Your Favorite Budget Guitar?

[Bad.Seed]

I recently picked up a 2010 Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded, and forgot how damn good these guitars can be. So snappy and resonant, lively feeling in the hands. I really dig them.

It just made me think, I know a lot of guys I talk to play higher end stuff these days, but still have love for certain budget axes.

Other guitars I own that fall into this category would be the Jackson Scott Ian Sig V, Washburn Parallaxe PXL10 and Schecter Solo 6 Blackjack SLS

What are you guys playing in the sub $500 used market range that floors you?

 

[Inearthed]

ESP 300 level guitars when they were built in South Korea, most of them that I’ve picked up have been really solid workhorse guitars - like that ESP H302 that jsp just sold in the classifieds here. Sometimes they just need a new bridge pickup, tuners, or a new nut and they’re ready to roll. Also the 1000 level guitars that are also from South Korea are great too - just many of them have that terrible looking binding that ESP ran on a lot of their instruments. I’ve also been impressed by a lot of the PRS SE series for under $500 used.

 

[Racerxrated]

The Washburn X50ProQ (I think) is a decent deal for 300 or so...the first few yrs were out of S Korea and are nice guitars, neck through and have the Feiten tuning system and stay in tune really well. They came with Duncans, custom in the bridge and a 59 in the neck. The later yrs they made them in Indonesia and took a step down in quality. It'll say on the back of the HS where they are made.
Occasionally you can find a USA Washburn MG series (Grover Jackson designed) used for around 500. They are also very nice. Hamer Diablo USAs, I've bought a few of those over the years for 500. But they may have gone up a bit, very nice as well. In fact it's the best guitar out of the other choices I listed. No contest actually.

 

[napalmdeath]

I've had 3 Shecter Banshee-6 FR's, and got them all under $500. Also had a Solo-6 Custom that was stupid good. All had high-end hardware/pickups, and dirt cheap.

 

[311boogieman]

MIM Strat - but yeah, those Schecters are a lot of guitar for the money. I actually prefer the neck and frets of my C1+ over lots of other guitars I've tried to like.

 

[Hamer95USA]

I owned a '90s Gibson The Paul with a Coors logo that I bought from a friend for $500. A 1981 Ibanez Destroyer II guitar that I bought for $300 used in the '80s. Both of those guitars were considered bargain guitars, but really high quality & well made to boot. I should of kept both of those guitars, but sold off those 2 guitars and a Yamaha Lord Player Les Paul copy to fund a Gibson Les Paul Custom that I was trying to buy at the time. I was tired of the look of the Destroyer's pointy guitar look and wanted a more classic Les Paul type of guitar which I eventually bought.

Guitar George

 

[Bad.Seed]

I've had 3 Shecter Banshee-6 FR's, and got them all under $500. Also had a Solo-6 Custom that was stupid good. All had high-end hardware/pickups, and dirt cheap.

Agreed, I've owned a ton of schecters over the last 5 years or so. I currently own the SLS Blackjack, and Solo 6 Extreme, which was a 1 year run with neck thru construction and matte finish. Love them both. Both have top level hardware, came with the schecter fitted case, and were just under $400. Both play like a dream and sound great.

I've noticed, they're similar to LTD, where they can def be hit or miss. Some sound dead, some have crappy fret jobs or just don't want to set up right. I know this happens to any production guitar, but I haven't had as much hit or miss luck with Gibsons, but I know this is contrary to what most of the internet would say.

However, the good ones are great! I took my LTD Bk600 to Europe with me for tour in the spring, and was totally happy with it.

 

[sleewell2]

Jackson X Series Dinky Arch Top DKAF7 Multi-Scale

 

[GOHOINC]

I bought a no name import les paul custom about 17/18 years ago and I think it was already about 2 decades old, it was a relic before relics were cool is what Im getting at. It has the right headstock shape, inlays in the right place but plastic instead of pearloid, a les paul standard headstock decal on a les paul custom, it does have fret edge binding, rosewood board instead of ebony, overall 1/2 right, 1/2 wrong. On the surface it doesnt sound that appealing I suppose, but its a monster, great player, tone for days, thin as can be finish and heavy as a boat anchor. I think I paid $345 for it on ebay which was cheaper than i could find an Epi LPC at the time and its 10x the guitar. It was my first set neck purchase and was my "less paul" for over a decade until I got a Gibson. Now it lives in C standard.

 

[napalmdeath]

I've had 3 Shecter Banshee-6 FR's, and got them all under $500. Also had a Solo-6 Custom that was stupid good. All had high-end hardware/pickups, and dirt cheap.

Agreed, I've owned a ton of schecters over the last 5 years or so. I currently own the SLS Blackjack, and Solo 6 Extreme, which was a 1 year run with neck thru construction and matte finish. Love them both. Both have top level hardware, came with the schecter fitted case, and were just under $400. Both play like a dream and sound great.

I've noticed, they're similar to LTD, where they can def be hit or miss. Some sound dead, some have crappy fret jobs or just don't want to set up right. I know this happens to any production guitar, but I haven't had as much hit or miss luck with Gibsons, but I know this is contrary to what most of the internet would say.

However, the good ones are great! I took my LTD Bk600 to Europe with me for tour in the spring, and was totally happy with it.

It's all about finding the South Korean models. The newer Indonesians aren't there yet.

All the Banshees I owned were damn near Ibanez Prestige quality. Zero flaws, top-notch fretwork.

 

[skullfxr]

MIJ Jackson Pro Series. $150-$300 add a good trem $120-$150 and you have a HELLUVA nice guitar. Also ibanez prestige.

Either way $500 and practically world class instrument.

 

[braintheory]

It can can be very hit or miss, but one of my friends got 2 Epiphone’s recently that we both agree sound and play better than any Gibson USA line guitars we’ve tried in recent years. He tried tons of other Epiphone’s of the same models before getting the 2 he has now and said that the others he tried weren’t that good, but the 2 he got are just really good somehow

 

[Racerxrated]

I bought a no name import les paul custom about 17/18 years ago and I think it was already about 2 decades old, it was a relic before relics were cool is what Im getting at. It has the right headstock shape, inlays in the right place but plastic instead of pearloid, a les paul standard headstock decal on a les paul custom, it does have fret edge binding, rosewood board instead of ebony, overall 1/2 right, 1/2 wrong. On the surface it doesnt sound that appealing I suppose, but its a monster, great player, tone for days, thin as can be finish and heavy as a boat anchor. I think I paid $345 for it on ebay which was cheaper than i could find an Epi LPC at the time and its 10x the guitar. It was my first set neck purchase and was my "less paul" for over a decade until I got a Gibson. Now it lives in C standard.

I should add that all 3 MIJ LP clones, 2 Greco and 1 Edwards, I paid no more than 550 shipped from Japan for each of them. The last one was 450 shipped and was fantastic. The others were also very good. If you are patient and can deal with some wear and tear you can find some great deals for those LP clones from the late 70s-late 80s.

 

[Pentatonic Wanker]

I just picked up a Schecter banshee and I can not believe how nice it is. Throw a decent set of pups in them, and you are good to go. Fretwork, neck, and fit/finish are all stellar.

 

[BRENTrocks]

Has anyone tried the Hardluck Kings stuff?

I bought one of their Spyder (firebirds) it is incredible!!! plays as good as a $1500 Gibson firebird....I pair $200 for the guitar

IMG_0308 by brent HENDERSON, on Flickr

 

[Manxmusicman]

I bought a les Paul studio last year, it had been refinished in a strange kind of gold burst, I put some bare knuckle 10th anniversary pickups in and my god it’s an animal, I always get compliments when I take it out, plays great and sounds great, with the pickups cost me about £600.

Some a bit more recent, I joined a local country rock band and not want to go down the obvious Tele route I picked up a secondhand Sterling valentine. A seriously playable guitar for the money, great neck, great feel, really good usable sounds, cracking guitar.

 

[Devin]

I have a MIM Standard Tele that I bought for $50 and dropped a set of Dimarzio Twang Kings in....it fuckin kills.

 

[maddnotez]

One of the best tones I have ever had from my own hands included a G&L Cantrell import. Did not particularly jive with the neck as I am extremely picky but by far one of the best sounding guitars with the setup I had at the time.

 

[MrDowntown]

So...
LP Studio used or LP Studio Faded used?
Or
This... https://reverb.com/item/27488368-gibson ... -p90-satin

I'm back on my...want a LP kick...again... but do not have phat budget

Not opposed to the knock off brands, or a LP style guitar... the "copies" seem like such a crap shoot to me, manly b/c I don't know much about them.

 

[skullfxr]

So...
LP Studio used or LP Studio Faded used?
Or
This... https://reverb.com/item/27488368-gibson ... -p90-satin

I'm back on my...want a LP kick...again... but do not have phat budget

Not opposed to the knock off brands, or a LP style guitar... the "copies" seem like such a crap shoot to me, manly b/c I don't know much about them.

I would not go blind on a Gibson. Some are great, and some REALLY aren't. I have a faded that I love but played a dozen and picked the best. I have a friend getting rid of a studio tribute gold top that kicks ass. I can't justify getting it. But let me know if you are interested. It's a helluva fiddle.