Note: There's a mistake in the video. I don't mention the second avoid guitar. It's the Harley Benton ST-20. Check out 8 great cheap amps: ua-cam.com/video/r92cswgqOgw/v-deo.htmlsi=cHkRybzqNU-zC41D
@Wendy Black Umm because he wants to HELP other less exp guitarists AVOID buying a piece of junk, & get a GOOD instrument that is good to play, & sounds good, so as they DON'T get discouraged! That's WHY!!!
Who is this sexy, mysterious, seemingly Scandinavian, shredder fella? Where is he from? Why does he shred? Does he mean us harm or does he come in peace? I wish I had a good Viking joke. Speaking of Vikings, what do you think of Hagstrom guitars? I played one of their 60's strats and it was like butter....like BUTTA I said. I also played their entry level guitar 'The Swede' which you could've put on your list. I hope your people still don't love war and scare everybody like I've seen in some Hollywood films I believe like they're serious documentaries.
This video proves that other than being a good player, you’re better off spending your money on a great amp. I learned this years ago. I never buy expensive guitars anymore.
An often overlooked reason I love Harley Benton is that they have a massive offering for lefties. I've got the HB-35 in cherry red, and for a semi-hollow with coil splits, there's nothing comparable at even twice its price.
Thats good to know im a left too and the selection of peft guitars i like are limited but knowingvm this maybe ill try Harley Benton I never even thought of them .
I have the HB35 plus had been upgrades with locking tuners when i bought it 2nd hand for £90 Paid £50 for a tech to set it up. Unbelievable guitar. Plays much better than my much more expensive guitars £700+ price range. Great guitar.
The quality of budget guitars these days is just amazing. I started playing in the late 1970's on a Kay tulip, which had microphonic pickups, and an action you could fit your hand under, and that was close to £100 then. £100 40 years later buys you a massively better instrument. I seldom spend above £500, because to be honest it's rarely justified these days, unless you MUST have that brand name on your headstock.
My best budget guitar is my Harley Benton Fusion Pro 2 HSH. It's beautiful, it's flawless, it's superbly equipped and it sounds as good as you'd expect, humbucker or splitted. And it's on par with my most expensive guitars in the excess of €2000. Just incredible !
it's a good thing that these things are made in the far East...otherwise there would be no 'budget' instruments as was the case in the 50s & 60s. A Gretsch in the 50s in the US would have set you back $400 to $600 ...a lot of money
I think I may have said this on one of your other videos, but it really comes down to the player...going from smooth blues to rocking heavy metal riffs and leads on the Squier Bullet Tele is proof of that. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a guitar to sound good , you just need to practice. 🙂
A bad guitar will go out of tune even if you're Ritchie Blackmore, sharp fretends will be annoying even if you're Jimmy Page. You don't need a 4k dollars custom shop to have a good tone, but if you're guitar is built poorly and you're a beginner, that's discouraging as hell. Learning how to play should be the hard part, not fighting your instrument.
There are good instruments and bad instruments, and a bad instrument can definitely make someone sound like shit, but I agree, practice is the main factor in sounding good.
@@JJames666male A good set up at the factory would add $100 to the price. I'd rather buy a good guitar that needed a setup, than a bad guitar with a good set up. If that makes sense. LOL Frets can be filed and smoothed out.
@@TexanUSMC8089 bad setup and bad build quality are not the same though. Also, I agree with you on the setup part, but that only works for mire experienced payers
I bought an Ibanez RG made in Indonesia 12+ years ago. After some time abandoned and a recent visit to my main luthier, the thing plays GREAT. I’ll put on it some good pickups and the guitar is ready to compete with guitars MUCH higher in the price list.
I have guitar #4 in lake placid blue. Super easy to play. I decided to go for the Tele over the Strat because I heard about guitarists from basically every single genre that play it, and I wanted something that worked no matter what I played on it. I also really liked the neck/bridge pickup combo, which Strats don’t have. Plus, the blue caught my eye on the display. I also heard horror stories about Strat tremolo systems, and the pickup switch and vol seemed in an awkward place. I’m glad I got it now that you say you didn’t care for the Strat model.
I may be biased because I personally learnt guitar on it but it's the the Ibanez GRGR131EX. It's a guitar that costs around £180 and has great value for money. I still play it despite having bought other more expensive guitars because it's just bloody incredible
I think Yamaha and Ibanez turn out higher quality options at these lower prices, with brand name you can trust and warranties they stand behind. Ibanez should be represented in videos like this more often IMO
Great Review, Elmo! It does mean a lot that you buy and are influenced by companies in the least bit. This channel should have a lot more views and followers.
The South Korean Schecters are excellent. More expensive than those reviewed here, but better priced than a lot of name brand American made guitars. Their Indonesian made guitars are also very solid and less expensive than South Korean manufacture. Check out Schecter !!
I have a hard time deciding which guitar I like better, my PRS Custom 22 with a Brazilian rosewood neck and modern eagle pickups or my Schecter C1 Classic. Like the neck on my Schecter better but the PRS overall quality of finish, hardware, build quality is superior. The Schecter is a much better value as it was a couple thousand dollars less than the PRS.
I had one and he is right.... an inexpensive but well-made Strat can be very useful... especially to learn how to do things (new tuners or pickups, etc.).
@@billyvitale8994 sir after exhaustive analysis i beginning 2tend 2agree. Sir??? "U sir have won it threspect of this channel." *AND A VERY WARM WELCOME* We pride ourselves on being one of the most friendly, and open minded channel on you tube. Exposing scientific anamolies... "We are like one big happy family." After all, it's about keeping it light. And fun. ~YOU WILL BE SENTENCED TO THE TEMPLE OF JUDGEMENT~ "If it has been verified u have seriously violated the sacred covenant of this channel." If we detect, any serious transgressions, or anything considered a serious civil violation, which may or may not be er infringement or blasphemy of our channels strict moral and legal code, if u have broken the sacred trust of our channel, and betrayed the elders, and disrespectfully abused our message of peace, and love, u may come under psychic attack, by the elders. Unless u apologize in the next 24 hours, failure to comply will result in the maximum penalty, and execution of the final solution. You will pay the ultimate price of being blocked from your favorite channel. For the rest of your life. Or until you die. You must comply. Or face they abyss of eternal darkness. We will not hesitate. To pulling the trigger .
The problem with cheap guitars, as highlighted in the video can often be the variability of quality control that exists (not that you can’t get a bad expensive guitar) and the people most likely to be buying these guitars are beginners who will have no frame of reference for what a well set-up guitar should feel like. Many beginners will quit because they assume it’s them at fault. I know that my first guitar (years ago) was trash and I only really found that out when I went into a guitar shop and tried some others, suddenly the chords I’d been struggling with were playing properly
holy crap dude this was me, i played a yamaha pacifica at a school workshop and even tho the strings were rusted (wtf) i realised the guitar i had at home was the biggest part of my issue with playing i just bought an affinity strat today, can't wait to play it
"Build quality is terrible, look they drilled this hole wrong, there's tooling marks on the neck and the nut and neck joint have finish cracking/checking" Gibson: looks good.
@@MrPolevaulter... and I will still spend $2800 on it. Because, Gibson. Damn you, Gibson, you know I can't quit you. I need that sweet guitar heat, just one more hit...
I have two $100 Monoprice Indio Strats, two Indio $100 Teles, a $200 Indio LP, and a $200 Idlewild acoustic. They all are were an extremely good value. Look for discount codes as Monoprice has them often. I also have a Harley Benton single cut LP Jr. It's good but did have some qc issues. I totally agree, the Monoprice Indio guitars that I have purchased are better than their cost would seem them to be. But keeping mind you could get a not so good one their return/exchange policy is pretty good.
IMO, the most under rated guitar is the late 80's early 90's Peavey Tracer. You'll probably want to switch out the stock pickups (that's all !) and you'll have your favorite axe for around, only $500! They are monster shredders. I own several. Check them out if you like. The one's with 24 frets and a floating bridge with locking nuts!
Squier bullet telecaster is a fantastic guitar for the price and if you remove the pickguard you will notice that it is routed for humbuckers !!! I have mod one with a mini humbucker in the neck and a hot single coil in the bridge, its always the guitar I pickup first when I power up my amp !!! Great video as usual 👌
@@johncollins5552 it’s been a while since ive had the scratch plate off, but I believe so. I went with single coil Seymour Duncan vintage broadcast pickups and re wired them into series mode, so I have neck, series and bridge on the 3 way switch. I prefer the bridge, but Series mode gives me the humbucker type sound when I need it. Best of both worlds for me
@@MifuneUA-cam Cool, just read that Mike Rutherford former Genesis guy is now on tour playing a bullet strat , hardware mods but still stock pickups ,neck and body.
I would have to agree about that HB Strat. However I got a Glarry Strat for about $100 and I love it. It’s very light weight and that’s a big criteria for me. I wonder if you ever tried the made in Canada Godin electrics? Like a Stadium HT. They’ve always had great guitars in the $600 CDN range which is above what you’re reviewing here but it’s cool that there are so many choices below $1,000. Especially when you see guitars that are in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Great video by the way!
Back in circa 1987 I bought a Squier Stratocaster for 200 € equivalent. Fantastic guitar. The serial number says it is from 1982-1984 made in Japan. Still have it and installed EMG DG20s on it.
I just got the Sterling Cutlass CT50hss, it's amazing for it's price! I have a few expensive guitars and it definitely goes up to bat with those. I have heard of these having QC issues unfortunately though. I bought mine from a reputable dealer and it came decently set up out of the box, nothing was wrong with it except for the nut being kind of cheap. I'm sorry you got a bad one. This is a great video though!
I also have the Sterling Cutlass CT50 HSS w/roasted maple neck and locking tuners and what a fantastic guitar. I was disappointed the reviewer spent so much time "bashing" it and didn't bother to play it. I get some great sounds out of it and it stays in tune.
Nice informative video, Elmo, thanks! I bought a used Vintage VS6 (SG copy) a few days ago. Got it for under 200€ and it's a great guitar, I cannot recommend enough. Very well built (discovered, that it actually has a long neck tennant, for example), plays ablolutely awesome and sounds fantastic (if you swap the stock Wilkinsons pickups). These Wilkinson PUs are very hot and sound rather boomy. Not my taste, at least. I put in some inexpensive Roswell HAF vintage humbuckers for 33€ pp and it sounds better than some Gibson SGs I heard and played. So I can really recommend checking out that Vintage stuff as well as that Roswell pickups, if you're looking for some inexpensive guitar/pickup tuning options.
Very insightful and instructive video! As a professional player for 45+ years I agree with you, we live in the Golden Age of Guitars indeed. When I started playing the guitar at the age 8 (I studied violin at the same time) I had to deal with instruments that were more like torture instruments. With high action, heavy gauge strings with a wound 3rd, terrible pickups and crappy set-ups. I got my first decent guitar in the form of a '62 Fender Strat, which, in comparison with most of the low-budget guitars of nowadays, was not much better, despite the huge price difference. Just my 2 cents. What I'd like to see demonstrated more is the Gibson SG type of guitars, but maybe you have already. I just subscribed to your channel ( and also bought some of your music on Apple Music). Keep up the good work, Elmo!
I’ll watch your reviews just to see you play!!! You’re a fabulous guitarist, my God, I’m envious. Great, informative reviews here. Thank you so much for posting.
I bought the mono price indio strat last year ,it cost less than $100 shipped.after fixing sharp frets,sounds great I love it.its my go to guitar at home .I might buy another.thanks Jerry
you make a good point about you buying the guitar VS being sent a guitar to review. You can guarantee that ANY company sending a guitar to a youtuber will always be their A+ stock and will have gone through 10 times the amount of QA and setup than a random online bought one has.
Good job, Elmo, proves we truly are in the Golden Age of nice sounding cheap guitars. Just grabbed a used PRS SE Santana today for about your 400 Euro price, used but mint with bag. Killer sounding and playing instrument, probably better than my Gibson PAF hollow body, still in disbelief.
Awesome video. Love that you deal with budget guitars like these. Your playing alone is worth a view. Sadly, I already bot a Harley Benton Strat which you hated. But it was very cheap to buy so I am not out much and it is pretty! I definitely will be checking you out much more and very glad I found you on here. Thanks so much for your efforts here - it is much appreciated !!! I will check out that Indio now too !! Cheers !!
If you got a low low low budget, I bought a Donner stratocaster, same range as the indio. Totally enjoy it as a first guitar and you can have a set where it comes with a gig bag, little practice amp, a tuner, a strap. It cost me 209$ CAD ... 150$ USD
Elmo. Laddie. I simply must tell you. I watch your videos because they're very well made, interesting and entertaining. But I must confess. The primary reason is that you are a spectacularly fantastic guitar player. What you do with clean tones (and the others) is phenomenal. Ineffable. Haste ye back, Elmo. 🍀 🎸 🍀
That miracle man intro is very hard to to learn and play correctly, you were leaps and bounds better than ive ever been able to play it lol ...Ive spent many frustrating evenings trying to play the miracle man intro and worse the solo in the middle my fingers dont move that fast ..great video loved it !!
I have the Indio strat as well. After doing a setup and putting a new nut on the thing…. I love it. I’ve had guitars that cost way more that didn’t feel and play as nicely as my Indio. Thanks for the video. Great job. You earned yourself a new subscriber
I have an EART “strat” and a Jet Guitars “tele” both were around the €250-300 price and are both very very good guitars for the price. Very playable with great necks stay in tune etc. I would recommend them both
I tried a Jet JS-400, I liked the spec, nice big frets, the layout of the controls and nicer neck joint but man... That thing must have been built by a blind person in the dark! The frets were awful, a bunch of finish issues, screw holes in the wrong place, Neck was slightly warped. I'm probably going to try out one of those Ibanez AZES line next and hope that it scratches the itch.
@@aliensliveinme Wow man, I must have been lucky with mine, didn’t have any issues. Buzz on the low “E” string was sorted by graphite in the nut slots and a low action set up. Nothing else.
@@johnnyhock Oh man I just have relly bad luck when it comes to these things. In the last year I've ordered 4 guitars and returned 3 of them 1. Squier classic vibe tele with the worst finish I've seen in a long while, also whoever packed it decided that on top of the body was a good place to put some patch leads which chipped it loads 2. the replacement tele that has the worst cut nut I've encountered, it binds so badly that it can't stay in tune for more than a few seconds of playing (I didn't work this out until after the return window so it's getting a tusq XL at some point) 3. Chapman ML1 that was great but it was sold as new (and I paid new money for it from a reputable store here) that turned up with a ton of buckle rash on the back and dents in the fretboard (I am really sad about sending that back because it was the last one they had) 4. The Jet JS-400
I can recommend two more Harley Bentons: The Harley Benton Fusion T HH HT(Pro Series) does cost just 299EUR and comes with steel frets, locking tuners, coil split, GraphTech nut and feels incredible to play. This thing... could easily be double the price. There is also a variant with a 2 point tremolo instead of the hard tail bridge mine has. Again... this is an incredible one. Next: Harley Benton TE-52.. its a vintage style telecaster - very nice looking very good and is well built. It does cost just 159 EUR. I bought it as a modding platform but left it just as it is. I really was surprised by it. It has one downside: It is really quite heavy.
@@MrPolevaulter One thing that often is also forgotten... HB offers quite a few guitars for lefties. The Fusion T is perhaps one of the best deals for lefty players overall.
To me, the Pacifica is the best guitar in this video. I like it so much that I now own two of them. Not sure exactly what your price range is in dollars, but at $459 the Danelectro Stock 59 with it's amazing Lipstick pickups, is amazing.
I agree on the HB 550 is an excellent guitar no matter what the price.. Most people say it's a great guitar for the price.. No it's just a great guitar no matter the price. The 400 is their cheapy runs about 112 bucks USD, it's basswood body and it is not as good, not sure where it's built these days but it's not built at Cort in Indonesia like the 550's. I have around 20 guitars right now and I have some excellent Japanese made Ibanez guitars, I have a Fender Strat, Jackson soloist, Kramer Nightswan, and a handful of Indo made Ibanez Rg's and a Ibanez Jiva, an Epi 60's standard.. Reason I'm telling all this, is because well first I got my Epi 60s standard as a Xmas present from my daughter. I was blown away by how great it looked, felt and sounded. It quicky became my favorite single cut guitar in my collection. Then Thomann released the HB 550 plus EMG, they sold out within like a week, I happened to be lucky enough to get one that week. And not only is it my all time favorite single cut guitar in my collection, it's my top 3 guitar in my entire collection. And it's my second least expensive guitar in my collection, the least expensive guitar I have is the HB CST-24T which I got for like 210 bucks about 4 years ago. My HB 550 I can't say enough great things about it and I have zero bad things to say about it. First, I ordered it from Alaska, it arrived in 3 days from Germany. It came out of the box perfectly set up, no fret sprout or sharp ends, everything was perfect. And it looks amazing and the EMG Fat 55's that come in it are incredible.
New is nice , I prefer the used price , and the first scratch and dent are over. It’s sort of like buying a pre disastered house, what are the odds another ship will crash into my kitchen?
Some good points there; my HB ST-20 has no issues at all BUT it makes sense that QC at that price will be variable and it does make sense to either save up a bit more or buy second hand. For most everyone the sensible answer to "what guitar should I buy, I only have £75 to spend" will be "don't spend the only £75 you have on any guitar". Same with the cheaper HB single cut, the SC550-II is SOOOOO good and still cheaper than anything that isn't a HB means you should probably ignore the cheaper ones and get the 550 as a forever guitar. It's SO GOOD.
How is it possible that HB can make such a guitar and make a profit...and the musicstore make a profit...and shipping it from china. Anyways..found your channel today and really enjoyed your presentations...i subscribed
for any beginners out there a good starting guitar that's pretty decent is the ESP LTD f-10 it is one of the nicest feeling guitars and it fits on your leg perfectly it won't dig into your leg and it has great tone
Harley Benton's are great guitars if you upgrade the electronics and put in the neck work. Solid heavy bodies and decent necks. I bought the 77 dollar one and put about 100 bucks into it and it's a beast. Also glarry if you want an extremely lightweight axe. I know this isn't that type of video but if you're a DIY type of player like I am you can have a guitar that sounds and plays like a thousand bucks for like 250 and little bit of work! I put together a glarry super strat that rivals any brand of guitar! My buddy wanted to trade me his RG for my glarry super strat! That says it all right there! Lol. I said no.
I gotta say Cort has came a long way since the 80’s! Until watching this, I probably wouldn’t have given. Great information! Thanks. Harley Benton I’d never heard of, which could be because I’m in the states.
I agree with you on the price to value of the Monoprice Indio model. I got their Modern Classic T-style for $89 and after some fret end dressing and a proper setup, it plays and sounds really good. Much better than an Epiphone Les Paul Jr I bought back in 2006 for $99. I'd like to try some Harley Bentons, but live in the HB desert called the USA.
I live in Texas and have bought 3 Harley Bentons. They ship to the USA. I think the shipping was $60. I ordered two at a time and they came in one box. $30 shipping per guitar.
Ive got the ‘avoid #1’ actually love mine! Did a minor set up check - dropped action dropped pickups but raised poll pieces - i think this f’in rocks! Editing as i should have added, mine is a b stock. £108 - way way better than an epiphone LP that i had!
Just got mine, frets are super nice. Love the feel of the satin neck, kind of fast and easy. For €123 brand new.....do not expect something great, but it is damn good. As Elmo always says....ever guitar is an individual....you can spend €2.000 and get something that plays much worse, or something cheap that is suprisngly good (not great come on, the price) and keeps you playing.
The start of this video clip was absolutely in a class of it's own😂😂. Thanks for the review. 😀👌. How about doing a review of the Vintage V6 Thomas Blug - model..? I've listened to some clips of it and to me it sounds actually very good. It'd be good for the community (me!) to hear a pro's comments on that.
I have 2 Monoprice/Indio Les Paul style guitars. Yes, I upgraded the pickups in both. But, I didn't have to. It was purely for looks and what I wanted to do with both. The Tobacco Burst Monoprice, I turned into a replica of Ace Frehley's Les Paul he had from 1974-1978 - the same one used on "KISS Alive!". The Goldtop Indio I turned into a Tom Scholz (Boston) guitar by putting on a pair of open-coil Dimarzio clones. They both sound close to EXACT to the guitars I modeled them after (when I put them on my Guitar Rig 5 presets I made for each band). And they play GREAT!
Have you tried the GROTE 335 hollow body and Telecaster copies? I love them both. The natural finish 335 was $200 delivered. The Telecaster was $75 second hand. I was blown away by the quality right out of the box. The GROTE Les Paul however was a POS and was returned the next day. Check them out. You will be amazed at the look, sound and feel of them.
Kind of surprised you missed the Squier contemporary series. ~ 350 EUR with roasted maple neck, belly cut and contoured heel with the new SQR pickups. Nobody on UA-cam is making above average videos on this series. Quite a shame really.
To me cheap/ budget guitar is anything under £200. I think that as dedicated musician you have got a different perspective on value of a guitar for the casual player. Still enjoy your videos and your awesome play style.
These are the eight greats! Not to be confused with the seven perkeles, oh boy don't get me started with the six that stink... Thomann could send his legal team, fronted by Attorney Pauly!:-7
I bought the Knoxville T-style guitar from Gear4Music, at 113.70 Euros and its neck is beautiful with no fret sprout. I did have to do a truss-rod adjustment--a quarter turn to the left--after a year, but that is about it. The one I got has a solid alder body, and it is a very heavy guitar, but otherwise it is one of my favorites.
Wow !! I think your Cutlass was a late Friday afternoon product for sure. All the Sterling's I have owned and tried were beautiful guitars. It's a shocker that they shipped one of that standard but the issues you mention could be overcome. Turds can be polished, although for your money, you shouldn't have to. Great video.
I have mostly budget guitars with upgraded wiring and pickups, and they're great, in most of them the pickups are worth as much, or maybe more than the guitars themselves
Yep. And yep, it is upside down. I put two Boss pedals upside down to see when someone noticed. You're the second one. I have a bunch of videos done, so they'll be that way for a while.
Elmo, I kinda disagree with you on the Sterling CTS 50. I thought it was a good guitar. The setup on mine was great! The frets where ok. The only thing since, I have larger hands, the neck could be a bit larger for me just a personal taste for me. Overall I thought it was a great budget guitar for $279 when I purchased it.
Ibenez RG450EXB is a decent choice for under $400. I bought this guitar a few years ago when I started playing it was my second electric guitar. I still play and love this guitar!! It’s has Floyd rose style tremolo.
Great playing and a very honest review as Always. Thanks for this video. I've got a Classic Vibe strat and a Indio telecaster and I am very happy with both... What do you think about Cort CR200? Do you think they might be similar to a Harley Benton SC-550? Greetings and thanks again!
That is awesome that you picked the Monoprice Indio as the best. I've got mine about 6 1/2 years ago for $70. It was perfect when I got it much better than the used SG that I got from my local guitar shop that I paid twice as much for. The Idyllwid acoustic guitars are really good as well. I have one of those and I just bought another one to donate to my local conservatory of music. $70 shipped is hard to beat. Great content. Love your vids. Keep up the great work.
Great summary and good to mention the Avoid ones. A constant problem for reviewers that have to buy online to obtain samples to try out, odds are higher of getting a dud online, compared to in store where the retailers won't put a dud on the rack or risk their reputation. It's why we watch a bunch of reviews on the same guitar. So long as the reviewers are authentic. I count EJK as authentic. And I count Darrell as authentic too, he buys many of the guitars he reviews, and states if he got it from someone.
Well it is a good review indeed but instead of 8 good guitars we have only 4 which are squier, harley benton, yamaha and cort because it is only the models that differ
Ok i have the Harley Benton TE-52 which is an amazing guitar. But I also have the Harley Benton st-20, amd it was a good guitar, but now i upgraded the tremolo block with a original fender vintage one, guyker locking tuners, nut etc, and now its a BEAST.
Hi Elmo, do you Luke this Laney micro amp that stands behind you? Or ís it just for decoration? :-) For under 400€ probably ceahpest Chapman ML1 would fit. I guess so. It is amazing piece of wood ;)
![[UA] Eternal Fire проти NAVI | EPL Season 20 Malta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/chvlsDygrZM/mqdefault.jpg)
Note: There's a mistake in the video. I don't mention the second avoid guitar. It's the Harley Benton ST-20.
Check out 8 great cheap amps: ua-cam.com/video/r92cswgqOgw/v-deo.htmlsi=cHkRybzqNU-zC41D
20 euros is around ~200 turkish liras. not 50 million but you got the point
Fuk yeah from Virginia USA you rip bro. Cool vid. Sub
@Elmo Karjalainen do you have a planned video for the lok-n-roll compensated nut for Floyd rose guitars and the likes
@Wendy Black Umm because he wants to HELP other less exp guitarists AVOID buying a piece of junk, & get a GOOD instrument that is good to play, & sounds good, so as they DON'T get discouraged! That's WHY!!!
Who is this sexy, mysterious, seemingly Scandinavian, shredder fella? Where is he from? Why does he shred? Does he mean us harm or does he come in peace? I wish I had a good Viking joke. Speaking of Vikings, what do you think of Hagstrom guitars? I played one of their 60's strats and it was like butter....like BUTTA I said. I also played their entry level guitar 'The Swede' which you could've put on your list. I hope your people still don't love war and scare everybody like I've seen in some Hollywood films I believe like they're serious documentaries.
This video proves that other than being a good player, you’re better off spending your money on a great amp. I learned this years ago. I never buy expensive guitars anymore.
I still do :D
@@MrPolevaulter Well I haven’t bought one in a long time! I honestly don’t need anymore. But hey I may have a moment of weakness some day!🤣
what do you consider expensive
Just save your money and get the guitar and amp that you really want.
Everyone needs a beater though
An often overlooked reason I love Harley Benton is that they have a massive offering for lefties. I've got the HB-35 in cherry red, and for a semi-hollow with coil splits, there's nothing comparable at even twice its price.
Thats good to know im a left too and the selection of peft guitars i like are limited but knowingvm this maybe ill try Harley Benton I never even thought of them .
I have the HB35 plus had been upgrades with locking tuners when i bought it 2nd hand for £90 Paid £50 for a tech to set it up. Unbelievable guitar. Plays much better than my much more expensive guitars £700+ price range. Great guitar.
This is fast becoming my favorite guitar channel. Great job, professor! And I like the bloopers. Keep it up!
Cheers!
The quality of budget guitars these days is just amazing. I started playing in the late 1970's on a Kay tulip, which had microphonic pickups, and an action you could fit your hand under, and that was close to £100 then. £100 40 years later buys you a massively better instrument. I seldom spend above £500, because to be honest it's rarely justified these days, unless you MUST have that brand name on your headstock.
Yep. Quality has definitely gone up.
there is an unstoppable inflation. £100 pound then is not the same as £100 nowadays.
100 pounds is 1979 pounds today💀
Yes 45 years ago guitars were double the price they are now and half the quality......fue !!!!😳🤔😳🙄😳🙄🤪
Most of the budget guitars are made in the same factory as the expensive guitars, same cnc machines same workforce!
My best budget guitar is my Harley Benton Fusion Pro 2 HSH. It's beautiful, it's flawless, it's superbly equipped and it sounds as good as you'd expect, humbucker or splitted. And it's on par with my most expensive guitars in the excess of €2000. Just incredible !
it's a good thing that these things are made in the far East...otherwise there would be no 'budget' instruments as was the case in the 50s & 60s. A Gretsch in the 50s in the US would have set you back $400 to $600 ...a lot of money
I think I may have said this on one of your other videos, but it really comes down to the player...going from smooth blues to rocking heavy metal riffs and leads on the Squier Bullet Tele is proof of that. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a guitar to sound good , you just need to practice. 🙂
Yep!
A bad guitar will go out of tune even if you're Ritchie Blackmore, sharp fretends will be annoying even if you're Jimmy Page. You don't need a 4k dollars custom shop to have a good tone, but if you're guitar is built poorly and you're a beginner, that's discouraging as hell. Learning how to play should be the hard part, not fighting your instrument.
There are good instruments and bad instruments, and a bad instrument can definitely make someone sound like shit, but I agree, practice is the main factor in sounding good.
@@JJames666male A good set up at the factory would add $100 to the price. I'd rather buy a good guitar that needed a setup, than a bad guitar with a good set up. If that makes sense. LOL Frets can be filed and smoothed out.
@@TexanUSMC8089 bad setup and bad build quality are not the same though.
Also, I agree with you on the setup part, but that only works for mire experienced payers
I bought an Ibanez RG made in Indonesia 12+ years ago. After some time abandoned and a recent visit to my main luthier, the thing plays GREAT. I’ll put on it some good pickups and the guitar is ready to compete with guitars MUCH higher in the price list.
I have guitar #4 in lake placid blue. Super easy to play. I decided to go for the Tele over the Strat because I heard about guitarists from basically every single genre that play it, and I wanted something that worked no matter what I played on it. I also really liked the neck/bridge pickup combo, which Strats don’t have. Plus, the blue caught my eye on the display. I also heard horror stories about Strat tremolo systems, and the pickup switch and vol seemed in an awkward place. I’m glad I got it now that you say you didn’t care for the Strat model.
I may be biased because I personally learnt guitar on it but it's the the Ibanez GRGR131EX. It's a guitar that costs around £180 and has great value for money. I still play it despite having bought other more expensive guitars because it's just bloody incredible
I think Yamaha and Ibanez turn out higher quality options at these lower prices, with brand name you can trust and warranties they stand behind. Ibanez should be represented in videos like this more often IMO
Every Ibanez is pretty good, and some are great. Years ago I bought a used ST50 that I will never sell.
This is such a valuable video: examples of what guitars to avoid and which ones are worthwhile buying is always priceless! Thanks Elmo!
Thanks :)
Great Review, Elmo! It does mean a lot that you buy and are influenced by companies in the least bit. This channel should have a lot more views and followers.
Thanks man :)
The South Korean Schecters are excellent. More expensive than those reviewed here, but better priced than a lot of name brand American made guitars. Their Indonesian made guitars are also very solid and less expensive than South Korean manufacture. Check out Schecter !!
I've been planning to.
Right.they are great
Said that Schecters virals.
I have a hard time deciding which guitar I like better, my PRS Custom 22 with a Brazilian rosewood neck and modern eagle pickups or my Schecter C1 Classic. Like the neck on my Schecter better but the PRS overall quality of finish, hardware, build quality is superior. The Schecter is a much better value as it was a couple thousand dollars less than the PRS.
@@cgrovespsyd i know what you mean.i like the sound of a 200€guitar more than a ESP...
Another bonus with the Indio strat copies is the swimming pool route under the pick guard. You can mod them with anything - I put dual P-90s in one.
I had one and he is right.... an inexpensive but well-made Strat can be very useful... especially to learn how to do things (new tuners or pickups, etc.).
Swimming pools on good guitars are frowned upon... I think it's because of chemical needed for the maintenance.. :-)
@@billyvitale8994 Harder to insure too!
@@billyvitale8994 sir after exhaustive analysis i beginning 2tend 2agree.
Sir???
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Well-done, Elmo. You are the budget king. Glad you got your speech and chops back.
The problem with cheap guitars, as highlighted in the video can often be the variability of quality control that exists (not that you can’t get a bad expensive guitar) and the people most likely to be buying these guitars are beginners who will have no frame of reference for what a well set-up guitar should feel like. Many beginners will quit because they assume it’s them at fault. I know that my first guitar (years ago) was trash and I only really found that out when I went into a guitar shop and tried some others, suddenly the chords I’d been struggling with were playing properly
Or they realize it's the guitar and can't afford to buy a decent guitar or don't have any place to send it.
I set up dozens of guitars a year and it's not just the budget models that arrive needing a set up. You'd be surprised!
Which guitar was that? Id like to avoid it!
holy crap dude this was me, i played a yamaha pacifica at a school workshop and even tho the strings were rusted (wtf) i realised the guitar i had at home was the biggest part of my issue with playing
i just bought an affinity strat today, can't wait to play it
"Build quality is terrible, look they drilled this hole wrong, there's tooling marks on the neck and the nut and neck joint have finish cracking/checking"
Gibson: looks good.
:D
@@MrPolevaulter... and I will still spend $2800 on it.
Because, Gibson.
Damn you, Gibson, you know I can't quit you. I need that sweet guitar heat, just one more hit...
Your sense of humor is on par with your playing! Top marks for this video - instant subscriber here! Well done, man!!
Thank you :)
I have two $100 Monoprice Indio Strats, two Indio $100 Teles, a $200 Indio LP, and a $200 Idlewild acoustic. They all are were an extremely good value. Look for discount codes as Monoprice has them often. I also have a Harley Benton single cut LP Jr. It's good but did have some qc issues. I totally agree, the Monoprice Indio guitars that I have purchased are better than their cost would seem them to be. But keeping mind you could get a not so good one their return/exchange policy is pretty good.
Cool!
The red classic vibe was really good, as was your playing red hot man 🎸👍🎸👍
Cheers!
IMO, the most under rated guitar is the late 80's early 90's Peavey Tracer. You'll probably want to switch out the stock pickups (that's all !) and you'll have your favorite axe for around, only $500! They are monster shredders. I own several. Check them out if you like. The one's with 24 frets and a floating bridge with locking nuts!
i absolutly love my 90s peavy telecaster copy its got the nicest smothest neck love thr made in usa peavys i need one of there srats next
I have several. I'm about to sell at least 3. If you're interested (or anyone else out there), let me know... If not Jonathan, thanks for your reply!
Squier bullet telecaster is a fantastic guitar for the price and if you remove the pickguard you will notice that it is routed for humbuckers !!! I have mod one with a mini humbucker in the neck and a hot single coil in the bridge, its always the guitar I pickup first when I power up my amp !!!
Great video as usual 👌
Thanks!
The tele bullet rules! Just changing the plastic nut, saddles and pickups genuinely makes this guitar sound as good as a tele 4 times it’s cost
I just change the nut and tuners they are the worst parts
@@johncollins5552 yeah, that’s enough to elevate this guitar, however the saddles make a big difference too. Try some brass ones. Sounds fantastic!
@@MifuneUA-cam Do you know is it routed already to take a humbucker, that would be a fun mod and make a more versatile 🎸?
@@johncollins5552 it’s been a while since ive had the scratch plate off, but I believe so. I went with single coil Seymour Duncan vintage broadcast pickups and re wired them into series mode, so I have neck, series and bridge on the 3 way switch. I prefer the bridge, but Series mode gives me the humbucker type sound when I need it. Best of both worlds for me
@@MifuneUA-cam Cool, just read that Mike Rutherford former Genesis guy is now on tour playing a bullet strat , hardware mods but still stock pickups ,neck and body.
I would have to agree about that HB Strat. However I got a Glarry Strat for about $100 and I love it. It’s very light weight and that’s a big criteria for me.
I wonder if you ever tried the made in Canada Godin electrics? Like a Stadium HT. They’ve always had great guitars in the $600 CDN range which is above what you’re reviewing here but it’s cool that there are so many choices below $1,000. Especially when you see guitars that are in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Great video by the way!
Back in circa 1987 I bought a Squier Stratocaster for 200 € equivalent. Fantastic guitar. The serial number says it is from 1982-1984 made in Japan. Still have it and installed EMG DG20s on it.
Cool :)
I just got the Sterling Cutlass CT50hss, it's amazing for it's price! I have a few expensive guitars and it definitely goes up to bat with those. I have heard of these having QC issues unfortunately though. I bought mine from a reputable dealer and it came decently set up out of the box, nothing was wrong with it except for the nut being kind of cheap. I'm sorry you got a bad one. This is a great video though!
I also have the Sterling Cutlass CT50 HSS w/roasted maple neck and locking tuners and what a fantastic guitar. I was disappointed the reviewer spent so much time "bashing" it and didn't bother to play it. I get some great sounds out of it and it stays in tune.
Nice informative video, Elmo, thanks!
I bought a used Vintage VS6 (SG copy) a few days ago. Got it for under 200€ and it's a great guitar, I cannot recommend enough. Very well built (discovered, that it actually has a long neck tennant, for example), plays ablolutely awesome and sounds fantastic (if you swap the stock Wilkinsons pickups). These Wilkinson PUs are very hot and sound rather boomy. Not my taste, at least. I put in some inexpensive Roswell HAF vintage humbuckers for 33€ pp and it sounds better than some Gibson SGs I heard and played.
So I can really recommend checking out that Vintage stuff as well as that Roswell pickups, if you're looking for some inexpensive guitar/pickup tuning options.
And thank you :)
The Vintage stuff is nice. Took me by SUNY surprise
Very insightful and instructive video! As a professional player for 45+ years I agree with you, we live in the Golden Age of Guitars indeed. When I started playing the guitar at the age 8 (I studied violin at the same time) I had to deal with instruments that were more like torture instruments. With high action, heavy gauge strings with a wound 3rd, terrible pickups and crappy set-ups. I got my first decent guitar in the form of a '62 Fender Strat, which, in comparison with most of the low-budget guitars of nowadays, was not much better, despite the huge price difference. Just my 2 cents.
What I'd like to see demonstrated more is the Gibson SG type of guitars, but maybe you have already. I just subscribed to your channel ( and also bought some of your music on Apple Music).
Keep up the good work, Elmo!
Cheers!
I’ll watch your reviews just to see you play!!! You’re a fabulous guitarist, my God, I’m envious.
Great, informative reviews here. Thank you so much for posting.
And thank you 😊
I bought the mono price indio strat last year ,it cost less than $100 shipped.after fixing sharp frets,sounds great I love it.its my go to guitar at home .I might buy another.thanks Jerry
on your marshall, all guitars will sound good !! 😮😀
you make a good point about you buying the guitar VS being sent a guitar to review. You can guarantee that ANY company sending a guitar to a youtuber will always be their A+ stock and will have gone through 10 times the amount of QA and setup than a random online bought one has.
Yep.
I have a Squier Classic Vibe 50s tele, which (although double the price,) is one of my all time favorites. I basically keep it in open c all the time!
Finally, reviews from someone who has chops and tone !
Best guitar channel I've found now. Thank you. However, you don't mention how well they stay in tune, setup out of the box etc, etc.
Thanks! I do that stuff in the actual reviews.
You are an amazing guitarist and shredder, and I love how brutally honest you are, you seriously crack me up!
Thanks!
50 million Turkish liras equals 5 million euros. A little expensive for a gig bag I guess. Anyways, great video Elmo.
Haha :D Cheers!
Mostly girls.. I know a couple of liars.😜
Good job, Elmo, proves we truly are in the Golden Age of nice sounding cheap guitars. Just grabbed a used PRS SE Santana today for about your 400 Euro price, used but mint with bag. Killer sounding and playing instrument, probably better than my Gibson PAF hollow body, still in disbelief.
Can’t lose with Yamaha guitars
Nice transition from the chromatic section of the hey joe solo to purple haze. Sincerely, A jimi fan and player.
Awesome video. Love that you deal with budget guitars like these. Your playing alone is worth a view. Sadly, I already bot a Harley Benton Strat which you hated. But it was very cheap to buy so I am not out much and it is pretty! I definitely will be checking you out much more and very glad I found you on here. Thanks so much for your efforts here - it is much appreciated !!! I will check out that Indio now too !! Cheers !!
Cheers!
I own a HB 35 in black , so glad you included it , I love mine .
If you got a low low low budget, I bought a Donner stratocaster, same range as the indio. Totally enjoy it as a first guitar and you can have a set where it comes with a gig bag, little practice amp, a tuner, a strap. It cost me 209$ CAD ... 150$ USD
I've been meaning to check out a Donner.
Elmo. Laddie. I simply must tell you. I watch your videos because they're very well made, interesting and entertaining. But I must confess. The primary reason is that you are a spectacularly fantastic guitar player. What you do with clean tones (and the others) is phenomenal. Ineffable. Haste ye back, Elmo.
🍀 🎸 🍀
Thank you Anthony :)
You got some serious chops my friend 🤘
Cheers!
That miracle man intro is very hard to to learn and play correctly, you were leaps and bounds better than ive ever been able to play it lol ...Ive spent many frustrating evenings trying to play the miracle man intro and worse the solo in the middle my fingers dont move that fast ..great video loved it !!
The best budget guitar I've had,, which is still my travel axe, is the LTD(made by ESP) EC-10, it's a tank, with incredible pick-ups.
I have the Indio strat as well. After doing a setup and putting a new nut on the thing…. I love it. I’ve had guitars that cost way more that didn’t feel and play as nicely as my Indio. Thanks for the video. Great job. You earned yourself a new subscriber
Cheers!
I have an EART “strat” and a Jet Guitars “tele” both were around the €250-300 price and are both very very good guitars for the price.
Very playable with great necks stay in tune etc. I would recommend them both
I tried a Jet JS-400, I liked the spec, nice big frets, the layout of the controls and nicer neck joint but man... That thing must have been built by a blind person in the dark! The frets were awful, a bunch of finish issues, screw holes in the wrong place, Neck was slightly warped. I'm probably going to try out one of those Ibanez AZES line next and hope that it scratches the itch.
@@aliensliveinme
Wow man, I must have been lucky with mine, didn’t have any issues. Buzz on the low “E” string was sorted by graphite in the nut slots and a low action set up.
Nothing else.
@@johnnyhock Oh man I just have relly bad luck when it comes to these things.
In the last year I've ordered 4 guitars and returned 3 of them
1. Squier classic vibe tele with the worst finish I've seen in a long while, also whoever packed it decided that on top of the body was a good place to put some patch leads which chipped it loads
2. the replacement tele that has the worst cut nut I've encountered, it binds so badly that it can't stay in tune for more than a few seconds of playing (I didn't work this out until after the return window so it's getting a tusq XL at some point)
3. Chapman ML1 that was great but it was sold as new (and I paid new money for it from a reputable store here) that turned up with a ton of buckle rash on the back and dents in the fretboard (I am really sad about sending that back because it was the last one they had)
4. The Jet JS-400
at 50.000.000 Turkish Liras I felt a bit hurt, its exactly ₺580 which is ridiculous! Great video :)
I can recommend two more Harley Bentons: The Harley Benton Fusion T HH HT(Pro Series) does cost just 299EUR and comes with steel frets, locking tuners, coil split, GraphTech nut and feels incredible to play. This thing... could easily be double the price. There is also a variant with a 2 point tremolo instead of the hard tail bridge mine has. Again... this is an incredible one. Next: Harley Benton TE-52.. its a vintage style telecaster - very nice looking very good and is well built. It does cost just 159 EUR. I bought it as a modding platform but left it just as it is. I really was surprised by it. It has one downside: It is really quite heavy.
Yeah, I was surprised by heavy it was.
@@MrPolevaulter One thing that often is also forgotten... HB offers quite a few guitars for lefties. The Fusion T is perhaps one of the best deals for lefty players overall.
To me, the Pacifica is the best guitar in this video. I like it so much that I now own two of them. Not sure exactly what your price range is in dollars, but at $459 the Danelectro Stock 59 with it's amazing Lipstick pickups, is amazing.
Tickle me, Elmo. With your excellent guitar playing skills.
:D
I agree on the HB 550 is an excellent guitar no matter what the price.. Most people say it's a great guitar for the price.. No it's just a great guitar no matter the price. The 400 is their cheapy runs about 112 bucks USD, it's basswood body and it is not as good, not sure where it's built these days but it's not built at Cort in Indonesia like the 550's. I have around 20 guitars right now and I have some excellent Japanese made Ibanez guitars, I have a Fender Strat, Jackson soloist, Kramer Nightswan, and a handful of Indo made Ibanez Rg's and a Ibanez Jiva, an Epi 60's standard.. Reason I'm telling all this, is because well first I got my Epi 60s standard as a Xmas present from my daughter. I was blown away by how great it looked, felt and sounded. It quicky became my favorite single cut guitar in my collection. Then Thomann released the HB 550 plus EMG, they sold out within like a week, I happened to be lucky enough to get one that week. And not only is it my all time favorite single cut guitar in my collection, it's my top 3 guitar in my entire collection. And it's my second least expensive guitar in my collection, the least expensive guitar I have is the HB CST-24T which I got for like 210 bucks about 4 years ago. My HB 550 I can't say enough great things about it and I have zero bad things to say about it. First, I ordered it from Alaska, it arrived in 3 days from Germany. It came out of the box perfectly set up, no fret sprout or sharp ends, everything was perfect. And it looks amazing and the EMG Fat 55's that come in it are incredible.
New is nice , I prefer the used price , and the first scratch and dent are over. It’s sort of like buying a pre disastered house, what are the odds another ship will crash into my kitchen?
Some good points there; my HB ST-20 has no issues at all BUT it makes sense that QC at that price will be variable and it does make sense to either save up a bit more or buy second hand. For most everyone the sensible answer to "what guitar should I buy, I only have £75 to spend" will be "don't spend the only £75 you have on any guitar". Same with the cheaper HB single cut, the SC550-II is SOOOOO good and still cheaper than anything that isn't a HB means you should probably ignore the cheaper ones and get the 550 as a forever guitar. It's SO GOOD.
Cheers!
How is it possible that HB can make such a guitar and make a profit...and the musicstore make a profit...and shipping it from china. Anyways..found your channel today and really enjoyed your presentations...i subscribed
Thanks! It's because they use no middle men. It goes straight to Thomann. They also don't advertise, which saves them a lot of money.
for any beginners out there a good starting guitar that's pretty decent is the ESP LTD f-10 it is one of the nicest feeling guitars and it fits on your leg perfectly it won't dig into your leg and it has great tone
Harley Benton's are great guitars if you upgrade the electronics and put in the neck work. Solid heavy bodies and decent necks. I bought the 77 dollar one and put about 100 bucks into it and it's a beast. Also glarry if you want an extremely lightweight axe. I know this isn't that type of video but if you're a DIY type of player like I am you can have a guitar that sounds and plays like a thousand bucks for like 250 and little bit of work! I put together a glarry super strat that rivals any brand of guitar! My buddy wanted to trade me his RG for my glarry super strat! That says it all right there! Lol. I said no.
I gotta say Cort has came a long way since the 80’s! Until watching this, I probably wouldn’t have given. Great information! Thanks. Harley Benton I’d never heard of, which could be because I’m in the states.
G & L Tribute series. The best guitars at the price.
I purchased the Indio Classic in black and you are right... it's an amazing guitar for the price. Thanks.
I agree with you on the price to value of the Monoprice Indio model. I got their Modern Classic T-style for $89 and after some fret end dressing and a proper setup, it plays and sounds really good. Much better than an Epiphone Les Paul Jr I bought back in 2006 for $99. I'd like to try some Harley Bentons, but live in the HB desert called the USA.
I live in Texas and have bought 3 Harley Bentons. They ship to the USA. I think the shipping was $60. I ordered two at a time and they came in one box. $30 shipping per guitar.
Channeling your inner Jeff Beck, and Gary Moore.
You won me over.
Subscribed !
Cheers!
Ive got the ‘avoid #1’ actually love mine! Did a minor set up check - dropped action dropped pickups but raised poll pieces - i think this f’in rocks! Editing as i should have added, mine is a b stock. £108 - way way better than an epiphone LP that i had!
Cool bananas :)
Just got mine, frets are super nice. Love the feel of the satin neck, kind of fast and easy. For €123 brand new.....do not expect something great, but it is damn good. As Elmo always says....ever guitar is an individual....you can spend €2.000 and get something that plays much worse, or something cheap that is suprisngly good (not great come on, the price) and keeps you playing.
The start of this video clip was absolutely in a class of it's own😂😂. Thanks for the review. 😀👌. How about doing a review of the Vintage V6 Thomas Blug - model..? I've listened to some clips of it and to me it sounds actually very good. It'd be good for the community (me!) to hear a pro's comments on that.
Thanks! Maybe at some point.
I have 2 Monoprice/Indio Les Paul style guitars. Yes, I upgraded the pickups in both. But, I didn't have to. It was purely for looks and what I wanted to do with both. The Tobacco Burst Monoprice, I turned into a replica of Ace Frehley's Les Paul he had from 1974-1978 - the same one used on "KISS Alive!". The Goldtop Indio I turned into a Tom Scholz (Boston) guitar by putting on a pair of open-coil Dimarzio clones. They both sound close to EXACT to the guitars I modeled them after (when I put them on my Guitar Rig 5 presets I made for each band). And they play GREAT!
Cool!
Have you tried the GROTE 335 hollow body and Telecaster copies? I love them both. The natural finish 335 was $200 delivered. The Telecaster was $75 second hand. I was blown away by the quality right out of the box. The GROTE Les Paul however was a POS and was returned the next day. Check them out. You will be amazed at the look, sound and feel of them.
I haven't. Not yet at least. Seem to be hard to find in Europe.
Kind of surprised you missed the Squier contemporary series. ~ 350 EUR with roasted maple neck, belly cut and contoured heel with the new SQR pickups. Nobody on UA-cam is making above average videos on this series. Quite a shame really.
Just haven't gotten around to them. So much gear, so little time.
The sound of the Squier Bullet Telecaster is absolutely shocking. I think it's mostly because of your skill, it sounded absolutely amazing.
I think the word you were most often searching for is “shit”
You’re welcome.
Haha :D
To me cheap/ budget guitar is anything under £200. I think that as dedicated musician you have got a different perspective on value of a guitar for the casual player.
Still enjoy your videos and your awesome play style.
These are the eight greats! Not to be confused with the seven perkeles, oh boy don't get me started with the six that stink... Thomann could send his legal team, fronted by Attorney Pauly!:-7
I bought the Knoxville T-style guitar from Gear4Music, at 113.70 Euros and its neck is beautiful with no fret sprout. I did have to do a truss-rod adjustment--a quarter turn to the left--after a year, but that is about it. The one I got has a solid alder body, and it is a very heavy guitar, but otherwise it is one of my favorites.
Great video. Very informative
Glad you liked it
Wow !!
I think your Cutlass was a late Friday afternoon product for sure. All the Sterling's I have owned and tried were beautiful guitars. It's a shocker that they shipped one of that standard but the issues you mention could be overcome.
Turds can be polished, although for your money, you shouldn't have to.
Great video.
Yeah I got my cutlass two years ago and it was perfect when it came in
I have mostly budget guitars with upgraded wiring and pickups, and they're great, in most of them the pickups are worth as much, or maybe more than the guitars themselves
Sound wise out of all the guitars you played the HB 335 was the best sounding of all of them. It really growled!
Proof that tones in the hands.
Heyo, can someo recommend a great beginner guitar with a budget amp. i wanna start playing the guitar and don't know what to choose!
Daaaaang ... Yngwie and Angus on the Cort? *AWESOME!*
I spy……an upside down Boss SD1.
Good video. People need to use their ears and not eyes (and brand labels) to judge gear.
Yep. And yep, it is upside down. I put two Boss pedals upside down to see when someone noticed. You're the second one. I have a bunch of videos done, so they'll be that way for a while.
@@MrPolevaulter I saw another one but couldn’t tell what it was for sure. Looked like a Boss Heavy Metal pedal
Can never go wrong with cort or yamaha
Elmo, I kinda disagree with you on the Sterling CTS 50. I thought it was a good guitar. The setup on mine was great! The frets where ok. The only thing since, I have larger hands, the neck could be a bit larger for me just a personal taste for me. Overall I thought it was a great budget guitar for $279 when I purchased it.
Because this is not the CT50, it is the CT30.
Yeah, I had the CT30. Besides they're all individuals anyway.
@@raudoyveloz oh ok, thanks for the correction.
@@MrPolevaulter Elmo, have you tried any of the IYV guitars?
Ibenez RG450EXB is a decent choice for under $400. I bought this guitar a few years ago when I started playing it was my second electric guitar. I still play and love this guitar!! It’s has Floyd rose style tremolo.
Great playing and a very honest review as Always. Thanks for this video. I've got a Classic Vibe strat and a Indio telecaster and I am very happy with both... What do you think about Cort CR200? Do you think they might be similar to a Harley Benton SC-550? Greetings and thanks again!
I have a Cort CR-200 and I love it!
Haven't tried the CR200.
The sc 550 2 has been the best purchase of my young guitar journey so far.
That is awesome that you picked the Monoprice Indio as the best. I've got mine about 6 1/2 years ago for $70. It was perfect when I got it much better than the used SG that I got from my local guitar shop that I paid twice as much for. The Idyllwid acoustic guitars are really good as well. I have one of those and I just bought another one to donate to my local conservatory of music. $70 shipped is hard to beat. Great content. Love your vids. Keep up the great work.
Cheers!
Great summary and good to mention the Avoid ones. A constant problem for reviewers that have to buy online to obtain samples to try out, odds are higher of getting a dud online, compared to in store where the retailers won't put a dud on the rack or risk their reputation. It's why we watch a bunch of reviews on the same guitar. So long as the reviewers are authentic. I count EJK as authentic. And I count Darrell as authentic too, he buys many of the guitars he reviews, and states if he got it from someone.
Yeah, I like him too.
GREAT REVIEWS AND DEMOS
YOU REALLY ROCK AS WELL
The way you speak reminds me of Paul David's.Great video! Always cool to see the potential within instruments on a budget.
Thanks!
Schecter is an underrated guitar value winner. Take it on stage and no complaints.
Note the talented player can make a soup can sound delicious.
Pacifica sounds the best to me by a long way in this video
I think the squire clasic vibe series
are the BEST budget Fenders on the market!
Well it is a good review indeed but instead of 8 good guitars we have only 4 which are squier, harley benton, yamaha and cort because it is only the models that differ
You play killer man! Nice vid
Cheers!
Hi. Great video and content. Thanks.
And thank you :)
I have 8 harley bentons...not gonna stop there
Ok i have the Harley Benton TE-52 which is an amazing guitar.
But
I also have the Harley Benton st-20, amd it was a good guitar, but now i upgraded the tremolo block with a original fender vintage one, guyker locking tuners, nut etc, and now its a BEAST.
Cool!
The difference in the sound of those pups between the Cort strat copy and the squier tele!!! Not even close at all. Those squier pups are outstanding!
Hi Elmo, do you Luke this Laney micro amp that stands behind you? Or ís it just for decoration? :-)
For under 400€ probably ceahpest Chapman ML1 would fit. I guess so. It is amazing piece of wood ;)
Didn't like it much. Probably going to donate it somewhere.