Cheap Instruments

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 14 Feb 2012 10:19 am

Define cheap...

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Feb 2012 10:23 am

That's the sound a baby chick makes.

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 14 Feb 2012 4:32 pm

Tony Prior wrote

Define cheap...

http://www.stagelightingstore.com/Arbor ... uitar.html
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ ... B&ZYXSEM=0
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ ... ric-guitar
The Mexican Fenders, The Gretsch 5120 plus all of the Epiphone archtop models:Casino, Broadway, Riviera, ES175, Joe Pass, Dot, Sheraton, the new ES 345, and ES 355. I have played all of these with the exception of the 345 and 355. They are all excellent players, with great fit and finish. The Arbors and Ibanez Artcores are an unbelievable value. I guess cheap would be defined, from all I have read, (correct me if I'm wrong)anything made in Mexico or Asia and is not a Gibson, an American made Gretsch or American made Fender

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 15 Feb 2012 2:42 am

Hey Larry, I would define those as inexpensive Instruments..very possibly a different category from "cheap"...

t

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 15 Feb 2012 5:42 am

Tony Prior wrote

Hey Larry, I would define those as inexpensive Instruments..very possibly a different category from "cheap"...

Tony, I would agree with your definition, however, compared to a $3,000 Gibson, an $800.oo guitar is pretty cheap

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 15 Feb 2012 6:28 am

This is a Ravenwest Tele. It plays as good as any "real" tele I've ever played.

This picture of the PRS copy.

Both these pictures came from a catalog, and are not my specific guitars, but mine looks just like then.

Both these guitars sell for between $350 and $400.

Not too long ago I did some work for the company, off the books, and instead of money, I got about half a dozen free guitars. If I was not happy with the quality of the guitars, there would have been no point in my being involved with them.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 15 Feb 2012 9:11 pm

Would you believe that Strats and PBass are now at Best Buy?

Well, they are. And they come in a nice card board box.

RR

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 15 Feb 2012 9:58 pm

O,how the mighty have fallen!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 15 Feb 2012 10:01 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:Not too long ago I did some work for the company.

Mike, would your positive views extend to something like this blingful beauty?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAVEN-WEST-ELEC ... 53eb8151c0

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 16 Feb 2012 3:01 am

Ron Randall wrote:Would you believe that Strats and PBass are now at Best Buy?

Well, they are. And they come in a nice card board box.

RR

well although this is true, it's only partially true..

the axes at Best Buy are the low end Chinese entry level Squires..intended for the kids to get started on...

You wll not find a $1500 Jazz Bass or 52RI/ Telecaster at BBuy ! But it's only Thursday it could happen by Friday I suppose...

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 16 Feb 2012 10:35 am

Actually, Best Buy in Beaverton has stocked American Les Pauls, including the high end ones, and '52 Teles for at least a year that I know of.

KP

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 16 Feb 2012 11:23 am

Tony Prior wrote:
Ron Randall wrote:Would you believe that Strats and PBass are now at Best Buy?

Well, they are. And they come in a nice card board box.

RR
well although this is true, it's only partially true..

the axes at Best Buy are the low end Chinese entry level Squires..intended for the kids to get started on...

You wll not find a $1500 Jazz Bass or 52RI/ Telecaster at BBuy ! But it's only Thursday it could happen by Friday I suppose...

It's true...
Some Best Buy stores have a built in Guitar Center.
That is how the store on Cedar Hills Crossing here in Beaverton is.
It's almost identicle to a Guitar Center in there.
Need an Eric Clapton Strat?...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Guitars-Bas ... 1600050006

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 16 Feb 2012 12:27 pm

And you can now get the same brain-dead, condescending service from dead-end, would-be rock stars at Best Buy that you've gotten used to getting at Guitar Center!

KP

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 16 Feb 2012 2:59 pm

Ken Pippus wrote:And you can now get the same brain-dead, condescending service from dead-end, would-be rock stars at Best Buy that you've gotten used to getting at Guitar Center!

KP

Even worse. It's like they took any employee and stuck them in the musical instrument section.
No knowledge whatsoever.
This is Best Buy:

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Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 16 Feb 2012 6:37 pm

There were no American instruments available in Britain during the 50s. I wanted a Fender Stratocaster, but had to settle for a Hofner. Now that I've got a Fender I prefer the Hofner. I bought an Eko 12-string because I couldn't get a Gibson. When I moved to the U.S. back in 1980 I sold my Eko, intending to buy a Gibson. After trying a Gibson I bought my Eko back from the friend I'd sold it to.

I wanted a steel guitar so I built one myself, and continued building them long after I had several store-bought ones.

I wanted an electric mandolo, so I built one myself in a weekend with parts from the Stewart-McDonalds catalogue.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 16 Feb 2012 6:46 pm

Squire: A lady's escort, Regal aide etc.

Squier®: FMIC® registered trademark applied to selected musical instruments and products.

We owners of the less respected bottom end of the Fender® line of instruments are somewhat sensitive to the erroneous spelling.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 16 Feb 2012 7:23 pm

Tony

Depends on which store.

R2

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Feb 2012 2:47 am

Evidently ! ok I take it back, the BB stores around where I am carry only an aisle of Chinese Squires, probably because there is a Guitar Center and a Sam Ash store very close by...

wow...

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Feb 2012 2:48 am

Evidently ! ok I take it back, the BB stores around where I am carry only an aisle of Chinese Squires, probably becasue thee is a Guitar Center and a Sam Ash store very close by...

wow...

Tony Russell · Post by **Tony Russell** » 17 Feb 2012 4:48 am

Dave Hopping wrote:Very interesting,considering George and John went with Gibsons for their acoustic guitars earlier on.Why Epiphone? Was there an influential English player/Epi endorser

Not exactly Dave - in the early 1960's guitar players over here had been influenced by "The Shadows" who used Fenders (notably led by a pink Strat, although that was an import choice due to a misunderstanding over what James Burton used!). When the "Mersey" (i.e. Liverpool) sound was launched they wanted to get away from the previous echo/reverb sound and predominently used semi's with no effects. In those days Epiphone was considered equal to Gibson in quality over here. The cheaper lines were (German) Hofner and Framus and UK maker Jimmy Burns made some outstanding "value" guitars too. Later the Beatles did influence buyers towards Ricky and Gretsch, but initially Epi/Gibbo choice was down to what USA guitars were available. Like our Brummy friend Alan, I was there!

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 17 Feb 2012 5:22 am

Tony,thanks for the pre-Beatlemania perspective from your side of the pond.I was here at the time and I remember Epi as a companion line to Gibson-same quality but different enough to appeal to someone who wanted to be just a little out of the mainstream.

Apropos of not very much,Hofners were exported to Canada,where I lived in the early '60's.A friend of mine had one,so I had some chance to get acquainted.Nicely done,and I was surprised at how light it was.

Apropos of even less,I do remember being enthralled with "Telstar" when it came out and very,very interested early in 1963,when I heard Billy J. Kramer's cover of "Do You Want To Know A Secret".Didn't know anything about who wrote it or the band that first recorded it until most of a year later.Somewhere in there I saw the English film "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning",which had a pub scene with a live band,and I recall telling a friend I wanted to hear a whole lot more English rock and roll.

Tony Russell · Post by **Tony Russell** » 17 Feb 2012 5:45 am

Apropos not very much either, but somewhat connected to the forum, I knew Jimmy Burns and he was a steel player who started out making his own lap steels. Later he was involved in producing "The Ormston" (his middle name) which was a UK twin-8 pedal steel. Aparently great tone but elementary mechanics. Tony. PS There's one mentioned in the Brit forum right now. http://www.thebritishsteeliessociety.co ... rt=0#p8800

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 17 Feb 2012 6:03 am

Jerry Overstreet wrote:Squire: A lady's escort, Regal aide etc.

Squier®: FMIC® registered trademark applied to selected musical instruments and products.

We owners of the less respected bottom end of the Fender® line of instruments are somewhat sensitive to the erroneous spelling.

I don't think anyone else read this...
Squier is a family name..They started with violins..

Peter Huggins · Post by **Peter Huggins** » 17 Feb 2012 9:16 am

V.C. Squier was a string maker originally. Fender carried their line in the early days, then bought them out later. BTW Fender has used both spellings on their headstocks over the years.

Grins, Peter

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 17 Feb 2012 10:22 am

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