5 Of The BEST Guitars Under $1000!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

Do you guys have any favorite guitars in the $700 - $1000 range? Let me know! Enjoy !

[@shootin7]

Dean ML "Dime-oflage" Chinese remake, sounds pretty damn good and it was fairly reasonable just under 850. Jackson js32 king V too, it's very low priced at about 300 to 350 but for a low end guitar it's pretty rad to start on.

[@jasonschwartz9481]

As a former touring musician who refused to pay for a top end guitar since I sold all of mine lol. All of the Epiphone Les Paul's are tremendous value. Even for recording purposes you can get any sound you want out of them.

[@jasonschwartz9481]

That's if they're set up correctly.

[@shfla7293]

Epi LP custom (yeah yeah it’s not $700 but it was $710 when tax kicked in so ya

[@manuele.itriagom.728]

I'm a Gibson hater and yet I still believe Gibson Tribute Les Pauls are something else for the price. Just saying.

[@Teodor1Oline]

Grats on 700k!!!! Thats huge, and I am very proud to say ive been here for about 5 years, again, congrats Darrell!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sgtmac62]

Me too

[@rayyan1495]

Same

[@user-xm5fo3bo3t]

Norsk eller?

[@mikecorey8370]

Same here. Nobody has a better guitar channel. Darrell and Shane talk to the average guitarist. And it's really appreciated. This video is the perfect example of why Darrell's channel is so good. He, as does Shane, gets that most people don't have 2-3 thousand to spend on a guitar or an amp.

[@Teodor1Oline]

@@user-xm5fo3bo3t jauuuuu

[@andrewwaud3407]

Got my Epi. 59' LP yesterday and cannot agree with you more! Most well spent guitar $$$ in my guitar life so far!! Excited to hear the next inspired notes that are waiting for me inside that fine instrument :) thank you for all your great content..

[@chrisegg7936]

IMO, basically every guitar coming from yamaha right now is incredible value for the money. Both the pacifica and revstar lines have really blown me away both in sound and looks.

[@colinfarnsworth2286]

Same with their acoustic guitars, Chris. I have an AC3R that is amazing.

[@RJ-mz3co]

I am a newbie and I have learned a lot on your channel! In February, my first guitar was a new one in the sub-$200 range. I had to return it because it had a bent neck and the saddle on the high-E string kept sinking so the string was way too close to fretboard (buzz). In March, I moved up to looking in the $400-$800 range, and got a really nice used PRS Santana SE for $499 (with matching gig bag). Very similar to Paul's guitar, I found it much more playable with its 24.5" scale length, and the action and intonation are perfect. Thanks for all the help in picking a guitar!

[@ourathana5437]

I’m a completely beginner and I’m looking for a guitar so my questions is should I get a cheap guitar or a mid range guitar(1000-500) as a starter guitar I kinda want a mid range guitar since I don’t want to spend to much money on multiple guitar

[@Baci302]

The demos of these guitars are so pedaled-up that it's difficult to really get a true feeling for the sound of the guitar's respective pickups. But I love your channel and thank you for everything I've learned here.

[@fmarkow]

Agreed, they pretty much sounded the same here, can't really hear the gits tone . But I too love ya'lls channel..

[@charlesreynolds6101]

I couldn't tell one from the other in a blind test. That may be a good thing.

[@edwardtcrump5312]

I won't pretend to know how or why it comes out this way in his videos, but it's like this in every video. Every guitar sounds basically exactly the same, evey single time. I still watch and like his videos though.

[@user-s1o3nr532]

@@edwardtcrump5312 Maybe there's just not much in it - or perhaps compared to how you play it, what you're playing doesn't matter as much as you might think it does. I remember years ago I joined a band with this guy who sounded fantastic and he only played really modest instruments. That made me completely re-evaluate getting a super expensive Gibson and got me to value practising more instead.

[@MrClassicmetal]

@@user-s1o3nr532 Many great guitarists would agree with you. Most guitar legends didn't care much for expensive guitars. Case in point, EVH, Brian May, and many more. It's often non-pros who are obsessed with expensive instruments. And the pros who do play high end instruments get them for free.😁

[@zackcodso2577]

I’m madly in love with my Schecter Reaper 6. It’s just about everything I want in a guitar. It’s got a string-through hardtail, swamp ash body, a comfortable ebony fingerboard, high output pickups, and completely satin. I’ve learned that a satin finish is a major deal in my picks. I’ve also never had a reverse headstock before, which made for a new playing experience for me because the tension was very different. The extra slim C neck feels like home & when I got the box & felt how light it was, I seriously thought I was being punked. This amazing guitar only went for $700 brand new. A must try

[@Johnbovii]

I have the Reaper 6 FR-S and it’s my first Floyd rose. Don’t like the Floyd rose at all. I wish I got the standard!

[@jamoe4802]

Would love a post-covid version of this video. You can't get a PRS SE Paul's under $1000 anymore. Yamaha is up $100 over what it was, PRS is over $1000 now and everything right at $999 it seems. Loved how great these all looked and sounded

[@terryshrives8322]

I said the exact same thing. And now, they have gone up even more. Yamaha by $159, the schecter by $300. Really no excuse for it

[@njgfpv3696]

@@terryshrives8322 Supply and demand.

[@KennedyIvy]

@@terryshrives8322 inflation. Money is worth a lot less then pre-covid.

[@microsmart714]

611 and 612s price has gone down by $100, at least here in Canada This is prolly due to introduction of higher end pacificas

[@jamoe4802]

2025 version?

[@JessesAuditorium]

Congrats on 700k, huge My fav guitar sub $1000 is my Shijie STE. Just unreal how great it is.

[@barryb90]

I love my LTD Eclipse Deluxe, roughly €900. I find myself playing it more than my Gibson LP lately. My friend's G&L ASAT Tribute is only around 500 but it is incredibly impressive.

[@coreysanders6709]

Picked up my ASAT Tribute for $300 and it's the best $300 i could possibly have spent on an instrument. Gives $700 Fender Mexi-Teles a run. Gonna upgrade the pickups and still be under $600. :D

[@cabwaylingo]

@@coreysanders6709 G&L Tributes already have USA pickups on them. :)

[@coreysanders6709]

@@cabwaylingo the "limited edition" ones that Musicians Friend puts up on Stupid Deal of the Day don't. All the others do, though. :-)

[@brusselssprouts560]

The orange binding on the Schecter is drop dead gorgeous.

[@tombworld9012]

Technically my guitar qualifies, but I'll wait till the 'under $500' video since that's more appropriate.

[@beefnacos6258]

To be honest man. Most the guitars priced at 700 to 1000 simply just aren't worth it. Lots actually kind of suck. I mean of course some of them are good but I've played so many $700 duds. Anyway if you want a $1,000 guitar just buy one used. With that 500 bucks

[@sandeepmortal]

@@beefnacos6258 say something good about my guitar - Fender Player Stratocaster

[@nedim_guitar]

@@beefnacos6258 What do you mean by duds? Is it about build quality? Is it playability? Sound? To me, it's kind of a snobbery saying that "lots of guitars" in the range of 700-1,000 USD aren't worth it. I find that hard to believe. You've got rather cheap Squiers and Epiphones, and others under 500 USD that sound, feel and play really well! Could it perhaps be that your personal preference is the problem? I've played lots of guitars in the 500-1,000 USD range, and many of them were really good! The PRS SE's are worth mentioning too. Gretsch have good ones also. I've played a 1,000+ USD Ibanez that I didn't like, but that's because that type of guitar didn't fit me. It's a great guitar, but it didn't feel good in my hands. I've played 2,000+ USD Les Pauls, and even though they're classics, I don't like the chunky neck, the heaviness, and the muddy bridge pickup that they tend to have sometimes. I've played a Gibson SG, but that one was too light, it almost felt flimsy. I've played the Yamaha Revstar RSP20CR, their top of the line Revstar, which I actually wanted to buy, but again, the neck was a bit too chunky for my taste, and it's also glossy, and I felt while trying it out that my hand didn't glide easily along the neck. As soon as my hand was a little moist, the neck felt a little, for lack of a better word, "sticky". It's a great guitar, and I still want it, but I'll wait to try to find one used, or get the cheaper ones 520 or 620, and see if I get used to the feel of the guitar. Yeah, so, I'm not saying that you're a snob who thinks only expensive guitars are good. It just might be that what you've been looking at guitars that don't fit you. "God knows" there are some pretty bad expensive guitars too, and yes, more expensive guitars do tend to have better build quality, but more expensive usually means made in the USA. And who's to say that American made is always better than Japanese, Korean or even Chinese made guitars, especially if they use the same type of machines in the manufacturing process? The Chinese Shijie guitars are actually handmade, and even though the Strat type of guitar they make is sub 1,000 USD, they can easily compete with the American made Fender Strats. Such specs don't come on Fenders that are twice as expensive. Although, it might be that you're after really polished frets with nicely rounded edges, and other such details that make the guitar feel expensive. But I'm protesting your opinion, that looks like you're being objective when you said that LOTS of 700-1,000 USD guitars suck, and SOME of them are good. That's simply just not true.

[@ethantorres4061]

@@nedim_guitar I definitely agree that the statement he made about $700-1000 guitars not being worth the money isn’t really true. I would say that you can get guitars with close performance for slightly less but still that price range will have advantages

[@nedim_guitar]

@@ethantorres4061 Look at a Suhr that goes for around 5,000 USD and an FGN or Ibanez that cost around 1,000 USD. Is the Suhr better? Very likely. Is it 4,000 USD better. Not a chance. That doesn't mean that expensive guitars aren't great, and guitars like Suhr are an important part of the market, not least because others can try to be as good for less money. But just saying that a lot of 700-1,000 USD guitars and that only some of them are good, it's just not true. Oftentimes we pay a lot for the brand too, and for the fact that the guitar is made in the USA, and there's nothing wrong with that, but like I said, money doesn't say everything about a guitar being good or bad. Guitars that cost 700-1,000 USD are not as good as guitars that cost 3,000-5,000 USD, but do they usually suck? Of course not! No one would buy them if they sucked. That sort of thinking can turn people away from really good guitars that are in their range, or make them wish for guitars they cannot afford, instead of actually playing the one they have and enjoying playing. If I had known all that I know today about guitars, quality, set-up and playability (including neck profile, and thickness, and string gauge), I would have been a much happier young man who's trying to find his way in this whole playing guitar schtick. Just that minor detail, string gauge, was a huge problem for me. I played in standard tuning with 12's. It was impossible to improve, because it was impossible to play, and no one cared to ask about strings or anything else, to help a newbie on his way. If I had had a Fender Strat custom shop with those strings, I would have hated that guitar too.

[@kerrymcauliffe9906]

From your video, the one that stood out the most was the epiphone. That thing is a monster.

[@dylanthomas7443]

Darrell, you know why I keep looking up to your show? because the more I listen to you I learn what the intricacies of each guitar should be. I learn every time. For example when I saw your PRS SE Paul's Guitar presentation!

[@aaronlopez3852]

My Nick Johnston HSS Strat is the most inspiring guitar I’ve played in this price range (:

[@mougabo]

Im gusting one of those in q near future actually 🙃

[@BrokenStrings231]

I got one too and it's amazing!

[@SeedOilFitnessOfficial]

Aint that a Schecter?

[@BrokenStrings231]

@@SeedOilFitnessOfficial It is

[@mougabo]

@@SeedOilFitnessOfficial it is

[@jimmyg9183]

Got the Yamaha 612vfm as my first electric. Same as your demo just indigo blue(actually my profile pic). Absolutely Love it! Excited to see it made the list. Thanks for the video, and congrats on 700!

[@jamesmarchetti3286]

Great pick on the Yamaha 612. Definitely for the money and value 👌. Alot of other reviewers totally agree with you! Great for beginners and on up!

[@thoughtsbeforesleep]

I picked up the Schecter Solo II Custom a few weeks ago, partly based on your review, and I have not been disappointed! I wanted a nice modern 'Les Paul' style guitar and did a lot of research before pulling the trigger. It is such a fantastic guitar - not just the feature set and the sound but it has that certain magic that just makes me want to play it. Thanks Darrell :)

[@carmelobaez5558]

Just ordered a Schecter Nick Johnston HSS in Blue Frost. $799; roasted maple neck, locking tuners and ebony fretboard. Can't wait

[@jaimecucalon2804]

After playing a Charvel DK24 I instantly bought it and I gotta say I will never consider a Fender ever again. It blew me away. My favorite meck and awesome value.

[@fredriksvard2603]

Isnt that more of a superstrat than a vintage sounding strat though?

[@findJLF]

Really solid selection. Yamaha in particular are amazing in this price range. Good video.

[@martinfanatic532]

Charvel literally built my dream guitar. A 24-fret Tele with all of the comfort features and Fluence Open Core Classics. Already own a Pro-Mod DK24 and can't wait to get my hands on the So-Cal Style 2.

[@michaelnedoshytko6920]

They are awesome. I have a black one with a trem. Really good guitar, and I'm hoping Charvel continues to listen to players on social media to make further variations.

[@j.n.jacksonjr.170]

Damn Darrel, you made that Charvel sound so good, had a few over the years, very underrated guitar!

[@emotikona1]

I bought a DK24 HSS in Shell Pink, and the neck on that thing is the best neck I've ever played. 12-16 radius is no brainer.

[@fredmuloin1545]

I really want this model. 😍

[@emotikona1]

@@fredmuloin1545 It's great. Easily the best in terms of playability I've played. Plays super easily

[@CanadianArchivist]

Congratulations on the 700,000 subscribers. A lot of work to get that number. Your videos are consistent, informative and top quality. Two 👍

[@brandonrook9062]

Sitting here enjoy your content (always) and thought to myself "he did $1,000+ and now under 1k....wish he would do too 5 budget" and the as thrilled at the end when you announced the $500 video!!!....killer content, this channel is always a joy!

[@carsonwiltink9613]

I’m a sucker for single cuts and That 59 epiphone lp just makes me tear up every time I see it

[@gergemall]

Thank you Darrell, I’m sure I saw this video last year but either way when I watch your videos I chuckle because you’re enthusiastic and I know I’ll be looking for a new guitar or gear .

[@thomasschrein7584]

All good picks. About a week ago I bought an Ibanez S621 cost 530 bucks. I can’t believe how good that guitar is.

[@nancybaisch6364]

I love my Guild Starfire I SC semihollow with "Guildsby" trem system, dual alnico humbuckers with true coil splits. Only $599 and just beautiful. I can get any tone I want.

[@nicksonthevet]

The DC model is my dream now, I will buy one when I can afford. Guild are ..... What to say?

[@robhunt7346]

Nice to see the Charvel in there. After your review Darrell, that guitar has gone to the top of my shopping list!

[@jonnybroomhead]

My favorite guitar under $1,000 is the Schecter Reaper hard-tail by a long shot. It feels so. dang. good, and the pickups sound soooo crunchy with gain, but when you split the coils and add chorus, it's the most beautiful clean. It also just looks incredible with the burl top veneer.

[@andrewptob]

That Yamaha sounded awesome. Gonna look into the Pacifica more. Thanks, Darrell!

[@loubadabin420]

Darrell, thank you for your passion in your videos. You could say I've been schooled in everything guitar by you.

[@LiesThatBind]

I own the same Schecter Solo II Custom and is indeed lots of guitar for the money. The Fender JA-90 is also one of my favorites at just under 1K, such a fun guitar to play and those P90's sound so good.

[@judih.8754]

The Yamaha is a great guitar at an affordable price point. As you note build quality is up there with the best.

[@imdannymartins]

Why Yamaha guitars are so underrated ?

[@Spudeaux]

@@imdannymartins I think it's probably because few people think of them as a guitar maker because they make too much other stuff. They make the assumption that they're just a piano company using their name on every other musical instrument to make extra cash and don't them as seriously outside of the piano, drums, and live sound categories. Truth is though, nothing leaves a Yamaha factory that isn't built like a tank - at least in my experience.

[@W4rriorOfLight]

Yamaha pacificas are so underrated, they're AMAZING guitars, the quality is so premium!

[@scottburgoyne595]

I had one and it was horrible, it would not stay in tune, the pick ups in each position did not really sound all that great, and the glossy neck along with the fit finish was a bit of disappointment as well. For the money you would be better off saving a few extra bucks and getting an Ibanez premium hss….. trust me!

[@W4rriorOfLight]

@@scottburgoyne595 I have an Ibanez aswell, But in my experience Yamaha make fantastic guitars... It's been that way for decades

[@dylanpullam3820]

That Schecter Solo 2 really is an epic bang for your buck! Looks fantastic

[@kirk523]

The Gretsch Electromatic line is worthy of consideration. They’re at least 80% as good as the pro series, but at a quarter of the price.

[@DH-hl5tc]

100%

[@BedeLaplume]

Totally agree especially those model are made in a top Korean factory..

[@mariohristov7909]

That's exactly what I was gonna post. My Electromatic with a Bigsby is well under 1000.00 and it's awesome!!!

[@fredriksvard2603]

Cool guitars. Slightly overpriced and nowhere near 80% of the pro ones though.

[@robynw63]

Perfect timing, I was debating over the Pacifica...done deal! I already own a Pacifica 012 and wanted to upgrade.

[@uspsdaveable]

I have the Paul’s PRS.... FANTASTIC GUITAR hands down

[@marcelotaveira7453]

Yeah! I agree with almost everything, just missed an option for a semi-acoustic electrical guitar on the list. I do have an 84 American Fender Telecaster, a brand new Squier HSS Strato, a semi-acoustic Ibanez AK100, an electrical/acoustic steel mini jumbo Ibanez, an acoustic nylon Giannini Sevilla made in Brazil and just bought a new toy for my arsenal that I appreciate very much, a Squier Starcaster with two humbucking pick-ups that impressed me very well.

[@PhotoDaveJax]

Nice to see the 59 RI Epiphone listed. And it’s gorgeous.

[@kanzeon7729]

Guess I'll have to stop eating now and get myself a Charvel immediately. When I was 13 or 14, the father of one of my friends explained me a lot about his Charvel, which I just loved from it's looks. Now, 17 years later, I realised that I completely forgot about this brand and I'm very much looking forward to finding one of these in a guitar shop, so I can test it before I'll order one!

[@davidsargeant9312]

The PRS SE Custom 24 35th Anniversary faded blue burst is amazing. The same pickups & mini toggle switches as The SE Pauls guitar. Such a lot of guitar for your money don’t you think ? 😀 Love your channel too bud. It is fantastic. Many congrats for your 700k 👍👍

[@Pwrswitchd]

Everytime you bring out the Pacifica, it makes me want one lo

[@MarchalisVan]

Ibanez S521 is sweet. It's has kind of neutral pickups but with an EQ pedal it just means you can make it what you want, and it's really light :)

[@mikebri5274]

I have two PRS SE guitars in my collection right now and enjoy playing both of them. The next SE I'd like to get is the Paul's Guitar SE version.

[@terryshrives8322]

I can’t believe how much some of these guitars have gone up in the last year. It’s crazy

[@jyk4439]

Schecters have gone up about €300 across the board. Was going to buy one but unfortunately the resale/2nd hand value was already poor here before the price hike so now they're just a bad investment brand new. Hope to find one used. PRS Paul's guitar are gone up about 250-300 too but better resale value at least. Depressing market right now!

[@overvieweffect9034]

I'd definitely add the LTD ec-1000 to this list, at just under $1000. stales steel frets and amazing quality, to me they are unbeatable lp style guitars at that price.

[@markjcarpentermc]

I agree , I own one with the jb pickups and I love it. Picked it up with a hardshell case for 650 .b mod

[@bherward]

Had a 611 and 612...loved the sound...couldn't get used to the neck....decided to build a pickguard for one of my Strats with the SSL1's and the Trembucker...best of both worlds

[@shfla7293]

Glad an epi made it to the list :)

[@bencampbell1609]

I will say that my Fender Player Strat HSS is amazing. Action is low and sounds great. I also have a PRS Custom 24 35th Anniversary that has the coil split like Paul's guitar and the trem system. I liked it better than Paul's guitar. It had many of the same features, but the trem and pattern thin neck sold me.

[@retiredguyadventures6211]

Player Strat HSS!

[@richardsutliff2829]

I have one too, its so fun to play!

[@HollisMusic919]

Check out the magneto guitars . Also check out Sire . Check out Charvel .

[@pedally]

Excellent choices! The crimson red on that Yamaha looks awesome.

[@glroman91]

As an Pacifica 612V1 owner, I can't find any strat under 1000$ that could outplay mine and it cost me, with 50% discount, only 400$

[@-.Gabriel.Vinicius.-]

Congrats for the 700k! love your content ♡

[@smillerp6503]

Another guitar I really liked under a grand was the Schecter Nick Johnston HSS. In my opinion, it plays better than any fender out there

[@michaelnedoshytko6920]

Yup, absolutely. I would take one over any Fender Strat at the moment.

[@Sally-uu3yt]

Schecter has been dishing out high quality affordable guitars for a while now. Such a great brand

[@aarxv_s1042]

It's become more expensive tho 950 dollars isn't cheap for every guy

[@Sally-uu3yt]

@@aarxv_s1042 yeah but i feel with tge amount of specs they put in tgeir guitars its kinda worth it. They also do have cheaper guitars but they kinda look lame haha

[@aarxv_s1042]

@@Sally-uu3yt check the schecter e1 frs special edition It's my fav schecter

[@zylavormusic2616]

Can you do one for under $149 dollars, the approximate amount of money in my wallet?

[@jasonschwartz9481]

Lol. Called...borrow one from a buddy lol. Although, when I toured a ton I bought a used Mexican tele for $225.00 at a flea market. I took it to a guitar guru and switched out the pickups for "stacked" ones. That ended up being one of my 3 guitars that I'd use on stage.

[@Madchris8828]

Glarry is alright for around that price from what I can tell

[@BOBANDVEG]

Right now monoprice has the indio tele for $84 , that includes shipping, Amazon has Wilkinson lock tuners for $25, .....84+25=pretty darn fun and reliable ax

[@artamussumatra6286]

I got my Squier Bullet Telecaster for $150.00, and I’ve seen them on sale for $130.00. The Bullet is beyond impressive, and not just for the price - I also have an American Pro Tele, and the Bullet is not really far from it in build quality, playability, and sound.

[@orchestraoverseer9426]

I don't even have a reasenoble amount of dollars because I'm from Latam but I bet overall it is not that easy to get a nice built guitar in that price range

[@metalplaylist]

Got a Charvel SD 24 for a few months. So happy with it. Very great value under 1000$. Very interesred by the Paul’s model from PRS SE.

[@eek42]

Torn between the prs and the schecter! Great video, thank you!

[@ferramirez4668]

Had been waiting for this video a long time. My eye is on that schecter solo ll. Thanks for the video Darrell!!!!

[@ankitmitra3852]

Congratulations for 700k subs........keep it up 👍👍

[@ronpopeil7]

Have a Yamaha 611HFM and love it. My schecter sun valley super shredder frs is great too at under $1000. Have a Godin Summit Classic P90, and Hagstrom Nothen Swede under $1k too that are awesome.

[@timothycarraway6267]

What do you think of Vintage brand guitars? I have two and am blown away. The simple fact that they have a traditional trem system that actually stays in tune right out of the box with the need to upgrade anything had me sold. I’ve had American Strats costing over $1k that wouldn’t do that!

[@ipuya]

Paid $800 for my Baja tele and I wouldn't swap it even if i was given two of these 5.

[@MO-xv1cz]

PRS SE 24-08 Fender Player Strat HSS Sterling Cutlass HSS

[@sb632]

I got to try out the new sterling ct50 hss. For 500 bucks it's the best guitar available imo. Locking tuners roasted maple. And they feel super solid quality wise. I was very pleasantly surprised by them.

[@retiredguyadventures6211]

Picked up a Fender Player HSS a few months ago and love it!

[@josephgraham1075]

I love Paul Reed Smith Guitars but I play a Ibanez. I just put 2 Seymour Duncan humbucker pick-ups in it. It's not like the other Ibanez. Metal bridge and 4 knobs. It sounds pretty good and with a cry baby panel. I don't need a whammy bar!!!

[@sb632]

@@jeremyrafuse5330 I'm really thinking about a hss version and swapping in bare knuckle pick ups.

[@paulreardon9871]

It’s quite an achievement to make 5 so varied guitars sound practically identical

[@Arcturian1111]

It's the amp he's using. You can make a $100 Fender Squier sound like them too.

[@kirkscobey3031]

Lol

[@keithpatterson2651]

It's also in the pickups.

[@mikehurley5052]

@@Arcturian1111 Exactly why you dont need a 1000 dollar guitar, put the money into a good amp.

[@Marta1Buck]

@@mikehurley5052 good pickup + good amp = VERY GOOD

[@nedim_guitar]

FGN J-standard and Shijie STE are really good guitars for not a ridiculous amount of money. The FGN is made in Japan. The Shijie is made in China, but it's handmade, with crazy specs! Anyway, my FGN J-standard Odyssey is the best guitar I've played. It's got great tuners, it feels so stable, stays in tune very well! Other guitars that feel good and play well can oftentimes be annoying because they do tend to go out of tune a bit. The fact that the FGN doesn't cost twice as much is pretty amazing! But don't underestimate the Shijie either. They're handmade with great specs (check out Darrell's video about it), and I've had to do a little, slight intonation, anx lubricate the nut, the string tree and the bridge saddles, but it's a very sturdy instrument! The Shijie is also pretty heavy for a Strat type of guitar, heavier than the FGN and my PRS 24 SE, but it's not like a Les Paul.

[@Fatherflot64]

The only problem is that with all the gain and effects I'm sorry to say that every guitar ends up sounding exactly the same. Have you considered demoing the guitars with much less stuff in the chain so we can hear the unique voice of each instrument?

[@jimlynch6187]

Please add into your demos a clean signal

[@chrisggoodwin777]

As soon as I saw the title of the video, I knew you'd pick the PRS and Epiphone 😁

[@glarrymoreme]

I have an Epiphone Jared James Nichols Old Glory Signature which is killer, about £569 so good value for money - Grover Tuners, Seymour Duncan P90. Black Finish - Quality

[@joedavis8481]

Kudos for including a Yamaha Darrell, they are very underrated imo 🎸🤟🍻

[@davesuchy5130]

This is the type of video that feature guitars the average hobby musician can afford! I. LOVE. IT.

[@vig237]

Framus Diablo, made in Germany. Just three pieces of wood, got new old stock for 700usd. Just a beast. DBZ diamond Bolero Siberian quilt, insanely beautiful and sounds great. Others are also great, but more expensive.

[@karimmohammed1479]

Your channel is an absolute gem.!! Thank you sir.

[@karlschihl6655]

great job - very entertaining - what was up with throwing the acoustic on the snow covered roof LOL

[@srwaite7]

‘59 Les Paul and 335 inspired by Gibson are both superb instruments for under $1000. I would add the Epi Hummingbird Inspired by Gibson acoustic. Epi is killing it under the new ownership at Gibson 👍🏻

[@dr.doomm.d.ph.d.4486]

Solid list Darrell. Stoked to see Charvel on here. The PRO-Mod’s really are superb. Only other guitar that came to mind is the Chapman ML1 Pro Traditional, which is an exceptional piece of wood for the money.

[@Theaquaponic12345678]

Rebuilding a 94' red sparkle 721, can't wait till it's done. Had one back in 94' and neck got broke... broke my heart. Pacificas are terrific.

[@andrewmuelleranantababaji8073]

Yes Hagstrom Swede or Ultra Swede, also Hagstrom semi hollow. Ibanez RG you had nice Blue one with Natural Back $600?

[@anthonyangelis1094]

Awesome review Darrell. All very very awesome guitars. Not sure which one I would pick ! I like that epiphone a lot ! And the schecter!

[@danielpineda2165]

After a couple years I could buy a Yamaha pacífica 112 and I am so happy, now I am saving money to the the amp. I think that I am going to buy Boss katana. What do you think? Hello 👋🏻 from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@jared305]

The Boss Katana Mk2 is fantastic, especially the high gain sound. It’s just a fantastic amp overall. It sounds great and it has so many options for extras.

[@danielpineda2165]

@@jared305 Thank you for your answer, hello 👋🏻 from Mexico

[@orchestraoverseer9426]

Te felicito por conseguir tan buena guitarra siendo que somos de Latam

[@danielpineda2165]

@@orchestraoverseer9426 muchas gracias hermano 👍🏻

[@beefnacos6258]

@@danielpineda2165 just go ahead and buy the boss katana and call it a day. Like that other guy just said it's a decent amp and you can pretty much get most tones with it. I had a line six and it's definitely better than that

[@gutteridge52]

My Favourite guitar under 500bucks is the Larry Carlton Sire S7 in a lovely quilted flame top or in the lovely sherwwod green with abalone inlays. Great specs,great finish,great neck with rolled off edges and great quality woods. Thanks Dariel your doing a great job. Think my favourite guitar you've shown is the prestige Ibanez. Its a beauty.

[@magicn5367]

I bought Cort g300 pro after watched NG your review, paid $689.00 It's amazing, playability and features.. Insane love it! I'm suprised it didn't make your list :)

[@wesboundmusic]

Amazing how much bang one can get for the buck since quality of guitars built in Indonesia or other Far East countries has risen to match and even surpass brand name models made in the US. US manufactures won't like to read this, unless they have their more affordable models built there as well, like PRS do, among others. Wow, simply amazing! Other than being a "brand hog" or name hog, there aren't too many good reasons left why one should shell out big in order to get a quality instrument. Amazing!

[@dannywilliams3516]

All five absolutely gorgeous guitars Darrell. With awesome sound quality. My favorite would probably be the first one you demoed there the Epiphone Les Paul special oh my God the sound coming out of that sounded just like angels singing from heaven. Take care brother. Have an awesome weekend. And if you're a dad happy Father's Day.

[@scottblair8625]

Always great info and awesome reviews! And sounds to prove your point. Far and away my favorite reviewer of guitars and gear on the net.

[@kebotrans]

The sleeper of this group is the Charvel. I have purchased several of the Mexican Charvels. The strats were cool, but I got this same color tele and it is just unreal for the money.

[@Ben-Ken]

What about the PRS SE Custom 24-08? It's a gorgeous, versatile guitar that is slightly cheaper than Paul's guitar. I would love to see a comparison.

[@RJ-mz3co]

It would be interesting to also compare the sound of a PRS Santana SE.

[@giannismalicdem3269]

Cort X700 Duality, Cort G300 PRO, Cort G290 LE. All of these have Stainless steel frets, Locking Tuners, Seymour duncan Pick ups except for the G290 LE and Flamed maple top except for the G300 Pro.

[@better_together-w4m]

I bought an early PRS CUSTOM 22 with rotary pick-up selector. Not my favorite but still rocks!

[@jonathanlego4930]

I recently got a PRS semi hollow custom 22, charcoal burst. Sounds great, it’s taken the number one favorite spot in my collection. I have a Epiphone les Paul modern burgundy. A schecter C6 elite, that is my third favorite. Also rans are squier supersonic. Ibanez rg470, gio, then my first guitar, squier affinity strat. Then a d’angelico acoustic electric.

[@michaelnedoshytko6920]

The Charvel pro mod series overall are an excellent value. Everything has gone up in Canada price wise, so for most mexican built charvel it's closer to $1300 now. The So Cal style 2 is an excellent instrument, particularly the 2pt model.

[@mariohristov7909]

My Gretsch Electromatic with Bigsby was somewhere in the 500 plus but definitely under 600 and plays and feels like a guitar for over 1000.00!!! My other guitar is Ibanez AX230T and I paid around 400 for it. It has not two but THREE Humbucker pickups and a Bigsby type of a whammy bar! It's forest green and it looks and plays amazing!!

[@mariohristov7909]

@David Wang Yes in deed!!!

[@patrickwrenn3021]

Another great video Darrell...thanks

[@SAhmed99]

They all look really good!!!!

[@ALIASZARDOZ]

Dear Darrell, I like so much your taste because it's very beautiful guitars. I wish I could have lot of money I buy these 5 guitars. Excellent choices. Phil from Dunkirk

[@KevinPlaysGuitar]

Beautiful guitars! That Schecter looks really cool! Looks a little like a D'Angelico guitar with that matte finish with those gold bindings.

[@davidp7833]

I'm likely buying that Schecter. Its gorgeous and how about the Pasadena pickups? They sound really nice dont they?

[@boomerdell]

I have that exact Schecter Solo ii Custom in the same black satin finish. Amazing guitar for the money. Plays and sounds great, and looks stunning. Love it!

[@davidp7833]

@@boomerdell thanks dude. Youre inspiring me more lol

[@LiesThatBind]

@@boomerdell Same, great axe.