What is your favorite budget guitar?

[Scott Fraser]

The other is utility vs. value. It's entirely possible that with the right combination of luck & skill, you could take an ordinary, underwhelming Squier Guitar, and upgrade it to something approaching a real player's quality Instrument, within limits. OTOH, in terms of value, no one is going to look any further than the name on the headstock, so even if you've got $500 worth of parts in it, plus the value of your time and effort, it's still a $100-125 Squier, as afar as anyone else is concerned.

 

At which point it might be worthwhile, for resale purposes, to list it with terminology I'm seeing increasingly on Craigslist: Sell it as a Partscaster.

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've always wanted to customize a guitar myself. A squire seems to be a good choice for that. Not sure there is much I can do with a Tele other than pickups and tuners.

 

One issue with upgrading the various Squier models is that standard Fender parts, and after-market parts designed for Fender Guitars, won't necessarily fit into Squier Guitars. One issue is that the bodies aren't as deep as stock Fender, so if your go to replace the Trem system, the Sustain block is likely to stick out of the back of your guitar, and keep you from attaching the back plate. That's just one issue . . .

 

 

I haven"t looked lately, but I know some parts sellers are kind enough to distinguish between Squier and Fender compatible parts on their websites. WD Music was one I remember doing so.

https://www.wdmusic.com/

[Winston Psmith]

The other is utility vs. value. It's entirely possible that with the right combination of luck & skill, you could take an ordinary, underwhelming Squier Guitar, and upgrade it to something approaching a real player's quality Instrument, within limits. OTOH, in terms of value, no one is going to look any further than the name on the headstock, so even if you've got $500 worth of parts in it, plus the value of your time and effort, it's still a $100-125 Squier, as afar as anyone else is concerned.

 

At which point it might be worthwhile, for resale purposes, to list it with terminology I'm seeing increasingly on Craigslist: Sell it as a Partscaster.

 

Yes and No; it's too vague, and possibly misleading. A Guitar assembled entirely of high quality after-market parts from Warmoth would also qualify as a Partscaster. Clapton's "Blackie" was arguably a Partscaster. A Squier with some after-market parts is still, at the core, a Squier. No matter what you add to it, you can't improve the original chunk of wood that forms the body of the Guitar, and the body blanks they use for budget, entry-level Squiers can be pretty awful, with flaws and cracks that the plastic pick guards just manage to cover, in some cases.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I've always wanted to customize a guitar myself. A squire seems to be a good choice for that. Not sure there is much I can do with a Tele other than pickups and tuners.

 

There is a LOT you can do- IF you want to, IF you need to. In fact, there's pretty much EVERYTHING that you can do!

 

First, get a guitar that's the best that you can get, that suits you, your wants and needs.

 

As for customizing it, like Winston said:

 

One issue with upgrading the various Squier models is that standard Fender parts, and after-market parts designed for Fender Guitars, won't necessarily fit into Squier Guitars.

 

Just double check, and then re-check again, to be sure that various English/Standard and/or Metric parts will fit. Some guitars HAVE BOTH... Sometimes, it's not hard to fit and/or adapt; sometimes, it's impossible...

 

 

If you get a guitar that's the best that you can get, that suits you, your wants and needs, though- you may not need to change anything.

 

 

Now, one of the reasons that I have begun amassing ALL of the parts that I would need to build a custom Tele-style guitar- plus a lot of extras! - was that, no matter Tele-style guitar I considered, from the cheapest of the cheep and I do mean cheep, to the most expensive top-shelf at prices that I was NOT willing or able to pay, there was ALWAYS SOMETHING I'd really, really want to change. The neck shape (personally, I'm not too crazy about "V", "Soft V", others love 'em). The bridge. The pickups. The controls. The tuners. The fretboard radius. Frets. Always something.

 

That doesn't mean that any of those things were bad or wrong- jut wrong for me. And I'll admit to being SUPER fussy and picky there.

 

So I decided to start buying parts and learning all I could about how to put together the best Tele-style axe that best suited MY wants and needs.

 

 

So- start with the best Tele-style guitar that you can get, that you'll enjoy playing right out of the box. Some set-up work is almost certainly going to be necessary with ANY guitar- relief, action, intonation, all to address subjective and personal 'fit'. Maybe even a little final nut-slot filing, filing the edges of the frets along the side of the fretboard if the fret-tangs are exposed a bit due to wood expanding and contracting; or maybe not, though. 'Depends'. Depends partly on just how much of a perfectionist you want or need to be.

 

ANYWAYS- If you want a good Tele type for yourself in that price range, get a good used Fender or Squier Tele like the Fender 'Player' and Squier 'Classic Vibe '50s ' Telecasters that I put up links to earlier.

 

Put your favorite strings on it, and do a good final set-up on it.

 

Then just enjoy playing the Hell out of it!

 

 

Over time, if you find, say, that you wish it had different sounding pickups, or you have problems with hum and noise that get in the way, consider changing the pickups and/or electronics, and/or maybe adding shielding.

 

If the guitar came with a plastic nut (MANY DO), as long as it's done right, a good nut upgrade can make a difference. Conversely, a poorly filed nut, no matter what it's made from, can totally ruin the guitar's playability, tuning stability, intonation...

 

If you really want to replace the neck, you'll be able to find all kinds of replacement necks.

 

If the tuners really aren't up to snuff, it's easy to find excellent upgrades; easier to find, than to decide on, there are so many! Making sure they'll fit your headstock and its peg-holes with little or no modification...

 

 

You can get ANY replacement or upgrade part or modification for a Telecaster. They're second in that department only to the Stratocaster.

[KuruPrionz]

As promised above, here is my Tele - attached photo. The neck is a 1 3/4" Warmoth fatback, I put Jascar Super Jumbo frets in it and at one point it had a Floyd Rose nut (which explains the "string tree bar" near the nut). That was mid 80's, that neck has seen a LOT Of gigs. More recently, I turned the body that used to have that neck on it (one of a series of 3 bodies, two with Floyd whammy bars) into a baritone guitar so I had the neck laying around.

 

I found the body on eBay, that's a bookmatched walnut top on a pine body. It needed some work and had no finish so the walnut was sort of an uninteresting brownish gray color. I know walnut and how it can look when finished and I got it cheap ($45 plus tax and shipping). The pickups are EMG, there is a volume and an SPC - 3 way switch. The brass hardware was stuff one of the local guitar techs sold cheap when he needed cash.

 

I got the knobs off an old Packard Bell Hi Fi amp that I bought for the tubes at the thrift store. That's a Fishman Triple Play setup on there, easy to remove with no harm to the guitar.

 

I agree with Winston about the decal on the neck, that's one big reason I said changing the neck is the most important step. I also said it because Squier necks have cheap metal for the truss rod and nut, a crappy plastic nut, usually substandard tuners and a finish that just feels plasticky and cheap. I feel that a great neck is the essential component in a great guitar and Squier necks are not great necks in my opinion, they just don't feel great to me.

[RABid]

That is a nice looking guitar.

 

Did a search on Reverb for Fender Telecaster. Wow. 5,549 results. 158 in surf green. That's a lot of guitars for sell.

[Caevan O’Shite]

That is a nice looking guitar.

 

Did a search on Reverb for Fender Telecaster. Wow. 5,549 results. 158 in surf green. That's a lot of guitars for sell.

 

If you insist on Surf Green, a Fender Custom Color rarely seen on Telecasters in general, you're really narrowing down potential offerings and most of what you'll find will be quite a bit above your stated budget range- by $300, a grand, two grand...

 

Well, unless you go to the other end of the price-point spectrum, in which you'll find rather mediocre guitars, at best, maybe even pretty crappy ones; of a quality range that would probably have you eventually ultimately replacing EVERYTHING, including the neck and body, to get to a halfway-decent guitar, spending much more in the process than you would have buying a better Fender or Squier telecaster to begin with...

 

I found this one- well, in "Surf Pearl"- click here: Fender Player Series Telecaster Maple Fingerboard Limited Edition Electric Guitar Surf Pearl

[surfergirl]

Here is an option in surf green for $480.

 

https://www.fender.com/en-US/squier-electric-guitars/jaguar/classic-vibe-70s-jaguar/0374090557.html

[Dannyalcatraz]

Surf Green, you say?

 

I did a search for that color in your price range:

Surf Green guitars

 

 

Interestingly, I found a Fender Telecaster body:

https://reverb.com/item/42287139-fender-telecaster-body

 

With that, you could follow Caevan"s lead and build from the ground upâ¦

[KuruPrionz]

The other is utility vs. value. It's entirely possible that with the right combination of luck & skill, you could take an ordinary, underwhelming Squier Guitar, and upgrade it to something approaching a real player's quality Instrument, within limits. OTOH, in terms of value, no one is going to look any further than the name on the headstock, so even if you've got $500 worth of parts in it, plus the value of your time and effort, it's still a $100-125 Squier, as afar as anyone else is concerned.

 

At which point it might be worthwhile, for resale purposes, to list it with terminology I'm seeing increasingly on Craigslist: Sell it as a Partscaster.

 

Yes and No; it's too vague, and possibly misleading. A Guitar assembled entirely of high quality after-market parts from Warmoth would also qualify as a Partscaster. Clapton's "Blackie" was arguably a Partscaster. A Squier with some after-market parts is still, at the core, a Squier. No matter what you add to it, you can't improve the original chunk of wood that forms the body of the Guitar, and the body blanks they use for budget, entry-level Squiers can be pretty awful, with flaws and cracks that the plastic pick guards just manage to cover, in some cases.

 

 

The flip side of that is that often you can A: take the good parts back off and put the old Squier parts back on and sell it as a Squier. B: sell the fancy parts too, there is a market for those. Lots of hot-rodded Fenders out there.

I buy used and I look for good prices. Patience and it will pop up. That means I can often sell parts for what I paid or even more depending on the deal I got.

 

It's easy to lose money buying and selling guitars. It is also very easy to make money if one goes about it correctly.

I do remember a few years back I was working out a deal at a pawn shop, they would sell me all the guitars that they had taken in that were in disrepair and needed some love. I got 4 or 5 clunkers and then I pointed at a Tele on the wall that I could tell had a graphite neck and added it to the stash. In the context of helping to clear out their clutter, they sold me that Tele for $150 because they had no idea what they had. When I took the neck off at home, it was a Moses graphite.

 

That neck felt cold and somehow evil and I never took to it but I got $275 for it and never looked back. I put a different neck on the Tele and sold it too, did well on that one.

 

You do have to watch out these days too, that same pawn shop wanted to show me the beautiful Gibson Les Paul they'd taken in, gave the guy $750 for it. I knew right off the bat it was a fake, the headstock was spliced on like a classical guitar, at an angle. Something Gibson has never done and probably will never do. Another glance at the body and I saw the pickup ring mounting screws were not Gibson either. I asked them for a Phillips screwdriver, unscrewed the mount for the neck pickup and flipped it over - Epiphone. The flamed maple top was a thin veneer, not solid like a Gibson. I didn't want it, not sure what they did with it and I don't care.

 

Make sure it's real!!! There are tons of excellent looking Fender decals out there too.When in doubt, pass.

Another time a friend who collects was surfing eBay and spotted a 62 Jazzmaster that was supposed to be all original. I took a look at it, it was a refinish. Pro job but the clear lacquer was not yellowed and the color looked like a new guitar with no signs of aging. You might find a guitar from the 80's like that but not 60's. I told him take a hard pass on it and he did.

[RABid]

The neck is the hardest to explain and the most important part of the guitar for me. I have a really nice J series Ibanez with a neck that really bothers me. It is hard to explain. The back of the neck is velvety and dry feeling and for some reason really slows me down. It taught me that buying mail order is not the best move. It is worth $100 more to be able to try the guitar and make sure I enjoy playing it.

[Larryz]

+1 Caevan, I'm not too keen on the "V" or the "soft V" necks. The Clapton Strat has a soft V that feels good at first, but then it gets to my palm after about 45 minutes for some reason...

 

+1 RABid, I agree that necks are one of the most important parts of the guitar. I always say when you get one in your hand that feels good, don't let go of it...

 

[RABid]

Nice guitar KP. My main reason for wanting to upgrade a cheap Tele is the learning experience. I'd want to keep it simple. Tuning gears, pickup assembly, etc...

[KuruPrionz]

Nice guitar KP. My main reason for wanting to upgrade a cheap Tele is the learning experience. I'd want to keep it simple. Tuning gears, pickup assembly, etc...

 

 

Thanks RABid, I've built a few "screwdriver" guitars. It gets easier, I bet I could take a Strat completely apart and put it back together in less than 30 minutes, probably quite a bit less.

Nothing wrong with starting simple, but when the bug bites, you'll want to try more. This is good.

 

I'm all about the neck, that's where I put my money and that's what brings me joy when I play. I don't like hum or noise but any tone will work - I'll make it work.

We like to think we need "just these things and no others will do" to justify our purchases but it is not true.

 

I was in our Goodwill a while back and there was a tiny, crappy amp, a terrible guitar and a cord all bundled for $35. I was trying to think if I knew some kid that could get started with it, plugged it in and started playing while looking at the wall.

I turned around and 5 or 6 shoppers were all standing nearby, listening.

 

I left it there, I'm certain somebody got it and it has helped them on their musical journey. It wasn't bad for a piece of junk. I wouldn't want to gig with it but I could.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Nice guitar KP. My main reason for wanting to upgrade a cheap Tele is the learning experience. I'd want to keep it simple. Tuning gears, pickup assembly, etc...

 

Tuning gears...

 

If you need to upgrade tuners on the guitar you purchase (and again, I highly recommend buying a good quality USED guitar to start with), there are so many options available now it can make your head spin. I looked over A WHOLE LOT of tuners for myself.

 

A VERY IMPORTANT POINT CONCERNING TUNER REPLACEMENT: IF you need to enlarge tuner peg-holes in your headstock, even by a very tiny amount, use a hand reamer, DO NOT USE A DRILL!! There is a VERY likely possibility, pretty much a probability, that the drill-bit will catch, and at the very least make a misshapen, misaligned, deformed and raggedy-edged hole- or, much worse, crack or split the wood. EVEN IF YOU USE A DRILL PRESS, there's too much possibility for cracking, chipping, splitting. Use a hand reamer.

 

IF you need to chamfer or bevel the edges of a hole like that, particularly to clear away a little finish for a press-fit bushing to be more easily inserted, you can use a 45° counter-sink twirled by its shaft in your fingers to make a tiny bevel of a few thousandths of an inch; the bevel will be covered by the flange of the bushing. Stewart-MacDonald has one that is literally PERFECT for the job. You might not even need to do so, starting with a pre-made guitar where tuners had already been installed; but if you do, do it right, don't make headaches for yourself.

 

So...

 

If you want to go with locking tuners, and if said guitar's peg-hole diameter is the "vintage" sized 11/32", I can very enthusiastically recommend Kluson 6-In-Line Locking Revolution Series Tuners.

 

First- they have a 19:01 gear-ratio, higher than most (a VERY GOOD thing, easier to tune up to exactly the pitch you want without accidentally overshooting), and they're VERY SMOOTH and solid feeling; very high quality. I love 'em!

 

You can get them in vintage-y nickel, or chrome, or black; maybe even gold or others.

 

While being fairly 'modern' overall in design, they're styled to appear very in keeping with the vintage Kluson tuners that came on a lot of vintage guitars. If these had been made in the 1950's, they'd look A LOT like these do.

 

You can get "H Mount" with vintage-style press-in bushings OR with threaded screw-in bushings, or "F Mount" with a diagonal base to match what's on some Fenders (and maybe some Squiers).

 

Links:

 

Kluson 6-In-Line Locking Revolution Series H-Mount Non-Collared (Press-Fit Bushings) Tuners

 

Kluson 6-In-Line Locking Revolution Series H-Mount (Screw-In Bushings) Tuners

 

Kluson 6-In-Line Locking Revolution Series F-Mount (Later Fender Retrofit) Tuners

 

Kluson may have very similar tuners for other size peg-holes (and I know they also have these in 3 per side sets).

 

 

Another EXCELLENT option that's VERY high quality and VERY flexible in regard to what headstocks and peg-holes they'll fit would be Hipshot; they have metric versions, direct-fit for Fender versions, adapter-plate versions that make it really easy... Check 'em out. Made in the USA by really good people that I've known in person in real life.

 

 

...pickup assembly, etc...

 

I would highly, highly recommend Lindy Fralin, Lollar, and Kinman.

 

Fralin and Lollar are fantastic among 'regular' (and also not so regular) single-coil Tele pickups.

 

For passive "noiseless" (noise-canceling that don't require batteries), it's very hard to beat Kinman (Australia), and Lindy Fralin (US). Note that Fender has pretty much copied Kinman's ideas for noiseless pickups and "treble-bleed' circuits- that's how good his designs are.

 

...I've built a few "screwdriver" guitars. It gets easier, I bet I could take a Strat completely apart and put it back together in less than 30 minutes, probably quite a bit less.

 

You, me, and Forest Gump!

 

 

Nothing wrong with starting simple, but when the bug bites, you'll want to try more. This is good.

 

Indeed!

 

I'm all about the neck, that's where I put my money and that's what brings me joy when I play. I don't like hum or noise but any tone will work - I'll make it work.

We like to think we need "just these things and no others will do" to justify our purchases but it is not true.

 

Very much agreed on all counts.

 

I was in our Goodwill a while back and there was a tiny, crappy amp, a terrible guitar and a cord all bundled for $35. I was trying to think if I knew some kid that could get started with it, plugged it in and started playing while looking at the wall.

I turned around and 5 or 6 shoppers were all standing nearby, listening.

 

I left it there, I'm certain somebody got it and it has helped them on their musical journey. It wasn't bad for a piece of junk. I wouldn't want to gig with it but I could.

 

Good story! And the world made a little better place one little bit by your actions and positivity.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Adding to Caevan"s pickup list (and agreeing with his suggestions), I have loved the Vintage Vibe, Rio Grande, Lace, Railhammer, Bareknuckle and TV Jones pickups I"ve either bought or been around.

[KuruPrionz]

I will second Dannyalcatraz love of the TV Jones products. I just had Mr. Jones himself rewind a NOS Gretsch Supertron (most of it anyway) with a gold cover that I picked up along the way and was somehow 183 ohms (way too low!!!!).

It came back from TV Jones ready to install, with an authentically sized backplate and the correct lead wire. It is now an authentic 4.16 kohms. I haven't fired it up yet, it goes in a project I am working on. I'm familiar with the products, for me having TV Jones rewind that pickup was my only choice.

 

I also have the set of TV Jones Filtertron pickups, with the hum bucker sized mounting rings. They sound clear and chimey, always a joy. If you've owned a vintage Gretsch guitar (I've had 4 of them), there is nothing more authentic. In fact, Fender reserves the TV Jones pickups for the top of the line Gretsch (now owned by Fender) guitars that they make and only use the "Gretsch" pickups on less expensive models.

 

You have to do a bit of deep dive because they make so many different models but carefully chosen you can't go wrong with Seymour Duncan pickups either. The problem there is that they make so many different models it's easy to end up with something you don't prefer - I used to own an Invader for instance and could not find a good use for it for my tones. An all-out death metal player would probably like it.

 

And it's highly unpopular of me (apparently) but my preferred pickup for the most part is something from the EMG line. You do have to ignore their advice to raise the pickups up as close to the strings as possible and set them down lower. That smooths out the bite and harsh transients and provides a clear, lovely tone without any hum or possibility of being shocked on stage by a vocal mic (in fact, not getting shocked is the reason I switched to EMG back in the 80's). Wiring code standards are better now so that may be an invalid reason to change. I would highly recommend the EMG HB pickup for a neck pickup but the Tele set is fantastic as well, the original Alnico magnet set. The HB is an EMG P-bass pickup in a hum bucking format, it's sort of a "Gretsch" tone with full frequency and sweet transient response. My "secret weapon" pickup - I went to a blues jam one time and after my turn a gentleman said to me "your 335 sounds more like a Strat than my Strat."

 

While Caevan's choices are for tuners are very good ones, having upgraded hundreds of sets of tuners I have found tuner nirvana. I don't own a set yet but I have installed 2 of them. Graph-Tech Ratio tuners are the BEST, hands down.

They make a locking set or a standard set. Each set comes with 4 sets of mounting plates that will fit most guitar headstocks and allow you to mount the tuners to vintage or modern guitars without any modifications.

 

Instead of a single ratio for all tuners, they've calculated ratios so that turning the designated 6th string tune to move pitch a quarter step is exactly the same as the amount you would turn the designated 1st string tuner to move pitch a quarter step. It is incredibly easy to get accurate, fast tuning, smooth as silk. They make them for Bass too!!!

 

The next time I get a set of tuners for a guitar, it will be the Ratio tuners. Eventually, I'd like to put them on all my guitars, they really are that good.

 

And, having hand reamed LOTS of holes, there is something better there too. Sometimes you will end up needing to use a reamer for final touch up but an Irwin Uni-Bit #2 in a solid drill press is completely chatter free and creates a perfectly round, smooth sided hole in any kind of wood, every time. The Unit-Bit does not "grab" or plunge itself into the work, you have total control of it at all times.

 

I have found that a hand reamer does pretty well with harder woods like maple but can easily make a somewhat octagon shaped hole in mahogany and other softer woods. A Uni-Bit will never do that.

 

I even used the Uni-Bit to perfectly enlarge the end pin hole in a brand new $3k+ Martin guitar to install an end pin jack for a K&K system. That was using a hand held drill, the bit is smoothly self centering, cuts cleanly and safely and leaves a perfect 1/2 hole for an end pin jack. The bit has cutting edges .25"+ deep at six different diameters so you can get the size hole you want or very, very close to it. You may need to come at it from both sides of the headstock but the self centering bit will align the two holes in the center without discrepancy.

 

The hand twisted center punch for beveling holes is a tried and true method, I approve of that way of doing things. If you have a precision drill press you can also set a stop to the exact depth you want and put the same bevel on all the holes quickly and safely.

 

More than one way to skin a cat and more than one cat needs skinning!

[Anderton]

I wonder if the Epiphone Melody Maker, which I've seen going for $140, is anywhere near as good as the 2014 Gibson Melody Maker I have. Those snarly P90 pickups get a sound I can't get out of other guitars. When Dave Bryce was looking for a guitar and didn't want the same old choices, I recommended the Melody Maker. He loves it.

 

I also have to say the PRS SE is outstanding. The SE Standards are $580 new, maybe you can find one used. Paul's guitars are always high quality.

[KuruPrionz]

I wonder if the Epiphone Melody Maker, which I've seen going for $140, is anywhere near as good as the 2014 Gibson Melody Maker I have. Those snarly P90 pickups get a sound I can't get out of other guitars. When Dave Bryce was looking for a guitar and didn't want the same old choices, I recommended the Melody Maker. He loves it.

 

I also have to say the PRS SE is outstanding. The SE Standards are $580 new, maybe you can find one used. Paul's guitars are always high quality.

 

 

I had one of those 2014 Melody Makers and wish I'd kept it!!!

 

Maybe I'll get another one...

[RABid]

I may start visiting some of the local small town pawn shops, just to see what I can find.

[KuruPrionz]

I may start visiting some of the local small town pawn shops, just to see what I can find.

 

You never know what you will find. Pawn shops around here are hip to checking eBay completed listings and pricing accordingly but they are still listening to offers and something that's been there a little too long will go much cheaper than the price tag might indicate.

 

Keeping cool stuff until you get what you want for it does not pay the bills!!!!

[Winston Psmith]

Offering cash is the way to go in pawn shop deals. I've often gotten a much lower price than the ticketed price by offering cash.

[Larryz]

I'll be going up to Lake Tahoe in a couple of weeks and I pass right by a pawn shop with a couple of guitars in the window on my way to the casino. I'm glad you guys are talking about pawn shops and reminding me to drop in this trip! I would think that gambling town pawn shops would keep a few guitars on the rack at all times!

[Caevan O’Shite]

I may start visiting some of the local small town pawn shops, just to see what I can find.

 

You never know what you will find. Pawn shops around here are hip to checking eBay completed listings and pricing accordingly but they are still listening to offers and something that's been there a little too long will go much cheaper than the price tag might indicate.

 

Keeping cool stuff until you get what you want for it does not pay the bills!!!!

Offering cash is the way to go in pawn shop deals. I've often gotten a much lower price than the ticketed price by offering cash.

 

Similarly, many of the prices on Reverb, etc. are negotiable; don't be afraid to "Make an offer" where the seller is open to that. Low-ball a little, but not so low as to be insulting; your offer might get accepted- or, you might get a respectable counter-offer back that will still save you some bucks.

 

And when physically looking at used guitars in shops of any kind, don't mistake a guitar in need of a good set-up or fresh strings for a bad one- don't let old strings or the neck needing relief-adjustment put you off.

 

Looking back, I'm sure that I passed on good guitars that just needed new strings and a set-up.

[Winston Psmith]

Have to agree with Caevan on looking past the surface with used Guitars. You could be passing on a gem, or buying an attractive wall-hanger by mistake. I've picked up some used gear that really just needed a light cleaning, but because it didn't look as nice, I got a better price on it.

 

A fresh business card is a very useful and simple tool for checking out used Guitars.

 

On set-neck Guitars, run the edge of the card along the neck joint, to make sure the glue joint is solid. If the card slips into a deep gap, you might be looking at an expensive neck re-set, in the very near future.

 

On flat-top Acoustics, do the same thing around the Bridge, to make sure it's solidly attached. Dried-out, crumbling glue joints are an indication that a Guitar hasn't been kept under anything like ideal conditions.

 

I also mute the strings with one hand and tap on the top of any Acoustic Guitar I'm examining. If something inside "taps" back, I know that there's loose bracing in there, another possible indication of poor care.

[Dannyalcatraz]

It should go without saying, but I"ll say it anyway: always know the seller"s refund/return policy. The better the policy, the more confident you should be in your purchases.

[surfergirl]

I want to add to the already long list of options available, the Sterling by Music Man. I especially like the St Vincent signature model for $650. It comes with either 3 mini humbuckers or 2 humbuckers. The Albert Lee Signature is $400. Guitar Center has them used. I'm not sure about this, but I think if you buy a used one from GC you can return it to any GC

[KuruPrionz]

I want to add to the already long list of options available, the Sterling by Music Man. I especially like the St Vincent signature model for $650. It comes with either 3 mini humbuckers or 2 humbuckers. The Albert Lee Signature is $400. Guitar Center has them used. I'm not sure about this, but I think if you buy a used one from GC you can return it to any GC

 

 

Those are very good choices too!

[hard truth]

Danelectros with lipstick pickups have a unique retro sound and tend to be very lightweight.

[Dannyalcatraz]

I want to add to the already long list of options available, the Sterling by Music Man. I especially like the St Vincent signature model for $650. It comes with either 3 mini humbuckers or 2 humbuckers. The Albert Lee Signature is $400. Guitar Center has them used. I'm not sure about this, but I think if you buy a used one from GC you can return it to any GC

 

 

I"ve heard those are VERY comfy to play despite their angularity!