Buying A $500 Guitar In The Largest Music Store In The US

[@SoCalGuitarist]

Dude randomly bumps into both Phil and Dovidas and scores an HB 7 string for under a hundred bucks AND gets their signatures to boot? Really freakin cool!

[@joeprod1]

That’s a good day.

[@roachdoggjr45]

@@Codzilla71 What's wrong with harley benton?

[@itguy8900]

Staged ;). Kidding :)

[@FloridaManRacer]

@@roachdoggjr45 not a single thing. I own 5 of them.

[@roachdoggjr45]

@@FloridaManRacer Ty for the reply.

[@mstreech]

I LOVED the ending. You should do a series where you take young fans out and help them make smart buys and set ups.

[@scottenglert4083]

Definitely a cool idea !

[@SocialAutism]

It's not just the young who are affected by budgetary constraints. Have you seen the economy?

[@mstreech]

@@SocialAutism young folk need more guidance though.

[@johnbaird2095]

yes, please do this!

[@randyjohnson1352]

That would Rock, and I would watch !!!🤘

[@ashleyjohansson230]

I miss when guitar channels did videos in guitar stores, this video is a breath of fresh air!

[@brooksroman2918]

Same. I miss when the Andertons guys would be in the store all the time!

[@eduardom.1955]

Indeed.

[@johnclabby3644]

I didn’t realize how nostalgic this felt

[@gillamb8669]

The coolest part of the video is what you did at the end. Don’t wanna spoil it for other viewers. You Rock Phil 👍🤘

[@gregorioh7034]

Ditto. Phil, you and that other gentleman rock! Peace ✌🏼

[@JoshuaC923]

That was super cool

[@-Thunder]

I know, I was so happy the kid got that guitar and a couple signatures. I bumped into Phil in a guitar shop once (I live in the same area). He hung around and talked guitar stuff for an hour with me and a few other guys there. Definitely a good guy.

[@nedkelly8553]

Totally agree. He tipped off one of his fans to a great buy and the signatures made it one that he'll probably keep forever even if he "graduates" to fancier instruments. Good Will Phil, new nickname, because he'll tell you what the best used deals are AND spread positivity and cheer wherever he goes by being such a nice guy.

[@dylanr.52]

Hey Phil! I was the guy helping out Brandon with the 7-string - it was great getting to chat with all of you! Brandon's reaction to this whole scenario was hilarious, I think we all REALLY made his day 😂Hope to see you again soon! 🤘

[@lukaskelley3695]

He’s famous now Dylan 😂

[@dylanr.52]

@@lukaskelley3695 LOL I can’t wait for Brandon to drop his djent album with that bad boi

[@jackbyrd4921]

That guy could be the next gtr hero!

[@fredfritsch1013]

What an adventure, and a Dovydas sighting to boot!

[@FitzyStrings]

That ending was awesome! I'm sure that kid will never forget.

[@GuitarP0RN]

I had an AX120 10+ years ago and it was great! The stock pickups didn't need to be swapped IMO. The output jack eventually did need to be replaced but nothing 5 mins and a $3 Switchcraft can't fix.

[@t3hgir]

To steal a quote about Honda "buy as much Ibanez as you can afford"

[@pedrosoares7273]

Yeah but a lot of guitars around 500$ (or even much more) need new input jacks. It can happen to any guitar.

[@bradleyard4195]

Ibanez are notorious for things like the input jacks and switches failing. My RX40 pretty much needs a rewire at this point, but it was a great mod project, and even those minor flaws don't put me off from them.

[@GuitarP0RN]

@@pedrosoares7273 I've had $1,200 guitars do it too ::cough cough Schecter cough::

[@kurdtjohn]

That kid that bought the 7-string must be really over the moon that day

[@johnmoser2689]

I see my buddy Bobby McKinney right behind you in the Gear Exchange.... what a great guy Love Sweetwater Sounds would've been super cool to see you there Philip

[@SpecialReserve]

It is always a pleasure to see someone review guitars without bias or snobbery. Keep the great encouragement going to all us mire mortals.

[@Nonexistanthuman]

Its great you did this video as an update. But my favorite part was at the end, thats really somethin that guy is going to remember forever. Prob will always keep that 7 string too

[@pedally]

I love the ending! Very cool to leave these interactions in the final cut of the video.

[@lanceriffle4841]

That was such a cool story about the fan with the 7 string and meeting two of the greats!

[@seanmccann2513]

One thing I remember about the original video is not just the number of guitars under $500 but also the variety. You had a made in Japan Ibanez, the TTM brand, the oil can guitar... It was fun to see all the unique guitars you could find under $500.

[@Hiro.the.God.]

that Pink Ibanez was very dope.

[@rocket69218]

Ibanez really are great value guitars at the moment.

[@mstreech]

Haven’t they always been though?

[@rocket69218]

@@mstreech Sure, maybe it's just because some other brands don't feel as good value after the last 5 years of price hikes with pretty stagnant wages.

[@pedrosoares7273]

For at least 15 years I've always thought of them as great value. I just am not really a fan of their sound sometimes.

[@gqfiend]

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this video.

[@wonderwomanguy]

This was a great video; I loved the warm ending! . . . . . . . . . . . . . That's what she said.

[@d-mack7053]

The green Ibanez was my choice too.

[@markcampbell7554]

That was a fun video to watch. I appreciate seeing you looking at guitar's that don't cost 10 grand like on Troglys show. This is useful for players in the real world and not rich collector's who in most case's never play these instruments. Good show!

[@miguelod7693]

SUPERB!!! Cool guitar and even cooler story at the end 👍👍😁

[@samboliah3691]

That was an awesome ending to this video.

[@StoneXue]

That is cool as can be. Guy might have never noticed that HB and you took the time to turn him onto a good deal.

[@jamesduckworth9117]

Just watched this video again after being at Sweetwater today and meeting Phil. Lower row right in the corner at the 2:50 mark in the video is a Schecter Phil missed that was $449, marked down from $714. My daughter bought it today. Thanks for missing that one Phil !! It has two humbuckers and a 5 way switch that splits the coils. Sounds great too.

[@danmorrison8746]

Man the entry level Ibanez price point is about the same as it was in 1997 when I started and the quality looks even better. Makes me happy stepping into guitar is still possible.

[@jlore6344]

Wow, both of those guitars seem great. Glad the kid got the other one, and the green you chose is awesome. Fun vid, thanks for sharing.

[@XxHarounXx]

No way, thanks for doing this again! I recently rewatched your original video a few weeks back out it nostalgia!

[@godofdeadlydeath]

I still have a 1998 Ibanez GAX 70 double cut, and it has held up remarkably well. It was $199 in 1998 and it's nice to see they're still making quality budget guitars.

[@TheSunMoon]

I love that blue guitar just above the pink-sparkle RG.

[@anthonybouldin255]

That’s funny that you happen to choose one of those. I actually bought one of those exact model guitars about 3 years ago. I’ve bought a few guitars since then, and I still find myself having my AX120 as still being one of my favorites.

[@Ricky21mt]

That Ax120 was my first guitar waaaay back in the early 1999-2000. Great guitars 🤘

[@Steve-nq8jc]

This video encapsulates why I love you and the channel. Good Work Phil and long may it continue x

[@oatnoid]

"First thing that I see that I like is this. Why? Because I like it." Clear concise analysis. That's how ya do it.

[@ipuya]

I wish i could walk in to a guitar shop like that!

[@vancesnyder2426]

Phil, you may not read this but I want to salute you on your kindness and ability to comfortably interact with people. It is refreshing. I come from the SF Bay Area and there are times when I just want to leave.

[@popskustom7382]

Those will be sold out by the weekend. Love the video and fan interactions.

[@TurfShifter]

What a great video. So nice of you to tell that lad about the 7 string.

[@markcatron8996]

Excellent Video, Those guys at Sweetwater are great, and it doesn't matter which location you choose. Much better than having that ripped off feeling after leaving Guitar Center.

[@BricksAxeMan]

I loved including Phil's fan in the beginning! I would act the same way if Phil walked into my local guitar shop.

[@xNachtmahRx]

Got the Harley Benton in this video but as fanfret and added a graph tech tusq nut and locking tuners...HB are unbeatable if you want to stay under 1k$. My dream guitar is the ESP SC1000 Baritone but the Amarok gave me the same specs for 1/3 of the price 💰

[@jdoyel1]

I miss these kind of videos! I've been a fan of your channel for some years now and I love your content! Shout out from Texas

[@abcrx32j]

I tried and AX120 at my local shop, it felt really nice, not the most premium look, ofc, but it's a good option for budget players

[@ianstrickland5280]

yeah! me and my band were here a bit back playing a show in fort wayne, were all local to south of indianapolis and ive been to sweetwater a handful of times myself, so funny seeing stuff like at 2:45 that jackson warrior, i played that for like 30 minutes while i was there.

[@KevinPlaysGuitar]

I'm so glad you did another video of this series. You can buy nice gear for under $500. Nice guitar you bought there, nice color! 👍

[@mtrooze]

Love Ibanez. Recently bought an AM93 used with case for $400. Plays great. I love the Super 58 pickups and will not be replacing them. Exactly what I wanted - a very versatile small-bodied semi-hollow like an ES-339.

[@kevinmorris7722]

Love the ending. You found what you were after and the young fellow got one and managed to have you two sign it. That's a win all around. Super cool.

[@LukeReynoldsMusic_13]

I was literally sitting with that Harley Benton white 7 string on my lap, writing some riffs, when you picked it up! It was my first 7 string, and at the low price point it was a bargain! Neck pickup sounds trash, but bridge is decent (would replace pickups and upgrade other tuners + nut if I were to start gigging with this thing!)

[@TheOtteroo]

I did this a while back. I bought a used Brian May Signature Gold Top for $400. It was an early edition with gold hardware. So for just a little more than $300, What I got is my favorite guitar. I still have it. I Played it so much I eventually had to do a refret. So naturally I used jascar EV gold jumbo frets. It is a Short 24 inch scale with 24 frets and 27 different setting in that unique switch system. I love it. The burns trisonics are something between single coils and p90s, but wired in such a way, with any two on, you can get humbucking, the middle pickup is flipped and wired in such a way that even when you use it out of phase with another pickup it is humbucking. She sings beautiful clean and in distortion she just growls. The Hollow body gives real nice feedback, it’s like it’s alive. It sings. Access goes all the way up the neck and that is really cool, I found myself playing up there more and more. The Brian May is by far my favorite guitar, I mean by far, and I also own a Les Paul. So that should tell you how good these are. The 24inch scale takes a bit to get used to. Harmonics are just in different spots or something, it was awkward at first, but now? I can play it with my eyes closed. The nut is bottomless, so the strings float over a zero fret and terminate in locking Grover rotomatic tuners. It’s an easy cheap solution as opposed to locking them down for the tremolo system, but it works really well. A little about The switching, at first it made no sense but now that I understand it, basically using three finger at the same time knowing all the positions the switch has to be in to get the sound I want, it’s gotten automatic. The only drawback is, these are getting hard to find now.

[@petrucci973]

I have the same exact Harley Benton 7 strings but fanfret. Bought it new for $160 lol.

[@bce3210]

Cant beat a squier classic vibe for under $500

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

PINK!!! There were several nice choices! That shopping experience is what makes the guitar so much fun!

[@guitarsrcool4922]

I bought an Ibanez acoustic for my daughter. Big mistake. She was with me when I bought a Shecter for myself and I was so busy thinking of my guitar that when she brought me the Ibanez I said go for it. I figured since it was an Ibanez it would be great for her. It was only a 300 dollar guitar but man what a big mistake. The neck came unglued in no time.

[@benmiddleton9984]

I bought a Fender Squier 1970s Telecaster Deluxe guitar for under $500 brand new at Guitar Center this year. The guitar sounds amazing and plays amazing.

[@0lookaduck]

Nice find. That ibanez model, or the times equivalent, was my first guitar.i think it was a gio model when i got it in the late 90s or early 00s. Glad to see it still getting some love.

[@BazonBlades]

I have a pink sparkle Ibanez RG421. I love it. It's a killer finish for the 421.

[@ryant3600]

But which guitar would you buy under 500 if you were ordering online???

[@SoCalGuitarist]

EART W-2 if you like headless guitars that are finished really nicely, play well and sound good. I got one as a travel guitar, quickly turned into my favorite couch strummer

[@stanparsley9186]

GREAT VIDEO! I have been eyeing that Ibanez AX120 in green for awhile. You may have helped me make a decision. Thanks Phil

[@Arfonfree]

Dang... now I want one. Well, honestly I just got a GAX75 which has the d-tuner for $55 used. It needed a lot of TLC to bring it back to life (IMO, better than new now). It is a fun guitar to play.

[@musicauthority3516]

I really liked the Jackson and that burnt orange double cut. I have heard a tons of good things about Harley Benton guitars. so that guy walking out of the store with a Harley Benton. with two signature's on it did really good for himself.

[@tresblack4739]

Thanks, Phil! Great vid, as usual. Great ending...I miss the days of meeting fellow guitarists in the local brick and mortar. Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you!

[@SMGMusic14]

Great choice, and great on mentioning how a simple pickup swap can turbo charge the sonic qualities of the guitar.

[@The_Fat_Turtle]

Glad to see a big channel give the Ibanez AX/GAX's some love.

[@calbrockocat8728]

Super video that shows you there are deals if you look for them! Love the 7 string guitar story! (And that's why I watch to the end.)

[@DrDan1406]

The sheer joy of being in a music store again that this video conveys is contagious. What a good vibe!

[@BradColemanisHere]

Love that. Could get a pretty good gig bag and some strings, or mod a pickup with the money left over. That's cool.

[@onesandzeros]

Thanks Phil, interesting video and good topic to redo in light of current price increases. As you said, it's nice to see some pretty affordable stuff on the used market. I'm now accustomed to seeing high used prices on a certain gear website.

[@pupstop1]

That Ibanez is a nice guitar, Ibanez makes quality guitars at all price points. However, I will say last time you walked out with a Gibson LP. I think you would be hard pressed to find that kind of deal again. Great Video!

[@Phatzo1000]

I'm planning on buying one of those sparkle pink Ibanez guitars just for the color. I love it.

[@jonathanpeden9930]

Brandon is clearly the winner here! Congratulations dude!

[@kilercrab3213]

Ibanez killing this price point. Love their stuff, even in the bass department.

[@RatBike750]

Of course Phil picked that guitar, the body carve is almost identical to a core Mira.

[@johnfritz15]

I was at Sweetwater 2 months ago and Herman Li from Dragonforce was just wandering around. I guess Eric Johnson pops in occasionally to record and will try guitars out. It’s Disney World for guitar nerds.

[@danielglaser-garbrick8761]

I was just looking into the AX120! I think it’s a sign that I need one now. Thanks Phil for a great video!

[@funkfan1751]

Those Ibenez AX120's are really cool guitars for the money, I have a red one I bought about 4 months ago and it was still at the $199.00 price point. I guess I bought at the right time!

[@Anjohl]

Ibanez stuff is generally great for the price, and just in general. They benefit from not being copies of existing iconic instruments, which I find ups the price we pay a lot of the time. IE, are you buying that Epiphone Les Paul for $600 because it's a great $600 guitar, or because it's the Les Paul you can afford for $600?

[@kellykeegan2608]

Ibanez AZES31 is a steal for $300, or the 41 for 350

[@neil2706]

I got an rg421 and it's my favorite guitar to play its a 2013 model and I can say it never let me down once

[@94SexyStang]

never liked ibanez, all they do is Copy everyone else and ride in their wake!

[@Nugmania1]

As always thanks for your service, great vid Philip, guitars at lower price points well set up will be good for any gig,

[@Danger0use]

this video was pretty dope lol nice to see that one fan get lucky and meet two people he knows at once. interested to see you get into that ibanez whether its a deep dive or mods.

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

I think the key point here is, for well under $500 you can get a great guitar to modify. So long as it has the features you want and the neck is good, everything else can be changed over time, and it's just a matter of priorities from there as to what you want to modify, in what order, and at what expense. My Stratocaster started out as a Squier Bullet, seven years old, little to no maintence had been done on it, and in fact I suspect it hadn't even been played more than a little so it even had the original strings on it. I was still a beginner level player when I bought it about two and a half years ago, but knew enough--thanks to you--to know that it was better than the Selder Strat I had before it--which wasn't a bad guitar but the Squier was all around better quality, fit, and playability. First things I modified were to get tuning stability particularly so I could do bends and use the tremelo without it going completely out of tune instantly, so I changed to locking tuners--and thanks again for showing me how to use a reamer to accomplish that--the nut, and bridge saddles. Later I changed all the electronics, and finally about a month ago I got a Fender roasted maple neck which is pure heaven, but also the single most expensive mod I made to the guitar. It was either change the neck or have a try at DIY refretting the old neck, and when I considered the cost and potential cost of messing it up and having to take it to a pro, the new neck was the logical choice--also super easy to do myself. So I bought a cheap guitar for about $70 and two years later I have a one of a kind, custom Stratocaster that would cost me about $2000 off the shelf if I wanted to buy an equivilant new one like the Jimmy Ray Vaughan Stratocaster.

[@trebleboost7]

This was awesome! Looking forward to the full report. There is just something so great about a good cheap guitar. It is hard to describe. I’ve let too many slip away - but not all of them...

[@krustdogg131]

Hey Philip I recently started seeing your videos on Facebook. Just wanted to say I love your content man! Keep it up

[@benallmark9671]

That was a great video Phillip. I enjoyed it and I think the joy from that young lad meeting you guys was the icing on the cake.

[@damien6997]

Very cool, guitars have talen a jump in price. Still can grab a bargain especially in the pre owned market when folks start going back to normal life after covid. I was looking forward to the follow up of guitar and amp for $500. Great vid 👌

[@gssuper1438]

The ending was awesome!

[@Peace_Dog]

Another great video, especially seeing all the love for Phil from his fans.

[@leftyamazed]

I'm in the UK and I still recall my first visit to a Sam Ash (somewhere near Cerritos, CA) 25 years ago. That was a mind blowing experience, after the tiny stores I was used to in my locality. It's really good to see the Mighty McKnight's overview of a guitar megastore and what is available for very little money.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

I love these guitar store visits Phil. Very nice. More please!

[@NeinFeline]

Oh cool! You were there during GearFest Days! The new store is Amazing! They did really really well with the concept. Especially the pedal sampler stations.

[@serbianhammer]

I think I would get the Sterling Cutlass for $350 before tax. Love how you ran into a viewer haha

[@Russell_Optics]

That green metalflake finish on the Ibanez is beautiful !!! I absolutely love that color and I really like the shape of the guitar and headstock. Also, since you spent less than 1/2 of your budget you can do some sweet upgrades to it if needed. Great choice.

[@rajvirsingh5754]

I really wish there was some store like this in my country it seems like a heaven for musicians

[@pikap8649]

I wish I lived near Sweetwater, I’d be in there every other day.

[@brucelangsteiner4599]

That's a nice choice and would be easy to upgrade. Another choice for even under $200 would be the Squier Mustang HH. Another great platform for upgrades.

[@timmzzzz88]

A friend of mine bought a blacked out ax120 with an Ibanez amp for his first guitar when we were teens. I'm 35 now and he still has it. It has survived and still plays well for the price. (He has many other nicer guitars now. Which is why it's probably held up so well. Lol. But still...)

[@brusselssprouts560]

Good to see that G&L headstock right at the end!

[@crsantin]

The Jackson Dinky is a great guitar for less than $500. I’m very happy with mine. Even the stock pickups are good.

[@racer2c]

This would have been my choice. They get overshadowed by Ibanez but are fantastic budget guitars and great mod foundations.

[@prohunter717]

I got a natural oil finish. Love it. They work decent for cleans and jazz as well, even if it has that slight cotton in ear feeling when side-by-side with cleaner pickups.

[@rosieotis]

I just made the comparison of guitars to car stereos this weekend. My 16 year old son spent $420 on a deck, four speakers and an amplified 10” sub with wiring kit. I installed it and got all the settings dialed in. It sounds great! “Back in my day….” a decent deck alone was $350-400. It’s crazy how good technology has become. Kids these days have nooooo idea how good these sub-$500 guitars are. I had a Series 10. 😬 💩.

[@Doug5524]

I love it when you walk around stores , now I'm waiting for you to play it then mod it

[@Jydmd]

I recently bought a Pelham blue (they call it Baltic Blue I think) AX120, it has become my favorite guitar. I was looking for a 24.75" scale guitar with 2 volume knobs that was not an SG. This fitted the bill perfectly and was way under my budget, just like you. I wanted to put Duncan JB/Jazz pickups in it, but the stock pickups are starting to grow on me. I might just upgrade the knobs and play with capacitor values.

[@GearGasms]

Pink guitars are my jam! I’d rock a Hello Kitty but I can’t be copying Agufish! 😜