The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

[IanBallard]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

Totally simple curiosity. And that, when the thought occurred to me, I could name more USA Gibson models under $1K than almost any other brand, yet Gibson takes a lot of sht for being overpriced.

Fender choses to put their name on Mexican-made stuff which is competitively priced with the "entry-level" Gibsons. However, the cheap Gibsons are considerably stripped down, compared to a Les Paul Standard Epiphone or most MIM Fenders. When it comes down to, "it matters to me where the guitar is put together", if you desire a $400 guitar, you'll have one pickup, a wraparound bridge and highly questionable fit, finish and fretjob. Contrast that with a MIM Strat which has the same features, number of pickups, etc as a MIA Fender but also will have the same lack of quality in the finish and frets.

So it really comes down to what is more important... features or where something is made. In order for Gibson to produce a $400 guitar, it has to cut A LOT of corners and offer very little in terms of features.

On the other hand, adding $10,000 to the price of a Les Paul just because Jimmy Page signed it, cannot be excused as anything other than absurd.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

Are all Peaveys made in the USA? I figured they may have something in the running.

 

[Wonker]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

I think the problem is that American made stuff is just really expensive next to MIK or MIC.

Yeah its a damn shame that we can't use slave labor and have to have safe working conditions here in the states. Oh and can't forget those pesky environmental laws we have to follow.

 

[Wonker]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

Are all Peaveys made in the USA? I figured they may have something in the running.

Peavey has import and US lines.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

Are all Peaveys made in the USA? I figured they may have something in the running.

Not anymore, unfortunately. But their HP Special, being virtually the same guitar as the old Wolfgang with more features to boot, is almost $1000 less than when it had EVH's sig on it and is a couple grand less than a Fender Wolfgang of today. Helluva deal I think.

I have an old Peavey Patriot bass that I got $100 with the case and I can confidently say it's an outstanding instrument, from the build quality to the sound.

Peavey's always been great about price point and quality for US-made stuff, IMO.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

I appreciate that American companies are offering stripped-down USA models at prices that fall among their imports. Consider that some of the Studios, and the Highway 1 Fenders, are right in there with some of the Epiphones and MIM/MIK Fenders. For the same price, you can choose between a guitar with many features and cosmetic enhancements on one hand, and a guitar with few frills but which may have a certain sound and feel you're looking for, on the other.

I remember a few years ago when Gibson had LP Juniors really cheap, and these slab-bodied faded doublecut LPs in TV yellow, black, and cherry. They were very nice for the money; I really should have picked one up.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

It's maybe worth mentioning a couple of points:

1) I'm not shopping. And if I were, country of origin wouldn't be my top concern. I've owned instruments made in the USA, Mexico, Germany, Korea, Indochina, and China.

2) Quality and features are totally other issues. I'm not curious about the best value, or the least expensive guitar that has all the knobs we think it should have. Just wondering if the hive-mind was aware of a USA-made guitar cheaper than the Melody Makers. So far, the only answer has been "another Melody Maker."

But if you guys wanna turn this into another Gibson vs. Fender thread, don't let me get in the way. Just let me know, so I can go someplace else.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

It's maybe worth mentioning a couple of points:

1) I'm not shopping. And if I were, country of origin wouldn't be my top concern. I've owned instruments made in the USA, Mexico, Germany, Korea, Indochina, and China.

2) Quality and features are totally other issues. I'm not curious about the best value, or the least expensive guitar that has all the knobs we think it should have. Just wondering if the hive-mind was aware of a USA-made guitar cheaper than the Melody Makers. So far, the only answer has been "another Melody Maker."

But if you guys wanna turn this into another Gibson vs. Fender thread, don't let me get in the way. Just let me know, so I can go someplace else.

If you're looking for new guitars, that's where you'll be: Melody Makers. But you can find good, used US-made guitars used for around that price that have a lot more features.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

I thought Godins were made in both Canada and the US. Either way, I'd say Canada counts, as the theme of the thread seems to be finding the cheapest guitar that isn't made by people being paid pennies an hour. Godins are a better value than the Gibson MM IMO, but of course Godin doesn't have much of an image to help sales so their markup is understandably smaller.

Godin's are made in Canada and assembled in the USA . . . (at least that's what it says on the headstock of my Exit 22). I'd argue that makes them at least half american.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

Godin's are made in Canada and assembled in the USA . . . (at least that's what it says on the headstock of my Exit 22). I'd argue that makes them at least half american.

half breed guitars



i woulda thought Washburn maybe

 

[uOpt]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

The Hamer studio might be the cheapest "serious" guitar.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

The Hamer studio might be the cheapest "serious" guitar.

How much is that? $600?

 

[IanBallard]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

I just got done jamming on the drums with a dude playing SERIOUS guitar with a Squier Affinity. He could probably smoke most anybody here and he spends zero time on guitar forums.

I should probably take note.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: The least expensive currently produced guitar Made In The USA.

I just got done jamming on the drums with a dude playing SERIOUS guitar with a Squier Affinity. He could probably smoke most anybody here and he spends zero time on guitar forums.

I should probably take note.

Objection: Relevance. Be careful; Blue might charge you royalties.