Monoprice Indio Cali Classic: What do you get for $90?

Hey, all! Here's a review of another Monoprice Indio Cali Classic. Is this one as good as the original that I reviewed? (Short answer: yes!) This is a great guitar for A) a beginner, B) an accomplished player who needs a backup, C) someone who wants to get their mod on, D) someone who wants a Strat but doesn't want out the bucks for a Fender (or even a Squier)! Have a look, and thank! (And feel free to improve your life by buying a t-shirt: my-store-97747... )

[@Obrian81]

I just bought one the other day, the guy who sold it to me put in Wilkinsons knobs himself, so the guitar stays in tune fantastly! Bought it for $120, best low price guitar I ever bought!

[@MetalProfessor65]

Great to hear! Sounds like you got it upgraded a little bit. Did you replace more than the tuning machines? Enjoy that guitar, my friend! 🤘

[@etpslick100]

Wow! That guitar sounds great for the price! My 1985 Squier strat; that I paid $425 w/case for; didn’t even SOUNDED as good as this! The hum was outta control on that thing! Had upgraded to EMG S pickups (they were somewhat a new company back then) and now 30+ years still sounded great! These monoprice guitars are great for beginners. A great guitar right out the box; mod friendly and everything. I might get a white one just have in the studio. Thanks for the review! These so called “budget” guitars don’t SOUND so budget anymore. Monoprice, Harley Benton, SX, really steppin’ their game up! Like that guitar!🤨🎶👍🏾

[@MetalProfessor65]

I'm glad you liked the review and the guitar! Keep shredding! 🤘

[@etpslick100]

@@MetalProfessor65 Oh most definitely! I’m really a bassist but play rhythm guitar on occasion and you know; fighting with your instrument is every musicians worst nightmare. My Squier was like that until I changed the pickups. The new beginning guitarists got it made today.😌🎶👍🏾

[@ShawnJonesHellion]

Sound can be altered easy. I've never had a problem with a guitars sound. A pedal changes everything. The hum probably can be taken out with what almost every recording artist uses; a noise gate . It's playability an action adjustment that can't be changed on a guitar. An the difference there is being able to play punk or basic rock an modern metal/malmsteen/classical. I never understood people talking about tone because minus the worst pickups win the world guitars all sound the same to me when I add a pedal or two.

[@Chupacabramusic]

Your humor is F'n great bro

[@Chupacabramusic]

They've never flipped this fish anyway... man.. 😆 🤣 😂 😹

[@MetalProfessor65]

Thanks, man! Much appreciated! 🤘

[@Chupacabramusic]

@@MetalProfessor65 you bet homie... I was totally just thumbing around and landed on your vid... shit was cracking me up man.. 😆... good rodeo my bro

[@user77434]

Nice review! Which Squire model would you say this is comparable to? Affinity, Bullet or Vibe?

[@MetalProfessor65]

Good question! The Indio is definitely a step above the Bullet model, but I've never played an Affinity or Vibe. Just judging by price--if we assume that Fender charges three times as much as Indio for a guitar of the same quality--it's probably equivalent to an Affinity. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@rokkimason4199]

I bought an Ashthorpe Strat two months ago. Love it! Now I just orderrd an Indio Sunburst Strat. Guess im turning into a Strat guy!! Never thought Ud see that happen! Oh well!

[@gentelmanjunkie542]

Thanks, it would be cool to actually play some metal chords to see how it sounded as I'm not sure to get this or the Gibson clone for a good metal tone, but also I like to mess around with other tones. I kinda wanted the Gibson clone but that hum on ur other review made me think of getting the hss version of this with the humbucker Bridge, but having no tone knob would that lessen a metal tone?

[@MetalProfessor65]

Thanks for commenting! You are totally correct: I should have provided more demonstration of the guitar's sound. Here's a vid I made about that very topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaPJmWqpipmbbpI Speaking just for myself, the lack of a tone control for the bridge pickup wouldn't much affect the guitar's suitability for metal since there are three pickups: I'd just switch to a different pickup if I wanted a different tone. Re: the Gibson clone's hum, I have been assured by several people that it was simply because the ground wire in that particular guitar was not attached correctly (which is a pretty easy thing to fix--my soldering skills absolutely blow, but even I could fix that!). LAST THING: If you get the HSS version of the Strat clone, feel free to comment here about how much you like (or dislike) it, just because I'm curious. :) Thanks again for commenting, and keep shredding! 🤘

[@CardScapeGame]

cool review! I ordered one . not too familiar with strats so this was helpful

[@MetalProfessor65]

Great! Glad you found the vid helpful. Enjoy your axe, my friend! 🤘

[@daviddigital6887]

I put a big block bridge an trem an locking tuners on it and it sustains forever. I was gonna change out the electronics but the pickups are really ok but they might go at some point. I got the blue. I'm in Nashville and it's Titans powder blue. I've been playing it more than my Epi. The frets needed lots of work but you can get it smooth an polished. I got it got it 119 an put 50 in the upgrades. I have a vid of the bridge an tuners that fit it perfect. The parts you need on Amazon. I have a board so I can get lots of tones from it. A noise gate helps when your in the bridge pickup if your getting that single coil hum

[@DigitalSubset]

Honestly this is probably the best strat copy for the price ever

[@MetalProfessor65]

@@DigitalSubset Thanks for watching! Yeah, I've been pretty impressed by the Indios. Unfortunately they've switched factories or something, and the newer ones have a few slight differences from the older ones. (I might do a quick video about that.)

[@DigitalSubset]

@@MetalProfessor65 I have the HSS version and I love it! I’ll be looking forward to that video because I thought of picking up the classic as well.

[@rokkimason4199]

Just ordered a Sunburst! Great price!

[@barrygoodson4952]

What kind of value is the Indio compared to other Strat style guitars ?

[@MetalProfessor65]

Compared to a Squire, for example, it's a tremendously good deal. The only other super inexpensive Strat style machine I've looked at in detail is a Glarry, and I think the Indio is a bit better. The fret ends on the Indio are much smoother, I think the sound of the Glarry is a touch better (there's no hum or weird crackling on either machine, I just think the tone of the glary is a bit better, but that's a pretty subjective judgment), and the playability of the Indio is a little better. I couldn't speak to durability of either machine because I haven't played them sufficiently for either really to have a chance to break down.

[@redelk2974]

Thank you

[@MetalProfessor65]

You're welcome!

[@barrygoodson4952]

Way too much time explaining Strat style guitars and not enough time explaining how good the Indio is for the money compared to other Strat style guitars.

[@MetalProfessor65]

Thanks! It's a video largely for folks who don't know about guitars rather than we who more or less do.

[@Diogenerate]

8:00 -- And that was the price before the longnose tribe invented currency manipulation!

[@rokkimason4199]

If you play clean,ie, roll off the Volume,you can demonstrate the tone of the Single coils more effectively. I know that you know this, but the beginners out there would probably like to hear it without distortion.

[@MetalProfessor65]

That's a good point! Since this is mostly a metal-focused channel, I don't do much without high gain, but your point is well taken. Glad you liked the vid and have ordered one of these Indios! I've had nothing but good luck with them.