Cheap Sleeper Guitars?

[ramseybella]

Any body has a story on buying a cheap guitar and it being your favorite after tweaking it, modifying it or just plane playing it?
Mine is this $99.00 Set neck SX LPJ copy all Mahogany; this has such a chunky neck with huge fret wire it just fell into my hands perfectly!!
But it did need some upgrades bone nut a little fret leveling better tuners I installed a Tonepros locking bridge and tailpiece and Kent Armstrong P-90 pickups new pots as well, the original P-90’s sounded Stones raunchy but went micro phonic fast (China made guitar).
Never the less it is a fantastic player and is one of my top cheap bargain favorites of all time to the point I am looking for another that will fit humbuckers.
With a Compressor this thing Twangs and Spanks close to be a Tele, to me it is not what it looks like but how it is built and how the neck feels, this is a decent cheap guitar.

[chuck_zc]

And a lefty!!! Awww man ya lucked out there. Good score!

[PraiseCaster]

SX? Isnt that an Agile?

Yep, it is!

http://www.rondomusic.com/gg1siibotwr.html

Those guitars get some steady raves, and are easily upgradeable.

My buddy got an Agile 3000 Spalted Maple top, and he just changed out the pots and pups, and it is a screamer!

Yeah, I vote that as one of the sleeper deals.

[allen st. john]

Squier 51.
I put a GFS Lipstick pickup in it, some wilkinson repro tuners and Rob DiStefano put a bone nut on it. Modified the kinda ugly pickup shape too.
It was $99 and I put maybe $50 into it.
Great snarly tone from the bridge humbucker.
I also like the Ibanez Jet King a lot.
I put a set of Jon Moore Humbuckers in a butterscotch one.
Amazing. My son has appropriated it.
That one cost me $150, and another hundred for the pickups.

allen

[Frank B]

Originally Posted by PraiseCaster

SX? Isnt that an Agile?

Yep, it is!

http://www.rondomusic.com/gg1siibotwr.html

Those guitars get some steady raves, and are easily upgradeable.

My buddy got an Agile 3000 Spalted Maple top, and he just changed out the pots and pups, and it is a screamer!

Yeah, I vote that as one of the sleeper deals.

Well I want of these !
http://www.rondomusic.com/product853.html

[ramseybella]

Originally Posted by PraiseCaster

SX? Isnt that an Agile?

Yep, it is!

http://www.rondomusic.com/gg1siibotwr.html

Those guitars get some steady raves, and are easily upgradeable.

My buddy got an Agile 3000 Spalted Maple top, and he just changed out the pots and pups, and it is a screamer!

Yeah, I vote that as one of the sleeper deals.

Agile is made in Korea; SX is strictly China so you never know what you get most SX stuff is great just the hardware and some electronics are dog!!
I bought the long scale Lefty SX Jazz Bass I modified it with a badass type bridge Duncan Antiquity II in the bridge and bought a 74 Fender Jazz neck Pup for $20.00 lead wire was broke off replaced the pots and knobs!
I have about $250 total into it including the body! I pissed my bass player off because he says it plays and sounds better than his Fender custom shop Jazz, it may sound better but it still is low budget and will never have a value!
But I like feeling I got a great deal besides I could always sell the pickups!
I am thinking of getting the P/J model $119.00 and pulling the fret wires and doing it Fretless. The LPJ on the Rondo site is a bolt on neck I have a set neck! I don't see them anymore.

[Ironwolf]

The Epi Dot Studio is good, though higher priced than what most are describing. I also like the Dean VX. Not much needed to improve either one.

[wooderson]

I was looking at the SX Jazzmaster copy last night - http://www.rondomusic.com/sjm623ts.html

[ramseybella]

Originally Posted by wooderson

I was looking at the SX Jazzmaster copy last night - http://www.rondomusic.com/sjm623ts.html

I don't know!
That one still makes me think of the Jetsons.

[63dot]

1) aria cardinal series les paul special type copy

under $400 brand new, dual humbukers, coil tap, smooth satin neck...very nice

2) squier standard telecaster, made in japan

under $250, very vintage feeling and sounding and a lot like my '68 tele

3) 1965 gibson lgo acoustic small to mid sized steel string

under $450 dollars, very warm and seasoned sound

most people i see go after a used mexican strats or teles, used gibson sg speicals, many ibanez, ltd, low end brand new martin composite acoustics, and schecter guitars that can all be had for under five hundred with hard shell case and the above three i bought are often overlooked

.........

there are some really nice sub-$500 dollar new and used guitars out there that are totally prime time for gigs and recording

some lucky seekers find guild solidbody sg type guitars, fender mustangs, yamaha sg-2000s, ibanez artists, entry level taylors with satin finishes, and others for a great price

[Stratsrgood]

I got lucky a couple of months ago when I bought (unseen) a OLP MM Silhouette, brand new in its box for £165 (they have been discontinued). I only bought it to mod it so that I could hear what a HSS guitar sounded like.
What a suprise!
It has to be the most comfortable guitar to play and it sounds good too.
In all my years of playing I have never bought a guitar without playing it first, it makes me wonder what else I missed--- get one if you can!

[Unseen]

Originally Posted by Stratsrgood

I got lucky a couple of months ago when I bought (unseen) a OLP MM Silhouette, brand new in its box for £165 (they have been discontinued). I only bought it to mod it so that I could hear what a HSS guitar sounded like.
What a suprise!
It has to be the most comfortable guitar to play and it sounds good too.
In all my years of playing I have never bought a guitar without playing it first, it makes me wonder what else I missed--- get one if you can!

I had an OLP Music Man copy that cost me $199 and it had a fantastic neck, very acceptable pickups, and a really nice sound, especially considering that its quilted maple face was actually something like Formica!

I could kick myself for selling it.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by 63dot

there are some really nice sub-$500 dollar new and used guitars out there that are totally prime time for gigs and recording

some lucky seekers find guild solidbody sg type guitars, fender mustangs, yamaha sg-2000s, ibanez artists, entry level taylors with satin finishes, and others for a great price

i looked at the rest of this thread and i noticed $350 to $500 is not exactly a cheap sleeper

so here i go, again:

used ibanez blazer, three single coil pups, five postion switch found in santa cruz, california $199

used ltd viper 200, dual humbuckers, same town, $250

and of course the squier '51 in gilroy, CA guitar center new for very cheap, about two hundred give or take some

[studio1087]

If you play guitar and you need a cheap jamming or recording bass....try the Squier Bronco short scale.

$149 everywhere.
Nice neck
Short scale - comfy for a guitar player
They really sound full and warm....you can thumb slap and they really sound nice.
Avaiable in red, black for $149...or for $199; you can buy the Batz Maru like I did (I'm twisted).



My toy......

[cband7]

I've had various Johnsons, Jay Tursers and even a Washburn X-25 that were all pretty good and usable, but I've always been searching for the ultimate travel guitar that didn't cost $1000. This is what I have on order - I'll let you know how it turns out (cost was about $115). They also have three bass models and are just releasing a Tele, LP and Strat (with trem) verson. Highest priced is around $200.

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore....ars/index.html

[rjhalsey]

I like Michael Kelly Guitars.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Frank B

Well I want of these !
http://www.rondomusic.com/product853.html

Yea, i saw that one the other day. I have to admit, the matching headstocks and maple necks put me over the top on that one.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by cband7

I've had various Johnsons, Jay Tursers and even a Washburn X-25 that were all pretty good and usable, but I've always been searching for the ultimate travel guitar that didn't cost $1000. This is what I have on order - I'll let you know how it turns out (cost was about $115). They also have three bass models and are just releasing a Tele, LP and Strat (with trem) verson. Highest priced is around $200.

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore....ars/index.html

Did anyone see these on that same page??

Link to: Pocket Rockit V2 Guitar Headphone Amp

[Jimo]

My sister got me a SYNSONIC strat looking thing with two single coils pickups at a thrift store for $7. It works---You know you got a deal when the strings cost more than the guitar. Anybody ever heard of a SYNSONIC? cheers!---JIMO

[Southern Ill]

That $49 Gretsch Americanna was a huge deal.They play and sound pretty darn good...Heck,$100 is a great deal and they are just to cool!!