EART Vs. XAVIERE - $200 guitar shootout - CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED -

Huge thanks to Daddario for sponsoring the first 3 episodes of AFFORD-A-STRAT, Check out their new Pedalboard: ddar.io/XPND.60CH and follow them on social media @daddarioandco
EART: amzn.to/3hdlcRS
Xaviere: bit.ly/3xfot91
Daddario Maintenance Kit: amzn.to/2TgnS7T
The Second episode of Afford-A-Strat! This time I compare the standing champion Eart SSS against the Xaviere PRO870 by GFS,. Which will win? which will lose? and how can you win the loser? Stay tuned to find out.
The give away tictok post (the correct amount was 217): bit.ly/3qJYhRg
*****************************
60CH on Patreon: / 60cyclehumcast
Buy Something with our affiliate links:
Buy a Shirt - teespring.com/...
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.ne...
zZounds: www.zzounds.co...
Thomann: www.thomannmus...
Amazon: amzn.to/2PaUKKO
Perfect Circuit: bit.ly/3YQG309
Ebay: ebay.to/2UlIN6... tidd.ly/3Tm8Ud...
Cool Patch Cables: www.tourgearde...
+++++++++++++++++++++
Social Media Stuff:
Facebook: / 60cyclehum
Discord: / discord
Instagram and Twitter @60cyclehum
TikTok: / 60cyclehum
Hire us for Demos and other marketing opportunities
60cyclehumcast...
#60cyclehum #guitar #guitars #shameflute

[@wallyneff3318]

This is one of the best comparison reviews you have done. Thanks!

[@StebrasNotHorses]

I love guitars that look like 70's speedboats.

[@1973larryrichardson]

I won the Yamaha Pacifica and the kit as well. I play it all the time and with the setup job Ryan does, it plays fantastically and sounds great. You would never guess it was the loser in a shootout. Thanks again Ryan

[@jeffleecust]

Gfs also sells just the connectors so you can convert any pickup for just a couple of bucks

[@h.markhorton8188]

Convert any pickup to what? Alnico?

[@jeffleecust]

@@h.markhorton8188 to the quick connect system. So you could keep all of your electronics and have some Seymour Duncan’s on the quick connect system.

[@familiarpurrson8744]

Yes, but keep in mind the EART has the output jack on the edge, while the GF harness is built with a 'football' type jack in mind, so there will be some minor soldering involved there.

[@johnkoch9315]

Would love to see Slick Guitars from GFS featured on this show. The two Strat models, the SL54 and SL57, are both my main/go to guitars and my favorites that I own at the moment.

[@jhendricks02]

agreed

[@BothellPlaysMusic]

second that

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

I've got the SL55 - great guitar - the fretwork is surprisingly good for an inexpensive guitar.

[@paulweddle9250]

I bought the SL 55 aged white and though it looked cool it needed so much work it was ridiculous. I couldn't put guitar strings on because the bridge sat so low and routing poor. Fret ends so sharp you could slice a tomato with. My luthier told me it was just a poor design and showed me it was not a graphite nut but a plastic nut. Maybe I just got a bad one but I donated it to Goodwill.

[@johnnyhock]

I Just bought the EART strat after your review, cheers Ryan 🎸

[@freehey629]

These criterias need to be weighted. A guitar with an awful setup shouldnt be winning over because of "headstock" and "more strat-like"

[@60CycleHumcast]

in my experience guitars of all price levels can come set up awful though. Thats why im doing set up on all the guitars in this series so thats not a factor.

[@jc6721]

I have to agree with free hey on this one. The target market for these guitars, 90% won’t be able to do the basic setup that Ryan was able to do. I see people selling guitars from this price range because they broke a string all the time….to me that’s would be a win for initial setup for the Eart.

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@jc6721 the problem with that position is that setup quality isn’t consistent across most brands. Sometimes guitars are set up well sometimes they aren’t. I’ve gotten guitars from brands that were immaculate and then the next guitar from that brand was terribly set up. That’s why I don’t think it’s fair to compare these guitars until they have the same strings and set up.

[@jc6721]

@@60CycleHumcast Ryan, thanks for replying, it really is very much appreciated that you interact so much with your subscribers. That being said, I totally understand where your coming from. I am just looking at it from the position of the beginning guitar player without the knowledge to do a setup. Which was more playable and sounded better straight away, it was probably the Eart, and for someone without the knowledge and experience to be able to make that Xavier play as well as you did that would probably give the Eart a win however small it may be, as I understand the Eart wasn't perfect either straight out of the box but it was quite a bit better than the Xavier that's all I'm saying.

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@jc6721 right, but the next eart I order could be set up poorly, and if I order another xaviere it might come set up better. It is not a predictable metric for most brands so drawing a line in the sand and saying “this guitar came set up better so it wins” wouldn’t be useful to a meeting player at all. It’s much better for them to know that guitars will probably need a set up out of the box.

[@Mark_Williams300]

You need a "Does it quack?" test for budget Strats

[@DMSProduktions]

But IS it a duck?

[@Mark_Williams300]

@@DMSProduktions Dunno. Does it weigh the same as a Witch?

[@DMSProduktions]

@@Mark_Williams300 Unlikely! Most witches are bigger!

[@Mark_Williams300]

@@DMSProduktions You obviously need an education in Witch Identification. I suggest revising M. Python's Holy Grail

[@DMSProduktions]

@@Mark_Williams300 AH! A classic!

[@zonkz6947]

Maaaann i’ve been jonesin’ for a strat and i got excited seeing this was a giveaway after i clicked it, but i can’t download tiktok Ryan, too many weird privacy invasion things goin on there, sketches me out idk. Wish there was a different way to enter ☹️

[@jeffm24]

I own the GFS Strat in Sea Foam Green. I changed the plastic nut to a bone nut, and put on locking tuners from GFS. Also I prefer a short tremolo bar so I cut 3/4th of an inch off it. My 870 stays in tune, even after dive bombing ! It is now my #1 guitar....

[@carwynvan]

Hey Ryan, bit of an odd one, but as a predominantly metal player I love hearing channels that play a style different to what I mainly listen to. Would it be possible to maybe do an video of your go to riffs and how to play them for people that don't really know surf?

[@SteveMallam]

Definitely agree. I play classic and hard rock... and am impatiently waiting for the Oceans 11 to come back into stock near me for the spring reverb!

[@GG-ik6it]

Im a metal punk noise rocker mostly but surf and vintage twang have invaded my brain so much. Time to make a nu-metal surf math noise country western doom punk band

[@thestratman7903]

I have the "Higher end" Eart Strat,and it DOES have SS frets...I have a couple Xaviere,and while the pickups are better IMO the overall build quality is way better on the Eart..I'm shocked at how good it is for a $300 guitar

[@alfredeichler872]

Nice guitars..love your reviews.

[@thaddeuslight3352]

Give the people what they want man, pronounce it zav-ee-AIRE

[@raimondspadaro8211]

LOVED!!, the piece you played at the end. It was fantastic,thank you.

[@JBM_71]

The Xaviere is the more 'classic Strat' and I would lean towards 'classic' over 'modern'. That's just me. Plus Alnico over ceramic pickups.

[@scottblair8625]

I'll still take the EART! I can make it any color I want. I would be over the moon to win the EART! I'm planning on ordering one. With plans to put a Mexican fender set out pick gaurd and electronics. I got rid of tik tok. So good luck to everyone who tries

[@AJvsEverything]

I suggest next you go with a Sawtooth or an Austin strat copy next...I've got a feeling both of those will be VERY heavy contenders for the overall winner...

[@jeffodders2892]

Great series. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

[@averagegearreviews4109]

Best way to get honest reviews ever! Hope you do SX guitars too. I've had mine for 2 years now. It's an everyday player and mod platform. Worth all of the $150 it took to get it to my door!

[@60CycleHumcast]

I probably will

[@xb5883]

Kramer Baretta Special is an awesome affordable Super Strat. High output Epiphone pickup for under $200

[@lilymae4131]

About 2 minutes in you said I'm not gonna pick which wins on the color, then at 32 minutes you used color in your decision. LOL Somehow I thought the color would play into it soon as I seen the Xavier, I just had that feeling. I like both and as you said they both punch above their weight class, so they are both winners. Keep doing the comparisons, I wish more of these guitar comparison videos existed. Right now I have three or four in the $500 to $600 range I'm trying to decide between and they all do good in reviews, but nobody compares them directly against the other. Unfortunately the ones I am interested in are not stocked by our local music stores, so I have to rely on reviews.

[@beannie60]

I'v seen a lot of your videos and just subscribed I like the insight and info you bring on things I would not have known about good quality videos and playing, it's a love hate with your YT channel. I love the stuff you show but then I hate it because it makes me want to spend more money 😀and now I want that Super Tone but it's out of my price point. I would like to see you make more videos on affordable guitars like the Slick SL57 & IYV from Amazon plus anything else you may have up your sleeve! Thanks great job!!!

[@jeffreydooley3745]

A few months ago, my wife bought me a CORT G200DX (Color: Java Sunset Burst, solid Ash body) S, S, H configuration, with tremelo bar. I love that guitar, everything about it, I love. Price: $249.00. The setup was awesome, straight out of the box. Affordable and very cool to play. Purchased from Reverb.

[@gringogreen4719]

So cool stuff on the Xavier. The back block is a steel block you can buy that to upgrade any Fender Strat block. You can also get the Brass block and that will have a HUGE affect on the tone. I've been putting the brass blocks in my Strat copies, big difference. Be warned, it also increases the weight. GFS also has decent locking tuners that will drop right in. I prefer the Sperzel copy. Between that and the brass block it will add some weight. In addition to these parts you can swap all sorts of pickguards and pickups here. What was nice about this guitar was the swimming pool route. So if you want a HSH configuration, no sweat, it drops right in. The only two mods I would do to the Xavier outside locking tuners and the brass block, Dunlop straplocks and Tusq string trees.

[@BrandonEht]

I’m not a fan of a brass block in a strat. To my ears it adds too much mid range and takes away the signature strat chime. I can see how brass sounds better then a pot metal import block, but if we’re choosing I’m going solid steel all day long

[@gringogreen4719]

@@BrandonEht Well, brass is the sound of the 70s. Loads of guitars added brass to increase sustain back then. If you watch videos from SMG you will see that Glenn likes to use actual proof on what affects tone. The brass block on my Samick had the biggest immediate improvement on tone in a positive manner. I put it on another off brand Strat style guitar and same thing. I would put it between a 15-25% noticeable increase in tone. I also did loads of other upgrades as well including pickups, electronics and small parts like Tusq string trees and bone nuts. Those did help but were small in comparison to the brass block. Now I am not going to say it does or does not take away the Stratiness of tone. If you have an ideal guitar and like the tone, I would tell you to keep that guitar as is whether that is a Strat or anything else. To me it is interesting to upgrade the hell out of a guitar and I can tell you that Strats are by far the easiest to upgrade especially if you have a swimming pool route under the pickguard. My Samick Malibu has a Filtertron/Little 59/Quarter Pounder in it. Basically I put all the pickups I liked in it. If John Mayer can have a signature Strat looking guitar, so could I. I have a master volume and tone on it with a coil split switch in the middle hole for the Little 59. I did not want to have a Strat tone for that guitar. The brass block adds to the punch and heft of the tone too. So you are correct in that it really is not like a Strat. That was the whole point of that guitar. I also will point out that doing all of this added more than a pound of weight too. To me that is not much of a problem as I play bass too and this guitar may be heavier for a guitar but more of a lighter bass. My other Strat style guitars are non traditional Strat load outs. I have a Partscaster that has all Seymour Duncans with a Twang Banger/Reverse Alnico Pro Middle/ and a 5-2 pickups. Now for a Strat player having an unmatched set might seem nuts but I can tell you they all work well together and sound great as individual pickups. I do want to put a brass block on that one but it requires a bit of wood removal from the back of the trem cavity and my hand is not yet good enough for that. I will point out this guitar and the Samick both have Bournes pots in them. I do want a Player Plus Stratocaster from Fender. The only mods I would do with that is put on straplocks and change the push/pull tap on the humbucker to a push/push like Ryans. Also having the right Strat with a Yosemite pickup load out would be left alone too. I am mainly a Tele and hollow body player. I ended up with the Malibu and my other Strats because I picked them up dirt cheap and wanted to put in the pickups I wanted. Over the years I have run into Strat guys who all they had were five Strats and an acoustic. To be honest they drove me nuts. While a Strat IS a versatile guitar, it does not sound or play like a Tele, Les Paul, or a hollow body. It does its own thing. I had fun modding these guitars and pushing my tech skills on repairs. I also love that my Strat shapped guitars will absolutely get the goat of a "Strat or Nothing!" player which was also a secondary goal. I do have other guitars that are modded and my Tele shapped guitars have different pickups and load outs than a standard Tele. The funny thing about that is I do not run into Tele players who have the "Tele or Nothing!" mentality. I am sure a few are out there but I have yet to meet any. I bought the majority of the guitars I own to mod them. That makes me happy, most are not close to off the wall specs. That's the whole point. Most have $200-1000 into them and usually punch up to $500-2000 in off the wall tone and playability. Does it mean they are worth that? No. The point is they are fun to play, look cool, sound great, and compliment other professional grade guitars. I can tell you the biggest immediate changes on tone have been swapping out speakers in amps and adding that brass block in my Samick. Pickups do change the tone but not as major as that brass block. If you played my Samick Malibu next to a stock Malibu it would be sonically a night and day as my guitar looks. My Malibu has much more heft and sounds ballsier and sustains better. It would not be as thin or jangly a tone. That was the main point.

[@gringogreen4719]

Time for an update. This is long because I am going into detail as well as why I decided to do what I did. I hope you enjoy. I bought a Lake Placid Blue Xavier Strat. Heft wise, its hefty. The steel block is really good and does help with sustain, definitely different than the brass. Now what happened to this guitar is a bit of a journey, so strap in and it's not over but for what I want, this tale and guitar has definitely crossed the Rubicon (points if you know what that means and no, it's not about a Jeep). I bought the guitar with the main reason of turning it into a Rockabilly Strat with two GFS Filteetron pickups. I put them in and... the damn pole pieces wouldn't line up to save it's life. Now, you CAN use them (it did play but it looked SO wrong). The GFS pickguard can be used on an import bridge Strat where the bridge is narrower. I have an OG Filtertron (bridge) on a Samick Malibu and it works (also has a GFS Brass block on that trem, love it!) but in the case of the Xavier it has the wider US spaced trem... sigh... So still I have that pickguard for another project later for a Strat I have yet to buy. I used this as an excuse to pick up an IYV 300 thinline Tele (my second) and the GFS Filtertrons are now in that. The original pickguard with the pickups made it onto an offbrand black Strat copy (Squiers shot up in value during the pandemic, I'm user to them being well under $100, more like $40-60 each, as a used guitar but that ain't the case anymore) which I modified with an Orange Drop capacitor and a Switchcraft jack. That guitar needs a setup and a bone nut, contemplating on turning into a baritone B tuned guitar after seeing an Ariel Posen gear review. Its a cool guitar for what it is (old Affinity Squier quality but its been pretty upgraded). The IYV 300 Tele is a cool guitar but under $150 cool. I got both of mine around $120 and pretty happy overall. They look great but have cheapo guitar issues. Over $150 I doubt you will be happy sound and feel wise. Replacing parts definitely added weight and the OEM parts are really cheap in terms of quality. Back to the Xavier Strat, I ordered a new pickguard and pickups and put it together myself. Its an HSS guard but the pickups are actually all single coils. The bridge is a Surf 90 (a DeArmond and a P-90 had a baby in a humbucker casing) and the middle and neck pickups are the Brighton pickups in thier corresponding positions. The middle is reverse wound so both switch positions 2 and 4 are indeed hum canceling. The pickguard and backplate are both pearloid and I upgrdaed the original tuners to locking tuners. Compared to traditional Strat mine is much warmer and rounder at 10 on the knobs. That was the point. I do want to point out that the GFS pickguards do not line up with the screw hole locations on the Xavier... yeah, so there is that standard BS of aftermarket pickguard issues. Now I will admit I am late to the Strat party being mainly a Tele guy. Strats are cool guitars but the Strat players ("It's a Strat or nothing!" who only own five Strats and maybe an acoustic guitar) irritate the ever-living shit out of me. The main point of a Filtertron loaded Strat is to rub those knuckleheads the wrong way. Also Filtertrons and P-90s are my favorite sounding pickups. My best bud is a huge Strat guy and because of that and because everything turned upside down in the last several years, I got into Strats and he got into Teles. I found that on my more traditional Strat Partscaster I really love position 3 on the switch. This was a big surprise because on that guitar that pickup was the last one chosen (all Seymour Duncans, middle being a reverse Alnico ll) and it was mainly there to give the bridge and neck the humbucking option in positions 2 and 4. Arguably the black Strat with the origninal pickguard off the Xavier is the most traditional Strat copy I own. While it needs help, it sounds really good. Better than what I was expecting. What I can tell you with the Xavier guitars is that they are both great and not so great. Great in that they have great bodies and stock its a quality guitar that is maybe $150-200 cheaper than it should be. Not so great in that it has loads of issues that cheapo Asian guitars have. Pickups are really good, pots and electronics are better than adequate. Stupid cheapo mistakes like the screw holes for the neck screws being off were found on my Xavier Jazzmaster where I pluged the hole and had to redrill. The neck and body fit together well but the GFS pickguard needed to be ground down on the top of the neck side. It's definitely a guitar that needs help even with parts coming from the same company. That said once you get past all the little issues, its a good workhorse of a guitar. The other mods I made were installing locking tuners, adding Tusq string trees, putting on my go to Dunlop straplocks, and swapping out the black neckplate to a nice Decoboom plate. I put on WW ll style Army Air Corp US roundel sticker on the front and a Flying Tigers sticker on the back. I also sanded off and replaced the headstock decal to a more WW ll style. It makes a statement and sets a tone even before plugging in. That said, all my guitars do. I am a big believer in that the look of a guitar will help to psychologically bring out a different feel or mindset to your playing. I would put it somewhere between a Squier Standard series and a MIM Fender overall. I bought this guitar really looking at it more as a Partscaster with a neck and body that fit well and basically upgraded or modded about everything else. In that regard I am very satisfied. As a "drop in, no mods needed" guitar concept, not so much. This guitar as is is definitely set up as a main player now. I am not a huge fan of the stock bent saddle design and will replace those at a later date. As is I can confidently play shows around town and would be fine touring with it. What I can tell you about modifying and upgrading both Strats and Teles over the last several years is that I definitely appreciate the "good to go," stock guitars way more now. Modding the hell out of guitars is fun but it is diminishing returns past the 4th guitar project. That said all my Partscasters and mod projects come in way cheaper than a custom shop guitar and are fun as "proof of concept" models. At the end of the day, the Strat or Tele shape dictates the majority of the feel of the guitar and that is definitely playing into the tone as well. I know this is long but for those that made it this far, I was trying to cover a lot of the concept and frustrations of doing guitar mods and Partscasters here. The GFS guitars are great platforms for these but be mindful that its all about you and they will never be worth the amount of money and effort you put into them. If you can do most of the work yourself I definitely would recommend that route. I would also HIGHLY encourage you to have a professional setup done after you get your project together. I would also frame these projects more as an investment in your happiness rather than thinking its a financial investment. Best of luck in your project!😎👍✨

[@workinman3878]

I have an eart that I installed a loaded pickguard on and now its badass!!!

[@andrewsmith1520]

Did anyone else notice a sharp increase in how well the gold guitar sounded after the set up and string change, or am I imagining things? If I'm not, do you think it was the new strings, set-up, or tuning stability that was the fix or a combo all three?

[@60CycleHumcast]

A decent set up makes a huge difference. Maybe not in the 'sound' of the guitar but in how fun/easy it is to play, which in turns allows the player to make it sounds normal.

[@kotogray8335]

Great strings make a world of difference, but all can come with a bad one in the set

[@vojtasTS29]

I'm pretty sure the "flakey rout" is actually shielding paint and the eart is just not shielded.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Naw it’s just rough routing, I see it on most cheap guitars.

[@patrickconnelly2904]

Great playing! Keep that twang thang alive!

[@burnoutzzz]

My gibson les paul studio has an intonation problem on the first few frets like the gold strat 😔 the eart is still winning for me.

[@vanshankguitars]

Could be your nut is too high. Check that first.

[@burnoutzzz]

@@vanshankguitars i also had a small crack in the neck that was on the nut too, couldn't get it professionally looked at but I had some clear laquer that's holding it together

[@burnoutzzz]

Damn gibsons, look at one the wrong way and its all over lol

[@barretprivateer8768]

@@burnoutzzz 'My guitar is broken and I didn't have it repaired why doesn't it work' I don't know man you figure this one out. They don't crack if you keep them humidified and don't drop them.

[@burnoutzzz]

@@barretprivateer8768 my guitar always had problems before the crack lol. Never dropped it and i cant control the very high humidity of where i live 🤷‍♂️

[@bumpedhishead636]

I think what every beginning player (or parent of one) really wants to know is: How do any of these affordable guitars compare to a Squire Bullet Strat that they can buy from every local guitar store in their town?

[@warrenlynaugh3263]

I put their pickups in a squier mini it’s a world of difference really good company worth your time

[@JohnSmith-ck9tp]

You can simply solder your own pickup in just like any other guitar, or as someone else was saying, they sell the quick connectors that you can glue to your pickup if you want.

[@patrickconnelly2904]

Why can't strats have inputs that don't fall apart all of the time? I have several guitars where that never happens and others where it constantly does.

[@kotogray8335]

Loctite works really well for that issue, but use the red

[@ttownscott]

These are fun to watch. Not entering because I've closed all my other social media sites. But still good review information here.

[@TranscendentBen]

Okay, okay! Catching up on your videos, and I finally sub'ed and hit Teh Bell so maybe I can enter to win next time. Just one note on comparison of these cheap guitars, I really HOPE new guitarists learn to do setups like you're doing and actually do them, or at least spend the money to have a shop set them up. When I was young and learning (two or three decades before KZbin) I didn't quite know how to do a setup, what did what etc., and I think it held me back that my guitar wasn't as playable as it could have been. I'd give extra points to the EART for being closer to a good setup out of the box, as too many buyers in this price range won't know that a guitar like that other one can be made to play a lot better.

You should try the Tagima strats. And I’m looking forward to see how the Squiers compare as well (in this price range it would be the Bullet, right?)

[@60CycleHumcast]

Yeah bullet or affinity. Classic vibe squiers are generally better quality than these guitars but bullets and affinities at this price point are historically dodgy.

[@TranscendentBen]

@@60CycleHumcast I had a Standard, it was $60 at Goodwill (!), I noticed quickly that it set up and played better than other Squiers, but it was months later that I discovered there were different Squier grades "Affinity," "Standard" and such. Dunno when it was sold new or what it originally sold for, but it was A Contender.

[@edlicari3909]

@@60CycleHumcast i would take the Xaviere over any Squier as they use better woods, full size trem blocks and full size pots. Even the classic vibes use small trem blocks and pots!

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@edlicari3909 all the newer squires I’ve seen are using full sized blocks now.

[@cdavidlake2]

Can highly recommend the Slick guitars from GFS.

[@manson9083]

Sorry cant and wont do tic tok, dont really need a budget guitar i wont play anyways. So best of luck to all who enter, and congrats to the winner.

[@Voxguitarsrock]

I will try again and hopefully not ruffle feathers. I've thought about ordering a guitar or 2 from GFS but I never do as their shipping price to my location is as much as the guitar. Sometimes more. So not a good deal for me. Good comparison as usual. Thank you.

[@1seriousgearheadify]

Might wanna try the IVY guitars for a decent cheapy

[@Steven_SK]

NIce job. I had one of the XAVIERE offsets for a while but I liked my Monoprice better so I kept it and sent the XAVIERE back. Either guitar is a good deal for the money in my opinion.

[@patrickscott2131]

I want the Xaviere just for the color alone (I've always wanted a gold strat.).

[@gunnslinger7774]

Tusk XL graphite nut than solid tuners.. Than set up.. Bone nut are very nice but I have found that they can have soft spots and can wear fast.. Graphite nut are my go to.. XL nut really help with the tremolo staying in tune..

[@Horses639]

Had a squier strat that color was my first guitar used to call it baby s#!÷ gold , now I kinda wish I still had it.. kids don't know what they had till they grow up an look back..

[@seangarland]

Really like that gold color.

[@kguidry66]

If you take away personal preference and go with non personal bias points the EART seems like a better buy and you can upgrade most personal attributes on any Strat

[@0000song0000]

i wanted to participate because of that daddario set... i am seriously considering the $300 purple Eart 😍 to have a side affair with permission of my strat

[@joeking433]

When I was young my aunt laughed at the way I did check marks the same as you do. We started with the long stem first, which is weird. You do a check mark so you can do it quickly and with flair and the only way to do it right is to start with the small stem first and then quickly do the large stem.

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

Nearly every guitar I have ever touched has a loose nut and washer on the jack. People don't check that? String tree is crooked.

[@TranscendentBen]

Oh I was wanting to ask, when he lubricates the strings in the nut, does he lube under the string trees too? I would.

[@leodanryan966]

The trem block on the Eart is massive.

[@DunderHead.5000]

I've had several new guitars that had terrible input jacks. Falling out, falling in etc.

[@OscarRuiz-gj3mp]

Killer, killer exit jam! Very pleased with this video....specially the exit jam....wait did I repeat meself? lol....

[@davidisanidiot1181]

Nice video. I’d love to see you include both the CHEAP cheap Harley Benton strat and the slightly upgraded version they sell for ~$160 on future installments of this series.

[@thoott3952]

Hello Ryan, I think there are 235 picks I. The jar. Even though the contest is over

[@davessparetime83]

You have to get the $67 Glarry Strat off Ebay. I bought a Strat and Tele and both were perfect condition. Not a mark or defect. You can't beat them for price and doing mods.

[@onefatstratcat]

If I ever purchased a Glarry I would have to name it Larry :)

[@AndrewLewisHowe]

I'm turning my Glarry into my road-axe. I think their necks are too thick, but it wasn't hard to sand my down to the profile I like. And using gunstock oil to do an oil/sand finish made it look absolutely beautiful - it now looks like rich mahogany.

[@donaldscheer5206]

Great Review!!

[@CommanderNewton]

yeah that gold guitar is epic

[@CommanderNewton]

aight just seen that its sold in capri orange, gonna have to buy it

[@maxonmendel5757]

do either of these have a swimming pool bridge?

[@sgtmac62]

BTW, you can pick-up MIM Strats for on or around $250 all day long. Just thoughts.

[@cakesodomy4358]

Where are you finding MIM strats for $250? You got a secret portal hidden in your basement that takes you back to 2004 or something? Also, thought it funny your screen name is "America First" and you're pushing made in Mexico products. Might have to update your username to "North America First"

[@frankb518]

The Bridge P.U. on the Xavier def. Is more twang! Boy,. It's a toss up! I agree! Great cover on this! Very well done!

[@salahbaker4089]

Its fun watching you guys "fall to the bottom"

[@SoCalGuitarist]

After you’re done with this series, you should find another sponsor and do mid-range (400 to 500ish), and throw the nicer Chinese models vs Squier, ibby, Sterling, etc. people are so quick to poopoo the Chinese manufacturers like EART and Shieji, but they make some great instruments beyond their 200 dollar entry level strat.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Thats a good idea, theres a lot of directions i could go with this. Daddario is on board for the first 3 episodes of this, im hoping they continue past then because they are are really good fit for the series.

[@robertsteinberger5667]

Better than an squier affinity?

[@NeoRichardBlake]

I just commented on the Church guitarist podcast episode about this, but it never hurts to help the algorithm... I'm really enjoying these shoot-out videos and hoping that you expand on them. I think the Donner strat would be great for this along with a Harley Benton, because, of course it would, (and Squier is just a DUH! suggestion right? There are even a few ~$200 Ibanez...). I'd like to see you do some of the cheap stuff from Amazon too. Glen Burton came to mind earlier, and now that I've glanced again, IYV/IVY and Grote guitars would be cool. And even though it's below price point, some of the even cheaper no-name stuff from Amazon could be enlightening as well.

[@iaoshua]

are their any "worth it" budget jazzmasters

[@ciggy_]

IMO no, anything below a squier classic vibe always seems to be an offset strat sadly…

[@rivulus]

Harley Benton ja-60. Does come with actual jazzmaster pickups instead of p90’s but it is hardtail.

[@mindfall82]

Tagima has a decent one but with a strat style trem

[@TylerPresents]

Tagima is the best in the sub $300 range imo, very nice guitars.

[@Acroanidd]

I dont need no D'addario ads to go buy their products. I buy so much of their equipment it's silly. Plus I have NYXL and XS stickers on my desk at work!

[@edlicari3909]

I definitely prefer the Xavier! Great guitars in my opinion. 👍

[@familiarpurrson8744]

Just for the record, I bought an EART S-type. The 22nd fret on mine has that same problem Ryan talks about, trapping the high E string, only it catches A) when I do a barre chord on the first two to three frets and, B) when I strum. The first I can work around, the last is a real problem. I just ordered a Xaviere, and, unless it's truly horrible, I'm probably going to keep it and sell the EART, since I didn't discover the strumming problem until this week, a month after the return window had closed. So if you buy one, do try strumming it out of the box to make sure this doesn't happen to you. If it does, return that sucker unless you have some good fret files already. *Shrugs* I may buy one and try to fix that, just so I can say it's fixed if I try to sell it.

[@allenwoody5909]

Hey Mr. Hum, GFS is offering some of the Slick strats (that might need some minor work or blems) on clearance for 30% off, around $175. These are some upgrades from X brand. These clearance sales happen every holiday, not always 30% though.

[@liljohn1064]

Nice review. Thanks for the honestly. You really hit on the fact that the final opinion is subjective to personal taste. If you don't love it, you will not play it.

[@bluwng]

Man that gold is a looker. Nice review

[@richardsavoca6298]

I recently acquired a surf green Xaviere with the alnico II pickups and I love it! I did have to set it up though as you said.

[@LuvhandleR]

All subjective points should be applied to both guitars.

[@atlantabob9544]

What about lefties?

[@TheDeedeeFiles]

Beautiful guitars

[@theshadowoftruth7561]

Sorry but that color Xaviere Strat is no longer available and the EART is $40 cheaper now? That said The Xaviere is going to have better stock pickups but the EART is going to have a better neck and other components. So for $60ish dollars you can put GFS pickups in the EART.

[@garyhysell8603]

Materials should of been a key factor. The EART has mahogany body, roasted neck and stainless frets. I like both guitars but when you factor value for those materials? Compare that to the cost of a new pickup. EART stands out as a much better guitar for the price and with Mahogany woods and stainless frets it will last for a really long time without fear of warping from cheap woods or excessive fret wear, just saying.

[@ricmel8008]

Nice review. I would love you to check out the Xaviere Semihollow Les Paul PRO550.

[@connormckee4431]

The eart looks like the Ibanez super strat

[@60CycleHumcast]

It very much reminds me of an Ibanez AZ

[@damianp3305]

Very interesting comparison. What I see that objectively Eart is better guitar (quality, frets, bridge) but Xaviere wins on look mostly (classic strat, headstock, strat-alike etc) which is subjective. Other people might want to think opposite but this is what You mentioned in this video. Again, interesting comparison

[@jimcamp2423]

Prediction, the EART rotates out as eliminated based on looks alone. But damn, did the X have some issues that needed to be worked out & fixed that nobody should have to do. I think for a base of body & neck, the X is adjustable, even quite mod-able. Solid Alder body is Fender-like.

[@jimcamp2423]

Headstock shape, the X is always going to be the shape that says a chunk of wood got nicked & clipped and was reshaped. The EART, I just think that's a shredder headstock shape, I liked the Monoprice Indio better than both of these. Subjective though, not much weight to that category. Tuners, the better one's functionally will always check that side of the ledger. Neck, I think that comes down to SS vs nickel and a user preference. And then I watched the video, a neck tie was broken by the SS frets. I call them SS frets because they are some lesser grade of SS perhaps. Pickups, Alnico GFS are always going to edge out Ceramics. QC, the EART, even the Monoprice Indio was another level. A consumer has to check the screws & other fasteners anyway, when one is worse than the other, the X loses. Playability is a tie, The X started to edge out the EART at the end for being less modern. I had a gut feel the X would win. This is a new glow buy that may wear off a few weeks into ownership, but a matte finish EART isn't going to stun like the glossy X. I mean just look at them, a foggy matte finish vs a sparkly meta-flake gold. Put that mint green pickguard on a solid glossy color that works better & the EART probably takes it 5 to 4. I think the scores need to be weighted better though. Because in the end, Tuners will stay in tune & even tune better on one, enough better than the other. And that might be a function of Trem bridge & adjustments. So the ceramic pickups in tune longer & more often are going to sound better than even the edge to the X's GFS Alnico pickups that are drifting out of tune.

[@jimcamp2423]

BTW, still prefer my Monoprice Retro Classic Tele to all three of these Strats in these head to head single elimination rounds.

[@onefatstratcat]

I have a GFS fat tele with their stock pickups that I just dig. I did swap out the stock 21 fret all maple neck for a WD 22 fret rosewood and now it's my go to weekend warrior club axe. I rarely use the neck pickup.. I just use the 16k bridge rail full or split. Gets a bitchin Stones or Petty tone split and full gives a nice focused old school bucker sound :)

[@bobbya8622]

The Monoprice/EART comparison wasn’t a fair comparison at all. Monoprice’s Indio Cali Deluxe Plus at $199 regular price from Monoprice’s website would have been a proper and much more interesting and competitive comparison. The $99 Indio Strat style still wasn’t too far behind the EART. I bring this up because you mentioned that the Monoprice lost.

[@joeking433]

Those cheap tuners are never the problem with tuning! They NEVER slip! It's always something else. Would probably be the strings being cheap and not stretched. The other possibility is the floating bridge and the springs aren't tight enough.

[@jayteesgear]

Too funny😛. Love it

[@jwald6795]

How do you decide which one of those pedals to use today?

[@ctcards2636]

I like the tone of the Eart better. ;-) Thanks for the video

[@ctcards2636]

The more into the video I got, the more ya see the cheap in the Guitar Fetish model. The Eart i like but im just watching a video, i havnt played either. ;-)

[@ctcards2636]

What is the purple guitar hanging up in the back ?

[@60CycleHumcast]

It's a Strat that Ryan refinished. I think there's a video around here somewhere - steve

[@JohnSmith-ck9tp]

You can get gfs 6.5k or even 6.5 with a bar which increases the inductance on what they call the metal foil single coil in a single coil shape to get a warmer sound. They also sell ceramic single coil.I prefer the flat staggers. You can also get their p90 guitars which sound great. To p90s with 250k pots sound nice and warm. I measured the magnetic strength of the gfs pickups using my cell phone app which is not great but I get similar readings to classic vibe tonerider pickups and similar to my Ibanez sa series alnico pickup. I think this is because alnico 5's only go up so high and so the companies usually just max out an alnico 5. The real question is how low you can get the action without it buzzing, and the only channel that tells you that I think is Phillip McKnight but he doesn't do a lot of guitar reviews. But typically you would want to see better than 2 mm at the 17th fret on a decent guitar.

[@darkroses312]

You should try an SX from rondomusic

[@fatmangaming2720]

Need to get a GROTE Strat and give it a go!

[@xavierortiz2690]

Xaviere for me

[@peskypesky]

The Xaviere sounds better to me. More clarity and sparkle.

[@kimoandrews5802]

If you don't play this video to the end you are missing out.

[@skinball]

Actually you can buy the little female plug-in thingy from gfs for like 3-6 usd

[@skinball]

So it is possibly to have “any” pickup in there, it just costs a teensy bit more

[@arpee915]

The backplate on the Xavier is for slicing vegetables on

[@garrygaggles1160]

OOOh Close call Ryan, Does Gold win every time !! Even with dodgy nuts and untightened ones ???

[@drummer4hire12]

The frets on indeed SS

[@bluwng]

New Budget Contenders, Donner DST 400 and Jet Guitars ( these are European and all have roasted maple necks).

[@stevenw4549]

You can't count. You gave the Eart 7 not 4. I like the Eart better, I think. I like the fretboard color better and it won't show wear as bad.

[@paulruiz4778]

Now how much it would cost to get a nice tuners and bridge or what would you change to make it sound like a 1000 guitar?

[@60CycleHumcast]

Sound is incredibly subjective. Imo the biggest difference in quality between guitars is the feel and playability, higher end bridges typically = smoother operation and tuning stability but that’s not always true. Well dressed frets and nuts make a huge difference, and high end builders tend to develop specific preferences for wood weight and density that lends to more exotic feeling guitars. It’s a hard thing to define and like I said, so much of it is subjective.