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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
 Posted - 02/02/2008 : 08:18:43
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| Agreed.. Rondo looked so good I saved the link. Great offerings there. |
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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2008 : 00:52:58
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I have seen a RASH of Jackson and ESP guitars in pawnshops lately, way less than $500 range, and NOT the student versions either.
Are these guitars just not cool anymore???
I mean $500 for a ESP or a Jackson, is a freaking steal, these were like $1800 new in the late '80s.
HSH, configurations, etc.
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2008 : 01:11:32
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quote:
Originally posted by starr36
I have seen a RASH of Jackson and ESP guitars in pawnshops lately, way less than $500 range, and NOT the student versions either.
Are these guitars just not cool anymore???
I mean $500 for a ESP or a Jackson, is a freaking steal, these were like $1800 new in the late '80s.
HSH, configurations, etc.
I think those guitars are still cool, its just that a lot of the people who may have bought those in the 80's may now have babys to buy new shoes for so they are unloading some gear... |
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Caliban
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
145 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2008 : 22:32:18
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From a UK PoV, the key is the letter G. Godin and Gordon-Smith, to be precise.
Godin amaze me - who else can make a guitar in North America and sell it in the UK for under Ģ300? The Exit 22 is a great guitar - a Les Paul Jnr / Tele cross, with a Strat's pickup config, and some places sell them for under Ģ250. That's daft money - you can hardly get an Epiphone for that.
Gordon-Smith are my heroes - grumpy Mancunians who make as many guitars as they like, and you can lump it if you want something else. They're also the UK's longest-established guitar builders; and when they make a guitar like the GS-1 (a Les Paul Jnr for Ģ350, with better quality than anything Gibson makes), you can see why. |
Edited by - Caliban on 02/10/2008 22:32:42 |
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4evrnewB
Silver Member
Canada
322 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 04:25:40
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My Godin SD. I bought it for $200 used (but it would still make it the best bang-for-buck new at $400).
I bought it mainly because I have a few Godin-company acoustics (Seagull, Norman)and they're so great - again, especially for the money. So, I thought I'd like to have something a little different than my Am. Std. Strat, I liked the look of the SD, the colour (dark blue transparent with gold hardware), the HSS config and the way the neck felt. Well, it turned out to be a real player, great action and the Godin-Duncan pickups are great. I keep thinking I'd like a Tele or something else but I'm finding the idea of parting with the Godin very difficult. One thing I will say however - and this mirrors what Stratman was saying - after playing my Fender for any length of time the Godin does feel inferior, play it for a while and I fall back in love with it, switch back to the Strat and it does feel noticeably better... |
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bill4117
Copper Member
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 03:56:12
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| ive got one for you.... and yes it comes with a free story (read my vb 2 post). ok so here's the deal before i got married i had a small guitar collection (mostly crap but oh well) anyway i used to go into my cousin's friends music shop and play the white jackson soloist which was the centerpice of his inventory. YES I WAS LIKE WAYNE FROM WAYNES WORLD. play for 20 minutes and put it back and sigh. anyway like 6 months goes by with me playing it once a week when i show up and it's gone with 3/4s of his inventory. so i asked him what gives?? turns out his partner was embezling and he decided to close down shop. i asked how much he sold my beloved soloist for and it turns out he didn't sell it he only sold the NECK to piss off his partner. the soloist was in tact sans neck with the strings still on sitting in a hardcase under the stage. he then told me if i wanted it $20.00 would bring it home. SCORE!!!! then i let someone borrow it, just didn't know his definition of borrow meant permanent. DAMMIT!!!! |
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August West
Bronze Member
USA
137 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 20:51:42
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I haven't seen anyone mention the lower end PRS guitars in this thread (the Korean SE series). I have a PRS Santana SE that I'm pretty happy with. I have not comapred it head to head against any other more expensive humbucker like a Les Paul so my opinion here is limited.
I saw someone on the forum had a PRS Tremonti SE but I don't know what they think of it. |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 07:47:58
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I have a PRS Tremonti and like it very much, itīs very light and the built quality is great. For the money itīs one of the best I ever bought, I bought it second hand.
I didnīt like the pickups, a little too hot for me, BUT they are by no means bad pickups, I just prefer a little less output. So I have changed to a Pealy Gates in bridge and a Golden Age in neck (bought both very cheap). I also changed the pots to CTS.
That was the only changes needed on this guitar, and I nearly always change parts on my guitars (I like that).
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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 19:37:41
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quote:
Originally posted by jack
quote:
Originally posted by starr36
I have seen a RASH of Jackson and ESP guitars in pawnshops lately, way less than $500 range, and NOT the student versions either.
Are these guitars just not cool anymore???
I mean $500 for a ESP or a Jackson, is a freaking steal, these were like $1800 new in the late '80s.
HSH, configurations, etc.
I think those guitars are still cool, its just that a lot of the people who may have bought those in the 80's may now have babys to buy new shoes for so they are unloading some gear...
I think you are right! The build quality on some of those ESP and Jacks are excellent. Time to go shopping, because no doubt, they will come back again .. 1988 +25 = 2013, not to far off, boys. |
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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2008 : 19:44:13
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I bought a legit Gibson Les Paul studio, for $800.
Compared to a standard, it sounds the same, butlacks the style of a LP standard in trim.
I would highly recommend, a late 80's early 90's LP studio, if you want the legit LP sound and feel, but, without the standard or deluxe price. Even better if you can find one with the RARER finishes. A recent "Platinum" issue Studio, I think discontinued 2005 is a very sharp looking Les Paul. I saw a similar to Fender Corona Red Lespaul Studio with the Matte silver "platinum" hardware and pickups on eBay, and it was TRES TRES TRES cool.
but, as with all guitars, play it before you buy it, as they are all different, and *winks, make sure Goran didn't have it as you know it won't have stock gibson humbuckers in it!
Mind you, if Goran can get the Les Paul "woof" out of the the neck pickup, thank your stars that Goran had it before you! (I hate the Les Paul woof!) |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2008 : 00:02:20
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I second the Godin nomination.
The "Detour" sells, with a nice bag, for $400. It's 24 3/4 scale, but strat-style, HH, hardtail. nifty.
I think the best deals are used instruments.. I got a Blade for $325, which were $1800 new. I find some of the old El Degas stuff very playable (depending on condition) - you'd often get high-gloss 70s necks and sometimes real DiMarzio Super Distortions. Also nice are any old Japanese Squiers.. |
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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 04:02:30
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I have a JV gold logo squier, and never selling it. But a real squier bargoon guitar is the silver logo ones from about 1985 MIJ, I had 3 of them, and again, they are all different in sound and feel. They have 0 collectibility value (some eBayers try to fool you), but fabulous for routing out the body, adding pickups, subtracting pickups because, well, they are pretty much disposable, save for the learning; but alas, they play pretty good. I would avoid the indonesian, chinese or korean squiers. they aren't much good for ripping apart because they play and feel crappy.
An oddball Squier is the olympic white/rosewood "Wayne's World" limited edition. If you see one grab it. Only a few 000 made. I have played about 2 or 3 of those, and they were all "very good" waHoOoOoooOOooO!
Apparently highly desired in BC.
http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showpost.php?p=341639&postcount=1 |
Edited by - starr36 on 02/19/2008 04:06:43 |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 05:01:31
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quote:
Originally posted by starr36
I have a JV gold logo squier, and never selling it. But a real squier bargoon guitar is the silver logo ones from about 1985 MIJ, I had 3 of them, and again, they are all different in sound and feel. They have 0 collectibility value (some eBayers try to fool you), but fabulous for routing out the body, adding pickups, subtracting pickups because, well, they are pretty much disposable, save for the learning; but alas, they play pretty good. I would avoid the indonesian, chinese or korean squiers. they aren't much good for ripping apart because they play and feel crappy.
An oddball Squier is the olympic white/rosewood "Wayne's World" limited edition. If you see one grab it. Only a few 000 made. I have played about 2 or 3 of those, and they were all "very good" waHoOoOoooOOooO!
Apparently highly desired in BC.
http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/showpost.php?p=341639&postcount=1
Hi starr36, Talkin' a little Canadian eh? And Yeah Jap strats go high here on the left coast, although I think this ones a bit steep. They generally go for five to six hundred in the pawnshops and Craigslist. |
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starr36
Platinum Member
Canada
1172 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2008 : 18:48:42
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Since we are bit on the topic. The real JV highly sought after strats are as follows:
57 Configuration, single-ply white pickguard 7 screws 3 way switch,staggered poled pickups, fender stamped on saddles small font on volume and tone knobs. Fender Logo, JV serial number on neckplate. Pencil date 1982 on teh heel of the neck (some early 1983). usually maple fretboard/skunkstripe. Kluson tuners.
62 Configuration, three -ply white-b-white pickguard 11 screws 5 way switch,staggerred poled pickups, fender stamped on saddles, larger font on volume and tone knobs. Fender Logo, JV serial number n neckplate. Pencil date 1982 (some early 1983) on the heel of the neck. usually roswewood fretboard NO skunkstripe. Kluson tuners.
Those two, are the absolute legit Fender JV series that are big buck, any variation from that, not the real deal. This is because Fender was looking to do some offshore production due to financial difficulty and the first runs were ALL HAND MADE, just like in the USA so then they could work and figure out how to automate production, so they had to do a few runs to show the Japanese locals exactly how Fender made guitars. This is why the quality went down after this because, they designed improved mass production techniques that just lacked the attention to detail required by hand.
A close second, is the same as above but Gold squier logo, no staggered pickup poles either Kluson or cheaper tuners, these are still good, but do not have the fender logo, serial number still on the neckplate, heel dated in pencil late 1983.
Next is the SQ serial number series, a little later, this was usually a 70's style re-issue black pickguard, no fender stamps on saddles, less authentic looking but, DID have 3 bolt neckplate. I had a black one and it did not have serial number penciled on the neck, but, had a very very very good replica of the contoured "stratocaster" logo in bold font, but still had Squier in silver on it. It had teh 12th fret woof problem really really bad on the low E string, showing a decrease in quality similar to the real 70's big headstock stratocasters.
Anything else, silver logo, serial number ANYWHERE ELSE ExCEPT THE NECKPLATE is really not worth any collectibility because the attention to detail was not there, much weaker pickups, the guitars did not bark and spit, pretty much 1985 and on were really "student" quality. BUT this IS NOT to be compared to real MIJ Fender stratocasters - the MIJ ones branded FENDER are all pretty good.
There used to be a website that explained all this, but I couoldl not find it.
I am always trying to find one of the legit collectibles at pawnshops, but have not been lucky enough yet. someday, I will.
cheers. |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2008 : 07:53:28
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Hi Starr36
Great & informative write-up.
Please let us know if you find the link.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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Most guitar for minimum money
