best sub $500 guitars you have owned

[stevie_bees]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I had 2 Yamaha 604w's which were both fantastic guitars. Can't remember exactly how much they were, but definately sub $500 and definately great guitars.

 

[34029324079]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I bought my Epi SG with factory standard EMG81/85s and some really nice Grover tuners for $250 used once or twice from ebay, and have done all my recordings on it. That guitar has proven to be a great purchase!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Awesome!!

Awesome!!

Awesome!!

Awesome!!

Those Schecters are unbelievably great guitars and the SG Jr's are a treat within themselves.

Awesome!!

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I guess what we can all make out from this thread is that there are A LOT of great sub 500$ guitars.

Now about mine, sub 500 pre or also post mods?
Also, new or used?

Cause I paid more in that 500 USD for my Washburn but less that 500 euros (which makes it a sub 500 guitar AFAIC) plus, my Swing guitar was just 300 euros but I ended up paying an additional 800 euros after market :9:

Needless to say they both rock pretty d@mn hard

 

[JOLLY]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Awesome!!

It's almost like you read my mind.

 

[DrownInk]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

ESP-EC400 with active EMG's 60 in the bridge, 81 in the neck. See through red... 250 used. This guitar sounds rediculous for 250, and all it needed was a quick set up/intonation.

every other guitar I own sucks, or I sunk too much money into new pickups/etc. for it to be under 500 anymore...

 

[34029324079]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

ESP-EC400 with active EMG's 60 in the bridge, 81 in the neck. See through red... 250 used. This guitar sounds rediculous for 250, and all it needed was a quick set up/intonation.

every other guitar I own sucks, or I sunk too much money into new pickups/etc. for it to be under 500 anymore...

cool guitar! Its amazing how close to pro guitar sound you can get for so little money these days.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I still own all of them...

$150

$200

$300

$350

 

[tone4days]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

my tokai clone of a 52ri tele for $315 ... even after new electronics and a set of duncans it is well under 5 bills ... killer axe

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

$100-$150 range:

- Hohner L75: the best bolt-on LP copy to date I've met, with the best neck geometry ever produced. The tone is brighter than you would suspect but after proper SD treatment it sings. Extremely durable and reliable.

- Squier '51: This beater is great just the way it is. It feels more Fender (or rather what I have in the mind when I think "Fender feel") for me than anything I've ever played with the Fender sign. By the time I wanted an another '51, Squier stopped its production :banghead:

- Legend EVH: MusicMan Axis copy from Korea, from a time time when Korean guitars were extremely overlooked and underestimated, even the better made ones. It's one of them. Basically it's a "WC-door" plywood guitar with a comfortable but somewhat inaccurate neck - but man it has helluva tone and sustain. Only the garbage factory p-ups had to be changed. It was my first pickup testing guitar.

- Essex Les Paul: It was given as a gift years ago. This beast has oversized LP body made of alder with a very weak and uncomfortable neck so it's very difficult to get into and keep in tune but on the other hand it produces the heaviest truck-trhough-the-china-shop sound. The original p-up set was a joke, but after suitable p-up upgrade it became my heaviest sounding axe.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I still own all of them...

$150

$200

$300

$350

Beautiful axes, Zerb! :cool2: I prefer the 1st and 2nd.

 

[DMR]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

My new Ibanez RG was delivered yesterday (current MSRP $450) and i'm pretty happy with it. The factory setup was very good and the intonation was spot-on with the exception of the D string. The flame maple top and matching headstock look awesome. Craftsmanship was surprisingly good all around and the guitar was packaged very solid. I am impressed with Ibanez in this regard. The guitar also sounds great and feels great......although I 'm sure i'll switch out the two humbuckers for DiMarzios.

I'm a big believer in the philosophy that "you get what you pay for"........and I was a little nervous at what would show up at my door as far as craftsmanship but i'm very pleasantly surprised. I was gassing for an Ibanez RG and a guitar in this price range was all I could get at the moment without the wife having a coronary over it so I went for it. It's definitely the "lowest end" guitar I own but it feels and sounds like it can totally hang with my high end LTD's and my Gibson Explorer.

The only thing jamming me up is that i'm not used to playing a guitar with a humbucker/SC/humbucker setup and my pick keeps hitting the SC when I play. I'm going to lower the SC a bit further from the strings and it should be fine.

I'll post a couple of pics later.

 

[sonnyblu]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Brand new... Ibanez SZ520 by far... It's amazing for the money!
.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Sayyyyyyyy WHAT?!

 

[DrownInk]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

cool guitar! Its amazing how close to pro guitar sound you can get for so little money these days.

It really is, and while I may opt for something else doing future studio work I don't think even 9 out of 10 people could tell the difference live(maybe 1 in 20), let alone care.

 

[guitarded]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I just bought an esp/LTD EC-50 to do some experiments on and for 200 bucks its not bad for a beginer/ kick around. I was just thinking this could help for picking out a guitar for a present.

85 Gibson Explorer I picked up on consignment at a local music store for a whopping 375.00..... Cherry Red - Alder Body Model - Dirty Fingers Pups - Bone Nut and Jumbo frets...... Scheeeeeettttttt

Wish I still had it.

 

[DMR]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Couple of somewhat crappy pics of the Ibanez RG I just got for $400. Aside from the pups i'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

I've had a couple of the Jackson string through Rhodes and this V I just bought. IMHO one of the best playing guitars around for less than $500 new, and used they are even a better bargain.

I have bought a few used guitars that are phenominal for under 5 bills, but don't consider them to be $500 or less guitars, cause they usually cost more............

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

This is not a picture of my Hamer FM Special, but looks exactly the same as mine did. Mine was purchased new for around $450 in 1980, and in 1984 was packaged together with good sense and clear thinking and traded for stupidity, alcohol, and unprescribed medication.


View attachment 11939

 

[BTMN]

Re: best sub $500 guitars you have owned

Nice guitars gents.

Picked up this Dean EVO Korean made flat top model in June for $198 used. WOW!!! Even left the import pickups in it. Nice C neck to it. Great sound unplugged too. I mean for the money it was a jem. My favorite color too, Trans Amber. :cool2: