stringbender11
New member
Just wondering how CHEAPLY you can buy a US electric guitar. I know Gibson offers the Melody maker, Jr, and Special. but what other brands are there? Thanks.
Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
- Thread starter stringbender11
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Drunken Bowling
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Fender American Specials
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Fender American Specials
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
The best bang for the buck you can get from a U.S.A.-made guitar is probably a used G&L. This is why I think so: 1) Every one of their standard production guitars is of at least Fender American Vintage Reissue quality (and I would even argue Custom Shop quality). 2) They aren't even that expensive to begin with. 3) They have horrendous resale value. For $600 to $800, you can get a guitar that rivals Fender's $2,000 and up offerings.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
The best bang for the buck you can get from a U.S.A.-made guitar is probably a used G&L. This is why I think so: 1) Every one of their standard production guitars is of at least Fender American Vintage Reissue quality (and I would even argue Custom Shop quality). 2) They aren't even that expensive to begin with. 3) They have horrendous resale value. For $600 to $800, you can get a guitar that rivals Fender's $2,000 and up offerings.
Hairmail
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
There's also the AXL guitars USA line. Assembled in the USA using imported woods IIRC, they're pretty affordable and made with quality components. They mostly do LP Jr-type guitars.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
There's also the AXL guitars USA line. Assembled in the USA using imported woods IIRC, they're pretty affordable and made with quality components. They mostly do LP Jr-type guitars.
Brian Griffin
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Valley Arts and Fender Highway One.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Valley Arts and Fender Highway One.
kramersteen
PowerMetalRaph
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Used carvin.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Used carvin.
synzzzer
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Godin has factories in both Canada and the U.S. Some of their electrics come stock with Seymour Duncan pickups. Their acoustics are some of the best bang for the buck.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Godin has factories in both Canada and the U.S. Some of their electrics come stock with Seymour Duncan pickups. Their acoustics are some of the best bang for the buck.
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Wait... what guitar doesnt use atleast some imported wood? Anything thats using mahogany or rosewood is using imported wood. Lots of maple and alder are imported canada.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Wait... what guitar doesnt use atleast some imported wood? Anything thats using mahogany or rosewood is using imported wood. Lots of maple and alder are imported canada.
stringbender11
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Ok everyone can stop listing used guitars, I know those are great deals - I only buy used myself. I was just curious how cheap you could buy a NEW US made guitar these days.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Ok everyone can stop listing used guitars, I know those are great deals - I only buy used myself. I was just curious how cheap you could buy a NEW US made guitar these days.
Last edited:
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
A base Carvin Bolt is under a grand
But decking it out with the options you want drives the.price up quickly
On their in stock page many are under a grand with most of the options you would want
*(Sent from my durned phone!)*
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
A base Carvin Bolt is under a grand
But decking it out with the options you want drives the.price up quickly
On their in stock page many are under a grand with most of the options you would want
*(Sent from my durned phone!)*
Falloffthebonetone
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
I second Itsabass.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
I second Itsabass.
Harvesterofsorrow
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Gibson lpj's are a great value for a no frills les paul
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Gibson lpj's are a great value for a no frills les paul
Jocelyn
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
You can say that again. I missed out on buying a used Standard a while back. And I just wanna kick myself.
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
New: very plain Carvins are pretty reasonably priced. Of course you need to be careful with the options.
Used: G&Ls, some Hamers such as the studio. AmStd Fender is cheap used.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
New: very plain Carvins are pretty reasonably priced. Of course you need to be careful with the options.
Used: G&Ls, some Hamers such as the studio. AmStd Fender is cheap used.
jon the art guy
Nerdy Nerd
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Carvin makes some cheap bolts; I think I've seen them down to $600 for a T-style. They randomly have crazy sales on the Carvin factory site so it never hurts to check. Godin doesn't count necessarily and I consider them a Canadian company. As suuuuuuuuuuch they get first dibs on Canadian rock maple that they use liberally.
AXL counts! Those get way cheap. A fully decked out LP knockoff is under $700 and they come with a nice boutiquey pickup or two in em. I also like their style; the new BelAir single pickup guitars are sexay.
I haven't looked into G&L actually. I have heard nothing but good from them though.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Carvin makes some cheap bolts; I think I've seen them down to $600 for a T-style. They randomly have crazy sales on the Carvin factory site so it never hurts to check. Godin doesn't count necessarily and I consider them a Canadian company. As suuuuuuuuuuch they get first dibs on Canadian rock maple that they use liberally.
AXL counts! Those get way cheap. A fully decked out LP knockoff is under $700 and they come with a nice boutiquey pickup or two in em. I also like their style; the new BelAir single pickup guitars are sexay.
I haven't looked into G&L actually. I have heard nothing but good from them though.
stringbender11
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Amazing the premium you pay for US made guitars these days. I own both US and imports and have to say that bang-for-buck imports are hard to beat. I mostly was just curious if there was such a thing as sub $600 US guitar, besides the aforementioned LP jrs & Specials & so forth, which are cool axes but are very bare hones.
Anyway seeing the responses here I have my answer. Personally I always buy used, btw.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Amazing the premium you pay for US made guitars these days. I own both US and imports and have to say that bang-for-buck imports are hard to beat. I mostly was just curious if there was such a thing as sub $600 US guitar, besides the aforementioned LP jrs & Specials & so forth, which are cool axes but are very bare hones.
Anyway seeing the responses here I have my answer. Personally I always buy used, btw.
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
So take your pick hire 10 guys at 35 bucks an hour and have them make 1000 dollar guitars or hire 100 guys at 3 dollars an hour and have them make 150 dollar guitars.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Labor cost alone make that a tough order. Harder to cover the cost of a 35 dollar an hour worker in a 500 dollar guitar. When i lived in china a few years ago the guys in the Epi factory were making a little under 3 dollars and hour.
So take your pick hire 10 guys at 35 bucks an hour and have them make 1000 dollar guitars or hire 100 guys at 3 dollars an hour and have them make 150 dollar guitars.
stringbender11
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Yeah I get what you're saying, makes a lot of sense.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Yeah I get what you're saying, makes a lot of sense.
daan
New member
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
I'm gonna guess either Peavey or Godin guitars (assuming we're including Canada here) and that Peavey even makes anything in Mississippi anymore. Every one of the MS-made Peaveys I've had (Reactor Tele copy, Predator Strat copy, Firenza [THE best sounding P90 guitar I've ever played] T20 bass) have been dead solid players with zero issues. And I've never heard anything bad about Godins, other than their terrible resale values.
Re: Besides Gibson's Jrs & Specials, what are the cheapest US made guitars available?
I'm gonna guess either Peavey or Godin guitars (assuming we're including Canada here) and that Peavey even makes anything in Mississippi anymore. Every one of the MS-made Peaveys I've had (Reactor Tele copy, Predator Strat copy, Firenza [THE best sounding P90 guitar I've ever played] T20 bass) have been dead solid players with zero issues. And I've never heard anything bad about Godins, other than their terrible resale values.
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