Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

[guitar9199]

Some of you may know, I'l a bit of a "Bottom-Feeder" when it comes to guitars. If I find something that's got decent construction and a low price, I grab it...regardless of the name on the headstock!

...Sharing my most RECENT acquisition.... I hit a pawnshop during lunch (Note to self: You should REALLY stop doing that!!), and hanging on the wall was an Ibanez Gio for $89... Right NEXT to it was an Ibanez S-521 for the same price!! The S-521 is a current model guitar with a retail sticker of $399 pretty much EVERYWHERE!!

So... a good looking guitar in GREAT shape, for 1/5th of the retail price?? ...Yes please~!~

[roho]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Yes, you need to stop going into pawn shops!.
I am a Gibson guy, and was playing Epiphone Les Pauls for a few years. I have a 2002 model made in south Korea which I still have and play. Worn down, especially the frets. I also had a 2007 model made in China. the hardware was better on the 07, but the 02 feels better, so have upgraded some of the hardware. I treated my self to a real Gibson Les Paul when I turned 50, and bought a 1958 reissue as well. There is a diff in quality.

I sometimes find myself driving past yard sales and always slow down to see if there is a old goofy electric guitar, or browsing around flea markets on weekends. A friend of mine years ago had a macabre collection of strange unknown guitars from back in the day, many were pretty strange looking!

I can't afford any more top end guitars now, but if I could I would be looking for a Telecaster, that is one model from Fender I would like to have.

Love guitars, I also snagged a Danelectro 12 string, reissue from the model made famous by the Byrds. Also have the double neck Epiphone version of the EDS 1275. The double needs a bit of electronic work. Sure is a serious chore polishing it and changing the strings!!

[mikadonovan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Some of you may know, I'l a bit of a "Bottom-Feeder" when it comes to guitars. If I find something that's got decent construction and a low price, I grab it...regardless of the name on the headstock!

...Sharing my most RECENT acquisition.... I hit a pawnshop during lunch (Note to self: You should REALLY stop doing that!!), and hanging on the wall was an Ibanez Gio for $89... Right NEXT to it was an Ibanez S-521 for the same price!! The S-521 is a current model guitar with a retail sticker of $399 pretty much EVERYWHERE!!

So... a good looking guitar in GREAT shape, for 1/5th of the retail price?? ...Yes please~!~

Looks like you got a GREAT deal on that one. Used S521's are going for around 250.00 on the Guitar Center site. I have 3 Ibanez guitars on my wall, and I play all of them. I recently ordered a Harley Benton TE90QM from Thomann Music in Germany. Harley Benton is their house brand, and this one is an awesome guitar. Well made with good material, QC is spot on , and it plays and sounds as good as it looks. AND it only cost 180.00 brand new. I don't know how they do it. You can't find them here in the US because it obviously looks just like a Telecaster. I like this axe so much I am getting ready to buy their version of a PRS custom 24. For a guitarist on a budget, Harley Benton rocks.

[guitar9199]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

I now own 11 electric guitars.... and the most expensive was an AXL JZM Jazzmaster clone I bought brand new for $280. Every other one is around the $179 mark. I even scored a couple for $50 from the OfferUp and LetGo apps.

Never been too concerned about the name on the top.... I have an Epiphone Wilshire reissue I snagged for $199, but all the others are probably Samick or Cort made off-brand guitars.

[mikadonovan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

The Cort guitar factory makes some really good guitars. I have a 2000 Ibanez SA160, also made by Cort. Overall, the neck on that guitar is the easiest to play out of all my axes.

[FrohnB]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

I've got my Mexican made Fender Strat that my father bought me for my first guitar 16 yrs ago (along with Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Aerosmith music books). Sunburst color with a blonde neck. The Action on that guitar is so Low (but not sloppy low) that it takes no effort at all for some of those rolls and hammer ons. Love that guitar.
Then I have the Epiphone SG with upgraded hardware (EMG 81 and 85 pickups and Grover Roto-Grip pegs) that I will never give up. Bought it for $300.oo new the month before my father brought up the fender. This guitar is my everyday guitar. I'm a metal guy (Sabbath, Maiden, Slayer, Lamb of God, Metallica, etc.), and the SG fits perfectly with the "Thrashy-Chug" and power chords. Wider neck than the fender (a little more room for error ), but also heavier in the neck when it comes to "balance" (tends to want to send the head downward when not holding on). Absolute favorite guitar though.
And then there are the "shelf guitars"; Couple of LTD's from a garage sale, a Hamer Slammer that I bought from a buddy for 100 bucks, and a Schecter Omen 6 that my little sister "pawned to me" and then just ended up letting me have.

Will get some pictures up in the near future.

[mikadonovan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Here's another Harley Benton bargain, the CST 24. Mahogany body, flamed maple cap, semi hollow body with coil split. I did replace the pups with a set of warmer alinco 2 classics, great addition to the coil split. IMHO, with the 2 sound chambers and in single coil mode it sounds better than a standard Strat. I can't compare the sound to Fenders thinline semi- hollow Strats as I've never played one.
Needless to say, I am very pleased with this guitar.

[FrohnB]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Newest "Bargain Hunted" instrument. Gibson Les Paul Special and Peavey Heritage Amp.

Didn't actually "buy" this one for cheap, but worked for about 4 hours cutting a neighbors tree down, and on top of a couple hundred bucks, he gave me this little setup. I was blown away! (Wasn't part of the deal).

[guitar9199]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

The Cort guitar factory makes some really good guitars. I have a 2000 Ibanez SA160, also made by Cort. Overall, the neck on that guitar is the easiest to play out of all my axes.

Oh, I know. I've actually owned THREE Cort branded guitars. A CL-1000 (Kind of a poor man's Double-Cut Les Paul), a Matt "Guitar" Murphy signature model (RIP) and a Cort Stratocaster. (Basically a middle of the road Squier with a Cort neck).

...all three lost over the years to bills while I was between jobs. ...sigh.

[mikadonovan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Ok, here is my latest HB, the TE70 Rosewood Deluxe. Getting inexpensive Harley Bentons that did not need any work just came to a screeching halt. For $130, I still can't complain. The fretwork on this new guitar was horrible, as in" cut your fingers" horrible. I filed, leveled and polished the frets to make it playable, and I added a set of Tonerider TRT2 pickups, which are GREAT. This has turned out to be a really good guitar, but it was not like that right out of the box. It was like buying a new guitar made from quality materials that just wasn't finished. But at this price, I am still pleased with the purchase.

[allan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Newest "Bargain Hunted" instrument. Gibson Les Paul Special and Peavey Heritage Amp.

Didn't actually "buy" this one for cheap, but worked for about 4 hours cutting a neighbors tree down, and on top of a couple hundred bucks, he gave me this little setup. I was blown away! (Wasn't part of the deal).

Speechless and a bit jealous.

[allan]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Also have a bad habit of going on mid day pawnshops crawling.
Got a mint condition Washburn classic for less than a 5th of the retail value with a travel case in a second hand store.
My favorite guitar is a Fender strat ripoff branded Suzuki on the head stock.
After setting the action and intonation its the best guitar i have ever owned.
Thing i payed like $25 dollars worth for it!

Problem is now having one too many fixeruper that is wasting space.

[FrohnB]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

Speechless and a bit jealous.

My neighbor is 82 years old, and has a collection that is jaw-dropping. Even being that old, he can still play effortlessly and gracefully (he's a blues guy).
He told me that he called a few tree companies, and the average price was about $1,700.00 to remove said tree. I told him I'd do it for much cheaper, couple hundred bucks, (not a very big tree - maybe 25 feet tall, had already been "topped and pruned" in the past, and wasn't near any power-lines). So after finishing and cleaning, I grabbed the cash and went on home (35 feet away). Next thing I know, there's my old neighbor standing on my porch with the amp and a brown "Gibson USA" hard case. He said it wasn't right to pay me so little, so he thought this would make up for it.

[guitar9199]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

I've got my Mexican made Fender Strat that my father bought me for my first guitar 16 yrs ago (along with Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Aerosmith music books). Sunburst color with a blonde neck. The Action on that guitar is so Low (but not sloppy low) that it takes no effort at all for some of those rolls and hammer ons. Love that guitar.
Then I have the Epiphone SG with upgraded hardware (EMG 81 and 85 pickups and Grover Roto-Grip pegs) that I will never give up. Bought it for $300.oo new the month before my father brought up the fender. This guitar is my everyday guitar. I'm a metal guy (Sabbath, Maiden, Slayer, Lamb of God, Metallica, etc.), and the SG fits perfectly with the "Thrashy-Chug" and power chords. Wider neck than the fender (a little more room for error ), but also heavier in the neck when it comes to "balance" (tends to want to send the head downward when not holding on). Absolute favorite guitar though.
And then there are the "shelf guitars"; Couple of LTD's from a garage sale, a Hamer Slammer that I bought from a buddy for 100 bucks, and a Schecter Omen 6 that my little sister "pawned to me" and then just ended up letting me have.

Will get some pictures up in the near future.

That's one of the things I never liked about the SG... they're always "Neck Heavy". This is my "chug" guitar. It's a 2009 Epiphone Wilshire reissue with a set of Duncan 59's in it. Double cut mahogany slab like the SG, but a lot better balanced.

[roho]

Re: Musical Instrument Bargain Hunter!!

That's one of the things I never liked about the SG... they're always "Neck Heavy". This is my "chug" guitar. It's a 2009 Epiphone Wilshire reissue with a set of Duncan 59's in it. Double cut mahogany slab like the SG, but a lot better balanced.

The 58 reissue Les Paul has the wider and fatter neck, and I love that. The wider neck leaves more room for your fingers obviously. I thought the fatter neck would be a detriment, smaller hands and shorter fingers then most guitarists, but it actually seems more comfortable.

A retired ex coworker gave me a homemade triple neck bench steel guitar, even has homemade pickups, and a tube gibson amp from the early 60's.
Amp gives off a very bad hum, needs some work. Have to get off my ass and get it restored.