I wouldn't buy a car that came with dinks and scratches from factory. I'd never buy a new pair of shoes bursting at the seams. I'd never wear a shirt with yellow stains in the armpits because it was sold like that. So why buy a guitar that looks it's been through hell and at a premium price? It's just stupid
I grabbed a Rg 550 by accident when I was buying bass trings as the coutner was busy. Little did I know that I woud not byuy the strings but that guitar would follow me home. It made me switch instruments and still those Rg.s still get my attention. Perfect shape for my height and body, well balanced, versatile as they play it all. Over the decade or two, this was my main guitar. And I still own it, though it has its share of wear and tear , still sounding and playing great. It got supplemented by another one, bought cheap as the previous owner tried to put heavy strings on it making the FR rise up like the Empire State. Readjusting and lighter strings it easily holds a note for long time. Over the years I got two more, one is a Rg 570 and a reworked 320 by German luthier with loads of mods. They are alike but not, sounding a little differeatbut able to play it all. Just love them! I never cared for whatever was in fashion in terms of guitar, ergonomics, balance and sound alongwhat I can afford, was on my bucket list.
Phil, you are too humble. We all know that a big reason that cheap guitars are cool now is because of RU-vid channels like yours and others. As a kid I was sold on the idea that expensive guitars were better guitars, and it wasn’t until I came across your channel that I began to think differently and I bet that I am not the only one that was influenced by you.
@@olebrumme6356 If you put in the neck Invader, and not the BRIDGE model. The neck humbucker has a capacitor filter between the coils... significant difference.
Very good for you! Congrats. I also bought 2 Squier Affinity Strats to upgrade and Mod ! So far, I already upgraded one and its sounding and playing better than my Fender Strat. It only cost me €400 !! - With the money you saved, you can buy yourself a new and better amp and some effects pedals.
When the first superstrats with the original, no fine tuners, floyds first hit, there are stories out of several Los Angeles guitar shops where guys actually traded in Bursts for these first superstats. I sounds absolutely insane now. But that's how crazy people were for the superstats when they first started to come out in limited quantities at the retail level. 'Factories' weren't equipped or prepared for mass production...as most weren't even 'factories'...just shops...so overshore production soon started. There was a lot of 'manufatured elsewhere...assembled and setup here', going on.
You couldn't give a Fender Mustang away until Kurt started playing them. Speaking of Kurt. The Jagstang was dunked on for years and now all of the sudden people love them. 🤷
@@spookybaba I like both, but I prefer the greater versatility of the Jaguar. I've been a big Nirvana fan since they were around, but I hate the Jagstang. At it's core, it's just a Mustang with a humbucker (which I own a couple of), but a really fuckin ugly one! The extended butt, and the way the pickguard and control plate don't follow the lines of the body, just really rubs me the wrong way. Kurt was never happy with his, and barely played it. I see it as nothing more than a cash grab from Fender.🤮
They couldn't give them away, which was the reason guys like Cobain started playing them. Only for their very use of them to drive the prices through the roof.
Johnny Winter, as he got older, started road-housing with a headless Erlewine Lazer guitar... and the music was still as sweet as when he played it with his Firebirds! 🐺
I loved, and still love, the shape of those ibanez shred guitars. They're beauties. I never got one, and I can't justify having a fourth guitar. My 88 charvel is my shredder, which I've had since new and was my one and only for 30 years until I acquired two absolute beautiful Yamaha SG models from the early 80s.
I really liked the one I had. It was a tone machine, felt and played great. I plan to eventually get another one, just waiting on them to be in stock again.
The Wolfgang is a phenomenal guitar. I owned a couple of the original Peavey models and now have two of the early (Fender) eVh branded guitars. I think the neck profile on the latest eVh models are possibly slightly nicer but those Peaveys were absolutely bullet proof!
Great for you! Congrats! I also have an EVH Wolfgang Special, which I bought for half the price - €750 !! and its one of the best guitars I have ever played. Amazing sound. Its great for all types of music, not only for Van Halen or Heavy Metal.
I've always tried to pick a guitar that I like, rather than what the current trends and forum bros want me to like. We're all individuals with different tastes and different things speak to different people.
I love the 80's guitars, I get so sick of seeing the new dark, drab colors. I'm all man and I like the pinks, yellows, purples, the flashy colors. In the 80's I picked up the guitar by the name of Ibanez and it was green and on the back of the guitar, it was signed and numbered by some guy I never heard of " Steve Via". It was around $800. dollars with an hardshell case, if I could only go back in time!
I thought Les Pauls and Telecasters were horribly ugly when I first started playing guitar. They grew on me over time and my Telecaster is now one of my favorites!
Literally the same thing happened to me over the years, haha. I called them old man guitars. Now I'm 45, and I have a couple of each. So, really, I guess I was right all along!😂
One day you start liking telecasters. Usually around the time you start having ibuprofen for breakfast and can’t understand what the heck teenagers are saying. 😅
Yep I still go to stores and talk about prices and people are just insane, its a f&*king used guitar and there are hundreds of this model on the market, yet you are trying to sell it for more than its MSRP new. kindly go F&*K off!!!!! Your used shit isn't worth what you think it is.
I have to comment again. Number 10 is me. Graduated HS in 1985 and have been looking at shred guitars lately! That is so funny that you would catch that in your video.
Class of '85 too. 15 of my guitars are pointy Ibanez and Jacksons with Floyds. I catch so much crap over it but don't care; they play better than anything else.
From what I’ve read several times, the Strat was a flop in 1954 when it was released, it wasn’t until 1957 when Buddy Holly played one on the Ed Sullivan show that it started becoming popular.
The 80's was the music of my youth. As a result, shred guitars are totally 'my thang'. My 'collection' is pretty much all guitars with Double Locking Trems, loud colurs and pointy headstocks. Some are more 80's than others. Peavey Nitro, Destiny and Vandenberg, Fender HM Strat, Ibanez RGs Jem and Universe, Jackson Soloist.... I'm no shredder but I do love those guitars and own at least one of each. Sitting here with a Jem and Universe at the moment 👍
I love guitars. I have some of the classics. I went to a guitar shop to buy some leads but came back home with a neon pink Ibanez Jem jr...I saw it and had to have it. I was playing it when my wife got home from work "WTF is that? It's awful! she says...following up with "it does not fit in with the aesthetic of your other guitars". She's right, it doesn't. I love it, and not because it's a great guitar (that it is not) It's because it's cool, it's out there and it takes me back to when I first started listening to Vai, Satriani and Petrucci. Thanks Phil! Another great video!
Dig the list. I like the non standard stuff, and even with the popular brands, I've owned weird ones. I've always told students to get something that sounds good unplugged and feels good in their hands, the other stuff is secondary.
I have been buying cheap guitars for over 35 years. I always frequented the pawn shops, flea markets and yard sales. Yes there was a lot of junk but there were decent guitars also. I am 65 and none of my guitars are over $300. Most I bought for $150 from a pawn shop. If they weren't in really bad shape, I would replace parts. I have a music room full of guitar parts. To me, it was just as interesting working on them as it is playing. And I am a weekend warrior/home player. Plus the fact is that a lot of cheap guitars now are made better than years ago.
I love my Ibanez RG550. It is stock except I added a Roland GK2a hex divided pickup for MIDI guitar stuff. It rocks and I can play almost any genre of music on it. It has great action and is light and very comfortable to play, and gets great sounds!
Have to say, Phil your SG’s over time, had to be part of my Geeky collection. 61 faded cherry no trem and nose dive, gather I was just lucky. Not even a problem with QC, amazing lol. Yet with the studio Marshall head and half stack angled England built. That at time I think I had told the KYG community 🤷♂️. Another reason why i give my best, I hope to budget better to give a-little more for things you have made clearer or flat out better ways all the time. Not a thing, I could or would do for a walking, strumming this is the best pedal and guitar till there next show. Respect my friend, 🫡🪖🇦🇺 (ya got ta have a pointy shredder if where rocking high school in the 80’s Hair Guitar days and pants so tight they looked painted on, So my RG premium and wizard neck is a must stay lol)
What impressed me with Ibanez and Hamer in the 80s / 90s was that they were trying to make a better guitar when other brands were in a 30 year (now 70 year) rut. But I never really bonded with those I had and they have all moved on. I'd be prepared to give the Hamer Diablo another go if I can find one in oiled finish.
Jackson, Kramer, Charvel, and the many other pointy head guitars that fell into the shred category, always had to have the Floyd, or equivalent. The hotter the pickups, the better. Dark, Bright, Glowing, or otherwise. I miss those days.
Speaking of lightweight headless travel guitars, I have 2 headless Kiesels and I'm a convert. One is a Gibson-scale Zeus with Beryllium humbuckers (5.5 lbs) and the other is an HD Delos with trem and Johnny Hiland single-coils (6.25 lbs). They're so light and easy to play, and between them they cover pretty much all of my electric guitar needs.
I dislike certain headstocks. I also dislike overpriced guitars. Some of the ones you showed are absolute beauties. I love when people say… “do you like it? Does it inspire you to play? Then it’s a good guitar…”
When I started playing guitar I liked SGs, Explorers, Ibanez shred and metal shhapes, and Vs. My first electrics were an Ibanez Destroyer and an Epiphone SG. And I wanted something with a Floyd, although I never ended up getting one. The more my back started hurting and the less I could understand what teenagers were saying, the less I liked anything aggressive-looking or too flashy, and the more I started liking Teles, Gretsch hollowbodies, and ES335s, preferably with Bigsbys on them.
I love love love the Ibanez RG model. It's a shred monster. I don't need it as much being a 60 year old but I still need it. Every one I've had has been a budget, 399, guitar. Really want a higher end model.
Near as I can tell it’s the pickups that make a difference , at least to my ear… and the setup is paramount. If you enjoy the guitar and it has a particular sound to it that we love then I will adapt my playing. I think that a diff GTR makes you play different . ❤🎉
I found this topic quite interesting to say the least. I will admit, never knew LP were NOT popular when they first came out. I remember when the 1st headless guitar came out thinking. If I bought one of those, I will feel like I bought an incomplete guitar.
I am definitely a single cut lover with my favorite being the Gibson Les Paul. I love Telecasters, too, but for some reason the Les Paul seems more elegant and refined and the Tele more utilitarian and simplistic. But in the right hands (not mine, sadly), they can both make incredible sounding music. 🎶
PRS guitars (or the Custom 24) could potentially go on the list too. So many people hate them still but also so many people love them (I always loved them though)
Haha I was thinking the same! I love PRS too, but it's no secret the Gibson and Fender purists despise them, for lacking a true identity/tone (in their opinion, of course).
I’m partial to the 80’s shred guitars specifically Charvel and the Friedman Cali. Not because of the hair metal bands and shredders but primarily because of Allan Holdsworth and Bill Connors. Additionally, I purchased my 80’s Jackson after seeing Beck use one in the “Infatuation” video.
Shredder guitars never really went away around here, they were always around I never got into them so much, but nothing against anyone who likes them. Some guitars were ahead of their time, some were just bad marketing or bad timing. So don’t worry about trends, get something (or some things) you like and play
The truth about guitars hated and then loved is that when you start playing in a band and you're not famous and you don't have money, you buy the cheapest guitar you can find, and the cheapest ones are those that everybody hates. So, in the '70s and early '80s all rockers were buying Gibson Les Pauls and SGs for cheap because they were leftovers from the '50s and '60s. When these guys and their bands became famous everybody wanted their instrument of choice. The same with Grunge and Jazzmasters and Jaguars. Shred and flashy guitars of the '80s were loved immediately because they represented the spirit of the music and the shows, but later hated because it was only associated with that era and that style, as Philip said. Now there's a comeback of the '80s and these axes are cool again.
I don't hate on any guitar, they are just wood and metal things. I love what they DO! There are many I think ugly or unappealing but that is very personal for every player. Not into jagged pointy guitars personally. Number 1 criteria is how it sounds and plays. Everything else a distant second. Pink, purple or duck tape, don't care. I am not locked into one style of instrument. I have or have owned in the past almost every style of guitar except a pure acoustic jazz box. But there are features I don't ever want, like Floyd Rose bridges or active pickups for example. For what matters, See #1 above.
Headless guitars were never "out of fashion" ,as much as out of price range... even then, a used "paddle" Steinberger GP-2 in good shape wasn't going for less than $1000, and if you were looking for a TransTrem (let alone a composite body), it was a couple of paychecks for a lot of people. Nobody made headless at the time, and headless necks just weren't sold, unless as Steinberger replacements.... and they were kind of heavy. And were nevermind double ball-end strings...
The cheap guitar game changed when CNC machines got seriously involved in production. Now you have a MUCH better chance of finding a cheap guitar where the neck heel makes a solid fit into the pocket, creating a more reliable and affordable platform for personal experimentation.
If I win that HILS I will personally come to your house and give you a hug, they're possibly the coolest guitars I've ever seen and I have my fingers crossed :)
Man I frickin HATE a jazzmaster! It’s irrational how much I despise them, I can normally find something good to say about any guitar but those are just…bleh
I prefer the Jaguar to be honest over the jazzmaster, but the main issue with both is you need to have them set up properly, like really properly other guitars you can kind of get away with the setup being off, but not that bridge and tremolo.
One of the reasons people like relic guitars and why new manufacturers are relicing is because it feels great to play. Also, you don't have to be nervous about bumping it into the floor tom or whatever. What is also funny is that those of us who like relic guitars don't comment on new looking guitars like relic haters do when they see a beat up looking strat or whatever.
Cool video Phil. Interesting to know some of those classics were flops! Crazy! Les Paul, Jazz Master, crazy! I do not yet own a 80's hair guitar, but I have been lurking at one or two. I need to pull the trigger on one! BUT WHICH ONE DUDE?! WHICH ONE!?!
I recently bought a new Standard Les Paul like I’ve always wanted & after playing it for a while I’m not all that crazy about it. Other people are excited about it, they love it. Doesn’t matter to me what everyone else thinks. Do I modify it or suffer a loss trading it away? I got over relics. Now I respect the wear marks older guitars I’m willing to take out of the house have acquired even though I’m very careful with them. That LP dream guitar I don’t really like stays at home & stays in mint condition.
8:50 80s guitars are pretty much superior to every other guitar, especially vintage Fenders and Strats. Why? Lower action, faster necks, more frets, better, more aggressive shapes, more wiring options (series/split/parallel/phase/killswitch), floating bridges (the good ones that stayed in tune like Schallers, OFRs, Ibanez Original Edges, and Kahlers). Occasionally you would have MIDI functionality, integrated piezos in something like a Graphtech Ghost system, hexaphonic pickups, and more. More features + better playability = better, to the point that many of these guitars are more than what most hobbyists need. *In short, you can do everything on an 80s shred guitar that you can do on a 50-70s Les Paul or Strat and more. This makes the 80s guitar better. It's a Ferrari compared to a Ford Mustang.* The problem is the guitar market right now is very conservative. Styles have become boring again since 2010 or so. Same old Strats. Same old Les Pauls. These are safe and they are what sell. *The only way to find true 80s style guitars with aggressive shapes and innovative designs today outside the used market is to either custom build a guitar or buy a guitar made for the Japanese domestic market by companies like Edwards, Grassroots, Grover Jackson, Jackson Stars, Fernandes, and others, and import them.* A rare, interesting guitar shapes like a 1985 Hondo Death Dagger was only recently brought back in modern form as a 7 string with Floyd Rose by Ran Guitars of Poland and then ESP for Steffen Kummerer of Obscura. *If there is a legitimate criticism of 80s guitars beginning with BC Rich and later extending to Jackson/Charvel, LTD/ESP, some Ibanez guitars, some Kramer guitars, and Japanese guitars like Fernandes, it is that aggressive body shapes lead to a lack of balance and usually neck drop.* This is pretty much the only reason not to buy an 80s guitar. *That said, garish 80s guitars like the Ibanez Jem shown are a good example of when not to buy an 80s guitar. The colors are terrible (gloss black, red, white, or blue are best for pointies, and not so many bright clashing colors), it is basically just a super Strat, and Ibanez makes it more difficult to upgrade their bridges on their cheap guitars by sticking to their Edge derived bridge designs, which are not always swappable with OFR/Schaller/Gotoh bridges. This is why I stay away from Ibanez, as well as their general conservatism regarding designs. They do not put floating bridges on their Glaive, most Icemans, most Destroyers, and other pointy shapes.* In my view, Ibanez has mostly stopped making interesting guitars. If I want a floating bridge Destroyer, I am better off with the mid 80s X series than waiting on a reissue. That said, *Ibanez basses are usually a very good value relative to guitars because they often feature 6 or even 7 strings for a moderate cost relatively to boutique brands like Dingwall or Conklin.* So bring back 80s guitars. I'm tired of Boomer cherry sunburst Les Pauls.
The thing about the sears guitars to me wasnt the label but the high action and painful playability..cheese slicer. My first electric in 1979 was a sears silvertone...I almost quit guitar due to the pain of playing that slicer. Thank goodness I finally was turned on to light gauge strings and continued to play until I could get better quality instruments. high end guitars from those days played so much easier. Fortunately now, even cheaper guitars arent to horrible to play out of the box
I have bought and moded 5 Squiers Classic vibe - but the reason being cuz I love those laquered necks of the classic vibe squiers as I dislike satin and unfinished necks - I mean C'mon, it's like they didn't finish the guitar if the neck is not laquered. My favorite guitar though is my 1986 Kramer Liberty anniversary edition (white) with neck through body gold floyd and gold hardware - that guitar is the best guitar ever made. I paid 800 $ at Hollywood Guitar Center for that in 1986....
It has always been my dream to show up with a weird guitar and play music you should... think bc warlock playing blues, country, or jazz, just the challenge people's preconceived opinions.
I'm so traditional it's border line criminal. When Van Halen started playing the Steinberger I thought to myself....."what the f is that"? Hell, when keyboards showed up on VH 1984 They lost me. Anyway, you're not wrong about any of it.
Weight is always a funny one to me. I've played very heavy and very light, and I don't really care. If it feels good, and it sounds good, I like it. Maybe because I'm not on stage with a heavy guitar every night. If I'm playing at home, or I'm sitting down, the weight doesn't really matter to me. Of course, as I speak, I have an EART GW2 headless (certainly influenced by your review) and it's just there because it's easy to grab up and play. Small, light, headless... and given it's finish and price point, I don't really care if it gets dinged up. Anyway, it's more about convenience than weight.
I personally like the Jazzmaster just not dressed in a traditional Fender design, I would purchase one if it had humbuckers and either a TOM or string-through hard tail. I know Jim Root has his Jazzmasters but I always liked offset bodies before he had those.
Hey Phil. Inexp3nsive guitia5s such as Hwrley Benton, FireFly, I've arr so much be55e4 than most Silvertone, Kay, Mem0his etc. It's almost comical. Of course 5hqt is a great thing for the hobby and Industry! As fa4 as hated guitars, how about 2 of my all time favoritea.... Explorer and Flyong V?? Panned by most every one till 5he late 70-s and early 80's. GREAT video as always. Keep up the g9oe work!!
Yeah, I bought a really nice Ibanez in 1995 for $250 that i knew was maybe 6 times as much when it was new - but because it was teal and had a pointy headstock it was totally uncool. But it played amazing and came with dimarzios that sounded awesome and had basically the prs 08 switching system in it and a good floyd rose. But the point I had it for 10 years and I sold it for not a lot because I just didn’t like being seen playing it! The neck was about 10 mm thick. I’ve never had a guitar with a thinner neck, but it just played amazing. It just worked so well. You could do anything you want to it like sometimes I would just push the tram bar all the way down and take the strings into a complete sag and just hold it there for like 30 seconds and then bring it back and to be perfectly in tune.
Yeah I’ve noticed myself and lots of others not being able to like a different shaped headstock form Fender or Gibson only to realize that a few months later I don’t hate it as much and sometimes it grows on me. It’s some stupid part of the way our minds work. It holds back everything until someone who doesn’t give a shit comes along and carves up a strat and ends up with a JEM.
I remember a story about Dave Evans, who brought his new guitar to rehearsal one day and proudly revealed a Gibson reissue ‘76 Explorer to his band mates. . ‘WTF is that?!” U2.
For a good while, 80s shredders were super cheap, and they played great. Now, lots of those specs are modern again, with stuff like the Ibanez AZ line for a premium. For your last point, I honestly wish I had bought my gear a bit less vintage looking. My guitar wall mostly looks like an advertisement for retro wood finishes.
I sometimes do find myself thinking maybe I should save all my money and buy a les paul not because i like them but because they are badge of respect but everytime a voice in the back of my head reminds me that it would never be a guitar that gets played because while I love how they look and can play pretty much anything, I prefer the thinner and flatter necks on ibanez and Charvel guitars and that will never change. I'd just be giving in to the marketing lol and buying something a novelty item.
