Cheap Guitars are Good

[kiramdear]

Of all the things to have to feel guilty about, my RAS isn't one of them. Glad I'm single.

[rickenbrother]

Congratulations on your new Johnson!

Sorry...

[jimk]

Although it's a great rockabilly guitar, I've discovered that some licks and riffs are actually easier to play on my Rick.
JimK

[Ric-O-Buc]

Peavey reactor, hands down the best tele knockoff out there, getting hard to find, usa made, better than a mexi tele, not as good as usa teles, i traded mine for a MGB, wish i still had the guitar, only paid 150 bucks for it in '02

I have one, swapped the pickups and tuners out - its a real player now.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Of all the things to have to feel guilty about, my RAS isn't one of them. Glad I'm single.

And with that simple post, the hearts of a dozen readers quickened, and they each ran to their Ricks and wrote a love song.

[thedanielwilliams]

I agree with you re: cheap guitars... I seems like the expensive ones are generally getting worse (Fender, Gibson--not Rick, of course) and the cheaper ones are generally getting better.

The bang/buck ratio is changing.

[kiramdear]

Of all the things to have to feel guilty about, my RAS isn't one of them. Glad I'm single.

And with that simple post, the hearts of a dozen readers quickened, and they each ran to their Ricks and wrote a love song.

Aww, Mark, are you gonna write a love song for me?

[DOUBLEUman]

I agree with you re: cheap guitars... I seems like the expensive ones are generally getting worse (Fender, Gibson--not Rick, of course) and the cheaper ones are generally getting better.

The bang/buck ratio is changing.

Interesting topic. Re: cheap guitars in the US, agree totally when it comes to some recent Chinese products I've handled, though much seems to depend on how much the US importers roll their sleeves up and closely control the manufacturing process in China. The Qingdao, China Epiphone factory, which seems to be run in a very hands-on way by Gibson, has been producing some astonishing axes. My sense is that when the US importers avoid an "outsourcing" mentality and stay involved, they CAN produce wonders, if that's what they want. There are the importers who just don't give a flip.

I just bought a China-made SX-brand bass (http://www.rondomusic.com) for $119 based on all the rave reviews at the Talk Bass (http://www.talkbass.com/), and it has amazed me and my serious bassist colleague. As I understand it, the man who runs Rondo in New Hampshire is really fussy. He's not just like, "Give me 10,000 Les Paul copies by Tuesday."

[kiramdear]

Good stuff! I agree that cheap guitars aren't what they used to be. I have a Turser beatle bass copy that I found in a pawnshop for very cheap, and the quality is very good. I've used it a lot. But that's an exception for me - I usually look for not-so-cheap guitars at cheap prices.

[thedanielwilliams]

"Give me 10,000 Les Pauls copies by Tuesday."

No, that's what the guy at Gibson says.

[brammy]

[johnallg]

I agree with you re: cheap guitars... I seems like the expensive ones are generally getting worse (Fender, Gibson--not Rick, of course) and the cheaper ones are generally getting better.

The bang/buck ratio is changing.

Interesting topic. Re: cheap guitars in the US, agree totally when it comes to some recent Chinese products I've handled, though much seems to depend on how much the US importers roll their sleeves up and closely control the manufacturing process in China. The Qingdao, China Epiphone factory, which seems to be run in a very hands-on way by Gibson, has been producing some astonishing axes. My sense is that when the US importers avoid an "outsourcing" mentality and stay involved, they CAN produce wonders, if that's what they want. There are the importers who just don't give a flip.

I just bought a China-made SX-brand bass (http://www.rondomusic.com) for $119 based on all the rave reviews at the Talk Bass (http://www.talkbass.com/), and it has amazed me and my serious bassist colleague. As I understand it, the man who runs Rondo in New Hampshire is really fussy. He's not just like, "Give me 10,000 Les Paul copies by Tuesday."

I have an SX Jazz that betters Squires and almost Fender MIM. Certainly one heck-of-a bass for the $129 shipped. I like the feel of it better than MIA Jazz basses that I've tried in the stores. The b/b ratio is very high.

[DOUBLEUman]

I have an SX Jazz that betters Squires and almost Fender MIM. Certainly one heck-of-a bass for the $129 shipped. I like the feel of it better than MIA Jazz basses that I've tried in the stores. The b/b ratio is very high.

I know may sound weird, but I actually find the high quality of my SX bass mildly disturbing. It raises some pretty serious questions about the guitar industry, and seems to foretell a rougher future for American guitar manufacturers. Are Gibson and Fender going to go the way of GM and Ford?

[ajish4]

Just tell her Tony made you buy it, but make sure she doesn't have Tony's phone #.

THAT is just WRONG Jim!

Let me tell you, being on the receiving end of a MRS who was TOLD "Tony made me do it" isn't fun!

[wmthor]

As I understand it, the man who runs Rondo in New Hampshire is really fussy. He's not just like, "Give me 10,000 Les Paul copies by Tuesday."

The guy who runs Rondo has a pretty good rep over on the lefty forums. I've even considered one of these P90 equipped guitars.