Best guitar under $300

What do you guys think, new or used. The Gibson melody makers got me thinking... Tempted to go get the V..

Play a bunch of examples. Buy the one that you like the best. It'll find you soon enough! Don't be a cork-sniffing brand-name snob. Plenty of good off-brand axes out there.

I would certainly look at the Rondo stuff...

"Best" is a difficult concept when it comes to guitars.

What are your criteria?

Xaviere, SX, Douglas and Agile are names you should check out.

I would certainly look at the Rondo stuff...

I'll second this. My SX ES335 copy that I paid under $200 for is getting harder and harder to pry from my hands.

www.rondomusic.com/gg5stdch.html

I took off the pickguard.

In the $300 bucket...there's loads of options.

If you're going used, on Craigs, the world is your oyster. You can get MIM Fender's for <$300 quite often. Melody Makers pop up a lot around these parts too. Plus all the non brand names too. Heck you could prob'ly grab 3Squiers for that.

If you're going new? I'd head straight for the Squiers. The VM Strats are so cool and a great value.

I've tried the Rondo thing. Sent the 1st one back....tried to like the 2nd, and sadly it was a dog. I promptly unloaded that one too. Not saying they are bad, but I just had a bad experience. I'd sooner hit Craigs and try for a Schecter or an Ibanez or a Squier or even an Epi before I'd do that again.

BTW, I like the Gibson MM's too.

I too keep looking at those Melody Makers but I think it'd just be a bang-around guitar. I think my money is better spent on a Fender Outboard Reverb unit.

But a melody maker, with a white guard and filtertron would be sweet.

Stupid GAS, I might be talking myself back into it. :sad:

Squier Tele Custom with P90s. around $250. i love mine:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/IMG_1820.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y170/hekawi/IMG_1819.jpg

I think I'd go for the Squier Tele Custom with P90s.

Nice.

Make that three... though I love my SX Callisto a bunch.

Peavey Generation EXP, for sure.
It just so happens there's one for sale in the classifieds.
Bwaaaaaahahahahahaha!

hekawi has a pretty danged good answer there. Now someone tell me again why I sold mine?!?

Ibanez Art 100. $299 brand new, when not on sale. I had one I bought for $160 used and played it for a while. I'm not a big LP scale guy so once I got tired of it, it went back out on craigslist for what I paid for it.

I have one of the Lp shaped ones..
They really are a cool guitar for $300 w bag, I take mine on long weekends with I rig, it's smaller and tougher than an acoustic.
It also is fun to play thru a big amp, as someone mentioned in a previous thread it will have you jumping around the room.
In a few years it wouldn't surprise me to see people paying silly money for these..like the G5 amps that blew out a few years ago, wish I had kept mine, the two together = perfect office rig.. >.<

Ibanez Art 100 is a great guitar. I got one for $150 in a pawn shop.
But this was way better Meldoy maker Les Paul for $225 from the local BestBuy on July 1st when they were closing the music section of the store.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e332/justbob94/mm1.jpg

I firmly believe that a Korean made Epiphone dot is the best guitar around 300 bucks. The older the better Are the humbuckers Seymour Duncan jb or jazz no , but with a good amp they sound amazing great finish and binding, I haven't chipped the paint and haven't been the easier on it. Mine plays like a dream and sounds awesome. If you find one used pick it up for sure.

I'd go after a used MIM Telecaster. Again :mrgreen:

I just got the new Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar and mine is great. They had two and the other was not as good. Also played the new Jazzmaster in this series and it played/sounded great. I have Martins and US made Guilds and don't feel much of a variance in overall playability or sound. I strongly recommend the Squiers for budget minded people.

used mim strat and then you would have 75 or so to put towards an amp

I got a Squier 50 Vibe Tele (Blem) for $280- with free shipping. the blem appears to be a darker piece of pine in the multi piece body.

Used, for sure.......

If you are set on MMs, look for one with the single bridge P90 or the two single coils (very underrated, that one).

The Melody Maker is probably the least bang for your buck in that price range. They are cool for what they are, I'm not knocking them.

For $300 you can get some really nice 'sleeper' guitars.

Peavey T-60 (a first quality electric guitar, can be on the heavy side)
Ibanez made in Japan guitars -'blazer', 'roadstar', maybe a beat up 'artist'
MIM standards-You can find them for $200-$250 if you are quick on the draw. Throw in some better pickups and you've got a sweet guitar.

..just to name a few.

Buy used!

I got my USA Peavey Predator AND Reactor for less than $300 together and am very happy with each.

Play a bunch of examples. Buy the one that you like the best. It'll find you soon enough! Don't be a cork-sniffing brand-name snob. Plenty of good off-brand axes out there.

Good answer. Play lots of $300 guitars. The right one will find you!

You'l know when it happens.

IMO V's are sweet until you play them, then they get real old real fast. I had a Jackson Rhoads briefly and never touched it because im more of a sit on my butt type of player.


I'll +3 the Squier Tele Custom P90s. Great sounding guitar with the SD's. Wish i still had mine sometimes.

One route i havent seen yet is picking up a squier standard for $100 or so and swapping the electronics out. With the left over $200 you can get nice used pups, replace the pots and switch, get a nice pickguard and make it your own.

I'd go after a used MIM Telecaster. Again :mrgreen:

What? Not another $200 Nashville?

I firmly believe that a Korean made Epiphone dot is the best guitar around 300 bucks. The older the better Are the humbuckers Seymour Duncan jb or jazz no , but with a good amp they sound amazing great finish and binding, I haven't chipped the paint and haven't been the easier on it. Mine plays like a dream and sounds awesome. If you find one used pick it up for sure.

+1. The Xaviere hollowbodies are nice. I got an xv-910 (kinda like a semi hollow casino) for around $200. Guitarfetish.com

I would certainly look at the Rondo stuff...

+1

Squier 51. Butterscotch. $100. Fender SS Princeton Chorus Amp. $200. Next question?

I firmly believe that a Korean made Epiphone dot is the best guitar around 300 bucks. The older the better Are the humbuckers Seymour Duncan jb or jazz no , but with a good amp they sound amazing great finish and binding, I haven't chipped the paint and haven't been the easier on it. Mine plays like a dream and sounds awesome. If you find one used pick it up for sure.

+1 on the Dots. I'm also a fan of the Classic Vibe Squiers and the now being released Squier Vintage Modifieds; Jag, Jazzmaster, Mustang, Tele special.The CV quality vs. price is amazing and I'm expecting the VM to be just as good from what I've seen so far.

I bought my partner a Melody Maker for her birthday, they're great players with their own distinctive voice. Probably the best serious character guitar for the money.

I hear Yamaha Pacificas are great all rounders.

I'll put another vote in for the squier custom p90 tele. Gots da most mojo for under 300$ I've ever heard.

What? Not another $200 Nashville?

Only if they'll take the M-75 in trade! :mrgreen:

I firmly believe that a Korean made Epiphone dot is the best guitar around 300 bucks. The older the better Are the humbuckers Seymour Duncan jb or jazz no , but with a good amp they sound amazing great finish and binding, I haven't chipped the paint and haven't been the easier on it. Mine plays like a dream and sounds awesome. If you find one used pick it up for sure.

Korean guitars are surprisingly good! I stumbled upon a JB Player Telecaster while shopping for a Mesa Boogie .22 combo amp. I paid $175 for it and I have been comparing it to my American Series Telecaster. It compares very well. The neck is nearly as slim, the frets are bigger, the width of the neck slightly larger, but the guitar sounds GREAT, like a Tele should! I admit I like the feel of the Fender better, but it is a $1,000 plus guitar! No one has mentioned JB Player, but check them out! The Strat version is more common. One thing they all seem to have in common is striking looks. Mine is natural wood with cream binding and gold hardware, and a tortoise shell pick guard. It is incredibly beautiful!

"Vintage" guitars are great value for the money, especially the VS6 SG copy and the Peter Green Lemondrop. Wilkinson hardware/Pickups, excellent build quality, certainly a step above Epiphone.

50's classic vibe (original model)!

or most MIM tele's and strats can be had for 250-300 bucks.

50's classic vibe (original model)!

or most MIM tele's and strats can be had for 250-300 bucks.

The JB Player may not be as good as an American Tele, but better than the MIM Tele!!
It has deluxe features such as binding and stunning finishes that $300 MIM will not have.
IMHO!

Indonesian Squier Standard $229 Shipped. :cool:

Now don't start that again!! :mrgreen:

MGTWmrnPdgk

VM Squiers. The P90 Tele Custom or the Jazzmaster. The Jazzmaster is $274 new. I just got one. Nice!

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k106/johnlg-2006/FullFrontDRRIsmall.jpg

"Vintage" guitars are great value for the money, especially the VS6 SG copy and the Peter Green Lemondrop. Wilkinson hardware/Pickups, excellent build quality, certainly a step above Epiphone.

+1 on the Lemondrop. I like mine, although I wouldn't buy new!