Made In China? Crap? Good? My Thoughts

[@jimmyfrombrooklyn8550]

Got an Epiphone 335 too- zero issues

[@michaelthomas9991]

Excellent video, Rich! Informative without being too critical. I’m liking your long hair, man. Keep these videos coming!!!

[@malcolmbliss777]

I’ve got a Samick made Fender Squier (3 names?) Strat that everyone who picks it up can’t believe how nice she sounds for being a $350 axe, new. I had to replace the tuners, and I put on Babicz full contact saddles (the low end model). The pickups are surprisingly good. The neck is toasted and the frets are as even as my MIJ ESP LP. I’d put it up against any custom shop Strat costing 10x as much.

[@MAX96MENDES]

Cool collection. I also bought a few Harley-Benton guitars. Your style of playing and your demo reviews are great. Thank you !

[@DEns-di1uf]

Hey Rich you've mentioned before that you like teles. I highly you try a Gear4music Knoxville legacy relic. Get the maple neck one. It has Big frets, good tuners, good pickups and a nice relic job. By far the best inexpensive guitar I've ever purchased!

[@RichBischoff]

Cool I'll check them out.

[@ka4sxi]

The only issue I find in the USA with Harley Benton is that shipping cost is as much as the guitar.

[@RichBischoff]

You have to order like 3 Harley Bentons to make it worth the shipping. I think they'll ship 2 or 3 for the same shipping price.

[@mikewendeln5218]

They have a store on reverb. I believe free shipping. Warehouse in US.

[@oldasrocks9121]

HB has a Reverb seller account that ships from the US

[@mitchhill1552]

I loved this one Rich! I think it's important that we don't short change some of these less expensive guitars. McCartney mentioned that he started with that Hofner because it looked good right or left handed, but was also inexpensive and affordable. My research tells me that he seemed to do a pretty good job with it! Great video my friend!

[@RichBischoff]

Thanks Mitch!

[@jimmyfrombrooklyn8550]

Nice review Rich. I play an old PRS Std (86), and I’ve considered a PRS DGT SE as a backup because I need the trem. That’s concerning about the neck. I have a Westcreek LP DC Jr with a P90. It’s a set neck, I did a setup and string change and it’s great- especially for $150! Maybe I’ll find a better P-90 at some point as an upgrade. My best strat is a 87 Fernandez btw, better than my actual pre cbs strat.

[@CZPavel-c1p]

Good evening dear Rich, very nice overview of cheaper guitars made in China or in general Asia. We have some models in common, mainly from Thomann produced variously under their Harley Benton brand. I have about 7 of them, when I bought them I preferred types with the beginning of production in recent years. I have no problem with them so far. Personally, I still have a very good experience with the SX brand. Thanks for the nice video and insight into your guitar world. Greetings Pavel CZ.👍👍👍🎸

[@mylogify]

The ST-62 made in China, I love mine, needed a fret leveling due to few high frets, but after that really love it. Your voice sounds exactly like Slash lol. Have you ever noticed? Watch his videos on Gibson TV. :D

[@RichBischoff]

He's my cousin.

[@jeffflint9086]

There are some good reviews of guitars at the cheaper end of the market, some good guitars and some not quite so good. In general there has never been more choice and some of them are really good for the money. If you can afford to pay that bit extra there are some amazing guitars out there that can hold their own against more expensive well known brands.

[@turkhollinger2195]

I bought a Jet J300, It honestly plays better than my Epiphone les paul custom! I wanna try a Firefly guitar as well.

[@RichBischoff]

Been wanting to try the Jet stuff.

[@eclipsetheraindanbutler2478]

Donner is probably my FAVORITE budget brand, because of the quality, and the pickups are even quality. Leo Jaymz, which I haven't seen you review, would be next because the LPs are just so well made, and they have upgraded the pickups since the original runs that were EXTREMELY microphonic. They feel GREAT in the hands. I have also enjoyed multiple IYV guitars. I have a semi- hollow PRS style that sounds great, and an HSH style strat that's beautiful with coil splitting. I admit that the tone difference isn't as distinct as I'd like though. WAIT! You included PRS SE and Epiphone... I was disappointed in the Epiphone LP 100 that I own, only because the switch crapped out quickly. You should also include Squier if you include the other two. Having said that, I have the SH model of the Telecaster Classic Custom from the Vibe series, and included Fender branded single coil and humbucker.... it's a $500 guitar and has the same switch issue, otherwise sounds GREAT! NOW, PRS SE imo is ACTUALLY the best since it's included. The quality just isn't matched, but my 3 are expensive enough to by 3 or 4 Donner guitars, so they better be. Lol. I enjoy your videos and hearing you play. I was noodling on my Donner DJC 1000S while watching this. 😂

[@RichBischoff]

Right on. I would have included squier, but I don't own one.

[@eclipsetheraindanbutler2478]

@RichBischoff that's what I figured. I only picked mine up because I was actually looking for a PRS SE Floyd 24 Custom, and came across it used for half the cash price WITH a hardcase. 😆

[@fistovuzi]

that 339 with the p90s is the Epiphone i want! pelham blue and everything. Epiphone don't make them anymore and they are hard to find second hand outside the US. i hope Epi start making them again. on the video subject; i have a Fender Telecaster that is made for Fender by Cort in Indonesia. weirdest Tele you've ever seen. mahogany body and neck, flame maple top (not veneer). set neck. loaded up with 2 SD humbuckers, Pearly Gates in the bridge, '59 in the neck. yes, i'm sure it's a Tele not a Les Paul. it sounds like a cross between a LP and a SG. it sounds like a fucking Gibson, and quite a good one. it is built masterfully, plays like butter, and sounds PROPER. the only things that give you a clue it's not an expensive guitar are the poly finish and the laurel fretboard. tho it is the nicest grade laurel fretboard i've ever seen and the oversized, abalone dot inlays add the class. they are around $1500au, under a grand USD. worth twice that. i call it the Bastardcaster.

[@earlbaker7099]

I saw no Leo Jaymz. I've got a tele style with alnico 5 pickups. It plays & sounds as good as a Fender.

[@RichBischoff]

I guess I should check out Leo Jams.

[@summersendband]

I just bought my fourth Harley Benton. Great quality again. Perfect frets, decent setup and tuners, awesome Alnico 2 P90s. 149 Euros. I don't know how this is possible.

[@reijerlincoln]

Because in another country the factory workers are underpaid.

[@summersendband]

@@reijerlincoln PRS, Squier, Epiphone, LTD, Cort - they are all taking advantage of this system called capitalism. Still none of them offers comparable quality at this price point. Your answer is captain obvious but a partially deaf one

[@summersendband]

PRS, Ibanez, Fender, ESP, Gibson - they are all taking advantage of this. Still none of them offers this quality at this price point

[@bluessumlin...7067]

lt's great if you get a cheap playable guitar it is a lotto if you get crap or good!

[@waltgaffert2554]

I put some Dylan talks tone "DAF's", along with his wiring in my firefly spalted maple LP with ball end frets. Best sounding and playing LP I have played! I have a 2013 Gibson tribute Gold top I'm probably going to sell.

[@bobfurman2739]

great vid as usual. Glarry is crap. Check out Eart guitars.

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

Harley Benton with coil tap is a 450 CS

[@RichBischoff]

Thanks, couldn't remember.

[@mixchifius]

Monoprice is Harley Benton

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I got several Harley Betten, but the pick ups end up costing more than a guitar I bought one of their Ibanez copy’s in left-handed of course and put $300 Seymour Duncan I bought the 400 Les Paul put pro buckers in it like them so much. I put it in the SG. Gt 2 agile Guitars from Reverb only change the tuners. Both Les Paul One standard in a gold burst and the other one has P90 I ever get as good as you I’ll be famous.

[@user-jb4um9tl8d]

Hey Rich, cultavating that hair huh? HA HA. The only surprize to me is that you didn't keep one of those Epi 1959 Standards or Chinese made Squire Classic Vibe Tele's made if pine. I've been playing for just over 50 yrs now, and like you have amassed a collection You'ld love to see. Funny that, I'm playing more Epi's today than my vintage Gibbys. Keep up those great honest reviews, I never miss one 👍 M. (In R.I.)

[@PooNinja]

5:36 every bit of wood is different from the next, even a bookmatched piece 🫤

[@mylogify]

His voice is Slash, lol.

[@gregmock6808]

I watched Carlos Santana talk about PRS guitars and he said he's going back to single cuts for tuning stability but I still see him with a double cutaway often

[@tedfehr5875]

Eastman Guitars = Made In China = Exceptional Quality For A Reasonable Price