Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
- Thread starter Diego
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kramersteen
PowerMetalRaph
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
MIJ charvels are really coming up in value. :jester:
MIJ charvels are really coming up in value. :jester:
donaldr
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I have an MIM Fender Strat that I upgraded to SD pickups, CTS/Switchcraft electronic, Tusk nut and pro setup. Better than MIA Fender Strats I tried.
I picked a used LTD ST213 in natural swamp ash 2 years ago for $200. Will do the same mods and it will become a freaking good axe for less than $500. But even stock it's very good guitar.
Check out also Godin, I found a used Exit 22 for $300 (to installed my EMG set I had lying in a box). Wow, what a guitar.
I also have Yamaha, LTD and Squier basses that I like a lot. All lower that $500 (used).
I have an MIM Fender Strat that I upgraded to SD pickups, CTS/Switchcraft electronic, Tusk nut and pro setup. Better than MIA Fender Strats I tried.
I picked a used LTD ST213 in natural swamp ash 2 years ago for $200. Will do the same mods and it will become a freaking good axe for less than $500. But even stock it's very good guitar.
Check out also Godin, I found a used Exit 22 for $300 (to installed my EMG set I had lying in a box). Wow, what a guitar.
I also have Yamaha, LTD and Squier basses that I like a lot. All lower that $500 (used).
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
Lower priced Jacksons have always been crap. Crap hardware, hit or miss construction. You really need to get up there in price for the good stuff. They pride themselves in their custom shop though, where the real magic happens. A custom shop Jackson is quite amazing.
G&L Tributes I should've mentioned. They are probably the best bang for the buck in their range. They have USA electronics, inspected by the QA teams in the California shop before they even ship out to dealers. Simply fantastic.
Lower priced Jacksons have always been crap. Crap hardware, hit or miss construction. You really need to get up there in price for the good stuff. They pride themselves in their custom shop though, where the real magic happens. A custom shop Jackson is quite amazing.
G&L Tributes I should've mentioned. They are probably the best bang for the buck in their range. They have USA electronics, inspected by the QA teams in the California shop before they even ship out to dealers. Simply fantastic.
texred
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
In general there is a lot of quality in mid or even low range instruments. When I started playing long ago the cheap stuff was terrible, and to have even an acceptable guitar you had to fork over a lot of money or really modify any low end instrument. That's not the case anymore and that is a good thing!
In general there is a lot of quality in mid or even low range instruments. When I started playing long ago the cheap stuff was terrible, and to have even an acceptable guitar you had to fork over a lot of money or really modify any low end instrument. That's not the case anymore and that is a good thing!
nexion218
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I could only find a 2006 Jackson pricelist, which wasnt the first year for that model. Anyways, it was still made in Japan then and went for 714 USD. That's borderline midrange in my book. The Made in Japan sticker surely made it look better though.
I could only find a 2006 Jackson pricelist, which wasnt the first year for that model. Anyways, it was still made in Japan then and went for 714 USD. That's borderline midrange in my book. The Made in Japan sticker surely made it look better though.
Cdwillis
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
A couple years ago I picked up a Jackson JS32 King V. This is the bottom of the barrel as far as their lines go and the guitar rips. The nut is cheap plastic and the inlays are obviously mother of toilet seat, but the fit and finish is great. Even the cheap pickups were decent, but I pulled them to experiment with hybrid coils.
A couple years ago I picked up a Jackson JS32 King V. This is the bottom of the barrel as far as their lines go and the guitar rips. The nut is cheap plastic and the inlays are obviously mother of toilet seat, but the fit and finish is great. Even the cheap pickups were decent, but I pulled them to experiment with hybrid coils.
Diego
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I owned a JS32T Kelly. Great Jackson pickups (Zebras!
), amazing neck but it was warped sadly and I could never dial the action quite right. Shame because the neck was crazy fast and mega comfy. The nut exploded after the most gentle of drops, the damn thing was hollow. HOLLOW!
I still kinda miss that guitar.
I owned a JS32T Kelly. Great Jackson pickups (Zebras!
), amazing neck but it was warped sadly and I could never dial the action quite right. Shame because the neck was crazy fast and mega comfy. The nut exploded after the most gentle of drops, the damn thing was hollow. HOLLOW! I still kinda miss that guitar.
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I have had great luck with Corts & Squiers. Their higher end models arent godly expensive & lower mid ones are incredibly well crafted requiring a pickup or bridge/nut upgrade at most. Some of the lower end wilkinson bridges stay quite well in tune on these too. The very lowest range has a few issues with use of cheap hardware but otherwise the quality to playability ratio is decent after a setup.
I have had great luck with Corts & Squiers. Their higher end models arent godly expensive & lower mid ones are incredibly well crafted requiring a pickup or bridge/nut upgrade at most. Some of the lower end wilkinson bridges stay quite well in tune on these too. The very lowest range has a few issues with use of cheap hardware but otherwise the quality to playability ratio is decent after a setup.
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I think $500 is the price point where the value meets the expectations. For $500 you can easily find a great playing guitar that sounds good and looks good to boot. It won't have the features that make a great guitar, but it won't be something you want to hide in the closet when your friends come over. These days I think you can get premium features and " as good as it can get " ( objectively speaking ) guitars for around the $1k mark. Much beyond the $1.5k mark, you are paying for a name, or for signature and custom models.
Once you break past top tier models such as a USA Strat, for instance, you aren't really paying for a better guitar, you're paying for a guitar that has had more hands on it and has been cared for better from the beginning. A custom shop model is likely made from parts pulled from regular stock but has been put together and finished by a dedicated and highly trained individual for that task. Same for Signature models no doubt. While signature models are essentially stock items, they are made with greater care and higher grade parts adding to the cost. Most custom shop guitars from companies that are mass producing cost around the $3.5k mark with some, of course, being higher for builds based on signature models or actually being a true one-off guitar. I am perhaps jaded, but I don't feel that custom shop or other high touch guitars really add to the overall quality that much over another premium model. I expect, considering the price, that I will get a flawless finish, perfect fret dressing and a guitar that can be set up to play anyway I like it to be without issue. The couple thousand extra doll hairs should at the very least guarantee that much. The question is how much difference between a custom shop vs a standard model there really is from an objective standpoint?
You can go buy a standard model guitar and have it Plecked for WAY less than a custom model guitar and in theory, it should play just as good. You can buy all your desired parts and even pay to have those parts installed for less than you can buy a custom shop model. Short of perhaps having a 100% flawless finish or premium features such as a volute, rare or exotic body and neck woods, and god forbid a relic'd finish, you are going to have an amazing guitar. I don't understand the whole relic'd craze that's going on? I love the look of a road-worn guitar, but as soon as I learn or realize that it's a relic'd model, I lose all respect. You should earn your stripes, not pay for them. To me, buying a new relic'd guitar is like being too lazy to just pick the thing up and actually go out and beat up on it. I have 3 1960's era guitars that have not seen enough stage time, they look pretty good for their age and while they do have scars, my family members or myself got to put them there. To me, a naturally and organically beaten guitar has 100X more value to me than one that was made to look that way in a shop room by a person paid to make guitars look that way. End rant..... The point being if you want a custom shop guitar, you are paying for the higher level of touch by a higher skilled craftsman than the average shop floor tech.
I just picked up a used 2013 Schecter Banshee 6P-FR!!!! Originally the guitar was selling for $1,200 give or take a few. Not too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but it came with features that were well above its asking price. It has a compound radius 12-16" neck with an ebony fretboard that is bound with maple on a 5 piece maple & walnut neck, a volute and Grover tuners. The neck is superb and is already hitting above its price point. The body is a two-piece alder with a maple wood bound quilted maple top ( I'm pretty certain a veneer ) finished with a translucent poly finish which is par for the course. It has direct mount mounted Seymour Duncan JB & Jazz pickups with a coil-splitting push-pull pot. The Floyd Rose bridge is a real one ( not licensed ) and even though it is not an original FR, it is an amazing model. This guitar is outstanding in terms of features and quality and it was doing it for less than the asking price of a USA Standard Strat ( I guess the American Original now??? ). I feel that this guitar is likely the best ( at the time ) that you could get for the money and you can fetch a used one that is in good shape for around $600!!! Ibanez is probably the next best king of value. You can jump into a premium series model for around the $1k mark and it is as good of a guitar as you can ask for considering its price.
We are spoiled today in that we can get brand new guitars that have a level of quality that far exceeds what was available many years ago for an amazing price. If you have $500-600 burning a hole in your pocket, whether you go new or used, you can get a great guitar that will play great, sound great and look great. Squire has their new classic vibe line that is giving the Fender lines a run for the money. Fender has its new player series which is giving good value. Ibanez always has great guitars for the price they ask and of course just about every other mass-market producer except Gibson is offering a great guitar at a great price.
I think $500 is the price point where the value meets the expectations. For $500 you can easily find a great playing guitar that sounds good and looks good to boot. It won't have the features that make a great guitar, but it won't be something you want to hide in the closet when your friends come over. These days I think you can get premium features and " as good as it can get " ( objectively speaking ) guitars for around the $1k mark. Much beyond the $1.5k mark, you are paying for a name, or for signature and custom models.
Once you break past top tier models such as a USA Strat, for instance, you aren't really paying for a better guitar, you're paying for a guitar that has had more hands on it and has been cared for better from the beginning. A custom shop model is likely made from parts pulled from regular stock but has been put together and finished by a dedicated and highly trained individual for that task. Same for Signature models no doubt. While signature models are essentially stock items, they are made with greater care and higher grade parts adding to the cost. Most custom shop guitars from companies that are mass producing cost around the $3.5k mark with some, of course, being higher for builds based on signature models or actually being a true one-off guitar. I am perhaps jaded, but I don't feel that custom shop or other high touch guitars really add to the overall quality that much over another premium model. I expect, considering the price, that I will get a flawless finish, perfect fret dressing and a guitar that can be set up to play anyway I like it to be without issue. The couple thousand extra doll hairs should at the very least guarantee that much. The question is how much difference between a custom shop vs a standard model there really is from an objective standpoint?
You can go buy a standard model guitar and have it Plecked for WAY less than a custom model guitar and in theory, it should play just as good. You can buy all your desired parts and even pay to have those parts installed for less than you can buy a custom shop model. Short of perhaps having a 100% flawless finish or premium features such as a volute, rare or exotic body and neck woods, and god forbid a relic'd finish, you are going to have an amazing guitar. I don't understand the whole relic'd craze that's going on? I love the look of a road-worn guitar, but as soon as I learn or realize that it's a relic'd model, I lose all respect. You should earn your stripes, not pay for them. To me, buying a new relic'd guitar is like being too lazy to just pick the thing up and actually go out and beat up on it. I have 3 1960's era guitars that have not seen enough stage time, they look pretty good for their age and while they do have scars, my family members or myself got to put them there. To me, a naturally and organically beaten guitar has 100X more value to me than one that was made to look that way in a shop room by a person paid to make guitars look that way. End rant..... The point being if you want a custom shop guitar, you are paying for the higher level of touch by a higher skilled craftsman than the average shop floor tech.
I just picked up a used 2013 Schecter Banshee 6P-FR!!!! Originally the guitar was selling for $1,200 give or take a few. Not too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but it came with features that were well above its asking price. It has a compound radius 12-16" neck with an ebony fretboard that is bound with maple on a 5 piece maple & walnut neck, a volute and Grover tuners. The neck is superb and is already hitting above its price point. The body is a two-piece alder with a maple wood bound quilted maple top ( I'm pretty certain a veneer ) finished with a translucent poly finish which is par for the course. It has direct mount mounted Seymour Duncan JB & Jazz pickups with a coil-splitting push-pull pot. The Floyd Rose bridge is a real one ( not licensed ) and even though it is not an original FR, it is an amazing model. This guitar is outstanding in terms of features and quality and it was doing it for less than the asking price of a USA Standard Strat ( I guess the American Original now??? ). I feel that this guitar is likely the best ( at the time ) that you could get for the money and you can fetch a used one that is in good shape for around $600!!! Ibanez is probably the next best king of value. You can jump into a premium series model for around the $1k mark and it is as good of a guitar as you can ask for considering its price.
We are spoiled today in that we can get brand new guitars that have a level of quality that far exceeds what was available many years ago for an amazing price. If you have $500-600 burning a hole in your pocket, whether you go new or used, you can get a great guitar that will play great, sound great and look great. Squire has their new classic vibe line that is giving the Fender lines a run for the money. Fender has its new player series which is giving good value. Ibanez always has great guitars for the price they ask and of course just about every other mass-market producer except Gibson is offering a great guitar at a great price.
treedroppings
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I have a Fender Lite Ash Strat (bought in 2006) that is pretty cool. It came stock with birds eye maple neck and APS 2 pickups (staggered poles)
I paid $600 for it with 11-48 strings. I put in a voodoo 57 PAF and it rocks like a pro! I could have probably wired the stock bridge pickup to the tone control and be just as good!
I have a Fender Lite Ash Strat (bought in 2006) that is pretty cool. It came stock with birds eye maple neck and APS 2 pickups (staggered poles)
I paid $600 for it with 11-48 strings. I put in a voodoo 57 PAF and it rocks like a pro! I could have probably wired the stock bridge pickup to the tone control and be just as good!
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treedroppings
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
In 2016, I finally set it up just right, LoL.
Yeah my Strat is about 8 or 9 lbs, I think. Neck is thin but while I like a thicker neck, my hands are small enough to work with this guitar.
In 2016, I finally set it up just right, LoL.
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Synapsys
New member
Re: Midrange guitars are really impressive these days.
I had a Lite Ash Tele, in natural finish, bought second hand for € 200, mint apart from a small mark on the (awesome looking birdseye) maple fretboard.
Really heavy, but it was Lite on the pocket (
), played and sounded great. Too bad the A2P for Tele weren't noiseless, and that's why I sold it.
I had a Lite Ash Tele, in natural finish, bought second hand for € 200, mint apart from a small mark on the (awesome looking birdseye) maple fretboard.
Really heavy, but it was Lite on the pocket (
), played and sounded great. Too bad the A2P for Tele weren't noiseless, and that's why I sold it.