Not a guitar snob....any longer!

[wkturn2008]

I have been playing pretty much all my life. My first guitar was a Harmony Rocket. I have owned 3 Gibson Les Pauls, two Fender Teles a MIM Strat and a pre CBS Strat and a whole ****load of other brands and body styles. The 20th anniversary LP Custom and the Ibanez "lawsuit" Flying V being the prizes. Here is what I really want to say. Good guitars do not have to be branded with a certain name. My current stable of guitars has no name brands and are as good as any I have ever owned. I have become kind of a collector of inexpensive but well made guitars. When I was young and gigging regularly I only used Gibsons, today I am very happy with the guitars I own and if I added the costs of all 5 together it wouldn't equal the cost of one decent Gibson. I now own a Main Street Tele copy, Trinity River set neck LP copy, Brownsville The Bat, Yamaha 112 Strat copy, and New York Pro acoustic. If they were stolen I wouldn't FRET, I'd just hunt the pawn shops and online for more inexpensive but nice guitars, THAT IS ALL Thank you for listening.

Rexx Texas

 

[63dot]

I hear you on the off brands.

I had a Heartfield (Fender Japan/USA) RR model which was great.

Perhaps the straightest, problem free neck I had was on my Aria Urchin which was a copy of my B.C. with DiMarzios. The Aria was pretty much a better guitar.

Another guitar which I had that was great was an '80s MIJ black Squier Stratocaster and the only thing that really needed replacing was the tuners.

Last but not least was my Shiro (Aria) 335 copy. I added an old '60 or '61 PAF and DiMarzio '59 to bring it up to prime time.

I have been hearing a ton about the Eastwood full hollowbodies. For the price, many say it's comparable or better than a similarly priced Gretsch or Ibanez.

 

[DrumBob]

I think a lot of us know what you mean. I certainly have had my share of decent, playable inexpensive guitars and still do. It's usually budgetary. I can't justify a custom shop guitar with two kids in college next year!

My Squier Classic Vibe Tele is the best Telecaster I've ever owned in every way: $305.

My Epiphone '56 Les Paul Goldtop plays great, stays in tune all night and sounds just fine; $349.

One of the guys I play with is a total guitar snob. If it doesn't say Gibson or Fender on the headstock, it's garbage, firewood. He has various names for inexpensive guitars, but they're all negative. Frankly, me and a couple of the other guys are getting pissed with his attitude. Another guy in the band uses Epiphone and Ibanez guitars that play and sound just fine. He too gets really bugged with this other guy's attitude. Next time El Snobbo starts in with his tirades, I plan to speak up, finally.

 

[63dot]

I think a lot of us know what you mean. I certainly have had my share of decent, playable inexpensive guitars and still do. It's usually budgetary. I can't justify a custom shop guitar with two kids in college next year!

My Squier Classic Vibe Tele is the best Telecaster I've ever owned in every way: $305.

My Epiphone '56 Les Paul Goldtop plays great, stays in tune all night and sounds just fine; $349.

One of the guys I play with is a total guitar snob. If it doesn't say Gibson or Fender on the headstock, it's garbage, firewood. He has various names for inexpensive guitars, but they're all negative. Frankly, me and a couple of the other guys are getting pissed with his attitude. Another guy in the band with uses Epiphone and Ibanez guitars that play and sound just fine. He too gets really bugged with this other guy's attitude. Next time El Snobbo starts in with his tirades, I plan to speak up, finally.

I say let the snobs be. In almost every case, they are jealous of other players who can kick their ass using a no-name guitar. If and when they get better, they will ditch the snob attitude.

All it takes is for the right moment when circumstances has the guitarist, hopefully improved greatly, to play a gig or be on a recording with an off-brand yet sound great (their best). That usually cures it.

I had a friend, not a snob though, who had a lot of upped and amped out guitars with all the special effects and aftermarket parts and we would actually prefer he used his cheapest guitar, direct into amp. He sounded the best and these days, he knows it and has accepted that price tag doesn't equate to tone. While I don't like that guitar's pointy shape, I do sound pretty good on it even though the strings are like sewing threads. Sometimes, without any real explanation, a certain guitar will stand out among her sisters in the same brand/line, and stand out among all guitars in general and have a certain magic.

 

[FrankenFretter]

I am in complete agreement that the name doesn't really matter as much as the quality, sound and playability. And as long as the build quality is there, you can remedy the rest yourself. I don't own even one big name guitar (unless you count my Ibanez acoustic), and all of mine are great playing, well built guitars. Those who are stuck in the dogma of name brands are only hurting themselves.

 

[TonyBabagan00sh]

I can agree that the quality in some lesser expensive models can be be above average. Personally, I find the quality and finish of my Classic Vibe Tele CVC to be much better than my 2010 MIM Standard Strat.

However, I'm not one to say that there's no difference between a revered American made instrument, and an above average quality Chinese copy. Am I a snob? lol no. I'll pay the premium price for a premium instrument if I feel it's worth it. My Highway 1 Strat is considered bottom of the barrel for an American made instrument, but the feel of the neck in my hands, and the quality of the instrument impresses me.

I've already decided to get another strat. Is the Classic Vibe 60's Strat a great guitar? Of course. Would I rather have an American Standard? Absolutely.

 

[wkturn2008]

I might be wrong but I am thinking that the Chinese should have little trouble doing a perfect or even better copy of American 50s technology in 2012.

 

[TonyBabagan00sh]

I might be wrong but I am thinking that the Chinese should have little trouble doing a perfect or even better copy of American 50s technology in 2012.

the difference isn't necessarily copying the technology. It's the craftsmanship, quality, and attention to detail that a musician can expect when they pay a premium price for an American made instrument.

It's no secret that many Chinese factories are in business with the model of making products cheaply, and as quickly as possible.

 

[musicalmartin]

the difference isn't necessarily copying the technology. It's the craftsmanship, quality, and attention to detail that a musician can expect when they pay a premium price for an American made instrument.

It's no secret that many Chinese factories are in business with the model of making products cheaply, and as quickly as possible.

The Chinese were craftsman when we were swinging down from the trees and covering ourselves in woad .

 

[idjster]

The Chinese were craftsman when we were swinging down from the trees and covering ourselves in woad .

I think we can take a look at history here to see an analogy.

I'm old enough to remember the cheap Japanese transistor radios that flooded North America in the sixties. There were innumerable other electronic items that came over as well. When one sad 'Japanese' one always meant 'cheap'. Until they got some experience and cash and started to upgrade. Now people look for items made in Japan and try not to get the ones made in Korea or other countries because the Japanese ones are the best. We may very well be seeing the same thing happening with China. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[TeleTim911]

Good for you! I don't believe in the name, I believe in the instrument. I've played and owned many lesser brand names, never ashamed of them either. Most times a good set of strings, and quick set up...good to go as is.

 

[63dot]

I think we can take a look at history here to see an analogy.

I'm old enough to remember the cheap Japanese transistor radios that flooded North America in the sixties. There were innumerable other electronic items that came over as well. When one sad 'Japanese' one always meant 'cheap'. Until they got some experience and cash and started to upgrade. Now people look for items made in Japan and try not to get the ones made in Korea or other countries because the Japanese ones are the best. We may very well be seeing the same thing happening with China. We'll just have to wait and see.

Japan came up from the ashes, to borrow a well used phrase, of World War II and became a superpower economically. During the war their factories were pushed underground and were slowed up considerably and three quarters of their merchant shipping was sunk largely by submarines. China already has the same world leader status that Japan reached, too and it's only a matter of time before the quality gets there. China doesn't have to rebuild after a major world war and technology, via computers, has been and is readily available to them.

As for current Chinese made gear of big brands, they do a pretty good job of this for a street price of $550 USD and they have got my attention for that. The Chinese made Ibanez AM93 sports some features once only found on stuff close to a thousand dollars and guitars made in Korea and Japan for Ibanez just two years ago.

On this guitar, that's real quilted maple instead of photo flame stuff and the pickups are Custom 58s, among the best stock pickups in any guitar. I don't know if they wind their own 58s or if they just get it from Ibanez Japan. But if they are putting this guitar out and making their own pickups for this then it's astounding how far they have come in less than a decade. Japan took far longer to get up to primetime in moderately priced guitars suffering with unmentionable 1950s junk and some improved but still substandard gear all throughout the 1960s. It wasn't until the mid-1970s that the Japanese gear from the different companies got on par with everybody else.

But ten years ago in China, there weren't factories making guitars where some of the huge makers are right now and it will be fun to see the next five to ten years. China is going to shrug off their cheapo gear status much faster than Japan or Korea did.

 

[tweeddeluxe]

I've got a "B stock" Rondo LP copy (cost 180 clams) that's simply incredible.

 

[DrumBob]

The Chinese are quite capable of making amazing instruments consistently right now. They choose to occupy the lower price point, but over time, that will change. I welcome it.

 

[Lowbassnotes]

This guy I know made high end stringed instruments out in his carport and then moved the operation to China......he says they are top notch and he sells them for a fraction of his former price. Link:


http://www.violadagamba.com/

 

[bendecaster]

I'm with you guys! My two main guitars that I gig with are a Douglas Tele-copy that has been very modified(StewMac maple neck, Bardens, P/W(via Bill Bores) B-Bender...) and an SX 335-copy that the only modifications are straplocks, bone nut and locking tuners. Oh yeah, I pulled off the pickguard on the 335-copy!
Also, the bass I gig with is an SX 70's Jazz bass-copy.
I am a happy guy with very nice sounding AND looking gear!

 

[rsclosson]

Right now my favorite guitar is a used Cort Source I got for less than $200. ES-335 style with a Fralin P2 pickup in the neck position. This axe plays and feels great and easily goes from smokey jazz to a great country twang (and everything in between). I have several much more expensive guitars that are currently feeling very neglected.

 

[Tonetele]

wkturn2008 you are right about the Chinese. I bought a Monterey Tele back a few years ago. Pro's use them here. Alder body, vintage tuners, all I did was put Texas Specials in it. Turns out Fender made them change the headstock-sounds like the early 80's all over again.
Also saw /played some incredible Chinese guitars in Singapore when last there.They love them and they are not unintelligent folks.

 

[purpletele]

If you buy based on brand that's cool, but you are going to miss out on some great guitars.

If a guitar really speaks to you and it's a $3000 custom shop that doesn't mean it's worth every bit of $3000. It means the guitar you want costs $3000.

If the guitar that really speaks to you is a $200 guitar that doesn't mean it's only worth $200. It means it will only cost you $200 to get the guitar you want.

Some people think a $3000 guitar HAS to be better than a $200 guitar. Some people think because of value, the $200 guitar is better.

Don't feel bad if you paid $3000 to get what you wanted. Don't feel bad if you paid $200 to get what you wanted. You still got what you wanted. If someone is giving you **** because of what you paid or what brand it is, keep your head up because obviously you're playing on a level that only leaves your gear to make fun of.

 

[wkturn2008]

very nicely said purpletele! are you a diplomat?