I Ranked Import Guitar Brands Worst To Best

[@DovydasMusic]

I'm sending this video to everyone who asks me what guitar should they get while on a budget! The most comprehensive list I've seen so far.

[@ProbyWaN1337]

Love your new song from the studio!

[@Lexamus11]

the 2020 lineups of squier and epiphone are incredible, I've been looking to pick up my first electric guitar and I've got my eyes on the new firebird. if i wasn't unemployed I'd snatch it in a heart beat

[@s8nlx661]

You should really make an econo vs real deal guitar test. Everyone and there mother has done an epiphone vs les Paul. But say a kirk Hammett sig esp vs Ltd. Or an Ibanez jem vs jem jr...something like that

[@jaychen2000metal]

Esp ltd kills them all. My local guitar dealer admitted it and doesn't even have any... yet

[@jaychen2000metal]

@@landonbailey esp ltd h-1001 with SD Pegasus / Sentient pickups. Neck through solid mahogany, best headstock for metalheads...

[@Cynic269]

44. Tregan 43. STAGG 42. Peavey 41. Sawtooth 40. Mitchell 39. Austin 38. Silvertone 37. Jay Turser 36. Hamer 35. Chapman 34. Aria Pro 33. Ibanez 32. Washburn 31. Daisey Rock 30. Dean 29. Glarry 28. Gretch 27. Vintage 26. Hagstrum 25. Traveler 24. Vox 23. Jackson 22. EVH 21. Schecter 20. Michael Kelly 19. Supro 18. Tagima 17. Kramer 16. SX/Agile/Hadean 15. Harley Benton 14. Xaiere/Slick 13. Guild 12. Cort 11. Eastwood 10. Yamaha 9. LTD 8. PRS SE 7. Squier 6. Epiphone 5. Danelectro 4. Sterling 3. Fender 2. G&L Tribute 1. Godin

[@talesfromthetoiletseat8295]

This is what the kids call a “spoiler alert” No Surprise ending lol

[@martyphi3502]

Why do you do this to him?

[@galllion1801]

You suck

[@danielfrench643]

Plenty of the brands listed all made by Cort. Not the fanciest name on the headstock but that makes Cort worth a serious look before I spend my hard earned cash I reckon.

[@Win7ermu7e]

Thanks Bro.

[@josephchambers3394]

This is the one channel that I have never grown tired of over the years. Thanks for the quality content and general likeableness.

[@MusicbyLou]

Great job! Godin, huh? Have always wanted to pick one up. Will do, now!

[@billybudd45]

I would love to see your list of important guitars for a $1000

[@shrayesraman5192]

@@GreatWhiteLionSnake They aren't import but PRS s2 and Fender American. Even some Gibsons are fantastic under 1000. But hands down best guitar under 1000 is prs s2

[@frankiec2765]

Yes me too!

[@tamir_shenar]

@@GreatWhiteLionSnake also PRS SE

[@tamir_shenar]

@@GreatWhiteLionSnake I have one and it feels amazing, much better than most fenders Ive felt. Have you tried the newer ones or an older model?

[@billybudd45]

I think from the $900 to $1200 price range you should get a high quality great playing great sounding guitar

[@64north20west]

Most of this ranking are guitars that I am unaware of but giving you the thumbs up because the ones I know about are legit rankings. Excellent rundown.

[@anthonysullivan892]

It's funny because your screenshot for Aria guitars was of my Reverb listing! Not only that, but before watching this, I was on the phone with my sales rep talking about inventory on the Aria 714 MKII Fullerton! This was an awesome surprise!

[@richardstewart942]

Well done! I was happy to see my Godin Session HT at #1. I've been raving about this guitar to a lot of players and they all look at me like I"m crazy. The appointments they put on this guitar are not found very often in a sub $1k guitar. Mine played great right out of the box. It's my number one electric. i've been playing for over 45 years and have owned dozens of great guitars, but I'm really happy with this one.

[@k-ondoomer]

I'm getting one for my birthday hopefully. I'm kind of just hoping to blind buy it just based on the looks and specs

[@sunlounger29]

Gretsch has a lot of offerings sub $600 with the Streamliner models and they look (and even more important they feel) great for the money!

[@CyberDaddy-o1l]

electromatic line as well

[@leonardszubinski4709]

I recently bought a Gretsch G2622 Streamliner CB Single Barrel HT Electric Guitar, Phantom Metallic. It is a great solid guitar with great tones!

[@jts3339]

The fit and finish, playability, and the inimitable Great Gretsch Tone should have Gretsch near the the TOP of this list. Gretsch Electromatics are used by professionals and are worth much more than the street price. Great guitars that are coincidentally great values that sound different from every guitar on this list.

[@Zoso981]

@@jts3339 Well said!! I love my Double cut Electromatic as much as my much pricier Gibson. The tone....the TONE!!!

[@jts3339]

Bruno Oliveira: Yes!!!

[@dreid3165]

I have two Godin guitars, a Progression and a Summit. These are in a higher price range but the time they take on the setup (frets, etc.) at every price point shows. Incredible North American made instruments.

[@malicesmom]

Me: Cool, Phil's top 10 list Phil: Coming in at #44...

[@brianfloyd5510]

Makes you wonder about his math...

[@fattboyzz1355]

Lol

[@johnfrenette]

He marched through the list quick tho, thankfully

[@BobaFettBountyHunter]

Just go to 12:00. That's the start of his "top ten" list.

[@dochort21]

My G&L Legacy Tribute is equal in every way to my Fender FSR Strat, except resale value! Customer support is here in the U.S., and they’re very helpful! Love G&L!

[@FenderTeleDeluxe]

I own an ESP/LTD...it roars. Fantastic guitar! Great reviews, Mr. McKnight!

[@SlantedLand]

Very comprehensive list. Of all the guitars I've owned my very favorites are my Daisy Rock electric (and my Martin acoustic). I'm stoked Daisy Rock made your list. It is a great guitar for women: way lighter and smaller, and the neck is more slender. However, when I stand and play, the neck is much heavier than the body - so I attached a 1lb weight to the bottom of the strap to balance it. Which makes me think they are not made for gigging guitarists, per say. But I'm ride or die with my Daisy Rock (I've owned several)! Much prefer it to my Gibson Les Paul- which is heavy AF. The other guitarist in my band plays a Godin btw, so that's good. ;)

[@edpack4390]

Definitely should do a ranking of imports from $500 to $999.

[@VicinalElk44104]

Agreed. Some of the ones making the upper part of the top 10 onward would've ranked way higher if he reviewed from $700 rather than $600

[@charleshuguley9903]

That's a real sweet spot.

[@jameslane9537]

I liked this video just for the fact that, unlike a majority of KZbinrs, this guy doesn't ramble. He is concise and to the point. I had no idea that Godin was assembled in my backyard. That is always cool to find out.

[@whatwouldhousedo5136]

Godin are awesome. They have some models with really interesting and unique features also. I played one in a music store a while back and it was probably the best feeling neck I've ever played on. They also own Seagull acoustics- excellent quality moderate priced brand. Both Godin and Seagull are "hidden gems".

[@jamesparker1063]

"Godin/Seagull/Art-Lutherie/Norman" ; all made by Godin.....

[@djmcgil8137]

@@jamesparker1063 I didn’t know that, thanks

[@captainchaos3053]

@@jamesparker1063 I do like my 1996 Norman st40 very much

[@conscious4895]

Thank you, Phil. I was in the market for a strat type guitar and didn't even consider Godin....so went to my local shop and they brought in a Godin Session HT and a MIM Fender Strat. The playability and the sound on the Godin were far superior, IMO and it was $300 Cdn less! So thanks for the excellent review of the all of the brands and I'm loving my new guitar!

[@Revansstuntdouble]

I LOVE Godin/Seagull. I've owned three now. I've owned 2 Entourage models both the dreadnaught and concert hall. I also bought one of their SWS concert halls. You can feel the craftsmanship in every strum.

[@peterwelsh1932]

Word. I have an 80s hamer electric 12-string, 3 switch super Strat switching, black glitter(?) finish. Now I have Parker fly, 73 Sg, real starts, anything BUTT there’s something Immediate when you touch the Hamer = it’s crafted on another level than most other guitars (not counting the Parker/ the Parker feels different than anything though). The neck angle, the electronics, frets body contour, the whole tactile experience. People say they were the original PRS(?) But, yeah, Hamer was putting out such better product than Gibson, Fender, and all those crappy companies local stores were pushing in the 80s. If it wasn’t a hard-tail, I’d string mine as a 6string and use it for my main axe. (Tempted to try a vintage Steve Stevens

[@guitarandgames1386]

My favorite is Ibanez. I've never had a bad Ibanez guitar and they can do anything from classic rock to death metal. And they are great modding platforms

[@Valkanry]

I got a great ibanez this year, came out the box just great. perfect for a platform/mod starting point (400$ model). I put in Duncan pickups and its rippin

[@guitarandgames1386]

@@Valkanry exactly. I got my Ibanez rvx220 flying V for 150 used and It had a dimebucker and a hot stack in it. Thing is a serious metal machine

[@fredericadda]

That's true. With correct pickups and locking tuners, a 400$ guitar is quite cool. But that brings the bill to 650$! I owned 2 and always finished reselling them.

[@guitarandgames1386]

@@fredericadda unless you buy used guitars which for an Ibanez or other similar brand it will be probably 250. And say you buy a 200$ pickup set and some tuners now it's only like 500$.

[@fredericadda]

Stupidity At Its Best I bought a 400$ SA460QM, put 200$ Di Marzio pickups and 100$ locking tuners. It was good-looking and sounded great but then was not that comfortable to play. I put the old pickups and tuners back and sold it for 250$.

[@dysfunctionalmariachi995]

I just picked up a Sterling Sting Ray for $320!!!! Makes me feel really good about my purchase now! Great Video!!!

[@svkguha]

So glad you've included Eastwood, people should really start to notice them. I first got drawn to them by researching on Jack White's guitar and then I found RJ Ronqiillo and his awesome tasty playing on KZbin. I have to say, I have played a lot of the big brands out there and my friends have PRS es, Fenders and Gibsons which are priced a bit higher than my Eastwood Airline guitar, but there's just something about my map guitar that I wouldn't even exchange for a 59 sunburst.

[@Dahlgren1958]

Absolutely the right choice for No. 1, Phil. I have had several Godins over the year, and my current favorite is a Session (HSS) in trans cream that I special ordered from Sweetwater. It is one terrific sounding, easy playing, well-made guitar. The maple neck is fantastic and the guitar is resonant and alive. Yes, the quality far exceeds the price. More people should know about them. The other two brands I totally agree with you on: Epiphone (in the $400 to $500 range) and Yamaha. What a great list. Thanks!

[@thesmellycatjazz]

I've been looking at a Godin lgx-sa. It's just absurd everything that it has in it. It's jammed to the gills with features from coils splits, MIDI, Piezo, and blends for them all.

[@jaypeterson7637]

I have one...buy it. It's an amazing sounding/playing guitar. I also have a Masterbuilt Stratocaster and the Godin is every bit as good w/o the $8 grand price tag!

[@thomas.cloutier-guay]

sadly godin's price tag got a lot higher recently, they used to have awsome sub 1k$ (cad) guitar but now they are mostlly around 1500$.

[@artgillespie162]

I have 3 xtsa godins. I also have many fenders, and gibsons, and prs and others. I play professionally and the xtsa is my main guitar. It does it all. i use the synth on it the most but also the magnetic pickups and the piezo. I highly recommend them

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

Godin needs to thank Phil- before he started going off about how amazing they are you could get them used for ultra-cheap on Reverb. Now? Notsomuch. I missed a Redline 1 HT EMG in red for $250 on Reverb and I am still kicking myself. That'll never happen again. That being said, it makes me glad in a way that people are understanding the real value of them.

[@Mrthreadedtime]

Once again, you knock it out of the park...I completely agree with this list. Godin is a hidden treasure.

[@MattPula]

Great video, would love other lists like this! $600-$1200 would be cool as a follow up.

[@donaldfisher8556]

Nice work Phil. Your list is extensive and with me being Canadian and my first new guitar is a Godin Session I can attest to it being a quality instrument.

[@chickencarnage4609]

I love the sub $600 ibanez's . They are just solid guitars. The necks are just always smooth. Most that I pick up the action is very flush. I owned about 5 of them.

[@meninatym435]

The best review I’ve seen in a long time. Straight from repairman himself. Thank you Phil McKnight!

[@guillaumebergeron7622]

I was waiting on you to say Godin but i didnt expect number 1 😮 I love my Godin session. I love the satin finish and the playability. Its in HSS configuration and coil split for the humbucker. All that for under 700$ canadian. I also have a Norman Acoustic and its a beauty. Proud to see a Quebec brand on top of the list

[@sergioalvarez5949]

I have bought 2 Mitchell guitars one acoustic and a electric. BOTH ARE GREAT.

[@MisterE495]

Thanks. I have an entry level Ibanez and was wanting another guitar at this price range. The Fender Lead III looks awesome

[@jacobcourseymusic6414]

I just got a Vintage a couple weeks ago. i got a white double cut LP with a single P90. I paid $350 and i love it almost as much as my actual american Gibson. Great guitar.

[@Em_Dee_Aitch]

Great job! Some real shockers in the ranking! Now we need one for the $900 to $1,200 range!

[@theflatearthsociety]

I own an HSS Godin strat, and was equally surprised by the quality. I only bought it over a fender because i am a lefty and mexi strats don’t really come in that configuration. I am glad I made that choice!

[@themaninthesuitcase]

I went to to buy a MIM Fender vintera Strat and came home with. G&L tribute S-500 and a lot of change. It’s a great guitar, sounds good feels good. I also have a PRS SE Standard. It was my first guitar when I came back to it starting from scratch. It was a bit more than the Epiphone Les Pauls I was looking at but the extra money felt like it was money well spent. A SE custom would have been nice but that was a lot more for a lot less return.

[@adambrice99]

Makes sense that Godin can build so many beautiful instruments when the tone wood comes right from their backdoor! I have a passion custom and believe everybody should play a very high end Godin to see that they stack up against the biggest brands and have a mojo of their own. I'll often pick up my Godin when searching for inspiration in my playing and the h.d.revoicer along with all their electronics sound soo good ❤️🇨🇦🎸

[@tdunster2011]

Small is best when it comes to guitar production. The big brands have too many layers of management preventing them from building top quality guitars at competitive prices. As long as a brand can stay within a relatively small production limit quality tends to be good. But once you start making Gibson/ Fender numbers of guitars it's just too difficult to keep up the Quality Control without charging ridiculously high prices.

[@townesfly4404]

Yea, I’ve got a godin lgx-sa and dayum it is better than my Gibson lp custom silverburst and as good as my u.s strat

[@MintStiles]

They guitars are perfect fit and finish, but they just don't sound right. I am Canadian and am happy to see them well regarded, but something about lasido products that just not my cup of tea. I think mexican Fenders has a big edge here.

[@martinkrauser4029]

@@tdunster2011 That's ass-backward on every single point. Making more things makes it cheaper per thing to make sure they are good, not more expensive. Scaling economies are why we can have cheap and good guitars. Upper management is not some sort of Bugs Bunny that goes around menacing factory staff. As Phil says in the video, Godin is the single largest guitar manufacturer in North America, building more guitars than either Gibson or Fender.

[@robertpurdy4452]

Being left handed my list is quite different in rankings. Nice job and thanks!

[@seanemmettfullerton]

Dude, you're awesome! You've just saved us 10 years of research and painful disappointment :)

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I’ve owned two Seagull S6 acoustic guitars, same as Godin I believe, and I love em. Great playing and sounding guitars with great fit & finish.

[@RyanAmplification]

I negotiated a brand new g&l tribute with a gig bag for $300 at a music store that didn't sell a bunch of g&l because they didn't say fender on them. Still one if the best playing and sounding guitars I have ever played.

[@k-ondoomer]

This channel has made me go from total chump consumer to knowing so much about every single brand. My eyes are so open. I love how fast you go through your lists

[@jakeallison9444]

Godin is forever underrated. Idk why I don't have one, the guitar shop I took lessons from as a kid had them and I would play one every once and a while and they would be really cool. my opinion of them only increases the more different kinds of guitars i get ot play

[@shantytownbrown]

New player here...went shopping on FB Marketplace, got a Godin SDXT from 2003/4 with an Peavy amp, branded gigbag, and effects pedal all for $125. When I saw it, I quickly looked it up as I never had heard that name. I ran over grabbed this minty guitar and I think I stole it from this guy! Rich dentist retiring at age 55 and moving to Martha’s Vineyard. Been very happy learning on this piece!

[@bramabull111]

Oh man they're so good

[@jakeallison9444]

@@shantytownbrown nice man! that is a steal for sure

[@Cyclerosis]

I have an older Radiator from Godin that plays and sounds great. Only negative I have to say about the Radiator, and it's subjective, is the ugly scratch plates they used.

[@yhzh2002]

For me, the problem is that a lot of them look kind of weird, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking that. I think a lot of their appeal is their electro-acoustic hybrid guitars, piezo equipped electrics, and hollowbody electrics which are kind of niche and trend north of 1000 usd. I do have a seagull acoustic that was around 600$, and it's not too shabby, even though I use it as a beat around living room guitar.

[@wrobinson1702]

Phillip-I generally agree with this list, although I admit I am not familiar with all of them. If anything, I'd rate Squier higher, based on my experience. I bought a Squier Telecaster in 2002 for $350, and I was my go-to guitar for live play right out of the box for years. It was intonated, the frets were all polished and set, and it looked (still looks) great. It's just a pleasure to play, its got the great telecaster sound, and I've never had to do any repairs, despite hauling it around extensively in sometimes sub-optimal conditions. And here's my suggestion if you ever do a bass guitar version of this video: Epiphone makes a violin-type bass guitar that I love. I bought one in 2010 for about $350 from Guitar Center, and just as with the Squier, it's been terrific right out of the box. I've traveled and played live with it numerous times with no problems at all. I've also played Hofner violin basses that were considerably more expensive, but don't sound any better. Plus, in my experience, Hofners are notoriously fragile. I've played a couple in studio settings that had multiple things go wrong, including a pickup going out altogether, to a tuning knob actually detaching from the head!

[@Spectt84]

I'd love to see a shorter list of sub $300 guitars. Cut off all the fat, and give us the 10 or so "No BS, Must Have Guitars Under 300 Bucks" list. When I'm in the mood for something new and decide to pickup a new guitar... most times I get so overwhelmed with the options that I never end up getting anything. I spend a week or 2 weighting all the options and by then the desire for a "cool new toy" just dissipates and I get nothing... I think I did that about 4 or 5 times last year alone...

[@mikeygee4564]

Well, at least you saved a lot of cash!

[@blessedjuggernaut]

Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster is the absolute best guitar you can get for under $300. With a few tools and few parts you can turn it into a $600 guitar easily. Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster is the best one though. Don't fall for the cheaper Strats by Squier. They're not as good.

[@weedian710]

Got a bullet tele new on sale for $139. It's great. Stays in tune better than my epi lp which has gotoh tuners.

[@wolfchan4389]

once they get back to full swing after the pandemic issues I swear by the rondo stuff - I have a few sx and agiles that are pretty amazing for the price, especially if they are on sale.

[@whoohaaXL]

Personally I can offer you 3 "must haves" -Ibanez RG421 (RG's are always versatile, especially the ones that have two humbuckers and a five-way switch) -Jackson Rhoads V (When you wanna rock and look great doing it. Sounds great and looks really good in white) -Squire Affinity Strat, or Tele. (I don't feel I have to say anything here. lol) Ibanez - $299 Jackson- $249 Squire - $250-$280 (Depending on pickup configuration, Strat or Tele, color. Etc) That's just my opinion on must have in the sub $300 range. Especially the Ibanez. Side note; I recently picked up an Affinity Squire Strat from the garbage that a friend sold to me for $25 (He drives the big waste management trucks around and found it). I gave her a setup and it plays absolutely amazing. The six point tremolo really surprised me. I put a set of $3.99 roller string trees from Amazon (I hate string trees in general) and use powdered graphite mixed in a little vaseline, worked it into the nut with an old string and made the tremolo just pivot on the outside two screws by backing out the middle four a little bit. Damn thing surprised me and I'm a hardcore Ibanez guy, but I could not get that Strat to go out of tune. Literally dumped the bar 20 times, gave it every sort of abuse I could and it came back in tune every single time. $10 worth of string trees, Vaseline and powdered graphite and you can actually use the damn tremolo!

[@SqualeProductions]

Awesome list Phil! And I was hoping that Godin hits the number one spot! These guitars are just awesome, flawless and beautiful. Having visited their different plants with Robert Godin, I can definitely say this product is a high-end one with a tiny price tag!

[@jacquesd5781]

15:16 My 2019 Fender Player MIM Plus Top Strat is the best guitar I've ever owned, period. I've owned mostly Gibsons and other Fender guitars, but Fender simply hit it out of the ballpark with the Player series. Amazing guitars, very much recommended.

[@READERSENPAII]

I agree, man. I have always played a few different mia telecasters but I recently bought a mint plus top player strat from a buddy who needed the money and the thing is suppppper slick.

[@pablo9364]

Agree totally

[@shaunw9270]

Agreed! I own American made guitars by Fender , Gibson and Rickenbacker, and the most satisfying guitars to play are my Mexican 60th anniversary Classic Player and Jimi Hendrix signature Strats . The mim guitars arrived in the UK with such perfect fit n finish . I tuned them up and after some string stretching had perfectly playable guitars straight from the box .

[@jaypeterson7637]

Agree! Remember all pre-cbs Fenders were built by mostly people of Mexican descent!

[@bmoraski]

Agreed. I love mine.

[@motoki1]

I stumbled into a used Godin LG around 2000 - been loving them ever since! Amazing build quality for the money. I think the secret is out, but that's great!

[@LeifEkbergh]

I played a nylon string synth Godin once, it was absolutely stunning. Amazing guitars really

[@samlelowitch]

I spent just under $700 for a mint condition PRS SE which I love. Great job as usual, Phil! Lots of quality information. Check out the Harley Benton Dullahan FT-24 available from Thomann for $475 with a headless roasted maple neck. Sweet!

[@57stratkat]

Speaking of Godin....they make the Seagull line of acoustic guitars in Canada. I've played them along side every other brand that Guitar Center offers (regardless of price) and that mop the floor on just about everything else out there. They sound as good as acoustics costing 5 times as much. Best bag for the buck acoustics on the market IMHO.

[@AdamYoudell]

When I first moved to L.A.(June, 2000) my roommate had 2 Seagulls, gigged and recorded with them, they blew me away. Sounds like they're still the absolute best bang for the buck in acoustics

[@ted9876]

I completely agree. My favorite,go to guitar is my seagull.

[@terrytadlock3979]

1a

[@mikew2067]

I have a small collection of guitars. One of my best playing is a Godin Richmond Dorchester. It is an "acquired" taste visually, but feature rich. It has a chambered body inspired by by Mosrite Ventures of the 60's, a Graphtech nut, Lace Alumitone pick ups and a rolled neck. Plays great and the electronics offer a wide range of tonality. A hidden gem in my opinion.

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

LTD ships all of their guitars to ESP for QC as well.

[@ShredBird]

Yup and if you order from somewhere like Sweetwater the setup gets checked again. I got an MH-400FR from SW and the setup was spot on.

[@davefree11]

so does sterling which is probably why they ranked in the top 5... a note about PRS, i received a Tremonti SE that would not only go out of tune from a simple strum, but the action was so high that it was totally unplayable I had to spend an additional $100 and 2 hours for tuners and a nut along with adjusting the Trem springs and lowering the bridge. this one totally slipped through Maryland QC.

[@frankiec2765]

@@davefree11 Thats because that is built at the Cor-Tek factory in Indonesia my friend. Paul switched to Cort from WMIC to pad his wallet. The quality there is not good and they don't go from Indonesia to Maryland, trust me.

[@elbib2446]

@@frankiec2765 good point,cort/cortek actually moved to indonesia from korea to escape labor laws,and because it was cheaper, after they fired their entire korean workforce overnight,resulting in a ton of lawsuits,and calls from prominent guitarists to boycott their product cortaction.wordpress.com/about/

[@hutonelabs2146]

Frankie C, David Freeman WMIC fired their best guy in 2017 ish and then screwed up a bunch of trampas green finishes which led prs se to bail.

[@guitaring1]

So helpful! Thanks! And I'd love to see all of the other possible lists you mentioned. One of the things I really like about your videos is that you don't waste my time. I learn something interesting and useful every time I watch one.

[@barbequebob99]

btw - none of my Godin guitars are in this price class, so I can't really speak to the lower priced class, but I do believe that they care about quality

[@arn999]

Yeah, a bit weird that he said they’re all sub $600. Only the regular Sessions are I think, but nevertheless the basic Session is probably one of the best if not the best guitar at this price point (if looking for a strat style guitar of course).

[@thorinbane]

@@arn999 The used market is great. They are generally well kept or not beat up as much because people that have them know their value(quality not $$). I had an old SD LP style guitar that was great. I bought it for 250 CDN later flipped it for a tube amp. Seagull while some think its ugly, becomes the headstock you love. Tuning stability is superb and you can find that guitar very easily when you go to guitar center(because of the head stock).

[@mountainpeakcloud8442]

I bought a Godin artisan ST back in 1996 for $800ish and it’s an amazing guitar.

[@tofagakilifi9535]

@@mountainpeakcloud8442 The Mona Lisa of guitars. I had the means to buy the Player but went with a 20+ year old artisan signature.I will not dish Fenders and would be privileged to own one like many many others. I thank all luthiers for their work in giving us musicians a way to express ourselves especially the likes of Masters like Leo, les and Robert.

[@OfficialJagPaw]

I had NO idea there were this many budget brands around. Interesting video. I like your perspective. Different than most other guitar channels. My only criticisms would be, maybe see if you can get better lighting and also you could do some razor-thin editing to make the videos take up less time without removing any relevant dialogue. Lotta work for that. But yeah, loving your content so far!!

[@colyvor2283]

Godin guitars are just great. My Seagull (steelstring acoustic line of Godin) I´d buy again with no hesitation. For budget electric guitars I prefer PRS SE, price range 500-1000€ in Europe. Smooth handling and sound, mostly flawless quality, georgeous look (just my opinion) and a great "original" brand taking care of quality. Remembering 30yrs ago, buying a cheap guitar was a guarantee for pain in the a**. No comparison to nowadays, most of todays budget guitars would´ve been bestsellers then just because of quality and handling.

[@roberthuston3200]

Colyvor i have 2 seagull acoustics one is a 12 string cedar they both sound and play like butter. I love em.

[@colyvor2283]

@@roberthuston3200 I´m more into electric guitars nowadays, but if I ever feel the need for another acoustic, besides preferencing Seagull Cole Clark would be a brand I´d definitely check out.

[@kevinhachton9649]

Great review ! I would suggest two brands : - FGN - Fujigen : tele Boundary Iliad, strat J-Standard Odyssey, ..., made in Japan, - Sire : Larry Carlton signature new series (L7, S7, ...), made in Indonesia.

[@SpiralOutGuitar]

Rather than just the brand, i think the product line matters a lot... My top choices: - Ibanez RGA line - Squier Classic Vibe line - Epiphone Custom (Pro)'s The best deals I made are barely used guitars for half the price, incl. Schecter and PRS SE

[@Adrianxmusic]

Yeah, I have Ibanez RG350MZ with Edge Zero II bridge, and almost 2,5x more expensive ESP LTD 1001H FR with original Floyd Rose. They both sounds good, LTD little bit better (SD pickups), and hold tune barely noticeable better than Ibanez. For me Ibanez is a great value guitar. Edge Zero II bridge have much better control, FR feels sloppy.

[@bciecko1]

Line makes a difference for sure. I have Classic Vibe and Vintage modified and they’re amazing. My VM mustang is every bit as nice as my Japanese KC signature Mustang. Actually, the VM has a Birdseye maple neck and headstock. I got luck with that piece of wood. I’ve got a 1960 tribute plus Epiphone as well. Though well over the $600 mark it’s amazing. It’s constructed more like a vintage Gibson than many newer Gibson’s are. Costs more than an entry level Gibson as well. Those tribute Epiphones are an awesome line as with the Customs.

[@LordBransty]

A year ago I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more guitars. Now, I'm going to be shopping for days. Great video Phillip. One of the best ever.

[@matthewbergvall2217]

Leo is smiling 2. G&L, 3. Fender, 4. Sterling (Music Man). HIs legacy lives on. Affordable guitars people can afford.

[@blacktoothfox677]

That is a very good point. I hadnt noticed, and I think you are right, Leo would be happy.

[@stevenbrowne4654]

Great videos. Surprised not to see Wolf guitars on this list. My red burst Paul is outstanding. Keep up the good work

[@jean-francoisremillard9513]

I am quite happy for Godin. I own 2 guitars and one bass from Godin. The guitars are as good if not better than my Fender Telecaster and my Gibson Les Paul Standard.

[@theinfinityiq6074]

I’ve owned Gibson and Fender but I always go back to my Godin. Blows me away every time I pick it up

[@TheEvilmanikin]

I have a sawtooth leftie st. Paid 109 and i have 0 complaints. No free buzz no dead spots holds tune and it's just all around a blast. Honestly love it cause it's a all around workhorse. Not the most exciting but it just works with no issues

[@lukehardcastle9547]

I love my G&L Fallout tribute. I'd put it against any of my higher end guitars. The playability and sound is incredible for something I got on sale for under $400. Very cool list!

[@thatmarchingarrow]

Just last week I bought a G&L Tribute ASAT Bluesboy for £350. I was very surprised by how good it is. It sounds fantastic, especially the bridge pickup. But what I didn't expect was for it to feel quite so nice to play. Honestly, I would have expected a guitar that played and sounded like this to be at least £750 or so. I'm incredibly pleased with it.

[@7Roeth]

Awesome video, I was shocked to see Ibanez rated so low, even below Washburn, ouch. I once had a $499 Ibanez Artcore. I loved it.

[@HIMcules2112]

I got my son his first guitar last year, got a Chapman ml1 modern for around $400 and it has swirls in the finish. Other than that it feels and plays pretty good. My old guitar player had a couple Aria Pro guitars and they were pretty nice as well.

[@bernardolopez3839]

I love Aria Pro II guitars. But the man was right, the brand does not sell well in the used market. Which is nice if you want a really well made guitar for low price. But if you want to sell one...

[@thomaskingaby4407]

Would love to see a higher end list. Max 1000 dollars :). Keep up the good work. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@stephanematis]

Such a pleasant surprise that Godin is so well rated by you. The guitars that impress me in their line are among the electrified acoustics. Say the Godin Multiac Gypsy Jazz 10. But yeah, not in 600$ range :)

[@jamowallace]

Gotta say, new to Phil’s channel and absolutely love his no bias honest opinions!

[@MrCipolenio]

Kids have it so good these days. There are some excellent instruments for less than 600 and also the cheap amps now are REALLY good!

[@stricknine8623]

I've been playing since 1984. But I still play as much now as ever. I think you are definitely correct but I would add that the old players like me are enjoying the same benefit. I own 6 Epiphone Les Pauls. All 2017 - 2020 I invested a little time and money for Graph Tech nuts and Tonepros Bridges for all of them, costing $70.00 and just a little labor. This is the magic for these guitars. The nut and bridge replaced. Everything else is absolutely good. The Probuckers and new Alnico Classic Plus pickups are very good. So, I can be 100% certain in saying that I have the most expensive of all the Epiphones that only cost me about $700.00 including the nut and bridge replacement and they are just as good in every way as my Gibson Les Pauls. Fit, finish, playability, tuning stability and YES , tone. You are so right. We have it good today with guitars and amplification. Amps are also better AND less expensive.

[@keithshwalbe6981]

Thank you. Your opinions are highly valued.

[@Riverdeepnwide]

My first G&L Tribute was so freakin' good it multiplied. Now there's three of them.

[@graemero5532]

The American ones are unbelievably good, and still reasonably priced.

[@rocher3087]

oh what a coincidence, I just picked up a previously owned Godin Stadium 59' in Desert Green for less than half the price and if I'm being completely honest, this guitar has the best neck I've ever played and sounds steller. Beats any high-end fender in terms of comfortability and playabilty. I'd rate the neck as comfortable, or even better than an Ibanez AZ Premium in my opinion. I just wished this would have came with stainless steel frets though tbh. Godin makes honestly one of the best quality guitars for its price

[@Guilhem74]

Cool list! I've got a Mexican Fender, sub $600 and I confirm it's a great quality instrument!

[@dbmabe]

The really cool thing about the MIM Fender's is you can get them really cheap used. They are a very underrated instrument.

[@artamussumatra6286]

guilhem loustalot-forest 100% agree! Love my ‘013 Mexican Standard Strat, it’s my all time favorite - and I’ve owned some really nice vintage American ones dating back to 1968. When I bought it, I was actually shopping for an American Standard, but this MIM won me over, it’s the Strat I’ve always dreamed of. I don’t care about prestige, or price, I just want the most Mojo, and this one really delivers it.

[@57ebartley]

That was fun to listen to , thanks. So funny I use Godin A6 Ultras in my Acoustic show.

[@innocentoctave]

Interesting list. The only surprise for me was the low ranking for Ibanez. I've never played a bad one.

[@ImPoppy_1]

Those gios though 🤢🤮

[@daveduffy2823]

I have, Artcore (neck dive) and S470 (cheap electronics)

[@jayoren7235]

My first guitar was a RG321 and I still play it. Moved up to an iron label S-series and never looked back.

[@OrsonMeyreles]

Agreed. Every Ibanez I've played at every price point (above Gio) has been absolutely great for the money.

[@owengonzales53]

Yeah my rg6003fm is awesome, and I got it on sale for $250. Pickups and electronics aren’t that great but you don’t really expect that at that price

[@Scrimshaw_DuBois42]

Guitar MAX would say you should try Wolf guitars. They're very little known, but he loves them. Also good to see Godin as number 1, I was planning on getting one of theirs or a PRS SE as my next guitar

[@dolfan1318]

And I say try Wolf guitars as well! I just purchased their Wolf Wlp 750T red burst from AIO guitars. The guitar is gorgeous and came completely set up from AIO and just plays like butter. I believe a steal at only $499, another 100 bucks for the Gator hard case.

[@franklinkz2451]

@Phillip McKnight i own 2 G&L’s a ASAT Tribute tele and a beautiful Ascanti GTS Tribute! Both from Indonesia’s Cort Factory and they both are seriously made very well, play and sound even better, after Leo Sold the Company, he drew up plans for a 24.75” scale Les Paul style guitar with a Strat body thats Binded with a great looking smoke Maple Vanir, the specs on this thing is wicked cool! Thew a set of those roto Grover locking sealed tuner mini’s and made the 3x3 head stock look great, it is about 2/3’s the size of a Ibanez ART120Q from last year, If your not familiar with this guitar G&L made i highly recommend it and the story that comes with it is a good story, i wish Leo had a chance to see it come to life

[@onlyguitars]

Wow, loved that Strat LP guitar!! Very interesting indeed!

[@LSlick622]

Love my tribute legacy. I think its fantastic

[@ronlyster5667]

I have 2 Godin guitars (Montreal Premiere & 5th Avenue) plus a S&P acoustic (also made by Godin). They are all fantastic players that I have no intention of ever selling (been playing for nearly 40 years). Well worth your while to test drive a few!!

[@RocktCityTim]

I remember when Music Yo relaunched the Kramer and Steinberger lines and you could buy a five pack of the S-style for $249.

[@ibanezleftyclub]

The music-yo era of Kramer were pure trash.

[@The_Fat_Turtle]

@@ibanezleftyclub You got what you paid for, so not any more trashy than anything else in the price range. I had one of the more mid-range priced Kramer Striker's and it was as good as my Ibanez RG270, which is from the same era and price range. Both came with crappy licensed Floyd Rose's, both had overly hot, uninspiring pickups but were built to shred and could certainly turn into much better instruments with a few choice upgrades.

[@johnbell997]

Congratulations on a brilliant first session. Well done George on a brilliant performance of your song. Keep up the good work. There any many good performers out there who deserve some airtime.

[@ThunderFalcon333]

Wanna see the higher end list. Godin makes awesome guitars assembled in my hometown saweeet. Thanx Phil I and many others value your opinion. 🤘

[@marksr12]

Great video, Phillip definitely knows guitars! I trust his opinions.

[@thephotoyak]

Godin guitars are awesome. Especially their acoustics (they have several different brands). I don't know how they do it, quality materials, quality build, Canadian/American labour cost.

[@jonathanhandsmusic]

I was surprised a little but found your list pretty interesting for sure. Godin makes some fine expensive ones, but the sub $600 models now seem like very good ones too.

[@anewdimnsion]

Oh boy, hope Rob doesn't climb his ivory tower and start attacking you because you spoke poorly of his brand. He tends to douche it up a lot.

[@matthewclark6103]

I respect Rob and what he has done, but I think the mistake he made was creating the 'Pro' range. I've seen Schecters with Evertune bridges at roughly the same price point. I think he lost his way a bit.

[@michaeleaster1815]

3:32 for viewers... re: Chapman

[@pablo9364]

I suspect there are great chapman guitars. If I could have a go of one in a shop I would consider buying one . But don’t see many demo models . Certainly wouldn’t dismiss without actually trying one for myself

[@matthewclark6103]

@@pablo9364 Can I just say that I am not trying to say Chapmans are bad guitars, I am just saying that I think he kind of lost his way some. Originally Chapmans were supposed to be crowd designed guitars that were lets face it, marketed to and priced for enthusiasts. The 'Pro' line to me is a bit of a slap in the face for people who supported his brand when it started. I suspect that is why there has been such a backlash on him.

[@pablo9364]

Matthew Clark your ahead of me I don’t know enough about Chapman guitars as I’ve never seen or played one but I understand your point . I’d love a schecter with a evertune bridge. Maybe one day I’ll get one

[@anthonylakatos1043]

I really enjoyed this video it just so happens 2 days earlier before watching this I happen to purchase a G&L guitar the tribute Fallout from Sweetwater unfortunately it's on backorder right now. I really value your opinion and knowledge of guitars I was so happy to see you had G&L tribute ranked so high thank you for sharing your knowledge and all the videos you do it's very appreciated

[@aleksandarbelic5275]

So many brands I've never heard of...

[@stephenorwig4758]

What a great list Phil! Really enjoyed this info and anxiously await all those other lists. Appreciate your work, enjoy it all!

[@leftofpunk]

YEAH! I skipped over a Mexican Telecaster a few years ago in favor of a G&L ASAT Tribute and here we are. Got the #2 slot!

[@Mamo878]

Sure, but the ASAT doesn't really sound like a Telecaster. So there is that.

[@leftofpunk]

@@Mamo878 Excellent point and very true. Lucky for me I'm a bit shallow and really just like the way a butterscotch Tele looks. It was the cherry on top that the ASAT pickups are a bit more aggressive than a Tele as that suits my playing style more.

[@darwinia8]

@@Mamo878 Except that the pole pieces are adjustable, so if you want that Tele sound, it's just a few wrist turns away. Meanwhile, you have a pro- quality instrument for an affordable price.

[@leftofpunk]

@@darwinia8 Can you tell me more?

[@darwinia8]

@@leftofpunk Sure. I haven't done this myself, as I feel my USA Asat has plenty of Tele twang, but if you want your Asat to sound more like a Fender, (are you certain you want to?!) adjust your pole pieces downwards (using flathead screwdriver as I recall) until you have the desired sound. FYI Darrell Braun Guitar has a video or two comparing Asats and Teles, and he performs this trick in one of them. Good luck and happy playing!

[@nealixd.3011]

Great video, Phil. I have 30 plus electric, acoustic, classical and 12 string guitars/basses across various brands and price points, and your assessments make a lot of sense. I have an old Alvarez classical guitar that is really sweet. A model 5004, made in Korea. It's in great shape, although weathered, sort of my inexpensive Willie Nelson singer songwriter guitar for sitting around at the house doing some singing and playing,.

[@Sihijuoma667]

Did I miss Tokai? If didn't they should be atleast in top 20.

[@onlyguitars]

Completely agree. Tokai is a top 3 easy! I think in the US they don't have Tokai's, so this might be a reason. Fantastic guitars!

[@weaselwhistlington6498]

MIJ Tokai is not sub $600 tho lol

[@raventael9775]

@@weaselwhistlington6498 Yea but I tried several made in China Tokais, a Les Paul, an SG and an Explorer, all for around 400/450~€ at my local store, and i always came back to buy them. They played as good as my 1600/1800€ Fender Strat and ESP V lmao. And they're great for recording, nobody could hear this and say "Yeah, that's a sub 600€ chinese guitar"

[@weaselwhistlington6498]

@@raventael9775 yep i had a MIC Tokai for like a month and it was so good I just had to get an MIJ one

[@Hitperson]

Tokai are great, i've got an MIJ Love Rock LS128 and its glorious to play

[@gsimons213]

Glad to see my cheap guitar manufacturers were in the top 10. PRS SE, Squier and G&L Tribute. Makes me want a Godin. I would like to see an acoustic countdown but trying to remember the last time I saw a video with Phillip on an acoustic?

[@LuisNunez777]

Any word that comes out of your mouth I believe, Thank you for making all your wonderful videos. You have influence every purchase I have made. Your videos are no joke, they are full with real world information. Thanks @Phillip McKnight

[@pablo9364]

I agree. I’ve followed his advice too and ended up with great purchases after he’s tips: For example: 1/ look at guitars with reduced prices due to the shop carrying too much stock of a particular guitar in the current market and they want to convert excess stock into cash Etc

[@srogers500]

I worked for a music store that was an Aria Pro II dealer. He had craziest posters with players like Yngwie and some others holding Aria guitars. They looked great, played great, but yeah this is the first time I've seen the name mentioned in decades. Great list, homie.

[@mattbrillhart2922]

Sadly, Peavey hasn’t made a decent instrument since the mid 90s. I feel they had an opportunity to really improve the quality and still keep a decent price point. They went for nothing but true cheap beginner stuff. I really think they hurt their brand.

[@michaeld.mahoney9106]

It is a shame what happened to this company. They should have kept it in the USA and put Americans to work building quality guitars, amps and PAs.

[@johnharrison6808]

I remember in 2000 in a budget P bass head to head The Peavey Milestone wiped the floor with the competition, it's a shame they slipped.

[@dbmabe]

I'm guessing that is when they went to being made overseas. I had a late 80s/early 90s Reactor(Telecaster) that was made in USA and it was a jewel of a guitar. It had really hot pickups and I could get really good, controlled feedback with it. It was better than getting feedback with my Epiphone Dot.

[@mattbrillhart2922]

John Harrison their USA Basses were fantastic! I have had several and own one now.

[@johnharrison6808]

@@mattbrillhart2922 never had the pleasure of stumbling across one unfortunately, there's Reverb of course but that's only pictures, you don't get to sit down with one and get to know it.

[@ericleary5075]

I’ve always wanted a Musicman guitar. I’ve never played one that didn’t feel like the factory set it up just for me, but I can’t justify $2,500 + to get it beat up in a bar or whatever other road hazards I put them through. I’m definitely gonna check out the Sterling models!!! And yes, I have a Mexican HSS Strat from the late ‘90s that has become my go-to gui-fiddle for a few years now! Thanks for the great videos!

[@brettdiaz]

You can’t go wrong with a G&L Tribute

[@GIBKEL]

Fantastic Phil....I had two in the top ten-Eastwood Tuxedo-and Squier JMascis. As good or better than any Fender off the shelf. Missing the Danelectro. Played a mid 90’s U2 and loved it. That was a week of searching I didn’t have to do.....no, come to think of it it, I did. Listen to the man, he knows of what he talks about.