Good guitars for $600 and under

[ricksconnected]

hagstrom all day long

 

[mcblink]

I can't tout this guitar enough. I got mine on sale 2 years ago for $499. It's now on sale for $549 and worth a lot more.

Very well built. Sure, you can upgrade the pups, tuners and pots, but there's certainly no need to. The Probucker-3 in the bridge position is more than adequate for both lead or rhythm. The Probucker-2 in the neck...eh, nothing to write home about. It comes with Grover tuners. The fit & finish is flawless.

If you're looking for a Les Paul, but can't justify spending [$2,000] on a Gibson, I highly recommend this one; it's worth every penny. It plays great; sounds great; weighs a ton; and is every bit as uncomfortable as a Les Paul is supposed to be. You'll love it.



https://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone/Limited-Edition-Les-Paul-Custom-PRO-Electric-Guitar.gc

Dammmmm! I love silverburst...seriously tempted to place an order on one of them sexy bitches right now!

 

[axe4me]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I prefer Ibanez guitars that were Gibson based.

I paid $500.00 for this:



I bought this from my buddy, Norman Good, who owned Norm's Guitars in Brooklyn, NY.

I spoke to Norm on the phone about this and, God Bless him, he said I could have it for $500.00.

I drove to Brooklyn as fast as I could.

I've been to Norm's home.

He even asked me to partner with him in the business.

I chose not to.

Norm has since sold the business.

 

[axe4me]

I'm very aware of market pricing and know my budget.

I'm willing to walk awy from gear that doesn't fit financially.

All of my expensive "boutique" guitars have acceptable financing deals.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

OK, I have purchased quite a number of really nice to excellent guitars for under $600.

I have to agree with buying used ones. So far there are many good suggestions and I guess I will add to the suggestions of any number of guitars from Ibanez, Fender, Gibson, Charvel, PRS, Yamaha, LTD/ESP, Jackson, Epiphone, Gretsch, G and L, Squier and a host of other brands and models. My other suggestions are to always play the guitar before buying if at all possible to see how it "fits" you and to be willing to walk away to get the price you want.

I will also add for my own collection of guitars and some of my friends that were under $600, I have a great Squier Classic Vibe 50's Tele, 3 Gibson SG's, a Squier Vintage Modified P Bass, Epi Les Paul Standard, Epi Dot, Epi ES 175, my friend's Jackson Adrian Smith, another buddy has another nice Jackson Dinky. I also had a sweet PRS SE Custom I got for about $300, Dean makes nice guitars, and as some pointed out here, you can hunt for a guitar with "Good Bones" and use it for a mod platform and build your own spec guitar for under that $600 threshold as well.

 

[axe4me]

Jack Pearson plays these sub $100.00 Fender Squier guitars.

 

[LRT#1]

I picked one of these up several years ago at GC it was on sale at the time. Think I got it for under $800 new. The only thing I wasnt happy with was the fit of the cover plates on for the electronics and bridge springs. The plates were a bit tight and chipped finish when removed.
It has passive EMG pups, Grover tuners, and floyd trem. Really enjoyed this guitar but dont care for floyd trem anymore. Have gone back to stop bar or through body design. Found they are easier for travel with tuning.

This is on reverb used

 

[Biddlin]

Used:

$250 and $400 Both are all original, ebony fretboards and came with cases. craigslist can be your friend.
New

$599

$529

 

[Antmax]

I buy used too. I got fed up of flakey local ads and the last two guitars I got were online from Daves Guitar shop. He has used guitars from $70 to 100k plus. Got a really nice 2018 Fire burst SE Custom 24 Floyd rose in new condition for $600 no tax free shipping.

He has a few Fender thinline Teles going for $595 at the moment.

Here's one of them

 

[oldtimer]

Bought a Ibanez gio,$ 70.00 form craigslist (to use with my GR-20 synth). Also, bought a Epiphone SG Special,$ 100.00 From GC (Chinese bolt -on neck) After fresh strings, and a few adjustments, I cant say any thing negative about either one. Both are in near new condition. My #1 is a 2007 SG supreme Fireburst fade(also, called the lavaburst). it doesn't leave the house. I bought the Epi for my granddaughter,BUT, at 13 life can get crazy, or so they tell me. I'll have to keep it and play it in the meantime.

 

[Adieu]

I picked one of these up several years ago at GC it was on sale at the time. Think I got it for under $800 new. The only thing I wasnt happy with was the fit of the cover plates on for the electronics and bridge springs. The plates were a bit tight and chipped finish when removed.
It has passive EMG pups, Grover tuners, and floyd trem. Really enjoyed this guitar but dont care for floyd trem anymore. Have gone back to stop bar or through body design. Found they are easier for travel with tuning.

This is on reverb used
View attachment 58166

Lol NO

That thing is worth maybe $150

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Adieu, why do you say the Schecter is a $150 guitar? The EMG pups alone sell for $99 apiece on Amazon.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Bought a Ibanez gio,$ 70.00 form craigslist (to use with my GR-20 synth). Also, bought a Epiphone SG Special,$ 100.00 From GC (Chinese bolt -on neck) After fresh strings, and a few adjustments, I cant say any thing negative about either one. Both are in near new condition. My #1 is a 2007 SG supreme Fireburst fade(also, called the lavaburst). it doesn't leave the house. I bought the Epi for my granddaughter,BUT, at 13 life can get crazy, or so they tell me. I'll have to keep it and play it in the meantime.

for the 2007 Lava Burst SG Supreme MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

[Adieu]

Adieu, why do you say the Schecter is a $150 guitar? The EMG pups alone sell for $99 apiece on Amazon.

Emg HZs aren't your $200 active EMG sets

They are (were?) a budget passive series for low-end imports

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Thanks Adieu, I am no expert on this Schecter model or passive EMG's, so I only went by the HZ H3 and H4 ones I saw priced on Amazon for $99 apiece. I guess they suck and are overpriced at that price.

I have only had 85's and an EMG H in an SG and a pair of Active P and J bass EMG's in a Tele Style Bass before.

So, basically am I to assume this Schecter guitar is on par with a Squier Affinity Strat style entry level guitar but with a Floyd?

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I prefer Ibanez guitars that were Gibson based.

I paid $500.00 for this:

View attachment 58154

I bought this from my buddy, Norman Good, who owned Norm's Guitars in Brooklyn, NY.

I spoke to Norm on the phone about this and, God Bless him, he said I could have it for $500.00.

I drove to Brooklyn as fast as I could.

I've been to Norm's home.

He even asked me to partner with him in the business.

I chose not to.

Norm has since sold the business.

I was in the market for a hollow or semi hollow back in late 2017 early 2018 and had found a sweet Ibanez ES 175 copy but the super narrow nut scared me off with my sausage fingers.

Hope to find a pic of that Ibanez guitar to post here. These are what I wound up with instead.

1976 SG STD with EMG H and 85 pups installed plus Original Tarbacks and Pots/electronics in the case. I converted it back to stock with the OEM pups and electronics.


Memphis made ES 135 with 57 Classics

Needless to say, neither of these was sub $600 despite how I would have loved them being so.

 

[fifteenohms]

Myself I liked Hollywood GC used section but the stupid $15 million store reset screwed the whole thing up.

The dogpile was once on the R-hand side separate, so the filth of humanity could go straight to the street buys and trade ins.

I’ve pulled thousands in quick cash out of there but no longer because they now mix used with the new...

ALL
OVER
THE
STORE

It’s so bad I no longer enjoy visiting going only twice since the remodel,prefer to shop online only the used and shop to a more local store.

Hollywood once was a great place to find the castoffs of those earnest for a quick sale, so the used buyer associate would take almost any condition guitar for a good price then add 60% of their ripoff buy to the markup.

They think they’re now some kind of Macy’s but GC will never have the class and service of Sam Ash, never had it never will.

GC are known for ridiculous offers and blowout pricing. These millennials today installed comfy-chair couches in Vintage if you can believe it.

Gimme the smell of rotting Tolex and dusty tube burn over phaux- boutique decor any day of the week. I don’t care to sit back in a couch built for fattys while staring at custom colored 335’s gilding a 30ft high wall I can’t touch because why?

No ladders, no associates to help you within 20 mins availability and lastly, the hangers have locks on them.

This is why vulture cap equity firms need to get out of MI products. They ruin everything they touch.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Here is a pic of the Ibanez 2355 I was looking at

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

15ohms, you'd love my favorite Baltimore/DC guitar store called Atomic Music. Nothing but gear hanging all over and amps, drums u name it. All mostly used and of all price ranges. I got my ES 135 there, my 4x10 Mesa road ready Bass cab, and even a clean 50 watt Marshall Elephant Tolex Head cab ready for my future amp build.

 

[Adieu]

Thanks Adieu, I am no expert on this Schecter model or passive EMG's, so I only went by the HZ H3 and H4 ones I saw priced on Amazon for $99 apiece. I guess they suck and are overpriced at that price.

I have only had 85's and an EMG H in an SG and a pair of Active P and J bass EMG's in a Tele Style Bass before.

So, basically am I to assume this Schecter guitar is on par with a Squier Affinity Strat style entry level guitar but with a Floyd?

More like a slightly pricier squier, but yeah, this is their squier tier product not fender tier.

For Affinity grade, they had some dirt cheap subbrand called SGR