Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Andrew Lamprecht

Andrew Lamprecht

Minion of One
When I was at GC one of the workers said that I should play a better guitar when I brought my Squier out (and proceeded to get an Am. std down but I told him no thanks). I like the Squier a lot though. It has had a bone nut put on, pickups/wiring replaced, bridge and block replaced, set up really well... never goes out of tune, resonates really well... etc. Maybe I let it get into my head but I always think when someone says that that maybe I should get something better... but then everytime I pick it up, I am happy with the way it plays and sounds. I don't think I would change anything about it but it seems people are always like.... you have a Squier? That's a beginners guitar... etc... gets into my head. :P

Who else has a guitar they like a lot that is cheap?
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

How cheap is cheap?

I play my green Les Paul Special as much if not more than my black Les Paul Custom... which gets to my head because of the difference in cost between the two.

But the LP Special is worth more a lot more than a typical Squier :smokin: My Strat is probably only worth about as much as a Classic Vibe Squier since I put all the drug and satan stickers all over it 10 years ago...
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

All of my guitars are cheap.

GC salespeople are paid on commission. Don't expect complete honesty out of them.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Too right I do Andrew, my SG that cost me just over £200 plus pick ups fitted that I already had gets played and gigged more than any other simply because it sounds absolutely killer. I'll admit it's not the best player and it isn't built to the same standard as my other guitars, but I love it. I have guitars worth over 20 x's as much but are they that much better... No chance! However they are built better, better finished ( even the Gibsons ... Lol). The degree of "better" is not proportional to the value but that's not to say the others aren't worth it either! The main thing is that you are happy, do not let other people opinions cloud your own judgement... Especially a salesperson! :)
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

More often than not, I hate cheap guitars. Ive had way too many super expensive world class guitars in my life and it is tough to go back to cheap, they never feel right to me, and usually sound like ass for anything but high gain with HO pups.

But once in awhile you come across a real gem at a bargain price.Mojo trumps $ spent every single time.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Andrew, two of my favorite guitars are 80's made in Japan Fender Squiers. The white guitar in my avatar is a Squier with Ant Surfers & a Duncan A2 Tele Hot Tapped. And my Tele is a Squier with a Fralin strat neck pickup and Duncan Jerry Donahue. Those made in Japan 80's Squiers can be awesome guitars after a change of pickups.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

F them. I play my squire tele custom w p90s at gigs and people are always surprised at how good it sounds. Half the knuckle draggers that work at GC wouldn't know a good guitar if I beat them senseless with it. Play what you're comfortable with. Make people wish their amer std sounded as good as your squire.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

dominus said:
All of my guitars are cheap.

GC salespeople are paid on commission. Don't expect complete honesty out of them.
Click to expand...

+1. Most of mine are in the mid-price range, which is plenty good enough for $100/man gigs in local bars. I always get compliments on my tones. They don't 'hold me back' as far as playing; any shortcomings there are the operator, not the tool. I can't justify paying 5 or 10 times as much for a tool that sounds a little better. I have other financial priorities and don't really want to own a $3,000 guitar.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

My sub $200 guitar has always been super resonant. I sanded it down to start a refin, and it turns out its made of what looks like a nice piece of alder. Screw the GC guys. If the guitar holds tune, plays good, and sounds decent, it's a good guitar regardless of monetary value. Affordable guitars are arguably better to gig with because they are often times easily replaceable.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Don't let those glorified stockboys tell you ****. You could probably bury most of them with any guitar you pick up.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Forget those fools man man!!!

remember...working at GC doesn't mean that you can play or that you know beans about gear...it's a sales job and most of those cats could be just easily selling cars or pots and pans at the mall...
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

My main guitar is an Agile AL-2000 that I picked up for $275 including a case. the only things i'd chage are the nut and i'd like to put some better pickups in it.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

And more: there isn't a single amp in my local GC that I would want. If I had to pick one it would need an immediate speaker upgrade, and not one of them have a properly broken in speaker anyway! Even if you were comparing a stock squire to anything under $3k, its highly likely you're not hearing an honest representation of the sound, and I would be stunned if many people could hear the difference in quality.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

I play exclusively my 2 SX Strats. Not because I'm cheap, I really like the girth of the necks.
I've replaced most everything and they both have Duncan pickups!!

IMG_3964.jpg

IMG_3087.jpg
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Andrew Lamprecht said:
When I was at GC one of the workers said that I should play a better guitar when I brought my Squier out (and proceeded to get an Am. std down but I told him no thanks). I like the Squier a lot though. It has had a bone nut put on, pickups/wiring replaced, bridge and block replaced, set up really well... never goes out of tune, resonates really well... etc. Maybe I let it get into my head but I always think when someone says that that maybe I should get something better... but then everytime I pick it up, I am happy with the way it plays and sounds. I don't think I would change anything about it but it seems people are always like.... you have a Squier? That's a beginners guitar... etc... gets into my head. :P

Who else has a guitar they like a lot that is cheap?
Click to expand...

I think your question has a two fold answer. Your guitar sounds good and therefore your guitar is good. Your guitar is cheap and therefore your guitar is a cheap guitar. I am the minority here along with one other poster (and this has nothing to do with GC or any store sales person) . I have really nice guitars that cost me a bit and honestly I will never go back to cheap-ish guitars despite the fact you can mod them, set them up and get them to sound great. In my opinion once you play an extraordinary guitar, it just doesn't work to play anything less. I don't need any guitars right now, but I know my budget is $1500-$3000 for a guitar...new or used before any pickup swaps. This is not because I desire spending money but rather that is the range of the guitars I like. Keep in mind, this is a game of inches often and the extra $1000-$2000 only gets you a 5-10% up-level in quality, but it is that 5-10% that I seek and can only find with an excellent instrument. For some the additional cost isn't worth it and for others they really can't tell the difference ...and still others believe their 'cheap' and modded guitars are equal, but they really aren't.

As a professional I don't knock anybody or any guitar/player combo. I know the gig completely. I have also been in the guitar modding scene for as long as I can remember. None of that is the issue or point. At the end of the day your guitar is only as good as you make it.

I would enjoy your current guitar while you contemplate and potentially buy something excellent. A great playing guitar is worth its price in gold. Once you play one you will know what the hype is all about. It does inspire you to become a better player in my opinion.

Much respect and cheers!

Rodney Gene/Austin Texas
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

I've got a Epiphone korina explorer...well it ain't korina lol some mystery wood with a custom & 59n and it sounds and plays great. This is coming from someone who own's american hamer's & Paul Reed's.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

I use a few and a lot of times I really prefer the cheap guitars. Something about not holding back and hitting them for all they are worth that is sometimes uncomfortable to do to a more costly guitar or a guitar that feels too refined. I love Jrs and Specials and of course some of them are bucks these days but Melody Makers kick ass too and they are generally less expensive as compared to higher end Gibson stuff or PRS, Ric's, Gretsch, etc. Nothing wrong with any of those guitars I love them but I don't necessarily freak out for precious things so much as I care about useful tools.

My 3 main guitars right now are a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster that I absolutely freaking love to death. I beat the snot out of the thing and it holds tune perfectly, sounds great and looks like a brand spanking new 59 Jazzer, a 2012 Gibson LP Jr that is fantastic sounding but maybe a touch heavier than I really like and a little finicky about staying in tune sometimes, and a MIC Epiphone Wilshire with SD's in it that just smokes. The Epi needed some hardware and pickup upgrades to really sound how I wanted and be durable enough for me but it was well worth it, it is an excellent guitar now.

I still have my LP Standard and a few other high end things but really I don't particularly care about using them all that much, at least for gigs. MY LP rocks and I love to write and record with it but I worry about taking it to many shows these days. Those other 3 guitars didn't cost what the LP cost so I can't lose my mind if anything happened to them. If my LP disappeared I would have to kill someone and I don't need that.

Rock what you like and like what you Rock, fark the dumb-bunnies that shoot you down.
 
Re: Anyone here rocking cheap guitars as main players?

Before I discovered Burny Les Pauls I was playing Ibanez blazers mostly.

(and might change back)

(not that my main burny is expensive)
 
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