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
@@gwendolynkaren5933 perfect, that's what I paid for mine last year. I saw Sweetwater had it for $450 this year, so musicians friend is the way to go..
@@Rockandrollgeerage 🙋♥️ I'm reading some reviews on Amazon as well I am getting so excited you don't even understand. It can be here as soon as March 4th It's been snowing steadily for the last 48 hours so I'm trying to time this out so I'm not at one of my four days a week that I work don't want to not be here when it shows up. 😎
@Sunflower Seeds no no no. Its true that amp really do portray a big role but it would not sound like a 2000$ guitar even with a expensive amp. Yes it would definitely sound better but there are a big difference
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!
@@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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
It's an incredible deal for $100. About the frets, how fast you wear them out will be partially related to the style of music that you play. If you're not bending strings, and you're playing jazz, the frets will last quite a while. The same goes for people just playing cowboy chords on the bottom of the neck. Bending strings is where you really put some wear on the frets. A lot of people blame tuners, when actually, much of the time, it's operator error. Chances are that your playing isn't as good a quality as this guitar, for most of you. So, buy one of these, quit worrying about the guitar, and get busy practicing. Your audience won't notice how much you spent on your guitar, however, they will notice if you haven't practiced. The only people that will care about your guitar features and brand will be other musicians. Play your a$$ off, and they won't care what kind of guitar you're playing on. I use $100 guitars on gigs, all the time. I have yet to have someone stop me and say "you have to quit playing because you didn't pay enough for your guitar." So there it is guys. Focus on your playing, not on the hardware.
Whether cheap or expensive, tuners work the same way and almost never go bad (I've seen two tuners malfunction out of hundreds of guitars and that was because the tension screws were left to loosen up by their owners and were never re-tightened), the expensive ones are just smoother. The number 1 reason for guitars having tuning issues is improperly channeled nuts, then improper intonation, changes in temperature and humidity, dirty strings, overly worn frets, and too much finger pressure when fretting. Plus 100 on practice. Good players aren't born, they're made, the vast majority of people who take up the guitar aren't willing to put in the 1000s of hours quality practice to become good. I've been a weekend musician for many decades, I have learned to absolutely hate hauling equipment in and out, so I keep a couple cheap "parts" guitars and a bottom covered up in the back of my car, the pick-ups are worth more than the guitars but at least I don't worry too much about them being stolen. I have quite a few guitars, some going back to the 50s, I could gig one once in a while, but like you said, no one in the audience would notice or care, plus my parts guitars are wired to be more versatile.
Bends dont actually wear out frets. Its the player with hamfisted technique that does. Bends actually help level out the fretwear: Its the deep pits from playing the same chords/scales over and over that require repairwork.
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 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.
With your skills even a cheese grater would sound good. So the intuition to take away is: "Don't buy an expensive guitar until you can play a cheese grater"
Honestly as long as the action isn't terrible and the pickups aren't super noisey cheap guitars are fine, getting a good sound will mostly depend on your amp. (Knowing what you're doing helps too, but I've found it's easier to learn on a nicer amp.)
To an extent, yes. But if you move up a notch or two from this $100 guitar, you can get into Squier/Epiphone range. Still made in Asia, but with better components and quality control. One thing I noticed is that when I was trying to use an old Yamaha, I could not make it sound good, even a note, it seemed. (BTW, problem isn't that it was a Yamaha, just that it had been poorly stored for 10 years and the magnets had detatched from the pickups.) I went out and bought a "not starter" guitar. Paid far more than I needed to. But when I play that guitar, I know when I'm playing it right, because it sounds like it should. And I'm 99.99% sure that when the sound isn't right, it's me, not the guitar. So best to get a quality starter guitar. Squier Bullet or Epiphone LP. Also, a step again up from Squier is the MIM Fender range. The newest guitar in my growing collection is a Fender Player Stratocaster. For 675, some of the best quality for price. I played it before buying, and was sold. Lots of reviews on the net. MIM with quality parts (no pot metal here). Only wish it came with a gig bag.
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.
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 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😅
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.
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.
@@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
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.. 😘👍👍
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
I'm a halfway decent guitarist, and also halfway decent woodworker. At 4:22 you reference the wood grain. It looks nice, but these area called cathedrals and it's not good for a neck. These patterns are indicative of plain/flat sawn wood, which is the most common. This method has the most yield with the least waste, but it's also the most inconsistent grain, piece to piece, and the least stable. It's going to flex the neck forward and back, seasonally, and maybe with a twist depending on the grain direction of your specific neck. But great video.
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.
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
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.
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!
@@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 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.
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 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 !!
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.
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 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.
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
I bought a 100$ guitar and added some new pickups and floyd rose from an old Series-A, The guitars neck and tuners were fine and honestly a better quality than expected with the price range, with the upgrades it sounds close enough to a mid price guitar and feels fantastic to play. Would totally recommend going cheap for any beginner, if you can get good playing on cheap instruments then buying a better one later on feels like a more worthwhile upgrade.
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...
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.
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.
@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!!!
Just kicking back, I came across your channel. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I found your discovery of this new Indio classic done very non-biased. You are an awesome knowledge bank as well as a talented guitar player. I have to admit I had no idea, guitars were so technical. I have just enjoyed The music all of these years. You have one of the best channels I've run across since I've been watching UA-cam from its inception. I don't know where you're from but your accent sounds like you're from Minnesota or somewhere in that frigid north. Good luck with your channel it seems you have a strong support for what you do, keep on doing it.
Knowing that fender parts fit that guitar is actually huge for me. I’ve been playing for a few years, and I like to tinker with my gear. Built a Tele a few months ago, and it plays well. I think it could be fun to buy that guitar, and throw some high quality pickups and a better trem system.
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.
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.
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 UA-cam 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.
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
This video just appeared in my recommendations and I have to say, after having watched the whole thing first, I am kinda surprised at how much I like this guitar. First off, I'm a mainly a bass player myself but, I like to dabble with guitar here and there and this looks like a good solid guitar to me, considering the $100 price tag. I also have to say that I've never really been a huge Fender/Squire fan. I find Strat and P-Bass bodies -kinda- *really* "boring". Still, I don't know what it was about the sky blue/blue burst/white/maple color scheme that I found aesthetically pleasing. I have to admit that I've never really seen a blue burst color like that before. Most of the time, I see solid baby blue colors and that's it. The color really seems to work with the maple fretboard and neck. Most importantly though, the sound wasn't bad at all. As a matter of fact, I didn't really notice any significant change in sound quality when you switched over to the more expensive Fender Strat. That's a huge plus for me. Usually, there is a noticeable drop in sound quality between less expensive instruments and their more costly counterparts. All in all, I think this is a great buy for beginners who are usually let down at having to sacrifice quality sound for a lower, more affordable price. Last, I have to say that I've never been a "gear snob" (those who frown upon and shun lower priced instruments) and I don't understand the mentality of those people. First off, if you can afford something "better", by all means but, why dampen someone else's enthusiasm and desire to learn by bashing on the only instrument they might be able to afford? Second, I find it hilarious how most "gear snobs" sit there and act like musical virtuosos, nitpicking on any lesser priced instrument than theirs yet, for all they've spent on their "high-priced/name brand" gear, the vast majority of them are still and will always be "unknowns". Most will only ever be "bedroom superstars" and that's it. I don't see the need to trash lesser priced gear, especially if it not only looks but sounds pretty good. Most "gear snobs" don't realize that most of today's "budget" instruments are *_FAR_* greater in quality than they were back in the 70's, 80's and even 90's. As you mentioned, back then, there really was no "middle-of-the-road" when it came to price and quality. It's really cool to see that nowadays, there are way better options for people to take advantage of. Back when I began to play, if I had some of today's lower priced gear rather than the few "choices" available back then? I'd have been ecstatic... (P.S. Other than shielding the cavity and a few other minor adjustments like polishing the neck? I'd leave it as is. I'd leave the headstock intact just to let it keep a bit of "distinction" from other guitars).
Dude.... The amount of sence you made makes me want to purchase cheaper items just to see how far manufacturing has gone into producing guitars. Its like you said.. " back then there was no middle ground" as far as electronics and wood production have gone. I'm definitely down to try the newest "cheap" products, and review them.
I'm 60 yrs old and yes today's budget stuff is amazing - but you can get too cheap. With temp and humidity changes, this thing could be a bear to keep in tune... I bought an 8 yr. old Squier standard Strat for $109.00 and it sounds really nice and stays in tune. Plus it will also keep some semblance of resale value compared with the Indio. For this amount of money, I think I 'd go used name brand instead.
@@bobt5778 You are right, you can get too cheap and run into problems *_BUT,_* this is true of any guitar or bass. Temp and humidity will negatively affect any instrument, even higher priced gear. The thing that makes this guitar stand out (besides it's surprisingly good sound and tone) is that the manufacturer has gone a step above and used better wood in the neck. If it has a good truss rod inside, there should be minimal to no problems other than the standard ones that even higher priced gear would need. It also depends on how the instrument is taken care of. Many people buy budget gear and treat it very poorly simply because it's "budget". Then, when the instrument develops serious problems, the sit there and complain about the instrument when in reality, it's usually the owner's fault. They either mistreat it or are simply ignorant of good, basic maintenance routines. Many simply buy an instrument but have no clue about how to go about keeping it in it's best condition. It's great that you found a Squire Strat for $109 but, from what I've seen, finds like that are the exception, not the rule. Yeah, you can go into pawn shops or garage sales and find things like that but usually, most name brand instruments you find at around that price are usually in need of moderate to serious repair. You also get no guarantee which is why many who can only afford an instrument in this price range prefer to buy new, rather than used. It saves them the hassle of buying someone else's "problems". Not to mention, for $100, this guitar also comes with a new, fairly padded gig bag. Something you don't normally find when buying used. If you do happen to find a guitar with either a case or a good gig bag, most of the time you're gonna wind up paying a lot more than $100 for it, which counters the whole point of this video - finding a decent budget instrument for those starting out or those in need of something good but, inexpensive...
Set Fire To The Night Sky I could hear the difference but most likely was the pickups imo. Swap those out and it would sound very close to the $1000 strat.
First guitar I bought was a £118 Rocktile warhead, sure it didn't have the best build quality in the world but it sounded lowkey really good for the price range and it was suprisingly fine to play, I could compete with a lot of mid range epihpones and it did the job I needed it to do, not to mention it was cheap so you have no fear from modifying it and putting your own pickups in, you don't need an expensive guitar to sound good anymore that era is over.
1. Either replace the bridge or lock it down: block of wood or 5 springs & tight claw. 2. Put some foam to stop the trem springs from ringing. 3. Install some better pickups. Second hand can be had for cheap. 4. Replace the jack and volume pot with quality parts. Add grounded copper shielding to body cavity and pickguard. Redo the entire wiring job and measure it with a multimeter (pickups, trem claw ground, shielding continuity etc.) 5. A fast diy fret level, crown & polish to make sure the frets are level. 6. New nut from brass/bone, file the slots to correct height and gauge. 7. Drill out the neck mounting holes in the body so the screw threads dont grip the body. Back off the neck mounting screws 1/4 turn under full string tension and then re-tighten them to ensure proper neck/body fit and sustain. 8. Replace the strap button screws with the biggest screws that will fit. (drill pilot holes) 9. Remove both stringtrees and only use the highest one of them for the E/B strings. Less steep angle will give better tuning stability. G/D wont need a stringtree. 10. Full setup: trussrod 0.3mm relief at 8th fret with capo on 1st and fretting 21st. Set action at 17th fret with capo on 1st to 2.0mm Low E and 1.5mm at thin E. Set intonation at 12th fret. Set pickup height to fender spec/personal preference. Put some chapstick under the string tree, in the nut slots and at the saddle contact points. (And if you are going to use the tremolo: put some between tremolo pivot screws/holes, claw/spring and spring/block-holes) Boom! You now have a guitar that plays just as well as the pros.
The frets might be level enough already. The nut looks fine, it stayed in tune. If the neck is screwed in tight already, don't f' with it any more. Some straps have tight cuts and dont require large buttons. Two string trees are vintage correct for 70s Strats. We don't know that the intonation or the neck need any further adjustment, it's not apparent that there are any shortcomings of either in the video.
Maybe most things are right with this particular guitar in the video, i was talking in general about a new guitar. Most nuts I see arent cut with great detail, the factories care mostly about making many guitars quickly. Same with the frets. About the straps, I said get longer screws: most guitars come with short wimpy screws for whatever reason, and these can easily pull out of the wood. Two stringtrees may be "vintage correct" but it isnt good for tuning stability. You can still leave the G/D string tree in place without running the strings under it.
Great guitar. Buy new tuning machines, buy a stronger tremolo block, buy a new nut or a zero fret, buy copper tape or some shielding paint. Buy some sets of your favourite strings. Do the setup, get intonation spot on. You can think about new pickups, but the ones installed are good. Bit of work, and you'll have a very nice guitar. If yours is as good as the video. I'd say, go for it.
@@scottashe984 Nah you do it over time....tuners first.....then play till trem wears out or breaks then replace....dont have to spend big bucks in one go...oh and shielding tape isn't expensive...Setting intonation isn't difficult and will make big difference....
My 1st electric guitar was a fender stratocaster, still have it, in my country cost me 100 US$, for the last few years has been and still the best guitar i ever had
I miss the valve amp setup I had back in the day. I swapped to mosfet mainly because the stack looks nicer and it worked better in the road, but the quality was never better imo.
Him "some of the ones from Fender are worse than this"
Fender "goodluck getting anything free from us ever".
@John Taylor you're what...
Him: *Gets sponsors from everyone else instead*
Or he gets sent items to change his mind
@@sledpipe68 More reasonable 🤣
@chief wiggums Oof so true
The manufacturer must have watched this video. It's $200 now lol.
now no one should buy it until they bring it back down :D
It was from eBay
Wow
Weirdo4Life I think we have something in common 🧐
Jared Garay-Pietrella link?
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
🤣
🤣🤣🤣
🤣
I've got a Peavey 7 string that I bought just to sell and use if I wanted to METAL out.... it's been 10 years and STILL has the plastic on.
I still have the plastic on my Squier...I don't know why. 🤷🏻♂️
The problem is people buy a cheap guitar and cheap amp and it's a rubbish sound. If they buy a decent amp that's half the battle to an awesome sound.
@@gwendolynkaren5933 for solid state I really like the Blackstar amps. For less than $500 you get all the tones you want. I have the ID core 100.
@@Rockandrollgeerage thank you ♥️🙋
@@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.
😎
@@gwendolynkaren5933 awesome!! How long have you been play? What kind of guit do you have? Current amp?
I mean it sounds amazing. A truth nobody is ready to accept: All guitars sound like a 2000 $ with the right amp.
@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
@@nijiro3833 u literally just proved his point
And the right player
What about a No
Naaa you need good pickups maybe new strings, flat neck then you can say that
It's like buying a gig bag that comes with a free guitar
Ivan Rusev if you’re spending $100 on a gig bag I have some ocean front property in Arizona to show you.
The Hound oooo contact me. I love the Arizona Beaches. It’s perfect in the summer when it gets hot.
@@sonofchlar6144 Lol it worked
LOL
@@sonofchlar6144 I am from England, any cheap bridges I could pickup?
Pro Tip: It's not the instrument that defines the music, but the musician.
For a $100 guitar + gigbag, thats actually quite amazing.
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.
Wrong it's the instrument. A high quality guitar is always a need and it doesn't need to be expensive
@@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.
@@LifestyleEmpowerment correct but you should still get a high quality guitar
@@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.
How heavy is this guitar? And how thin is the neck? Just looking for a nice cheap Strat type!
I’m with Todd Thomas what’s up with this guitar bro no updates is it bad?
@@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!
@@oscarroy1930 I've had mine since 2020 and I'm still quite happy with it. The only guitar under $100 that comes set-up out of the box. Can't beat it.
My very first guitar in 1984 was a 'Lero', a Les Paul cheap copy. Paid $99 for it, and it sounded pretty bad, but it did the job for me at the time.
$99 in 1984 is $248 in today's money when you add in inflation. If it was a bad guitar, then you over-paid😂😂😂
My first guitar was an Epiphone Special in 2009, which was also a $99 Les Paul knockoff. It sounded awful.
@@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)
@@matteo-nf1kv im going to buy a 120 dollar epiphone SG
@@matteo-nf1kv ok thanks for the help im gonna buy that guitar :)
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.
That's so great to hear! Enjoy the new guitar :)
Man, the price has jumped! When I got mine, it was &129. I looked at monoprice for a cheap hard case and the Indio Classic is up to $169.
@@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.
Where can i buy the guitar from? EU btw
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
Abolutely agreed.
I still play my first guitar, and its still worth what my dad payed for it. (Gretsch electromatic, sunburst red)
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.
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.
So play it
play it bro
Play it big boy
Play it
play it
Moral of the story
Get a good amp
Haha
two thumps up for the amp
Facts
And skills. Don't forget the skills. :)
Yeah but a cheap guitar generally doesnt feel as nice to play
Ah yes, it's always important to lubricate the nut slot.
@@ImmaFlyFly lmfaooooooo
@@ImmaFlyFly so can every guy derp you're not special .....
What can go wrong if there isn’t enough lub?
Here is the obligatory: That's what she said.
Yea, especially when they're plastic. I learned that the hard way tonight 🤣
You're voice is so Canadian I can taste the maple syrup.
TCOrigamist
This made me legit laugh so hard 😂
I can never tell the difference between yanks and Canadians
@@fandangobrandango7864 it's all in words like about, pasta, no, know, and of course "eh."
Haha =D Maybe it is the maple neck fragrance? =)
I was like "weird; I didn't notice an accent at all" and then I remembered I'm Canadian XD
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
That's what my wife said about me regarding ergonomics n balance lol
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.
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.
yep, mine's a Yamaha Pacifica that now hangs on the wall. awesome first guitar
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.)
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.
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.
Hahaha thats my plan with my sister but instead of guitar shell buy a keyboard
story of my life
Lol just have a sister
Thats how i got my acoustic guitar, but my sister gave up when she was younger
Strange pro tip
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
How is your "occupational therapy" hand strengthening going? Full report, please. I had a stroke, too.
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.
It's an incredible deal for $100. About the frets, how fast you wear them out will be partially related to the style of music that you play. If you're not bending strings, and you're playing jazz, the frets will last quite a while. The same goes for people just playing cowboy chords on the bottom of the neck. Bending strings is where you really put some wear on the frets. A lot of people blame tuners, when actually, much of the time, it's operator error. Chances are that your playing isn't as good a quality as this guitar, for most of you. So, buy one of these, quit worrying about the guitar, and get busy practicing. Your audience won't notice how much you spent on your guitar, however, they will notice if you haven't practiced. The only people that will care about your guitar features and brand will be other musicians. Play your a$$ off, and they won't care what kind of guitar you're playing on. I use $100 guitars on gigs, all the time. I have yet to have someone stop me and say "you have to quit playing because you didn't pay enough for your guitar." So there it is guys. Focus on your playing, not on the hardware.
Best comment of all!
Whether cheap or expensive, tuners work the same way and almost never go bad (I've seen two tuners malfunction out of hundreds of guitars and that was because the tension screws were left to loosen up by their owners and were never re-tightened), the expensive ones are just smoother. The number 1 reason for guitars having tuning issues is improperly channeled nuts, then improper intonation, changes in temperature and humidity, dirty strings, overly worn frets, and too much finger pressure when fretting.
Plus 100 on practice. Good players aren't born, they're made, the vast majority of people who take up the guitar aren't willing to put in the 1000s of hours quality practice to become good.
I've been a weekend musician for many decades, I have learned to absolutely hate hauling equipment in and out, so I keep a couple cheap "parts" guitars and a bottom covered up in the back of my car, the pick-ups are worth more than the guitars but at least I don't worry too much about them being stolen. I have quite a few guitars, some going back to the 50s, I could gig one once in a while, but like you said, no one in the audience would notice or care, plus my parts guitars are wired to be more versatile.
Well said, Frank !!
Bends dont actually wear out frets. Its the player with hamfisted technique that does. Bends actually help level out the fretwear: Its the deep pits from playing the same chords/scales over and over that require repairwork.
"Your audience won't notice how much you spent on your guitar, however, they will notice if you haven't practiced." - I need to put that on the wall.
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 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. 🤘🤠🤘
You cant buy talent....well, Trump bought some "talent" but I mean instrument talent.
Take it from a guy with 54 guitars.
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.
Charvel guitars are not low end guitars there kit guitars very expensive
@@souloftheage How do people end up with so many guitars? I mean I like different types of music, but still-54? Wow. I mean no hate, just curious
With your skills even a cheese grater would sound good.
So the intuition to take away is: "Don't buy an expensive guitar until you can play a cheese grater"
This is very true. So much parents spending thousands on their kids instruments just to store it on the attic because PS4 is more attractive to play.
How about a coconut grater i think it sound more beautiful than your cheese grater.....ha ha ha ........
Honestly as long as the action isn't terrible and the pickups aren't super noisey cheap guitars are fine, getting a good sound will mostly depend on your amp. (Knowing what you're doing helps too, but I've found it's easier to learn on a nicer amp.)
To an extent, yes. But if you move up a notch or two from this $100 guitar, you can get into Squier/Epiphone range. Still made in Asia, but with better components and quality control. One thing I noticed is that when I was trying to use an old Yamaha, I could not make it sound good, even a note, it seemed. (BTW, problem isn't that it was a Yamaha, just that it had been poorly stored for 10 years and the magnets had detatched from the pickups.) I went out and bought a "not starter" guitar. Paid far more than I needed to. But when I play that guitar, I know when I'm playing it right, because it sounds like it should. And I'm 99.99% sure that when the sound isn't right, it's me, not the guitar.
So best to get a quality starter guitar. Squier Bullet or Epiphone LP.
Also, a step again up from Squier is the MIM Fender range. The newest guitar in my growing collection is a Fender Player Stratocaster. For 675, some of the best quality for price. I played it before buying, and was sold. Lots of reviews on the net. MIM with quality parts (no pot metal here). Only wish it came with a gig bag.
you asked, so would like to see you swap out the tuners for better quality..
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.
The Enthusiasm Project if my sears (60s ) guitar did turn me off . The above guitar would have been great
Schecters C1 SGR turned me off. Not a good entry for a brand selling metal guitars. Won't ever buy from Schecter again.
rondo music has awesome stuff
Look at Thomann. de , Euros' biggest Guitar Retailer whats possibel for 100- 200 €, and the things people wrote after buying a very cheap Guitar
im amateur and i bought Cort x-2 made in indonesia, new one worth more than 100€, what do u think of cort x-2
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.
This video taught me that the wrapper was on my guitar that I had for about a year now LOL
That's funny. 🙂
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
I always leave the plastic film on new equipment just to keep it like new.
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😅
How do I buy one??
Personally I love that hook at the end of the neck. It's a beautiful guitar.
It reminds me of my music man cutlass kind of so I dig it too.
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.
For a 100 bucks , the fretboard looks nice.
I like the hook also
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 :)
Darrell Braun Guitar turn it into a jazzmaster!
Put that titanium tone block in it! And is there any way to tell if unmarked pups are alnico 3s, 5s or whatever?
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.
That's a good idea :)
Bar magnets glued to the bottom of pickups indicate that they are ceramic
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.
Got one off of Amazon for $87. Built real well. Maple neck, decent tuners, good action. Frets need dressed. Finish is fantastic.
Video percentage of topic
50% explanation
50% "i was not expecting that"
what I got from the video is that he is bad at expecting
A huge surprise
@@0s0sXD Great comment but to be honest I was not expecting that 😂😂😂
$100 guitar on a $10,000 $$$ AMP.
Maybe try and play the $3,000 guitar and the $100 guitar on a cheap amp so we can really tell the difference :D
"Let's play them on an amp that sucks, so both guitars will sound terrible."
@@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
@@marcos_c_m Tell me how the "tunners" contribute to the sound of any guitar? And if you say "by keeping it in tune" I'll smack you.
@@marcos_c_m tumers matter, but they have nothing to do with sound of a guitar....if you put $10 tuners on a $5000 guitar, the sound won't change
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.. 😘👍👍
MOHD KHAIRUL RIDZWAN MUSTAPHA Nice words bro, you‘re damn right!
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!
Pink Floyd fan here, for those of you wondering, the song he plays at the end is “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” off the album Wish You Were Here
Damn thats like a 10 min song
@@mitchellbailey6258 ain't it nice... Check out echoes on the album meddle
Mate I think we’ve all heard of pink floyd.
@@fabianreah1708 i know some people who've never heard about pink floyd
c'mon they should have at leat heard about another brick in the wall
It sounded great
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!
Check the inside of the box for the whammy bar, usually taped to it
he threw the box away already :) nah i don't know if he did
or stuck in a fold in the bottom corner, yep, seen it before ;)
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.
what a nice guy, knocks the camera and apologises. love it.
That's a Canadian for you.
I love how in-depth you went with this on such an inconsequential-looking guitar! I actually learned a bunch just from watching this. Thank you!
As he says squire bullet bad, I look down at my guitar and caress it saying "It's okay baby, he didn't mean it" 😂
@Wilfried Fuiscklam Mine is a bullet but I got custom upgrades on them so it's no longer on the cheap side.
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.
My strat is from the Mexico Player series (idk what the series name is all I know is that’s it’s from Mexico)
I bought a Gibson lp from sweetwater, new. Gone in a week. About as nice as the epiphone model
@@rickhoward1516 "you can triple the amount you put towards your guitar and get bragging rights!"
I didn't even searched this video it just got recommended and I'm blown away on how in depth this review is, good job sir
Anyone notice the guitar looks like the first one on his shirt?
by design...very meta
The Illuminati strikes again!!
No bro it looks like the last one...if you se carefully first one is humbucker coil and last one is sinhle coil.
@@justingrizzard1477 Ebay is illuminati lol...
No it looks like the last one
literally didn't know i had plastic on my guitar to peel off until yesterday
Miles G. Same💀
@@sophiarosas8015 lmaooo
@@sophiarosas8015 I did but since I don't know a lot about guitars I didn't know you had to peel it off lol and I still won't peel it off
Same lmaoo
i just looked at my 6 year old Yamaha, plastic still there.
I believe 80% who clicked this video are looking for budget guitar.
LMFAOO💀💀yeahh
_that's the point_
*NO...*
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
Yep
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.
I got the Indio telecaster copy for like $80 on a Father’s Day deal. Don’t regret it.
I also never regret my foolishness :)
Jealous
Not sure but I think the hook is meant to catch the underwear that gets thrown at oneself, whilst onstage.
lol!
i laffed out loud at this comment
that's why cheap guitars are a booming business. Ok, I don't know if they are, but you know. I tried to learn some years ago, just didn't get far.
Duuude… Perfect.
Tom Jones signature model. XD
I'm a halfway decent guitarist, and also halfway decent woodworker. At 4:22 you reference the wood grain. It looks nice, but these area called cathedrals and it's not good for a neck. These patterns are indicative of plain/flat sawn wood, which is the most common. This method has the most yield with the least waste, but it's also the most inconsistent grain, piece to piece, and the least stable. It's going to flex the neck forward and back, seasonally, and maybe with a twist depending on the grain direction of your specific neck. But great video.
I guess I wouldn't expect quarter sawn pieces on a $100 axe (or maybe it's just a hatchet!)
Also breaks easiest that direction.
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.
Une Strat. c'est facilement 900 $ et plus.
It’s amazing how happy one can be when opening a new guitar, be it $100 or $100,000. Your face at 03:15 exudes happiness!
New toys are always fun!
Lol yeah
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💝
nope
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
I love my squire bullet strat
I sold mine as soon as I bought better one! No regret
My takamine 523sc acoustic when I was 15, not my first guitar but my baby since. I'll be burried with it.
When you played that tune, I was listening with my eyes closed and just as I opened them I saw you had a real Fender, I never heard the change.
nice red hair
Same thoughts sir
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.
You can totally hear it...the real fender has a richer tone
Listen with good headphones or speakers.
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!
I don't know how to play guitar, I don't plan on learning, I know nothing about guitar, yet... I watched the entire video.
Do you feel like learning now?
Be careful. Soon you get the urge to buy a GTR. Then another one . If you get a third GTR, you will have incurable Guitarosis. It is usually fatal.
Hahahahahahaha True
Same
same. i play the violin and somehow i'm here watching this video.
You open that thing up as slowly as Charlie Buckets Grandpa opens a chocolate bar.
Obscure Reference + Entirely Accurate = Perfect UA-cam Comment Thank you for verbalizing how I felt about that opening sequence.
I wish someday i can make as good a reference and this guy has done.
3:15
Had to skip two thirds of the video just to see him actually play
@@daddymememaster5432 yup
Damn that color is awesome
Baby Blue
@@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.
My first guitar was baby blue
@@6the6savior6 remember me breaking bad :,v
I find that with the copies, the color selection is better.
I wish every guitar shop had a pro like you in their team.
They'd have a better chance at that if people would use their local instrument shops some more.
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.
That sounds pretty good. Not even because it’s for $100 but the overall tone sounds pretty cool for playing some classic rock.
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!
Darrell, if I ever meet you, I am going to give you a high five. Because your videos are very enjoyable to watch. Keep at it!
I appreciate not making the title “I bought a $100 Guitar. How good is it?” and making the title “I bought a $100 Guitar, and it’s FANTASTIC!”
turkey vulture I don’t play but appreciate those who do and the title caught my attention.
They get you with the "I bought a $100 Guitar. IT'S AWFUL!", because who would want to watch that unless the fact that it's bad makes it better?
@@particle0 Those who want a $100 Guitar and not one that's terrible. Watch what he says and what to watch for.
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 !!
Your channel is simply a must for guitar enthusiasts. Thank you so much for the in-depth review. I actually learn something. :)
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.
To me, a guitar or bass is 80% about the neck, so if this guitar's best feature is the neck, then cool.
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.
Over and above the reviews of the instruments , I REALLY enjoy your musical phrasing. 😊
Plot twist: Guitar is $100, with $600 Shipping & Handling
Free shipping if you buy it on eBay. Compare sellers.
Plot twist you're wrong.
110 on Amazon
M Simoes woooosh
@@JohnDoe-qe9fg no woosh at all, that joke works on a lot of things monoprice is not one of them
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.
those vintage hohner martin copies are something else
I'm no guitarist by any stretch but I've had my £79 Hohner acoustic since 1990 and it still sounds great in my mind.
I've had Horner. They made really good guitars
@@austinrealestatewithbutchn4420 I think you're talking about the math guy
Hohner are legendary, excellent strats too
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.
If I had a $30000 guitar, I would play about 10% as good as this guy on the $100 guitar.
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 $20,000 rig, I will still sound like me
I bought a 100$ guitar and added some new pickups and floyd rose from an old Series-A, The guitars neck and tuners were fine and honestly a better quality than expected with the price range, with the upgrades it sounds close enough to a mid price guitar and feels fantastic to play. Would totally recommend going cheap for any beginner, if you can get good playing on cheap instruments then buying a better one later on feels like a more worthwhile upgrade.
Gut
My senses tell me another mod is coming soon.
It looks like a great mod platform.
I think like that. 😀😀
I actually dig the headstock.
Cayman Shen me too. Unique, no?
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
Looks better than the Washburn one like this.
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...
Headstock looks like a heel spur, but awesome!!!!!
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
HurtboxTV The headstock is patented.
And patents expire. In China, patents are usually not recognised anyway.
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.
The headstock actually looks pretty cool.
@@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.
Great review and very thoroughly covered this guitar! Also an amazing price for this blue beauty 💙
The amount of times this man can say "let's open it up" while opening one thing amazes me. Nice vid
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.
@@aceneto9386 that's awesome! I wouldn't do it to a high end instrument, but I relic'ed it and didn't feel bad.
Always nice to see someone using 'eschew' correctly! Give a man hope! :D
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.
Love the jamming choice. Pink Floyd is amazing
Andaman Production what is the song?
@@backupaccountforcooldaddyj7895 sounded like the solo from shine on you crazy diamond
I didn't scroll comments and basically wrote same thing!
I thought it was a Gary Moore tune
Yeah! It sounds like a mix of The Great Gig in tje Sky and Shine On
Been playing for 62 years, nothing like this guitar in the old days. Your friend in tone, Norman Mozley
Emmmmmmmm...........He can play a $100 guitar sounds like a $10000.
But, I can play any guitar sounds like a $100 one :)
@Richard LOLOL, Same
😂😂😂😂
Now that's what I call consistency!
@Richard Um, do you mean 2,000? If you really mean 20,000 then I'd like to know which one you got.
@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!!!
Proven: it isn't the instrument. Its the musician that makes the diff.
Or the amp
@@elyesademir4199 And both.
@@wendellwhite5797 mostly the amp. Anyone can play a few simple chords, and theyll sound a lot better on a good amp
It's always the skill that makes the instrument
its amp actually
Just kicking back, I came across your channel. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I found your discovery of this new Indio classic done very non-biased. You are an awesome knowledge bank as well as a talented guitar player. I have to admit I had no idea, guitars were so technical. I have just enjoyed The music all of these years. You have one of the best channels I've run across since I've been watching UA-cam from its inception. I don't know where you're from but your accent sounds like you're from Minnesota or somewhere in that frigid north. Good luck with your channel it seems you have a strong support for what you do, keep on doing it.
Thanks for the kind words!
Welcome to the channel :)
@@DarrellBraunGuitar you could have told Him where your from/at, unless you're in witness protection 😂
@@shawndouglass2939 he soownds caneeedian hey
Thomas King Hopkins He might be from Canada.
In a later video, he says he's in Canada.
Knowing that fender parts fit that guitar is actually huge for me. I’ve been playing for a few years, and I like to tinker with my gear. Built a Tele a few months ago, and it plays well. I think it could be fun to buy that guitar, and throw some high quality pickups and a better trem system.
yeah after watching the whole video you did a tremendous job reviewing this guitar feels Great ! Good job !
Thanks!
Love the paint job! Thanks!
How can anyone dislike a video from a guy this nice?!
Inhumans who hate guitars i guess ???? He has always great videos !!!!
People who play banjos?
He is 100% Canadian 😂
They're Fender and Gibson workers.
Gibson/Fender Warriors are offended of course.
Wow, $99 bucks, with a gig bag and good neck For $99 how can you go wrong.
when my dad got his first guitar back in 89 he got a no name trainer guitar for around 130$ usd. It has survived all these years and it still works amazingly.
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.
“john i want a divorce”
“..... divorce..... 7:49”
NEDTHEPRODUCER ITS THE SAME LAUGH HAHAHAHHAHAHA
brilliant you made me laugh at 5.21 AM
@Michael Connaire you're*
I can't hear it, but how on earth did you hear it?!😂😂
HAHAHAHAH YOU GENIUS
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 UA-cam 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.
Have you seen Brandon Deon he's the best
@@saulunger7844 Darrell is still first on my list.
Thanks for the kind words RC!
@@DarrellBraunGuitar bro you need to check out Brandon Deon
He's fooken great
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
This video just appeared in my recommendations and I have to say, after having watched the whole thing first, I am kinda surprised at how much I like this guitar. First off, I'm a mainly a bass player myself but, I like to dabble with guitar here and there and this looks like a good solid guitar to me, considering the $100 price tag.
I also have to say that I've never really been a huge Fender/Squire fan. I find Strat and P-Bass bodies -kinda- *really* "boring". Still, I don't know what it was about the sky blue/blue burst/white/maple color scheme that I found aesthetically pleasing. I have to admit that I've never really seen a blue burst color like that before. Most of the time, I see solid baby blue colors and that's it.
The color really seems to work with the maple fretboard and neck. Most importantly though, the sound wasn't bad at all. As a matter of fact, I didn't really notice any significant change in sound quality when you switched over to the more expensive Fender Strat. That's a huge plus for me. Usually, there is a noticeable drop in sound quality between less expensive instruments and their more costly counterparts. All in all, I think this is a great buy for beginners who are usually let down at having to sacrifice quality sound for a lower, more affordable price.
Last, I have to say that I've never been a "gear snob" (those who frown upon and shun lower priced instruments) and I don't understand the mentality of those people. First off, if you can afford something "better", by all means but, why dampen someone else's enthusiasm and desire to learn by bashing on the only instrument they might be able to afford? Second, I find it hilarious how most "gear snobs" sit there and act like musical virtuosos, nitpicking on any lesser priced instrument than theirs yet, for all they've spent on their "high-priced/name brand" gear, the vast majority of them are still and will always be "unknowns". Most will only ever be "bedroom superstars" and that's it.
I don't see the need to trash lesser priced gear, especially if it not only looks but sounds pretty good. Most "gear snobs" don't realize that most of today's "budget" instruments are *_FAR_* greater in quality than they were back in the 70's, 80's and even 90's. As you mentioned, back then, there really was no "middle-of-the-road" when it came to price and quality. It's really cool to see that nowadays, there are way better options for people to take advantage of. Back when I began to play, if I had some of today's lower priced gear rather than the few "choices" available back then? I'd have been ecstatic...
(P.S. Other than shielding the cavity and a few other minor adjustments like polishing the neck? I'd leave it as is. I'd leave the headstock intact just to let it keep a bit of "distinction" from other guitars).
I also like it
Dude.... The amount of sence you made makes me want to purchase cheaper items just to see how far manufacturing has gone into producing guitars. Its like you said.. " back then there was no middle ground" as far as electronics and wood production have gone. I'm definitely down to try the newest "cheap" products, and review them.
I'm 60 yrs old and yes today's budget stuff is amazing - but you can get too cheap. With temp and humidity changes, this thing could be a bear to keep in tune... I bought an 8 yr. old Squier standard Strat for $109.00 and it sounds really nice and stays in tune. Plus it will also keep some semblance of resale value compared with the Indio. For this amount of money, I think I 'd go used name brand instead.
@@bobt5778 You are right, you can get too cheap and run into problems *_BUT,_* this is true of any guitar or bass. Temp and humidity will negatively affect any instrument, even higher priced gear. The thing that makes this guitar stand out (besides it's surprisingly good sound and tone) is that the manufacturer has gone a step above and used better wood in the neck. If it has a good truss rod inside, there should be minimal to no problems other than the standard ones that even higher priced gear would need.
It also depends on how the instrument is taken care of. Many people buy budget gear and treat it very poorly simply because it's "budget". Then, when the instrument develops serious problems, the sit there and complain about the instrument when in reality, it's usually the owner's fault. They either mistreat it or are simply ignorant of good, basic maintenance routines. Many simply buy an instrument but have no clue about how to go about keeping it in it's best condition.
It's great that you found a Squire Strat for $109 but, from what I've seen, finds like that are the exception, not the rule. Yeah, you can go into pawn shops or garage sales and find things like that but usually, most name brand instruments you find at around that price are usually in need of moderate to serious repair. You also get no guarantee which is why many who can only afford an instrument in this price range prefer to buy new, rather than used. It saves them the hassle of buying someone else's "problems".
Not to mention, for $100, this guitar also comes with a new, fairly padded gig bag. Something you don't normally find when buying used. If you do happen to find a guitar with either a case or a good gig bag, most of the time you're gonna wind up paying a lot more than $100 for it, which counters the whole point of this video - finding a decent budget instrument for those starting out or those in need of something good but, inexpensive...
Set Fire To The Night Sky I could hear the difference but most likely was the pickups imo. Swap those out and it would sound very close to the $1000 strat.
Love that color! Don't do anything to the head stock, you can call it Blue Bird or Blue Eagle etc. ect.!
Sam The Eagle is the literal blue eagle Muppet
Kinda dig the headstock
it's an SX copy...
Skip to 17 minutes if you want to hear the guitar.
Hes doing a review dumb asses
@@lukesmith5816 Hey man, some people just wanna listen to it
Thanks
17:00
Thanks man, appreciate it
First guitar I bought was a £118 Rocktile warhead, sure it didn't have the best build quality in the world but it sounded lowkey really good for the price range and it was suprisingly fine to play, I could compete with a lot of mid range epihpones and it did the job I needed it to do, not to mention it was cheap so you have no fear from modifying it and putting your own pickups in, you don't need an expensive guitar to sound good anymore that era is over.
1. Either replace the bridge or lock it down: block of wood or 5 springs & tight claw.
2. Put some foam to stop the trem springs from ringing.
3. Install some better pickups. Second hand can be had for cheap.
4. Replace the jack and volume pot with quality parts. Add grounded copper shielding to body cavity and pickguard. Redo the entire wiring job and measure it with a multimeter (pickups, trem claw ground, shielding continuity etc.)
5. A fast diy fret level, crown & polish to make sure the frets are level.
6. New nut from brass/bone, file the slots to correct height and gauge.
7. Drill out the neck mounting holes in the body so the screw threads dont grip the body. Back off the neck mounting screws 1/4 turn under full string tension and then re-tighten them to ensure proper neck/body fit and sustain.
8. Replace the strap button screws with the biggest screws that will fit. (drill pilot holes)
9. Remove both stringtrees and only use the highest one of them for the E/B strings. Less steep angle will give better tuning stability. G/D wont need a stringtree.
10. Full setup: trussrod 0.3mm relief at 8th fret with capo on 1st and fretting 21st. Set action at 17th fret with capo on 1st to 2.0mm Low E and 1.5mm at thin E. Set intonation at 12th fret. Set pickup height to fender spec/personal preference. Put some chapstick under the string tree, in the nut slots and at the saddle contact points. (And if you are going to use the tremolo: put some between tremolo pivot screws/holes, claw/spring and spring/block-holes)
Boom! You now have a guitar that plays just as well as the pros.
Don't forget to install new strings and stretch them properly.
Most of this is unnecessary.
What exactly is unnecessary? Even an expensive guitar can have many shortcomings from the factory, poor setup etc.
The frets might be level enough already. The nut looks fine, it stayed in tune. If the neck is screwed in tight already, don't f' with it any more. Some straps have tight cuts and dont require large buttons. Two string trees are vintage correct for 70s Strats. We don't know that the intonation or the neck need any further adjustment, it's not apparent that there are any shortcomings of either in the video.
Maybe most things are right with this particular guitar in the video, i was talking in general about a new guitar. Most nuts I see arent cut with great detail, the factories care mostly about making many guitars quickly. Same with the frets. About the straps, I said get longer screws: most guitars come with short wimpy screws for whatever reason, and these can easily pull out of the wood. Two stringtrees may be "vintage correct" but it isnt good for tuning stability. You can still leave the G/D string tree in place without running the strings under it.
Great guitar. Buy new tuning machines, buy a stronger tremolo block, buy a new nut or a zero fret, buy copper tape or some shielding paint. Buy some sets of your favourite strings. Do the setup, get intonation spot on. You can think about new pickups, but the ones installed are good.
Bit of work, and you'll have a very nice guitar. If yours is as good as the video. I'd say, go for it.
Might as well buy a $500-$600 guitar at that point
@@scottashe984 Nah you do it over time....tuners first.....then play till trem wears out or breaks then replace....dont have to spend big bucks in one go...oh and shielding tape isn't expensive...Setting intonation isn't difficult and will make big difference....
What’s economical tuners will be a good fit on it?
My 1st electric guitar was a fender stratocaster, still have it, in my country cost me 100 US$, for the last few years has been and still the best guitar i ever had
I miss the valve amp setup I had back in the day.
I swapped to mosfet mainly because the stack looks nicer and it worked better in the road, but the quality was never better imo.