Buyers Remorse 5 Reasons To Regret Buying An EXPENSIVE Guitar

[@Slime-Man-Extreme]

Another tip: don't buy an expensive guitar thinking it will make you play better

[@cuauhtemocmorisco3493]

John Faust this is true for beginners but if they are fully committed to learning the guitar I don't see why not they can buy a LP or Strat that feels right. It all comes down to technicality, theory, and PRACTICE.

[@Slime-Man-Extreme]

Oh, yea, absolutely! I was just saying don't buy a 5k guitar and think you will shred like Steve Vai immediately

[@brutalbeetle]

Depends how shitty your current one is lol. I definitely got my second guitar because it allowed me to play better. Sometimes the neck or body is just a bad fit.

[@Slime-Man-Extreme]

Very true as well.

[@onpsxmember]

I bought my second guitar for around 1k €. Which plays fantastic. My first was an Epiphone SG-400 for around 400€. My mindset was that with that guitar there would be no excuses that it's the instruments failure but it's all on me. That helped me at the time to get better. Later I learned more about setups and improved the playability of my first guitar a lot. Learn how to do your own nuts, buy a bridge that isn't leaning back and forth on thin screws with lots of play in the inserts and you save lots of money. Still, that guitar i bought is also cheap compared to some 3-4-5 or 6000€ guitars.

[@dominiccoleman6622]

A good one is buying a Floyd rose guitar without realising what it is or how it works

[@dominiccoleman6622]

P. Doherty Story of my life mate😂

[@PaintHerWhite]

P. Doherty Tremsetter... I bought one of those pieces of shit.

[@cdreid99999]

Upside you quickly learn a LOT more about your guitar than most non FR guys ever will and you get REEEEALLY good at doing your own setups :P Worst part is getting a guitar with a SHIT trem and realising just how much its going to cost you for a good one :( :(

[@patricktaylor9033]

As previously stated with a fr you either learn a lot about setup quickly or you give up quickly and get something else, fr trem systems are pretty much a must for some playing styles, but but if you dont love them instantly, you likely wont come to love them later on.

[@rockhoundingeasternwashing5308]

Yeppers, Floyd setups are very different, that's for sure. They are also fantastic, but are tricky to set up.

[@jameskrys5286]

My rules, buy used. Buy from pawn shops. If you can find someone to buy from who doesn't know anything about guitars it' s to your advantage. If it feels good and sounds good it is good.

[@dangreving1094]

André Fontes so true i bought my 67 strat in 94 for 150 bucks... cant do that now .. damn internet lol.

[@VHT418]

Just wait for the angry ex girlfriend craigslist special, Andre lol.

[@Thomasdgolden]

André Fontes I work for Pawn shops. The ones I deal with buy a $600.00 dollar guitar for $60.00 and sell them just under or at the usual used prices.

[@cdreid99999]

i doubt it. They may mark them at that while they sit for a year then ebay them. I recently messaged a pawn shop that was selling a $550-600 schecter 7 string for 150 or something. Honestly if it had been lefty id have snapped it up and felt guilty but i didnt honestly want the guy to get screwed

[@j.d.schultzsr.9215]

James Krys, Couldn't agree with you more. I have two excellent instruments from the corner pawn shop. Find a shop that is trying to deal in volume rather than maximum markup. My first purchase was my Cremona Chinese fiddle, ($150-250 new) in Styrofoam/nylon case in excellent condition. It was marked $99, which I offered $80, and after consulting their records, they took. The second was a Epiphone LP100, which had the G-string wound backwards (telling me that nobody in the shop knew much about guitars), and was likewise marked $99. I never thought I could ever own a Les Paul, but as soon as I tuned (a challenge with the backwards string) and played her, I KNEW I had to have her. She was so perfectly set up, with such an OUTSTANDING (bolt-on--I don't fall for the folklore about "set") neck, I never thought I would find a guitar that could approach the playability of my 35yr. setup experience of my Fender Tele, or my Squier Affinity Indy (much better than ANY Fender, in spite of the well-accepted crap to the contrary) Strats. Again, I offered $80, and again, they took it. Damn, I should have offered 50!! After cleaning her up, re-stringing, cavity shielding, replacing switch, pots, capacitors and installing tone bleeders, (around $30 total) and buying an Epihone case ($99), I have the best playing and sounding guitar I have ever owned for about 1/3 the cost of a new Gibson Les Paul. Instead of Fenders or Gibsons at Guitar Center, a pawn shop with Squires and Epiphones are much better.

[@theshapeexists]

I have guitars i paid thousands for. They sit in cases mostly. The guitar i play everyday is a $180 Ibanez rg. It's amazing.

[@earthpart3]

lol that's what i have. it's finally breaking down after 17 years of playing hard as hell. Money well spent.

[@Cascademenace]

I got a lump sum of $ and bought an expensive guitar. It took about a year for me to accomplish anything with it because I was so afraid of any scratch or bump. I couldn't "own" it while playing. I've begun to let go of my expectation that it will always be in mint condition, and now I'm finally getting it to perform to its capabilities.

[@bmwf1joel]

Cascademenace that's why I like buying used guitars. Every time I bought a new guitar I would never play out with it. Just home practice n careful with it.

[@JoeBlack1108]

infoowetrust one problem with that, some people think they know how to work on them and ruin them or they think it is still worth new prices so your better off just going to a store and beating it up yourself. Just my view

[@robertglass3944]

Guitars are tools, and I treat mine accordingly. Personally I like 'em better once they're broken in a bit, and they've got that, "lived in" feel to them. They seem to transform themselves according to ones playing style, and lifestyle, (and not just cigarette burns on the headstock, pick scrapes on the body, etc., but the feel of it in your hands, and the way it responds to your touch), I feel more connected to a guitar like that, (especially if I'm the one who broke it in). But that doesn't stop me from buying a new one from time to time, both cheap and expensive. and they all get the same treatment. They are tools. If you're buying a guitar as investment, in the hopes of turning a profit on it, that's one thing. leave it in the case, AT ALL TIMES! But if your buying it to play, then play the hell out of the fucking thing! it's a tool! If it helps, right out of the box, put your own ding on it. Just give it a solid tap with a small household hammer somewhere, hell, scratch your name or band logo on it, but for fuck sake, play the damn thing! The only way it will become worth more than you paid for it, is if the didn't make any of them, then discontinue the line, and it becomes collectible, (like twenty five to thirty years down the raoad), or if you become a legendary player, (think Hendrix, Clapton, Page, BB, etc), in which case anything you scratch into or paint on it, only makes it worth more, (the EXP guitar museum, in Seattle paid a million bucks for the Strat Hendrix burned on stage at the Monterey pop festival, in 67', and it was a cheap one, he knew he was going to burn). So, play that funky music, white, (or whatever color you are), boy, (girl, or transgender)! Fuck the dumb shit. It's a tool.

[@4L10]

Great point. You can vinyl wrap the body. But make sure it is a quality one that doesn't leave anything behind when removed. Plastidip is a good and easy method.

[@shauncrissc]

I also like a Nicotine colored binding on my Les Paul standard and ,although I want to sand down the varnish on back of the neck lol hmmm...? Lol Well , wish full thinking ? Ya , broken in iz my Vote on any axe over Cosmetics ! Shaun

[@schecterseven3894]

you do a great service to our guitar community, thank Mr. McKnight you are a treasure keep up the good work .

[@707king]

“Brands don’t always give you perfect products” *sees 4 PRS models behind him*

[@xXEmbracetheMetalXx]

707king He digs them, so he buys them. Nothing wrong with sticking with a particular brand because you get what you need from their guitars. I prefer ESP LTD model guitars. Theyre super comfy to me, have great build quality, and are very affordable guitars. Ive tried a ton of other brands, and ESP is my jam. You like what you like.

[@bobcooper82]

I said the exact same thing lol

[@ituneyou1213]

I just picked up a 1994 mim sunburst telecaster for $100 and it sounds great, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a good sounding guitar

[@Thomasdgolden]

ituneyou 12 I'll second that! Absolutely correct.

[@_charwyn]

lucky you! :)

[@thatchman9605]

ituneyou 12 where you find that?

[@dansands6363]

nice find!

[@tehsergiusz]

you just got lucky, a telecaster is a ~$500 instrument and they're amazingly playable even at that value

[@RKDriver]

As for custom-built guitars, Carvin/Kiesel is the way to go. I've had mine since October 2016 and I spent a lot of time on their build page evaluating different configurations. The difficult part about a custom-built guitar is that you really won't know how the guitar will look, play and feel until you open the box, but they do offer a 10-day "no questions asked" return policy. This was my first "expensive" guitar and it's met all of my expectations.

[@_vez]

They start at 5000 for a fully custom guitar...I found a smaller luthier called Albor guitars,they are stated in Mexico so their guitars are way cheaper,1500 for a fully custom, however quality is top notch, I have their Stealth model,which I modelled after BC rich stealth and plays amazing

[@cabbycabby1770]

#1 tip. Don't buy an LP when you love Strats.

[@void3923]

Nicholas Cabrera #2 tip: don't buy a strat

[@CristiNeagu]

#3 tip: don't listen to people telling you a certain style of guitar is bad and just buy what you like.

[@didds8869]

#5 Tip: Just buy an SG. Best of both worlds

[@CristiNeagu]

Nope. Not enough Strat twang.

[@didds8869]

Cristi Neagh Yeah I know, I was slightly exaggerating. But you can achieve a mildly convincing strat tone if you have coil splits

[@MikeyNewman1974]

I've purchased some lovely expensive new guitars over the years and hardly used them because of the fear I will damage them having spent all that money. I always went back to my old ones so in the end I sold them. I now buy used gear with some marks etc already there. And I play them straight away.

[@kenchuba6024]

Took that road a few times myself. Expensive is not always better. Glad I bought all the things I wanted when prices were reasonable. Got an instrument that's value or replacement cost is well over 2 grand right now. As nice as it is, I would never own it if I had to pay today's prices. Anything over $1500 dollars is ridiculous in my books. I see my guitars as a tool to make music and at the end of the day they are all wood and wires. Playability is the main thing.....your hands provide the magic not the guitar.

[@davidallen346]

The only buyer's remorse I have now is returning guitars that I thought were expensive years ago have now tripled in prices and I cannot buy them back now

[@diazzsama]

David Allen what guitar was it?

[@cdreid99999]

jesus .. ok thats painful man :P

[@isotop235]

I bought a PRS flying birds and all in 1998...ran about $2200...I didn't like it at first and returned it....ugh.

[@strangequark420]

I have the opposite problem. I buy guitars and keep them, though they don't increase in value.

[@stevefrandsen]

Excellent insights Phil. I bought a 1978 Hagstrom SuperSwede in 1986 for about $500. Looks and plays like a LP - headstock and tuners are a little different but I love them. Stays in tune with the H truss rod. Cherry Sunburst so it's beautiful and somewhat unknown or unique. Came with a coil tap/phase shifter so extra sounds for free. Rosewood fingerboard action like buttered silk. My best guitar teacher advised "Buy a guitar you like and you'll play it". Your advice applies to other purchases also. I'd love a fancy sports car but then I'd just wait for it to be stolen and couldn't enjoy it. Thanks!

[@metalmaster624]

I just bought a 2016 limited PRS McCarty 10 top in charcoal blue burst with ebony fretboard. Yes it did cost a lot of money but in my opinion this guitar plays better and sounds better than any other major brand guitar. The quality is top notch and the neck is to die for! Gibson needs to learn from PRS.

[@mattstewie420]

metalmaster624 although I don't have a PRS (can't afford it) this has also been my experience with them. And they look amazing

[@metalmaster624]

matthew stewart You can always afford anything in this world! Just have to learn how to manage money! Me I had to quit smoking after 12 years haha.

[@kennethparker1032]

I have a good friend who does QC and final setup for guitars at Paul Reed Smith in Maryland. They put every guitar, not just the U.S. made ones, through extensive qc and give them a proper setup before they go out the door. Now, if I could only afford one....

[@metalmaster624]

André Fontes My color they did a limited run of only 5 I believe and put a gaboon ebony fretboard on it and ebony headstock veneer. Only had to pay a little more than a regular McCarty!

[@mattstewie420]

I plan on having getting an American PRS sooner or later.

[@jmwiebe3697]

As always, great video, Phil. I was looking at PRS SEs and EVH Wolfgangs because I wanted a good mix of Les Paul and Strat features. I decided a Schecter checks all the carved, flamed maple boxes for me and I got a used one like new sub-$300. No buyer's remorse for me. Thanks for the great advice!!

[@dragchainreaction]

most imports don't have a carved maple cap. they have a veneer. it's as thin as a sheet of paper vs a LP has a maple cap that does influence the tone.

[@jmwiebe3697]

That's true about the veneer, but I don't think the maple cap on the Les Paul really has much of an affect on tone. Besides, at my kind of budget, I'd be in Epiphone territory anyway, so it would still be a veneer, but maybe on plain maple top.

[@philbarrows424]

jmwiebe3697 Which Schecter model did you choose? Was it a South Korean made? Peace Phil

[@jmwiebe3697]

Phil Barrows I found a used Damien Elite 6 FR in Trans Black Burst at Guitar Center for $269 including a gig bag and stand. Not a mark on it. It is Indonesian, but the craftsmanship seems really good and I love it! I've got an Ibanez RG570 (MIJ) and it isn't far off from that.

[@tobiasrangne8899]

I have owned (and still own) some gibsons, some fenders, a couple of ibanez and a heap of other guitars. Some 8 years ago i walked by a store and thought: Hey i try one Schecter just for the fun of it (a pretty cheap one to, was like 600$ new iirc, damien-7). Has been my main guitar since then. I have been trying to find a more expensive (aka 'better', stupid i know...) 7-string since then. No luck. It turned out to be the perfect instrument for me. I have not even switched the pups... I still keep some of the gibsons/fenders/whatever for nostalgic reasons (and as art hanging on the wall). But when it comes to playing i use my Schecter, or if it's 6-string work i use an allparts tele or my Epiphone gothic LP. Go figure, probably the 3 cheapest guitars i ever have bought. But to me the best. Not saying big-brand guitars are bad mind you, they could be perfect for someone else, but if i let my hands and my ears decide (which you of course should!), they stay hanging at the wall...

[@AgressiveElevatorMusic]

My favorite guitar is a Squier. It is about feel and personality. That guitar is comfortable like a worn pair of jeans. He speaks true.

[@ic_clearly]

agreed, I LOVE the Indo Squiers... I have 2 vintage modified, and a dlx.. 300 bucks and a Duncan installed. A strat that rivals any American I've ever picked up... rock on!

[@xXEmbracetheMetalXx]

Squier makes good equipment, for sure. Theyve really stepped up their game.

[@deerlow1851]

i have an indo squire bullet and dam its really not bad at all

[@kiyuemadkick]

I use a pewter squier stagemaster V4 made in korea neck thru and its a shred machine with glossy sparkling cleans. Just so everyone knows korea makes the best neck thru's in the world. I know for fact if I make it big my customs/signature will be based off of this squier build.

[@Southernguitar74]

Squiers are just about perfect for playing live. No worries about getting a ding or scratch, or even if it gets stolen, though I certainly don't want mine to get stolen. Squier is also good for upgrading and making the guitar exactly to your liking. They are not my favorite guitars, necessarily, but for the reasons I just stated I do like them just about as good as anything. They are a good value, no question.

[@That70sGuitarist]

I love how you speak out against buying expensive guitars, while sitting in front of a whole row of PRS guitars! I bought my 1991 PRS Custom 24 in January of 1992, and I've never felt a single instant of "remorse" or "regret," either Originally, I had my heart set on a similarly priced Les Paul Standard, but then I saw a Santana video in which Carlos was standing on a hill overlooking the ocean, and playing the most beautiful yellow over red, double-cutaway guitar I'd ever seen. I started asking questions at my local music store, then I was introduced to an even more beautiful guitar. From the moment I first held her and plugged her in, I knew she was going to be my new guitar, and I came back a couple of days later with a certified check for the full amount, plus sales tax. (The price was 30% off MSRP, too.) She's been my #1 ever since, and I've played clubs and pubs all over Canada and Ireland, and never lost a moment of sleep over my "expensive" guitar. She has exceeded all expectations, and I'm still rocking her every single day after over 25 years.

[@toneill1225]

I've got two favorite guitars right now. One is an SG which I built off of an Ebay kit and only used neck and body from. That came out to a max of $200. The second is some sort of Yamaha that was given to me, which needed a LOT of work, but ended up running me prob under $100 for the parts I needed. That being said, I agree with the "take your time" standpoint and ask yourself how you want YOUR instrument, then decide how much you are willing to put into it. You can hook yourself up super cheap and own a one of a kind instrument if you don't just jump at some sort of sale for something with a brand name even if those names are more affordable lines. That's the best lesson I've learned this summer, and just thought I'd share. I understand some people would rather just buy because they don't have the time, tools, space, or whatever and this isn't directed at them. Just trying to reiterate that brand names don't make a difference and you should play whatever makes you want to keep picking it up. This also rings true for pickups as long as you are adventurous believe it or not. Check Ebay or Reverb for the guys that are winding pickups for fun and selling them at a reasonable price. They sound more unique and cost a fraction of the big names as long as you aren't looking for actual vintage something or another.

[@cdreid99999]

my fav is still my jem kit guitar (similarly almost everything replaced). Best neck, best feeling guitar i have. Its downside is im shit at soldering and it needs rewired

[@scottthompson292]

Growing up I always wanted to learn guitar. I decided that for my 21st birthday I'd bite the bullet and buy one. I went through my local music store and made a point of strumming on every guitar in the place (I couldn't play for shit at that point) and took note of which ones I thought sounded best. Then I made the store owner demo the short list (Thanks Dr. Bob) and picked the one I liked most. It turns out the one I picked was nowhere near the most expensive, nor was it any of the major brands. Almost 20 years later I still love that guitar and have learned so much along the way. By far the best $300 I've ever spent on anything musical.

[@itzed]

Here's two more reasons: 1) It didn't help you play better. 2) Because of #1, you now feel you don't deserve it and you get depressed afterward.

[@itzed]

Wishkah_outdoors yep, it goes both ways.

[@EXTREMEKIWI115]

Ed Mathews I haven't bought a new guitar for the sole reason that I don't feel like I deserve or need another. Sure, it would be cool, but I already have a working one that is high quality. If I get a new guitar, I want to be a significantly better player.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

I've put together a few Telecasters now and in every case I've been happy. The last one I made I'm ecstatic with. What Phillip says about "take your time" is extremely good advice. Take your time, select your parts with care. Do it slowly over a long period of time and it will increase your chances of creating a guitar that you'll love. It's very important that you love the guitar because you will likely never get the money back on a "parts" guitar. If you use expensive parts, it mixes two of the themes Phillip talks about. 1. Spending a lot of money 2. Creating your own custom. I always buy expensive parts when I build a guitar. That increases the chances of creating a guitar with mojo that you will likely love playing and owning, but it also creates more risk that you will end up with an expensive disappointment. So take your time.

[@onpsxmember]

I'm looking forward buying HQ parts for a really cheap piece of crap. It doesn't really hurt but if I don't like it, I can still sell the parts or use it on other instruments.

[@sunsetjunior9313]

this is one of the coolest aspects of the whole relic movement. ive had a few and you just dont have to care about dinging them nearly as much. that said, i have a couple of beautiful pro gretsches and i refuse to even spare a thought of worry on keeping them perfect. i treat them with respect, but i bought them to play, not rub with a polishing cloth. unless its an super expensive vintage/collectible, 'let go' and just play. if either of my gretsches got dinged, i wouldnt lose any sleep over it. we're all going to be dead someday and you cant take them with you.

[@thomaspick4123]

Amen brother.

[@raymondbryde1706]

I have been criticize for not taking better care of my expensive guitars but I agree that I bought them to play. I also try to treat them with respect, but there is only so much that I can do to keep them pristine when they are being transported from place to place regularly.

[@mikemadden2729]

There are satin pillow guitars, and then there are WORK guitars! Most people can only afford one.

[@whiskeyhangover1438]

Actually you can take them with you. I'm having a strat on my right and a les paul on my left! In my own coffin case. Just kidding I think.

[@jolan2778]

Great idea, unless you are a lefty. I live in Zambia and so far I have found a grand total of...... 1 left handed guitar in my country. Now it was a Fender Strat however I did not want an electric. So my options were left down to online purchasing which I ended up with a Fender Sonoran SCE. Now not a high purchase point but you did make one point that is crucial. I played a right handed classical guitar before this one so my expectations were as follows: left-handed (no compromise) Dreadnought (maybe smaller) and electric system (no compromise). Decent action (had to learn my own set-up so not too important) solid top (no compromises) and bone or tusq nut and saddle (as long as it wasnt plastic). These brought me to my guitar which had a funny buzz on the saddle which went waya when I changed my saddle height. (six-in-line zero degree Fender headstock probably just wasnt happy with a high saddle). These expectations mean that I could really only be let down if it broke when it got here lol. And the key is to really know what you want. That having been said I dread the day might want an upgrade or switch to electric becaus lefties cant just go and play what we think would be best.

[@patricksmith7063]

This is why I wont order online.. I want to play the guitar before I buy . If it doesn't fit you , your style of play or sonic expectations or price point, you can always try a different guitar or go to a different store until you find what you really want.

[@conanseibel4464]

Most of mine are $100-200 new guitars. Put another 200 in parts and setup and they play and sound as good as any $1-2k instrument. If the neck is good, everything else can be fixed fairly inexpensively. Only way to go if money is an issue, which it always is.

[@wastbs]

I used your advice to ask the sales person to play the guitar since I've never played before. This was my first guitar purchase and I'm getting ready to do lessons. I'm in my late 40's. I bought a used Fender (Mexican) Strat (Black w/White pick guard) $400, BlackStar practice Amp $99, leather strap $40, $150 Fender hard shell case, guitar stand, large variety of pics $15, snark tuner $15. When I get better in 6 months etc. I'm going to buy a brand new expensive one.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Hey Walter, check this out. instagram.com/p/BYzKRiInZAz/

[@mikeaustin4138]

If the guitar feels good to play, consider upgrading the pickups, tone/volume controls, vibrato bar, tuners, etc. This may give you more bang for your buck, unless you're willing to pay extra for the decal on the headstock.

[@onpsxmember]

Invest in a good setup. Mexican Strats make great working horses. I would wait more than a year of playing until making any bigger purchase. Rather take your time and buy a different amp after a year. Always wipe down your strings, don't oil your fretboard more than once a year if it's a rosewood fretboard. Oh and CUT YOUR NAILS! No claw marks in the wood. Short nails on the fretting hand are a must.

[@cdreid99999]

get yourself a zoom g2 or g2.1nu. Personally i think you screwed up on the strap and case but otherwise thats a sweet starter setup. IF you dont upgrade the strat i suggest a DIFFERENT second guitar. An hsh (ibanez comes to mind) or a 7 string (if you like metal or want to be FORCED to learn music theory) or A good les paul or clone. RADICALLY different sounds. You can get one tone out of that strat i cant get out of anything but my strat. I can get 30 tones out of my ibby hsh you cant. A ton out of my lp you cant etc. (Strats sound awesome im just saying use your next purchase to expand your range)

[@Avalanche1368]

That's great! At first it will seem like your fingers on your fretting hand have a freaking mind of their own, but all of a sudden you'll realize, hey this is working.. I can do this..So stick with it.. Nothing wrong with a MIM strat, Down the road, you may want to upgrade the pickups (I'm partial to Lindy Fralin "Vintage Hots and Blues Hots), but there's a ton of great pickups out there, and maybe install a (Upgrade) to a Callaham tremolo block There's certain guitars that are the mainstays.. Strats, Teles, ES 335 Gibson's and. Gibson les Pauls.. Get one of each Lol! Enjoy! ..

[@U2WB]

I agree with you, Phillip. I own 2 Les Paul's and 2 Paul Reed Smith guitars and one day just for kicks I picked up my Ibanez JEM 555 and, to my surprise I could play BETTER on it than on any of the $3000+ guitars. Sure, the Ibanez isn't as pretty and doesn't sound as good, but the thin flat neck and jumbo frets are a dream.

[@XxHarounXx]

You nailed the bit on custom builds

[@MrPrincepop]

Good tips. It took a long, long time before I decided to buy my first high end guitar. One other tip that should be said here (unless, I missed it in the video) if you do decide to purchase a high end guitar make sure the retailer has a good store return policy. Some may only give you store credit instead cash. Make sure you know how much money if any you will lose should you decide to return it. In my opinion you should know after at least a week if you are thoroughly happy with your new guitar. Also, during that initial 'honeymoon' week with the guitar be sure to baby it in case you want to return it. Just be prepared in case you determine it was impulse purchase.

[@Kipperbob]

Yeah, I totally get buyers remorse, I have a USA Strat I never play, I hated the thing as soon as I got it home, and a Gibson SG that's junk it won't stay in tune or intonate properly, on the other hand my dirt cheap Squier Tele that I bought in a catalogue store, it came in a box never played it before I bought it because I was going to mod the thing, I put in new pickups and polished the frets, that's it, best guitar I've ever had, weird!

[@jeffjlake]

WOW, I KEEP WATCHING ALL YOUR STUFF BECAUSE IT SEEMS YOUR SO KNOWLEDGABLE IN THE TOPICS YOU SPEAK ON THAT IF THERE WAS A POCKET GUIDE OR APP THAT WAS PHILLIP McNIGHT SAID THIS ABOUT THAT ...I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT TO MAKE MY LIFE A SIMPLE JOURNEY!

[@MrMadtv123]

Personal experience is that honestly the most value for your money on the market today , Dean , ESP and Jackson , I've bought a USA custom shop Dean ML which was ridiculous good , then I bought an ML79 , wasn't even 500 bucks , and it was still really really really good quality , ESPs custom shop is absolutely amazing , even the lower to mid-price LTDs are very good quality , Jackson have pretty much persistent quality no matter what the price point , also I could be wrong but it looks like PRS is slowly slaughtering Gibson in quality and " good " guitars

[@scottdouglas2490]

Scottish Trendkill I've had my Jackson for over 10 years now, best guitar I've ever played till this day, only cost $500 brand new!

[@thedude8954]

Hey Phil, this is probably the single most important topic I've seen being addressed in a youtube vid for guitarists...thanks man. We should talk more about the whole "big brand v.s. cost effective deal".

[@JohnGalt539]

Just get a PRS Custom 24 S2, and if you can't make beautiful music with it, just quit and get it over with, PRS downgraded it to a perfect comfort zone where you get everything electric guitar can possible offer.

[@matthewcollis-long5233]

Great video with sound, sound advice. A few years ago my wonderful wife wanted to buy me guitar, knowing I have always hankered after a Gibson ES 335. SO I said "honey that's fantastic, can we afford it?". As it happened, we couldn't, not for a new one anyway, and she didn't want to buy me something second hand. After some deliberation we decided to go for a Gordon-Smith Galaxy, built to order at around half the cost of a new (then) ES 335. I was able to pick colour & pick-ups at no extra cost and they even did a couple of extra changes for me (no f-holes or binding) at no extra cost. It took about 4 months, and I couldn't've been happier with it.... OK so after a week the finish started to flake of the neck, after 6 months the switch gave up, within a year the neck pick up tone control gave up, the tuners aren't correctly aligned on the headstock, the volume & tone controls aren't correctly square with each other and, due to the lack of f-holes it is an absolute BITCH for my tech to work on BUT I LOVE IT. It plays great, looks like nothing else (not even another Gordon-Smith) and after a set of BKP Nantucket P90s were installed, sounds fantastic. My point is that Mr McKnight is absolutely right; take your time, manage your expectations, know that how you feel about a guitar now will likely change over time anyway (there was a time when I thought I'd never play anything but a Stratocaster, now, not so much) and how we feel about the guitars we buy and play is up to us: the people in the shop and the factory are just trying to make end meet.

[@iancarter2947]

i like how im watching this because im afraid to drop $600 on a strat 😰😰

[@ryanwilson5936]

iancarter2 Seems ridiculous doesn't it?!

[@moshfists]

iancarter2 I bought my 2012 American Strat HSS for $600. It only plays great now because I spent a lot of time working on the action, I replaced the the bridge, and I turned it into a hardtail. All guitars are different. Don't buy based solely on brand or model. You have to sit down with it, feel it, play and listen to it. See how it makes you feel. It's kind of like getting a new girlfriend; yeah, she looks great, but when it comes down to it, how does she make you feel everyday? Maybe you should have gone for the girl without all the flash and glitter, but has an honest beautiful soul. The girl that makes you happy every moment and doesn't mind a little spank now and again. SHE'S a keeper. ✌️😎

[@cuauhtemocmorisco3493]

iancarter2 bro don't worry. I spent over 1,699 on my strat. I felt like you before when I didn't have it and well it's like that feeling won't go away unless you actually just do it. sure it feels like a lot of money right now but think about how much it'll give you back in the long run. if your going to be playing it with friends, parties etc then of course 600 is totally worth it. if you feel that it's the right guitar and that you actually need it at this point then go ahead and take the risk. I literally waited like a damn year thinking to myself that 1,699 was alot of money so I just thought to myself I wouldn't buy it because it so expensive and it would be difficult to earn that money back etc I began questioning myself and well I just said "Fuck it" it's worth it and in the end I jumped off the cliff and went for my dream guitar 😂. so dude just buy it if you have the money, patience to earn it back, and if you are ready for that level of commitment because one thing is for sure a guitar never divorced a man who played it😂😂. Best of luck to ya dude

[@brutalbeetle]

MIM strats are great but you can score used for $300, also check out G&L they tend to have more consitent quality. I love my MIM fender but it's got some rough fret work.

[@Avalanche1368]

Buy it! You now you want it! :)

[@vladyslav.pechnikov]

Very smart and very useful. Thanks, Phillip. It's always doubts what brand to buy. Have a rocking day from Odessa, Ukraine !!!

[@joep963]

Hey Phillip, you should check out Heartfield guitars by Fender. They were superstrat type guitars built in the late 80s to early 90s in the FujiGen factory in Japan. The Talon model is the face of heartfield guitars.

[@stivi739]

Joe3334 ive got a japanese vantage strat copy..i bought in 1980 ...still feels and plays great..wonder wat theyre worth now ?

[@joep963]

steff serpent if you love it enough then it's priceless

[@ragingchimera8021]

I have a Heartfield RR58 I bought new back in the early 1990s... still my best playing guitar.

[@norhsham]

Wow its quite some time I never heard anybody mentioned that.. Yes.. I did saw that on Guitar Player mag... In the eighties of course ;-)

[@Ponskippa]

I just picked up a “Switch!” Vibracell guitar for $90 at a local pawn shop. It’s bright orange, has one single humbucker and a string through body with Grover tuners and it has sustain for daaaays! Clean on one end, screams on the other. You don’t need to spend buku bucks on a guitar. Get what feels comfortable in your hands and sounds good to you!

[@brians1793]

3:24 anyone else notice, 3 different guitars, and 2nd from left moved to 3rd from left?

[@CLIFFROCK56]

Phill you are right on the money, I went to a local dealer for an acoustic guitar. I had an idea of what I wanted. I must have played15 different guitars from multiple manufactures. I had the about $ 2500 to spend. The guitar I liked best for sound and playability cost me $1100! I was and still am extremely happy with my purchase. This was 15 years ago.

[@5egf]

How do you like the PRS Reclaimed Wood CE behind you? How does it compare to the regular CE24?

[@Doug5524]

Always good advice I must say I have been lucky on my on line purchases but always go to the store for main items Les Paul standard but have purchased from Germany with no problems

[@dougnulton]

The only thing I really didn't agree with is the citing of artists talking about signature guitars as an example of it being "difficult" to make a good custom guitar. Their whole "we went through 12 prototypes" is just a sales pitch; you're not going to say "yeah, we just slapped this together". The first prototype was probably a damn good guitar. They just like to make it sound like the guitar couldn't possibly be better 'cause they tried everything.

[@cdreid99999]

SOME guitars it can make sense. The JEM is the perfect example. If a guitar is really different im all about it. I wouldnt buy it for the name.. but id buy it for what it is

[@Les537]

You are right. It's mostly a circle jerk of cosmetic changes and pickups. Unless the signature is Les Paul who wants to play some other assholes guitar anyway? Never understood the demand for that - except that most people who play guitar do it because they have no imagination and want to be someone else.

[@geraldhills41]

you are a great man, so sensible. i have been playing for 45 years worked in music shops and playing semi-pro ,forget the hype, it is what suites you ! you are so right what you say, thanks Phil.

[@guitarsishere]

All my guitars cost under $800.I drop them on the floor, bang them around, set them up against a wall you name it. Even my girlfriend has been mad at me and thrown one in the yard "said I loved music more than her ". Jee-EEZ zzz how right she was that girl was Psychic or something.

[@dragchainreaction]

psychic or psychotic? why not both?

[@thomaspick4123]

Get rid of the girl. Keep playing and enjoying. Another hole will come along.

[@lessthanpinochet]

Ditch girl. Play Guitar. Everyone wins.

[@branchthicke7843]

I have always thought Telecasters were ugly, but I was in the market for a new guitar, going from an intermediate to a more advanced player, and wanted to keep an open mind. I really wanted to get something that was basic with no frills, but solid, trusted, and dependable so I could explore a bit and allow my natural style to flow out. All of my research kept leading me to the Fender Telecaster. I picked one up at a guitar store and it felt great, better than all of the other guitars I took for a test drive. I said heck with it,you only live once, and I started saving for and eventually bought a MOD SHOP Tele. I cannot believe how well this thing plays. It fricken Rocks! Moral of the story, Don't Judge a Book by its Cover, and the funniest thing of all, It looks beautiful to me today. Amazing what a great personality can do.

[@altbouch]

Another thing is not to go stoned. I once bought what I thought to be a Fender Precision bass at a steal only to find out it was an Aria Pro Precise bass. Turned out to be a real lemon too.

[@nagol5178]

I've owned a lot of guitars, by far the best guitar I have, and BTW straight out of the box, the Charvel So Cal 2017 model. I cannot knock that thing out of tune for nothing, I use the bar HEAVILY and for weeks it's in tune. The Seymour Duncans sound great in it, the neck feels unbelievable. $899 gets you all you need.

[@kevinpaul1719]

I saw you last nights and I bought a Martin D35 today

[@Acroanidd]

I just got a 000-17 Black Smoke 2 weeks ago.. welcome to the Martin family :)

[@kevinpaul1719]

Mike Norton Thank you Mike!

[@moshfists]

I have a 1982 CSB Gibson LP Standard that I bought brand new. It was $600 in '82 and I've played the crap out of it, live and in the studio. Over the years, I've grown to love my Les Paul to the point that I don't want to put any more miles on it. About a month ago, I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro for $500. I must say that this guitar has much of the power and feel of my old Companion, but without the emotional attachment. It plays great, stays in tune, and with the coil-tapping pots, is very versatile. I love it. You DO NOT have to spend thousands of dollars for some big-name guitar to get a great instrument. Spend the time wandering music stores to find the best playing, best sounding guitar. NEVER order a guitar online that you haven't played first. You might get lucky; I did with my 2012 American Strat HSS, but I've heard horror stories from other players that ended up with a chunk of wood that was barely good for parts.

[@bird718]

i love and hate my guitars, my amps, gear, everything

[@steveelling9604]

Great points. I'm an intermediate player and bought an expensive (for me) guitar with a fancy inlay on the fretboard. It looks great, plays great, but found the hard way that I pretty much need the fingerboard fret markers to be visible. Hey, but it looks like artwork hanging on the wall peg. Has a little too much design horsepower for me at this point.

[@jacobreece1971]

DON'T BUY A 2015-PRESENT GIBSON

[@jamalabdul2009]

Jacob Reece Hey I love my 2017 Les Paul Tribute. Never had a problem and it stays in tune. Maybe I got lucky.

[@Acroanidd]

But dont hesitate to try an Epiphone because it is the cheaper brother... lately their QC has been on point and you can get some killer guitars for a quarter of the price of the bigger name slapped on the headstock.

[@franks471]

why not? I've been curious about them since they started using the new zero fret nuts.

[@jacobreece1971]

Jamal Kareem Tuning wasn't what I meant necessarily. The over all quality has dropped significantly in the past few years. They have awful quality control. It's all about quantity now and not quality at Gibson.

[@jamalabdul2009]

Jacob Reece In that case perhaps you're right. Being that this my first and only Gibson this what I go by. I have heard the horror stories about the QC.

[@compareguitarpickups536]

Phil, thanks for your honesty.

[@mikeaustin4138]

Another source of regret: you bought a "custom shop" guitar that you wind up not liking and it's so unique that you can't sell it for anywhere near what you paid for it.

[@onpsxmember]

Don't forget to get your name as a huge fretboard inlay^^

[@juvedoo99]

I always cringe when I see people trying to sell there over-customized guitars. Best of luck to them.

[@dobby240]

Excellent video. Just bought a spalted maple prs. It fits everything I had in mind also cost 500 less than I was planning on. A real steal at 800 quid

[@macabre2007]

I'm right handed - but I have a twin brother who is left handed - perhaps you ought to acknowledge the left handed guitarists out there more often - the industry doesn't cater with the herd mentality which seems right handed mostly

[@Acroanidd]

This is where I try to tell any of my left handed friends who might be interested. Just shopping for lefty available guitars is going to significantly increase price and decrease availability. In the end though right handed or left handed what we are doing with either of our hands is not natural, it is going to take training and an unbelievable amount of practice no matter which hand you pick to be your dominant hand for the sake of guitar ownership.

[@PearlJamaholic]

Left handed guitars are a scam. They don't make left handed saxes, cellos, or drums. Watch people that have no clue about guitar play air guitar, they usually pretend to do their fretting with their dominate hand. Left and right handed people are at the same starting point learning guitar. If anything left handed people should be at an advantage cause they would be using their dominate hand to do the more dexterous part of playing guitar. All the finesse righted people learned from writing and drawing is useless playing guitar. Left handed people could transfer this to playing a guitar, aka a right handed guitar.

[@b-stainton123]

PearlJamaholic I'm left handed and i play right handed guitar. You are right, it has nothing to do with what hand is your dominant hand, its to do with comfort. :)

[@donewithmodernlife]

PearlJamaholic same here, both I & a close friend are both lefties that play right handed. Just seemed natural to me but looking back I'm glad I went right.

[@TrevorParkJones]

Same here, I'm left handed mostly, but play guitar right handed. I'm actually cross hand dominant, meaning I use one hand for certain tasks, and the other hand for others. For example: eating, writing, and shooting a rifle I'm left handed. Throwing a ball, swinging a bat, playing guitar, or shooting a pistol, I'm right handed.

[@Jstall7543]

If a guitar plays, sounds and looks good then price doesn't matter! I've had a blast playing $100. Guitars! I built my own parts boutique tele with the best parts available and its the best guitar I've ever played! Building your own gives you a feeling that can't be described!

[@GabrieleMeurer]

Quite right! Do your research.I bought a used Gibson Les Paul 59 about thirty years ago for a reasonable price. That guitar suits me well.

[@mutt1112]

No regrets with my Tom Anderson drop top, I got back in Dec 2013 short scale, silky smooth neck, so easy to play. I haven't touched my Fender American Deluxe, since

[@mooseknuckle9657]

You nailed it on point number 2 Phillip.These companies know their re-sale value is higher than some others so their guitar is overpriced.I simply wont let a company already factor in MY re-sale into THEIR price.Also something to consider is that players like Van Halen and Brian May played homemade guitars that weren't from major manufacturers and their tones are legendary.

[@5150freakk]

ESP and Ibanez are great, cheap and hold up pretty well. My LTD KH-202 is going 7 years strong and besides a pickup change has no real mods

[@MarcRivest]

Very good video! By the way, on reason #5 the first PRS on the left is so gorgeous! Just perfect.

[@billybelair]

As usual some spot on observations as I recently bought a high priced Gibson after wanting one for so many years. Its a great guitar and while I enjoy the quality and sound of the thing I've been hesitant to use it as I would my cheaper guitars. Just a little bit too concerned of dinging or scratching it that I don't really enjoy it like my cheaper guitars.

[@5000rgb]

All of these are good points but I'd like to add some counterpoints. About ordering a custom guitar, if you like Strats you can order a custom shop Strat that will just be a hopefully better version of a standard Strat with your choice of color and pickups. Unless you take a chance on a weird color you will probably be happy. You can always replace the pickups and there are enough soundclips that you should be able to make an informed decision. If you are getting some one-off custom guitar then you are definitely taking a chance. I think the most important thing is making an informed decision. Like Phillip says, if you don't have clear expectations you stand a good chance of buying a guitar that will not make you happy. Usually by the time I pull the trigger on a big decision I've already remorsed about the possible downsides and overcome them. I rarely think much about it after the purchase because I'm happy.

[@buaidhnobas1ify]

So I was looking buy a truck (I know, I know). A friend guided me to a truck with this kind of motor, this kind of trans, and so forth. I bought a Fender Mini for a $100 bucks, it was great. Later I sold it for $100 bucks. I bought a Jasmine acoustic on Amazon for $79, and it played well to my surprise. There are some great deals out there.

[@MrKiwiJack]

Good list dude. As for expectations, we should always remember that no matter how much money you spend...buying *insert favourite player*'s signature model will not make you sound or play like them. It's wire and wood, not voodoo. Take EVH or EJ or John Scofield or Slash down to the local pawn shop, throw them on a $25 wreck into a 10 watt SS junkbox...and whilst it isn't going to sound like VH1 or Appetite...you will still hear 'them' in the playing. I have seen so many people complaining in shops that "this sounds nothing like bahblahblah" it's crazy. Keep up the great work. Cool channel :)

[@sqlb3rn]

good point about custom guitars... I wouldn't have thought of that iterative process.

[@twinsmm1]

When you're someone like me who supports a family of 5, have 2 in college and another not far behind, my days of buying expensive guitars are way behind me. The last time was a 2011 LP Traditional. A year old when I bought it, mint condition. Quite happy with it. Prior to that, way back in 1993, a '93 Fender Strat Plus. A pretty big gap, right? The point is, for us regular folk, though we like watching your gear videos, we just don't have money for a new toy every week. I understand that you are/were in the gear biz so you probably have lots of connections, know all the ins and outs and know where to get the good stuff cheap. I _do_ buy the occasional pedal, picks, cords, accessories but the big stuff, forget it.

[@Bender13]

A good friend of mine completed a ground up restoration of a classic 60's hemi road runner. Multiple coats of hand rubbed lacquer paint job. Beautiful! Problem was, he could only drive it on clear sunny days (no chance of rain) and was so stressed that he'd get a stone chip, bird shit or someone was going to scratch it or steal it that he eventually sold it and bought another road runner that drove and sounded the same but had a regular paint job, plain interior etc....and was fun to drive. Lesson learned....how many expensive classics...cars or guitars...are sitting in private homes while their owners agonize over humidity, dust, fingerprints...in other words folks, get a guitar that you're going to enjoy playing....that feels good in your hands and sounds good to your ears and you don't have to worry about dinging a doorway with.

[@Prreinke]

Best things to consider when buying ANY guitar. Great advice Phillip. Seriously.

[@mizaron1]

Enjoyed your commentary. I ordered a Gibson les paul and was so disappointed. The delivery person left it at my front door and I didn't know it but I was home. I opened it and the case was beautiful. I plugged it in and noticed it hadn't been setup, okay I'll work that out. I started with the electronic and found that the bridge pickup wasn't working. 20 minutes after drop off I was packing it back up for return. SAD. I've been wanting a Gibson all my life. It wasn't a top end Gibson but like you said I went with the name Gibson. Lesson learned. Now I looking at an Epiphone les paul.

[@CCHCraig]

Great advice as always. Expectations would be number one for me with an expensive or cheap guitar, specifically "staying in tune" as you mentioned. However, how can you judge staying in tune without first owning the instrument and playing it for about a week or two? Word of mouth and recommendations of others are about all you can go on.

[@isotop235]

I have a long history of buying expensive Gibsons, Fenders and Ovations. A few months ago I took a chance on an Ibanez RG 4EXQM1, it was cheap about $200 off an auction site. Shhhh. I hid it under my bed and hoped no one saw me with it. Wow..what a great guitar! The quality was amazing, the tone was great. My Gibsons do not hold that mythical place anymore.

[@jagreb]

Good Lord, this guy knows his stuff! Just started watching his videos and they've all been extremely informative. Thank you, sir! :)

[@paulrogers6037]

Number 3 (comfort zone) struck a nerve. I bought a 1 of 2 Custom Shop Gibson Hummingbird 12-string that was almost a work of art. I literally got nervous taking it out of the case. I worried about dinging it, setting it down, playing it near a desk, even discoloring the fretboard. I sold it and was relieved. But that thing sounded beyond magnificent.

[@Plague_Architect]

This video... solved literally every single issue I have had for the past week+ looking at the same guitars over and over daily not being able to decide if I want to spend just a little more or not.

[@daddski1]

I picked up my most expensive guitar not long ago. I also picked up an Epiphone Les Paul custom in KOA wood for half that price. Its rare and gorgeous and the sound is amazing.... The expensive is an ESP- LTD EC-1000ETFM with the ever-tune bridge. For me as a disabled vet finding extra cash for a guitar is hard enough and btw that KOA Epiphone does a whole lot more than the ESP and sound are amazing. It feels good, looks good and is a joy to play. The ESP? Also amazing with Duncan pickups and I love that no matter what this thing never goes out of tune EVER. Its beautiful with transparent black and a flamed maple top and really is amazing. I know my most costly is not close to a Gibson standard but then again I tried those out and picked the Epiphone, a PRS Zach Meyers, and the ESP and spent less money total than one Gibson STD and they all three sound better. The Epiphone is just special. I have others but this one seems to have been put together better and is flawless. PRS always makes awesome and the LTD 1000 is too. But the fav is still the koa top.... So lesson learned is find something that sounds good TO YOU and go for that one. Screw the 2500 and up Gibson that sounds muffled and not so good.... Now my kids can come home nd we can play together without worrying about damaging these other than that ESP... I have a hard time taking it out of the case, again, because.. to me its expensive...

[@robiandolo]

Great video and perspective. It's funny but 2 experiences: 1 - I bought an Ibanez for $149 with an absolutely awesome neck. I was in the store to get a pack of strings and said wo! i need this. Then, I bought an absolutely gorgeous Epiphone Swingster on line. I'm selling it now because as nice looking as it is and as great sounding as it is, it doesn't feel good on me. my hands don't feel great on the neck and its a hollow body, a little wider than my Les Paul and so I really never play it. Goes to show the price isn't always the measurement.

[@michaeldouglas2634]

Great advice. The best thing in my opinion you can do to any guitar is having it set up by someone knowing how to do it correctly. My fiend may he rest in peace could do just that and make a cheap guitar feel like a higher end guitar.

[@bassman5123]

Great advice! I especially like the part about being constantly worried about an instrument. So, I'd like to add a few more considerations regarding that specific point. What type of band or group do you plan on playing in? What type of places will you be playing your instrument? (including rehearsal spots). Why does this matter? Well, for example, if you're in a punk band, especially one with youngsters, you won't want to bring a 1000+ dollar instrument to the rehearsals. In fact, you probably shouldn't even bring one worth more than 500 dollars. (and probably not even to performances). To many of us, the reasons why I'm saying this are obvious, but I'll go ahead and explain them anyway. First of all, punkers, especially young ones, are less likely to respect an expensive instrument (or any instrument for that matter) and are more likely to throw it around or knock it over at rehearsals and performances. (nothing against them as a people, I'm just being truthful) Plus, since punk rock is a sloppy type of music in the first place, it simply won't matter much (sound wise) if you're playing a guitar that costs 200 bucks or one that costs 5k. Heck, even if you perform with classy middle-aged guys in a jazz band and rehearse/record in expensive pro studios, there is always a good chance that someone there will pick up your guitar to move or play it (without asking you) and will accidentally drop it or scratch the shit out of it with their belt buckle, etc. (This kind of stuff happens all the time!) So my solution is to find good sounding, good playing, and already scratched up instruments (or at least ones that you don't care if they get a little beat up) to bring to most rehearsals and performances. I save my fine instruments for only the most high-end gigs and/or recording sessions. However, this does present a few other problems. One is that you may have to find a cheap instrument that is similar to your expensive one in order to have the same feel. For example I use a cheap Music Man Sub for rehearsals and cheap gigs in lieu of my expensive Music Man Sting Ray bass. But of course, everyone is a little different in this regard, so this is very subjective, and experimentation is a must! The other issue is that you may get so used to playing your cheap instrument that you won't play as good on your fine one. This can happen, but the solution to this one is rather simple. When you practice at home make sure to split that time between your fine and your low-cost instruments. This is especially important if they're not the same models because the feel will be much different. But I suggest trying to get a cheap one that's a close to your fine instrument as possible (ditto) And remember, they don't necessarily have to be the same brand, just the same model. For example, you could have a Fender Custom Strat which cost you thousands, and a no-name strat copy that cost 100 bucks. Furthermore, if you plan on doing any gigs or recording sessions, you're going to need a good backup instrument anyway. (there is no time to change strings!) Lastly, I'd like to add one more important aspect to the worry factor. We've all heard the phrase "out of sight out of mind," right? Well, if you have an expensive instrument that you constantly worry about, you may not break it out of it's case often enough to practice it regularly (and thus, won't improve or even maintain your skills) However, if you have a good playing & sounding cheap one, you can just leave it out in a stand (or wall hanger) where you always have easy access to it and thus, will play it much more. Well, I hope this helps some of you out there. Thank you for reading, and I apologize for being so long-winded!

[@deanopants]

Helpful, practical advice. Thank you for creating and sharing this.

[@MalCox56]

Some good tips there, I have made every mistake possible in my long guitar buying experience. One that stands out: tried 3 Teles, a Squier custom, a Mexican standard and a USA standard. The USA was good, the Mex a little less so but the Squier felt and sounded best 'to me' however I doubted my judgement and walked away with nothing. Should have bought the Squier! One success that stands out: Bought a used PRS Custom22 which was reduced in price because some clumsy warehouseman had dropped it and it had a couple of dings. I saved a wad of cash and the worry of scratching it myself. That guitar gets gigged with no worries!

[@edwinstovall3334]

Don't know if you're still reading comments about this video, but I thought I'd share anyway. I bought this really cheap used Peavey Raptor EXP Plus (which is like a Fender Fat Strat, if you remember those - hum/sing/sing) thinking -- naively -- to upgrade and then flip it. I changed out the bridge and the nut -- both inexpertly -- BUT whereas I have tuning problems and the stock pickups remain in force, I LOVE this axe! The setup probably sucks for most people, but I heard something I liked (a sort of a Telecaster-like twang that you don't hear from Stratoids) and could still play well enough, so I stopped trying to refine the action. The cheap, stock Peavey pickups are something that many would advise me to swap out, but cheap pickups don't always suck. Witness the "gold foils" found in vintage imports of yore and Danelectro's famous lipstick tubes! I would gig with this axe without hesitation, despite the fact that I have spent maybe $150 on the entire package to date. The kicker? Well, there are two. 1. I liked this guitar fairly well before I modded it at all -- sound, feel and all -- and I'm lucky I didn't destroy it. 2. I have a really nice Schecter C-1 Elite from 2003; it's the best axe I've ever owned without a doubt. Even so, if I gigged with it, I would worry about it being safe, because it's gorgeous! The Peavey looks like the pawn shop prize it is. It just performs lots better. Conclusion: Sometimes, when you buy an inexpensive or even CHEAP guitar, you DON'T get buyer's remorse! Just be careful and don't cause MODIFIER'S remorse! Keep rockin'!

[@bwakeman]

I always dreamed of having a Les Paul, found a used range-topping Epi a year ago and snagged it. Sounds great, I'm not afraid to play it out because it was used, and I didn't spend too much on it. Looking to do some mods now too (Duesenberg Les Trem and String Butler).

[@teslacoil3286]

I have a few brand names i bought used for a good deal and some lesser known builders. No need to spend more than a grand on any guitar. LOTS of killer stuff out there for good pricing. I had regrets on the popular name guitars for 2k plus, great instruments but not necessary so i sold them..Good video Philly !

[@joebloggs1444]

Sooo true...I've bought and owned cheap guitars that were great and expensive guitars that were awful...it's all about wood..not the price tag...if it sounds great for you, and feels great that's all that matters...but the only way to really tell is onstage as you can't really hear or feel it playing at bedroom/store volume...

[@dalepal]

Great tips for guitar buying in general that become incrementally more important at higher price levels.

[@wastbs]

That's the one. Thanks for the picture!

[@felipebarco]

This is awesome advice! The video has highlight on expectations. Actually, I'd go deeper, and say that a buyer needs to know what he/she wants. If you like single coil, Fender sound, for example, and buy a Gibson LP just because it is cool, you're gonna have buyers remorse. Unless it is a collection guitar, you won't be able to do with it exactly what you want, or it won't perform as desired. On a guitar, there are dozens of aspects to be looked, and one that does not meet expectations/the buyer's will, can be a great disappointment. It can be neck radius, width, lenght, thickness, guitar's wood, tuners, bridge, finish, shape, pickups (type, brand, configuration), etc. If the buyer knows what he/she wants, but ignores it, and pays a lot of money on a guitar, he/she certainly be disappointed. If it a cheap guitar, and something need to be compromised, OK, but not on expensive gear, where there are more choices and more sense of responsability with money.

[@jamjunkies3639]

Good advice. My first experience of a large neck was splashing out on a Les Paul. Fortunately I learnt to love it but it could have so easily gone the other way! Plus as the value goes up the return for the extra dollar becomes less. :)

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

I got my first new guitar for $350. Series A, Stratocaster design, a very low end brand, but I liked the paint job and it played pretty good. First thing was I decked the cheapo bridge and tossed the whammy bar. (You can a Floyd clone for $30, but I wanted to learn how to play correctly first so I never put tremelo on my Series A). Next, I shimmed the neck, and filed the nut as necessary, dropping the action to nice and low across the entire fretboard. This revealed the cheap make of the guitar, as fret 18 and 19 on the 1st string were the same. Running a stone gently on that part of the fret fixed that right up. After that, I picked up a used DiMarzio humbucker for $50. I removed the strat style single coil bridge pickup and cut out room in the body & pickguard for my double humbucker. This improved the sound immensely, obviously. So for $400 I ended up with my favorite guitar ever. It was customized for me, by me, and once I painted over the Series A logo on the headstock NO ONE knew what It was. People who played it would assume I paid 4 figures, until I popped open the spring bay on the back to expose the cheap plywood interior. Lol.

[@samiam9059]

Love buying used now. Broken in and ready to go. Learned a ways back with some expensive guitars of my 20+ inventory. Their usually only valuable to you. Have one that only 35 were built and was going to sell it and no one came back with any interest. Old masters like Rory Gallagher played his original guitar all his too short of life. Beat up and sounded sooooooooo good.

[@mwpv11]

Very true. I have a number of tele's and always wind up using my $399 Telecaster classic vibe. It just feels and sounds great!

[@rongarza9488]

One point that I find extremely important is that the saddles on the bridge be moved in or out so that the exact same note is played (1 octave higher. of course) at the 12th fret as with the string open. This intonation can also be easily checked at other frets with the now commonplace tuners.

[@tummy_fritters]

My favourite electric guitar is still the second one I owned: Fender TC-90 made in Korea. It was about $650 (Cad) at my local shop. The finish was good, the setup was spot on, it felt right and it sounded right. I've since made some changes (trem, tuners, bridge, paint) but of the 5 or 6 electric guitars I've bought and kept/sold, none of them give me as much pleasure, regardless of price.

[@luckotdraw]

As a newer player I bought a Gibson 339, beautiful guitar I loved it, loved it so much I was afraid to play it. Expensive, lack of skill all made the decision to let it go.

[@Yee-Haw-MMA]

I play bass in a band and I own two basses. One is a $200 Ibanez and the other is a $1,600 Fender Precision. I know it's besides the point of the video, but the fender feels nicer, sounds better, and looks beautiful. Totally worth the price. But make sure you aren't a beginner if you're going to buy an expensive instrument in case you end up not playing forever