Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have several guitars. The one I play most is my Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Sounds awesome, plays awesome, and it's light weight with a durable finish. Plus the frets and setup were excellent out of the box.
Sure, once you invest time and money in the guitar. You put time and money into anything, it will be better. The entire concept of budget line guitars is affordability for the common person who decides they want to play, or a beginner.. The common person, or beginner starting out with a guitar, not only won't have the money, but won't even know what or how to upgrade. They also won't know the difference between a great guitar, and what they have. It's great you want to customize and mod budget guitars, but beginners, and advanced guitarist, won't be joining your party anytime soon. And they aren't going to want to listen to what you've convinced yourself. It's just as good to you, and you alone. Subjective is the word of the day.
@user-ke9dv4qi1f - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Congratulations. This video title caught me like a Louisiana catfish. It’s good to meet you. You’re my kind of people. So far. I might as well get to it. I buy budget guitars. I’m watching a lot of videos about disassembly, assembly, and the odd things that come up during those. I’ve taken the video tours through a PRS factory, a Gibson factory, and two full video tours of watching an electric and an acoustic being made from blanks. On top of all that, I know for a fact that you are absolutely doing people a favor. I’m staying in the budget guitar realm for all the reasons you outlined and more. I’m a happy man. But I hope the right people do watch your video. It could add years to their lives. Nothing cuts a life short like blowing your time and finances on a doomed enterprise. Nothing but weeds. Perspective and context suffer the major casualties of the day. It’s good there are people like you to flag down the planes without pilots. Good job, American! I hope you won’t mind, but I’m about to subscribe just to see if you’re as cool as you seem to be. Thank you.
Thanks so much. I appreciate the encouragement. I must confess up front that I am probably not as cool as I seem to be (smile). Feel free to subscribe. Rock on!
I agree. I used to buy budget guitars and mod the heck out of them! With mods costing as much as I paid for the budget guitar! Now, I just save my money and get the top of the line guitar I want.
The boom of decent budget guitars over the last decade or so has allowed me to learn to work on guitars. I now have several budget guitars that I modded and I enjoy them more than the $1000 Gretsch that I own. There's something to be said about working on your own instrument and learning to mod it and set it up to your preference.
@@sahamal_savu - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account), I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Most of my high end guitars stay out of sight and rarely played but I have acquired more than a few inexpensive guitars that never see a case get played weekly that are my pride and joy
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. I get it. My "real" Fender lived in a case in the closet while my budget model was my everyday knock around rig. Rock on!
This is a pretty nice advice! I personally love modifying things, enjoy doing the adjustments, analyzing what is wrong and how I can fix it. Nice video!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I bought a PRS SE McCarty 594 Standard and setup was perfect. Just a smidge relief in the neck, nut cut well, medium low action, no buzzes, good strings, frets smooth and no sharp fret ends. But, I agree with you that most guitars need a setup. BTW, I also bought a PRS S2 Singlecut about 6 years ago and it was great right out of the box.
@@its_Kris - Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Unicorns exist. Glad you found some. Of course, at that price point, I am certainly glad that a guitar lived up to your expectations. Rock on!
I grew up in a family music business. My mom did the books and appointments, and learned some skills from her father, a fine furniture and industrial pattern maker. My dad was a terrific musician and photographer, understood setups, but had little patience with tools. So maybe it was pre-ordained that I would become his tech. Totally agree with your take on cheap guitars, especially since a $90 instrument with $300 worth of parts in it, is still mired down around $75-$100 when it comes to resale…
I learned a long time ago, from my Dad, you don’t buy a tool for its resale value, you buy it for its durability and ease of self repair. By this logic, anyone who is buying a tool with its resale value in mind, is not buying a tool, they are buying a collectible to use as a tool
@steverolfeca - What blessing to have had such a great family experience and the joy of serving your dad as his tech. That is fantastic. Wish I had a small shop like that in my area. I love to support local business. Rock on!
I started buying budget guitars a couple of years ago. I have about 20 of them now, and I finally just bought a 60th Anniversary Fender Strat...Got a great deal. I have been learning how to do set ups using all of these, I have one frankenstrat that I got with a mismatched "Mitchell" neck...for $10 (yes, ten), I swapped it with a mighty mite neck...it's one of the BEST playing guitars i have all in under $200 ...I LOVE IT
working on a guitar by choice is always a great day. my favorite thing anymore. i just subscribed as well. i have a "channel" too and i like to do videos but im to shy or something and i never do it enough. thanks for sharing man. the moment where you alk about taking a moment and breathing and taking your time. i get excited sometimes when i get new pickups or a guitar and im in this hudge rush. one time i even noticed i was shaking a little. i must have anxiety or something and my high blood pressure doesnt mix well. i dont know but it was really cool to hear someone else goes thru there own version of what i go thru when i get excited. i did the same when building my subwoofer speaker boxes back in the day. i stayed up almost all night building one before lol.
I get what you are saying, but I still purchased a cheapo/budget Monoprice Strat for $70.00 US for one simple reason. I used it to practice modifications and setup on. That way if I mess it up it's not a big deal. Better to learn on something I can afford to lose rather than on a much more expensive guitar. Plus, the cheap one has a lot more work that needs to be done than the new Fender Player 2 i purchased today.
Thanks for the comment. I certainly don't see anything wrong with buying a budget guitar to learning how to do modifications. In fact, that's what this channel is about, my journey with budget guitar projects and all I am learning along the way. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars Mine developed severe Fret Sprout after several months. It's going to be like filing down Dracula's Fangs to get them under control. It will give me a lot of practice fixing that.
@@cee128d - "Lot's of practice" is a good perspective to have. Guitars are mostly wood, metal, and electronics. Wood expands and contracts due to climate conditions. Seasonal sprouting is somewhat common. The good news is... if you file down the frets when the wood is contracted they won't grow back. So you won't have to do it again unless the wood contracts even more which can only be caused by climate issues.
Honestly the more expensive the guitar I owned the more problems I've had to fix. Always fret issues or nut problems. Fender literally turned me into a fret leveling master with their terrible fret jobs but I've gotten some amazing deals on guitars that need repair now that I can fix everything properly and suggest you learn as well if you're a guitar junky. It's really not that difficult.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account), I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars Yeah it started for me when i purchased an EART Strat I bought on amazon and realized this guitar at $169(at the time) with stainless steel frets, bone nut, roasted maple compound radiused neck smokes my American Fender. I stoppped caring what name is on the headstock after that although I will admit there is a nostalgia some of these classic instruments bring out that a budget guitar doesn't for me. Good luck with the channel bud
I was born and raised in Washington DC, and I own, at least 3 dozen guitars 🎸 mostly Fender Stratacaster, Gibson, and PRS. I lived in Oxon Hill Maryland for my first 38 years and out here in Beautiful Beaumont California for the past 35 years.❤ go Dodgers. ❤ !!!
@@raymondsmithson4211 - Thanks for Go the comment, sharing part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. We watch the Dodgers a lot in the late evenings. Go Dodgers! Rock on!
I have that SAME blanket (I know they're mass produced). I bought mine in 2000 at Sturgis SD at the motorcycle rally from a roadside vendor for $5. I also use it to Kay my guitars on when I work on them! 😊
A Prius will get you to work, to church and to the store. Would you prefer a Prius with cool paint, fender flares and tinted glass, or a stock BMW? I had fun modding the snot out of a Rogue Classic fretless bass. Paid $99. (MSRP $199.) Swapped pickups for name brands, sanded the fingerboard, sanded the neck, replaced and rewired the pots, added a Kluson high mass bridge and snazzy knobs. Mostly, I just wanted to try out a fretless bass, and this was cheap. After all that, here she sits. My musician friends and I say it looks hot, and it even plays fairly well. We frown and say it's worth about $400 now, but who would buy a Rogue bass for $400? I could strip the parts back off, I guess. End of the story: The Rogue satisfied my curiosity about fretless enough for me to jump on an opportunity to buy a US-made Carvin LB20, neck-through, solid Koa mahogany in a Carvin hardshell case. (And maybe a Peavey Foundation FL, too). I don't "drive the Prius", but it looks cool sitting there. Perhaps it's just ostentatious and conspicuous consumerism, but I can't hear the mocking when I speed off with the Beemer.
@@armchairzen - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I can see the argument for both sides. On the one hand, budget guitars can be a great bargain and perform as well as it better than their more expensive name brand counterparts with a few mods. However, sometimes mods can become just as pricey as buying a name brand model with hardware and electronics that wouldn’t need to be swapped. You always have to consider the amount you will be investing vs the cost of a ready to rock more expensive guitar. For someone like me, budget guitars are perfect as I know how to set up and do most of the work I would need to do on guitars for the most part.
I bought a DIY kit to learn how to assemble- a tele no solder kit.UA-cam channels like 2bikemike's have helped me take on things I never thought I would. A well set up guitar makes playing way more fun. I started my electric guita rhobby at aged 60 in December of 2020. 4 years in, I'm still having a blast watching videos and playing. Beats doing chores 24/7! New sub.
It's all subjective, really. I completely agree with the premise of your video. People are too quick to dismiss alternative approaches and ways of thinking or motivations. The feeling of setting up a Squier Bullet strat with new hardware to play and sound like a Mexican strat (Don't have a US for comparison) is joyous to me. I'm never going to be Eddie Van Halen or Tosin Abasi, but that feeling of joy creating the sounds and feels from an instrument has value to me. I also own a couple of Mexican Fenders and love them as instruments and they have the upside of resell value.
@@richardsmith9615 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have a few guitars in the $1500-$1800 range and a few in the $200-$700 range. I find value in both groups. I have a few guitars that could easily be sold, and some that I would never sell. Know what? They come from both groups. I have been purchasing tools from various companies to do all the work myself because I, like you, find pleasure in using my own hands to make things my own. Someday, when I'm retired, I'll buy a kit and make something unique. I might not like the outcome, but the journey will be memorable.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. I am actually working on a kit currently. Rock on!
As a kid I learned about Joni Mitchell and her alternative tunings, and Brian May building his own guitar so I realized there’s nothing a knowledgeable person can’t do to make the guitar an extension of their person. I just ordered a cheap guitar to learn how to mod on.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars You inspired me. My first grandson was born last month and my first granddaughter is due next week. I have guitars to make for my babies. No one else will think of it. It’s perfect.
@@vivelaresistance3239 - What a wonderful thing to say. Thank you. Enjoy the projects and those grandchildren. Perfection is never my goal (clearly). Have fun and Rock on!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@TedTalksGuitars It's bass for me and so being in a band is vital. I risked buying a Chinese 'Vox' Teardrop bass, covered in chrome, it looks and plays so well. Our guitarist loves the sound I'm getting. I gig it more than any of my six other basses.
The same computerized machines that carve, drill and route the wood are used in both cheap and expensive guitars. Pickup sound, paint and hardware type is a preference no matter what guitar. Cheaper guitars use more abundant and available wood to cut cost. The early Fenders were made of pine. Mexican, Chinese and Indonesian labor is a lot cheaper. Go figure. I personally don't have the money to own guitars with a vintage pedigree. I prefer to buy cheap ones too and set them up myself. I have plenty experience at it doing it in music stores for customers and friends as an employee. I've taken routers to 8,000 dollar Les Paul's to install a Floyd Rose vibrato system for customers. Fortunately none died on the operating table.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have bought around 30-35 guitars in the past year, some new and some used, some over $2,500, and several under $200, and many in between. It’s a hobby I enjoy and I can do some basic setup stuff, but I have more advanced work like pickups swaps, new nuts, etc. done by an experienced luthier. I recently bought a $119 Leo Jaymz and spent about $300 upgrading pickups, a bone nut, and making it a string through body. Another one I bought was an unbranded LP style from Brandon’s Custom Shop. Got it on sale for $160. Had to file sharp fret ends l, but otherwise it was fantastic out of the box. I like it so much that I had new pickups installed, locking tuners, new CTS pots/caps with push/pulls, a black toggle switch,a black Graphtech nut, and a black bridge and stop-bar. It looks and sounds amazing. Plays every bit as good as my Gibson LP’s. Sure I have about $500 in it and it’s resale value probably hasn’t changed much if at all, but I don’t plan to part with it. So for Epiphone money, I have a great guitar and it’s unique. Overall, though, I would say if you want a good guitar, buy a good used guitar or try to find a good deal on a new one. If you enjoy tinkering and modding budget guitars and don’t care about the money spent and perhaps lost on setups/upgrades, then go for it. It can be quite fun and addictive. Just gotta keep it in check. I’ll let you know when I figure out how. 😂
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. I am working on that keeping it in check thing (smile). Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I've had vintage Gibsons and Fenders (before they were "vintage") and have PRS guitars now, but no one complains about my tone when I show up with my Squier Sonic telecaster or Epiphone LP Jr.; in fact, quite rhe opposite. Neither of those required much work to be players.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
This is incredible! So many of your points really resonated with me! I love working on my guitars, and I may or may not always tape up my neck when I do fretwork. My main guitar right now is a glarry telecaster, that I've changed almost everything on. I get so many compliments on it, and they have no idea! I've only got about $150 total into it, but to me, it's priceless, because it's my handiwork, and I love playing it!Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
@lymanlipke - Thanks for the encouragement and comment. I too find incredible satisfaction and joy working on guitar projects. Guitars are wood, screws, some form of steel, and electronics. I wonder why so many folks get caught up in the name game. Nothing I do is prescriptive, just sharing my story. I am so glad to hear that it resonated with you. Great to share the journey with you. Rock on!
I bought a Jet JS 400 , put a Dimarzio Super Distortion at the bridge. Its roasted maple neck is a little more massive than a Fender Stratocaster. Since then the Fender has remained on the wall. The best instrument is the one which make you play . Not a brand .
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Indeed, "The best instrument is the one which makes you play" is the heartbeat of music. Rock that Jett Js 400!
I love taking trashed guitars and fixing them. I agree with you. Learn how to set up your guitar yourself, but only if you find the tinkering rewarding. I just ordered a 84 explorer husk for a resto mod build. Thinking of going white black pickguard. What's your favorite color explorer?
@@liamguitars - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. I don’t have a favorite color specific to an explorer, but as a boring old guy (smile) solid white or black for me. Or Battleship Gray if possible. Rock on!
It’s true, I bought a gretsch hollow body last year and I had to set it up, mostly action and truss rod. But I bought a contemporary telecaster that came from the fender warehouses this year and it needs no set up. Im going to keep collecting and see how they go. I have 6 right now and I want to set up a wall
Sage advice. I'd say that if one is gifting a budget Tele that has the Fender style socket output jack (not the football style), then I would change it for an Electrosocket type jack, as the stock jack mount has a tendency to get loose over time, and the lousy design make it difficult to keep it mounted securely on the guitar.
Thanks for the comment. I am keeping this jack for now as I think it would be easier for my granddaughter to pull the cord out. But will gladly replace it as needed down the road. Rock on!
I know from my own personal experience. I'm more into the budget guitars. They have taught me alot setting them up along with youtube videos . Good strings and set up makes a difference.
Thanks for the comment. I am as well. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@TedTalksGuitars my most expensive guitar in my collection of 10 would be my squier 60s classic vibe thinline I purchased in july.on sale 399.00. However my go to has been my censtar telecaster I bought in June for 199.00 . Couldn't be happier
@@txoutlaw73 - Man I have had my eye on the Censtar. During prine days they dropped down to $159. I could kick myself for not snagging one. I have seen a couple of vids on the relic models (I was looking at the white one - non relic). One of the things I have heard in those reviews is how heavy they are. Do you know how much yours weighs? If you don't mind me asking.
@TedTalksGuitars Roxanne that's her name she weighs around 7lbs. She is the soild white with the pearl pickguard. I had bought to mod but fell in love with her like she is . I'd definitely recommend one .
So true, so much is comin from you. We get caught up in looking at the brand, I've done it too. If the keys or pickups suck then replace them. I've had great luck with some budgets- a 100 epi jr that kicks,,a squire from Korea that has played for many people. The most I've paid is 800 for a near new amer strat. But yea I can work on them so it saves time and money.
I buy a lot of "budget" guitars and work on them also. I found that Wilkinson makes a pretty decent pickup. I have a Squire Tele I am redoing. I put a Hotrails in the bridge and a Wilkinson humbucker in the neck. I am in the process of getting another neck for it. I have a Volgoa Tele copy that is pretty good. The pickups are microphonic so I am going to replace them. I'm considering replacing the neck because the fretboard is some sort of byproduct. It's okay, but I love the rosewood. I have been using Billy Gibbons Rev Willy's Mexican Lottery strings. I got 7's on my guitars. Love them. I have a Epi LP special II that I replaced the pickups with Dimarzio super distortions with. I love messing with guitars. It is therapeutic.
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your guitar journey. I too find working on guitars relaxing and therapeutic. It is good for my soul. Rock on!
I'm generally a minimalist, but went through a ton of budget and mid-tier guitars (all with immediate or longer-term issues) until I finally decided to break the cycle and just buy a new @$3k Suhr (Classic S). Even after setting them up myself or having a luthier do it, there was always fret wear to contend with, or other issues. Don't have to worry about that with the Suhr (since it has stainless steel frets) and it comes set up well out of the box that should hold (given that Suhr let's their woods dry out before assembly). Bought a Yamaha Standard Plus S-style, as well, for $1350 (which also had stainless steel frets), which I liked a lot, but didn't like the way it felt ergonomically (giving me wrist pain), so I returned it, and tried the $2k Ibanez S-styles and Fender Ultras (both with SS frets, as well), but didn't like the side output jack on the Ibanez or pickups on the Fender. I"m a gigging and recording pro, so my main instrument(s) have to be consistent and reliable. It took months to bond with the Suhr and to really appreciate it, whereas with other guitars I buy the bond is earlier on and then then the instrument morphs with fret wear or because of weather/humidity changes.
Great video. Nice to see someone sharing the same attitude towards the low/mid budget guitars. I have the same situation, I just freaking enjoy tinkering with guitars, setting them up, fixing, replacing parts. And I have ot admit, such approach is really rewarding. Not only I spent less money to get similar results, but also understanding the instrument, how it works, how all the parts relate to each other make guitar a special instrument. Also as you say, this is relaxing. As a hint. Gotoh is top shelf, but Wilkinson allso makes compensated brass sadles which are slighly cheaper than Gotoh ;)
@mastahpoland - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds the journey valuable, I find it completely rewarding as you said. I have learned so much along the way. I have used the Wilkinson saddles in the past they are also very good. Great to share the journey with you. Rock on!
Budget guitars today are far better than they used to be back when I started playing in the late '70s. You can get a great beginner's guitar for about $200. Probably even less. I bought a Jay turser les paul custom copy for $275 and it played great right out of the box. I bought a brand new Kramer vanguard for $235 and it played awesome as well. There are a lot of low cost guitars out there that are like mine. I hear a lot of good things about Harley Benton, for example.
Thanks for the comment. No doubt the budget market is radically different these days. It's a great time to be a guitar player (or at least buyer - smile). Rock on!
@@tg9754 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Hey brother, you made a great video and loved your take on this. Don't knock your channel. A year and a half ago I had 100 subs and I just passed 10K yesterday. You will find your people. Keep going man. And...love the Orioles. I'm a Padres fan, but I loved Cal Ripken Jr., so the Orioles always have a spot in my heart. Keep jamming.
@mrelmoresmusiclab - Thanks for the encouragement. I am glad someone is watching. I always feel like I am talking to myself. You won't believe this but I watch SD a lot later in the evenings here. I enjoy watching Manny play. He was a bird at one point. I am sure you knew that. I can't imagine anyone not digging Cal. What a great player he was. Rock on! Go Padres!
I did all the work myself on my 1st budget axe a les Paul copy. Once I put on a new neck I started dialing in on how I played. Stings a bit high but it strengthened my fingers. I went through 3 different set up with pick ups I got a used evh. And it changed the sound to a more rich low end. Sadly it got swiped from a house burglary.
Just put a set of artec alnico 5 big poles in a partscaster after hearing your fojill relic guitar they sound great.thanks this proves the up side of modding budget guitars thanks! I also put a mustang tremolo and an out of phase switch that gives it some nice raunchy twang. Worth the trouble! Hey no time is wasted if it makes a child happy 👍☮️
@G.S.W.SewmesomeMusic - You must have read my mind. Just this evening I did just that... I had a set in the shop so figured my granddaughter is worth it.
Me again. Agree with your premise! Love mod'ing budget Teles (simple and fun and cheap to mod) ...their great bones are a gift. Both of my CV50s needed some fret work...one needed a new first fret. Whereas my two HB's came with perfect fret work...not a single high fret, nice edges, polished, etc...amazing feat given that or any price range. Love that shell pink you got there....my CS is that color...gorgeous. Sanding a neck....you're a braver man than me.
I did three budget guitars this week: a Squier Bullet Mustang ($70), Jazzmaster Mini ($80) and a Keith Urban Les Paul Special-ish thing ($50). They all had some high frets and the Mustang had sharp fret ends. I replaced the pickups in all of them with $20 sets of generic alnico 5 humbuckers. I’m still less than $100 each into them and they sound like “real” guitars.
Setups are expensive because they have to pay someone by the hour to do it. It was always assumed that the dealer would finish the setup at the shop but that was always hit or miss even back in the day.
Thanks for the comment. No doubt. I remember those days, well. Hit and miss indeed. I have learned to do the work myself so I can always get a refund if I don't like the repair job (smile).
The way I see it, you can get the guitar factory to pay a tech wage for 20 mins of his time and charge you over a grand for it at retail, or you can pay a tech 100 quid for 2-3 or more hours of his time and get a better result more specific to what you want. It's only the handwork on the setup that separates expensive guitars and it's not even guaranteed.
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I learned this lesson the hard way. Without the necessary tools, I could only go so far in making a budget guitar work for me. However, I feel that the lowest form of budget guitar to get would be either the Squier or Epiphone... one's I've had in the past. I've had Harley Benton, Glarry, and several others, and nearly all of them have had poorly fretted necks with high spots, poorly dressed frets, etc. Squiers have been the best budget guitars overall. Setup has been no problem, but it's the deeper work on frets that I don't have the tools or the reasonable space to work on them. Setup on its own is easy, it's the rest of the work that's a pain.
Thanks for the comment and sharing a part of your journey. Sadly, the last two Squire Classic Vibes (tele and strat) both needed fret work. I have the tools, the time, and enjoy the process so I did the work myself. I have had better luck with Epiphones in the past. Although some of those had issues I had to address. So, for me I can't see paying $450 for a "quality" Squire when I can get something better for much less with the same kind of work my Squires have required. That said, your point is spot on. If you don't have the tools, time, or enjoy working on guitars better to buy a more expensive guitar and pay to have someone do the work for you. Either way, Rock on! Thanks for hanging out.
@@TedTalksGuitars You have a thing about Classic Vibe fretwork. My Classic Vibe Jazzmaster had no high frets or sharp fret ends (exactly the same neck as a Classic Vibe Strat). But it did need a fret polish. Squiers need frets polishing. I was aiming to upgrade the pickups, but they are very good as they arrived, again just a little height adjustment. As near to a unicorn as they come.
@@stevenpape2021 - Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your story. Near unicorns are fantastic. I know that not every guitar is the same. Even guitars made in the same factory may vary in QC. If you found guitars that you dig, That's awesome. Rock on!
Like you say, "you do you" but I've known people to give up on guitar because it always sounded a little off to them, so they assumed that they just couldn't play. A little bit of attention to detail on the intonation would have changed that. Just a thought that came to mind when you spoke about not getting compensated saddles
@amyredford7158 - Appreciate the comment. In this case, I will buy compensated saddles if needed. If you have seen any other videos of mine I always put brass compensated saddles on my teles. They are very helpful. This guitar is intonated and holding true at the moment. Rock on!
Ive felt more then plenty of non budget priced guitars as in Gibson,Fender higher end Epiphone and Squier that have horrible fret work. That being said ive been very happy with a few budget priced guitar brands like IYV and Harley benton etc.etc that I purchased and the fretwork,fit and finish is very impressive. And its not a fluke as many other people as had the same experience.
God bless you. I enjoy this video so I liked and subscribed. I learned to set up my own guitar just because I have been playing for years and thought it may be interesting and fun to do, plus I save time and money doing it myself by not having to drive back and forth to the guitar tech every time I need an adjustment or wanting to experiment with different string gauges which can throw off the neckk do to tension and needs a small adjustment or so forth. If it is really involved and advanced stuff maybe I will bring to a tech but 90% of the stuff I can do and do myself.
@@jamesgretsch4894 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Can't disagree with anything you say. I would say in my humble opinion of making upgrading/spending more money on budget guitars ALL the work is about the neck. PCB switches and dime pots sound just fine, poly finishes would sound just fine with Joe Bonamassa, nothing you add or take away is going to make the slightest difference if the neck is bad. If you can't or won't work on the neck then buy a "better" guitar. And if you want to know what a better guitar is, make sure you can send an internet guitar back without breaking the bank, otherwise go to a shop. Go to a shop and play the neck. You said this effectively, just agreeing. I think PRS USA guitars are the top of the pile, nothing comes close.( Well maybe Japanese Yamaha Acoustics.) So work your way down, or up to, there. Thanks for your video's. Very enjoyable Ted.
Great video, sir! I've been playing for over 20 years, and I took the time to learn the basic setup stuff too - but I also have a mom & pop dealer near me that I've known for 10 years. I learned the basics so I don't have to keep bugging him all the time with little things, and he's talking about retiring soon and there's really nobody else near me to do it. I don't hate budget guitars, but I've had higher tier guitars so I've already tasted the better stuff and have a certain expectations. That and I'm 51, and I just don't want to mess with "deep dives," I just want to relax and play. And if it helps you out, you earned my subscription. Peace, and God bless.
@rockerbuck967 - Thanks for the comment and encouragement. Man, I would love to have a mom and pop shop near me. I would love to support local business. I know not everyone has an interest or time to spend on the budget journey. You do you. Rock on! Catch you down the road.
I found a nice Squier Sonic p bass with a nice dark board and smooth fret ends at a local shop for $180, but it took me trying 5+ to find the right one. Some of those basses had razor wire for fret ends so it was on to the next one lol. If you can try them out in person there are gems at every price point IMO.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Nice discussion. You don't tell us what to do. You talk around the subject. I love tinkering. I hate throwing good money after bad. I think 'Vintage' brand are solid at the money. I got a HB that was rubbish in all sorts of ways.
Thanks for the comment. It is not my place to tell anyone what to do or not with their guitars. My thoughts are rooted in sharing my journey and hopefully helping others as they consider budget guitars. I too like tinkering with guitars. A good project feeds my soul. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
The new budget epiphone korina v I bought a few weeks ago only needed a whole turn down of the bridge tumb screw to lower the action a little. The rest worth every euro cent
There is no greater joy for me than modding out a great cheap platform and making it a monster. Played a Firefly Tele for two years at shows and it is sweet; great for tossing about on stage while not fearing a 5k loss... LOL If the platform is solid you can only save money. Can't pay what they want for Gib's anymore. Own 1; the rest are el cheapo. LOL! Thanks man, enjoyed this! At the end of the day, you play whatcha got. LOL! CHEERS PLAYERS!
I have both Gibson and Fender models including a few vintage examples, I also have quite a few budget models that I have upgraded, I quite enjoy upgrading them and get some great tones from them. I don't consider my US guitars as sounding any better than my others, they just sound different, and I don't subscribe to the idea that vintage guitars sound better than contemporary models, IMO it is like The Emporer Wears No Clothes, it is a myth designed to maintain and ultimately increase the value of vintage guitars, and feed the ego of their owners.
Yo bro !! You’re all good ! Don’t worry about the trolls out there and their shit talking….. anyways, I’ve been buying and modding guitars for the last couple years so it’s fun to see guys like you doing the same thing and uploading videos on UA-cam. I learn a ton from all of you and it’s been a blast !!! Thanks and rock on !!
@TheUlesifah82 - Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TheUlesifah82 - Thanks for the recommendation. I have been eyeing those for a while. Need to clear the deck some before buying anything else for a bit. But I am always on the hunt.
@@TedTalksGuitars totally understand that! I’m limited out myself ! But yea definitely keep it on the radar , you won’t be disappointed. If I could have scored anything like what’s available these days when I was a teen……I prob would have never stopped playing lol. Awesome guitars everywhere these days …. Like those Larry Carlton’s …. Geezuz those are sweet as well
@@TheUlesifah82 - I feel you. That is a large part of the discussion that gets lost sometimes. When we talk about the "budget craze" what I am always comparing things to is the quality of budgets back in the day (which for me is 4 decades ago) and what a person can get in today's market for much less. I tell the story of my first budget in the late 80s, how much I paid in terms of today's currency, and what I can get today for half that. It's a great time to be a guitar player. Keep rocking!
Great video. I believe we are very like minded when it comes to being frugal. I approach new guitars from a slightly different angle personally. My most recent purchase was a $429 prs se ce24 satin model. Great electronics, great wiring, etc. My only real changes were locking guyker tuners ($38), a set of new ernie ball slinky strings ($7), and the time i spent doing a setup. Now i have a wonderful guitar i can put up against any guitar ive ever owned. And ive owned some real bangers. Could it use a better set of pickups? Always. But the stock ones are still VERY good. Thanks for the video showing how the mental approach to these is so important in the overall picture.
@Brykk - Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. I get a lot of people saying all you do is talk, but I think it's important and helpful to think through things and have a thoughtful approach. Glad it was affirming. Rock on!
Ha! Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
My thought exactly when I read the title and saw the amp. Not knocking the Katana. I have a 2-12 Katana in my amp arsenal. That being said, i have recently enjoyed modding inexpensive guitars. I have hi dollar guitars. Modding is my current enjoyment.
@@michaelbajorek1972 You see a lot of people on youtube with 100w Mesa heads, and... while incredible sounding amplifiers, I do wonder if these people have neighbours or family sick of the noise. For people such as myself who have both, Low wattage amps such as Blackstar HT's, Fender champ clones etc are optimal. I hear a lot of good things about Katana's and it has the upside of not needing to be gunned to get good tones out of it.
Watch the whole video. He’s saying mod projects aren’t a great idea for EVERYONE, like many suggest. For the average person, they aren’t going to know what to do about sharp fret ends or high frets, which the budget guitars can still be problematic with. Basically, what he’s saying is that if you’re going to mod budget guitars, do it right.
About 40 guitars later, two unicorns. My Nr1 for now a Ibanez superstrat it is well made but it needed new tuners a mild fret leveling and on better humbucker at the bridge, that is easy peacy compared to what I have encountered. I had hopes for my Nr2 a very good sounding Les Paul copy but It seems pheraps as them stud holes for the bridge are not drilled in right place as even a Nashville bridge struggles, actually that it travels back and forth where a ABR will get it in tune and then again not and there are none of them usual faults, a headake but I will solve it.
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your story. Sounds like the first unicorn is working out with no headaches. The second one sounds promising. That is awesome. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars My english is a bit lacking. Of all guitars there have only been two unicorns, that tells me something. Them two that I got for now are no unicorns but pretty good guitars as worth working on, work work and work.
@@stevepelham9010 - Thank you. I understand better now. Yes, I agree. Unicorns (guitars that are perfect and need no work) are very rare. Most guitars need some kind of setup work, some more than others, and perhaps fretwork and other issues. Thanks for sharing part of your story.
When I can now buy a budget guitar With locking tuners, stainless steel frets, mahogany body, bone nut etc. for under $300. I quit looking at the major brands years ago. I buy these budget guitars, mod them and they’re still a bargain. Fender, Gibson etc., have just gotten too overpriced in my opinion. Having a guitar with their name on the headstock, is no longer important to me. 🤷🏼♂️
Bought a Epiphone Casino project, 350$, 2012 Korea new pickups Lindy Fralin 200$ new pots and switch 25$ tailpiece 22$ truss rod cover 16$ pickup shims 20$ abr bushings 12$. Hopefully I'm done. And it isn't a copy
I save my money a little longer and get fenders or Gibsons. Also have a gretsch and an epiphone standard kit 1959 LP. Fact is all those are worth more now than when I bought them. I get paid to play better stuff. If you but a HB or FF right now that money is gone forever and you will still be spending to keep them playable.
@richardclark - Thanks for the comment. I get it and I have been there. I know not everyone digs it and it's all good. However, I have actually sold several models. It's a different market these days. Guitars are worth what people are willing to pay. That said, I am not trying to make money. You do you. Rock on!
With the price of pickups and parts these days there is no point modifying a Squier. Which will cost €500, then pickups are €150 and new hardware another €150 so that’s €800 which can buy a used Fender USA guitar or brand new Fender player. Both are superior to a Squier and will play and sound better.
If you don't know how to do it or simply don't have the time, the useful advice is not 'stop buying'. It's 'find yourself a guitar tech' and always add 100 bucks to the price you see advertised. ( Good video bro. )
I learned buying an expensive guitar doesn’t make me a better guitar player. I find bargains, I found a nice strat for $150 with high end pickups and babicz tremolo and it sounds like a $2,000 Fender and I play a lot better. My most expensive guitar costs $900 Dean MD24 and I actually play the $150 guitar most because it has good tone
Thanks for the comment and the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I’ve enjoyed learning to work on guitars, but I learned lots of lessons by buying the wrong guitars. Maybe we have to learn the hard way. It has to cost us, time, money, or hassle.
I don't fault anyone for buying whatever they want, providing they can afford it. But for me? I would never buy a $1500+ guitar. I bought a $700 2021 Tidepool Fender Player strat. I put a nicer set of "Scarred" Pickups in it, fully shielded the entire cavity and pickguard with copper foil (and grounded it), did a full fret polish and light leveling (as it came in pretty decent fret-wise) and serviced the tuners and replaced the tone cap and swapped the pickguard to black 3-ply. All and all, I paid $700 for the guitar, about $150 in upgrades, and spent about 2 hours cleaning and setting it up. I would put this $850 strat up against ANY $1500+ Fender strat any day. My buddy has a expensive Custom shop Fender, and even he prefers mine over his now that mine is finished. Again, if someone else wants to go out and get a Custom-Shop? I won't mock them or judge their choice. If you just want an "out-of-the-box" good guitar? By all mean, spend whatever you can justify. But I personally like to "tinker" and make a guitar MINE. And for that, you may as well go a bit cheaper and get an off brand / lower-cost starter (so long as the materials are fairly solid).
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. Appreciate your spirit of not finding fault with others choices. We need more of that in all areas of life, especially the guitar world. I remember when the world first saw Eddie's Frankenstein. Oh, the snobbery was real. Krammer? What's a Krammer? Didn't stop Eddie from being well, Eddie. Not that I am in anyway comparing anyone to Eddie. But he is a good example of doing what you dig. Like I always say, you do you man. What that is for you in this crazy guitar world. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
USA Fenders and Gibson guitars are great but White Trash Eddy Can't afford one I buy cheap guitars and modify them I personally like Hot pickups address the frets maybe change the pots and most likely the tuners but I've learned an I love doing it thanks for your video
The upper priced Epiphones seem like they may be good. Don't know. I'm 66 and started playing in the late 60's early 70's and was in the clubs buy 1978 as a young adult not quite 21 yet. I have never owned a Gibson. Luck y for me when I did go Gibson shopping in 79 I found a new player on the block in the back street music store. Not happy about what Gibson had to offer for the money so I tried a hand made Hamer Sunburst and loved it. Played Hamer USA all my life for the humbucker sounds. Fenders for single coils. I'm not opposed to owning a Gibson but if I can buy something as good or better for 3 or 400 less that's what i'm going to do. No brand loyalty aside of Hamer USA and you can't buy those new anymore and they are not cheap used. I have my best one left that I b ought in 1980. A Hamer standard which is equal to a Gibson Explorer. I kept that one. Number 0400 made of that body style and it's worth at least ten times what I paid for it new today. I like some of the budget guitars. think about buying them but I can work on them
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in budget guitars or the mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. I never know what will interest folks and what won't. But more than that I do hope the video is helpful to those considering budget guitars and modification.
I used to buy used budget guitars.... Pimp them and sell it again. That way I was able to buy a real expensive and good one. And ive learned a lot in that time. Now im able to do most by myself
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I like my cheaper guitars/basses, but the sweet spot fo me is squier classic vibe, mim mexico, schecter (they don't get as cheap as the lowest quality ltd stuff, seem to have more of a standard), some samicks, some epiphones, import gretsch, and yamahas Edit: and usa peaveys, saw a us peavey p bass for $189 used that sounds better than my fender p bass
Thanks for comment and for sharing a part of your journey. I have had some really good SCV and some MIMs strats and teles that were really good. Others required a lot of work. Go with what you dig. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment and question. Yes, technically all Epiphones are "budget" guitars in that they are not Gibsons. Gibson designed the line to offer a more affordable option to their market. Same is true for Fender and Squire. Not in anyway putting Epiphone or Squires down. Just saying that these days the price tag on those guitars, and the lack of QC has created the sub $200 budget guitar market, in my view. I am grateful for the budget line of sub $200 guitars. I have found some real diamonds in the rough. Don't give much thought to all that. You do you and rock that Epiphone SG Modern. Go with what sounds good to your ears, feels good in your hands, and calls you to play it.
I think a lot of that comes down to myths about guitar maintenance. For a long time I was scared to touch my truss rod for fear it might break my neck, despite that being insanely rare
@@Returnality - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds value (or the courage - to your point) in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your story, and hanging out on the channel. I have a Firefly (it's a long story well documented on the channel). After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears it is one of my favorite guitars. Rock on!
What really is a budget guitar? My collection is a 59' Epiphone Les Paul, Fender Player Tele and Strat and an Epiphone Dove and some view them as budget guitars but I love em and they are all stock. I met a guy yesterday that had a PRS, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender Strat, and 2 Martins and thats fine but I was like geez, wouldnt want to take those to any gig (I play bars) lol
@shayh.3556 - Thanks for the comment and question. In the context of my videos, what I mean by budget is under $400 (more specifically, sub $200 range). I feel you on not taking higher end guitars out much. My last Fender "American" Strat lived in the closet in a really nice hard shell case. I take sub $500 guitars when I have opportunity to gig. Also, I have nine grandchildren so having budget guitars in my study is a much safer (for them - smile) way to live my life. Rock on!
I bought a unicorn. 2023 am pro 2 telecaster. I have since messed with the neck relief, action, intonation, and string changes. That's it. The nut action is perfect from the factory. The frets are perfectly dressed with rolled fingerboard edges from the factory. The neck angle is perfect with no shims/no micro tilt. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this guitar. Not a thing. First ever unicorn guitar for me.
I know some guys who have 10, 15, 20 guitars. None of them satisfying. So they buy another and one more. Cheap, cause they already spent 4k on guitars.
Firefly uses ball end stainless frets, for years now. Was it from when they first launched the brand? There may be a high one, but you'll never get a sharp fret end from them now. I own 5 all are 2 years old or newer.
Thanks for the comment. I had no sharp fret ends on the Firefly I have. I did have to level several frets and level them. That is what I mean by fretwork. Rock on!
I'm a Martin guy, but I'm also a Sigma guy. I have never met a Sigma you couldn't gig with right away. Spend 200.00 on a good Knk mini. Plug and play. You don't hear sophisticated open harmonics at some noisy outdoor venue anyway. Sigma uses real bone. The necks are perfect, and they are tough as nails. You don't have to fuss over them.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget guitar or mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Actually the QC is so bad on most current Gibson and Fender that I own zero, most guitars in my collection are currently Firefly's, for the $$$ and features you can't touch them!
Where are you getting your guitars? I have several Gibsons and fenders. No quality problems at all. Sounds like another player just repeating the rote narrative.
@@richardclark. yeah guess I'm delusional and the 90's-20's Gibsons are awesome! 🤣 And for the record I had a 70's Gibson Les Paul Custom Black on Gold, look up how much those cost and it was an awesome guitar!
@@terryswallace I have Gibsons from almost all decades. I have never had any more quality issues with them than any other guitar. Cheap guitars have wayyy more issues. I'm sorry you have such bad luck.
@@richardclark.Yeah me too, even tried a 90's Epiphone Les Paul Custom as it reminded me of my Gibson. Horrible sounding pickups and fret issues, sold it immediately!
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your story, and hanging out on the channel. Sadly, that is a more common tale than it should be in my view. Rock on!
Thanks for making me laugh. That screwdriver is a long story (no pun intended, although funny). I bought it online and didn't realize how long it would be. I didn't send it back because I thought it was too comical not to keep it. Thanks for catching it.
Budget guitars these days are a dream compared to the 80's.
Some mods and properly set up, you could use it for stage work no probs.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have several guitars. The one I play most is my Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Sounds awesome, plays awesome, and it's light weight with a durable finish. Plus the frets and setup were excellent out of the box.
@@christopherguzzi1316 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
I love buying budget guitars and modding them to play and sound damn near and on occasion better then their name brand counter part.
Thanks for the comment. I have had that experience as well. Rock on!
They typically don't though.
Sure, once you invest time and money in the guitar. You put time and money into anything, it will be better. The entire concept of budget line guitars is affordability for the common person who decides they want to play, or a beginner.. The common person, or beginner starting out with a guitar, not only won't have the money, but won't even know what or how to upgrade. They also won't know the difference between a great guitar, and what they have. It's great you want to customize and mod budget guitars, but beginners, and advanced guitarist, won't be joining your party anytime soon. And they aren't going to want to listen to what you've convinced yourself. It's just as good to you, and you alone. Subjective is the word of the day.
@@dogmosatchmo - Thanks for the comment. Rock on!
@user-ke9dv4qi1f - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Congratulations. This video title caught me like a Louisiana catfish. It’s good to meet you. You’re my kind of people. So far. I might as well get to it. I buy budget guitars. I’m watching a lot of videos about disassembly, assembly, and the odd things that come up during those. I’ve taken the video tours through a PRS factory, a Gibson factory, and two full video tours of watching an electric and an acoustic being made from blanks. On top of all that, I know for a fact that you are absolutely doing people a favor. I’m staying in the budget guitar realm for all the reasons you outlined and more. I’m a happy man. But I hope the right people do watch your video. It could add years to their lives. Nothing cuts a life short like blowing your time and finances on a doomed enterprise. Nothing but weeds. Perspective and context suffer the major casualties of the day. It’s good there are people like you to flag down the planes without pilots. Good job, American! I hope you won’t mind, but I’m about to subscribe just to see if you’re as cool as you seem to be. Thank you.
Thanks so much. I appreciate the encouragement. I must confess up front that I am probably not as cool as I seem to be (smile). Feel free to subscribe. Rock on!
As someone who has only bought and learned to set up budget guitars, you are dead on man.
Thanks for the comment. Rock on!
Ditto. Testify!!
@@denny4471 - Can I get a witness?
I agree. I used to buy budget guitars and mod the heck out of them! With mods costing as much as I paid for the budget guitar! Now, I just save my money and get the top of the line guitar I want.
Thanks for the comment and part of your story. Rock on!
The boom of decent budget guitars over the last decade or so has allowed me to learn to work on guitars. I now have several budget guitars that I modded and I enjoy them more than the $1000 Gretsch that I own. There's something to be said about working on your own instrument and learning to mod it and set it up to your preference.
@@sahamal_savu - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account), I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Most of my high end guitars stay out of sight and rarely played but I have acquired more than a few inexpensive guitars that never see a case get played weekly that are my pride and joy
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. I get it. My "real" Fender lived in a case in the closet while my budget model was my everyday knock around rig. Rock on!
This is a pretty nice advice!
I personally love modifying things, enjoy doing the adjustments, analyzing what is wrong and how I can fix it.
Nice video!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I bought a PRS SE McCarty 594 Standard and setup was perfect. Just a smidge relief in the neck, nut cut well, medium low action, no buzzes, good strings, frets smooth and no sharp fret ends. But, I agree with you that most guitars need a setup. BTW, I also bought a PRS S2 Singlecut about 6 years ago and it was great right out of the box.
Thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you have had good experiences. Rock on!
My PRS S2 custom 24 was perfectly setup straight out of the box… We bought unicorns, apparently.
@@its_Kris - Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Unicorns exist. Glad you found some. Of course, at that price point, I am certainly glad that a guitar lived up to your expectations. Rock on!
I myself would rather have one good one than fifty bad ones.
@boco1951 - Thanks for the comment. Appreciate your point of view. Rock on!
I grew up in a family music business. My mom did the books and appointments, and learned some skills from her father, a fine furniture and industrial pattern maker. My dad was a terrific musician and photographer, understood setups, but had little patience with tools. So maybe it was pre-ordained that I would become his tech. Totally agree with your take on cheap guitars, especially since a $90 instrument with $300 worth of parts in it, is still mired down around $75-$100 when it comes to resale…
I learned a long time ago, from my Dad, you don’t buy a tool for its resale value, you buy it for its durability and ease of self repair. By this logic, anyone who is buying a tool with its resale value in mind, is not buying a tool, they are buying a collectible to use as a tool
@steverolfeca - What blessing to have had such a great family experience and the joy of serving your dad as his tech. That is fantastic. Wish I had a small shop like that in my area. I love to support local business. Rock on!
I started buying budget guitars a couple of years ago. I have about 20 of them now, and I finally just bought a 60th Anniversary Fender Strat...Got a great deal.
I have been learning how to do set ups using all of these, I have one frankenstrat that I got with a mismatched "Mitchell" neck...for $10 (yes, ten), I swapped it with a mighty mite neck...it's one of the BEST playing guitars i have all in under $200 ...I LOVE IT
working on a guitar by choice is always a great day. my favorite thing anymore. i just subscribed as well. i have a "channel" too and i like to do videos but im to shy or something and i never do it enough. thanks for sharing man.
the moment where you alk about taking a moment and breathing and taking your time. i get excited sometimes when i get new pickups or a guitar and im in this hudge rush. one time i even noticed i was shaking a little. i must have anxiety or something and my high blood pressure doesnt mix well. i dont know but it was really cool to hear someone else goes thru there own version of what i go thru when i get excited. i did the same when building my subwoofer speaker boxes back in the day. i stayed up almost all night building one before lol.
Thanks for the comment, hanging out on the channel, and the sub. Rock on!
I get what you are saying, but I still purchased a cheapo/budget Monoprice Strat for $70.00 US for one simple reason. I used it to practice modifications and setup on. That way if I mess it up it's not a big deal. Better to learn on something I can afford to lose rather than on a much more expensive guitar. Plus, the cheap one has a lot more work that needs to be done than the new Fender Player 2 i purchased today.
Thanks for the comment. I certainly don't see anything wrong with buying a budget guitar to learning how to do modifications. In fact, that's what this channel is about, my journey with budget guitar projects and all I am learning along the way. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars Mine developed severe Fret Sprout after several months. It's going to be like filing down Dracula's Fangs to get them under control. It will give me a lot of practice fixing that.
@@cee128d - "Lot's of practice" is a good perspective to have. Guitars are mostly wood, metal, and electronics. Wood expands and contracts due to climate conditions. Seasonal sprouting is somewhat common. The good news is... if you file down the frets when the wood is contracted they won't grow back. So you won't have to do it again unless the wood contracts even more which can only be caused by climate issues.
Honestly the more expensive the guitar I owned the more problems I've had to fix. Always fret issues or nut problems. Fender literally turned me into a fret leveling master with their terrible fret jobs but I've gotten some amazing deals on guitars that need repair now that I can fix everything properly and suggest you learn as well if you're a guitar junky. It's really not that difficult.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account), I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars Yeah it started for me when i purchased an EART Strat I bought on amazon and realized this guitar at $169(at the time) with stainless steel frets, bone nut, roasted maple compound radiused neck smokes my American Fender. I stoppped caring what name is on the headstock after that although I will admit there is a nostalgia some of these classic instruments bring out that a budget guitar doesn't for me. Good luck with the channel bud
@@Stratisfied22 - Thanks so much. Come back and hang out anytime. Rock on!
I was born and raised in Washington DC, and I own, at least 3 dozen guitars 🎸 mostly Fender Stratacaster, Gibson, and PRS. I lived in Oxon Hill Maryland for my first 38 years and out here in Beautiful Beaumont California for the past 35 years.❤ go Dodgers. ❤ !!!
@@raymondsmithson4211 - Thanks for Go the comment, sharing part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. We watch the Dodgers a lot in the late evenings. Go Dodgers! Rock on!
I have that SAME blanket (I know they're mass produced). I bought mine in 2000 at Sturgis SD at the motorcycle rally from a roadside vendor for $5. I also use it to Kay my guitars on when I work on them! 😊
Thanks for the comment an hanging out on the channel. I think I picked mine up in Mexico City a few years back.
A Prius will get you to work, to church and to the store. Would you prefer a Prius with cool paint, fender flares and tinted glass, or a stock BMW? I had fun modding the snot out of a Rogue Classic fretless bass. Paid $99. (MSRP $199.) Swapped pickups for name brands, sanded the fingerboard, sanded the neck, replaced and rewired the pots, added a Kluson high mass bridge and snazzy knobs. Mostly, I just wanted to try out a fretless bass, and this was cheap. After all that, here she sits. My musician friends and I say it looks hot, and it even plays fairly well. We frown and say it's worth about $400 now, but who would buy a Rogue bass for $400? I could strip the parts back off, I guess. End of the story: The Rogue satisfied my curiosity about fretless enough for me to jump on an opportunity to buy a US-made Carvin LB20, neck-through, solid Koa mahogany in a Carvin hardshell case. (And maybe a Peavey Foundation FL, too).
I don't "drive the Prius", but it looks cool sitting there. Perhaps it's just ostentatious and conspicuous consumerism, but I can't hear the mocking when I speed off with the Beemer.
@@armchairzen - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I can see the argument for both sides. On the one hand, budget guitars can be a great bargain and perform as well as it better than their more expensive name brand counterparts with a few mods. However, sometimes mods can become just as pricey as buying a name brand model with hardware and electronics that wouldn’t need to be swapped. You always have to consider the amount you will be investing vs the cost of a ready to rock more expensive guitar. For someone like me, budget guitars are perfect as I know how to set up and do most of the work I would need to do on guitars for the most part.
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Appreciate your thoughts. Rock on!
Excellent point
no matter what you buy it needs tweaking, unless it is custom
@@2000SkyView - Indeed. That has been my experience as well through the years.
I bought a DIY kit to learn how to assemble- a tele no solder kit.UA-cam channels like 2bikemike's have helped me take on things I never thought I would. A well set up guitar makes playing way more fun. I started my electric guita rhobby at aged 60 in December of 2020. 4 years in, I'm still having a blast watching videos and playing. Beats doing chores 24/7! New sub.
Thanks for sharing part of your journey. Mike is a great guy to watch for the technical stuff. Rock on!
It's all subjective, really. I completely agree with the premise of your video. People are too quick to dismiss alternative approaches and ways of thinking or motivations. The feeling of setting up a Squier Bullet strat with new hardware to play and sound like a Mexican strat (Don't have a US for comparison) is joyous to me. I'm never going to be Eddie Van Halen or Tosin Abasi, but that feeling of joy creating the sounds and feels from an instrument has value to me. I also own a couple of Mexican Fenders and love them as instruments and they have the upside of resell value.
@@richardsmith9615 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have a few guitars in the $1500-$1800 range and a few in the $200-$700 range. I find value in both groups. I have a few guitars that could easily be sold, and some that I would never sell. Know what? They come from both groups. I have been purchasing tools from various companies to do all the work myself because I, like you, find pleasure in using my own hands to make things my own. Someday, when I'm retired, I'll buy a kit and make something unique. I might not like the outcome, but the journey will be memorable.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. I am actually working on a kit currently. Rock on!
As a kid I learned about Joni Mitchell and her alternative tunings, and Brian May building his own guitar so I realized there’s nothing a knowledgeable person can’t do to make the guitar an extension of their person. I just ordered a cheap guitar to learn how to mod on.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars You inspired me. My first grandson was born last month and my first granddaughter is due next week. I have guitars to make for my babies. No one else will think of it. It’s perfect.
@@vivelaresistance3239 - What a wonderful thing to say. Thank you. Enjoy the projects and those grandchildren. Perfection is never my goal (clearly). Have fun and Rock on!
Budget guitars allowed me to get my hands on those I always wanted years ago. They are so close as to make little difference.
It's FUN!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@TedTalksGuitars It's bass for me and so being in a band is vital. I risked buying a Chinese 'Vox' Teardrop bass, covered in chrome, it looks and plays so well. Our guitarist loves the sound I'm getting. I gig it more than any of my six other basses.
@@martindoman7315 - Sweet. Thanks for sharing. Rock on!
The same computerized machines that carve, drill and route the wood are used in both cheap and expensive guitars. Pickup sound, paint and hardware type is a preference no matter what guitar. Cheaper guitars use more abundant and available wood to cut cost. The early Fenders were made of pine. Mexican, Chinese and Indonesian labor is a lot cheaper. Go figure. I personally don't have the money to own guitars with a vintage pedigree. I prefer to buy cheap ones too and set them up myself. I have plenty experience at it doing it in music stores for customers and friends as an employee. I've taken routers to 8,000 dollar Les Paul's to install a Floyd Rose vibrato system for customers. Fortunately none died on the operating table.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars 👍
When I could play, I loved glarry guitar finishes. I would change the electronics out and have gorgeous guitars
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I have bought around 30-35 guitars in the past year, some new and some used, some over $2,500, and several under $200, and many in between. It’s a hobby I enjoy and I can do some basic setup stuff, but I have more advanced work like pickups swaps, new nuts, etc. done by an experienced luthier. I recently bought a $119 Leo Jaymz and spent about $300 upgrading pickups, a bone nut, and making it a string through body. Another one I bought was an unbranded LP style from Brandon’s Custom Shop. Got it on sale for $160. Had to file sharp fret ends l, but otherwise it was fantastic out of the box. I like it so much that I had new pickups installed, locking tuners, new CTS pots/caps with push/pulls, a black toggle switch,a black Graphtech nut, and a black bridge and stop-bar. It looks and sounds amazing. Plays every bit as good as my Gibson LP’s. Sure I have about $500 in it and it’s resale value probably hasn’t changed much if at all, but I don’t plan to part with it. So for Epiphone money, I have a great guitar and it’s unique. Overall, though, I would say if you want a good guitar, buy a good used guitar or try to find a good deal on a new one. If you enjoy tinkering and modding budget guitars and don’t care about the money spent and perhaps lost on setups/upgrades, then go for it. It can be quite fun and addictive. Just gotta keep it in check. I’ll let you know when I figure out how. 😂
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. I am working on that keeping it in check thing (smile). Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I've had vintage Gibsons and Fenders (before they were "vintage") and have PRS guitars now, but no one complains about my tone when I show up with my Squier Sonic telecaster or Epiphone LP Jr.; in fact, quite rhe opposite. Neither of those required much work to be players.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
This is incredible! So many of your points really resonated with me! I love working on my guitars, and I may or may not always tape up my neck when I do fretwork. My main guitar right now is a glarry telecaster, that I've changed almost everything on. I get so many compliments on it, and they have no idea! I've only got about $150 total into it, but to me, it's priceless, because it's my handiwork, and I love playing it!Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
@lymanlipke - Thanks for the encouragement and comment. I too find incredible satisfaction and joy working on guitar projects. Guitars are wood, screws, some form of steel, and electronics. I wonder why so many folks get caught up in the name game. Nothing I do is prescriptive, just sharing my story. I am so glad to hear that it resonated with you. Great to share the journey with you. Rock on!
I bought a Jet JS 400 , put a Dimarzio Super Distortion at the bridge. Its roasted maple neck is a little more massive than a Fender Stratocaster. Since then the Fender has remained on the wall. The best instrument is the one which make you play . Not a brand .
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Indeed, "The best instrument is the one which makes you play" is the heartbeat of music. Rock that Jett Js 400!
I love taking trashed guitars and fixing them.
I agree with you. Learn how to set up your guitar yourself, but only if you find the tinkering rewarding.
I just ordered a 84 explorer husk for a resto mod build. Thinking of going white black pickguard. What's your favorite color explorer?
@@liamguitars - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul.
I don’t have a favorite color specific to an explorer, but as a boring old guy (smile) solid white or black for me. Or Battleship Gray if possible. Rock on!
It’s true, I bought a gretsch hollow body last year and I had to set it up, mostly action and truss rod. But I bought a contemporary telecaster that came from the fender warehouses this year and it needs no set up. Im going to keep collecting and see how they go. I have 6 right now and I want to set up a wall
@@InfinityHaul - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitarsthanks, I’ll be sure to share my thoughts and progress
@@InfinityHaul - Excellent!
Sage advice. I'd say that if one is gifting a budget Tele that has the Fender style socket output jack (not the football style), then I would change it for an Electrosocket type jack, as the stock jack mount has a tendency to get loose over time, and the lousy design make it difficult to keep it mounted securely on the guitar.
Thanks for the comment. I am keeping this jack for now as I think it would be easier for my granddaughter to pull the cord out. But will gladly replace it as needed down the road. Rock on!
I know from my own personal experience. I'm more into the budget guitars. They have taught me alot setting them up along with youtube videos . Good strings and set up makes a difference.
Thanks for the comment. I am as well. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@TedTalksGuitars my most expensive guitar in my collection of 10 would be my squier 60s classic vibe thinline I purchased in july.on sale 399.00. However my go to has been my censtar telecaster I bought in June for 199.00 . Couldn't be happier
@@txoutlaw73 - Man I have had my eye on the Censtar. During prine days they dropped down to $159. I could kick myself for not snagging one. I have seen a couple of vids on the relic models (I was looking at the white one - non relic). One of the things I have heard in those reviews is how heavy they are. Do you know how much yours weighs? If you don't mind me asking.
@TedTalksGuitars Roxanne that's her name she weighs around 7lbs. She is the soild white with the pearl pickguard. I had bought to mod but fell in love with her like she is . I'd definitely recommend one .
@@txoutlaw73 - Thanks, man. I appreciate info. Rock on!
So true, so much is comin from you. We get caught up in looking at the brand, I've done it too. If the keys or pickups suck then replace them. I've had great luck with some budgets- a 100 epi jr that kicks,,a squire from Korea that has played for many people. The most I've paid is 800 for a near new amer strat. But yea I can work on them so it saves time and money.
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Appreciate hearing part of your story. Rock on!
I buy a lot of "budget" guitars and work on them also. I found that Wilkinson makes a pretty decent pickup. I have a Squire Tele I am redoing. I put a Hotrails in the bridge and a Wilkinson humbucker in the neck. I am in the process of getting another neck for it. I have a Volgoa Tele copy that is pretty good. The pickups are microphonic so I am going to replace them. I'm considering replacing the neck because the fretboard is some sort of byproduct. It's okay, but I love the rosewood. I have been using Billy Gibbons Rev Willy's Mexican Lottery strings. I got 7's on my guitars. Love them. I have a Epi LP special II that I replaced the pickups with Dimarzio super distortions with. I love messing with guitars. It is therapeutic.
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your guitar journey. I too find working on guitars relaxing and therapeutic. It is good for my soul. Rock on!
I'm generally a minimalist, but went through a ton of budget and mid-tier guitars (all with immediate or longer-term issues) until I finally decided to break the cycle and just buy a new @$3k Suhr (Classic S). Even after setting them up myself or having a luthier do it, there was always fret wear to contend with, or other issues. Don't have to worry about that with the Suhr (since it has stainless steel frets) and it comes set up well out of the box that should hold (given that Suhr let's their woods dry out before assembly). Bought a Yamaha Standard Plus S-style, as well, for $1350 (which also had stainless steel frets), which I liked a lot, but didn't like the way it felt ergonomically (giving me wrist pain), so I returned it, and tried the $2k Ibanez S-styles and Fender Ultras (both with SS frets, as well), but didn't like the side output jack on the Ibanez or pickups on the Fender. I"m a gigging and recording pro, so my main instrument(s) have to be consistent and reliable. It took months to bond with the Suhr and to really appreciate it, whereas with other guitars I buy the bond is earlier on and then then the instrument morphs with fret wear or because of weather/humidity changes.
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your story. Rock on!
Great video. Nice to see someone sharing the same attitude towards the low/mid budget guitars.
I have the same situation, I just freaking enjoy tinkering with guitars, setting them up, fixing, replacing parts. And I have ot admit, such approach is really rewarding. Not only I spent less money to get similar results, but also understanding the instrument, how it works, how all the parts relate to each other make guitar a special instrument. Also as you say, this is relaxing.
As a hint. Gotoh is top shelf, but Wilkinson allso makes compensated brass sadles which are slighly cheaper than Gotoh ;)
@mastahpoland - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds the journey valuable, I find it completely rewarding as you said. I have learned so much along the way. I have used the Wilkinson saddles in the past they are also very good. Great to share the journey with you. Rock on!
Budget guitars today are far better than they used to be back when I started playing in the late '70s. You can get a great beginner's guitar for about $200. Probably even less. I bought a Jay turser les paul custom copy for $275 and it played great right out of the box. I bought a brand new Kramer vanguard for $235 and it played awesome as well. There are a lot of low cost guitars out there that are like mine. I hear a lot of good things about Harley Benton, for example.
Thanks for the comment. No doubt the budget market is radically different these days. It's a great time to be a guitar player (or at least buyer - smile). Rock on!
If you must buy budget, the older Peavey Predators are cheap, and absolutely fantastic.
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. I had a Peavey once. It was a good guitar as I recall. Rock on!
I appreciate your video. I'll be looking for more. Thank You!
@@tg9754 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Hey brother, you made a great video and loved your take on this. Don't knock your channel. A year and a half ago I had 100 subs and I just passed 10K yesterday. You will find your people. Keep going man. And...love the Orioles. I'm a Padres fan, but I loved Cal Ripken Jr., so the Orioles always have a spot in my heart. Keep jamming.
@mrelmoresmusiclab - Thanks for the encouragement. I am glad someone is watching. I always feel like I am talking to myself. You won't believe this but I watch SD a lot later in the evenings here. I enjoy watching Manny play. He was a bird at one point. I am sure you knew that. I can't imagine anyone not digging Cal. What a great player he was. Rock on! Go Padres!
I did all the work myself on my 1st budget axe a les Paul copy. Once I put on a new neck I started dialing in on how I played. Stings a bit high but it strengthened my fingers. I went through 3 different set up with pick ups I got a used evh. And it changed the sound to a more rich low end. Sadly it got swiped from a house burglary.
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your story, and hanging out on the channel. Sorry to hear about the theft. Dang. That hurts. Rock on!
Just put a set of artec alnico 5 big poles in a partscaster after hearing your fojill relic guitar they sound great.thanks this proves the up side of modding budget guitars thanks! I also put a mustang tremolo and an out of phase switch that gives it some nice raunchy twang. Worth the trouble! Hey no time is wasted if it makes a child happy 👍☮️
@G.S.W.SewmesomeMusic - You must have read my mind. Just this evening I did just that... I had a set in the shop so figured my granddaughter is worth it.
Me again. Agree with your premise! Love mod'ing budget Teles (simple and fun and cheap to mod) ...their great bones are a gift. Both of my CV50s needed some fret work...one needed a new first fret. Whereas my two HB's came with perfect fret work...not a single high fret, nice edges, polished, etc...amazing feat given that or any price range. Love that shell pink you got there....my CS is that color...gorgeous. Sanding a neck....you're a braver man than me.
Hey, again. As always thanks for sharing about your SVC and HB experience. Rock on!
I did three budget guitars this week: a Squier Bullet Mustang ($70), Jazzmaster Mini ($80) and a Keith Urban Les Paul Special-ish thing ($50). They all had some high frets and the Mustang had sharp fret ends. I replaced the pickups in all of them with $20 sets of generic alnico 5 humbuckers. I’m still less than $100 each into them and they sound like “real” guitars.
@APMTenants - Thanks for sharing part of your journey with us. Great to hear other stories of budget mods. Rock on!
Setups are expensive because they have to pay someone by the hour to do it. It was always assumed that the dealer would finish the setup at the shop but that was always hit or miss even back in the day.
Thanks for the comment. No doubt. I remember those days, well. Hit and miss indeed. I have learned to do the work myself so I can always get a refund if I don't like the repair job (smile).
I enjoy your videos man, thanks for the uploads and keep them coming!
Thanks for the comment, hanging out on the channel and for the encouragement. Glad the videos are enjoyable. Rock on!
The way I see it, you can get the guitar factory to pay a tech wage for 20 mins of his time and charge you over a grand for it at retail, or you can pay a tech 100 quid for 2-3 or more hours of his time and get a better result more specific to what you want. It's only the handwork on the setup that separates expensive guitars and it's not even guaranteed.
Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I learned this lesson the hard way. Without the necessary tools, I could only go so far in making a budget guitar work for me. However, I feel that the lowest form of budget guitar to get would be either the Squier or Epiphone... one's I've had in the past. I've had Harley Benton, Glarry, and several others, and nearly all of them have had poorly fretted necks with high spots, poorly dressed frets, etc. Squiers have been the best budget guitars overall. Setup has been no problem, but it's the deeper work on frets that I don't have the tools or the reasonable space to work on them. Setup on its own is easy, it's the rest of the work that's a pain.
Thanks for the comment and sharing a part of your journey. Sadly, the last two Squire Classic Vibes (tele and strat) both needed fret work. I have the tools, the time, and enjoy the process so I did the work myself. I have had better luck with Epiphones in the past. Although some of those had issues I had to address. So, for me I can't see paying $450 for a "quality" Squire when I can get something better for much less with the same kind of work my Squires have required. That said, your point is spot on. If you don't have the tools, time, or enjoy working on guitars better to buy a more expensive guitar and pay to have someone do the work for you. Either way, Rock on! Thanks for hanging out.
@@TedTalksGuitars You have a thing about Classic Vibe fretwork. My Classic Vibe Jazzmaster had no high frets or sharp fret ends (exactly the same neck as a Classic Vibe Strat). But it did need a fret polish. Squiers need frets polishing. I was aiming to upgrade the pickups, but they are very good as they arrived, again just a little height adjustment. As near to a unicorn as they come.
@@stevenpape2021 - Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your story. Near unicorns are fantastic. I know that not every guitar is the same. Even guitars made in the same factory may vary in QC. If you found guitars that you dig, That's awesome. Rock on!
Like you say, "you do you" but I've known people to give up on guitar because it always sounded a little off to them, so they assumed that they just couldn't play. A little bit of attention to detail on the intonation would have changed that.
Just a thought that came to mind when you spoke about not getting compensated saddles
@amyredford7158 - Appreciate the comment. In this case, I will buy compensated saddles if needed. If you have seen any other videos of mine I always put brass compensated saddles on my teles. They are very helpful. This guitar is intonated and holding true at the moment. Rock on!
Ive felt more then plenty of non budget priced guitars as in Gibson,Fender higher end Epiphone and Squier that have horrible fret work. That being said ive been very happy with a few budget priced guitar brands like IYV and Harley benton etc.etc that I purchased and the fretwork,fit and finish is very impressive. And its not a fluke as many other people as had the same experience.
@Eric-fb2wp - Thanks for the comment. I feel the same way. Rock on!
I've only ever had one Unicorn guitar, a made in Japan Tokai Les Paul - what a guitar.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your unicorn story. They are out there. Glad you snagged one. Rock on!
God bless you. I enjoy this video so I liked and subscribed. I learned to set up my own guitar just because I have been playing for years and thought it may be interesting and fun to do, plus I save time and money doing it myself by not having to drive back and forth to the guitar tech every time I need an adjustment or wanting to experiment with different string gauges which can throw off the neckk do to tension and needs a small adjustment or so forth. If it is really involved and advanced stuff maybe I will bring to a tech but 90% of the stuff I can do and do myself.
@@jamesgretsch4894 - Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Can't disagree with anything you say. I would say in my humble opinion of making upgrading/spending more money on budget guitars ALL the work is about the neck. PCB switches and dime pots sound just fine, poly finishes would sound just fine with Joe Bonamassa, nothing you add or take away is going to make the slightest difference if the neck is bad. If you can't or won't work on the neck then buy a "better" guitar. And if you want to know what a better guitar is, make sure you can send an internet guitar back without breaking the bank, otherwise go to a shop. Go to a shop and play the neck.
You said this effectively, just agreeing. I think PRS USA guitars are the top of the pile, nothing comes close.( Well maybe Japanese Yamaha Acoustics.)
So work your way down, or up to, there.
Thanks for your video's. Very enjoyable Ted.
@@robert-wr6md - Thanks for the comments and encouragement on the video. Rock in!
Great video, sir! I've been playing for over 20 years, and I took the time to learn the basic setup stuff too - but I also have a mom & pop dealer near me that I've known for 10 years. I learned the basics so I don't have to keep bugging him all the time with little things, and he's talking about retiring soon and there's really nobody else near me to do it. I don't hate budget guitars, but I've had higher tier guitars so I've already tasted the better stuff and have a certain expectations. That and I'm 51, and I just don't want to mess with "deep dives," I just want to relax and play. And if it helps you out, you earned my subscription. Peace, and God bless.
@rockerbuck967 - Thanks for the comment and encouragement. Man, I would love to have a mom and pop shop near me. I would love to support local business. I know not everyone has an interest or time to spend on the budget journey. You do you. Rock on! Catch you down the road.
I found a nice Squier Sonic p bass with a nice dark board and smooth fret ends at a local shop for $180, but it took me trying 5+ to find the right one. Some of those basses had razor wire for fret ends so it was on to the next one lol. If you can try them out in person there are gems at every price point IMO.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Only 3 guitars over €800. All the others are in the €150-250 area and with a polish, setup and in some cases pickups. Love fiddling with cheap guitars
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
Nice discussion. You don't tell us what to do. You talk around the subject. I love tinkering. I hate throwing good money after bad. I think 'Vintage' brand are solid at the money. I got a HB that was rubbish in all sorts of ways.
Thanks for the comment. It is not my place to tell anyone what to do or not with their guitars. My thoughts are rooted in sharing my journey and hopefully helping others as they consider budget guitars. I too like tinkering with guitars. A good project feeds my soul. Rock on!
Well, the man is right. I always thought that well setup guitar > just expensive
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
The new budget epiphone korina v I bought a few weeks ago only needed a whole turn down of the bridge tumb screw to lower the action a little. The rest worth every euro cent
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
There is no greater joy for me than modding out a great cheap platform and making it a monster. Played a Firefly Tele for two years at shows and it is sweet; great for tossing about on stage while not fearing a 5k loss... LOL If the platform is solid you can only save money. Can't pay what they want for Gib's anymore. Own 1; the rest are el cheapo. LOL! Thanks man, enjoyed this! At the end of the day, you play whatcha got. LOL! CHEERS PLAYERS!
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
For the neck you might want to consider polymerized tung oil. Highline Guitars has a great tutorial on using Polymerized tung oil.
I have both Gibson and Fender models including a few vintage examples, I also have quite a few budget models that I have upgraded, I quite enjoy upgrading them and get some great tones from them.
I don't consider my US guitars as sounding any better than my others, they just sound different, and I don't subscribe to the idea that vintage guitars sound better than contemporary models, IMO it is like The Emporer Wears No Clothes, it is a myth designed to maintain and ultimately increase the value of vintage guitars, and feed the ego of their owners.
Thanks for the comment. Ego has come up a few times in the posts of others. You might be on to something. Rock on!
Been there and done that. I'm through with it.
Thanks for the comment. Rock on!
Yo bro !! You’re all good ! Don’t worry about the trolls out there and their shit talking….. anyways, I’ve been buying and modding guitars for the last couple years so it’s fun to see guys like you doing the same thing and uploading videos on UA-cam. I learn a ton from all of you and it’s been a blast !!! Thanks and rock on !!
@TheUlesifah82 - Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars check out the Jet guitars! Best budget guitars out there by far ! I’ve got 2 of the Strats and a tele , they’re insanely nice !
@@TheUlesifah82 - Thanks for the recommendation. I have been eyeing those for a while. Need to clear the deck some before buying anything else for a bit. But I am always on the hunt.
@@TedTalksGuitars totally understand that! I’m limited out myself ! But yea definitely keep it on the radar , you won’t be disappointed. If I could have scored anything like what’s available these days when I was a teen……I prob would have never stopped playing lol. Awesome guitars everywhere these days …. Like those Larry Carlton’s …. Geezuz those are sweet as well
@@TheUlesifah82 - I feel you. That is a large part of the discussion that gets lost sometimes. When we talk about the "budget craze" what I am always comparing things to is the quality of budgets back in the day (which for me is 4 decades ago) and what a person can get in today's market for much less. I tell the story of my first budget in the late 80s, how much I paid in terms of today's currency, and what I can get today for half that. It's a great time to be a guitar player. Keep rocking!
Great video. I believe we are very like minded when it comes to being frugal. I approach new guitars from a slightly different angle personally.
My most recent purchase was a $429 prs se ce24 satin model. Great electronics, great wiring, etc. My only real changes were locking guyker tuners ($38), a set of new ernie ball slinky strings ($7), and the time i spent doing a setup. Now i have a wonderful guitar i can put up against any guitar ive ever owned. And ive owned some real bangers. Could it use a better set of pickups? Always. But the stock ones are still VERY good.
Thanks for the video showing how the mental approach to these is so important in the overall picture.
@Brykk - Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey. I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul.
I get a lot of people saying all you do is talk, but I think it's important and helpful to think through things and have a thoughtful approach. Glad it was affirming. Rock on!
Budget guitars are the new gold
Ha! Thanks for the comment and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Looks like you should stop buying the budget amps too.
My thought exactly when I read the title and saw the amp. Not knocking the Katana. I have a 2-12 Katana in my amp arsenal. That being said, i have recently enjoyed modding inexpensive guitars. I have hi dollar guitars. Modding is my current enjoyment.
@@michaelbajorek1972 You see a lot of people on youtube with 100w Mesa heads, and... while incredible sounding amplifiers, I do wonder if these people have neighbours or family sick of the noise. For people such as myself who have both, Low wattage amps such as Blackstar HT's, Fender champ clones etc are optimal. I hear a lot of good things about Katana's and it has the upside of not needing to be gunned to get good tones out of it.
Watch the whole video. He’s saying mod projects aren’t a great idea for EVERYONE, like many suggest. For the average person, they aren’t going to know what to do about sharp fret ends or high frets, which the budget guitars can still be problematic with. Basically, what he’s saying is that if you’re going to mod budget guitars, do it right.
About 40 guitars later, two unicorns. My Nr1 for now a Ibanez superstrat it is well made but it needed new tuners a mild fret leveling and on better humbucker at the bridge, that is easy peacy compared to what I have encountered.
I had hopes for my Nr2 a very good sounding Les Paul copy but It seems pheraps as them stud holes for the bridge are not drilled in right place as even a Nashville bridge struggles, actually that it travels back and forth where a ABR will get it in tune and then again not and there are none of them usual faults, a headake but I will solve it.
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your story. Sounds like the first unicorn is working out with no headaches. The second one sounds promising. That is awesome. Rock on!
@@TedTalksGuitars My english is a bit lacking. Of all guitars there have only been two unicorns, that tells me something. Them two that I got for now are no unicorns but pretty good guitars as worth working on, work work and work.
@@stevepelham9010 - Thank you. I understand better now. Yes, I agree. Unicorns (guitars that are perfect and need no work) are very rare. Most guitars need some kind of setup work, some more than others, and perhaps fretwork and other issues. Thanks for sharing part of your story.
When I can now buy a budget guitar
With locking tuners, stainless steel frets, mahogany body, bone nut etc. for under $300.
I quit looking at the major brands years ago.
I buy these budget guitars, mod them and they’re still a bargain.
Fender, Gibson etc., have just gotten too overpriced in my opinion.
Having a guitar with their name on the headstock, is no longer important to me. 🤷🏼♂️
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your guitar journey. Rock on!
I put $400 into a $50 amazon guitar. It shreads.
Thanks for the comment sharing part of your journey. Rock on!
You've convinced me. Thanks for the thoughtful video.
@@williamneillgross3926 - Thanks for the comment. Rock on!
Bought a Epiphone Casino project, 350$, 2012 Korea new pickups Lindy Fralin 200$ new pots and switch 25$ tailpiece 22$ truss rod cover 16$ pickup shims 20$ abr bushings 12$. Hopefully I'm done. And it isn't a copy
Thanks for sharing part of your journey. Rock on!
I save my money a little longer and get fenders or Gibsons. Also have a gretsch and an epiphone standard kit 1959 LP. Fact is all those are worth more now than when I bought them. I get paid to play better stuff. If you but a HB or FF right now that money is gone forever and you will still be spending to keep them playable.
@richardclark - Thanks for the comment. I get it and I have been there. I know not everyone digs it and it's all good. However, I have actually sold several models. It's a different market these days. Guitars are worth what people are willing to pay. That said, I am not trying to make money. You do you. Rock on!
With the price of pickups and parts these days there is no point modifying a Squier. Which will cost €500, then pickups are €150 and new hardware another €150 so that’s €800 which can buy a used Fender USA guitar or brand new Fender player. Both are superior to a Squier and will play and sound better.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Rock on!
If you don't know how to do it or simply don't have the time, the useful advice is not 'stop buying'. It's 'find yourself a guitar tech' and always add 100 bucks to the price you see advertised. ( Good video bro. )
Or learn it yourself, that's what I've done and I've helped others who overpaid for guitars that still needed a lot of work.
Thanks, man. Appreciate your point of view. You do you. Rock on!
I learned buying an expensive guitar doesn’t make me a better guitar player. I find bargains, I found a nice strat for $150 with high end pickups and babicz tremolo and it sounds like a $2,000 Fender and I play a lot better. My most expensive guitar costs $900 Dean MD24 and I actually play the $150 guitar most because it has good tone
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. Rock on!
Good job, Ted. Keep at it, mate!
Thanks for the comment and the encouragement. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I’ve enjoyed learning to work on guitars, but I learned lots of lessons by buying the wrong guitars. Maybe we have to learn the hard way. It has to cost us, time, money, or hassle.
I don't fault anyone for buying whatever they want, providing they can afford it. But for me? I would never buy a $1500+ guitar. I bought a $700 2021 Tidepool Fender Player strat. I put a nicer set of "Scarred" Pickups in it, fully shielded the entire cavity and pickguard with copper foil (and grounded it), did a full fret polish and light leveling (as it came in pretty decent fret-wise) and serviced the tuners and replaced the tone cap and swapped the pickguard to black 3-ply.
All and all, I paid $700 for the guitar, about $150 in upgrades, and spent about 2 hours cleaning and setting it up.
I would put this $850 strat up against ANY $1500+ Fender strat any day. My buddy has a expensive Custom shop Fender, and even he prefers mine over his now that mine is finished.
Again, if someone else wants to go out and get a Custom-Shop? I won't mock them or judge their choice. If you just want an "out-of-the-box" good guitar? By all mean, spend whatever you can justify. But I personally like to "tinker" and make a guitar MINE. And for that, you may as well go a bit cheaper and get an off brand / lower-cost starter (so long as the materials are fairly solid).
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. Appreciate your spirit of not finding fault with others choices. We need more of that in all areas of life, especially the guitar world. I remember when the world first saw Eddie's Frankenstein. Oh, the snobbery was real. Krammer? What's a Krammer? Didn't stop Eddie from being well, Eddie. Not that I am in anyway comparing anyone to Eddie. But he is a good example of doing what you dig. Like I always say, you do you man. What that is for you in this crazy guitar world.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
USA Fenders and Gibson guitars are great but
White Trash Eddy
Can't afford one
I buy cheap guitars and modify them I personally like Hot pickups address the frets maybe change the pots and most likely the tuners but I've learned an I love doing it thanks for your video
Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. I too love working on guitars and the satisfaction of playing a guitar I worked on. Rock on!
The upper priced Epiphones seem like they may be good. Don't know. I'm 66 and started playing in the late 60's early 70's and was in the clubs buy 1978 as a young adult not quite 21 yet. I have never owned a Gibson. Luck y for me when I did go Gibson shopping in 79 I found a new player on the block in the back street music store. Not happy about what Gibson had to offer for the money so I tried a hand made Hamer Sunburst and loved it. Played Hamer USA all my life for the humbucker sounds. Fenders for single coils. I'm not opposed to owning a Gibson but if I can buy something as good or better for 3 or 400 less that's what i'm going to do. No brand loyalty aside of Hamer USA and you can't buy those new anymore and they are not cheap used. I have my best one left that I b ought in 1980. A Hamer standard which is equal to a Gibson Explorer. I kept that one. Number 0400 made of that body style and it's worth at least ten times what I paid for it new today. I like some of the budget guitars. think about buying them but I can work on them
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in budget guitars or the mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Great title and good thumb nail. I think it is catching the algorithm
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. I never know what will interest folks and what won't. But more than that I do hope the video is helpful to those considering budget guitars and modification.
I used to buy used budget guitars.... Pimp them and sell it again. That way I was able to buy a real expensive and good one. And ive learned a lot in that time. Now im able to do most by myself
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel. Although not everyone finds value in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
I like my cheaper guitars/basses, but the sweet spot fo me is squier classic vibe, mim mexico, schecter (they don't get as cheap as the lowest quality ltd stuff, seem to have more of a standard), some samicks, some epiphones, import gretsch, and yamahas
Edit: and usa peaveys, saw a us peavey p bass for $189 used that sounds better than my fender p bass
Thanks for comment and for sharing a part of your journey. I have had some really good SCV and some MIMs strats and teles that were really good. Others required a lot of work. Go with what you dig. Rock on!
Is Epiphone SG Modern a budget guitar? I’ve been using one for about 5 years and it’s awesome! As good as, if not better than Gibsons that I have.
Thanks for the comment and question. Yes, technically all Epiphones are "budget" guitars in that they are not Gibsons. Gibson designed the line to offer a more affordable option to their market. Same is true for Fender and Squire. Not in anyway putting Epiphone or Squires down. Just saying that these days the price tag on those guitars, and the lack of QC has created the sub $200 budget guitar market, in my view. I am grateful for the budget line of sub $200 guitars. I have found some real diamonds in the rough. Don't give much thought to all that. You do you and rock that Epiphone SG Modern. Go with what sounds good to your ears, feels good in your hands, and calls you to play it.
It blows my mind how people pay money for someone to turn some screws on their guitar and change strings.
Thanks for the comment. I personally think every guitar player should learn how to do there own set up. Rock on!
I think a lot of that comes down to myths about guitar maintenance. For a long time I was scared to touch my truss rod for fear it might break my neck, despite that being insanely rare
@@Returnality - Thanks for the comment. Although not everyone finds value (or the courage - to your point) in the budget mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Same with car maintenance, when you’re keeping up with multiple things, sometimes it’s easier to offload them.
I’ve bought four Flyfly guitars
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your story, and hanging out on the channel. I have a Firefly (it's a long story well documented on the channel). After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears it is one of my favorite guitars. Rock on!
What really is a budget guitar? My collection is a 59' Epiphone Les Paul, Fender Player Tele and Strat and an Epiphone Dove and some view them as budget guitars but I love em and they are all stock. I met a guy yesterday that had a PRS, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender Strat, and 2 Martins and thats fine but I was like geez, wouldnt want to take those to any gig (I play bars) lol
@shayh.3556 - Thanks for the comment and question. In the context of my videos, what I mean by budget is under $400 (more specifically, sub $200 range). I feel you on not taking higher end guitars out much. My last Fender "American" Strat lived in the closet in a really nice hard shell case.
I take sub $500 guitars when I have opportunity to gig. Also, I have nine grandchildren so having budget guitars in my study is a much safer (for them - smile) way to live my life. Rock on!
I bought a unicorn. 2023 am pro 2 telecaster.
I have since messed with the neck relief, action, intonation, and string changes.
That's it.
The nut action is perfect from the factory. The frets are perfectly dressed with rolled fingerboard edges from the factory. The neck angle is perfect with no shims/no micro tilt.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this guitar. Not a thing.
First ever unicorn guitar for me.
Thanks for the comment and for sharing part of your story. Unicorns are out there. Glad you snagged one. Rock on!
I know some guys who have 10, 15, 20 guitars. None of them satisfying. So they buy another and one more. Cheap, cause they already spent 4k on guitars.
Thanks for the comment. I guess if folk want to drop their cash to have that many guitars good for them. Rock on!
Firefly uses ball end stainless frets, for years now. Was it from when they first launched the brand? There may be a high one, but you'll never get a sharp fret end from them now. I own 5 all are 2 years old or newer.
Thanks for the comment. I had no sharp fret ends on the Firefly I have. I did have to level several frets and level them. That is what I mean by fretwork. Rock on!
I'm a Martin guy, but I'm also a Sigma guy. I have never met a Sigma you couldn't gig with right away. Spend 200.00 on a good Knk mini. Plug and play. You don't hear sophisticated open harmonics at some noisy outdoor venue anyway. Sigma uses real bone. The necks are perfect, and they are tough as nails. You don't have to fuss over them.
Thanks for the comment, sharing a part of your journey, and hanging out on the channel.
Although not everyone finds value in the budget guitar or mod journey (not that they have to do so on my account). I am totally digging it. I have learned so much along the way from some great folks on the Tubes. The satisfaction it brings me and the fun I have working on guitar projects is good for my soul. Rock on!
Actually the QC is so bad on most current Gibson and Fender that I own zero, most guitars in my collection are currently Firefly's, for the $$$ and features you can't touch them!
Where are you getting your guitars? I have several Gibsons and fenders. No quality problems at all. Sounds like another player just repeating the rote narrative.
@@richardclark. yeah guess I'm delusional and the 90's-20's Gibsons are awesome! 🤣 And for the record I had a 70's Gibson Les Paul Custom Black on Gold, look up how much those cost and it was an awesome guitar!
@@terryswallace I have Gibsons from almost all decades. I have never had any more quality issues with them than any other guitar. Cheap guitars have wayyy more issues. I'm sorry you have such bad luck.
@@richardclark.Yeah me too, even tried a 90's Epiphone Les Paul Custom as it reminded me of my Gibson. Horrible sounding pickups and fret issues, sold it immediately!
@terryswallace - Thanks for the comment and sharing part of your journey. Rock on!
Thanks for your time!
I bought a $2000 Fender and it still needed fret work.
Thanks for the comment, sharing part of your story, and hanging out on the channel. Sadly, that is a more common tale than it should be in my view. Rock on!
Ted at the hardware store
Hardware store guy - "Is this screwdriver long enough?"
Ted - "Nope"
Thanks for making me laugh. That screwdriver is a long story (no pun intended, although funny). I bought it online and didn't realize how long it would be. I didn't send it back because I thought it was too comical not to keep it. Thanks for catching it.