10 Guitars Everyone Hated And Why

[@erickmartin5667]

I kept my 80's shred guitars. I'm happy to say they still have all their paint on them

[@Bryan-jd7os]

Did you see that KZbin of a guy that acquired a whole storeroom of "Shredder" guitars? Charvel, Jackson, all the good ones, look it up! Its absolutely insane!

[@charlescowan6121]

Sweet! I own a charvel and an Ibanez RG, they have a real Floyd rose and dimarzo pups!

[@ianedmonds9191]

@@charlescowan6121 I have an Ibanez RG570, a Dana Scoop and a Yamaha Pacifica 921. The RG570 is very road worn since it was my main guitar for 30 years but the other two are in extremely good condition. I still think that generation of guitars got the playability of the necks just right. I've never played better necks than those on these guitars.

[@charlescowan6121]

@ianedmonds9191 There was this generation of shredding guitar players that came along on the heels of EVH, Randy Rhodes, Lynch, Demartini. Then virtuoso guys like yngwie, Becker, Vai, Satriani, Gilbert. And these players needed a guitar like never before seen! Wayn charvel and Hoshino Gakki answered the call! Sure, there were still fender strats out there (Yngwie!) But it was a relic at that point, and wouldn't see a resurgence until the early 1990's when grunge came along ever so briefly. What a beautiful time it was!

[@stnwrd]

Just like anything, you buy something and make it your own :)

[@dennismcquoid9751]

I'm old fashioned. I don't like reliced guitars or store bought faded jeans with holes. Those flaws need to be earned ;-)

[@221b-l3t]

I'm clumsy so my guitars end up reliced rather quickly. That's what I play Flying Vs for. Always bang the wings into something.

[@thisguy2973]

@@221b-l3tthe difference is you made them that way rather than buying a brand new one as dinged up.

[@chriskitchen4772]

Totally agree, one has to earn that.

[@gregb6387]

I started learning guitar four years ago at 56. I don't have the time left to relic a guitar 🤣🤣🤣

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

Its for posers mainly that can not afford a vintage instrument but are too lazy to break it in themselves.

[@gerardvalentino]

People only hate a guitar I buy when they hear me play it

[@TomLaPointe]

Me too 😂😂

[@MegaChoo2]

Me too, Lol, I sound pretty damned good for five to six minutes.

[@grahamcurran8744]

Hahaha me three

[@ryanimpink13]

Me four

[@Dilla4life]

Classic!!!

[@phillipewing2406]

I love love love the Ibanez RG model. It's a shred monster. I don't need it as much being a 60 year old but I still need it. Every one I've had has been a budget, 399, guitar. Really want a higher end model.

[@tlabamba7741]

From what I’ve read several times, the Strat was a flop in 1954 when it was released, it wasn’t until 1957 when Buddy Holly played one on the Ed Sullivan show that it started becoming popular.

[@MAX96MENDES]

Very true ! Phillip must have forgotten that detail. Fender should have made a Signature Buddy Holly guitar to honor him.

[@williamrusso3130]

You really don't see footage of players using them until he came around. Other prominent early Strat adopters, like Hank Marvin, Dick Dale, and Buddy Guy all rose to prominence after his death.

[@ThePedroDB]

The 80's was the music of my youth. As a result, shred guitars are totally 'my thang'. My 'collection' is pretty much all guitars with Double Locking Trems, loud colurs and pointy headstocks. Some are more 80's than others. Peavey Nitro, Destiny and Vandenberg, Fender HM Strat, Ibanez RGs Jem and Universe, Jackson Soloist.... I'm no shredder but I do love those guitars and own at least one of each. Sitting here with a Jem and Universe at the moment 👍

[@bakstabbath]

You couldn't give a Fender Mustang away until Kurt started playing them. Speaking of Kurt. The Jagstang was dunked on for years and now all of the sudden people love them. 🤷

[@spookybaba]

Jaguars are much better

[@flapjack413]

@@spookybaba I like both, but I prefer the greater versatility of the Jaguar. I've been a big Nirvana fan since they were around, but I hate the Jagstang. At it's core, it's just a Mustang with a humbucker (which I own a couple of), but a really fuckin ugly one! The extended butt, and the way the pickguard and control plate don't follow the lines of the body, just really rubs me the wrong way. Kurt was never happy with his, and barely played it. I see it as nothing more than a cash grab from Fender.🤮

[@seanmckelvey6618]

They couldn't give them away, which was the reason guys like Cobain started playing them. Only for their very use of them to drive the prices through the roof.

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

Ugliest guitar ever made

[@seanmckelvey6618]

@@nocturnal101ravenous6 disagree, but ok.

[@ryangriffith7774]

I was expecting the Explorer and Flying V to make the list. Both were huge bombs at launch.

[@EviMlcak]

Along with the Flying-V, the Explorer is another shapeless monster.

[@MrChopsticktech]

Same here. It seems like it took forever for Gibson to get something right!

[@shauncarter924]

Phil, you are too humble. We all know that a big reason that cheap guitars are cool now is because of KZbin channels like yours and others. As a kid I was sold on the idea that expensive guitars were better guitars, and it wasn’t until I came across your channel that I began to think differently and I bet that I am not the only one that was influenced by you.

[@captainquirk5141]

One of the reasons that cheap guitars get good reviews these days from people like Phil is that they're WAAAAYYY better built than they used to be. Guitars of all price ranges used to be pretty much hand crafted, which resulted in what's known in statistics as a "wide standard deviation." Unless your guitar was made by true craftspeople, they were prone to all kinds of quality control issues - poor fitting necks, badly spaced frets, misplaced bridges, etc. Today, with CNC manufacturing, companies big and small can turn out inexpensive guitars that have quality build specs. Neck pockets are tight, frets are precision aligned, bridges intonate well. The biggest price differences are now in materials, electronics, finishes and perceived cachet, not in essential build quality.

[@sevenstars004]

I agree with captainquirk 100%. Guitars are made so much better today, there is no comparison. You can get an extremely well made guitar today for $500-$700. Switching out pickups are very easy and not expensive. Even the hardware, like tuning machines, knobs, etc., are so much better and made of better quality materials. Considering $500 today, near the end of 2024 is equivalent to ~$207 in 1990 and today's $500 guitars are better made than many guitars that cost over $1000 _then_ , I'd say we live in a better time than ever before, if you're in the market for a guitar on a limited budget. They don't make 'em like they used to. Thankfully.

[@mattbenh]

I didn't want to spend $2000 on a Tom DeLong Strat, so I made one out of a Squire for a fraction of the cost and love it!

[@olebrumme6356]

And it can be just as good too!

[@KyleKalevra]

And it’s more ‘yours’ than any Tom DeLong Strat could ever be.

[@WeeFreeMan78]

Which is the smartest thing to do 👌

[@michaelcarey9359]

@@olebrumme6356 If you put in the neck Invader, and not the BRIDGE model. The neck humbucker has a capacitor filter between the coils... significant difference.

[@MAX96MENDES]

Very good for you! Congrats. I also bought 2 Squier Affinity Strats to upgrade and Mod ! So far, I already upgraded one and its sounding and playing better than my Fender Strat. It only cost me €400 !! - With the money you saved, you can buy yourself a new and better amp and some effects pedals.

[@seanmckelvey6618]

I've always tried to pick a guitar that I like, rather than what the current trends and forum bros want me to like. We're all individuals with different tastes and different things speak to different people.

[@mertmunson1417]

Absolute best way to be when purchasing a guitar!!!!

[@GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy]

Also, synth guitars from the 1980's. I remember Guitar Player magazine devoted an entire edition to synth guitars, and readers/subscribers were so upset that they threatened to boycott and cancel their subscription.

[@doogledog1740]

This was a good idea for a video, Phil. A little retrospect gets you thinking. Thanks.

[@ollieahokas9179]

I grabbed a Rg 550 by accident when I was buying bass trings as the coutner was busy. Little did I know that I woud not byuy the strings but that guitar would follow me home. It made me switch instruments and still those Rg.s still get my attention. Perfect shape for my height and body, well balanced, versatile as they play it all. Over the decade or two, this was my main guitar. And I still own it, though it has its share of wear and tear , still sounding and playing great. It got supplemented by another one, bought cheap as the previous owner tried to put heavy strings on it making the FR rise up like the Empire State. Readjusting and lighter strings it easily holds a note for long time. Over the years I got two more, one is a Rg 570 and a reworked 320 by German luthier with loads of mods. They are alike but not, sounding a little differeatbut able to play it all. Just love them! I never cared for whatever was in fashion in terms of guitar, ergonomics, balance and sound alongwhat I can afford, was on my bucket list.

[@777Lateralus]

Please don’t write paragraphs worth of useless information when you can’t spell or use grammar properly. No one cares

[@JakeGordon-cp7eo]

I used to have an rg 1526. I got it when my uncle passed. When his daughter came of age i gave it back. Now it hangs on a wall

[@Chalepastel]

i got an rg 170 dirt cheap and it has been my main guitar since then. It's exactly what I want on a well balanced, versatile instrument

[@shanewalton8888]

Relic guitar popularity is a testament of how gullible people are. No poser guitars for me.

[@jerrywatt6813]

After years of gigs and travel around the world my guitars are like brand new the whole relic fad produced a bunch of guitars that will have negative resale in comeing years I'm sure it's so phoney !

[@FireflySecurityPro-oi9og]

I bought a Peavey Mystic around 1984 and played it for 40 years. No chips in the finish except a few belt buckle rubs on the back.

[@mineralt]

Amen

[@fredstevens799]

@@jerrywatt6813 yes, you can take care of nice things, even well-used - not that difficult! As John Bolinger once observed, success in music is based in authenticity - if you can fake that, you've got it made!

[@Imnotthevillian77]

I personally wouldn’t buy a relic. BUT I think it would be cool if ONLY the neck were broken in. That being said, the neck on my tele is breaking in from use and THAT is how to relic: from ACTUALLY PLAYING THE DARN THING. lol.

[@PMofKhanadah]

I do not care what everyone thinks about my guitars. When they hate, I play! It usually shuts 'em right up. But that's just me.

[@ItsaCatsLife]

No, I'd still never buy a pre-damaged guitar. That's just nuts.

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

Yep I still go to stores and talk about prices and people are just insane, its a f&*king used guitar and there are hundreds of this model on the market, yet you are trying to sell it for more than its MSRP new. kindly go F&*K off!!!!! Your used shit isn't worth what you think it is.

[@alecfraser1928]

What impressed me with Ibanez and Hamer in the 80s / 90s was that they were trying to make a better guitar when other brands were in a 30 year (now 70 year) rut. But I never really bonded with those I had and they have all moved on. I'd be prepared to give the Hamer Diablo another go if I can find one in oiled finish.

[@rongroves9620]

I have to comment again. Number 10 is me. Graduated HS in 1985 and have been looking at shred guitars lately! That is so funny that you would catch that in your video.

[@Fast2Whls]

Class of '85 too. 15 of my guitars are pointy Ibanez and Jacksons with Floyds. I catch so much crap over it but don't care; they play better than anything else.

[@karmaceutical3963]

@@Fast2Whls ya aesthetics aside, ide rather play the guitar with a low action fast neck designed around ergonomics, rather than a clunky ass les paul or strat just to fit the image of this or that genre

[@michaelr.4878]

When the first superstrats with the original, no fine tuners, floyds first hit, there are stories out of several Los Angeles guitar shops where guys actually traded in Bursts for these first superstats. I sounds absolutely insane now. But that's how crazy people were for the superstats when they first started to come out in limited quantities at the retail level. 'Factories' weren't equipped or prepared for mass production...as most weren't even 'factories'...just shops...so overshore production soon started. There was a lot of 'manufatured elsewhere...assembled and setup here', going on.

[@stephen3164]

People commonly were fitting Floyds on to vintage 60’s Strats in the 80’s - which didn’t work out so great given the vastly different radius, but also people didn’t care about a 20 year old Strat being some “vintage and valuable” thing. I admit to modifying some cheap used guitars during the early 90’s - modding stuff from the late 70’s or early 80’s, import stuff, that no one cared about. Now of course, some of those guitars are sought after.

[@scottakam]

I thought Les Pauls and Telecasters were horribly ugly when I first started playing guitar. They grew on me over time and my Telecaster is now one of my favorites!

[@flapjack413]

Literally the same thing happened to me over the years, haha. I called them old man guitars. Now I'm 45, and I have a couple of each. So, really, I guess I was right all along!😂

[@seanmckelvey6618]

I used to find the tele ugly compared to the les paul when I started playing, but now having played both I'm firmly on team telecaster.

[@jamesc8563]

One day you start liking telecasters. Usually around the time you start having ibuprofen for breakfast and can’t understand what the heck teenagers are saying. 😅

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

The first time I saw a Telecaster headstock I thought it was damaged!

[@MyChannel-uq2ot]

Les paul is, but telecaster looks nice imho

[@ThePedroDB]

I'm kinda surpised the Parker Fly didn't make this 'top ten'. It certainly has polarising looks. I love mine but they're certainly not to everybody's taste...

[@michaelcarey9359]

Headless guitars were never "out of fashion" ,as much as out of price range... even then, a used "paddle" Steinberger GP-2 in good shape wasn't going for less than $1000, and if you were looking for a TransTrem (let alone a composite body), it was a couple of paychecks for a lot of people. Nobody made headless at the time, and headless necks just weren't sold, unless as Steinberger replacements.... and they were kind of heavy. And were nevermind double ball-end strings...

[@WeeFreeMan78]

I wouldn't buy a car that came with dings and scratches from factory. I'd never buy a new pair of shoes bursting at the seams. I'd never wear a shirt with yellow stains in the armpits because it was sold like that. So why buy a guitar that looks it's been through hell and at a premium price? It's just stupid

[@pinballrobbie]

What about jeans with rips in them!

[@Taxevader-gk9ms]

@@pinballrobbie it's cheaper to buy jeans and rip them yourself so also no

[@WeeFreeMan78]

@@pinballrobbie Nope, not ever. I don't like the "I walked through a pack of wild dogs" look 😄

[@tobsixi6702]

The difference is: in a car, a pair of shoes or a piece of clothing, dinks and scratches would negatively influence said object over a longer period of time (ie. Make it more susceptible to rust or make it less durable) with a guitar thats obviously not the case and eventhough I am also no fan of the aesthetics of a relic job, I do have to admit that they often times feel more comfortable and broken in than brand new (none reliced) guitars

[@WeeFreeMan78]

@@tobsixi6702 I see your point but for the sake of argument, won't a relicked guitar be affected more from moisture, temperature etc? I keep my guitars in pristine condition, even those that I've played the nuts out off. I want every ding to have a story and that story to be mine. That's my view but I get what you're saying

[@claudiajay8291]

I love the bright orange Ibanez guitars …I loved the 80s … I hope they get popular again ❤

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

I mean the RG genesis has kind of been mostly sold out, so wish granted.

[@ThePedroDB]

Ibanez RG565-FOR (Fluorescent Orange) is a fairly recent reissue that you should probably check out!

[@dirkdigglerxxxx]

Great video thanks. There's a lot of love in the comments for mid to late 80s shred guitars, speed and hotter sound aside, mine could deliver beautiful sparkly clean sounds... I don't play much now but had to keep mine and yes the prices are definitely soaring. Thanks again.

[@samisabell6555]

Dig the list. I like the non standard stuff, and even with the popular brands, I've owned weird ones. I've always told students to get something that sounds good unplugged and feels good in their hands, the other stuff is secondary.

[@kevincrozier8625]

I have been buying cheap guitars for over 35 years. I always frequented the pawn shops, flea markets and yard sales. Yes there was a lot of junk but there were decent guitars also. I am 65 and none of my guitars are over $300. Most I bought for $150 from a pawn shop. If they weren't in really bad shape, I would replace parts. I have a music room full of guitar parts. To me, it was just as interesting working on them as it is playing. And I am a weekend warrior/home player. Plus the fact is that a lot of cheap guitars now are made better than years ago.

[@martin-1965]

Great list and point being made here Phil - just wish you'd warned us to put on sunglasses before you brought out the neon orange Ibanez 😂😂😂

[@spookybaba]

I loved, and still love, the shape of those ibanez shred guitars. They're beauties. I never got one, and I can't justify having a fourth guitar. My 88 charvel is my shredder, which I've had since new and was my one and only for 30 years until I acquired two absolute beautiful Yamaha SG models from the early 80s.

[@lewolf2884]

Johnny Winter, as he got older, started road-housing with a headless Erlewine Lazer guitar... and the music was still as sweet as when he played it with his Firebirds! 🐺

[@michaelgass497]

Wow! Great list. It could have gone a lot of directions but you made a lot of sense. Thanks for the prospective.

[@KCCheez]

My black BC Rich Warlock with puke green crackle finish will never not be a magnet for attention. I had it for the end of the 80’s, through the grunge era to today. It never got more attention playing Poison than it did playing RHCP or Nirvana… it still gets 100% attention even playing I Knew You Were Trouble today!

[@FlameFlickers]

Now do a video of 10 guitars that everyone should love!

[@vita-girl4345]

I’m willing to bet that the N4 will be a hated guitar after Nuno leaves the scene. That said, the Jason Becker Numbers models will live on forever.

[@lewolf2884]

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE Guitar in my arsenal is my Fender AVRI ('65) JazzMaster... very much loved! Great video... Thanks, Phillip! 🐺

[@aidantod33]

Great vid Phil, and good points. Thanks

[@RobertNolan]

I bought the 70th Anniversary Antigua Strat, suffice to say... It is a very polarizing color choice. I absolutely love it.

[@Rahn1975]

Great video Phil. I can tell that you put a lot of thought into this one.

[@johnnyteres]

Recently picked up an Ibanez RG 565 Genesis "Vampire Kiss" and I'm madly in love with it. May 80's shred machines never die.

[@ValiRossi]

I have an original 1987 Ibanez RG 550 road flare red that I bought new in 1987. Mint condition. I don't play it much anymore but I still love it.

[@rongroves9620]

That was a great video and a cool idea. Thanks!

[@fingolfen01]

I think the big change for both "cheap" guitar and travel guitars is the technology and quality has gotten better on both of them. A "cheap" guitar today is much better quality than the "cheap" guitar from 20-30 years ago.

[@george.kollaros]

The truth about guitars hated and then loved is that when you start playing in a band and you're not famous and you don't have money, you buy the cheapest guitar you can find, and the cheapest ones are those that everybody hates. So, in the '70s and early '80s all rockers were buying Gibson Les Pauls and SGs for cheap because they were leftovers from the '50s and '60s. When these guys and their bands became famous everybody wanted their instrument of choice. The same with Grunge and Jazzmasters and Jaguars. Shred and flashy guitars of the '80s were loved immediately because they represented the spirit of the music and the shows, but later hated because it was only associated with that era and that style, as Philip said. Now there's a comeback of the '80s and these axes are cool again.

[@leegreco_guitar]

I'm that guy that bought an RG-550 because I always wanted one when I was a kid but couldn't afford it. Now that I have it and it's set up with SD pickups and has a good setup I don't think I could ever let this guitar go. It just plays great, stays in tune, and sounds great. They are legit great guitars that can do so much more than just 80's hairband metal. I love it just as much as my American Strat.

[@Yardbird68]

I found this topic quite interesting to say the least. I will admit, never knew LP were NOT popular when they first came out. I remember when the 1st headless guitar came out thinking. If I bought one of those, I will feel like I bought an incomplete guitar.

[@DynaMike804]

I have a 1993 RG550 in purple, and I love it. I don't even shred, but that edge trem is hard to beat comfort wise

[@jamesc8563]

When I started playing guitar I liked SGs, Explorers, Ibanez shred and metal shhapes, and Vs. My first electrics were an Ibanez Destroyer and an Epiphone SG. And I wanted something with a Floyd, although I never ended up getting one. The more my back started hurting and the less I could understand what teenagers were saying, the less I liked anything aggressive-looking or too flashy, and the more I started liking Teles, Gretsch hollowbodies, and ES335s, preferably with Bigsbys on them.

[@jgeraci1]

Who are we kidding? We love all guitars 😂

[@DookyShoes1]

Man I frickin HATE a jazzmaster! It’s irrational how much I despise them, I can normally find something good to say about any guitar but those are just…bleh

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

I prefer the Jaguar to be honest over the jazzmaster, but the main issue with both is you need to have them set up properly, like really properly other guitars you can kind of get away with the setup being off, but not that bridge and tremolo.

[@Irkennalpha]

I love that I can play Van Halen on a Jazzmaster, it’s always a huge surprise factor for the audience, doing it live. If you set the trem?/vibrato correctly, it’s really on par with any other non locking bridge.

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

@@Irkennalpha Yeah in General a Jaguar and Jazzmaster has to have and be set up properly otherwise they play terribly and most people that have played them that don't like them have never played one that was properly setup, although the Jagstang and mustang are the ugliest goddamn guitars I have almost ever seen they are just so awkward looking and was never comfortable playing them and I like oddball guitars.

[@Irkennalpha]

@@nocturnal101ravenous6 Yeah Jagstang was the joke Kurt played on Fender, couldn't me more horrendous. I don't know yet who buys those guitars

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

"You don't play rock on a _Jazzmaster."_ -- John Fogerty

[@poopoo-qz7sw]

Great episode thank you for your hardwork 😊

[@Setright230]

Have to say, Phil your SG’s over time, had to be part of my Geeky collection. 61 faded cherry no trem and nose dive, gather I was just lucky. Not even a problem with QC, amazing lol. Yet with the studio Marshall head and half stack angled England built. That at time I think I had told the KYG community 🤷‍♂️. Another reason why i give my best, I hope to budget better to give a-little more for things you have made clearer or flat out better ways all the time. Not a thing, I could or would do for a walking, strumming this is the best pedal and guitar till there next show. Respect my friend, 🫡🪖🇦🇺 (ya got ta have a pointy shredder if where rocking high school in the 80’s Hair Guitar days and pants so tight they looked painted on, So my RG premium and wizard neck is a must stay lol)

[@SapperRJMorgan]

I dislike certain headstocks. I also dislike overpriced guitars. Some of the ones you showed are absolute beauties. I love when people say… “do you like it? Does it inspire you to play? Then it’s a good guitar…”

[@7of9kids]

I love my Ibanez RG550. It is stock except I added a Roland GK2a hex divided pickup for MIDI guitar stuff. It rocks and I can play almost any genre of music on it. It has great action and is light and very comfortable to play, and gets great sounds!

[@lar57jsy]

I've been happy with cheap guitars except when the pots are noisy, the loose tuners slip and the nut cuts grab the strings. ;-)

[@vvevv88]

Thanks for the validation re: Squiers. I hated them when I was young. Had a friend that played a PRS while I was stuck with my strat. 20 years later it's all I wanna play.

[@richarddhu8452]

The thing about the sears guitars to me wasnt the label but the high action and painful playability..cheese slicer. My first electric in 1979 was a sears silvertone...I almost quit guitar due to the pain of playing that slicer. Thank goodness I finally was turned on to light gauge strings and continued to play until I could get better quality instruments. high end guitars from those days played so much easier. Fortunately now, even cheaper guitars arent to horrible to play out of the box

[@jessebatchelor]

Hey Phil. Inexp3nsive guitia5s such as Hwrley Benton, FireFly, I've arr so much be55e4 than most Silvertone, Kay, Mem0his etc. It's almost comical. Of course 5hqt is a great thing for the hobby and Industry! As fa4 as hated guitars, how about 2 of my all time favoritea.... Explorer and Flyong V?? Panned by most every one till 5he late 70-s and early 80's. GREAT video as always. Keep up the g9oe work!!

[@JamesWalshBristolKids]

Near as I can tell it’s the pickups that make a difference , at least to my ear… and the setup is paramount. If you enjoy the guitar and it has a particular sound to it that we love then I will adapt my playing. I think that a diff GTR makes you play different . ❤🎉

[@rhymeskill]

Great video idea! I miss your lists like this.

[@stevewoodyt]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="600">10:00</a> I have a 91 rg770 and a 20th anniversary reissue rg550. They are two of the best playing instruments I’ve ever held. Light but not too light. Thin necks. They sound like doodoo and I love it ;)

[@resington]

Phil you are great at these types of videos, more please!

[@fivepiece]

The cheap guitar game changed when CNC machines got seriously involved in production. Now you have a MUCH better chance of finding a cheap guitar where the neck heel makes a solid fit into the pocket, creating a more reliable and affordable platform for personal experimentation.

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Shoutout to Hartley Peavey and Chip Todd, the first two to ever do it

[@robraaiii]

I find the more I like guitars, the more guitars I like. There are less and less in my “no, thank you” list. And the collection grows.

[@LuftysSpacedock]

Cool video Phil. Interesting to know some of those classics were flops! Crazy! Les Paul, Jazz Master, crazy! I do not yet own a 80's hair guitar, but I have been lurking at one or two. I need to pull the trigger on one! BUT WHICH ONE DUDE?! WHICH ONE!?!

[@mallninja9805]

For my money, you can't beat the Jem. It's the 80s-est guitar there is.

[@neilpatrickhairless]

ESP Maverick

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Or a Keith Roscoe if you wanna spend $$$$

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Peavey Adrian Vandenberg models are cool too.

[@michaelschneider7590]

Very enjoyable, Phil! How about number 11…. PRS!

[@JAL-cc8jd]

I am definitely a single cut lover with my favorite being the Gibson Les Paul. I love Telecasters, too, but for some reason the Les Paul seems more elegant and refined and the Tele more utilitarian and simplistic. But in the right hands (not mine, sadly), they can both make incredible sounding music. 🎶

[@bradmatz4150]

Hey, what r u trying to say about buying a guitar at Sears?? The Harmony Rocket in my opinion is one of the best guitars ever made! I even put a DeArmond gold foil mustache in my tele partscater. N if I knew better at the time I would have bought as many as I could when they came in the early sixties… The headless guitar makes me wanna hurl!! :)

[@barnettg66]

I've been on a 5-6 year late mid-life crisis odyssey trying to find the perfect guitar for me. I started playing guitar in the mid-1970s with a knock-off Harmony Les Paul (from the Sears catalog), then on to a Japanese Fender Strat (with the dreaded System 3 temolo -- worst contraption ever built)...then to a real Les Paul, then real Strats, Ibanez RGs, and even a PRS. And then a few years ago (god help) me to Warmoth builds hoping to find the magic moment where the heavens opened and IT (yes, IT in the form of a miracle guitar) arrived. I got very close with the Warmoth 7/8 S-Style, but still not quite IT. Thousands upon thousands of dollars later, I grudgingly concluded that my Fender Player Strat and my trusty old Gibson Les Paul beat them all. They always work, they always sounds great, and they fit like a glove. Turns out that heaven is right there where its always been, waving at me from the guitar rack.

[@tmsglobal5848]

Very cool take! Glad that you did this.

[@BigJohnnyMoe]

The first guitar I bought was a road flare red Ibanez RG550, but it never suited me. I was younger and still very much under the impression it would INSTANTLY make me sound and play so much better. While I don't own it anymore I do have one photo of it, (and the receipt) and for me I suppose that's good enough. The one lesson I've learned about your gear making you sound and play better is to make sure whatever it is, that it's well set up. It's the platform. The magic is in your discerning ear, and playing anything that isn't well set up takes your focus away from that more important thing, that magic.

[@Dr_Bobo137]

Great, fun presentation! Thanks! One nit: the expression is “homed in” not “honed in”. This is an ultra common mistake, but it is a mistake

[@raywt3237]

That was interesting. A video like this on effects/pedals would be good as well!

[@AAAA-lt9hq]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="530">8:50</a> 80s guitars are pretty much superior to every other guitar, especially vintage Fenders and Gibsons. Why? Lower action, faster necks, more frets, better, more aggressive shapes, more wiring options (series/split/parallel/phase/killswitch), floating bridges (the good ones that stayed in tune like Schallers, OFRs, Ibanez Original Edges, and Kahlers). Occasionally you would have MIDI functionality, integrated piezos in something like a Graphtech Ghost system, hexaphonic pickups, and more. More features + better playability = better, to the point that many of these guitars are more than what most hobbyists need. *In short, you can do everything on an 80s shred guitar that you can do on a 50-70s Les Paul or Strat and more. This makes the 80s guitar better. It's a Ferrari compared to a Ford Mustang.* The problem is the guitar market right now is very conservative. Styles have become boring again since 2010 or so. Same old Strats. Same old Les Pauls. These are safe and they are what sell. *The only way to find true 80s style guitars with aggressive shapes and innovative designs today outside the used market is to either custom build a guitar or buy a guitar made for the Japanese domestic market by companies like Edwards, Grassroots, Grover Jackson, Jackson Stars, Fernandes, and others, and import them.* A rare, interesting guitar shape like a 1985 Hondo Death Dagger was only recently brought back in modern form as a 7 string with Floyd Rose by Ran Guitars of Poland and then ESP for Steffen Kummerer of Obscura. *If there is a legitimate criticism of 80s guitars beginning with BC Rich and later extending to Jackson/Charvel, LTD/ESP, some Ibanez guitars, some Kramer guitars, and Japanese guitars like Fernandes, it is that aggressive body shapes lead to a lack of balance and usually neck drop.* This is pretty much the only reason not to buy an 80s guitar. *That said, garish 80s guitars like the Ibanez Jem shown are a good example of when not to buy an 80s guitar. The colors are terrible (gloss black, red, white, or blue are best for pointies, and not so many bright clashing colors), it is basically just a super Strat, and Ibanez makes it more difficult to upgrade their bridges on their cheap guitars by sticking to their Edge derived bridge designs, which are not always swappable with OFR/Schaller/Gotoh bridges. This is why I stay away from Ibanez, as well as their general conservatism regarding designs. They do not put floating bridges on their Glaive, most Icemans, most Destroyers, and other pointy shapes.* In my view, Ibanez has mostly stopped making interesting guitars. If I want a floating bridge Destroyer, I am better off with the mid 80s X series than waiting on a reissue. That said, *Ibanez basses are usually a very good value relative to guitars because they often feature 6 or even 7 strings for a moderate cost relatively to boutique brands like Dingwall or Conklin.* So bring back 80s guitars. I'm tired of Boomer cherry sunburst Les Pauls.

[@ardmoremooney4222]

I like lighter guitars but don't like the accompanying neck dive

[@JordyJayHomer]

I borrowed an old Steinberger with the normal body. I can't remember the model, but it had active EMGs; I guess they all did for a while. It wasn't my favourite guitar, but it sounded fantastic, with a unique punch/cutting sound that's hard to describe

[@mikeymumblesreal]

Once again, great video PHIL!!!!

[@DanAlterGuitar]

Really enjoted this style of video from you! :)

[@mikesullivan5219]

I don't think I ever hated any guitar.....I ever owned....Great video Phil . .

[@thseed7]

Solid list and points. I don't mind Relics, but it's more for the feel than the look. Crazy guitar shapes and features can be divisive, but the Jazzmaster and Flying V are examples of things I didn't love until I played. For me, seeing a musician using a certain guitar to make the music you love is the selling point for those associations. I wanted a Strat because Jimi and Stevie played Castles Made of Sand or Texas Flood on them. To get that sound, you feel like you need the guitar they played, but any guitar with three single coils and a trem will get you there though. P.S. Morbid Angel's Domination album was one of the cassette deck mainstays in my high school Honda.

[@philknight6844]

In 1988 I bought a brand spanking new Charvel model 6 in burgundy mist (with no idea just how rare that shade was). Played it and gigged it and battered it for three decades until all the electronics died and the switches broke. Trem was wearing badly. Spent twice what it cost recently having a rebuild. New trem, seymours and all new electricals. To this day the best guitar I have owned for playability. Have a 50 year old paul, sixties strat, various others. The guy restoring it said he loved the battle scars. Oldie but goody.

[@riverstone5994]

Every guitar is ugly until someone cool enough plays one then they’re not

[@BCarpenter2314]

And some remain ugly even after someone famous uses them (talking about you, headless guitar)

[@jl3573]

Yeah probably right. I own an old 1978 telecaster custom which I love but everyone has always seemed to dislike even though Keith Richards used one. Guess he wasn’t cool enough to make them popular. A humbucker in the neck of a tele just makes so much sense to me. (Cue the haters)

[@Duckeggmike]

​@@BCarpenter2314Hey watch your mouth

[@Win7ermu7e]

@@BCarpenter2314 I just think Geddy Lee everytime I see one. I love the guy but man he's no looker either. Very fitting.

[@brians5791]

I like all of them and love some of them. It’s people that are the failures. Shred guitars should have never become cliche. The 80’s was awesome. The only one I question is the relic and even some that are vintage in the hands of a musician are sometimes unappealing. Deep scratches both above and below the strings from strumming? And you never see them strum. That’s tour buss boredom

[@weets69]

Love 80’s shred guitars. In fact I ran across at Kramer Striker at a Good Will a few years ago offered for $25 bucks with hard case. I bought it for the case, but the guitar is pretty good. In the process now of rebuilding her for a home noddle machine.

[@Bastion71]

Weight is always a funny one to me. I've played very heavy and very light, and I don't really care. If it feels good, and it sounds good, I like it. Maybe because I'm not on stage with a heavy guitar every night. If I'm playing at home, or I'm sitting down, the weight doesn't really matter to me. Of course, as I speak, I have an EART GW2 headless (certainly influenced by your review) and it's just there because it's easy to grab up and play. Small, light, headless... and given it's finish and price point, I don't really care if it gets dinged up. Anyway, it's more about convenience than weight.

[@GenghisJohn69]

What some people need to remember is that while they don’t like relic’d or headless guitars, certain groups of people love them. What works for you may not be my thing but what works best for me, you might not like. There are guitars out there for everyone now, that is something we should all appreciate

[@TheMuseumOfMistakes]

I have no issue with cheap guitars but the burst on that Squier Strat is wild. I think the sprayer was looking the other way when laying the black haha

[@senseiruss]

Love this video! Such a good idea for a topic! Very interesting and entertaining!

[@stephen3164]

Something to remember about relics - guitars used to have a nitro finish that would wear easily and quickly. If you played your guitar daily for a few years, it would show. It didn’t need “40-50 years” to look worn. Starting by the 70’s and 80’s, many electric guitars were finished in poly. You could can play a poly finish for 20 years, and the guitar can still look new. Today’s players weren’t being “visually rewarded” with finish wear they earned by time put in to playing guitar - so the desire to relic came about. And then of course you have people that want a guitar to look like it’s been played a ton, and toured the world. I’ve been playing for over 35 years. I keep my guitars in good shape. Many look like new - even ones I’ve had since the late 80’s. And that said, I can appreciate a relic’d finish on a newer guitar. My body is road worn in appearance, why shouldn’t my guitar match? 😉

[@woofcity6307]

Yeah, I bought a really nice Ibanez in 1995 for $250 that i knew was maybe 6 times as much when it was new - but because it was teal and had a pointy headstock it was totally uncool. But it played amazing and came with dimarzios that sounded awesome and had basically the prs 08 switching system in it and a good floyd rose. But the point I had it for 10 years and I sold it for not a lot because I just didn’t like being seen playing it! The neck was about 10 mm thick. I’ve never had a guitar with a thinner neck, but it just played amazing. It just worked so well. You could do anything you want to it like sometimes I would just push the tram bar all the way down and take the strings into a complete sag and just hold it there for like 30 seconds and then bring it back and to be perfectly in tune.

[@ratwynd]

I don't hate on any guitar, they are just wood and metal things. I love what they DO! There are many I think ugly or unappealing but that is very personal for every player. Not into jagged pointy guitars personally. Number 1 criteria is how it sounds and plays. Everything else a distant second. Pink, purple or duck tape, don't care. I am not locked into one style of instrument. I have or have owned in the past almost every style of guitar except a pure acoustic jazz box. But there are features I don't ever want, like Floyd Rose bridges or active pickups for example. For what matters, See #1 above.

[@rexdarvog]

I personally like the Jazzmaster just not dressed in a traditional Fender design, I would purchase one if it had humbuckers and either a TOM or string-through hard tail. I know Jim Root has his Jazzmasters but I always liked offset bodies before he had those.

[@quicksesh]

I have an Ibanez RG550 from the early 90's ... most of the paint is missing, highly modded but it still is a functional guitar, change the pick-ups and you can get some sweet sounds out of them.

[@ianmartens5286]

One of the reasons people like relic guitars and why new manufacturers are relicing is because it feels great to play. Also, you don't have to be nervous about bumping it into the floor tom or whatever. What is also funny is that those of us who like relic guitars don't comment on new looking guitars like relic haters do when they see a beat up looking strat or whatever.

[@lolobuggah2670]

Your relic guitar looks pristine. Beat it up some more.

[@chillpillology]

that was a pretty darn good list phil

[@BOSSenjoyer]

That Zeus is sick

[@rockinchairboogie3222]

I love the 80's guitars, I get so sick of seeing the new dark, drab colors. I'm all man and I like the pinks, yellows, purples, the flashy colors. In the 80's I picked up the guitar by the name of Ibanez and it was green and on the back of the guitar, it was signed and numbered by some guy I never heard of " Steve Via". It was around $800. dollars with an hardshell case, if I could only go back in time!

[@justinvzu01]

I'm a Didn't player, but still half of my hypermodern guitars are brightly colored. I love pink and purple especially. Thank God for Ormsby.

[@1Rockstok]

Phil, Glad to click your posts when they’re short. When I see then at anything over 30 min I go elsewhere.

[@dw7704]

Shredder guitars never really went away around here, they were always around I never got into them so much, but nothing against anyone who likes them. Some guitars were ahead of their time, some were just bad marketing or bad timing. So don’t worry about trends, get something (or some things) you like and play