Junkers and Gems

[diddybow]

^ That sounds very nice

[fretmonster]

Total crap: A Korean made Dillion S-100 Strat copy. Like the OP I replaced the pickups, and put a Fender neck on it only to realize that it was a made of deadwood covered in a ton of plasticky poly. Should have realized there was no hope for it when I had to replace all the saddle screws cause they stripped.

Incredible bargains: 93 Fender Squier Series Strat - perfect chunky neck and vintage blues tone from the ceramic pus; Brawley LTD - again perfect neck with german steel medium frets, very alive sounding swamp ash and Ric jangly vibe from the stockers; Washburn P290 - these P90s are so sweet and the mahogany so alive and resonant, I feel like I'm playing an original Casino (early Beatles) instead of an import.

[stormin1155]

My gem is a Hamer XT with P-90s that I picked up just a couple days ago... $300 new, with HS case. Looks, feels and sounds like a $600+ guitar.


I used to have a Hohner TE Prinz, which was an excellent guitar. Thinking that all Hohners should be like that I got a Hohner Rockwood strat off the internet. It was complete junk.

[rock-lobster]

Starcaster by Fender guitar pack a real dream killer.

 

 

Agreed. My sister bought one to learn on, {censored}in A that was a terrible guitar.

[GreaserMatt]

I have two the First is a late 90's Epiphone Dot that i paid $140 in excellent condition the other is a PRS Soapbar II that i paid $220 for both play and sound way above there price point..

Those epi dots are great... I've always considered fernandes guitars hidden gems...

[GreaserMatt]

I bought a Hofner semi hollow off my neighbour for

[Engl Kramer]

Liking the collection. Makes me want to grind some chunkiness.

Most of my collection past and present have been cheap used guitars and the ones I've sold have been not right for me- no crap per se.
The best have been my Kramer Special (

[DaleH]

Come on people post the junkers.

[Surrealistic]

Come on people post the junkers.

Well I was going to post my really old junker. It's a 1959 guitar made by some company called "Gibson" I think and the model name is "Led Paul" or "Les Pall" or something - I can't remember exactly. It's actually in great shape for an old guitar but it's so old I'm too embarassed to post a pic. I think I'll just throw it away.

[Brian Krashpad]

Come on people post the junkers.

OK.

The checkerboard one below.

That was my first electric. By the time of the photo it had already become a wall ornament. It was originally a sunburst. iirc. The checkerboard was hand painted. At least I think it was painted. The black bits may've been Magic Marker. The white was probably left over from painting the house.

[Brian Krashpad]

For the scores, here's one. An Agile Valkyrie II. Design ditched reportedly after a cease and desist letter from Gibson, to go to the current more offset somewhat less-SG design. So these were on blowout, $99 + shipping. Easily worth 3 times that much. After buying this, I sold my Epi G400 SG as redundant.

[scuzzo]

ok here is another of those Junky SX SST.. but for 100 bucks dead stock i really like the tone of this puppy.. its got lots of attitude.. lots of bite..



and to prove its not fire wood..
here is a little tone sample.. playing is hack as always but its got some texas in the tone.. kinda whish i pulled on the drums a bit they get a bit lost..

Just a bad dude http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8640541

thankyou for the silly indulgence..

[tat2drocker]

I got this strat for

[dcindc]

I've had me mitts on LOTS of guitars. Like thousands. (I'm old)

Like Krash I trade down, getting good money out of a guitar that is replaced in my herd by something much cheaper.

In no order:
Douglas WT445. I have two, Like them alot!
Xaviere Teles and strats. Some needed quite a bit of work. All are superlative now. No parts replaced. I just mentioned in another thread that I think the XV-870 is the best strat copy available.
Rogues. I screwed up and sold the ash one. I'm keeping all the other ones, all Lipsticks. They are unbelieveable.
Any SX set neck Jr.
Agile Harm. These punch way out of their weight class.
Daisy Rock (blowout upper models) I have been waiting for a deal on a Venus for years now. My Stardust punks vintage Melody Makers.
FA Lola. That was an awesome guitar. I was clearly an idiot when I sold it. I loved the stock pups too!
Hofner Colorama Custom. they need work but the pup combination is awesome. Screwed up and sold one, but got another.
RGW Brian May. Funky, cheap, and never leaving. (I keep saying that)
Squier M80 set neck. Shocked at how nice it is. Won't sell it for what the market will pay for it. It has a home for life it seems.
Epi P90 Jr. It was a plank, but a rockin plank.
Samick Valley Arts Strat. Looked like a toy, played and sounded great!
Gibson Faded Vintage Mahogany. For what you can buy them for, why buy any other LP?
New York Pro Deluxe Strat. Great necks. I gave my kid one, and I tear it up often. Great value.
My SX Ash bass was awesome. 88 bucks with a peeling pickguard, new. UFB

[Brian Krashpad]

I've had me mitts on LOTS of guitars. Like thousands. (I'm old) Like Krash I trade down, getting good money out of a guitar that is replaced in my herd by something much cheaper.

 

 

Haha, to be accurate, I've done both. One (of many) examples: I could've sold my LP Classic and got a DeArmond M-72, when in fact I did the opposite. Similarly, I sold a MIJ Squier Tele (quite nice and visually changed round to look like a Fender blackguard type by it's previous owner) in order to buy an actual '52 Reissue. While I love cheapies and play mine basically all unmodded, for me it's about bang-for-buck at any level. For example, that LP Classic I mentioned is the guitar I've paid the most for, $750 w/ohsc. I didn't mind paying that because it was a great deal on what was (then, haha!) a spotless guitar. Even though I have lots of guitars that cost a third of that.

[imbuedblue]

Here's my junker turned gem. It's an RJ SG that my mom picked up for me in the Philippines last summer for $125. I replaced the electronics and knobs, and slapped on a Bigsby. The headstock looks odd, and I covered the fugly logo with a sticker, but it plays better than an Epiphone SG.

[GreaserMatt]

Oh yeah, even though I own a couple Gibbies, USA Fenders and other USA (Ric, Ovation, Peavey, Hamer), just about everything I have at this point was bought at a really good price. One example, my beloved DeArmond Jet Star, Ruby. Bought for $225 at the outset of the DeArmond Blowout. Brought it to a 3-day jam up in Georgia a month or so, where everyone was free to play all the gear each person brought. Lots of high-end stuff there. Yet several guys played the Jet Star and it got nothing but positive comments, both from players and listeners. In a post-party thread in another forum (the sponsor of the get-together) several people listed as one of their favorites played. I even like the weird looks.

These are awesome guitars; the basses are great too, and just as cheap (I mean inexpensive) as the guitars are...

[GreaserMatt]

[GreaserMatt]

[GreaserMatt]

[GAS Man]

Any SX I've tried has been junk, as evidenced by the guys here buying one and changing everything.

A friend of mine bought one of their LP Jr copies. And it was the worst POS I'd ever touched. The wood was way too dense and heavy (a version of mahogany called "concrete wood"), the TV Yellow was tinged towards greenish yellow and the p'ups were the noisiest I've ever heard. So heavy, dead, noisy and off color. What deal.

My Squier Tele Custom II is the cheapie that I keep coming back too. Even though I didn't like it out of the box, it really grew on me with time. Now it's my favorite travel guitar. It is a bit noisy, but not too bad and if you've got some basic skills, that can be improved with adding a bit more shielding. It was the variety and quality of tone that enamored me with that little cheap-ass bitch.

[Deadbeat Son]

I think my best bang for the buck guitar has been my Gibson Faded SG. I bought it new in 2002 for $529, so it definitely wasn't expensive.

 

 

As for junkers, I've never really had one. I did have a Peavey Vandenberg that I never got along with, but that was before I understood the value of a good setup.

[Brian Krashpad]

These are awesome guitars; the basses are great too, and just as cheap (I mean inexpensive) as the guitars are...

I should probably get one of the basses so I have a matching set.

Btw, what are the guitars you posted, the Fernandes, SG, and Strat?

[metalheadUK]

One of my favourite Junkers is this old "Encore" bolt neck LP copy.

It cost 60 quid, and had a couple of old Gibson pickups in it.

I nicked them for another guitar, and replaced all the hardware with cheap stuff off of ebay...I dont know what the pickups are, but both were less than a tenner, and I replaced all the hardware with stuff I already had, except for a new wiring loom.

The neck pocket has gaps big enough to store a spare set of strings in, and Ingot a mate to do a partial refret that cost me nothing.

I stripped the paint from the top, as the previous owner had tried to relic it , but it just ended up with a load of extremely unconvincing scratches in the poly.

I call it my Driftwood guitar now...it looks like it's been washed up from somewhere.

Became my number 1 gigger for a couple of years!

[Engl Kramer]

One of my favourite Junkers is this old "Encore" bolt neck LP copy. It cost 60 quid, and had a couple of old Gibson pickups in it. I nicked them for another guitar, and replaced all the hardware with cheap stuff off of ebay...I dont know what the pickups are, but both were less than a tenner, and I replaced all the hardware with stuff I already had, except for a new wiring loom. The neck pocket has gaps big enough to store a spare set of strings in, and Ingot a mate to do a partial refret that cost me nothing. I stripped the paint from the top, as the previous owner had tried to relic it , but it just ended up with a load of extremely unconvincing scratches in the poly. I call it my Driftwood guitar now...it looks like it's been washed up from somewhere. Became my number 1 gigger for a couple of years!

That looks cool- what are the pups?