All I can say is the "beginner" budget guitars that are out now are light years ahead of what we had when I was starting out. My first guitar was a plywood acoustic that sounded and played like the firewood that it was
@@jakevoss7885 couldn't agree more. It's almost 20 years since I started playing and I still have my first electric guitar. Things have come a long way
@@alejandrovlog5423 don't laugh Alejandro, these Squier Classic Vibe strats & teles are just awesome guitars & don't cost a King's ransom either, I just love 'em. Cheers, peace & rock 'n roll 4ever bra!
My dad bought me a Bullet Squire when I was seven. He was killed when I was fourteen. Everyone said to just buy a new guitar after I broke the truss rod because I didn't know what I was doing. Instead, due to sentimental value, I replaced the neck and the pickups and I think it's now one of the best guitars that I own. I know replacing the neck makes the guitar quite different than the stock ones, but I really think modifying these guitars can be beneficial.
Some things transcend monetary value. It doesn’t matter how much the guitar costs. Your guitar is a direct connection to your father. And maybe one of the few meaningful connections you may have to him now. Of course you have your memories. But that guitar is special. I have gotten to a point where I have been able to get some nice guitars. But I regret not having my cheap Hondo Les Paul copy that was my first guitar I got in 1982. Don’t ever part with that guitar. Even if you end up with high end Strats or Les Pauls. They’ll never be as meaningful as the guitar your father bought you. RIP Dad.....
I agree with Wargasm644....don't get rid of it. modify it or 'repair" it as you see fit but I would keep any of the original parts in a secure bin of sorts just so you can go look at them from time to time. I have been playing guitar for 30 years, my youngest just recently took up the bass. I have told him that he will inherit my guitars, however many I end up with. I know he will cherish the memories he's had his whole life listening to me play. your value of your guitar is all that matters, sir. rock on
Just out of curiosity, how the hell did you manage to break a truss rod! Only thing I can think of is rounding the truss rod but, but anything else seems crazy. And your first guitar will always be your first, so I can relate and don't get people who get rid of theirs. Any guitar (electric) can be made good.
Hey guys, as Lee owns the company he will have access to a lot of data. How about comparing your best selling guitar against the 'worst' selling for two or three price points?
These "affordable" episodes are the greatest. Becouse most of us players are broke. I played 3 years on Epiphone Special II, and loved it and learned so much during that time.
I own that Mustang in surf green. It became a truly excellent guitar once I dropped in some inexpensive locking tuners, sanded down the rough edges on the frets, and put on some D'Addario strings. The neck is particularly nice.
I've never had a bad neck on a Fender or Squire right out of the box, I'm really enjoying my Squire Vintage modified tele, great guitar for $200 USD because it had a body finish blem
@Clinton Maher - They're Wilkinson EZ-LOK 19:1 tuners - US $26 from thestratosphere on eBay. They drop in with no drilling required and work well, but make sure you read the locking instructions on the eBay listing because they use a two-hole post locking system that's unique.
Yeah I purchased a blue one for my son and all I did was put a set of 10-52's on it as the strings it comes with won't stay in tune because they are just too slinky for a 24" scale guitar and it plays like a dream now. I play it a lot myself.
Guys this was your best video in ages. Good chemistry (possibly post pub), genuine expertise from you both in terms of guitar manufacturing and the realities of retail and real passion for getting good instruments into the hands of new players. Respect.
we had guitars that weren't to bad. it's the quality of the amps that's a big difference for me. you couldn't come close to that katana or that champ for that kind of money back then. even dollar for dollar no inflation adjustment at all. I don't think my first guitar was any more than 150 or so and it wasn't bad at all. A Lotus Explorer neck through. I'd love to actually find that thing again. Although to be fair, that was a pawn shop price.
You still have to get the pickups you want and it's also a testament to the huge strides that have been made in cheap guitar manufacturing both in fit and finish and in electronics. I have Squiers and Epiphones. I love both at the $300-500 price range, but Squier has it all over Epiphone on fret dressing and set up. Epi's Probucker pickups are really good though. That said, a good player can make a shitty guitar sound good.
@@daemonelectricity I'm more fond of LTD but that's just me. I love the Seymour Duncan loaded Korean made ones. If I were to get one of these it'd probably be that strat and before I went to the pickups I'd have to swap out the tuners the nut and possibly the bridge. Electronics would come after that. Maybe some Lace Sensors depending on if it was worth the cost or not
@@Fektthis I started playing the guitar back in 1983. My first guitar was an no name mustang copy. The guitar was good accept of the trem system. Than I got an explorer build by Hohner. That one was awesome for an new price of around 145£. I've owned some Fender's, Gibson's and Hamers but switched to"cheaper" guitars. They were and are definitely good guitars and with a little setup and new pick ups they mostly are great players! Still got my '57 Gibson black beauty but I play my '89 Carson Les Paul Standard copy more. And that one costed me only 500bucks with Gibson Humbuckers and electric
Yeah, right? I was playing some kinda "used broom made from plywood and sh..t" when I was a kid growing up in Ukraine. I would sell my soul for the guitar like that back then, lol 😜!!!
Everyone’s talked about how much the captain has improved but Rob has gotten so much nice feel in the last couple years. You’re both playing wonderfully.
I own 2 Bullet Strats and with a nice set of Ernie Ball .10's and play into a decent amp, the quality you get out of it is unbelievable! Love Squier so much! 👍
I JUST received from Mr UPS the exact same Fender Squier Bullet Squire HT Fiesta Red as on the show and did the following to it : 1 replaced strings from 9s to Fender 10s, 2 polished the frets, 3 oiled the fretboard 4 Intonate just slightly. It was almost perfect.. Straight neck, Hardware is fine. Neck is very comfortable It has a great sound and plays remarkably well. I paid only $125 on sale with free ship. I'm amazed at the quality of the so-called "Cheap" guiars today. This Bullet will be an often go to Strat guitar. I don't think you can beat this guitar for the price. Russ
I can’t speak for the two Epis in this video, but I’ve previously owned 2 Bullet Strats, which are smashing guitars for the price. I currently have a Bullet Mustang, which is outstanding for the money - genuinely one of the best ‘bang for buck‘ guitars on the market, and great fun.
Tom Lynch Good to know. I’m all over that Bullet Mustang. $135 for a HH offset to complement my SSS Strat just for back up grins. And I’ll totally put proper switch/pots in and shielding etc. And maybe a custom Shitecaster or Shitestang decal
Mad Mac 66 the first thing to change is the bridge, the strings have a habit of getting caught up in it. The tuners aren’t the worst, but would probably be the next. The switch is a little clunky, but is OK. The pots/caps are what you’d expect. Those 2 humbuckers though are surprisingly tasty - I’ve not felt the need to switch them out. In general though it is a guitar where even without mods you can pick it up and it’s a lot of fun.
I pulled the veneer off my ghost fret standard, stained it, threw in a hetset, and tossed on a hand made (knife and sandpaper) pickguard. Was my 1st kinda big undertaking, and am super happy with it!
Not quite as affordable as these, but I have a Squier Classic Vibe tele that I threw a set of Texas Special pickups in and it is genuinely one of my favorite guitars.
I had a Squier Affinity to experiment with, open tunings, different strings etc. They really are nice guitars. The pickups sound much improved from my 1998 one but they're all excellent to play. Much better than the Grants, Hondos and Kays of my start up days!
Had to sell all of my guitars many years ago because I was poor. I ended up getting back into it buying the bullet mustang and it’s fantastic. New strings, tuners and a decent set up and it will do for years to come. The hum buckers are as good as any of the higher end fenders I used to have and it’s as light as a feather.
I’ve got an affinity strat, $50 second hand. Add new tuners, a new trem block, a Plek and a set up plus some old pickups off a custom shop. Total cost about 400 quid. Plays like butter and sounds amazing. Also have a custom shop strat with radioshop pickups which is incomparably better but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the squire. Well set up and with minor hardware upgrades they are brilliant guitars.
I actually love "affordable" guitars. My favorite Strat-style guitar, in fact, is my Ibanez GRX-40, which I had modified with locking tuners and a roller nut (the previous owner put in a Duncan JB in the bridge slot, which I may yet swap with a Gibson 500T). I look at "cheap" guitars as a blank canvas I can do anything to without worrying about if I'm diminishing the value of the instrument. I don't know if I would want to mod a more expensive guitar.
Honestly, I wish I had picked an Epiphone SG 400 as my beginner guitar. It's hardtail, has two humbuckers, has push/pull pots that allow for coil splitting. Everything I now know I want in an electric guitar.
I have the Bullet Mustang HH in Surf Green and I love it. I wish cheap guitars had been this nice when I first started playing 25 years ago. Installed a kill switch, sanded down the fret edges a bit, and tinted the neck a bit darker. So much fun to play.
I am probably the biggest squier bullet strat fan ever.. It was my first electric guitar and I've been enjoying it for about 8 years now. I even prefer it over my ibanez Prestige RG.
Yep. Got the hardtail Strat for Xmas and it has quickly become my main axe, choosing it over my other much nicer guitars that I've been playing for over 20 years.
Give one of these guitars to a kid wanting to play guitar and he'll feel like a Rock star playing his first chord. A good way to keep kids off the streets.
I have to say, these videos have been very influential in my decision making for my gear purchases. I have been interested in getting a strat for a long time and I have seen a few vids featuring the bullet strat. I got one a few days ago with the HSS configuration and I have to say for the price you can’t beat it. Here in the US they are $150 and more than worth every penny. Thanks guys for making these videos to help players make a truly informed decision on what gear may fit their needs and wants. Keep up the great work!
The one super-affordable guitar I own that I love unreservedly is my Squier Bullet Mustang. It might be shaffordable, but it's also sha-lovely (is that a word? It ought to be)
The cheapest mod that will give you the best bank-per-buck is to properly polish the frets. I like to tape off my board, and wet-sand my frets to at least 1200 grit.. but preferably down to a 10,000-12,000 grit paper. Super-fine paper is getting easier to find at hobby shops and auto-parts shops (in the paint section). But then, to put a properly smooth mirror-finish on them, I wipe/buff them down with a liquid or creme metal polish. There's a limit to how much you can polish fret wire, but metal polish will allow you to get the fret wire as smooth as the metal's grain will allow. Metals have a crystalline structure and different metals, alloys, and tempers of the material will have different crystalline grain size. Still, you can polish grainiest Stainless or the cheapest fretwire to match any expensive out-of the box quality silver-nickel fret-job with a little effort. For a mod shoot-out, a really good fret polish will make the fret wire on the cheap guitar seem like much more expensive stock. ...Other bonus with using metal polish.. most leave a protective film on the fretwire to keep them smooth longer. Automotive Aluminum (tire rim) or chrome polish tend to be engineered to protect the finish well after polishing.
Budget guitars great not just for beginners. Great platforms for upgrades. I bought a used Squire for $60. Sounded great, I added locking tuners, roller string trees and a coil split push pull knob (dual humbuckers). For a final total of just under $100. It is now my main stage and practice guitar even though I have a Fender, Jackson, Epiphone, Dean and BC Rich guitars.
When I was in high-school I was trying to get my friend into guitar and he bought this 50 buck acoustic from Amazon and he was so excited to play it. It might as well of been a kids toy from Walmart. I felt so bad for him. Its cool to see that for just a hunj you can get an actual instrument.
Gino LaMendola you may be the only person who doesn’t like Pete. Great player, funny as hell, knowledgeable about guitars. Him and Lee just have different styles when making videos. If Pete was in charge of the videos, they’d all be two hours long. Lee moves them along quickly. I can’t understand how someone could possibly dislike Pete though.
I have a 2019 bullet telecaster I have changed the wiring to vintage cloth and added a 4 way fender switch so I now have series and parallel also changed the pots to fender pots added a bass cap to the tone so I have more roll off. I only have 225 in the guitar total and It plays and sounds great. (Also did a great polish and setup) my next upgrade is pickups and tuners. Its seafoam green I really love it and can't stop playing it!
I'm a big believer in modding (or even building your own) cheap guitars. There's something about them, more personalized, get the feel and sound you want rather than what the manufacturer picks. Looking forwards to see what happens in the modded video. BTW, I never thought much of them but the Mustang was my winner here too!
Bought the Mustang for my son a while back. Once the neck was sanded smooth, frets polished, fretboard given some needed moisture, and after a set up, it plays great. Oh, yeah, replaced the strings too.
I actually own an epiphone les paul special 2 and have had it for over ten years, it's a great guitar and I still use it a lot. I have played the Mustang and that too is a great affordable guitar. 98% of my collection falls in the sub £200 range because, you know, we aren't all made of money.lol
I really appreciate that they use realistic amps to what people buying the guitar will be using! A little touch that makes a huge difference (and help with buying too!)
I put two vintage Gibson humbuckers in a hardtail 109 quid Bullet. White, pearl pickguard, J-Bass wiring, fret job, chrome knobs. Looks great, sounds stunning, plays so easy. Pickups were compensation from a shop when they knacked the neck on my old fat strat.
I own a few guitars, including a USA Custom Slash LP and a USA Richie Sambora Strat. But my absolute favourite to play is my Squier Affinity Strat that I fret dressed, blocked off the bridge, fitted Seymour Duncan California 50s, and 7-way switching.
I dunno man, I think squires are good guitars (just change the pickups) , with epiphones go for atleast a studio or standard from some earlier years, second hand preferably
As people have said already, budget guitars these days are really impressive. I recently spent £180 modding my first guitar (Squier Strat from 1996) and made it really very decent. I just went for one p90 pickup though, so saved money. Also new tuners, bridge, nut, pots, output, strap locks and scratch plate. The pickup and nut were the most key improvements
I feel like just going out and buying a couple of these guitars just for the satisfying feeling of buying a new guitar. Like, they're so cheap you could go buy a guitar on the weekend just for that nice new guitar feeling. It's also bonkers to me, even with the cheapest parts, that you can build a full guitar for $30.
I LOVE my Bullet hardtail Strat, even the pickups. I have it in that same red too. I did change the bridge though. It's paid for itself several times over in just a few gigs too.
@@quinism1136 It was from Warman Guitars - about £12 or so. The saddles are 'L" shaped, which means they don't touch the strings except where they're supposed to. The stock bridge buzzed and affected tuning stability. The tone is also MUCH better with the new bridge too. I also changed the tuners, but I already had those, so no extra cost - they're from a Vintage Modified Squier, like the Kluson style. I also changed the pickguard to mint green and the pickup covers to cream/vintage white. It's an absolute belter. I planned to change the pickups, but I love them so much I'm keeping them.
I took an old (abused) squier bullet strat and refinished it in nitro (surf green) and put an emg dg20 pickguard on it that I had laying around, just for giggles. It was a great looking wall hanger, I couldn't enjoy playing it, until I replaced the nut with a fender brand nut. The spacing between the strings at the lower frets being slightly wider was all it took to make it an amazing player. It now sits with my other player strats on the rack and gets it's share of playing time. I think the thinner body width is kind of nice on the bullets also, once you get past the "cheaper build" bias.
I bought the Squier Mustang from Andertons as a project guitar. After upgrading the tuners, nut, strings and giving it a set-up (follow a tutorial on YT), it now plays absolutely wonderfully! I bet the same could be said for the other 3 guitars shown in this video! There's nothing wrong with these guitars, they just need a little TLC to be the best they can be!
I wouldn’t trust one for playing a gig with but for home use and practice after the mods you did and a setup you can’t complain, if I was playing live I’d want a classic vibe, fender mim or G&l tribute.
@@tarkett8529 I take my Mustang out and about for small gigs - does the job nicely! Plus I'm not worried about it getting damaged as it's so cheap! I definitely feel closer to my Mustang after modding it, it feels more 'my own' if that makes any sense.
Jay Pritchard it does make sense, it’s the electronics and the stability of the neck that stops me wanting to take a cheap one out because I have had issues with them before, obviously it’s just personal experience that stops me doing so.
@@tarkett8529 I totally get it, the neck is very thin on the Mustang! If I'm a little rough with it, the pitch can change! This is why we all have more than 1 guitar ;-)
Cheap timber in the 50s was vastly different than what it is today. They made pencils and other disposable crap out of old growth hardwoods back then. Even the low end Fender and Gibson guitars back then were made of super nice chunks of wood...which is part of why they're sought after today, and part of why re-issues of those cheap guitars are quite pricey.
I own a mustang. Traded a $150 acoustic in and took it done for like $20. It had bad fretwork so I stopped playing it not long after. Recently I picked up some affordable tools and decided to tackle the issues. Swapped in some cheap zebra humbuckers and string it up with 11s. It got me back into working on guitars. It’s how I’ve kept busy.
I modded a squire bullet I put on a new scratchplate that was ready wired with Duncan's , I put on quality tuners and bridge . Then I decided to change the neck to a warmoth neck. Then I decided to also change the body to a warmoth one . The guitar is sweet now , it sounds like a totally different guitar .
I performed a mod on a Harley Benton SC-450 Plus, which is just a bit more expensive than the guitars you present in the video. I switched the pickups to Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, and the tuners to Locking Gotoh. Of course a general setup and the result is great. The guitar sounds and played amazing. And I get out of it a lot more than I would get for a new guitar that I could buy for the same price.
And the build quality is pretty okay. The fretboard is not so nice to touch as rosewood, maple or ebony - but considering the price - it's okay. Bottom line, you get a nice guitar (trapezoid inlays, binding, and a veneer of maple top) for the price.
Shai Vashdy so in your opinion it’s nicer than the Squier/Epi? I have a limited edition Epi Slasher which I love, but I’d like some tele twang (Roy Buchanan sounds so amazing!). The Affinity and HB modes both look nice, but my question is usually about quality and playability. Since I’m in Texas, I worry about having to return a European instrument if there’s a problem with it.
My first guitar was a Squier Bullet Strat. After a few years, I gave it used pickups and pots from a '99 Fender American Standard, graphtech nut and trees, tuners, etc. It's still my go to guitar for my endeavors today
i modified both pickups on the Les Paul Special VE to put coil split and coil inversion on the knobs! changed strings, polished frets and sanded their edges, now it's really nice to play and i can have all of the tones!
YES YES YES! Do Rob's MOD CHALLENGE idea! You haven't done a mod challenge since the scalloped LTD shred tele/Clapton Squier video and that was like at least 5 years ago!
I totally get Rob's approach to guitars. For the past 10 years I've been using a 500 € instrument and made it "mine" by swapping pickups, rewiring it to my liking and so on. To get a comparable stock guitar, I'd spend well over 1500. At this point I've grown so accustomed to how it feels and sounds, when it came time to buy a backup instrument I went out of my way to find an exact duplicate of the old one. Used, it was even cheaper. I've tried a lot of more expensive guitars over the years, but none of them felt as "right" as this one. The only exception was a cheap-ish MIM Telecaster that felt and sounded right to me, but for a completely different playing style than the one I normally use.
Bought my daughter the blue SL for Xmas. perfect for a delicate 14 year old girl. As for me. I have a classic vibe tele and a strat design partscaster. In terms of feel I love my partscaster and it's sound is awesome.
Instant like for the title Edit: Squiet bullet strat was my first electric and after some luthier's love it still plays great aftet 9 years without replacing any parts. Amazing guitars for the price!
I've had mine for 15 years! It was also my first. It's still plays great, and (I didn't know at the time) it was set up fantastically well out of the box. Better than the new fenders in stores! I bought a player strat and had to have it set up to play better than my squier, and that was the best player strat in the store! Those budgets squiers are great!
My grandparents bought me a squire affinity strat for my birthday a week ago and I love it it needs new strings but otherwise a fine instrument it's also my first electric
Just did exactly what you were talking about...took a Squier Bullet tele FSR ,alder body on this one...maple neck and rosewood fretboard....and changed all hardware to Fender hardware I found on line...inexpensive compared to new and threw in some Tex mex pickups in it....looks and sounds fabulous....all for about $300 total....I also tru oiled the neck for a slightly satiny feel and look...the unfinished neck feels like a 2x4 to me.....can't wait to see your next video....blindfolded would be the way to go....no looks, just feel and play...too bad I can't send a picture
Drastically better than entry level guitars in the 80’s. They were plywood bodies, no shielding, 2-3k ceramic pickups. You couldn’t play a whole song before they went out of tune.
Oh hell yeah, a usable guitar started at at least $450. Just for one that reasonably sounded well and stayed in tune. And didn't dent when sneezed upon.
One thing i like about the strat is the Hardtail. Except for the Robert Cray strat there is no other Hardtail strat on the market. Which makes this guitar unique! Add great pups, make it string through body, and you've got a one of a kind instrument!
Its absolutely amazing to me how far entry level guitars have come in such a short amount of time. When I started playing 15 years ago beginner guitars were total garbage. Now even a lowly squier bullet is a perfectly serviceable guitar.
As its "Clash of the Shitans" you should do a follow up Video where you release the (Victory) Kraken and plug all 4 guitars into it . You could call it "Clash of the shitans Fill McKraken"
I currently have a fairly good range of higher mid priced to super budget guitars, and my go to, every time, for some fun home noodling on the couch is a bullet strat. A fret job and a set of locking tuners and it's seriously one of my favorite guitars. Great vid, can't wait for the mod challenge 👍
This is really nice for beginners, thumbs up. Just one bit of feedback I have: You tend to use the word "affordable" a lot, basically as a synonym of "cheap" (without the negative connotations that come with using that word). But I think it would be a little more useful for you to elaborate on exactly what is cheap about the particular item. For example, 11:30 you mention that the tuners are "really affordable", aka. very cheap/basic. But it would be nice to hear some feedback from you on whether they are: a) basic but fine, or b) low quality and nasty. This will make a big difference for a beginner, if the tuners end up being inadequate and need replacing. I can mostly read between the lines on some of the things you say, but for a beginner it would be great to point out these things more directly. Obviously at these price points, corners need to be cut in manufacturing, which is fine. But there is a big difference between cutting corners in the right places (eg. less pickups, more pieces of wood glued together, more basic tremolo system, so on..) compared to the wrong places (crappy fit and finish = lots of problems with setup/action/intonation, garbage pickups, tuners that don't work or stay in tune). One will cause a lot of headaches for the player and make the guitar extremely frustrating to play, the other will largely go unnoticed. I think with your combined expertise, it would be really great for you to distinguish between the two categories when giving feedback on an affordable or basic part. Otherwise keep up the good work!
I haven’t been in the market for a beginner guitar for more than twenty years, but I see how a video like this would be really helpful for a kid or his/her parent. Wish I had seen this years ago. Also, I loved your guitar mod video from a few years ago. I really hope you guys do another like you talked about.
I bought a Mustang Bullet a little over a year and a half ago. The switch is oriented the same way on mine. Also there is an additional layer of protective film under the cheap plastic film that Fender puts their sticker on. As for mods I just polished the frets with my Dremel and did a basic setup. Then I dropped in an old Duncan JB I had laying around into the bridge position. Later, just for giggles I routed the body under the pickguard to install two slide switches similar to the classic Mustang. One coil taps the JB, the other switches the bridge pickup out of phase.
I snagged an Epi SL when they first came out, I dreamed of doing so many mods to it but the only one I got done was swapping the tuners to something that actually held tune... After that a younger dude I know expressed interest in learning to play guitar so I gave it to him. Last we talked he's still playing it!
I have one of these Mustangs; it's just happiness to play. Initially i was thinking i would upgrade the pickups - still haven't and probably won't! Got lucky with the neck on mine as the wood has some quite nice grain in it and the tuners are fine. I have replaced the saddles on the bridge to give a little more "zing" and "splak" but other than that it was just a nice set of D'Addario's and a very slight sanding on the back of the neck. Great video, always love your budget demos and this is one of your best! Would really like to see this 'ere challenge video...
I have a pair of zebra ‘buckers for mine and it’s like... why? Why did I get them when they’re probably no better than the zingy little ‘buckers already in it?
One of my favorite of the quite a few guitars I have owned and tried is a very inexpensive ($249) Gretsch, the G2215, P90 in the neck and humbucker(ish) pickup in the bridge. The next favorite for me is a Gretsch G5520 ($549) with two humbuckers(ish). Both Gretsch(s) look and sound fantastic. I keep both of these handy when the mood and muse hit me. There are more expensive and also very decent playing and sounding guitars that I constantly hear saying “play me, play me,” but I inevitably pick up one of the Gretsch, usually the G2215. How much something costs doesn’t always dictate how much a person likes and enjoys something, and that pertains to guitars too. There are many affordable nice and enjoyable guitars available nowadays for around $600 or less.
Have a 2019 Squier Bullet Mustang in Seafoam Green. Love it. Only modification; swapped humbuckers for P-90's. Have never tried any of the other 3...though I've had a cheap Epiphone Les Paul and hated it, and I DO have a Squier Bullet Strat from 2009, but it's not a Hard-Tail, and I've modified the hell out of it---so it's not fair to compare.
My father bought me that EXACT guitar 17 years ago. Affinity Squier Strat, three single coils, in the same color red. My friends had American Strats and other WAY more expensive guitars. They would pick mine up and say "your guitar is SO EASY TO PLAY" and they enjoyed it more than their $1000+ instruments. I still have it to this day and it still plays better than any other guitar I own, and I own about 20 :)
@@Sticknub I know they played a bullet, but the quality of the instruments is incredibly similar. My point is that I got a red SSS Squier Strat in the early 2000s and it made me feel good to see one represented in this video. I am aware that it isn’t the identical MODEL(I even mentioned it was an Affinity in my original comment). I’m sorry you’re so disturbed by a pedantic inaccuracy in my original sentiment.
I have an Afinity Telecaster that I super shielded, installed a pre-wired switch plate with a four way switch into myself and had professionally set up. It is lightweight for a Telecaster, sounds great and I have a personal connection because I didn't just buy it but improved it myself. Never gonna get rid of or stop playing it.
Never diss on budget guitars - kids all over the world feel like gods with these in their hands. We all started somewhere
indeed♥️
All I can say is the "beginner" budget guitars that are out now are light years ahead of what we had when I was starting out. My first guitar was a plywood acoustic that sounded and played like the firewood that it was
@@jakevoss7885 couldn't agree more. It's almost 20 years since I started playing and I still have my first electric guitar. Things have come a long way
I'm 32 and was just able to buy a CV Squier 😹
@@alejandrovlog5423 don't laugh Alejandro, these Squier Classic Vibe strats & teles are just awesome guitars & don't cost a King's ransom either, I just love 'em.
Cheers, peace & rock 'n roll 4ever bra!
My dad bought me a Bullet Squire when I was seven. He was killed when I was fourteen. Everyone said to just buy a new guitar after I broke the truss rod because I didn't know what I was doing.
Instead, due to sentimental value, I replaced the neck and the pickups and I think it's now one of the best guitars that I own. I know replacing the neck makes the guitar quite different than the stock ones, but I really think modifying these guitars can be beneficial.
Henry Cline if you still have it, a half decent luthier can surely pop that fingerboard off and install a new truss rod.
Some things transcend monetary value. It doesn’t matter how much the guitar costs. Your guitar is a direct connection to your father. And maybe one of the few meaningful connections you may have to him now. Of course you have your memories. But that guitar is special. I have gotten to a point where I have been able to get some nice guitars. But I regret not having my cheap Hondo Les Paul copy that was my first guitar I got in 1982. Don’t ever part with that guitar. Even if you end up with high end Strats or Les Pauls. They’ll never be as meaningful as the guitar your father bought you. RIP Dad.....
Wargasm644 oh weird! My first was also a Hondo Les Paul copy! 83ish too.
I agree with Wargasm644....don't get rid of it. modify it or 'repair" it as you see fit but I would keep any of the original parts in a secure bin of sorts just so you can go look at them from time to time. I have been playing guitar for 30 years, my youngest just recently took up the bass. I have told him that he will inherit my guitars, however many I end up with. I know he will cherish the memories he's had his whole life listening to me play. your value of your guitar is all that matters, sir. rock on
Just out of curiosity, how the hell did you manage to break a truss rod!
Only thing I can think of is rounding the truss rod but, but anything else seems crazy.
And your first guitar will always be your first, so I can relate and don't get people who get rid of theirs. Any guitar (electric) can be made good.
Hey guys, as Lee owns the company he will have access to a lot of data. How about comparing your best selling guitar against the 'worst' selling for two or three price points?
That's a brilliant idea. Maybe discover some overlooked gems!
Excellent idea that. Best selling v.worst selling!!!!
"Worst selling" can always be blamed on the seller, the ones that really suck are models that come in used as trade ins, in mass quantities
@ṽᴧ volts Wouldn't it be a nice bump in publicity for those companies? Edit: and a chance for hipsters to buy a less than popular guitar
I’d be interested in best selling period. No need to blast anyone.
31:03
Lee: I'll just do some quiet noodl-
Rob: *E*
"🎶I AM A VIIIIIII-KIIIIING!!! 🎶"
32.45 ROB: relives sixth form writing workshop as he expounds dreamily on lost youth's discovery of music and LEE: "oh sorry, did you say something?"
Comedic timing was epic on that one.
Rob:
EEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEE
EEE
EEE
EEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEE
EEE
EEE
EEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEE
@@StevenZebrowski I love that Rob plays that every time he picks up a strat, because that's always been my go to strat riff too.
Customised Guitar Challenge part 2. Just do it already!
@@itdies2dayyo obviously Jennings Guitars, thats some superior custom stuff right there
i have become friends with this guitar immediately.
We need this
These "affordable" episodes are the greatest. Becouse most of us players are broke. I played 3 years on Epiphone Special II, and loved it and learned so much during that time.
That and cheap guitars are really good these days.
@@MiikeyLawless true that.
Les Paul special II was my first electric guitar. I always wanted something "better" now I miss her! Lol!
I bought LP Special II a few months ago. Was expecting a piece of crap blown away with the quality. Play it every day
Me too ,i have Ibanez , real les paul and still play it every day love it only thing is i changed the bridge pickup for a iron gear.
Who's in charge of naming this exact video? It cracks me up a bit!😂😂😂
Doni Kusuma I’m taking credit for that (this is Lee BTW)
I remember when the whole “shafordable” thing happened...you blokes definitely need to use that more often!
@@andertons That's a good title, sire.... I mean sir.
@@danielparsonsmusic that should be an Andertons copyright :D
Phantom Echelon absolutely! Lee, Rob, please copyright that word!
I love Lee's playing nowadays. He inspires me to keep learning new things and keep pushing out of my comfort zone
Really looking forward to the Mod Shallenge video!!!
@Zach Isley Haha Yess!!
Me too! Brilliant idea by Rob.
@@phantomechelon3628 ikr!!
Cant complain about the sound for that price, very nice.
Whoever is editing these videos is having the BEST time.
I own that Mustang in surf green. It became a truly excellent guitar once I dropped in some inexpensive locking tuners, sanded down the rough edges on the frets, and put on some D'Addario strings. The neck is particularly nice.
I've never had a bad neck on a Fender or Squire right out of the box, I'm really enjoying my Squire Vintage modified tele, great guitar for $200 USD because it had a body finish blem
Any chance you could tell me the name of the tuners as I'm wanting to do the same to mine
@Clinton Maher - They're Wilkinson EZ-LOK 19:1 tuners - US $26 from thestratosphere on eBay. They drop in with no drilling required and work well, but make sure you read the locking instructions on the eBay listing because they use a two-hole post locking system that's unique.
Wilkinson locking tuners, available in black gold & chrome
Yeah I purchased a blue one for my son and all I did was put a set of 10-52's on it as the strings it comes with won't stay in tune because they are just too slinky for a 24" scale guitar and it plays like a dream now. I play it a lot myself.
Guys this was your best video in ages. Good chemistry (possibly post pub), genuine expertise from you both in terms of guitar manufacturing and the realities of retail and real passion for getting good instruments into the hands of new players. Respect.
Great sounding guitars and proof that its in the hands and through a good combo. Wish guitars were so affordable when I was a kid.
we had guitars that weren't to bad. it's the quality of the amps that's a big difference for me. you couldn't come close to that katana or that champ for that kind of money back then. even dollar for dollar no inflation adjustment at all. I don't think my first guitar was any more than 150 or so and it wasn't bad at all. A Lotus Explorer neck through. I'd love to actually find that thing again. Although to be fair, that was a pawn shop price.
You still have to get the pickups you want and it's also a testament to the huge strides that have been made in cheap guitar manufacturing both in fit and finish and in electronics. I have Squiers and Epiphones. I love both at the $300-500 price range, but Squier has it all over Epiphone on fret dressing and set up. Epi's Probucker pickups are really good though.
That said, a good player can make a shitty guitar sound good.
@@daemonelectricity I'm more fond of LTD but that's just me. I love the Seymour Duncan loaded Korean made ones. If I were to get one of these it'd probably be that strat and before I went to the pickups I'd have to swap out the tuners the nut and possibly the bridge. Electronics would come after that. Maybe some Lace Sensors depending on if it was worth the cost or not
@@Fektthis I started playing the guitar back in 1983. My first guitar was an no name mustang copy. The guitar was good accept of the trem system. Than I got an explorer build by Hohner. That one was awesome for an new price of around 145£. I've owned some Fender's, Gibson's and Hamers but switched to"cheaper" guitars. They were and are definitely good guitars and with a little setup and new pick ups they mostly are great players! Still got my '57 Gibson black beauty but I play my '89 Carson Les Paul Standard copy more. And that one costed me only 500bucks with Gibson Humbuckers and electric
Yeah, right? I was playing some kinda "used broom made from plywood and sh..t" when I was a kid growing up in Ukraine. I would sell my soul for the guitar like that back then, lol 😜!!!
Remember Top gear? Let a star play a reasonably priced guitar!
Could call it “shop gear”
Have guitarists play something on rocksmith and have a leaderboard to see who gets the highest %
I absolutely love this concept
@@CJ_YT.
Or "gear shop", what Andertons is literally.
Great idea!! Gotta find a guitar star that's not affiliated with a specific brand or type to be objective.
Everyone’s talked about how much the captain has improved but Rob has gotten so much nice feel in the last couple years. You’re both playing wonderfully.
I own 2 Bullet Strats and with a nice set of Ernie Ball .10's and play into a decent amp, the quality you get out of it is unbelievable! Love Squier so much! 👍
That little echo edit of Lee saying "Les Powl" has me dying in my office. I'm getting looks from my coworkers.
Haha, he just said it the same moment I was reading your comment ...spooky!
I JUST received from Mr UPS the exact same Fender Squier Bullet Squire HT Fiesta Red as on the show and did the following to it :
1 replaced strings from 9s to Fender 10s,
2 polished the frets,
3 oiled the fretboard
4 Intonate just slightly. It was almost perfect.. Straight neck, Hardware is fine. Neck is very
comfortable
It has a great sound and plays remarkably well. I paid only $125 on sale with free ship.
I'm amazed at the quality of the so-called "Cheap" guiars today. This Bullet will be an often go to Strat guitar. I don't think you can beat this guitar for the price.
Russ
I can’t speak for the two Epis in this video, but I’ve previously owned 2 Bullet Strats, which are smashing guitars for the price. I currently have a Bullet Mustang, which is outstanding for the money - genuinely one of the best ‘bang for buck‘ guitars on the market, and great fun.
Tom Lynch Good to know. I’m all over that Bullet Mustang. $135 for a HH offset to complement my SSS Strat just for back up grins. And I’ll totally put proper switch/pots in and shielding etc. And maybe a custom Shitecaster or Shitestang decal
Mad Mac 66 the first thing to change is the bridge, the strings have a habit of getting caught up in it. The tuners aren’t the worst, but would probably be the next. The switch is a little clunky, but is OK. The pots/caps are what you’d expect. Those 2 humbuckers though are surprisingly tasty - I’ve not felt the need to switch them out. In general though it is a guitar where even without mods you can pick it up and it’s a lot of fun.
Tom, same, it's crazy how much the lower budget guitars have improved, absolutely nuts.
I pulled the veneer off my ghost fret standard, stained it, threw in a hetset, and tossed on a hand made (knife and sandpaper) pickguard. Was my 1st kinda big undertaking, and am super happy with it!
Not quite as affordable as these, but I have a Squier Classic Vibe tele that I threw a set of Texas Special pickups in and it is genuinely one of my favorite guitars.
I had a Squier Affinity to experiment with, open tunings, different strings etc. They really are nice guitars. The pickups sound much improved from my 1998 one but they're all excellent to play. Much better than the Grants, Hondos and Kays of my start up days!
Had to sell all of my guitars many years ago because I was poor. I ended up getting back into it buying the bullet mustang and it’s fantastic. New strings, tuners and a decent set up and it will do for years to come. The hum buckers are as good as any of the higher end fenders I used to have and it’s as light as a feather.
I’ve got an affinity strat, $50 second hand. Add new tuners, a new trem block, a Plek and a set up plus some old pickups off a custom shop. Total cost about 400 quid. Plays like butter and sounds amazing.
Also have a custom shop strat with radioshop pickups which is incomparably better but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the squire. Well set up and with minor hardware upgrades they are brilliant guitars.
I actually love "affordable" guitars. My favorite Strat-style guitar, in fact, is my Ibanez GRX-40, which I had modified with locking tuners and a roller nut (the previous owner put in a Duncan JB in the bridge slot, which I may yet swap with a Gibson 500T). I look at "cheap" guitars as a blank canvas I can do anything to without worrying about if I'm diminishing the value of the instrument. I don't know if I would want to mod a more expensive guitar.
Honestly, I wish I had picked an Epiphone SG 400 as my beginner guitar. It's hardtail, has two humbuckers, has push/pull pots that allow for coil splitting. Everything I now know I want in an electric guitar.
Cant complain about the sound for that price, very nice.
@UCVj87GSWU502avr8f3ZU3HQ did you not watch the video?
@UCVj87GSWU502avr8f3ZU3HQ they dont?? boss katana and mustang are budget amps...
The only complaint I have on these cheap guitars is that they have a virtually "un-tunable" G string... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I have the Bullet Mustang HH in Surf Green and I love it. I wish cheap guitars had been this nice when I first started playing 25 years ago. Installed a kill switch, sanded down the fret edges a bit, and tinted the neck a bit darker. So much fun to play.
I am probably the biggest squier bullet strat fan ever.. It was my first electric guitar and I've been enjoying it for about 8 years now. I even prefer it over my ibanez Prestige RG.
Yep. Got the hardtail Strat for Xmas and it has quickly become my main axe, choosing it over my other much nicer guitars that I've been playing for over 20 years.
17:38
Pete laughing in the background: AAAAHHHHHHH LOVE ITTTT!!!!!!
lee's jam over the chords when he was playing the red strat was so good, would actually listen to that if it was on a streaming site
Give one of these guitars to a kid wanting to play guitar and he'll feel like a Rock star playing his first chord. A good way to keep kids off the streets.
I have to say, these videos have been very influential in my decision making for my gear purchases. I have been interested in getting a strat for a long time and I have seen a few vids featuring the bullet strat. I got one a few days ago with the HSS configuration and I have to say for the price you can’t beat it. Here in the US they are $150 and more than worth every penny. Thanks guys for making these videos to help players make a truly informed decision on what gear may fit their needs and wants. Keep up the great work!
The one super-affordable guitar I own that I love unreservedly is my Squier Bullet Mustang. It might be shaffordable, but it's also sha-lovely (is that a word? It ought to be)
The cheapest mod that will give you the best bank-per-buck is to properly polish the frets. I like to tape off my board, and wet-sand my frets to at least 1200 grit.. but preferably down to a 10,000-12,000 grit paper. Super-fine paper is getting easier to find at hobby shops and auto-parts shops (in the paint section).
But then, to put a properly smooth mirror-finish on them, I wipe/buff them down with a liquid or creme metal polish.
There's a limit to how much you can polish fret wire, but metal polish will allow you to get the fret wire as smooth as the metal's grain will allow. Metals have a crystalline structure and different metals, alloys, and tempers of the material will have different crystalline grain size. Still, you can polish grainiest Stainless or the cheapest fretwire to match any expensive out-of the box quality silver-nickel fret-job with a little effort.
For a mod shoot-out, a really good fret polish will make the fret wire on the cheap guitar seem like much more expensive stock.
...Other bonus with using metal polish.. most leave a protective film on the fretwire to keep them smooth longer. Automotive Aluminum (tire rim) or chrome polish tend to be engineered to protect the finish well after polishing.
Budget guitars great not just for beginners. Great platforms for upgrades. I bought a used Squire for $60. Sounded great, I added locking tuners, roller string trees and a coil split push pull knob (dual humbuckers). For a final total of just under $100. It is now my main stage and practice guitar even though I have a Fender, Jackson, Epiphone, Dean and BC Rich guitars.
My shitan is the tele bullet. Love it, just gotta smooth the fret ends and that baby is ready to be loved.
When I was in high-school I was trying to get my friend into guitar and he bought this 50 buck acoustic from Amazon and he was so excited to play it. It might as well of been a kids toy from Walmart. I felt so bad for him. Its cool to see that for just a hunj you can get an actual instrument.
Thankd for putting Rob in the video again, you guys just have the best chemistry!
Agreed
Yes I don’t like the other guy either
Gino LaMendola you may be the only person who doesn’t like Pete. Great player, funny as hell, knowledgeable about guitars. Him and Lee just have different styles when making videos. If Pete was in charge of the videos, they’d all be two hours long. Lee moves them along quickly. I can’t understand how someone could possibly dislike Pete though.
I bought a Squire Bullet Mustang in November 2020 and play it through a Orange amp . I love them both .
Chappers first solo was beautiful
The pedal/ amp will have done all the heavy lifting
I have a 2019 bullet telecaster I have changed the wiring to vintage cloth and added a 4 way fender switch so I now have series and parallel also changed the pots to fender pots added a bass cap to the tone so I have more roll off. I only have 225 in the guitar total and It plays and sounds great. (Also did a great polish and setup) my next upgrade is pickups and tuners. Its seafoam green I really love it and can't stop playing it!
I'm a big believer in modding (or even building your own) cheap guitars. There's something about them, more personalized, get the feel and sound you want rather than what the manufacturer picks. Looking forwards to see what happens in the modded video. BTW, I never thought much of them but the Mustang was my winner here too!
Bought the Mustang for my son a while back. Once the neck was sanded smooth, frets polished, fretboard given some needed moisture, and after a set up, it plays great. Oh, yeah, replaced the strings too.
I actually own an epiphone les paul special 2 and have had it for over ten years, it's a great guitar and I still use it a lot.
I have played the Mustang and that too is a great affordable guitar.
98% of my collection falls in the sub £200 range because, you know, we aren't all made of money.lol
I really appreciate that they use realistic amps to what people buying the guitar will be using! A little touch that makes a huge difference (and help with buying too!)
21:33
Lee: "Let me just tell you abou.."
Rob: *G*
I put two vintage Gibson humbuckers in a hardtail 109 quid Bullet. White, pearl pickguard, J-Bass wiring, fret job, chrome knobs. Looks great, sounds stunning, plays so easy. Pickups were compensation from a shop when they knacked the neck on my old fat strat.
Bought the Mustang yesterday - totally worth it. Thanks for the tips guys!!! In the US so couldn’t come to you 😊
I own a few guitars, including a USA Custom Slash LP and a USA Richie Sambora Strat.
But my absolute favourite to play is my Squier Affinity Strat that I fret dressed, blocked off the bridge, fitted Seymour Duncan California 50s, and 7-way switching.
I dunno man, I think squires are good guitars (just change the pickups) , with epiphones go for atleast a studio or standard from some earlier years, second hand preferably
As people have said already, budget guitars these days are really impressive. I recently spent £180 modding my first guitar (Squier Strat from 1996) and made it really very decent. I just went for one p90 pickup though, so saved money. Also new tuners, bridge, nut, pots, output, strap locks and scratch plate. The pickup and nut were the most key improvements
The idea for the modded affordable vs stock expensive is an awesome idea. Can't wait to see it!
I feel like just going out and buying a couple of these guitars just for the satisfying feeling of buying a new guitar. Like, they're so cheap you could go buy a guitar on the weekend just for that nice new guitar feeling.
It's also bonkers to me, even with the cheapest parts, that you can build a full guitar for $30.
I LOVE my Bullet hardtail Strat, even the pickups. I have it in that same red too. I did change the bridge though. It's paid for itself several times over in just a few gigs too.
Mind me asking what bridge? I have one and want to change the bridge but don't know what one to get.
@@quinism1136 It was from Warman Guitars - about £12 or so. The saddles are 'L" shaped, which means they don't touch the strings except where they're supposed to.
The stock bridge buzzed and affected tuning stability. The tone is also MUCH better with the new bridge too.
I also changed the tuners, but I already had those, so no extra cost - they're from a Vintage Modified Squier, like the Kluson style. I also changed the pickguard to mint green and the pickup covers to cream/vintage white. It's an absolute belter. I planned to change the pickups, but I love them so much I'm keeping them.
I love whoever edits these videos
4:51 I love how Chappers got out of that sticky situation haha
I took an old (abused) squier bullet strat and refinished it in nitro (surf green) and put an emg dg20 pickguard on it that I had laying around, just for giggles. It was a great looking wall hanger, I couldn't enjoy playing it, until I replaced the nut with a fender brand nut. The spacing between the strings at the lower frets being slightly wider was all it took to make it an amazing player. It now sits with my other player strats on the rack and gets it's share of playing time. I think the thinner body width is kind of nice on the bullets also, once you get past the "cheaper build" bias.
I bought the Squier Mustang from Andertons as a project guitar. After upgrading the tuners, nut, strings and giving it a set-up (follow a tutorial on YT), it now plays absolutely wonderfully! I bet the same could be said for the other 3 guitars shown in this video! There's nothing wrong with these guitars, they just need a little TLC to be the best they can be!
I wouldn’t trust one for playing a gig with but for home use and practice after the mods you did and a setup you can’t complain, if I was playing live I’d want a classic vibe, fender mim or G&l tribute.
@@tarkett8529 I take my Mustang out and about for small gigs - does the job nicely! Plus I'm not worried about it getting damaged as it's so cheap! I definitely feel closer to my Mustang after modding it, it feels more 'my own' if that makes any sense.
Jay Pritchard it does make sense, it’s the electronics and the stability of the neck that stops me wanting to take a cheap one out because I have had issues with them before, obviously it’s just personal experience that stops me doing so.
@@tarkett8529 I totally get it, the neck is very thin on the Mustang! If I'm a little rough with it, the pitch can change! This is why we all have more than 1 guitar ;-)
Jay Pritchard too bloody many mate according to my mrs 👍
That jam that starts around 25:00 had a very ballad-like Skynryd tone to it. Nice lead Lee.
@29:38 "a really cheap piece of timber" …. so that sounds like a Fender guitar true to Leo's original concept! :D
Cheap timber in the 50s was vastly different than what it is today. They made pencils and other disposable crap out of old growth hardwoods back then. Even the low end Fender and Gibson guitars back then were made of super nice chunks of wood...which is part of why they're sought after today, and part of why re-issues of those cheap guitars are quite pricey.
I own a mustang. Traded a $150 acoustic in and took it done for like $20. It had bad fretwork so I stopped playing it not long after. Recently I picked up some affordable tools and decided to tackle the issues. Swapped in some cheap zebra humbuckers and string it up with 11s. It got me back into working on guitars. It’s how I’ve kept busy.
The Bullet is absolutely the king of the Shitans!!! My Bullet Shitan kicked my Fender Am Std to the curb.
BTW, the Mustang is 24" scale.
I enjoy playing my bullet tele more than my Am strat.
I modded a squire bullet
I put on a new scratchplate that was ready wired with Duncan's , I put on quality tuners and bridge . Then I decided to change the neck to a warmoth neck. Then I decided to also change the body to a warmoth one . The guitar is sweet now , it sounds like a totally different guitar .
Lol nice
I performed a mod on a Harley Benton SC-450 Plus, which is just a bit more expensive than the guitars you present in the video.
I switched the pickups to Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, and the tuners to Locking Gotoh.
Of course a general setup and the result is great.
The guitar sounds and played amazing. And I get out of it a lot more than I would get for a new guitar that I could buy for the same price.
Shai Vashdy how is the HB quality and the weight? The only people I see review them work for HB. 😔 I hear they’re very heavy.
It’s pretty heavy. It’s a mahogany with no weight relief. I guess more than 4kg.
Shai Vashdy cool. Thanks for the quick response.
And the build quality is pretty okay. The fretboard is not so nice to touch as rosewood, maple or ebony - but considering the price - it's okay.
Bottom line, you get a nice guitar (trapezoid inlays, binding, and a veneer of maple top) for the price.
Shai Vashdy so in your opinion it’s nicer than the Squier/Epi? I have a limited edition Epi Slasher which I love, but I’d like some tele twang (Roy Buchanan sounds so amazing!).
The Affinity and HB modes both look nice, but my question is usually about quality and playability. Since I’m in Texas, I worry about having to return a European instrument if there’s a problem with it.
My first guitar was a Squier Bullet Strat. After a few years, I gave it used pickups and pots from a '99 Fender American Standard, graphtech nut and trees, tuners, etc. It's still my go to guitar for my endeavors today
Some nice subdued playing by Rob, nice change from the mad shredding we are used to.
i modified both pickups on the Les Paul Special VE to put coil split and coil inversion on the knobs! changed strings, polished frets and sanded their edges, now it's really nice to play and i can have all of the tones!
YES YES YES! Do Rob's MOD CHALLENGE idea! You haven't done a mod challenge since the scalloped LTD shred tele/Clapton Squier video and that was like at least 5 years ago!
I totally get Rob's approach to guitars. For the past 10 years I've been using a 500 € instrument and made it "mine" by swapping pickups, rewiring it to my liking and so on. To get a comparable stock guitar, I'd spend well over 1500. At this point I've grown so accustomed to how it feels and sounds, when it came time to buy a backup instrument I went out of my way to find an exact duplicate of the old one. Used, it was even cheaper. I've tried a lot of more expensive guitars over the years, but none of them felt as "right" as this one. The only exception was a cheap-ish MIM Telecaster that felt and sounded right to me, but for a completely different playing style than the one I normally use.
Bare knuckle bullet, yes please, video now! It's something I'm thinking of doing so would be great to see 😄
You could buy 2 of those guitars for the price of one Bare Knuckle humbucker...
@@MorleyRobertson1975 boot camp picups are cheaper
Bought my daughter the blue SL for Xmas. perfect for a delicate 14 year old girl. As for me. I have a classic vibe tele and a strat design partscaster. In terms of feel I love my partscaster and it's sound is awesome.
Instant like for the title
Edit:
Squiet bullet strat was my first electric and after some luthier's love it still plays great aftet 9 years without replacing any parts. Amazing guitars for the price!
I've had mine for 15 years! It was also my first. It's still plays great, and (I didn't know at the time) it was set up fantastically well out of the box. Better than the new fenders in stores! I bought a player strat and had to have it set up to play better than my squier, and that was the best player strat in the store! Those budgets squiers are great!
My grandparents bought me a squire affinity strat for my birthday a week ago and I love it it needs new strings but otherwise a fine instrument it's also my first electric
Just did exactly what you were talking about...took a Squier Bullet tele FSR ,alder body on this one...maple neck and rosewood fretboard....and changed all hardware to Fender hardware I found on line...inexpensive compared to new and threw in some Tex mex pickups in it....looks and sounds fabulous....all for about $300 total....I also tru oiled the neck for a slightly satiny feel and look...the unfinished neck feels like a 2x4 to me.....can't wait to see your next video....blindfolded would be the way to go....no looks, just feel and play...too bad I can't send a picture
Some Gilmour-quality bending there from Mr C
I loved how out of tune the SL was out of the box. You made my day with one strum, Rob. 20-some tangs and a quick wrap around.
Drastically better than entry level guitars in the 80’s. They were plywood bodies, no shielding, 2-3k ceramic pickups. You couldn’t play a whole song before they went out of tune.
Oh hell yeah, a usable guitar started at at least $450. Just for one that reasonably sounded well and stayed in tune. And didn't dent when sneezed upon.
In the 60s there were literally no decent cheap guitars. Christ we struggled. Fab now.We are so lucky today.
One thing i like about the strat is the Hardtail. Except for the Robert Cray strat there is no other Hardtail strat on the market. Which makes this guitar unique! Add great pups, make it string through body, and you've got a one of a kind instrument!
Its absolutely amazing to me how far entry level guitars have come in such a short amount of time. When I started playing 15 years ago beginner guitars were total garbage. Now even a lowly squier bullet is a perfectly serviceable guitar.
I'm a beginner, 3 months ago I bought a Squier Mustang HH and a Boss Katana 50.... I also smile every time I grab it. Life's good !!
As its "Clash of the Shitans" you should do a follow up Video where you release the (Victory) Kraken and plug all 4 guitars into it .
You could call it
"Clash of the shitans Fill McKraken"
I currently have a fairly good range of higher mid priced to super budget guitars, and my go to, every time, for some fun home noodling on the couch is a bullet strat. A fret job and a set of locking tuners and it's seriously one of my favorite guitars. Great vid, can't wait for the mod challenge 👍
Americans: "This guitars are perfect for kids"
Mexican Adults: "This guitars are perfect for my economy"
True in Brazil as well 🤣🤣🤣
This is really nice for beginners, thumbs up.
Just one bit of feedback I have: You tend to use the word "affordable" a lot, basically as a synonym of "cheap" (without the negative connotations that come with using that word).
But I think it would be a little more useful for you to elaborate on exactly what is cheap about the particular item.
For example, 11:30 you mention that the tuners are "really affordable", aka. very cheap/basic. But it would be nice to hear some feedback from you on whether they are: a) basic but fine, or b) low quality and nasty. This will make a big difference for a beginner, if the tuners end up being inadequate and need replacing. I can mostly read between the lines on some of the things you say, but for a beginner it would be great to point out these things more directly.
Obviously at these price points, corners need to be cut in manufacturing, which is fine.
But there is a big difference between cutting corners in the right places (eg. less pickups, more pieces of wood glued together, more basic tremolo system, so on..) compared to the wrong places (crappy fit and finish = lots of problems with setup/action/intonation, garbage pickups, tuners that don't work or stay in tune).
One will cause a lot of headaches for the player and make the guitar extremely frustrating to play, the other will largely go unnoticed.
I think with your combined expertise, it would be really great for you to distinguish between the two categories when giving feedback on an affordable or basic part.
Otherwise keep up the good work!
Charge Of The Shite Brigade
Charge Of The Shight Brigade
i commend thee for revising poetry whilst watching clash of the shitans
You can only do this if you jam Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" during the video.
@@mattw.6726 Yes!
The Only Way Is Van Life That’s gold!
I haven’t been in the market for a beginner guitar for more than twenty years, but I see how a video like this would be really helpful for a kid or his/her parent. Wish I had seen this years ago. Also, I loved your guitar mod video from a few years ago. I really hope you guys do another like you talked about.
Has a far better ring to it than 'Clash of the Shaffordables' haha
Nice to see you guys together again
If the guitar,high end or low end goes out of tune real easy then it's firewood 80quid or 10k.
I bought a Mustang Bullet a little over a year and a half ago. The switch is oriented the same way on mine. Also there is an additional layer of protective film under the cheap plastic film that Fender puts their sticker on. As for mods I just polished the frets with my Dremel and did a basic setup. Then I dropped in an old Duncan JB I had laying around into the bridge position. Later, just for giggles I routed the body under the pickguard to install two slide switches similar to the classic Mustang. One coil taps the JB, the other switches the bridge pickup out of phase.
I jave a soft spot in my heart for red squire strats. Affinity though.
Jess Price player series tho ❤️👌👌
I snagged an Epi SL when they first came out, I dreamed of doing so many mods to it but the only one I got done was swapping the tuners to something that actually held tune... After that a younger dude I know expressed interest in learning to play guitar so I gave it to him. Last we talked he's still playing it!
I have one of these Mustangs; it's just happiness to play. Initially i was thinking i would upgrade the pickups - still haven't and probably won't! Got lucky with the neck on mine as the wood has some quite nice grain in it and the tuners are fine. I have replaced the saddles on the bridge to give a little more "zing" and "splak" but other than that it was just a nice set of D'Addario's and a very slight sanding on the back of the neck. Great video, always love your budget demos and this is one of your best!
Would really like to see this 'ere challenge video...
I have a pair of zebra ‘buckers for mine and it’s like... why? Why did I get them when they’re probably no better than the zingy little ‘buckers already in it?
@@katherineberger6329 you don't need an excuse for zebra 'buckers though, surely? They'll find a home in time...
Love the strat bullet im a beginner and bought it around 4 months ago and so far does everything I need and looks great.
31:02 Lee and Rob's playing styles in a nutshell
One of my favorite of the quite a few guitars I have owned and tried is a very inexpensive ($249) Gretsch, the G2215, P90 in the neck and humbucker(ish) pickup in the bridge. The next favorite for me is a Gretsch G5520 ($549) with two humbuckers(ish). Both Gretsch(s) look and sound fantastic. I keep both of these handy when the mood and muse hit me. There are more expensive and also very decent playing and sounding guitars that I constantly hear saying “play me, play me,” but I inevitably pick up one of the Gretsch, usually the G2215. How much something costs doesn’t always dictate how much a person likes and enjoys something, and that pertains to guitars too. There are many affordable nice and enjoyable guitars available nowadays for around $600 or less.
Do expensive guitars vs modified cheap guitars
Have a 2019 Squier Bullet Mustang in Seafoam Green. Love it. Only modification; swapped humbuckers for P-90's.
Have never tried any of the other 3...though I've had a cheap Epiphone Les Paul and hated it, and I DO have a Squier Bullet Strat from 2009, but it's not a Hard-Tail, and I've modified the hell out of it---so it's not fair to compare.
When Rob played that strat he pretty much sold me on it.
My father bought me that EXACT guitar 17 years ago. Affinity Squier Strat, three single coils, in the same color red. My friends had American Strats and other WAY more expensive guitars. They would pick mine up and say "your guitar is SO EASY TO PLAY" and they enjoyed it more than their $1000+ instruments. I still have it to this day and it still plays better than any other guitar I own, and I own about 20 :)
@@King_Kuya That was a bullet, but great story
@@Sticknub I know they played a bullet, but the quality of the instruments is incredibly similar. My point is that I got a red SSS Squier Strat in the early 2000s and it made me feel good to see one represented in this video. I am aware that it isn’t the identical MODEL(I even mentioned it was an Affinity in my original comment). I’m sorry you’re so disturbed by a pedantic inaccuracy in my original sentiment.
I have an Afinity Telecaster that I super shielded, installed a pre-wired switch plate with a four way switch into myself and had professionally set up. It is lightweight for a Telecaster, sounds great and I have a personal connection because I didn't just buy it but improved it myself. Never gonna get rid of or stop playing it.