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What's the cheapest guitar you'll never want to upgrade?


golias

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Man after my own heart.


I will never understand this fetish about tinkering.

 

 

Just not your bag, brother. Nothing wrong with that.

 

 

 

 

 

Freak.

 

I haven't found the guitar that I don't want to tinker with. The closest is my MIM Strat that I've only replaced the plastic nut but if I get another Strat to tinker with and find a pup combo that I like better than the MIMs, that'll change. I may not do anything to my Yammie SBG500b (other than replace the nut that I slotted the G string just a *smidge* too low) but only if I pick up a nice set-neck SG/ SBG.

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Neither of my main guitars are modded. I might consider some changes (perhaps pickups on my 535) but I think that's more of a personal preference things versus "this isn't good enough as currently". About $1000 new is the magic mark for me where you can get something that is good as is without changing anything.

 

But the thing is, good can always become BETTER, you know?

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Interesting. Just last night I was playing my Squier 51 and really digging it. I've had 3 and the only things I changed were cosmetic. The one I have cost $68.

 

 

My 51 is the only guitar I've ever bought KNOWING that I was going to change some things as soon as I got it. I hated the rotary pup selector from the time they came out but figured it was an easy enough fix on a cheap enough guitar that it was worth it.

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Just not your bag, brother. Nothing wrong with that.






Freak.


 

 

Haha, I'm not mechanically inclined. Working on a guitar would be no more fun for me than installing a toilet, putting in a wood laminate floor, or installing a new car headlight (all of which I've managed despite my ineptitude)-- it'd be on a guitar at least, but it wouldn't be any fun.

 

I'd rather be playing, particularly with any of the people I'm in bands with. Or I can sit and do paperwork at the office and stare at a guitar or bass guitar all day, but me and tools don't mix. Keep that screwdriver or soldering iron away from me (and yes, I have, when it was absolutely necessary, done toggle switch replacement and such-- but it was necessary work, not fun). Trust me, the less modding I even attempt, the better place this world will be.

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Haha, I'm not mechanically inclined. Working on a guitar would be no more fun for me than installing a toilet, putting in a wood laminate floor, or installing a new car headlight (all of which I've managed despite my ineptitude)-- it'd be on a guitar at least, but it wouldn't be any fun.


I'd rather be playing, particularly with any of the people I'm in bands with. Or I can sit and do paperwork at the office and stare at a guitar or bass guitar all day, but me and tools don't mix. Keep that screwdriver or soldering iron away from me (and yes, I have, when it was absolutely necessary, done toggle switch replacement and such-- but it was necessary work, not fun). Trust me, the less modding I even attempt, the better place this world will be.

 

 

I can dig that. I was just bustin' yer chops.

 

I was a machinist for 6 years and kinda miss working with my tools when I went to IT work. Guitars are an excellent substitute.

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I understood. I was using the argument that an American Standard tele isn't a cheap guitar, but I had to mod it to get it how I like it, so it would probably need to be another step or two above that for me to not need to mod it to meet my needs.



I've modded any guitar that I havent sold. If I'm going to avoid modding it it's going to need to be something pretty special.

 

 

Yeah, you're in the spirit of my original question. I figured there would be at least a couple people who have yet to find a sub-$1000 guitar that they didn't think needed an extra tweak or two to become what they want.

 

I've had a TON of sub-$100 used guitars pass through my hands, but the Peavey I bought for $300 is the cheapest one that I have and intend to leave unmodified.

 

Oh, and in answer to the guy asking about the finish color: Yeah, mine is red. The gold with silver hardware model was a baffling choice, although it does look SLIGHTLY better in person than in that pic.

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I have had the strange experience (more than once) of playing a guitar and just not liking the sound.

 

Then a day or two later, same guitar & amp, and I'm liking it.

 

Anybody have that happen to them? Maybe it's the barometer.

 

The only time I've thought about changing a pickup is in this tele-copy I have. I wasn't liking the neck pickup. It seemed weak compared to the bridge but then I read that's how a tele was meant to be so I didn't change it.

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Lots of people change out pickups to get a hotter pickup.

 

It's simpler just to turn up the gain on your amp.

 

 

It's also entirely possible I don't know what I'm missing in the tone quest.

 

I can definitely understand why you might change out a nut and tuners.

 

But some people buy a guitar and before they've even played it order different pickups. That to me is kind of goofy. How do you know you need them?

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My Schecter. I added a kill switch which i regretted and later took out, but i've decided it's pretty much perfect.

 

Wait, i lied, i need to replace the jack....again.

 

I got it as a steal, 200 smackers, loaded with EMGs, and as far as i can tell a unique inlay.

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I have had the strange experience (more than once) of playing a guitar and just not liking the sound.


Then a day or two later, same guitar & amp, and I'm liking it.


Anybody have that happen to them? Maybe it's the barometer.


 

 

I haven't had that happen, but one time I had just gotten a new guitar the previous day, and my lead singer really wanted me to play it at a show. All during soundcheck I thought it sounded terrible, whether playing alone or during a song run-through. My lead singer still wanted me to use that guitar, and I decided I would play it for the first song at least and then switch to a backup later if it still sounded that bad.

 

But all during the set it sounded great. I still can't figure out why. Maybe the soundguy tweaked the monitor mix or something.

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Haha, I'm not mechanically inclined. Working on a guitar would be no more fun for me than installing a toilet, putting in a wood laminate floor, or installing a new car headlight (all of which I've managed despite my ineptitude)-- it'd be on a guitar at least, but it wouldn't be any fun.

 

 

I'm the same way. Fortunately, my father-in-law owns his own auto-electric business. When I wanted to replace a set of pickups, his soldering job was flawless.

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But some people buy a guitar and before they've even played it order different pickups. That to me is kind of goofy. How do you know you need them?

 

 

If you love the sound of a particular pickup, you might get a set when you get the guitar.

 

After replacing the pickups on my cheap Strat copy, I've got to say that I understand this. The only Strat I've played since that equalled it in terms of its sound was a 57 AVRI. My next Strat will have a new set of pickups the day I buy it.

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I just got a Daphnie Blue Squier Bullet for $20.00.

I did a fret level, a through setup and put in a set of BG V60s and it's one of the nicest strats I've played in a long time.

By far the best Bullet I've ever played.

 

 

It's amazing what a good setup and a great set of pickups can do. I'm sold on cheap guitars, now.

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