Nothing wrong with that. If you can afford it and you play it, enjoy your purchase. The only people I give a hard time are the "investment" people who don't play the instrument they bought, they let it sit in a case because it's just a dollar sign to them, not an instrument that should be loved and played. It's a guitar, play it! Same thing with cars. Cars are built to put miles on, not sit in a garage! ugh! lol
I hear ya on that , brother. Congrats. I think if i had that kind of money to spend on a guitar, I’d try to hunt down one of the Pensa-Suhr Mark Knopfler models. Either that tiger-stripey HSS with the Lindy Fralin noiseless pickups, or that metallic blue one with the ruby knobs and P90s.
So good to be back with the Captain shooting the shit and playing the exciting creamy gear! Massive thanks to the amazing crew at Andertons for taking care of me :-)
At 72 with a 55 year career I've played a lot of Strats and a lot of amps. That blue Squire through the Boss SS amp, (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a SS amp!), sounded great! I could gig that, albeit a small venue, just fine. Beginner? It's a good time to start playing guitar!! Cheers, Peace --gary
Musicians listen with their eyes. The issue for me is not the money per se, it's the decades and decades of predatory marketing and self inflicted harm by musicians themselves that you're "less" of a musician if you don't have "expensive" gear. You have to be a very rare teenager to be so secure in your own ability and identity that you would not be fooled and ground down by the relentless marketing and gatekeeping bull**** by older musicians telling you need x, y, z to be "better". As a community we do not help ourselves.
You are repeating what you heard trust what you know and what you don’t find out. Most humans do not have a unique thought they trust what has been programmed into them yet we have infinite ability to create. Because you repeated you didn’t think critically, what about feel. Playability and quality none of those things have to do with what you hear and all to do with what influences your playing. What if a guitar that is a dog to play it really hurts your hand and fingers,is heavy, uncomfortable and force you to strum and pick hard sounded wonderful? Would you want that guitar because your ears are judging for you?
I've never, ever, ever had anyone "look down" at me because of the guitar I play. Who are these people that crap on other players about the gear they use? I've never met them and I've been playing for 35 years.
All of these could be fixed easily if you have the know-how and a bunch of simple tools and some elbow grase. Fret end are sharp? Spend some time to file them out. Learn to set up your action, you only need an allen key and a credit card and you can have the easiest playing guitar in 15 mins. Or even buy a new neck if its a bolt on if you dont like the old one for whatever reason. If nobody plays heavy and uncomfortable guitar then every body would play Strandberg instead of Les Paul or Flying V, as it is a subjective thing. A bad "feel" guitar could just be a badly made and set-up guitar, no matter the price. And if you pay for "feel" it would be way less than a few thousand $ to achieve.
@@paulmapp8306 I didnt know until I bought a “Texas Red” Blues Junior. One of the FSR “limited editions” that comes with a custom color and non-stock speaker. From that to my DRRI, to my Twin… I spent so many years chasing guitars and pickups and pedals, only to realize the truth about amps on accident (the amp was on sale and I had money). You dont have to spend a lot of money to get a nice tube amp, but it makes all your guitars sound so much better. Tell you GAS afflicted friends. Amps will cure what ails ya.
I'm a self taught, competent but painfully average guitarist. Looking back I should have put my money into lessons instead of foolishly believing a better guitar would make me play better 😂
This is what I did. I have a LP/S a Strat and a Tele all standard USA instruments and set up well - total £3500. Have literally tried to spend more on fancier stuff but was never better. Regular lessons and practice.
A better guitar/amp may not make me play better but it surely makes me enjoy practicing more and inspire me to play with it. I remember the days of shitty transistor amps and cheap crap guitars. If I had started off with better gear when I was younger, I would probably have been a better player.
I purchased one of the Squires that you guys started with from a Guitar Center Store for $150..00. I took it home and replaced the nut with bone dropped in a Wilkinson trem, some Wilkinson locking tuners, and new strings. The neck was straight and fretts polished and zero frett sprout from the store. So, now I have less than $225.00 in a guitar that is absolutely one of my favorites, plays great, and sounds great. I own numerous guitars all at different prices and now this one I consider one of my best.
This is an excellent point. I have had (and still do) multiple guitars and basses that I bought at the 100-200€ pricepoint, but taking them to my friendly local luthier with a couple of strategic component changes has turned them into instruments that play better than most 1000€ guitars I've tried. Basically what I'm saying is IF you have a luthier/guitar tech local to you that knows their shizz, make friends with them, support them by letting them work on your gear, and you'll reap the benefits.
He’s genuinely got really great phrasing - much better here than Chappers (though appreciate the jam is more Captain’s style). You can tell he’s played a heck of a lot with Pete.
I agree 100% with Lee, I use very affordable, parts-casters, with nice aftermarket pick ups, into NICE (valve) amps. JOB DONE ;) No need for a 2000 quid guitar.
The initial jam really shows how good the Katana 3 is. The Squier sounded fantastic through the Katana. You don't need premium gear to sound really good.
Id counter that you don’t need to pay premium prices to own premium gear. Why buy discount gear new if you can own used premium gear at similar prices?
@@Kur0y4m4 oh for sure man. I can’t afford any brand new Strats or anything like that. I picked up my used made in mex Strat for 400 bucks. Thing is incredible. I just meant like yea a 200 dollar brand new guitar might sound decent, but I doubt it plays with, holds tuning well, all that stuff. Obviously you can tweak them and improve them a ton but in general from my experience those cheap ones never play well or really sound that great either. Obviously there’s exceptions to this
A lot of people tend to overlook Squiers, hell Ron Thorn the master guitar builder that he is, is on record saying his very most favorite guitar he's owned and has ever owned is an '86 Squier Strat. It's about the connection you have with the instrument that makes the difference, and the love you put into it. All the rest is really bits and ends.
In my opinion it’s just what ever gives you the vibe to play, if it’s £10,000 or £100 people shouldn’t hate on the person that’s spent £10,000 or the person that can’t afford to spend more than £100. It’s all personal taste, opinions and feels. What ever you play, what ever brand, what ever price who cares if you’re playing it and it inspires you. That includes relic or not relic if you don’t like it simply don’t buy it but don’t put someone who does down there is no wrong or right (thought I’d add that lil bit of fuel) 😈🔥
After reading this comment I don't feel so bad now about the Vivid pink My little pony guitar I bought(made from the finest tone plastics). Strings literally are string, the finest string money could buy under a quid. as if I would settle for anything less.
I used to play duo gigs on a JHS Vintage strat into a Blackstar HT1 plugged d.i into the desk with the headphone out. Every time people would ask about the gear because they loved the tone. I did use some decent pedals though
Love seeing Rob on the channel with The Captain together. They’re so much fun to watch. These are those cool fun humorous as well as informative videos that just put a smile on my face.
20+ years ago a MIM tele. Had the body drilled, HB at the neck, Neck reprofiled. All in $500.00. Now they sell one. Same time I played an Am Standard for over $1000.00 that needed some of the same work. MIM tele still my main. But there is a new Reverend Charger 290 in the paddock
Rob is such a primadonna. Any time it's expensive vs cheap he's always first go on the expensive thing and his body language, no matter what his words say, is always like it's beneath him to play cheap gear anymore. I understand he has loads of fans, but I haven't missed his tired old overused licks, one trick pony attempts at shredding, lack of dynamics in his playing, and I for sure haven't missed his ego or seeing him act a complete ass prancing around like a poof. He would never have accomplished anything without Lee, and on more than one occasion he thanked Lee by lashing out and damaging his reputation. Which is why he was really absent from the videos for a couple of years.
Stallone could wear a $10,000 watch because he is a multimillionaire, and for him $10,000 is like someone else's $5. If that guitar is bought by a man like Stallone who owns hundreds of millions, everything is ok, so the comparison is useless, since 99% of us who buy guitars are not millionaires :)
To Rob's point about guitars being art, any well-crafted "art-piece" or "collector" guitar has a greater likelihood of increasing in value than MOST actual "art". But playing it is already a great investment in your mental health, and writing with it may help OTHER people with their quality of life.
Without watching, I'll tell you the conclusion: The Squier is great value for money and it's amazing what you get for £XXX these days blah blah blah. The Custom Shop Strat is a wonderful guitar but is it worth X times the Squier? Well, law of diminishing returns blah blah blah but it does have that indefinable quality that you only get with high-end instruments blah blah.
I don’t play the guitar, or any musical instrument for that matter. But I love music! And I have been watching this channel for years! I love the jokes and conversation! Makes me happy! 😊
I much prefer the sound of the Squier and the Katana, being played by the Captain, to any other combination. Good video. It shows how much the guitar, the amp and the player each affect the sound. You can talk all you want about "art" and "experience", I view instruments as tools to do a job. I'd rather have the Squier , the Katana, and the extra money in my bank account.
a couple of years ago, I had 4 teles in my house - my squier standard and old yank and a Mex and a custom shop - they were all pretty much the same in sound and feel
I probably will catch crap for this, but the Squier into the Bad Cat Sounded subjectively better to my ears than the Custom Shop Fender. Which says nothing but I think the Bad Cat is just a great amp, while the Katana is just a nice budget amp. It reminds me of Jack Pearson from the concert DVD Gregg Allman Live with a Little Help From My Friends at the Fox theater. For ages I was blown away by the sunburst strat with black pickguard. I assumed it was a custom guitar but it was a stock Squier Affinity series Stratocaster with black plastic hardware. Jack Pearson had tone for days in that video and he gigs regularly with these guitars!
Agree with you... Overall in my opinion these comparisons never have a real 'value' . Each guitar works differently with the amp. So you have to adjust the settings as well. Just swapping one in the other... Of course the more expensive one might sound worse... In the end, just have fun with your gear I guess 😂
To the untrained ear and eye you'd choose the Squire! To the trained ear and eye you'd choose the Squire! To the untrained or trained ear and eye that collects awesome guitars you'd choose the masterbuilt!
The diminishing returns start at around £500 and starts to diminish very quickly after £1000. You're really only paying for aesthetic and the perceived premium quality of a certain craftsman beyond that. There's nothing wrong with paying extra for looks but really, the average person is never going to tell from sound alone when the amp, pedals and player can make a £150 guitar sound killer
I just don't understand the logic of paying a premium price for a plank of wood that looks like it's been dragged along the road behind a car for the last ten miles.
Because you can. Easy. You aren't a poor pleb and you can afford it. And if you weren't a poop pleb and you could afford it, you would pay £7000 for a guitar too. THE END!!
If it’s not for you that’s fine. But Lee has said many times that they sell a lot of relic guitars, so he’s simply selling what his customers want to buy. There are lots of non-relic guitars available if that’s your thing.
The thing is, I always think of it like this - a really expensive guitar is, essentially, a collectors item. If you look after it, treat it well, it will pretty much retain its value (or possibly even increase in value), whereas the cheap “workhorse” guitar is exactly that. It’s to be used, battered, bruised, modded etc. with the full knowledge that it’s almost certain to never be considered a collectors item. They serve different purposes. If you’re looking at value for money though, that’s where the £500-£700 mark, for me, is absolutely incredible these days. I first picked up a guitar in 2003, and I spent £300 on a Les Paul replica, it wasn’t even an Epiphone I don’t think, and the quality was absolutely dogshit. Whereas a £300 guitar now is much better quality. A £500-£700 guitar back then would probably be a £300 guitar now in terms of build quality etc
I just got a bundle of old guitars from a a friend's garage,, for 200.00 us 3 squire stratocaster guitars 🎸 and, A couple Bass guitars, a squire jazz bass included.. after a quick setup, they're great 👍. . and feel really good playing..😊 . I don't like to overpay..
I was thinking for long time, the value is somewhere between 500 and 1000 pounds. Then I tried myself Custom shop of premium brand. Is the Custom shop worth 10-25 times more then budget guiter? Id say its worth 1000 time more. Because finaly Im not struggling, I have my sound right away and Im inspired to pick it up every time, I go around. Or even think about the guitar. Its like, how much are worth shoes, that are 100 comfy, no issue anywhere and you can walk them to the edge of the world and back compared to shoes, that starts to irk you after 3 hours of walking? All them money.
@ 16:40 minutes, Captain really makes the Fender Squire sound great, and Captain's playing has really came along way with his phrasing and voicing. Well done Captain!
Those 40th anniversary Squiers are beasts. I have a Strat and I can't believe how nice it is for the money. Smooth finish, good fretwork, rolled fingerboard edges, and decent pickups. It's been all I've played since I bought it.
Are the squire pickups wax potted? Generally cheap guitars aren't. In a band scenario (at high volumes) cheap non wax potted pickups will pickup radio interference through the amp. Im talking actual radio stations!
@@Nightshade1881 But, I'm convinced that anyone working in the custom shop releasing garbage like this is too stupid to buy a guitar from. Either that or they're insulting my intelligence. Maybe it's a marketing strategy that works - perhaps the people who buy Fender custom shop aren't the smartest knives, but I wouldn't just not buy them, I wouldn't play any guitar from someone who made them. To me it just says "We don't care, our customers are fat rich morons so we don't have to put in any effort" - and I guess mostly they make their money selling squires built by mexicans for peanuts. Imagine working hard in the Mexican factory and thinking some fat American twerp got paid 10x the amount to hit a guitar against a rock? Who are they kidding. You know if Porsche crashed their cars into a lamppost and put them on sale for £500k instead of £100k maybe Lee Anderton would buy one. Maybe Chappers would say "I just love the look of that car" in return for money and youtube views - but I'd like to think most people who drove cars would see through it - and it saddens me that guitar players are falling for it.
I want to learn how to play. I am 54 years old and have always wanted to learn how to play. I was always to busy with work. In 2013 I suffered a pretty bad work accident that has left me on permanent disability. I now have 2 reasons that are preventing me from learning. Number 1 is I am a lefty and where I live in Canada left handed electrics guitars are hard to find and when you do find that they are really expensive. I took a huge wage loss with my accident and that is my number 2 reason is affordability. I hardly make enough to survive. Thank god my wife works. But now that she is the bread winner I can not afford to learn. I am not allowed to even look at a guitar. It has always been my dream to play a candy apple Fender Strat. Now unfortunately my dream is just a dream.
Several years ago I saw Warren Haynes who has an amazing collection of guitars he tours with switch up to a cheap pawn shop strat and he told the audience about it ( truth be told he has a amazing rig) . And he proved it's about the music not the gear
The watch analogy is perfect, I spent approx NZ$1100 on a guitar (Italia Imola Vario) that I am no where near good enough as a player to own. It was to celebrate 1000 days of sobriety. No its not $10000 but that is huge money in my world. And i still love owning it and what it represents
I'm happy for you! And yes it's a perfect analogy. Watches do tell time and guitars make music in good hands. Difference is in the fine lines. A cheap guitar will sound less cohesive or lets say you can measure where it falls short over a expensive guitar and yes we talk about teh electronics here. But the cheap guitar can sound really good. Wasn't there a famous recording studio that had Squiers in house and used them on great albums? Can't remember exactly. It is also true for cars. Yes a Fiat panda drives you around and so does a Ferrari, both Italian but far apart in terms of emotion and experience. Although the Abarth's are really fun cars to drive.
Entertaining as always! I just wanted to say that (through YT compression and all that) the best tone of the video for me was the Squier through the Tone City and the Bad Cat during the second jam! The custom shop strat seemed a bit too much on the bright side in comparison (nothing that can't be adjusted in various settings of course!)
I could not disagree more with Lee on something he said: The watch analogy or comparison is not a good one as anybody in the world can wear a watch and look at the time. Playing a guitar is a skill which then means the experience is completely different depending on the player and their ability. There are so many people out there doing reviews of gear who earn people’s trust but some of them have limited actual playing ability. Most people who criticise USA made guitars, let’s say Gibsons for example, I find their playing ability is very limited, how can one really tell the quality in something if they cannot play it to its full potential? It takes years of developing your touch and feel and fine tuning your ears to get the most out of the experience.
This is the most honest comment I've seen in a while. Good on you for not resorting to bashing high end instruments and keeping it real. Enjoy your journey!
It appears to get you someone to scrape the paint off the body. Suggesting if you tested a squire strat and accidently scratched it it'd be £300 instead of £150.
I sold a Fender Telecaster about 10 years ago to buy a PRS guitar. Last week while I had nothing to do, I went on Market Place and saw this Fender Squier Contemporary Telecaster for $425. After seeing this, I went on YT, watched a few videos and I was sold. I contacted the guy and I bought it. That guitar plays just as well as the old Telecaster I had. It's a great guitar for 1/3 of the price. It makes me wonder if I will ever fork $1000 or more for a guitar ever again... I really enjoyed that video by the way. Regards from Ottawa, Canada.
I tour with a Squier Classic Vibe. It does everything I have ever asked of it. I also have the Fender Pawn Shop version. However, it never steps foot outside the house. It is a recording-only guitar.
@mychalsean mine was perfect out the box but that is only one. The intonation everything was perfect. Only thing I did was change the strings. Honestly I don't understand how they are so cheap.
@mychalsean also I build guitars etc so if I had to smooth fret ends I would tell you. I think I maybe changed the nut but a preference thing not because there was anything wrong with it.
PRO TIP: Get really really good at guitar (and a good amp) and you can start making cheap guitar sounds good too. Much of it is technique. Expensive guitars are cool to own, but like wearing Air Jordans, they don’t make you play better. Signed, Owner of any expensive guitars
Sure there is a difference, but only a fool would pay 7k for a master built fender. Anyone with two hands and a tiny amount of skill could build a better strat for 1/3 of fenders insane mark up.
These custom shop guitars are not worth £ 7,000 especially a used one , even after listening to the Sallone watch analogy .Of course Captain has a vested interest in eulogising over these planks of wood I've been buying & playing guitar for over 50 years , yes I have got some expensive guitar but they weren't when I bought them & if you do want a used custom shop guitar go buy one private & save yourself a ton of money & if you come to sell it you won't lose much money . ps, I do enjoy watching these shameless sales videos , when's the next one lads ? Thank you ,
Before 2000, there was a big difference between American, Mexican and Asian (Squier) Fenders. Today, Mexican and Asian have made huge progress. I prefer a good guitarist on the Squier 1000 times more than me on the CS 🤣, besides the very questionable relic finish . Thank you for this very informative and honest test.
Mike Rutherford played a Squier on last Genesis and Mike and The Mechanices Tours, probably modded of course, but a Squier nevertheless, and Steve Rothery always plays his Squier Strat as well. For that money the Squier is a brilliant buy, it's all very subjective of course, but you do not to spend thousands to sound really good with great playability.
If you have 30-40 years of playing gigs at it 4-5 nights a week then go for it. But for those of us who hasn't got that, but we have the money and we don't have to buy the Squier, we will buy the Masterbuilt and we will but 10 of them 😉
....some truth, but there is a general correlation between price and quality. I've had many sub-$800 guitars, many terrific, but my Ibanez RG6, bought for $1150, MSRP $1600, is next level instrument, every aspect so darn good. It feels great, it plays great, the attention to detail, it's just so right. Now, how much "better" is it than some of my sub-$800 guitars, perhaps 10-15%, but it makes a difference. Owned many tube heads, and my Bogner Ecstacy, mega money new of course, is so damn good, a level above nearly any other amp. You do get what you pay for in general.
If Bob's your uncle, maybe you should buy a masterbuilt Strat. For all the rest of us who just wanna make music, Squier is making awesome guitars these days! Spending 7 grand on a guitar seems like the Emperor's new clothes, if you ask me.
Wow, how well said - the watch example... This made me pause the video and go here to write the comment to whoever needs to read it. My first guitar was a black Squire (I was a fan of Pink Floyd and wanted to play Gilmor Solo's). It felt so well. I was playing through a vox amp that I bought for 50 dollars or something. And I was so happy back than. Every time I met somebody they told me: this is crap. You need to buy a proper strat. They gave me to hold all this nice guitars they had. And ofcourse they were great. Felt good, sounded even better. But it was not possible to afford them for me and I did not want to spend money I did not have (borrow credit's etc). One day the neck on squire went bad... really bad. I was still playing it.....Than I had wife, kids... I was not playing guitar for 10 years or something years. During that time I worked hard. Became a director. Now I own Fender Ultra Strat, Les Paul Classic, and acoustic Martin. I play it through Mesa Boogie combo with some expensive pedals. I was buying each when I was signing a big contract. It was like a trophy each time. I achieve a milestone and reward myself with a new guitar or amp or smth. Every time I walk into the room and take any of this guitars it makes me remember what it costs to get there. But I tell you 100% that even though they sound great and look beautiful, there is no point having them if you buy them for sound. I was playing in a band with Squire and it was great fun. I recently gathered a new band, and that brings me this fun back, and if I need something for the GIG, I am not going to the store to buy the most expensive gear. I just buy what works for the task. And by the way such a big thanks to Andertons. You can't imagine how valuable are these videos for the people around the world.... But back to my point. If you want to play, stop justifying yourself if guitar is good enough and who will think what when they look at it. If you have money and want to reward yourself - do it. If you do not have money and want to play, just buy whatever you can buy and play. 99% of the people will tell no difference if you are holding a 5K strat or 50 dollar strat. And those who really own the 5K one will never tell you, that your Squire is bad. They will play it with great pleasure. So f@#$ the others and just go into the store, or select it via video review and start playing. If you are young and selecting an instrument on a budget, please do 2 things: 1) go to a guitar master and pay for the set up. Listen carefully: almost ANY guitar can sound and feel great if a master worked on it and did the right set up. You will enjoy and play more. 2) make a photo of yourself with that guitar smiling and save it somewhere. You will come back to this photo someday, look at your great guitar collection, and that budget guitar from the past will be as dear to you as those standing there in the room. You will make it, just some time needed, and while you are getting there - just enjoy.
@@leftyo9589 Yeah I think a lot of the master built stuff is based on the idea that you absolutely want THAT SPECIFIC builders work, plus you get to pick specs, color, relic level, etc. Like a custom motorcycle, or a custom automotive shop. Once you go to sell that to someone else however... it's really hard to sell your preferences to someone else.
I personally just opt in for the used Mexican strats, bone stock for $300 or so they have no weaknesses, and most of them have small scuffs, scratches and dings which I see as character marks.
The neck would probably need some work to make it feel more comfortable too, but you definitely can make a cheap guitar sound and feel amazing for a fraction less.
The Captain's playing has been simply beautiful for years. Certain not "recently improved" or whatever. His ears and expresive play are above most players' apptitudes. Thanks Lee!
Bought a Les Paul clone about 44 years ago. Bought a Burny Les Paul goldtop in the late 80's. But always wanted a real one but they are so/to freaking expensive. This year I finally bought a Gibson Les Paul 60's standard iceT-burst. I does not play better as the Burny, I think the quality of the Burny was comparable, it does not sounds better (Just different) but it is so beautiful, there is something about being the real thing that inspires me and makes me play better. I love it. Took me 44 years but I'm glad I finally bought one. (a new one because I hate damage or scratches on my guitars 🙂 )
The inspiration thing is not to be overlooked IMO. As Slash(?) said one time, it's not that it's so much better, but my '59 Burst on the guitar stand in my bedroom whenever I see it over there, I just WANT to play it SO BAD!
UK Living Wage, LIVING WAGE needs to be £20 an hour to live here now. It's SO SO expensive. I haven't been on holiday in over 5 years, never been abroad, I'm not whining I'm just trying to say it's so so expensive. I argue that it's it's 10% guitar. I'm playing a PRS SE Custom 24-08 I traded up and work my way up towards and I'm now noticing that it just doesn't feel great to play the more I'm pushing myself, it's great as a beginner/intermediate guitar but to get quicker and bridging the gap from Beginner/Intermediate to Intermediate/Advanced the PRS SE custom 24 just doesn't cut it anymore. Yes the sound is 10% but to PLAY to get those sounds you do need something that WORK'S for you. what feels comfy, what you can get your hands around etc...
@@sacredgeometryI agree objectively, but the player can still be impacted greatly by a poorly built guitar. The difference is a well built/setup guitar allows the instrument to get out of the way of the player. A cheap one is something the player mostly needs to overcome. Some ppl like Jack White like that struggle. But not everyone is inspired by that experience. It’s a feedback loop in that way.
@@ScottsGuitar Sure but most great players can play a heap of shit and still make it sound better than most players. So its a moot point. Its not what they would choose to play or gig with but they can make it work. Great guitars can be set up to play horribly. In fact most guitars are set up far worse than they are by people who barely know how to play and what a good setup looks like.
When great guitar players like Jack Pearson make a Squier bullet Strat sound great that tells you everything you need to know about these expensive master built guitars.
My guitar price sweet spot is right where the law of diminishing returns starts to turn flat. Basically, the best quality for the best price. An American Vintage II or Ultra Luxe would be my treat guitar. Once you go much over that the price doubles at least.
If that 8k guitar cost even £4k to make I'd say you have a point about treating yourself. But it doesn't. It costs Fender a tiny fraction of that. So you are paying a fortune to be taken for a fool. It's the opposite of rock and roll.
Labor is expensive. American labor even more so. Someone has spent easily 30 hours on that guitar. That costs a lot of money to get a master builder’s time. It’s not some dude operating a CNC, it’s one of the best guitar builders, known by name. And the materials. Not cheap wood pile poplar or other junk, but highest quality kiln dried maple and ash/alder. It all adds up. On top of that of course fender need to make a profit and it’s a luxury product. It all checks out.
Leo used ash and alder because it was cheap, available and finished well. not because of magical tone! Ash for clear finish (it can have a nice grain pattern) and Alder for colored finish (no grain).
It might be hard to explain to someone who doesn't play any instrument that guitarists not only hear, but also feel how a guitar sounds. The way guitar resonates the sound, how the neck shakes while strumming, the quiet acoustic articulation differences - all of that can be heard only by a person who is playing the instrument and it cannot be transmitted to the listener via youtube video, thus it's impossible to fully explain the value which such high quality guitar brings.
it might be hard to explain to someone with a functioning brain that some twat will pay Andertons £7k for a broken used guitar that has the paint peeling off it. Kudos to Lee and his workers if they can keep a straight face (although I guess Lee is trousering the money so maybe that's motive enough and I guess if the workers pointed and rang a bell shouting 'moron....moron....moron' as the guy (and it's going to be guy right?) left the store then they'd probably be fired. But sheesh let's stop entertaining this stupid relicing thing.
IMO it's nitrocellulose laquer and wood selection. Thin laquer layer causes better sound resonance that can be felt in delicate neck vibrations while strumming the guitat. It's clearly noticable when playing for example custom shop vs squier.
It’s all mental programming, the relic shit was pushed by famous people, online celebrities, music industry eventually influential people said it was cool then people’s FOMO made them lust for it. Think how silly it would be for someone to sell you car that is very expensive that has faded paint, rust, worn down engine and transmission, old tires old tech. Would you buy, no it’s stupid.
I feel the same way. It is also so fake. Did you guitar really look like that from all the gigging one would probably be poor or famous. Have you seen the closet aged? Where it looks like guitar has been left in the closet for many years and has crinkly looking paint.
Hi guys, nice to see you again! :) As far as guitars go, I care about good wood (NOT TONEWOOD!!!; straight neck that won't bend too much over time and at least semi-comfortable body shape). Electronics can be changed and this is far cheaper than a Masterbuilt Fender. Good amp and good set of speakers are a must. I repeat: good. They don't have to be great (1000s of moneys), but they need to be good (100s of moneys). Just my 0.02. :) Cheers!
I haven’t watched this video but anyone saying a base squire is even remotely comparable to even a player player plus is being, generously, disingenuous.
There is nothing I hate more than the thought of buying a brand new guitar that was designed to look old and used. It is the definition of being a poser.
Only in the guitar universe will people stupidly compare 150USD guitars with 7000USD guitars. It's laughable. Do you ever actually see serious comparisons between stock Honda Civics and stock Lambos? Please... Whether you think a guitar is worth 7000USD is actually irrelevant - it is an aspirational thing as Lee mentions for some. And if that means nothing to you, that's fine, but you definitely don't get to slam others for their own prefences and their ability to feed those aspirations. Because that's called being a jealous "hater". While I am no fan of relic'd instruments, I also don't myopically hate on them. No one is forcing me to buy them. And if they appeal to others, then that's all fine and dandy. Because, at the end of the day, options and the availability of options for the consumer is the only thing that I care about.
@joesatch. I would disagree. As many people don't have several thousand dollars to spend on a guitar hearing a comparison between $150 guitar and a $7000 one is quite relevant and not at all stupid. One pays a lot of money for the details that go into a really expensive guitar... whether that is worth it depends on the individual. What is stupid is people who bash either cheap or expensive guitars as they both have their places and we should be grateful that both exist as they fill different needs to different people. I've been lucky to play some really wonderful vintage 50s and 60s guitars but not everyone has that opportunity or even to play these expensive high end recreations of them. People who can only afford a cheap guitar should understand that these really expensive vintage guitars and the custom shop type recreations of them are nice but also that their $150-$600 guitar isn't really holding them back as a player as much as they might think. Excluding having a truly crap amp, playing ability is 90% or more of one's sound. Chasing that last 10% or even the last couple percent of gear sound quality is a valid thing but it can be an expensive one.
@@7171jay Hey. You make some fair points. Allow me to try and clarify what I was saying. :) I really was speaking to those who directly compare a commodity 150USD guitar to a 7000USD custom instrument. I understand your point about perhaps hearing the difference between the two, but I also feel that on youtube, with all of the post production from channels and from youtube compression on videos, there really are not that many immediately detectable sonic differences. Some, for sure! But the true value and appreciation of a super expensive instrument only can come when one physically touches and tries it out. It is a feel thing. Similar to my analogy with cars. We can appreciate the lines and looks of a Lambo from videos, but unless we get behind the wheel of one, we cannot possibly start to really appreciate the difference between it and my Civic. Everything you said about quality instruments being available these days in even the lowest price tiers is absolutely true. I often remind myself and others on comments on youtube that, unquestionably, we are all living in a literal golden age of gear - all kinds of gear, from great playing and sounding lower cost guitars and pedals all the way up to the most boutique offerings. As someone who has been around the instrument for over 4 decades, anyone who cannot appreciate how great we have it these days with gear quality/price/variety just isn't paying any attention at all. I do think we are both saying the same thing overall. :) My own mini rant OP was really directed at those who, IMO, foolishly and incorrectely compare directly lower cost gear with super boutique gear, as in this video. Anyway, cheers and thanks for the thoughtful reply. :)
@joesatchton212 Yeah, I think we are probably not that far apart in most of our views. Where I do/ did disagree is on the value of comparing really inexpensive instruments to very expensive ones. I see the value of this video for people who don't have direct experience with high end guitars who might be incorrectly blaming the sounds they are getting on their budget instrument rather than their playing skills. I think Andertons does a pretty good job here at trying to get across the difference between $150 guitar and $7000 one. Honestly, one can only truly even begin to understand the differences if you have somewhat decent playing skills and experience the guitars in your own hands but short of that I think Andertons gives a good try to educating people a bit without that actual hands on experience. Without a voice of reason (like this video) many people mindlessly bash expensive guitars for being a ripoff or foolishy claim that budget instruments are junk (and some might even believe them) when in reality the truth lies somewhere between these two incorrect extremes. Good talking with you !!!
@@7171jay Ah, now I see your point more clearly - about those who just hate on super expensive guitars just for being expensive. I also do now see what you mean about some folks who might be tempted to blame their lower priced guitars for their bad guitar playing/tones instead of where the blame should really go. Fair point! Also, I did not mean to come off that vids like this one from Anderton's are unhelpful. Totally the opposite, as I think you feel. I am not an Anderton's hater. Sure, job one for Lee and company is to see products. That's the heart of their company. But over the years, for sure, Anderton's has done IMO a good job balancing objective demos of new gear with their own personal/corporate goals. Cap makes no bones about his general dislike for digital and modeling gear, yet they are smart enough to know that they need guys like Digital John, Rabea, etc, who represent the newer, more digitally inclined generation, to come in and demo those kinds of products. And it's so great to start to see Cap actually start to admire some of those digital products. Anyway, getting off track. Cheers and yes, so great to chat and have an actual adult discussion on youtube comment boards! lol PEACE!
Comparing Civic to a Lambo Both going to get you to work and home at the end of the day. Just preference on what toots your horn and can afford I’d buy a million dollar guitar if I was a billionaire but can’t because I’m not even a 1thousandaire 😅 so I have to stick to Squiers and budget guitars.
