Best "Bang For Your Buck" Strat Copy?

[JimmyJangle]

I'm going to be traveling abroad this summer and want to bring an inexpensive guitar with me (I don't trust airport staff enough to bring one of my own). I will be in Denmark, and I have heard guitars are way more expensive their than here (US), so I'm looking for an inexpensive, but playable strat-style guitar to bring with. Not looking to do any mods right now, but I might consider it in the future if I end up liking it enough. My price range is $150 or less.

So far, I have found many, many Squier strats at my local pawn/guitar shops. Other brands I have seen are Lotus, Focus by Kramer, and the Peavey Raptor series. I have also found these on Craigslist:

Epiphone S-300:
(link removed)

Squier Bullet Made in Korea:
(link removed)

This one is out of my price range, but seems like an interesting little guitar.


Obviously I know the playability will not be phenomenal, but I would like to pick something at least bearable.

Thanks!

 

[Dismalhead]

Kramer Focus guitars from the 80's were very nice guitars with decent sounding pickups and solid hardware. My only issue with them is that all the ones I ever saw had a Floyd Rose-licensed tremolo, which for me is a no-go on any guitar.

Another well-made strat-copy is a Fernandes. Had a friend with one in the early 90's and I actually thought it was as good as a Fender MIM.

 

[Bill]

In the For What It's Worth department, I have a 2007 hardtail Bullet Squier Strat made in Indonesia that I bought new at Guitar Center for $70.

I liked the playability better than all the Strats I compared it to on the day at the store, except a tie with a 60's Custom Shop Strat. This was through a Custom Shop tweed Bassman and a vintage Super Reverb.

I brought it home and it compared favourably to my original '63. Warm and detailed sounding, and wonderfully playable. Not quite as good as the original though, unsurprisingly.

However, I have tried other Bullet Squiers since then, and they seemed like basic, inexpensive guitars with bad fretwork. Not anything amazing. So you may have to pick and choose. I went through half a dozen at the store and picked what was the best to me.

 

[Doug 54]

SO MANY!!


esp in the used dept.

 

[RevMike]

Don't overlook the Peavey offerings!

 

[chunkyluke]

SX, ain't nothing better for the price!

 

[trev333]

What's stopping you from taking the neck off a good guitar and putting the guitar in your suitcase?...no need to bother about airline staff mishandling then.... takes a few minutes to screw a neck on and restring a Strat...

Do you want to impress with your Danish friends with a POS?... coming from the US of A...

take a Fender over... ... you may turn a dollar selling it when you leave to come home...

 

[kookaburra]

^^^^. What Trev says. I've travelled like that*. Bill Kirchen actually tours like that, except that he's doing it so often that he uses machine screws and machine screw inserts for the neck/body joint. You need not go that far.

*To Australia a few times, actually!

 

[Matthias]

Vintage - Trev Wilkinson's UK-based, Chinese-made brand. They get good reviews but aren't as cheap as they once were... Their materials tend to be authentic - alder bodies, alnico pups and possibly a steel block for Strat copies.

 

[JimmyJangle]

What's stopping you from taking the neck off a good guitar and putting the guitar in your suitcase?...no need to bother about airline staff mishandling then.... takes a few minutes to screw a neck on and restring a Strat...

Do you want to impress with your Danish friends with a POS?... coming from the US of A...

take a Fender over... ... you may turn a dollar selling it when you leave to come home...

I would totally bring a nice guitar in this way if I had the money. However, I currently don't have enough money to buy anything really good(saving money for the trip), and I only own one electric which has far too much sentimental value to take any risk on. It sounds silly, but I don't want to take any chances. Better safe then sorry, I guess.

Any thoughts on Made in Korea Squier strats/Bullets? I've been reading that the early ones (late 80s) are a little better than more modern offerings.

 

[sir humphrey]

Pacifica is a pretty good guitar - can't go wrong with a Yammy!

 

[Feargal]

An old us peavey or I second Pacifica.

 

[GeoB]

SX... sounds like a deal and they are but after shipping etc... not so good a deal.
Pacifica or Peavey.... quality builds.

Fernandez is probably out of your price range.

A Kramer Focus could be MIJ or MIK, I have an MIJ shredder that has been around the block quite a few times and is still holding up. They are not that cheap tho. There is a Kramer page out there with lots of info.

MIK Fenders were pretty good. Do you like MIM's? The quality is about the same. Most MIK guitars were outsourced to PRC in 2000 or 2001.

How about a Cort? Same factory, good quality.

I have seen nice Corts for 80 buck at pawn shops. Quality stuff. MIK too.

Rondo guitar.com has some buys most are top loads but there are some deals and every now and then there's a blem up for a reduced price.

 

[GeoB]

What's stopping you from taking the neck off a good guitar and putting the guitar in your suitcase?...no need to bother about airline staff mishandling then.... takes a few minutes to screw a neck on and restring a Strat...

Do you want to impress with your Danish friends with a POS?... coming from the US of A...

take a Fender over... ... you may turn a dollar selling it when you leave to come home...

They sell Fenders in Denmark.

 

[Asturhero]

How many time do you will spend in Denmark ??

Because a cheap alternative is f.e. buying/ordering a cheap ST-like Guitar from Germany at http://www.thomann.de

their houselabel "Harley Benton" begins at $ 109
a Squier Bullet begins at $ 150

the shipment costs to Denmark will be $ 11
and shipment 3-4 workdays

 

[zimbo]

I would recommend the older Schecter strats or else the Tokais. You can get a Goldstar Tokai strat pretty cheap and they're easy to resell.

 

[howlin]

I would recommend the older Schecter strats or else the Tokais. You can get a Goldstar Tokai strat pretty cheap and they're easy to resell.

+1

 

[wrathfuldeity]

this is a steal...idk if still available. I picked up a similar one string through hardtail with ss frets with case, awhile back for $300......probably the best money ever spent for a git....and infact sold off and gave away my other gits except for an acoustic.

(link removed)

 

[nomadh]

Rondo sx if you like flatter radius, beefier neck or a great natural fin to show nice wood.
Otherwise a squier i like my beefy sx and my more fender feeling squier std

 

[Tatercaster]

Rogue ST-3 made by Squier.