Dig it... guitars being made overseas are killing it right now!

mystixboi

mystixboi

Well-known member
Let me start off saying that I looooove my Suhr Modern and PRS Core Custom 22, but I recently got this PRS SE Hollwbody II with Piezo and it absolutely kills. It was made in China and I'm blown away by the amount of guitar you get for the cash. I spent just shy of $1450(shipped) new on it. It came with a case. I was kind of gunshy about spending that much on a Chinese made guitar, but I'm so glad that I did. I've played and owned tons of guitars made overseas and they have gotten so damn good over the years.

I wish that suhr would revisit the Rasmus line. From what I remember, John wasn't too happy with the build quality of the Rasmus guitars so he pulled the plug. Might be interesting to see what shops overseas can do now.

Back to the PRS, I currently play in a tribute band and acoustic duo. The tribute band requires me to go from acoustic tones to over the top dirty tones to soaring lead tones. This guitar can do it in spades. The only thing I have thought about changing on it is adding a push pull to split the neck pickup to get single coil tones, but that's more of a desire. I can get away with the humbucker for now. it's that dynamic.

Post pics of your overseas made guitars that hit above it's price point!

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Just went to Austin Music Co, here in FL, and they had a purple burl top M-1000 LTD. Thing was striking. Was beautiful. Not $1499 beautiful, but still nice. Like the satin back of the neck, just not sure of the 1000 series floyd?
 
I refuse to spend the money on some of the usa stuff. I almost went bankrupt going down that hole on the 2000's. That's just me and my opinion. I'm a hobbyist. I have a cheap singlecut kramer that I put a pair of scottosan's pup's in and it rips.
 
Went to shop specifically trying out the Suhr line. One was good but… ehhhh
I picked up a fender telecaster 1990 v1 Johnny greenwood. Jesus. That thing was smokin’. Not only a gorgeous guitar but it played better than the suhrs that I was fiddling with. Thoughts. Now I’m stopped in my tracks
 
looks nice. i gotta check one out. i had a real prs hb II and that thing was like "Too nice" for me. probably the slickest guitar i've ever owned. I gotta see how they compare.
 
It’s always been a crapshoot, even the well regarded stuff from the WMI factory in S. Korea. They’re perfectly capable of making great instruments but the issue is consistency and QC, and a lot of that comes down to the American companies commissioning the overseas factories to build their designs. One of the main places they look to increase their margins is in that QC process.

That’s not to say US companies don’t sometimes have similar problems (looking at you, Gibson) but also the prices on Korean and even Indo (and now apparently some Chinese if we’re talking $1500 for a Sino PRS) have crept up a lot, to the point where there are some US made or Japanese made instruments for not that much more.
 
I was impressed with the LTD Alexi Laiho Ripped when I played it. No flaws, played great. $1700!? Seems like a lot, but no denying it was quality. And it sold fast.
 
Some really nice Gretsch's coming out from overseas these days, the electromatics in particular are nice guitars.

Tagima offsets are also really cool from their woodstock series, have 2 p90s and can be had for about $300ish new.
 
Sweet looking! Was not aware they offered maple binding on the neck or is that just cosmetic? As well as scraped binding on the body? Congrats, a fine looking guitar, damn!
 
crwnedblasphemy said:
Just went to Austin Music Co, here in FL, and they had a purple burl top M-1000 LTD. Thing was striking. Was beautiful. Not $1499 beautiful, but still nice. Like the satin back of the neck, just not sure of the 1000 series floyd?
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The 1000s are fine. That’s what the 08/09 USA Charvels had and I gigged them pretty regularly over the last 6 yrs of shows; never had a problem. They are OFR spec but made in S Korea.
Since I’m ocd I did swap them out for OFRs within the last 2 yrs….not much if any difference really.
 
Import quality compared to some of the crap pumped out in the 90s & 00s really shows how far QC in overseas factories has come along.

I still prefer to buy used USA/Japan guitars but it's good news for kids buying their first guitars.
 
In EU/UK we have a rising brand, JET guitars- priced very competitively (199 and up) and offering roasted necks, cool designs, relics etc.. I have one and it sounds and feels like 3x the price. In the latest Total Guitar magazine issue they gave the JS model 4,5/5 mark.

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That1Guy said:
Epiphones are seriously impressive right now, I almost did the same thing!
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I put my order in for a Epi Cantrell "Wino", and got a TV Yellow LP Special today (used - under $350!) which is pretty cool at the moment! I'm on the fence about maybe snagging one or two more Epi's as long as they have the "Inspired By Gibson" series - those headstocks are way better than the old clipped-ear headstocks IMO... A good setup, and maybe a pickup swap, and you've got a decent axe, which in some cases rival their USA "big brothers". I'm kinda done with the $1500 import guitars, $2-3000 USA guitars these days - it's pretty much just an ego stroke for me to have stuff like that. I don't need it - it doesn't make me a better player.
 
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