Can Rockstars Play a $120 Beginner Guitar Live? Herman Li DragonForce Guitar Review

[@kiboards1830]

How to split up a $600 beginner guitar budget: 1. Spend $600 on amp 2. Put strings on shovel 3. Sound like a pro

[@rossclutterbuck1060]

you djent then, I take it

[@scooter2329]

Like Mdou Moctar

[@NORMIES_GET_OUT]

This is the best advice really. Dropping some money on a good amp makes a big difference in your tone, but a cheap guitar can be set up/modified relatively inexpensively to play and sound great. My two most played guitars are both heavily modified squiers, lol. They're worthless to everyone else, but they're priceless to me.

[@firdauszainudin7118]

What amp do you suggest, mate?

[@NORMIES_GET_OUT]

@@firdauszainudin7118 depends on the kind of music you play, and it really just depends on your use case. Are you trying to gig? Are you just wanting to practice at home? Are you okay with solid state or do you want a tube amp? There's a lot of variables there. If you want to go tube and you're on a budget, I'd look at the Hot Rod DeVille. Great pedal platform and you can make it work in almost any situation. You can pick one up used fairly cheap nowadays. If you're okay with solid state, the Boss Katana is plenty loud enough to gig with and has all kinds of amp modeling and built in FX features that actually sound good. If you want a small practice amp, look at the Positive Grid Spark. If you have money to spend, there's a million different amps to choose from.

[@TotallyNotElPresidente]

Herman just single handedly proved that it is in fact ME that sucks at guitar, and not my guitar itself...damn, i'm out of excuses now

[@deriangueldner23]

Sooo I shouldn’t spend another thousand 🤣🤣🤣

[@natoalvarez5762]

It's always been about the person . Not the instrument. Same with fire arms it's about who weilds it not about the fire arm.

[@deriangueldner23]

@@natoalvarez5762 the Mexican I work with always says “it’s the man not the tool” so true in so many aspects

[@Rugarus]

well he does have a kemper, amps make a big difference in tone lol. But yea 75% is def in the fingers.

[@exodous1]

The amp is a big factor I think

[@nicolascage9440]

The wind machine is his secret, notice when he starts to shred he walks into the breeze. It's the source of his powers

[@redgrizzlybur7810]

You mean the FAN????

[@nicolascage9440]

@@redgrizzlybur7810 Fan/wind machine, both produce a windy windy

[@nicolascage9440]

@Michael Teitr 🤣 Thats why Jimi Hendrix had a dishevelled appearance! He usually had long straightened hair, but the moment he started to play.... the winds of rock blew strong

[@jimmyst-jean2214]

Must be a side effect from the pic of destiny loll

[@gmr9701]

So basically an airbender?

[@CalisthenicsPP]

All this time I thought my cheap guitar was the problem. Apparently, I have been using the wrong person to play the guitar!

[@flowersgrowinme412]

Don't worry. Let's be a better person. Keep learning my friend!

[@SamprazDoodles]

lol

[@Checkoutbetweenthesoulandeye]

I thought about trying new arms but its just so expensive so i got some new hands instead. But i still cant play like herman ,thinking about trying oven mits next . There has to be a way

[@hornjan8258]

Same with my jazz trumpet

[@Traumglanz]

You are lucky, imagine you would have bought a expensive guitar and found out after wasting your money?! ;-)

[@modernkowboy4611]

"If you're a beginner, you're not going to be playing DragonForce songs like me"!....... No truer statement has ever been spoken!

[@418792316]

i was expecting him playing dragonforce on this guitar actually lol

[@lunahetfield]

._. Yea... im a beginner and i tried to play the intro of TTATF my stupid pinky wont work with me :(

[@travismiles5885]

@@lunahetfield Keep practicing. It will come. I have been playing for 35 years and one of the best things my guitar teacher told me all those years ago is to incorporate your pinky finger. Good luck! Stick with it. One day you're going to plug in and your pinky will just do what you want it to do without even thinking about it.

[@random_an0n]

@@lunahetfield you can play it by putting your hand over the neck anchoring on a fret with your pinky and nail the notes with your fingers to make the intro cooler and its actually easier lol

[@JohnnyRayedd-Neck]

Who or what is a dragon force?

[@gerardmontgomery280]

Not many 120 dollar guitars endorsed by top tier rock stars.

[@ch33sepants28]

It got a sale out of me. Herman is going to need his cut from all the sales.

[@wob6776]

Michael Angelo Batio?

[@thespectralsorrows]

Not many $25 sneakers endorsed by NBA stats either.

[@mrsleep0000]

Yet they all started with one...

[@Iheartdgd]

Not anymore , there’s ton of these guys doing this now. There’s a lot of money in these beginner brands for the rep, that’s why MAB (one of most well-seasoned players alive right now) went to a brand like this.

[@policyjunkie3312]

But I thought as a beginner the first song I should learn was dragon force through the fire and flames?

[@doomslayerplushie6662]

It actually is

[@dogbatter563]

Another good beginner song is Polyphia G.O.A.T

[@jaimelee817]

Learn The Aviator solo from Polyphia by Jason Richardson or anything Yngwie

[@doomslayerplushie6662]

@@dogbatter563 ahh yeah one of the most learned beginner piece

[@diegoanthonyherrera9952]

maybe but is really bad the sound in a live performance.

[@the_bna5395]

Me: "Staring at my $120 guitar." My Guitar: .....NOT A CHANCE DUDE

[@leajatorobinson5117]

Underrated quote

[@deriangueldner23]

🤣🤣🤣

[@criscolard1]

It turned over and said it had a headache

[@jstarang1]

Amazing comment 😂. I was literally looking at my epiphone les paul 100 series while reading this and swore the guitar looked back at me like, "Yea, right...go fuck yourself..."

[@leajatorobinson5117]

@@jstarang1 Exactly.

[@TheKyleBrah]

Came here to watch Herman Li shred like a beast on a cheap-ass guitar... End up accidentally learning to setup my beginner guitar, which drastically improved it. Thanks for the shred and setup lesson! 😁

[@BenRajan]

My guitar should really watch this so it learns how it's actually supposed to sound.

[@derekbowbrick6233]

Herman still needs a Hello Kitty guitar.

[@Erenzilable]

120usd guitar from this stream is a perfect specimen to paint Hello Kitty on it

[@Mrwednesday84]

Yes yes yes yes!

[@Joslyn_Josh]

Do you know where i can get a Hello Kitty guitar??

[@its_sundayftw4684]

ZoVala Ka ni reverb

[@Joslyn_Josh]

@@its_sundayftw4684 Link!?

[@bernechad]

Ya know, Herman does a lot for the art of guitar playing. What other rock stars would go through all of this for free on their twitch stream? Everyone needs to be more like this dude, helping others and letting them know it's not always about the most expensive thing.....especially if you don't know how to play. Keep it up!

[@stevecvntnikoslawyer4181]

I think we’ve been lucky with lockdown!

[@yujiro424]

Michael Angelo Batio does a lot of free lessons and general guitar stuff as well. That's the only other one I know.

[@XxDarkXxXSasuxX]

Justin Sandercoe has an entire website with easily a few days (in terms of amount of content) worth of guitar lessons, all for free. He also has a music theory section that is paywalled but it is very cheap. I think $10 for half of a year.

[@rafaelericson]

when you are a fantastic musician like you, even a broom will sound good. i imagine that the manufacturer of this guitar should feel extremely honoured by one of the best guitarists in the world to make a positive review of their product

[@seemann2401]

U mean, it's actually an ad. Many utube guitarists are advertising it nowadays..

[@steveng1624]

I bet the beginner guitar was made in JAPAN.... 😂

[@Jokerman518]

I love that Herman is so down to earth, can shred guitar like a beast, and also can setup up and explain guitars. He's got it all! More inspiration

[@NinjaSushi2]

Chinese as a first language, British English as a second. It's crazy listening to his accent change between the two.

[@jiffah]

Chinese isn't a language. Herman speaks cantonese.

[@matasaina2011]

Sounds like Ali G 😂

[@NinjaSushi2]

@@jiffah meh I speak American

[@petekay67]

He speaks better English than most Aussies......

[@Trmtsociety]

What is British English? It's English.

[@GitaraDad]

what I realized after watching this: buy a cheap guitar have it properly setup invest more on a decent or a good amp practice alot

[@isword]

The Fly 3 is a pretty good cheap amp

[@traetuusplays8987]

Practice and set up are the main two components as far as being a guitar player. Tone, and sound comes from what you plug into

[@zachw2538]

In 25 years I've noticed that the pickups and amp affect the tone most and as long as the body/neck isn't trash (warped/misshaped) you should be able to get a good setup to take care of any string height issues.

[@luisnunes2010]

Exactly right.

[@neckreth]

@@zachw2538 Very true

[@ChrisWhoPlaysLizzie]

The one thing we need to remember is the quality of the amp you put it through has a huuuuuge difference

[@corrado]

sure, but these days you can buy a small Blackstar amp for like $90 and it sounds amazing... the technology has improved for people starting out.

[@thekramer1097]

@@corrado Even better buy an interface and use plugins

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Tell that to Frank Zappa and his Pignose 7-100. That amp is essentially a fuzz pedal with a speaker.

[@ScumbagWoW]

@@BrunodeSouzaLino yes but is was also world renowned before Frank from Blues Players (howling wolf type shit) because they would use these in conjunction with microphones and set up some crazy isolation and sound booths. To your point though.. you can record anything and make it sound good if you know you gear inside and out. Frank knew especially how to play with gear to its max.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

@@ScumbagWoW Granted his own 7-100 was modified with direct outs and other things. A fine example of that can be found in a video from one of those interview shows where Frank walks on stage with his Roxy SG on one hand, Pignose on the other and that's his tone for the song he played.

[@rocktorrocks]

The Dooo makes his Squier strat sound like a $10,000 instrument. Good players sound good through most rigs.

[@jr.9792]

I'd imagine a line 6 helix can make anything sound good

[@rocktorrocks]

@@jr.9792 Yeah, the helix is on my wish list.

[@mobile_plays2853]

For good tone all you need is a decent/good amp and a decent/good player a good guitar only helps you get the tone a bit easier

[@static_motion]

Don't even need an expensive amp or modeler to get a recording-level tone these days, software amp simulators are extremely good. The NeuralDSP ones are pretty amazing.

[@rocktorrocks]

@@static_motion Agreed, I just got into amp sims and am amazed at how good they’ve become. For practicing and recording at home volumes, I get better and bigger variety of sounds through the sims than I could with an amp.

[@shaunkellison1761]

Fun Fact: $120 guitars sound really good through $6800 worth of amps and effects

[@fatkiller1000]

What is your complaint???? Just save some money on the guitar and buy a better amp.

[@TheFran457]

@@fatkiller1000I don’t think he’s complaining lol, just presenting a fun fact :)

[@RickNasty42069YOLO]

Sounds like excuses on why you sound like shit.

[@dereksnider7148]

The truth is that the cheap guitars of today are a lot higher quality than the cheap guitars of 20+ years ago. Factories in Asia that are making many of the parts for the cheaper lines of big name brand guitars also end up making the parts for the super cheap guitars. The price difference ends up coming down to quality of materials (cheaper alloys, cheaper woods, cheaper finishes), and/or use of parts that didn't pass quality control for the name brand products (often only minor cosmetic defects), and of course paying for the brand name itself.

[@Soldano999]

Japanese Squier from 1982 just entered the chat....

[@Fektthis]

not just the guitars. the cheap amps are far better as well. you know, people dog on things like the Line 6 Spider. I WISH when I was learning there was an amp like that for 100 bucks. That's like a Gorilla amps price. I don't even think the cheapest Crates were that low.

[@Davey-Boyd]

It was a big deal when CNC machines came into being. The woodworking element of making guitars suddenly got super quick and cheap - and accurate.

[@gantonal]

I have one of the first Academy guitar, a 100$ starting pack guitar 25 years ago. 25 years ago there was too less knowledge shared in the world about guitars, now we have Internet to know-how about guitars, amps, tunning, fixing, pedals... a lot of more culture, ear-trained, the pedals, the computers.... that old guitar sounds really good today, better in better hands.

[@keyboardwarria]

this just proves you need good FX/amp. Also i think he should've played with the mini amp that came with the guitar

[@ThrashXCV]

this guitar with a good setup, a POD Go, and a cheap usb audio interface. would run you about $600, that would produce a usable tone. bonus points if you put a $50 used dimarzio pickup in the bridge.

[@juliathenner3251]

He did in a later stream.

[@friendlyplayer92]

Yup. Even if you play 10 000 dollar PRS thru that mini amp it will sound shit.

[@ShalerTheTired]

The grunge genre would beg to differ.

[@superevan1529]

they need to rename the dragon force chanel to just herman li edit:thanks for the likes

[@ch33sepants28]

Herman Force

[@guerrero_4204]

@@ch33sepants28 Dragon Li

[@superevan1529]

@@ch33sepants28 yeah lol

[@suaelephantpen4407]

herman li and gee anzalone . I need to learn his cooking recipe too.😂

[@projectgoatse]

Dragonforce is more or less Sam and Herman’s baby. The rest of the band members at this point are basically hired hands to execute on their vision.

[@fr89k]

I mean: He's playing it through his Kemper. That will of course add a lot to the sound. From my experience, a shitty amp kills the sound the most...

[@MehdiS-music]

Correct, many players spend big money on the guitar(s), change expensive pickups but play through a crappy amp... But you can get really good amps. for cheap these days, i personally love the Boss Katanas. But that being said, in the end of the day all comes to your fingers and touch.

[@LiveErrors]

He also tried it with the Amp that comes with it and he was happy enough with it

[@magneto9210]

@@MehdiS-music Same, my go-to bedroom amp right now is a Katana 50w Mk 2. Good sound, great variety of built-in effects, etc, you can play pretty much anything with it. That said, I ran it with an even cheaper guitar than this one for a little while and I'm telling you no amount of adjustments to the settings could make that guitar sound good lol

[@alohamark3025]

I wonder if the Kemper can function with the first harmonic of a note, and fill in the rest? Herman should try an experiment with a Fender Deluxe Reverb with no effects pedal. My experience tells me that the cheap guitar would sound thin past the 15th fret.

[@fr89k]

​@@alohamark3025 Could be interesting. Out of the box, the Kemper pretty surely will not fill in anything, but I also don't know if it has some algorithms to do this. This can't be easily done with the normal convolution, I think, but a neural network could do this. I don't know if they spent the effort to implement such a thing...

[@wesliggett2454]

I once saw Jeff Loomis trip over a pile of used guitar strings. It made an ultra clean arpeggiated sound.

[@michaelhulsey201]

One of the top guitar players in history, and he reviews a piece of shit guitar and makes it sound amazing! I appreciate this because 1) it shows that it's more about ability than gear, and 2) he doesn't trash something just because it's cheap - he acknowledges the shortcomings, but also recognizes the fact that it is possible to get playability and good sounds from the instrument. Too many guitar channels revert to the "if it isn't brand x, y, or z, it won't play and will explode in your hands!" Meanwhile, Herman Li can play rings around them, even on a cheap guitar. Not everyone starting out can afford a PRS, Gibson, or Kiesel, but they shouldn't be discouraged from learning. Way to encourage beginners, Mr. Li!

[@modest1989]

I bet the amp he is using is very high end though which makes the sound way better than what someone he bought a starter guitar would have. It is a trip though how a lower end price range guitar could still be made to sound pretty amazing regardless

[@michaelhulsey201]

@@modest1989 Yeah for sure. But it is true, a master will make a beginner guitar sound better than a beginner will make a master's sound. Plus it verifies that we all haven't totally wasted our money. You can grow into, and out of, your instrument!

[@TheJunistra]

Nice koment

[@eei68]

@@TheJunistra nice English

[@Tyfu39944]

A little bit of know-how and tweaking is good for ANY guitar

[@baconslap9417]

It’s funny how the power of Herman’s playing makes his hair move

[@Marta1Buck]

The fans did that, I'm one of his fans.

[@stef2090]

power hair metal haha

[@Mike_B.]

@@GammaFZ guess what... r/woosh

[@tessrichards7058]

haha nice

[@autonixia2731]

@@tessrichards7058 yeah i agree

[@vectorhold6489]

One of the greatest concert moments in my life was meeting Herman and Sam at a show in SF at the Warfield, geez I think maybe 10 years ago. They where just walking around the crowd, ego's, no airs. Just cool dudes that answered my annoying questions and took a photo with me. Later on when they played their set they had these beer holders on mic stands with straws. I totally ripped that idea off until this very day playing on stage. One funny moment was when they where flying around on stage someone ate shit leaping off a trampoline on stage. One of the best nights of my life.

[@stevecvntnikoslawyer4181]

“Ate shit on a trampoline”?? Epic!

[@hermenegildakociubinska6665]

When your hairbrush is more expensive than your guitar...

[@andyxdemonking]

He was kidding. I have the same hair brush and it was £15

[@SteveDogg92]

@@andyxdemonking that's about $300 by today's exchange rates, right?

[@Enjoit099]

Hahahhaha

[@sammybeaver9130]

@@SteveDogg92 seems about right to me

[@vorpalblades]

"Not just a brush, but a Verticoli. Handmade in Italy. They carve it out of illegal whalebone. They only make eleven of them a year. This one cost me $12,000 or 30 million lira. Perfectly balanced, low drag, minimal torque. Hey, help yourself to the Mane n’ Tail all you want, but don’t even look at the Verticoli. ‘Cause I will knock your block off. No exaggeration, I could not love a human baby as much as I love this brush."

[@Dwendele]

I love that no matter where Herman is shredding, there's always a fan blowing his hair

[@bill392]

That's the devil's breath from the pick of destiny.

[@blackmage567]

Just my two cents, a beginner guitar IMO has to be something that is not a pain in the fingers to play. And if possible, pick the shape/color you love. If you look at it and it screams "play me please" then its great.

[@omega1231]

Yeah, for me it's more about playability than sound for cheap instruments, if it feels good to play, then get it. The sound can be greatly altered by getting a good amp aswell.

[@Dragonthrashing]

Well that's not a guitar problem, it's a string problem, and plus it stops hurting after about 3-4 weeks of playing in my experience

[@bakedbeings]

@@Dragonthrashing Some have high-ass strings and it's painful to play chords in the first few frets. I know there a ways necks/bridges etc can be tweaked, but yeah if we're talking beginners those can be rough.

[@Dragonthrashing]

@@bakedbeings you can fix that quite easily, I don't know what guitar you have but just look up "how to change action on [your guitar]"

[@bakedbeings]

@@Dragonthrashing Again, talking about whether it's a good guitar for an absolute beginner. If they have to know what action is, look up fixes and apply them, I think a) that's a lot of friction and b) they aren't beginners

[@digitaldeathsquid3448]

If anybody else is looking at cheap-and-cheerful/beginner guitars, Harley Benton also make some solid builds for between $100-200

[@guitar4254]

Peavey rockmaster are also pretty solid.

[@homevalueglass3809]

Yeah, was eyeing those a while back. Some gorgeous knock-offs.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Sawtooth is apparently doing those guitars for about the same price, but with better hardware.

[@digitaldeathsquid3448]

@@BrunodeSouzaLino Might need to check those guys out.

[@Marta1Buck]

Yamaha Pacifica 👍🏻

[@wilsonmarcelino1991]

Why my $150 didn't sound close to herman? Anyway, i need $1500 guitar for improving my skill

[@edthejester]

You need the $2000 Kemper as well. No lessons though.

[@williamb4652]

@@edthejester And if you get the Kemper you don’t have to practice.

[@iAmTeesmo]

I remember Jim root from slipknot saying he was gonna take his 200 dollar signature squire on tour to show that you don’t need an expensive guitar.

[@xdx2653]

if you are rich then you must buy an real expensive guitar.if not yes i agree.but those companies must to survive lol

[@rallypoint1]

Yes those MIC Squiers are very good!!

[@nayr87]

Except he loads them with Emgs and upgrades the bridge and tuners.

[@jimcarter6669]

My favorite playing guitar and sound is my Squire tele. I changed the tuners and had a basic setup. I love it as much as my 50th anniversary Strat. Of course the Strat can do bit more, but to break into playing, I'd rather have the Squire than an LP.

[@iAmTeesmo]

@@xdx2653 no lmao they make more money off the average consumer rather than the extremely small percentage of customers that buy expensive custom guitars.

[@pchero6078]

"Which is obviously ten grand." I think he was flexing on us

[@mikeglazierisntfunny]

Lol, like he needs to flex on the price of his guitar. Dude, flexed all over everyone with his fingers

[@edsmith898]

Hermin it was Extremely nice of you to actually mention the exact action of your own guitars. Most musicians do not well not in real time. I mean it's said that it's this or that but to litterly know the fastest shredders action is freaking epic man. 🤘

[@sandersolberg6061]

Herman: it sounds good Also Herman: plays it trough a Kemper

[@jamesradford8215]

I think his hair has a natural flow while he's rocking out.

[@mark-wh2qc]

There's a lot less of it than there used to be...

[@banjirjir7519]

its like goku goin to ssj3 u dont question such thing,it just natural to have huricane dat point

[@vortex9486]

Non guitarist: “dude im telling you, you can’t be good without a good guitar” Herman:

[@rustyreese4006]

The thing I found is that a cheap guitar can be very good if you properly set it up. Then learn how to do everything else, like fret work to make it more polished, plus there great for experimenting with things like aftermarket pickups, custom paint, and other things that DIYers like to mess with. I still prefer to do it this way myself after years of playing. Currently working on a Jackson dinky I got cheap from a yardsale. Payed twenty dollars for it and it came with a hard case. They are cheap to begin with but I couldn't pass up a deal like that. Some guys kid got it for a gift and never learned how to play it, so dad sold it to me. Damn things in perfect condition too.

[@Axess-sv8nq]

@@Ignigknok B.S.!! People who don't have their egos attached to their guitars will make anything sound great - as long as it's functional. I have over 30 electrics. None are over $800. ALL inspire me to play them. Why? Because it's about the music - not about how much you paid for your guitar or what's on your headstock. In the decades I was gigging, I played mostly copies and budget brands. No one in the audience cared. They wanted to be entertained - and they were. If your main motivation is your guitar, you're in the wrong hobby/business.

[@shadowproductions969]

Amp and effects stack is far more important to tone on electric guitars than how expensive the guitars are. Biggest thing to look for on cheap guitars is the high actions, string buzz when you try to lower the action, dead frets (poorly polished and uneven frets), and going out of tune easily. For $120 it's really surprising how well this guitar does on all those including the tone of the pickups.

[@Axess-sv8nq]

@@shadowproductions969 Someone who takes the time to fully set-up their guitars can fix most problems. Sure, uneven frets can be tricky if the person doesn't want to level them. But, I find it VERY rewarding to take the budget guitars I buy up to 'custom shop' level and match them against the sound of the 'pros' guitars. It's the player, how much they're dedicated, and their knowledge (of guitars and gear) which are THE most important things. Any competent guitarist not hindered by ego, etc., can transform a cheap/budget guitar into something they can easily gig with.

[@TheEchelon]

But the guitar in the vid is perfectly good... Times have changed.

[@Dylfunkle]

What an absolute dude, I really enjoy watching humble legends. Like, fuck yeah, I play a guitar worth more than most people's cars, but at the same time, this entry level axe is perfectly adequate and you don't need to buy my exact setup to learn and play well. Champion!

[@bendingnotes1931]

I worked at Ozzfest in 2006, I met herman and most of the guys that played in DragonForce back then. By far DragonForce was the coolest band to talk to to, cos all of those guys were cool and friendly to me. One time I was hanging out with Herman cos back then DragonForce loved the band disturbed, so they were down by the stage watching those guys play, and I saw Herman down there, and fans started asking him for his autograph, and I was like, dude that's kind of frightening, all those people surrounding you, and he just smiled and said, they are my fans . What a great guy Herman is and also the entire band. I met the singer they had, but I think they got a new one now. But yeah my memories of Ozzfest, DragonForce was the coolest band out there.

[@bendingnotes1931]

Also I watched Herman play live on stage, I had a Ozzfest pass so I could go to the front of the stage, and I saw Herman play right in front of me, and to be honest, he did things on that guitar that I never seen before, I didn't even know was possible, in my opinion, he's awesome to watch.

[@bendingnotes1931]

And Herman I don't know if you read this post, but I want you to know that I still remember that video you guys was watching behind the main stage by catering lol. Crazy. I'm glad you are still playing your video game music, you guys are awesome and hard working. Wish you guys the best.

[@dragonforce]

Thank you!!! 🙏 those were good times!!!

[@bendingnotes1931]

@@dragonforcethank you Herman. I was behind the main stage one day at catering, and I met your manager, I didn't know anything about you guys back then, but he told me about you guys, and then I met you guys probably a few days later. The lead singer with the long wavy hair told me to go to the main stage and watch you guys play through the fire and flames. And of course it was awesome. By that time me and you had already met, and we would run into each other and talk to each other, usually by the main stage or at catering. You where always super nice to me, back then I didn't see you as you being a Rock star, in my eyes, I saw you as my friend. And you were my favorite member of drangforce, even though, I think his name is Sam, he was a very funny guy. But anyway, I have much respect for you. It was guys like you and serj and shavo that made Ozzfest so fun, and also, bad acid trip, they were cool even though they were a 2nd stage band. But I'm glad I got to know you. I wish you and the band even more success.

[@rustymagoo5936]

This is EXACTLY why i love herman. The guy is a rock god and putting out reviews on beginner guitars FOR FREE.

[@DBSG1976]

Thanks Herman, this comparison video is fascinating, the MIM Strat was superior, but I like your advice for beginner guitarists.

[@XooXXooX]

Man, those sweeps are sick. Way above my skill level. I was gonna quit guitar, but stuff that. I love jamming on punk rock so 3 chords is good enough for me.

[@residentcatto]

Jamming to NoFX and swingin utters was how I started lol

[@danialshahshah8533]

HAHAHA Same comrade, playin punk is fun for a group of joyous boys that wanted to play

[@Chaps_Jr]

Dude, play what makes you happy. After 16 years of playing, I've finally realized that my fingers can only move so fast. Don't need to shred to make good music, though.

[@barclaybass2327]

If you can lock in with a drummer and bassist with those 3 chords, you can rock with the best of them!!

[@Stonerman023]

What I love about Herman is that there always seems to be a fan blowing at him when he´s shredding

[@jameslaird9924]

Mike Rutherford of Genesis plays a Fender Squire Bullet live on stage. If your confident enough it doesn't matter what your playing.

[@frivovovovolhlhlh]

That makes me more confident about getting one, although they lack the 22nd fret

[@Chainbrain]

Looks like I need to get myself a $150 guitar

[@phrenetik]

do it ... for the memes

[@DodInTheSky]

Most people would go for a $500-1000 guitar and wonder why it sounds shit. The tone is in the fingers.

[@corrado]

I bought a custom guitar back in the late 90's which was my number 1 guitar for most of my life, even thought I had others (it cost me close to a grand) then about 5 years ago I bought a $300 Ibanez which is now the only guitar I play because it just feels perfect and sounds as good as the rest (surpassed all my other guitars)

[@guitar4254]

@Cory Paul rob scallon already did that-

[@carrollowens9320]

Check out Justin Johnson and his shovel git.

[@wob6776]

That little amp was my tone for like 2 years straight. As a beginner it was absolutely perfect and didn't even sound bad. I would highly recommend it to any beginner with a low budget, or anyone who travels a lot and wants something easy and portable.

[@Zaragil]

There's a quick DIY solution to measure your action if you don't have the special millimeter thingie with you. Just use guitar picks, they come in different thicknesses (so you can combine them too). I know it's rather obvious, but in case someone has not thought about that, there you go.

[@BenOnuMuDiyorum]

Recently I tried it and it works pretty well. If you know where to reach and what you are trying to achieve it gets easier to find the right tools. 👍

[@marklayton5374]

I really thank you for being such a down to earth rock god. Looking out for all the kids that want to learn to play but don’t have that much money to spend on a guitar. And you just removed that stigma of owning a cheap but not to bad guitar. Good of you.

[@peterzelaya4771]

Omg my mother in law bought one for me for Father's day, they play ok. Instant strung replace. I don't use the whammy but the bridge is not locked. The lil tuner works well enough and the lil amp has a OK amount of crunch

[@emanuelrayvillaflores7759]

This goes to show that it’s not the guitar, it’s the guitarist

[@Madstring]

yes, and a a bit of misinformation cuz 99% of new players does not have a clue on how to adjust and setup a guitar, i mean these cheap guitars always come out of tune, with the action super high and that makes it super uncomfortable to play

[@paulthamm19]

Good call

[@fl4shbangz]

@@Madstring I mean it's not hard to follow a tutorial on how to lower the action of a guitar

[@Madstring]

@@fl4shbangz yes, but a beginner does not even know what it means, so...

[@fl4shbangz]

@@Madstring I've been playing for 3 months, and learned how to adjust action, truss rod and intonation and change strings. If you have access to the internet there's no excuse... Just googling "why is my guitar buzzing" led me to all the stuff I mentioned above...

[@ParaDeMamar]

So, we don't need an expensive guitar, All we need is a Kemper 😜

[@Bloody_Nine.]

The guitar is just like 10% of the tone, So yeah ;) Very expensive guitars doesn't worth the money.

[@P4nzerk93]

@@Bloody_Nine. I would say expensive guitars are worth the money if you play them. Imo +400usd guitars are ok and ~700usd are good enough but my +1100 are totally worth it because I spend so much time with it and enjoy every second of it :) Its not the sound but the build quality and feel.

[@Bloody_Nine.]

@@P4nzerk93 PRS, Gibson, Music man... Way to much money for almost no difference in quality with LTD, Schecter or even some squiers or ibanez. +1000 guitars don´t worth it unless you are willing to pay for the brand in the headstock even if you play it 24/7.

[@P4nzerk93]

@@Bloody_Nine. Show me where I can buy squier that rivals a musicman and I get 10 of them. Even if you could find one the name is not just a name, no matter how good the squier is it does not have a musicman resale value.

[@Bloody_Nine.]

​@@P4nzerk93 "Even if you could find one the name is not just a name, no matter how good the squier is it does not have a musicman resale value" That´s the problem, there is always a fool who think the brand and price are the defining characteristics of an instrument's value.

[@allanamisola2505]

I am wondering why the hell is the electric fan automatically turned on when he shreds... i am pretty amazed.

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

That fan is hooked to herman's pedal

[@_Peremalfait]

This gives me hope that some aspiring guitarists will know they don't need a super expensive guitar starting out.

[@codybuffoord3172]

In a rehab program kicking my habits, so im on an extreme budget, so i went with a donner tele. For blues and not being able to shred anyways I am happy. This is the best review ive seen on the strat, and this turned me onto dragonforce, new sub, new fan

[@leogolive]

I hope everything went well and your recovery is going great!

[@JustRockMySoul]

the afraid look when trying that first signature dive bomb, haha, classic!

[@Harrythe1st]

Strat with humbucker and not dull singlecoils , custom made 😎

[@frfoljek68]

Single coils are AWESOME

[@guitar4254]

Single coils are good.

[@michowdy6707]

Go listen to Blackmore. You'll never call single coils dull ever again

[@guitar4254]

@Adam Silver while I prefer humbucker. Some of my favorite guitars are single coils.

[@guitar4254]

@Adam Silver when your a beginner your most likely not focusing on tone and buzz that's something to do later. You focus on how the guitar operates and how to play, also as a beginner I played on clean for accuracy. Three single coils can show the difference In overall tone more than two humbucker can.

[@lukasmiglbauer915]

More remarkable is that he can do a proper setup by himself! Really great and humble guy!

[@coolboy-qc4eb]

electrics are way easier to setup than acoustics

[@riot7521]

I've had a $100 starcaster strat for nearly 15 years and it sounds amazing. Finaly had to replace the pots this past week. Only bad thing about it is it can't intonate with anything other than 9s and standard tuning

[@stavomusic]

Herman: "can we do sweeps on it" *does it flawlessly first try* Me whos been playing for 4 years ... imma kms

[@opman3393]

Herman dude we love the work keep it up 👍

[@liquifiedreflection1747]

Is it just me or is herman getting more handsome every video

[@donchart1]

"Cheap" electric guitars are a far cry better than 30 years ago Way better.

[@JC-11111]

The Indio I just bought is almost perfect. It's in my avatar. It actually was perfect until I realized the strings are out of line with the bridge pickup. And it's because the bridge & tailpiece are mounted off-center. I measured and it's farther one way by maybe 1/8" or a little less. I've only had it 2 weeks so I have plenty of time to send it for exchange. Just trying to decide if it's something I can live with or if I should send it back and take a chance on another guitar. Because other than that, it really is perfect. Way more than I expected at the $249 price point it comes in at.

[@leonardos9632]

@@JC-11111 just go and buy from cheap but good brands like SX, Cort, Eko, Harley benton and similar, same price but better QC

[@donchart1]

@@thierry18 250 isn't that "cheap" but definitely not a "mid-range"...i would say that belongs in a 500-1000 range now days

[@andyruse7969]

When I bought my first guitar in 1992, the cheapest thing available was a $200 Epiphone or Squier. I looked it up, and that much money is worth $371. I could get 3 of the $120 guitars that are even better quality than my first guitar for the same money.

[@mikeglazierisntfunny]

Instruments in general are just so much better for the price these days. 30 years ago a $500 drum set sounded like boxes and a $300 guitar didn't stay in tune after the first chorus. Now you can actually get usable instruments at those prices

[@princenikhil3012]

I love you harman li sir.. You're my inspiration.. I started playing guitar after listening to your song through the fire and flames.. And now.. I've been playing guitar for 6 years.. You're really my motivation.. Thank you harman sir..❤️

[@motley679]

Washburn lyon was in a good price when I first started in 2005. I still have it. Best fret board I've ever used. I still have the guitar. I've been considering on picking it back up D: :D

[@lewisclark1122]

Hey, Prince's main guitar for most of his career was a $50 Telecaster copy. Amazing things can be made with cheap tools, if you are a master craftsman.

[@markusantonio4866]

Hohner

[@AxelAlexK]

Especially these days, guitars are made so well now and efficiently.

[@YaYousef5]

Steve Vai needs a $5000 custom Ibanez. John Petrucci needs a $6000 custom Ernie Ball Musicman. Aaron Marshall needs a $5000 custom Mayones. Plini needs a $5000 custom .strandberg. Guthrie Govan needs a $5000 custom Charvel. Herman Li? A $120 guitar will do just fine. This man deserves respect.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

MAB and his brand new 300 buck signature guitar.

[@muzlee7479]

Tbh all these people could play on a chepo guitar and hermans signiture was pretty expensive too

[@flyykashung2144]

Cheap guitar makes ya a Guitarist in life 🥀🌹

[@markmtbrider]

Thanks for taking the time to show how to do some set up. Very cool.

[@williamacuna3996]

This is a seriously cool video and it was interesting to watch the guitar setup as well! Very fun to watch! Thanks so much!

[@kernithcalahong9784]

i think the real question here is "can this beginner guitar handle being played by Herman Li?"

[@alvan4751]

the spring will be damaged :v

[@Exitof99]

As someone who has for my entire musical "career" bought cheap instruments, I feel a bit validated. All my guitars were about $100, some used, some new. My most expensive guitar is the Dean DN-76, a double neck 7-string and 6-string which cost me $300 used. I always had put the majority of my money into buying recording equipment, ADATs, mixers, rackmount gear, and such. Paid over $3000 on a Tascam DAT machine in 1994, and still, all my instruments were the cheapest things I spent money on. A $48 for a drum set that lasted two seasons of touring. A gifted cheapo Synsonic guitar. A $100 Roland JX-3P. These days, I just bought the Apollo Twin X Heritage ($1100), and the most expensive instrument I've bought is a Sequential Circuits Pro-One in flawless condition for ($1000). I also bought my first 12-string for about $150. My Squire J-Bass was $120. My daily driver is a $120 Epiphone SG "Goth Special" I bought in 2005. No shame in buying cheap. Just make music with whatever you can afford.

[@MrBilldo426]

The fender Strat is definitely more crisp. But the cheap one doesn’t sound bad. I’ve got an equally cheap guitar that looks great but has never sounded that good 👍

[@voltic7133]

My first electric guitar (which I still have) was a $400 Ibanez RG with a Floyd Rose. Love the guitar so much Im thinking of upgrading the pickups, but I'm currently saving up for a specific Strat that Ive had my eye on for a while.

[@syx9986]

This the the greatest endorsement Donner could have ever hoped for. I get the vibes of that time Joe Satriani played "Satch Boogie" in a young fan's beginner guitar.

[@mikex300]

Donner Company: Stonks

[@n0b0dy07]

Pros, shred with any gear with no excuses!!!!

[@azuhawl]

"This is better than what I had" That's not something you would expect from Herman to hear about a $120 guitar

[@crispy.monkey]

My 18 year old son still has his first Eastcoast Strat copy and he can still play the solo from Domination on it. He now has a 98 Epiphone V, a BC Rich Mocking Bird, an Epiphone SWG Les Paul Custom and his new Jackson X Series Soloist, but still blasts solos on his first guitar ☺

[@keithsmith9889]

I have to admit it is so fun to watch established fantastic guitar player's notice how much better entry level guitar has gotten

[@silverfiste]

I made the mistake by buying too much guitar when I started learning, thou I got a hell of a deal, ( Ibanez 570 RG Japan made), for $169 US. the store was moving and getting rid of a heap of guitars, mostly strat and tele's on a rack all priced the same. For me too much guitar was really a negative as a beginner.

[@ActuarialAnalytics]

Is no-one going to talk about the LEGO Porsche Speed Champion in the background?

[@lanerj]

I really think its to the point where any factory with a CNC machine can make a pretty decent instrument. I love my Squier Bullet Strat, I had to set it up, but that's a skill every guitar player should know anyway.

[@cinyarko]

While I agree that every guitar player should know how to setup a guitar but a beginner should probably take a new guitar to a luthier to get it done properly.

[@bfomoto3809]

This sounds way better than I’d expected for a $120-$150 ish guitar. The Fender definitely had a smoother tone, but damn good for the money.

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

These days any guitar will sound good through a good amp, provided the electrics aren't messed up. That's the issue with cheap guitars: Quality control. Sometimes you'll get a complete spanner of a guitar.

[@kevgmei]

I've gained a lot of respect for Dragonforce! For a long time, I thought they were just a bunch of super talented showboats, but seeing them in concert taught me that they're really nice and easygoing people, and Herman is really cool for just spamming people with helpful tips and interacting casually with the fans, and it takes so much practice and passion to play like them!

[@joerioux6983]

Listening to this guy talk is really strange, I hear a British accent sometimes, and then Chinese sometimes. Really weird accent.

[@philfrank5601]

You don't get out much, do you.

[@slenderman4690]

@@philfrank5601 he's not wrong

[@Numbertwo22]

sometimes i hear a little south africa in there, hes probably picked up bits of accents from travelling the world : )

[@PaxBisonica89]

@@philfrank5601 shhhhhh

[@Racso88e]

Well he is Chinese and British. He speaks Chinese and English. What else would you expect?

[@bigmamajama2829]

I don't even play guitar but sat through the whole thing....

[@texastootin1628]

I love how he has a fan just so his hair blows while hes playing lol

[@stereothrilla8374]

For most people it’s a PEBCAG error. Problem Exists Between Chair And Guitar!😂😂😂

[@owalkmachinemaishitechdobr3674]

Amazing video, you respect and estimulate the people that can't buy an expensive guitar to start to learn and play... Thank you man!

[@WizardDoom]

Through His home rig a frying Pan would Sound godlike

[@allainangcao28]

Herman: “We have a whammy bar but I won’t use it” Also Herman: *attaches the whammy bar and does his signature one hand carry into knee strike* 😂

[@chroniclesofbap6170]

"Comes with an amp.Comes with pickups" The amp wouldn't be much use if it didn't

[@james6818]

Or, would the pickups not be much use without the amp? You’ve got to question this shit see

[@chroniclesofbap6170]

@@james6818 Obvs EDIT: In fact, if you're not going to plug it in to anything the pickups are a hinderence which introduce magnetic drag and reduce sustain.

[@james6818]

@@chroniclesofbap6170 😂😂 I was just being a nob head dude 👌🏼

[@chroniclesofbap6170]

@@james6818 I was going along with it, bro. You're all-good XD

[@james6818]

@@chroniclesofbap6170 😂👌🏼

[@ProductBasement]

I've been playing the same $100 Epiphone SG for 15 years and only had a few cosmetic problems. The only upgrade has been $11 Ernie Ball beefy cobalt strings. It sounds fine.

[@ipman4715]

I must sau I'm glad li takes time to interact with fans thru KZbin postings.. Thanks man!

[@allanwahyu3313]

It weird rockstar say "I rockstar"

[@tanastacio]

A good boat has never made a good sailor.

[@Markus_Heinonen]

WOW! Only 120 USD American dollars. 😮👍

[@tessrichards7058]

WOW

[@iainholmes2735]

Great vid DF. I once read a comment from a roadie/guitar tech for a very famous guitarist. He said (paraphrased) 'Don't get too hung up on the guitar; these guys can make very cheap instruments sound like diamonds'.

[@flash001USA]

You can do a few simple cheap mods to keep the guitar in tune along with setting up the harmonics and a quick neck adjustment and yeah, you could use it in a live show performance. Not saying you would want to but you could and the average listener wouldn't be any wiser. Same applies to a bass guitar. You may not be totally happy with the feel of the neck or the over-all tone but it will work. A lot of club players will take a cheap guitar and change out the tuners and bridge then set it up and use it as a back-up axe.