The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

See if you can find one of those "Hagstrom" reissues.
Hagstrom super swede and Hagstrom swede are great guitars.
Some Americans got a licence to make reissues of these famous vintage swedish guitars.I think they are crafted in corea.
If you are looking for a cheap "les paul" this is your guitar.
Go find one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Mincer said:
Ernie Ball/Music Man SUB1- awesome USA made guitar, for around $400.
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Oooh! I want that!

(this dead-end job isn't pulling in any money...):thumbsdow
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Godin

ArtieToo said:
Its really hard to beat a mid 80's MIA Peavey Patriot. Just a good basic dual humbucker guitar. It actually comes with humbucker-sized singles, like "rails" Phat Cats, that are outstanding. I prefer the hardtail, but they also come with tremolo's.

I've seen 'em go for as low as $65, but $150 is more typical. As far as I'm concerned, its as good as any Fender ever made.

Artie

Edit: And they come stock with CTS pots.
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I agree. They're great guitars (I prefer the Predator myself, though) that can usually be found for a great price. Although there's a pawn shop here that apparently thinks they've cornered the market on them because they have three and want over $200 for each of them. :smack:
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Squier '51.

Has an unbelievable stock humbucker, great tones and good feel.

You put some new pickups in it to your liking and it will do anything you want it to do.

My #1 '51 smokes my MIM fat strat, and the MIM is no slouch. I also prefer it to my Ibanez hollow body, which is a very sweet guitar.
 
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Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

My favorite "cheap" purchase was an Ibanez Jet King. I love the damn thing and the stock pickups are quite good.
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

From what I've tried, Squire. Love the necks on the Affinities and they seem sturdy enough. You could live with a stock one but there's nothing on a strat you can't change.
If after I spend some cash on a couple of necessities I right now I haven't found anything better it's that or a PRS SE with some soaps...
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

LSP said:
If after I spend some cash on a couple of necessities I right now I haven't found anything better it's that or a PRS SE with some soaps...
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Mine's round me neck right now producing SERIOUS tone! Go for it!!

EW
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

PRS SE used is killer for the dollar!!!
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

What is a great cheap guitar that (with pickup and electronic changes) can sound and play spectacularly?[/QUOTE]

Here's my suggestion, but just because I love redoing older guitars or doing projects. If you are going to switch out pickups/electronics anyway, find a body on auction that you like and know is good tone wood. Then find a nice neck to fit it. You're buying new pickups anyway, so all you need is a bridge. Either a Floyd type or fixed, you can put one together, minus the cost of pickups, for under $200 if you shop around. Also, you can enjoy custom staining or painting it and really making it your own.

My Ibanez RG550 project guitar modded with a Kramer neck:
Body: $40 (came wired with pickguard)
Neck: $80 (came with tuners)
Bridge: $40 (came with arm, springs, posts)
Playing it and pretending I'm a cross between Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, PRICELESS!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Sanded it down, stained it, threw a couple of great pickups in it, and it's my main axe. The pickups were all supposed to be matching in white, but some noob seller thought cream was white, so I just bought a yellow humbucker for sh#$'s and giggles. But, then again you said looks weren't top priority.

badhorsie01.jpg
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

t1r12003 said:
badhorsie01.jpg
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The temptation to build a project guitar has been growing alot in the past couple of weeks... That "Kramanez" is cool looking, and no worries about the pup colours, looks cool:)
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Ibanez RG 550 or 570: While they are considered "super strats" they don't seem to be as common, I'd say, as Strat or LP bodies. They can be found for $200 and they're made in Japan.
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Maui said:
I would have to say that Agile and SX guitars are good quility guitars for the money. A few flaws on the guitar i bought. But for $200 a nice solid guitar.
Check them out at http://www.rondomusic.net/electricguitar.html
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+2

I got an Agile AD-2500 the end of last year for $189 and just got a new Sx SJM for $139.

Here they be:

AD-2500 with GFS Dream 180 pickups + cosmetics
agilead2.jpg


Sx SJM-57 with GFS P90s & cosmetics
sjmwhite000.jpg


More pics of my SJM

Here is the SJM with the stock pickups
sjmstock001.jpg
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

I've been scoping thos SJM's. I would definitely swap out the pickups. How's is the rest of the guitar and hardware?
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

bpd_103 said:
Ibanez RG 550 or 570: While they are considered "super strats" they don't seem to be as common, I'd say, as Strat or LP bodies. They can be found for $200 and they're made in Japan.
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500-series Japanese Ibanez are awesome guitars.
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

You guys realize that this is well over 3 years old, right?

It could be a good reference thread but whoever started it has either gotten the guitar or disappeared into the mist...
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

jimijames said:
You guys realize that this is well over 3 years old, right?

It could be a good reference thread but whoever started it has either gotten the guitar or disappeared into the mist...
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Oh, sure...but the whole gist of the thread is still the same. It also makes me wonder if a lot of people still have the same choices in terms of the El Cheapo Holy Grail...:scratchch
 
Re: The holy grail of CHEAP guitars...

Depends on what type of guitar one's looking for.

For (usually) Set neck, LP (or PRSque) style as well as some superstrats I can't speak highly enough about Michael Kelly.
Also Schecter gets my vote, particularly for their mid-end offerings.
Finally, for Bolt-on, more (super)Stratty and Tele styles I like Swing Guitars (that's what my current no.1, albeit insanely heavily modified, is)
 
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