidly low on everything.
 
the g&l is a leo fender design

leo evolved over the years improving his bridges and flattening out the fretboards

i dont like playing 9 1/2 inch and smaller radii

musicians friend was blowing out the gloss black asat deluxe tribute for 299 and i almost pulled the trigger

humbuckers coil tapping and a 12 inch radius

now the cherry sunburst is on sale for 300 clams off the regular price

if you like fender telecasters it might be worth a look
 
Here's what I've learned about Electrics and I have made several but also own a Slash Les Paul a Fender Strat and a Fender Telecaster. ( I prefer acoustic electric over all of those for all around playing) but you ask about electrics... Put a great pickup of your choice on a 2"x4" and bolt on a neck and you will get everything any of these great high dollar guitars produce, That's a truth. So, shop for the pickups and neck you prefer...yes looks is a major part and that along with superficial reputation is what big names bank on. (Solid body only) Acoustic is a different ball game entirely! They are the REAL tone instruments!
Here is the bottom line solid body guitar TRUTH! If YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO PLAY, you can get almost, anything out of a Mexican Fender Tele. Telacaster is the HOLY GRAIL of solid bodies. If you rely on effects then you need as many humbuckers as you can get to produce all the fake sounds. A picker who has not advanced very far yet will think a TELRCASTER to be a bit thin or tinny. You must learn techniques and how to blend tones and at what position to pick for different sounds... re Blues, Country Fuzz Sustain etc. then the Tele comes to life. YOU MAKE it come to life! A Mexican Tele fits your price range (NO CHINA GUITARS they are pretty looking crap!) Tex Mex tele's simulate a Tele & a Strat with best of both worlds. A Tele played through an old Peavey Deuce tube amp will reproduce the clean crisp tones of a Les Paul, Played through a Marshall, it will dirty up but not quite reach the overdrive of the Les Paul Humbuckers. If that's your bag, Shop Humbucher type pickup guitars. All else can be reproduced well on the Tele.
 
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If you like the p90 sound get a PRS SE 245 soapbar. 630 new. PRS does not make a bad guitar. Even in their "cheap overseas" line. I have les Paul's, explorers, stratocasters, and some 10 top PRS guitars. And I honestly think the SE series sounds and plays great. Stays in tune as well.
 
fullait said:
Here's what I've learned about Electrics and I have made several but also own a Slash Les Paul a Fender Strat and a Fender Telecaster. ( I prefer acoustic electric over all of those for all around playing) but you ask about electrics... Put a great pickup of your choice on a 2"x4" and bolt on a neck and you will get everything any of these great high dollar guitars produce, That's a truth. So, shop for the pickups and neck you prefer...yes looks is a major part and that along with superficial reputation is what big names bank on. (Solid body only) Acoustic is a different ball game entirely! They are the REAL tone instruments!
Here is the bottom line solid body guitar TRUTH! If YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO PLAY, you can get almost, anything out of a Mexican Fender Tele. Telacaster is the HOLY GRAIL of solid bodies. If you rely on effects then you need as many humbuckers as you can get to produce all the fake sounds. A picker who has not advanced very far yet will think a TELRCASTER to be a bit thin or tinny. You must learn techniques and how to blend tones and at what position to pick for different sounds... re Blues, Country Fuzz Sustain etc. then the Tele comes to life. YOU MAKE it come to life! A Mexican Tele fits your price range (NO CHINA GUITARS they are pretty looking crap!) Tex Mex tele's simulate a Tele & a Strat with best of both worlds. A Tele played through an old Peavey Deuce tube amp will reproduce the clean crisp tones of a Les Paul, Played through a Marshall, it will dirty up but not quite reach the overdrive of the Les Paul Humbuckers. If that's your bag, Shop Humbucher type pickup guitars. All else can be reproduced well on the Tele.
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What a crock
 
fullait said:
Here's what I've learned about Electrics and I have made several but also own a Slash Les Paul a Fender Strat and a Fender Telecaster. ( I prefer acoustic electric over all of those for all around playing) but you ask about electrics... Put a great pickup of your choice on a 2"x4" and bolt on a neck and you will get everything any of these great high dollar guitars produce, That's a truth. So, shop for the pickups and neck you prefer...yes looks is a major part and that along with superficial reputation is what big names bank on. (Solid body only) Acoustic is a different ball game entirely! They are the REAL tone instruments!
Here is the bottom line solid body guitar TRUTH! If YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO PLAY, you can get almost, anything out of a Mexican Fender Tele. Telacaster is the HOLY GRAIL of solid bodies. If you rely on effects then you need as many humbuckers as you can get to produce all the fake sounds. A picker who has not advanced very far yet will think a TELRCASTER to be a bit thin or tinny. You must learn techniques and how to blend tones and at what position to pick for different sounds... re Blues, Country Fuzz Sustain etc. then the Tele comes to life. YOU MAKE it come to life! A Mexican Tele fits your price range (NO CHINA GUITARS they are pretty looking crap!) Tex Mex tele's simulate a Tele & a Strat with best of both worlds. A Tele played through an old Peavey Deuce tube amp will reproduce the clean crisp tones of a Les Paul, Played through a Marshall, it will dirty up but not quite reach the overdrive of the Les Paul Humbuckers. If that's your bag, Shop Humbucher type pickup guitars. All else can be reproduced well on the Tele.
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I can't say anything bad about you liking Teles......but some of the stuff you're saying doesn't really play out.

I don't disagree that you can find some inexpensive guitars that can still get a lot of great tones, but you're being a bit extreme in saying that a 2"x4" will get you the same tones as a crafted solid body.
I have some identical solid body guitars...everything except the colors...and they don't sound the same.
Sure, with solid body guitars, the wood may not have the same effect on tone as a semi or full hollow body....but the solid body wood does play into the tone too, and the right kind of wood and cut makes a difference.
Also...that comment about needing many humbuckers to produce "fake sounds" if you rely on effects....WTF are you talking about???
 
miroslav said:
I can't say anything bad about you liking Teles......but some of the stuff you're saying doesn't really play out.

I don't disagree that you can find some inexpensive guitars that can still get a lot of great tones, but you're being a bit extreme in saying that a 2"x4" will get you the same tones as a crafted solid body.
I have some identical solid body guitars...everything except the colors...and they don't sound the same.
Sure, with solid body guitars, the wood may not have the same effect on tone as a semi or full hollow body....but the solid body wood does play into the tone too, and the right kind of wood and cut makes a difference.
Also...that comment about needing many humbuckers to produce "fake sounds" if you rely on effects....WTF are you talking about???
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He may have been talking about mini humbuckers when he said "many humbuckers".
That's not a typo though...even predict text won't make that substitution.
He must have actually thought when he herd people say "mini humbuckers" they were saying "many humbuckers"
Lol
That's funny ...I don't care who ya are!
:D
 
I'm lost on this one - you buy a guitar because it feels good and sounds good ...... to you. I have a great guitar collection over 35 years of collecting the damn things, and I find myself playing about 3 - one LP, one tele and a Jazz bass - each is for a different purpose. No way would I spend a lot of money without trying one. I'd never buy an expensive guitar by the name - I have three LPs, and they all feel and sound different. The most expensive one sounds the worst to my ears.
 
rob aylestone said:
I'm lost on this one - you buy a guitar because it feels good and sounds good ...... to you. I have a great guitar collection over 35 years of collecting the damn things, and I find myself playing about 3 - one LP, one tele and a Jazz bass - each is for a different purpose. No way would I spend a lot of money without trying one. I'd never buy an expensive guitar by the name - I have three LPs, and they all feel and sound different. The most expensive one sounds the worst to my ears.
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Thank you, I've been a bit leery of this myself, even though several suggest. I'll just keep making trips to GC in Raleigh.
 
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