Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

[FretFire]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Let's imagine a very unlikely situation in which the big two brands, Fender and Gibson start marking up the prices while not improving quality which means you get less for your money.

You're being sarcastic, right? Gibson raises prices annually it seems and Fender is about to jack prices up 30% or more.

 

[lex666]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Epiphone and ESP for me...

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

G&L

(I know, you're probably sick of seeing this pic.)

 

[Suchapinch]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

I was discussing with a guitar buddy today that we can stop gushing over how good of a guitar you can get from Asia for $400. It's a done deal. I just sold a Dillion P90 Goldtop LP that may have been the nicest playing guitar that I've ever owned (Gibson LP Custom & ES175 included). I'm playing with a friend's Greg Bennett Royale, right now and the workmanship, including the wiring in the body cavity is 1st rate (better than my ES175). I have a Hagstrom Viking that I play every day that I got for $400, which left plenty of room in the budget for pickup upgrades. It plays and sounds fantastic.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are plenty of great options out there now, not just the step-children Heritage, G&L and Tokai.

 

[millsart]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

I'd probably still just buy Gibson or Fender if thats what I want

If their prices go up, most likely Suhr etc would face the same increase in the cost of materials etc.

Personally Im as happy with my old 80's Burny LP Custom as I am any Gibson I've owned though and it was a good deal cheaper but some people want it to say "gibson" on the headstock and thats worth the extra money, be it now or later if/when it cost 25% more

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

G&L hands down. Or I'd assemble my own.

+1 for my Strat picks...I might toss in Carvin Bolts as choice #3.

Hamer can easily handle the Gibson side. There are still great deals in the used market. However, if that used market dries up, I'd probably just get an Epi SG, and mod it.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

For LPs, I'd go with Heritage or Hamer depending on how "LP" I wanted to go (heck, I'd do this even if Gibson was quite a bit cheaper).

For Teles, I'd have to go with G&L or a build.

As for Strats, I don't know what I'd get, but I sure as heck know it wouldn't be a Peavey Predator.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Woh! Rich, what the heck did you do to those things? They look GREAT!

 

[BigJoe77]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Easy.

Les paul = PRS single cut.

Strat or Tele = G&L.

What he said.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Woh! Rich, what the heck did you do to those things? They look GREAT!

Thanks!

One in the first picture is bone stock, except it has a raw neck. The other has an oiled neck and the old pickup combo from my first Peavey - CC, HR, CR with the coils split on the CC.

The second picture is just a stripped body - I'm surprised the wood looked that good underneath for a $60 guitar! - with a 78/59 combo (A2 in the 59).

I just finished the paint on the third one this past weekend (yes, the pickguard is painted, too) and threw in the JB from my Jackson with an A2 mag as well. The volume pot is under spec (406k), but I figured that would be fine since a lot of people use 250ks with JBs. I was right. Hopefully I'll get some clips done soon.


All told, I spent $260 on the guitars in pawn shops. Sure, the stripped guitar has $600 worth of parts and pups, but I doubt I have much more than $1-1.2k in the four, all said and done.

 

[DLT]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Carvin. They are a great axe!

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

For a Fender alternative, I'd go with Hamer.

I'd also strongly consider Robin, who make some very fine Strattish and Tele-esque guitars, and Zion.

For Gibson, I'd also go to Hamer.

They do Gibson and then some!
And I'd also really give thought to Zion's Primera, a top notch LP style guitar.

I'd also strongly consider a Robin:

All the above guitars are built in USA (some of the Hamer models aren't in production anymore). Zion's, Hamer's and Robin's alternatives to Gibson are priced comparably, if not lower, and have much more consistent quality control. They're really what you would expect to get for paying that much for a built in USA guitar.

Carvin is a great recommendation too. I have a hard time keeping drool off the pages of their catalogs.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

BTW, I love this topic!!! I'm one of those guys who likes certain Fender and Gibson models (I do or have owned both) but by and large would rather not play the same "me-too" guitar all the other kids on the block are playing. And by no means do you have to sacrifice quality, playability or tone to play something that doesn't have an F or a G on the headstock.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Fender: G&L, Squier, Tokai

Gibson: Tokai, Edwards, ESP

I'd just add Warmoth to the Fender group and Dean + Greco to the Gibson bunch but otherwise I'd recommend them all as well as alternatives.


IMO Heritage is what Gibson used to be and should be now. Different league


Somehow I don't have much experience with Hamer guitars, they avoided me for some reason. They must be great.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Hamer, fo both Gibson and Fender flavors.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

+1 for Heritage. The ones I've seen were nothing short of amazing. You can tell that the craftsmen who made them knew they were creating something top-of-the-line.

Oh, and Tom Anderson for a Fender alternative. I know, they're more pricey than Fender, even with Fender's price hikes. Think of them as an alternative to Fender Custom Shop gutiars.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Thanks!

One in the first picture is bone stock, except it has a raw neck. The other has an oiled neck and the old pickup combo from my first Peavey - CC, HR, CR with the coils split on the CC.

The second picture is just a stripped body - I'm surprised the wood looked that good underneath for a $60 guitar! - with a 78/59 combo (A2 in the 59).

I just finished the paint on the third one this past weekend (yes, the pickguard is painted, too) and threw in the JB from my Jackson with an A2 mag as well. The volume pot is under spec (406k), but I figured that would be fine since a lot of people use 250ks with JBs. I was right. Hopefully I'll get some clips done soon.


All told, I spent $260 on the guitars in pawn shops. Sure, the stripped guitar has $600 worth of parts and pups, but I doubt I have much more than $1-1.2k in the four, all said and done.

Nicely done.

 

[C8rockin]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Michael Kelly....bought one as a stepping stone until I could afford something better... I'm in no hurry.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

Epiphone for me.

+1. There are some nice Epi's out there, and once you upgrade the PU's they can sound pretty darn good. And you don't mind taking them to a cheap gig at a smokey, crowded stage playing for a room full of uncoordinated drunks. Accidents happen.

For higher quality versions, the Epi Elitist and Heritage models are as good as I'd need.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Favorite Fender and Gibson Alternatives

If we're talking at budget-friendly levels then MIKs get my vote.
Specifically Swing Guitar Technology when it comes to Strat and Tele clones such as the Standard Plus and the Deluxe

or if I were a Tele guy the T-Custom

would have me drooling (but I'm a Spalted-top whore so... )

On the LP fort Michael Kelly has me covered and completely satisfied with the Patriot series, specifically the (soon to be my ) Limited:

.

If we're talking for sth above that in quality then for me there's NO reason to look at anything bellow Suhr and his peers (depending on individual taste) or on the Gibson side, Heritage or an MIJ company like ESP/Edwards, Tokai, Greko and the like.

Finally, for anything more "pointy" there's no need at any price point that can't be sated by Washburn, Swing, Schecter and/or Michael Kelly. (I'm assuming that Jackson is considered Fender as well).

A special case is Carvin with their extended use of customization and at very reasonable prices