When he peeled of the plastic I literally got up and grabbed my silvertone that I've had for about 2 years and realized the plastic film was still on it
@Sunflower Seeds no no no. Its true that amp really do portray a big role but it would not sound like a 2000$ guitar even with a expensive amp. Yes it would definitely sound better but there are a big difference
@@gwendolynkaren5933 perfect, that's what I paid for mine last year. I saw Sweetwater had it for $450 this year, so musicians friend is the way to go..
@@Rockandrollgeerage 🙋♥️ I'm reading some reviews on Amazon as well I am getting so excited you don't even understand. It can be here as soon as March 4th It's been snowing steadily for the last 48 hours so I'm trying to time this out so I'm not at one of my four days a week that I work don't want to not be here when it shows up. 😎
Just received mine, a beautiful deep dark red. Everything is just as sweet as the one you tested...same pluses, same negatives. Oh, mine actually did have the whammy bar. Thanks for this review. I am 66 and decided to try my hand a guitar and was looking for a real inexpensive starter. This review convinced me to take a chance and I'm really glad I did.
@@WMalven if it was from Amazon, the prices often do jump around quite often. Regardless of if it's sold, shipped by Amazon, or a 3rd party, "marketplace' seller that ships through Amazon or directly, themselves. The pricing patterns seem to make no sense, when it's not related to major shopping holidays. And good on ya for trying out guitar!!!! Make sure you pick at least one song you like to try to learn with, besides the 'standards'... it's no fun if you're only being taught with songs that you have no affinity towards. Keep it up!! [I learned in my 20s, only a tiny, tiny bit... no complete songs. Then, at age 37, learned a slew of simple, rock songs when I co-founded a garage band.]
Thanks for the advice, EdwoodCA. I bought it direct from Monoprice on eBay, so the price was probably due to the trade negotiations with China. Sadly the price on a lot of stuff is going to rise as the PRC is forced to change it's trade practices.
I got my first guitar years ago, strictly for the “get’s you girls” part of it. Only thing is, sooner or later, somebody is going to expect you to play it.
100 bucks for a guitar that is perfect for someone just starting out is amazing. Yeah, sure, maybe it's not a high end machine and the learner using might push it to its limits, but at the end of the day you can replace electronics and hardware.
@@joshuahuf9747 - You can have the most expensive and highest quality guitar that money can buy, but still can make bad music with it. It's not the price that matters, but the one who wields it. If you on one side have a really experienced and skilled guitarist, with a crappy guitar, and on the other side you have one whos inexperienced and doesn't have much skill, but has the very best guitar - who do you think will outplay the other? - the experienced and skilled guitarist will always by far be able to outplay the inexperienced guitarist.
@@joshuahuf9747 Oh sure, not saying one shouldn't if one can afford it, whether it's an upgraded guitar or high quality one, doesn't really matter if the end result sounds the same. Besides, an upgraded guitar could still be a high quality guitar.
Bought one after watching this. Beats the hell out of the Bullet Tele I paid $250 for. Set up out of the box was great. Stays in tune amazingly well. The neck, as he points out, is beautiful. My daily player for the six months I’ve owned it.
@@oscarroy1930 i have a similar 100$ guitar and idk if you’ll care for what i say but i had mine for 2 years and still plays like it was just opened, it sounds amazing with the little amp it came with but if you want best results, try to get a really good amp
@@hyperturtle4614 I care ;) Cheap amps can produce interesting sounds, though. Gaz Coombs (from Supergrass) has one he bought from Woolworths that he still uses for it's unique sound, that he hasn't been able to replicate with anything else. Another fun fact is that the odd baseline at the end of Blur's 'Song 2' was created with one of those little battery-operated Marshalls!
Lets be honest with the beginners here. It doesn't matter what guitar you buy to start out with - within a few years you'll own several more guitars that you don't need but buy anyway :)
Haha that's true, I'm still only a beginner and I already have 3. I bought a $120 electric guitar to start off with then my friend sold his $150 electric guitar to me for $75 and my uncle just got me an acoustic that he got from one of his friends
My first was a 3/4 length National I bought in 8th grade, about 1960. My second was a '62 Strat I got in '64. I really wanted a Jag but couldn't afford it. Over the years the Strat has exploded, Jazzmasters and Jags are rarely seen. Decades later I got an Ibanez 777 JEM, then a few Jacksons. One of those Dinkys fits me perfectly and has been my #1 for a long time.
@@rudyrush6015 I've always wanted an Electromatic. Affordable, quality stuff from Gretsch, they're just always at that threshold between cheap and mid range price, which sucks for a broke dude with a habit of collecting guitars.
@@matteo-nf1kv is 248 dollar guitar expensive? in my country 248 dollars is rp.3.965.520 :( i cant afford that much.... If im a beginner is 200 dollar guitar good enough? (Sorry for bad english)
I started learning to play at 5 and my first guitar was called "the Bang Box"! It fell apart and the strings were about 1/4" off the neck. Got it for $10. It was an acoustic. New learners are very lucky today to have access to guitars like this one and to videos to learn how to play! I learned in the 70s.
I hear you bro. My parents bought me some unbranded acoustic thing and the strings were that far from the fret board I nearly gave up. Boy did I get finger strength using it. Then I played my friends Yamaha acoustic and realised that it should be effortless to fret strings. I saved up and bought an ovation and never looked back.... But that POS I had nearly made me give up because I didn't know any different!!
My first guitar was a white Epiphone Les paul that my dad got me from a pawn shop, it was $40 in pretty good condition And my second one that I bought later was a pink and white G&L Asat Telecaster, cause I found the Tele is the guitar that fits my body type the best in ergonomics and balance
Same! Thankfully there was a nylon string classical guitar I was able to switch to for learning until I could afford a guitar that was playable. Having a steel string acoustic with the strings in a different post code from the fretboard is super discouraging! It was also a cheap guitar from the 70's.
My first "guitar", the bridge lifted off the body. I never even played it. My first when I actually wanted to learn was a Harmony acoustic. Not bad, except the crack in the neck heel which meant it wouldn't stay in tune for longer than a heart beat. I paid $100 for it too; made the mistake of listening to the guy who sold it to me when he said it wouldn't make a difference. Should have spent another $100 and got a Yamaha FG700.
PRO TIP: if you want a guitar for free have a sister that gives up a lot. She will want to learn guitar and will get bored, give up, and BOOM ask her for the guitar and start learning.
I saw the film when I first got the guitar, but I couldn't get it to come off easily, so I figured it was a weird finish or something. Lol I still can't get the stupid thing to peel a good 10 years later
got my first guitar last week and it was pretty cheap so i just thought that i got a damaged pickguard. took me a couple of days to realize it was a plastic film😅
I learned a long time ago when I first started learning guitar on a piece of junk rusted out Charvel... I was trying to learn scales and I was struggling blaming the garbage guitar for me being lousy...The fret metal is too thick, action too high, tremolo sucks, etc...The frustration was at a point I was ready to quit. A friend of mine, who played in a very good band at the time, took the garbage guitar from me, played Eruption note for note...... He quietly handed it back to me as I stared at him in shock and he merely said, “It’s the player not the guitar. Keep practicing my friend.” That moment changed my life forever. Today, I play a vintage 1978 Blonde Beauty Les Paul Standard and I still stink but at least I know it’s me and not the guitar. 🤘🤠🤘
Start with something bearable and you can eventually play on anything. Start with trash, and you'll suck for life. Your "friend" wanted you to stay right where you are, and you did. Good job.
John - Absolutely agree my friend. As the old adage goes, "It's the poor craftsman that blames his tools". 😉 Let's not forget that it was now-renowned 'cheap' guitars that made Brian May and Eddie Van Halen famous.
I'll tell ya...I purchased one of these at the time of this video...Yes I had to do some very minor fret work and I installed some locking tuners, but honestly on any given day my Gibson LP, PRS, and old '69 Tele sit idle while I play my Indio...it goes with me everywhere and I don't worry about wear or tear. The sound of the Indio makes it a very versatile instrument ready to play about any genre. I love it!
I like the way you appreciate that guitar.. You just gave the people out there the inspiration and motivation especially for beginner to start playing their music.. Great job.. 😘👍👍
I like the fact you aren't being a snob about this. Its only a 100 dollar guitar and you are being pretty fair I'd say. The colour on that thing is great.
Don't know why, but I keep coming back to this video. It's just done so well and shows all the items to check, while also pointing out that cheap doesn't mean bad and more expensive doesn't mean better by default. But just all the little extra info like what trem bar could be substituted, using the graphite on the nut, etc. makes this such a complete video, and then the test playing as well with the bonus of a comparison. Thanks.
After watching this review and a couple of others I decided to buy this guitar in black. I am taking up guitar as a way to strengthen my left hand after a mild stroke. I bought the one with the cheap amp and so far I like it. The tuners are either not wanting to move on they jerk and throw the string way out of tune. The only problem I have had was with the company they use for "free shipping". They told me it was on the truck to be delivered four days in a row, but free is worth it's cost.
That company, GSO, is the worst shipping experience I've ever had. After being several days late with my order and not being able to contact them, I had to complain to Monoprice, who took it upon themselves to investigate the issue. Turns out that GSO actually LOST my 2 guitars and never contacted me, and Monoprice only found out after having to contact their shipper on my behalf. It was a massive pain in the ass. GSO sucks.
I bought the Telecaster style one and love it. The tuners are locking style tuners and if you haven't locked them they slip as you described. to lock them just twist the backside after pulling all the slack through. Hope this helps.
Perfect way to strengthen the left hand. I’m right handed and play guitar and my left hand is stronger than my right lmao. You can buy a 6 set of tuning pegs for pretty cheat and replace them
Old Griz: hey I'm an Old Griz myself so I Just wanted to say, if you don't already know, learn how to wrap the string the correct way when you put on new strings so they stay tight and stay in tune or you'll go nuts trying to keep it tuned. If you simply wind it without wrapping it under and back over it will constantly slip and get out of tune. There are a lot of lessons online or on you tube. If you can't find a good lesson, let me know and I'll find one for you or teach you myself. It's one of the first things I learned and I've always been grateful for it whether on electric or acoustic it's good to know.
As you said, not bad for $100, the body and neck seemed pretty good, a few mods and some decent locking tuners would make it a good beginners guitar. My first guitar was a Futurama sophomore duo, way back in the day, pre-beatles, but that guitar is a lot better in comparison.
I literally just picked up my Squier yesterday, if I had found this video earlier I wouldn't have bought it...back up guitars are not supposed to be $300
That hook sort of reminds me of Link Wray's SCREAMING RED Yamaha. Personally I would get rid of the ugly logo on the headstock or something. That guitar is just begging for some mods. Provided it'll hold up to them.
Squire is cheap. Lol. You can spend 3 Hundred More than a squire and get a an actual Fender Strat, its the Mexican model but with higher end parts and is gunna play and sound much better. Squire is Fenders cheap line for beginners. If I ever bought another guitar it would probable be a Les Paul. Always wanted an American Strat though in blue like the color in this video.
@@itsbrendoni3444 I have a fairly inexpensive amp (fender mustang v2) and I can definitely hear the difference between my guitars and they sound great. Is that normal for a practice amp.
Although it’s a rig not representative of someone that may buy a 100 buck guitar, a high priced amp will have higher fidelity and give you a better representation of what the guitar sounds like. IMO
Monoprice has never let me down. Never bought a guitar from them I did pick up a Japanese Strat back in the 80's from a music store. Ten years+ later I took a classical guitar class in college and the teacher said it would be hard to pass with an electric. I had paid $125 back then. He said it was one of the best electrics he played. I ended up with an A. Someone stole my guitar eventually :(.
Was it a Tokai by any chance and if so do u still have it I'll happily give you your $125 for it Lol Seriously though if it is a 70's Tokai they are worth quite a lot of money now adays. The ripped off Fender basically to the point of Plagiarism But the Build quality was much better Fender eventually did a deal with them rather than sue
Some people go to classes or jam sessions just to steel guitars. When you go to the men's or ladies room get a reliable friend to watch it or just take it with you!
Sorry dude, Same, still think my 1st guitar was the best an extra long 24 fret Hondo maybe, or similar name, but when my Peavey amp was stolen with it I was devastated, 2 channels reverb and gain switch ,such a great piece of equipment R.I.P
I'm gutted I can't remember my 1st guitars name, all I remember really was that I think it began with an H or at least was for sure Asian, it was black double cutaway like an SG but not exactly, and had to have a special hardcase made for it as it was longer than any 24 fret guitar, Rosewood fingerboard, can't remember the pickups but it played just great...I Feel your pain :(
I have a quasi- Japanese strat - it's a Fender Heartfield Talon IV, which was technically made by Ibanez in Japan. Dual humbuckers with a single coil mid, Floyd Rose locking trem - that guitar can do it all. Bought it back in the early 90's and still have it, though I don't play much anymore, sadly. It's an amazing guitar and infinitely more playable than any sub-$2000 guitar I have played to date. The Heartfield line was truly slept on.
I love all the negative comments. All musicians who are any good started on a POS guitar. And most still have it and would never part with it. Cheap guitars are cheap, but they have their place and you can make music on them. A proper setup can really help with most of the issues on the cheap guitar. Eventually you get a better one but that first one is always special.
Kramer Focus Classic. I beat the hell out of it as a teenager in the 80's. Sanded it, drilled holes in it, tossed a pair of X2N's in it .. made it mine. Despite a PRS, Taylor and several other more esteemed members of the family nowadays, I wouldn't part with that Kramer in 1,000 years.
I dunno my first one was a cheap epiphone for like $175 and I parted with it real quick lol tone wasn't bright enough. Got another cheap one for $350, I've had too many people tell me its a great sounding guitar and most comfortable to play. Really lucked up with my guitar it was also made by the same company that makes some of Fenders guitars. Still going to get me a handmade custom from a local luthier in the mountains out here for my "quality" guitar. After that I'll finally get one of those high dollar acoustics.
You're absolutely spot on Chuck. I can recall buying my first bass guitar in 1963, and I opted for a Hofner Artist solid bass with a price of 48 guineas. I had considered buying their violin bass, which incidentally was exactly the same price, but I thought that the Artist was a better instrument. Can you imagine Paul McCartney discarding his beloved cheap fiddle bass?
I actually started on an epiphone sg pro, I’ve done nothing to it, and it sounds amazing, perfect for rocking out in the attic. (I don’t have a basement to rock out in, hence the attic.)
@@grantkoeller8911 It's actually two colors, although both are light blue. The outer color is something like the Daphne Blue on Fender and Squiers and the inner color is something like Sonic Blue. I'd actually prefer it had just one color, the darker hue, but is certainly a unique finish.
I just saw this video and I appreciate the way you did it you didn't just go it's a cheap guitar it's crap you actually looked into what made it bad or good. And with that you earned my subscription. And I do like your idea about putting good parts on a cheap guitar that's a hobby of mine. You feel like you're on the ground floor of creating a unique sound.
Longer format/informal video this week! First half is unboxing, teardown, & overall review Jump to 16:50 for audio test and final thoughts! Let me know what you'd like to see me do with this guitar in upcoming videos :)
I habitually just click "Like" when I open your videos. Never felt the urge to unclick. Great video. I'm not generally a big fan of blue guitars but I love love love that light blue burst! Makes me wonder what it would cost for a set neck 24" scale Monoprice with that finish, if they make such a critter. As to this guitar, you make it sound fantastic. Obviously it could use a better trem system and some shielding, but I don't think it needs new pickups, and I really like the headstock hook.
Darrell Braun Guitar how about a link to the eBay sales? Wouldn’t mind getting that for a friends daughter who’s interested in learning. Single mom so she doesn’t have money to get a new guitar for her daughter so would make an amazing surprise! Thanks for the great quality videos.
I find it weird that most countries don’t have a lot of shops that have actual musicians to help you out with buying stuff, its naturally expected that the person selling you a guitar in the shops in my country knows about the product and how it holds up to with any kind of playing.
My biggest argument against super cheap guitars is that the bad ones can really discourage a new player. BUT, there are some awesome ones out there. I have a couple cheapies from Rondo Music that are outstanding.
Darrel, you're videos are most informative and entertaining. Much appreciate the time and effort that you put into making these for the rest of us. By the way, your are a top notch player! Thanks and warm regards from India.
No matter how many guitars you buy in your life Your cheap first guitar will always be your favourite Its a squier strat in my case and its too dear to me! Lots of love to darrel from India💝
The first one has the most emotional value, but for most people it's not their favourite =) The thing is that when most people buy a second guitar its usually a better guitar than the first
Thank you so much for this review. I recently started playing again after taking years off. I have a 72 SG (bought new) that I don't like playing much as it's all original. I've always loved the strat look and sound, so when I saw your review I decided to give this guitar a try. At $79 it's pretty much a why not. Shipping took a few days (be patient folks), but when it arrived I was amazed. The body and neck finishes were perfect with no fret sprouts. The neck was a bit up-bowed and all strings needed intonation and height adjustment (way too high), but once this was done it played great. The only negative is the pickups which you pointed out, but they're fine for a beginner or casual player. So, now my SG can stay in the case while I rebuild my finger muscle memory. Thanks again!
you too guys should check Brazilian guitar brands, Tagima and Memphis, they have a similar hook on the headstock and can be easily upgraded also, your money is almost 4 of mine hahaha
Not that I like it that much but I certainly don’t dislike it. Not near as much as I despise the “little bitty tittie” on the G & L headstocks. One of the greatest guitars you can get and I just can’t bring myself to buy one because of the stupid headstock...
Yeah, I got distracted and looked up to SEE he had swapped it out without having heard the change. That said, when the block breaks, the tuners begin to slip and bind beyond what you can tolerate, etc, etc..., you are into the cost of my Mexican Strat which is still carrying on 20 years later. But if it holds up, you won the toss.
Monoprice has really good customer service in my experience. I bet they'll send that missing term bar right out to you Darrell. I've always bought directly from their website though, not through eBay. I can't imagine that'd make a difference though, unless it was listed that there was no trem bar in the auction description.
My dad bought me a 150CAD guitar/amp package in 92-94, I always hated playing it, even the guitar shop where I took lessons couldn't make it better so I never really wanted to play it, so noisy, nut was replaced, the 5 position switch and pots were crunchy, I always would love playing with my friends better guitars, so I never really "picked up" the guitar like I wanted. Now I'm 43 I have more time and really want to get a new one and start playing again. Love you channel you make great content, keep on the good work!
For me it is the tone with right action. My first guitar was so cheap , it was terribly intonated. Even had a rough time lowering it's almighty action.
I bought a Monoprice "Tele" copy, yellow body with a Rosewood neck, for about $100, 2 years ago. I use it as a home practice guitar (actually I don't play anywhere else). Bottom line, it's comfortable, easy to play, and with a small modelling amp, is very versatile. I still use it although I have 3 much more expensive electric guitars. Why pay more? Great work Monoprice!
I bought a Hohner acoustic at a flea market for $50. Cleaned it up, did minimal setup work. It's honestly one of the best-sounding acoustics I've ever played now.
I absolutely love your new guitar reviews, especially those super cheap models. These days, a hobbyist can pretty much buy all the known guitar models and stay around a gran or so. Amazing !!
If I could spend $2,200 on a guitar that would make me sound as good as Darrell sounds on a $100 guitar I would have included a tip. I once had a $2,200 Strat but I only played about $100 worth of it.
Great players can play a $100 guitar through a $50 amp and they still sound great. If Eric Clapton played a $150 rig, he will still unmistakably sound like Eric Clapton. While if I played a $20,000 rig, I will still sound like me
That was a genuine happy reaction when he removed the wrapping.Kind of like a kid on Christmas getting a real cool toy. Not like the kid with obvious fake reaction getting socks from drunk aunt Mildred.
I bought a hundred dollar Strat from Amazon and was very pleasantly surprised. It looked great and had nearly perfect feel in the action and the sound was as good as I could play and it too had an ok gig bag. It also came with a portable low-power amp. I would probably upgrade it before moving to a more expensive one.
That was actually my first guitar that I started learning with. Mine was red, but it was just called the Monoprice California Classic before they rebranded it to Indio Classic. I absolutely love that guitar! I swapped out the hardware and It's one of my main guitars. I play it just as much as my Fender Strat. It's so great to see this guitar given some love. I post a ton of videos of it on my instagram @dgt_music Thanks for the quality video and highlighting a guitar that has played a huge part in my musical journey.
I also have the older California Classic Strat. From Monoprice. The one that had the Monoprice name in Black before the single M on the headstock I got it from their Website when it was on sale for $75. The vintage sunburst color. It plays and sounds great Had it for a bunch of years now. Love it.
i actually know someone who uses a cheap 100 dollar monoprice guitar for studio recording for high profile projects. There is a point where its not so much of the guitar but the electronics and daw programs with awesome compressors and presets etc. You just need decent sound and you can change it to what ever you want it to be when you are mixing in DAW.
This is AWESOME! I'm not saying let's all get cheapo guitars and sink tons of parts in them or eschew high end instruments. But if you are so inclined you can really turn them into great instruments. I've learnt a ton from this channel as well as Phil McKnight, and Dan from Guns and Guitars, and I've found that the cheapo instruments from Squier bullets and down are easily made awesome by replacing the electronics with new ones, new trem, etc. I took a $49 USD ebay guitar that guitarmax discovered, swapped in a fender MIM big block bridge, locking tuners, GFS pickups, and a tusq nut. All told including the guitar it probably ends up around $250, but you end up with a badass instrument that you controlled every decision in making, except a likely basswood body. I'm not on the payroll for any of the stuff I've mentioned, but like I said, for those so inclined, it's a fun hobby and a chance to make a cool axe. Oddly I found the setup on the cheapo guitars was better than any Squier instrument I've ever gotten. The real key to the whole thing is making the neck comfortable. Deal with fret sprout, or uneven frets, level, crown, and polish, and you can make cheap guitar feel like a high end one. I think the time spent on stuff like that is one of the biggest differences between the two. Thanks for reading! Soli Deo Gloria indeed!
I got the glarry burning fire guitar from his channel and moddified it with cheap amazon parts and its amazing. My favorite sounding and playing guitar atm. I only have 100 bucks total in it.
The money is always in the details. That's why bad fret jobs on expensive instruments set people to shouting, but just get a shrug on a $200 instrument. It doesn't cost ten times as much in material to make a $2000 instrument, the expense is all in the time. Unfortunately, some manufacturers seem to be charging for that time and then not actually providing it.
Simon - I did the same thing. Bought that $49 dollar blue Strat that Max reviewed. Also bought budget priced black replacement loaded pick guard, tuners, trem, and nut. About another $60. I feel weird saying it but I am totally fine with this. It is a good guitar. Looks great. Plays great. Sounds fine but could be even better if I used brand name replacement parts like Seymour Duncan and Floyd Rose. In 2019 I just cannot justify paying $5,000 for 8 pounds of wood and $200 in hardware and electronics. Is a Custom Shop Fender or Gibson better than these knock off guitars? Of course they are! But it's like the difference between a $5 hamburger and a $200 bacon cheeseburger. Is the bacon cheeseburger better in every way than a $5 hamburger? Yes. Is it worth it at $200? No it isn't.
I bought there telecaster that comes with a big bag and it was usually 100 but ran for 85 with free shipping… the intonation was actually perfect, and the gig bag that came with it was really high quality, thick and waterproof. It played amazing and the stock pickups with surprisingly good but I did swap them for some cheap Fleor alnico 5s. I’ve owned a lot of expensive guitars including some 1980s Japanese strats and I can say Monoprice Indio is definitely not lacking, they are a good deal at double the price. Thanks for turning me onto them, your channel brings me so much entertainment and happiness, stay safe and happy man!
If you’re going to start changing parts, I’d start with the tremolo and the tuners. Parts from Guitarfetish would be fine. Then I’d put shielding tape underneath the pickups and pots.
Kinda funny these companies try to change the headstock design to avoid being sued by Fender when you can't be sued by them for it in reality. Fender tried and lost because they didn't patent the design lol
That headstock is fine. No need to carve it up. A good shielding job is necessary. Lots of 60 cycle hum in certain pickup switch positions. The tuners are probably ok. The nut needs to be adjusted, perhaps change to Tusk string trees. A good intonation setup.
@@RWBHere The headstock is trademarked not patented thus does not expire. Fender has done a reasonable job of defending the trademark. They also license the design to others like Warmoth. Fender tried to trademark the body shapes and lost in court.
when my dad got his first guitar back in 89 he got a no name trainer guitar for around 130$ usd. It has survived all these years and it still works amazingly.
Thanks, Darrell! After watching your review, I went ahead and purchased mine and I am truly amazed at how nice it is. I am now subscribed to your channel and will be watching your videos and learning more about playing and various instruments. You're the best of anyone guitar person here on RU-vid and I've seen most of them. As you know, though the guitar is made by Monoprice but is sold under different labels such as Glarry, BC, Indio, GST, Ashthorpe, Vinci, Spectrum, Tone, Arbor, and even unbranded with no labeling (like mine). eBay sells them for about 80.00 and 95 with a 20-watt amp. It may be worth mentioning that the guitar is made in Asia (Korea, I am told) but the neck is from Canadian maple and the body is basswood from the Great Lakes region of the USA.
@Richard Haha, thanks for clarifying that. I didn't know if you were joking or not because like you I've seen some guitars for sale that cost soooo much. I've seen an old Gibson (years ago now) that was selling for 110k in a rare guitar store near me!!!
Price doesn't matter that much. But on cheap ones luck and skills matter and can turn the disadvantage around. I bought a Chinese ESP guitar for 190$ from a luthier guitarist who had set it up (as a hobby/try out project) and changed some components and it's such an awesome guitar! It is a complete individual, settings perfect so I know that even some big brand 1000$+ guitar couldn't replace it. I'm so in love with it, I feel like a pervert, lol xD But obviously it was the luthier who made that 130$ guitar blossom to its full potential. I also bought cheap brand dreadnought acoustic for 50$ and set it up myself and it's really nice to play - not for pro level but for advanced intermediate sweet for sure. (My most expensive one is a 1800$ guitar)
The simple fact that China (as well as others) is now putting out good (or at least reasonable) quality, inexpensive guitars has led to many deciding to not turn their noses up at these models. Coupled with the inescapable fact that the "big-name" manufacturers have allowed their own quality to slip CATASTROPHICALLY while still expecting to command the "big-name" prices. It's inevitable that the market will change.
Greetings from Indy, I purchased an natural Latitude Cardinal last night off of reverb. (3-6-24). I’m an old Steinberger buff until they became $3000+. Thanks for the review, I’m so excited for next Tuesday is “New Guitar Day” for me. Thanks again and keep up the awesome content. Todd
I've been playing for over 25 yrs. and I can tell if the intonation is even slightly out ( see true temper fret system) which is almost always, I can only imagine what someone with perfect pitch hears.
@@WykydWazeI just started playing about two months ago, and I kinda see now what you mean. I can now tune my guitar (mostly) by ear now, so that's cool I guess. Good for you for playing and sticking to it for so long! My fat sausage fingers get at least two strings at a time on D7 chord and G chord. I think I'm more of a piano guy.
jjohnston94 Not at all. Real “Fender” cheapo guitars are the same as any other cheapo. Even getting up in to the MIM Fender instruments and I guarantee out of the box they play infinitely better. Dude did a great review but little justice for sound quality on either guitar he played. He needs to run it through a Hot Rod Deville or Vox tube amp to show us the real sound.
Its funny that people get that impression, but he points out the MANY problems with this guitar, but your ears didnt hear him. You heard what you wanted to hear.
No surprise that the tuning keys are lack of quality and all metal parts, considering the Chinese use pot metal made from melted down soda cans and other types of recyclables to produce them. American made guitars use steel to produce the metal components which is much more expensive and more durable. The cheap ceramic magnet glued to pot metal slug pick ups had a fairly decent tone for what they are. For 100 bucks, not bad. With a few minor upgrades it seems that it has the potential to be a killer back up instrument. Good review, very informative.
@@charlesangus121 if $100 gets you what we see above, a $1000 one should get you 10 times the quality in all areas, but it doesn't, let alone $1000+ guitars, paying for a brand it all that it ends up being. I'm playing bass, and I've played all the major brands there is, I haven't owned all, but I've played a lot of them for significant amount of time, in shops, at home and in concerts. My personal choice are Aria basses, because they're "home made" and I like to support that, but the reality is, I'm playing the Made in Korea re-issue Danelectro 59DC a lot more and I haven't changed anything on it, it is like it came, for about $300 converted, and it sounds different but just as good as my ~$2900 Aria Pro II SB-J series. I own this one expensive bass guitar, the rest of them are nowhere near that kind of price, and honestly I regret a bit buying that Aria. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing guitar, the finish, the quality, the sound, but it does not sound 10 times better than my Danelectro or my $200 Washburn. The guitar in the video would need another $50 to $100 invested into it and it would be just a great guitar, but of course not a brand one.
奥村 麻子 - the argument of "my expensive name-brand product is 10x as expensive, so it should be 10x better" is an argument that doesn't translate to nearly any luxury type item. It is very commonly known that there is a law of diminishing returns the higher in price/quality you go with nearly any product, especially luxury items. And when I say "luxury items"....I refer to a non-essential item....a hobby item. A nice car, a nice musical instrument, etc.... Let's say I buy a new car that is $25k, and then there is some luxury car that is $250k. Is the luxury car literally 10x "better" because it's 10x as expensive? Well, there are a lot of subjective factors that would be hard to quantify. Can the luxury car go 10x faster? Is it 10x safer? Will it last 10x longer, even if both were driven under similar conditions? I'm pretty sure it's safe to say the answer to those questions are "no". And the vast majority of people understand that. Price doesn't not typically have a 1 to 1 direct correlation to quality of an item, when comparing between the expensive high end version of an item vs the bargain low end version. That's just not the way it works.
