Nobody actually uses off-brand guitars

[bluesnapper]

I'm estimating 7/10 of the guitarists I see playing locally (in my UK city) play Strats of Teles - be they MIA, MIM or Squier - 2/10 use Les Pauls (Gibson or Epi).

 

The other 10% play Ibanezes, Gretsches, 335s, SGs, custom-builds. partscasters - sometimes a Vintage or Yamaha will make it to a gig but very rarely. Cheap guitar round here means a MIM or a Squier. Even at metal gigs I normally see humbucker-equipped Strats, Teles and LPs.

 

Acoustics and basses vary much more than this, but when it comes to solid-bodies, it's Fender, Squier, Gibson or Epi all the way.

 

What's going on? There are loads of top-quality off-brands out there - the guitar stores are full of them, people are posting NGDs all the time. Why don't I see people playing them in public?!?!

[yzfou]

They practice and record with the off brand stuff, but in live situation, you gotta bring the bling

[RaVenCAD]

Because as popular as Agiles, SX, and Squier are on this board, out there in the real world, people don't really play them. Sure, they may have them at home to tinker with, but on the job they need real, reliable guitars.

[jjpistols]

I see all kinds of gear here in the live music capital of the world. Sorry your town is so boring. Maybe move?

[Belva]

It has to do with perception and it's as much the fault of fellow musicians as anything.

" He plays a P.O.S. Korean guitar. I don't want him im my band" Many of us have heard that type of thang.

The fact that a name brand guitar =/= a good player doesn't matter.

[Grantus]

Most guitarists are sheep

[peskypesky]

It has to do with perception and it's as much the fault of fellow musicians as anything. " He plays a P.O.S. Korean guitar. I don't want him im my band" Many of us have heard that type of thang. The fact that a name brand guitar =/= a good player doesn't matter.

 

i've gotten the gig for every band i've ever auditioned for. and i use MIC/MIK/MIJ guitars. no one ever cared.

 

but they were Squiers.

[jaxn slim]

It's probably just a matter of volume and probability. The big brands have made the most guitars, so you're more likely to see them. I could be wrong, but it makes sense to me.

In my town, we see a lot of everything.

[Mark Wein]

I see lots of different stuff here although I had a guy look at my Suhr guitar and amp Sunday afternoon at my gig like I was playing K-Mart gear.

[bluesnapper]

i've gotten the gig for every band i've ever auditioned for. and i use MIC/MIK/MIJ guitars. no one ever cared. but they were Squiers.

 

Yup - that's what I mean - it's not a snobbery thing - it just seems that everything is a Fender Strat - most people have MIM gear, some have MIA and lots have Squiers. You see the odd Yamaha Pacifica but rarely anything else.

 

We have great brands like Vintage in the UK that rival or even top Squier/Epiphone - people on the boards here are always raving about them - but nobody seems to play them live very often!

[deanmass]

My main guitar is a Reverend Roundhouse 290 just because I love it. My 2nd is my Godin Freeway SA. I own no Gibsons, 2 Fenders ( a MIM bass and a Bari Tele). The rest are Reverends, a Dipinto Galaxie 4, a PRS Paul Allender, a Dean Palomino and a Steinberger ZT3. Once I get the GK3 fitted to the Steinberger, the Freeway is probably going away. So, is off brand is anything not Fender, Gibson or ?.

[kulardenu]

 

Most guitarists are sheep

 

 

or Lemmings...

[deanmass]

 

or Lemmings...

 

 

Loved that game ...

[Pine Apple Slim]

I dont get out to see many live bands. Thinking back on the last 1/2 doz or so I have seen, like on this board, teles seem to be the guitar dejour for the recent times.

But any way I think it went:

SG

Tele

Strat

Tele

Gretsch

Tele

As far as wherther the strats & teles were a Fender product, hard to say. Wasnt that close and couldnt tell for sure.

Its been quite a while since Ive seen a guy in a bar band playing an LP.

[RaVenCAD]

We went to Nashville a few years ago and The Grand Old Opry was one of our stops. Gibson, Fender, Martin. That's IT. I saw one Epiphone and that was being played by the band that warms up the crowd while they're standing outside in the parking lot. You don't get on that stage unless you're dressed for the show, and that includes your instrument.

[Spike Li]

Its an image thing. We're social creatures and more often than not care what other people think of us. Ask yourself, if you had the choice between 2 identical guitars to play on stage, one said Fender on the headstock and the other said Squier, which would you choose?

 

If youre out there with something to prove (ie, unknown artist playing in front of strangers) youd want every chance to make a good impression. Call me a snob or corksniffer or whatever but if I see someone on stage playing a "cheap" guitar I instinctively feel like they arent doing the best they can (ie playing an "inferior" instrument). I know thats not the case but sometimes I can help feel that way. Just being honest

 

Like when I saw Scott Pilgrim Vs the World and realised that one guy was playing a Epiphone SG- I immediately thought to myself- ew, couldnt he play something better?

 

[video=youtube;LZjZsegr7V8]

[Pine Apple Slim]

 

We went to Nashville a few years ago and The Grand Old Opry was one of our stops. Gibson, Fender, Martin. That's IT. I saw one Epiphone and that was being played by the band that warms up the crowd while they're standing outside in the parking lot. You don't get on that stage unless you're dressed for the show, and that includes your instrument.

 

 

Safe to say you aint gonna see many Dimebags or Jems on that stage.

We seem to be forgetting PRS. Ive seen those in lots of country acts.

[elsupermanny14]

 

I see lots of different stuff here although I had a guy look at my Suhr guitar and amp Sunday afternoon at my gig like I was playing K-Mart gear.

 

 

hahahaha.

 

Also, go through previous threads where everyone posts their guitars, you will see the same scenario play out here. Almost every person on here, with the exception of 2-3 people, who claim Gibsons and Fender are crap and swear by Agile, still happen to have a couple Fenders or Gibsons in their arsenal.

[Hand Amputation]

It's a strange stigma, for sure.

[niceguy]

I see nothing but Fender, Gibson, and Epiphone versions of Gibsons, here in NYC.

[Elias Graves]

I saw an inanez lp copy a while back on a local stage. Apart from that, mostly strats and telecasters. A les paul every so often.

 

One folky/indie type band had a Godin kingpin.

[steve_man]

It's the same reason that the spam thread is always full of those guitars that you are speaking about. Around here, there are always threads about the "greatest $200 ever" or whatever. SX, Squire, Squire CV, Xaviere, First Act....all have been the "flavor of the month" during the past couple of years. People buy them to mod, to tinker with. Some even play them live. However, I'd say those that play them exclusively on stage are a pretty small crowd. Why is that? Probably because these guitars are built to a price point. That being said, if you are building a $150 guitar...you have to use cheap components, cheaper wood, finish, etc. in order to still make a profit. Yeah, they can be cool to mod and play, but guys that play music for all or part of their living need to have reliable instruments that will hold up to long hours of playing, and the bumps and scrapes of the road.

 

It's the same reason that you will see higher-end DeWalt and Makita power tools on a construction site. Sure, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there, but those guys don't have time to mess with something that will "work" over something that is reliable all the time. I know guys that go through "cheaper" power tools all the time...and think they are saving money. They usually replace their stuff 3 or 4 times in the lifespan of my 1 Dewalt. If they feel good about that and want to continue....that's fine by me. I'll keep my Dewalt, and my Tele...they'll be here when the others have long since faded...

[Bro Blue]

One thing Is that a lot of players don't want {censored} from other players about their gear.

 

I mostly play MIM Strats or Teles or LTDs out. They are tough, play well, and sound good. I don't want some drunk-ass bohunk knocking over my American Strats or Gibsons.

[Kevman]

i am getting decals made to put on all my headstocks. NameBrand as well as store/ buudget brand. If anyone asks me what kind of guitar i am playing i reply :"This old thing?" i talk gear here in HCEG and feel no need to do so in the real world.

[jpnyc]

Looks are an important part of a stage presence. If you want to look like a rock star, you need to go on stage with rock star guitars. Go on stage with an off brand guitar and you look like a broke tap fusion jazz impresario who plays in subway stations. In the outer boroughs.