Underrated and Overrated

[Scastles]

What guitars, and including the bass, are the most overrated manufactured models and which are the most underrated, other than Rick? Any year, any particular model. Electric or acoustic. Pretty much a personal taste, but likely others will have the same commonality.

[antipodean]

What guitars, and including the bass, are the most overrated manufactured models and which are the most underrated, other than Rick? Any year, any particular model. Electric or acoustic. Pretty much a personal taste, but likely others will have the same commonality.

Over-rated:

'59 Les Paul
'Early 50s Telecaster (+ Nocaster, Broadcaster & Esquire)
'54-57 Strat
'Early 60s Jazz Bass

Don't get me wrong, these are GREAT instruments, but their mythical stature is over-the-top.

Under-rated:

'60s Silvertone "Dolphin-nose" bass
'60s Dano/Silvertone U2 guitar
'70s Mosrite Mk 1 Guitar & Bass
'60s Epi Newport Bass
'60s Epi Coronet
'90s Bacchus MIJ Gibson/Fender clones

[jingle_jangle]

Underrated:

Fender Jags (still getting a bad rap despite their versatility)
Korean Danelectro Longhorn reissues (sweeet!!!)
Charvel Surfcasters (not the reissues--the early '90s originals)
Gibson low-impedance models (1969-72)...possibly the most versatile Gibsons ever made, sound-wise. Terrific for DI work

Overrated:

Any Fender CS Celebrity Relic Replica (you knew I was gonna say that)
Taylor acoustics in general (lacking in individual character, though quality and price are unassailable!)

There are lots more, but my brain is fading tonight...

[deaconblues]

This topic is sure to start a small war...

Overrated:

Gibson SGs
Taylor acoustics
ES-335s
The current American Standard Strats (totally lifeless, IMO)
Fender Jazz basses
PRS guitars
Super flamed/quilted guitars

Underrated:

Epiphone archtops
MIM Strats
ES-125s
Plain tops
Archtop acoustics
Gretsches (far more versatile than they would seem - same goes for Rickenbacker)

[collin]

Great subject! I'll stick to guitars, that's all I know.

Overrated:

1. The Fender Stratocaster. Yes, it's an amazing guitar. Borderline brilliant, versatile, comfortable, good looks. But I think the fact that everybody and their great aunt plays one, and the fact it's the #1 most copied guitar in the world just kills it for me. You could hand me a '54 Strat and I wouldn't play it live.


2.The Flying V. It has to have the most obnoxious shape ever. No guitar that you can't play sitting down should be legal.


3.Gibson Les Paul Jr. . Actually, a very cool little guitar. A very cool little student guitar. The reason it's overrated is that people are paying $10K+ (late 50's models..) for a cheap guitar that was mass produced as an affordable version of the "real deal." Which brings me to the next one....



4. Gibson Les Paul Standards made between 1958 and 1960. Brilliant guitars. The damn Holy Grail of all things guitar. The Stradivarius of electric guitars. Unfortunately, they trade hands for the princely sum of up to half a million dollars. C'mon now. That is ridiculous. It's a GUITAR. The people paying that much for them probably can't even play them, and purchase them as an investment. In the light of collectibles and works of art, sure they will go for big money, just like a Rembrandt or a 1948 Tucker Torpedo......but it just kills me to see a guitar go for that much money. Besides, there are equally as good sounding, visually IDENTICAL newer Gibson clones made for less than $4K.


5. Almost any guitar made by Charvel, Jackson, or BC Rich. OR....anything with a Floyd Rose. Sure they can "dive-bomb" and stay in tune. I bet through a wall of Marshalls they would make anybody a bona fide Rockstar. I bet they play and sound great for their target genre.....but they've got to be embarassing to play. Kind of like the guitar equivalent of sleeping with a fat girl (sorry for the sexist interjection ladies! ). It's probably great, but I wouldn't want to tell my friends about it.. Same with the Charvel etc. It's a guitar I'd hide under the bed when company comes over. And BC rich.......you could put an eye out with em!




6. Ovation Acoustics. Can't stand the horrible toy guitar sound or the plastic "slide-off-your-knee" bowl in the back (see the Flying V above..). I used to have one- a friend gave it to me for free, and I think i got ripped off. They do get points though, for being a leader in the field of acoustic/electrics. Plugged in, they sound much clearer/crisper than earlier A/E guitars, but still have the cheap twang of an Ovation. They made some cool electrics (the Breadwinner etc..) but I never understood the hype around the acoustics.


Underrated:

1. Rickenbacker guitars. Alright alright. I'm biased. I admit it. This is the place to be Ric-biased anyways, right? Ric are special. They say something unique about their owner. If I'm at a club and I see somebody pull out a Ric, we're more likely to end up talking cos I know they likely sought out that guitar as something unique and different. They aren't as rare as some guitars, but certainly far more rare than the usual Fenders/Gibby's you see anywhere. I've also never played a Ric that wasn't comfortable and sounded great. Even the black sheeps of the Ric family (the 200 series etc..).


2. Fender Japan. Some people on guitar boards are very very xenophobic when it comes to guitar production. I think Fender Japan is one of the best things to happen to the brand in the past 25 years. I have some very early MIJ '62 Tele Customs, and they sound GREAT! Better than AVRI (which are a good bargain too..), have the broken-in feel of an old guitar, and sound amazing. Bargains at $400ish too....The pickups are the only downside on Fender Japan guitars, but that's also the easiest thing to change. Finish, fit, and quality were far and above what Fender USA was doing back in the 80s, and at least equal to what they are doing today.


3. Fender Jazzmaster/Jaguar. They were never intended to be cheap guitars like the Mustang, Duosonic etc. They were top-of-the-line guitars when they were introduced, and I think they are still more comfortable, versatile and COOL than a Strat or Tele anyday. The Jag gets a few points subtracted for being shortscale, but some folks like that too. A decent vintage (pre CBS) example can still be had for under $5K. Try getting an equivalent strat for even 5 times that amount!


4. Ampeg ADA 6. The famous Keith Richards/Greg Ginn "see through" plexi guitar. Never a huge hit, but cool enough to be reissued a few years ago. Nice wide neck, great for slide as Richards did. coolest part (other than the awesome clear lucite body) is the slide-in removeable pickups. At least six distinctly different pickups were issued, each sounds great. Super clean vintage examples sell for around $3k, reissues for about a grand. Very cool.



5. Univox Guitars (and other Matsumoko made Japanese guitars). They get a bad wrap for being considered "cheap copy" guitars back in the day. My view on these far east gems is probably different than many because I'm much younger, and didn't live through the era when these were "uncool" to have. It'd be the opposite nowadays. They were all well made guitars that sounded great. Personal favorite is the High Flier mosrite copy. Such a bad "copy" that it almost stands on it's own as a fresh design. I've owned over 50 in the past, now narrowed to two early examples. They play like butter, and nothing sounds like them. They are "plywood beasts." (well...they have solid alder bodies, but it's not as much fun to say it...).


Whew....

Cheers,
-Collin

[deaconblues]

Oh, yeah, +1 on Ovations...can't stand to play them for more than ten seconds.

As for refusing a '54 Strat...

[collin]

Oh, yeah, +1 on Ovations...can't stand to play them for more than ten seconds.

As for refusing a '54 Strat...

haha...refusing to play a strat, at least live. But....if you're handing em out...? I'll take one, sure! What the heck, eh?

[kiramdear]

Good one, Collin, all very good points.

[1965]

I'm in line with most of you guys. Hate Ovations, they have no feel at all. Modern American strats are lifeless, with their white necks and horrid colors. Also not a fan of Taylor acoustics, I've been to the factory, I've owned them, played them, and now I hate them. They can slap the craziest woods out there on them and they still feel sterile. As for this strat/LP thing, I don't think they're overrated. Yes they're annoyingly ubiquitous, but when you find a good one they're undeniably awesome.

[weemac]

Ovations are tricky, most are dogs but there are a few real gems out there.

My all time favorite must be the SG Junior, they are so simple that there is no where to hide with them. A good Sg junior will truely show what sort of player you really are. The early 60s ones are the most elegant and the later 60s and current ones just shout Rock & Roll.....

I love Jap Fenders but don't really like the current American ones, they seem to be almost over constructed......

Eden.

[jingle_jangle]

True, true...I've got 4 Japanese Fenders, and except for upgrading pickups, they are much nicer than the Americans and $200-300 cheaper, even including shipping.

[antipodean]

Hmm...

I forgot to add Jags, Jazzmasters, MIJ Fenders and the amazing Surfcaster to my underrated list....

As for Korean Danos, great value for money...

To be sure, Korean Epis should also be on the underrated list. In general Korean product has improved 1000% over the last 10 years.

Are Gretsches really underrated? I've always held them in the highest esteem!

[deaconblues]

Modern American strats are lifeless, with their white necks and horrid colors.

Not only that, and most importantly, they're sonically dead for some reason. I have A/Bd several American Standards with MIM Strats at guitar stores and the MIM Strats never fail to blow the American ones completely out of the water.

Gretsches are pretty popular, but I'd love to see them used more often...same with Ricks, naturally (especially Ricks that aren't 330/360/4001!)

[collin]

As for Korean Danos, great value for money...

To be sure, Korean Epis should also be on the underrated list. In general Korean product has improved 1000% over the last 10 years.

+1. The initial Dano reissues were great little guitars! They sound so good plugged in, it almost defies science (cheapest construction materials possible, tiny lipstick pickups etc. ). The DC3 and U2's were awesome, I wish they'd bring them back in the full color range too. They were like $200 too!

and I used to play Korean Epi hollowbodies all the time. Had a Riviera and a Noel Gallagher Supernova (yes, with the tacky Union Jack paintjob). I'd be damned if they weren't some of the best sounding, versatile guitars I owned. Great value for money, for sure.

[jingle_jangle]

Collin, my Blackburst Dano longhorn must be a later issue...I paid $550.00 for it, and construction, finishing, and detailing are absolutely first-rate--just completely floored me whe I opened the case...