Ranking Worst To Best Import Guitar Brands Under $300

[@prasannasayami1351]

Solid Body Import Guitar Brands Under $300 35. Donner/Silvertone 0:25 34. Monoprice 0:46 33. Hardluck Kings 1:01 32. Oscar Schmidt 1:17 31. Glary 1:33 30. Peavey 2:04 29. AXL 2:32 28. SX 2:43 27. Hofner 2:57 26. Auston 3:11 25. Washburn 3:34 24. Aria 3:43 23. Stagg 4:05 22. Vintage 4:31 21. Mitchell 4:53 20. Daisy Rock 5:13 19. Traveler 5:40 18. Hadean 6:12 17. Kramer 6:31 16. Schecter 6:48 15. C&G 7:12 14. Slick 7:37 13. Xaviere 7:57 12. Sterling 8:14 11. Yamaha 8:47 10. Dean 9:16 9. Cort 9:54 8. Squier 10:12 7. Ibanez 11:13 6. Gretsch 11:36 5. Jackson 12:50 4. Fire Fly 13:29 3. Epiphone 14:34 2. Tagima 15:18 1. Harley Benton 16:06

[@kevinking2468]

The SX vintage series strat style neck with jumbo frets is really nice.

[@kenshiroxxx90]

ugh

[@parker486]

@@alittlebitoflight every single cheap Gretsch guitar I've ever played has held tune just fine.

[@alittlebitoflight]

@@parker486 I'm happy for you (sincerely). I was hoping to buy one. Really liked the pickups on the solid body I played (G5222) and the ones in their older slim hollow bodies. But I'm not paying a grand+ (Australian) for something that won't hold tune (all hardtail too, no licenced Bigsby).

[@parker486]

@@alittlebitoflight That's completely fair. I'm sorry your experience was less than stellar.

[@lacroixphoto]

I got hooked on Harley Benton guitars for about a year. I now have 6 of them, and bought two for my son. Great bang for your buck.

[@simontemplar3359]

I went way overboard- also 6. weird. They really are phenomenal for what they cost, even with higher shipping. I also have a Monoprice Tele copy and a couple Xaviere tele copies. I think I have a tele problem. HA! But Harley Bentons are for sure an amazing value. Their PRS inspired double cutaway guitars are fantastic.

[@caseylee12]

I've got 14 guitars, but no super strat. I'm looking at one of their Fusion 2 guitars. Maybe the green one.

[@Kylora2112]

Harley Benton is *THE* mod platform brand. You get the top-tier build quality for cheap so you can drop in $150 on electronics, pickups, and tuners and have a $1000 feeling guitar for under $400.

[@simontemplar3359]

@@Kylora2112 well said. Absolutely accurate too. I threw new p90s in the SC GT450. Not saying it's as good as a les Paul gold top but way better than what I'd get elsewhere for the same money

[@Kylora2112]

@@simontemplar3359 Yeah, you can put $500 into a Harley Benton and parts and get something on par with a $1000+ Schecter or LTD. And I love Schecter and LTD.

[@HarleyBentonOfficial]

Well, we are glad you dig our guitars Phil :) All the best Bene

[@isaacyesca4728]

I love you guys

[@HarleyBentonOfficial]

@@isaacyesca4728 Thanks Rogelio!

[@AKEZ_076]

I have a question, I wanna buy one of your guitars but i dont know if i should get the paradise flame prs or the sc 200 student pack, I am left handed btw

[@bradgray9703]

I have the H.B. TE-70 RW, and if not for this stinking virus causing shipping delays,I would own several more models by now. The only mod I did to this guitar was locking fender tuners. Not because the tuners were bad. I just like locking tuners.

[@thestratman7903]

We would LOVE to have more access to these here in the USA!! With shipping being an extra $100 it's hard for those of us who haven't had our hands on one to buy 3 or 4 of them to make the shipping worth it...You guys make about 15 guitars I want to buy really bad!!

[@jamesericm]

I've heard that Inyen Vina has built guitars for Harley Benton. I bought a IYV ITA-450 for $300, and I love it.

[@altonT]

I have 2 IYV guitars I bought for under $200. The SG model has 24 frets and has become one of my all-time favorites. Playes as well as a Gibson or Fender.

[@fmoreirafilho]

Hello from Brazil! Thanks for showcasing Tagima guitar once more. The first Tagimas were totally handmaded, with a superior quality, and a faithful copy of a Fender 1976, with bullet tuss rod, but with brazilian electronics (a little les quality) and different woods, like Marupá and the neck in ivorywood, woods that could be considerated exotic in US. The former owner of Tagima, Seizi Tagima, has another brand, the low-coast SEIZI GUITARS. Tks

[@GustavoFavareto]

Muito bom ver uma marca brasileira numa posição de destaque em um canal gringo, principalmente sabendo que aqui dentro muita gente torce o nariz pra ela.

[@jvbrandaom]

Really cool to see Tagima ranked so high. They're kind of overlooked here in Brazil, maybe because they're so common place. People tend to value Squiers and they can get kind of expensive here, so your opinion is very insightful and might be useful for people thinking about "upgrading" their Tagimas to Squiers when it could potentially be just a sidegrade

[@galangsyamilbasayev4476]

Same thing happen to Cort in Indonesia. People tend overlooked Cort because it so common here. Little did they know almost half of squier and ibanez even the PRS SE is made in PT Cort. Put respect in Cort name

[@johnkoch9315]

To me my perception is they’re starting to get a bit more popular now in the US by getting on most of our radar for the first time by launching their made in Asia stuff which had been selling okay on import on Reverb and stuff now finally getting into online retailers over here. To me that stuff is very obviously Fender inspired, but kind of boutique, sort of like a Squier meets Michael Kelly.

[@markyurick4137]

I never had a cheap Tagima that was not garbage. And when they are garbage, Tagima does nothing to help. Their customer service is non-existent. i don't know anything about their Brazilian stuff, but the Asian stuff is crap. More importantly, if you buy the crap, you are stuck with it. People comparing Tagima's Asian stuff to Mexican fenders are hallucinating. Mexican Fenders and even cheap Squiers are far superior guitars. It's really not close. I would much rather have a Bullet than a Tagima.

[@joshpointoh]

This was a great idea. You should do another, updated. There are so many $200 guitars that are decent, it would be cool to see which are best now

[@caseylee12]

I've got 3 mid-high end guitars (fender pro tele and strat, and Gibson Les Paul studio) and I love them, but you know what I play more? Hard Luck Kings Bossman (LP style- I replaced the bridge with a Kaish) , Squire bullet telecaster, and Glen Burton tele, which I got for $50, and I can't believe the neck in this thing! Luck of the draw? Anyway, you like what you like, and if you like it, you'll play it more.

[@jonathanhandsmusic]

I've heard a lot of good things about Harley Bentons. I'm not surprised that they made number one on the list. Good video!

[@joshuawaterman1804]

I've got 2 now. Amazing for the money..

[@demongeminix]

Is it just me, or does it seem like Phil was gonna say a bit more on each brand, but cut it off or edited it out for time considerations?

[@tomix1970pl1]

heavyvibrationstudiopl.bandcamp.com/releases

[@tonyfedor9052]

@@tomix1970pl1 I would have to say that kicks ass ! 💪😎👍 You ever listen to Pat Travers from the early to mid 70'2 on into the 80's ? Check out the album " Putting it Straight" with "Snorting' Whiskey and drinking' Cocaine" and "Crash and Burn" . . . 😁

[@jahmosaxenamp6797]

Stop picking it apart and just play it!! 🤘

[@Meccarox]

I felt that way too.

[@jfj794]

Awesome round up! Thank you for putting this list together. I just purchased an Epiphone LP Special that’s a little above this category and I am so impressed. I own Gibson LP, Fender Pro Strat two mono price and now the Epi. So impressed with the quality of these lower priced offerings.

[@andrewk658]

I was literally looking for sub $300 guitars for my dad about 30 minutes before this video dropped, perfect timing!

[@chancemiller9340]

Has can take 4 days to 4 weeks to arrive in the US. If you're in Europe, delivery is much more predictable.

[@overcome8628]

Look up EART guitars, Don't buy Harley Benton , trust me on this.

[@nazfrde]

I have 3 Harley Bentons, 2 electric and 1 acoustic. All are amazing quality and were great fit and finish right out of the box.

[@therugburnz]

I bought the $75 to the door Glarry. I heard they were decent for the price, and I just wanted something to use to practice my custom paint technique. They do work way waaaay better than the beginners stuff we bought for same price in 1977. Remember back then $75 was a weeks wages\months rent in my town back then. $75 is now a days pay.

[@mlmccollum100]

I bought my son a Jackson Dinky for his birthday.... It has WAY more power than the kids playing a strat in my church... Sounds so good. Agree with your number one too.. about to order me one

[@bukimari]

I'm really glad I chose a Tagima! It was actually yours and Marty's videos that convinced me and I absolutely love it. I upgraded the switch and the pots, as well as installed a push/push pot in the bottom tone knob to engage the neck pickup so I can get those Gilmour sounds. Thanks again!

[@artamussumatra6286]

Love the Epiphone bolt ons, and the Squier Bullet Tele is phenomenal. This is really a golden era for low buck/high quality guitars! 😁👍

[@innocentoctave]

The Squier Bullet Tele is excellent. I have an FSR version in Butterscotch Blonde. It cost £130. I can't imagine a better guitar for the price. It isn't perfect, but it's also a great platform for upgrades.

[@artamussumatra6286]

Paul B I have the Surf Green one. Imho, it compares very favorably to my American Pro. 😁👍

[@innocentoctave]

@@artamussumatra6286 It's a great guitar. My Vintera Telecaster is obviously better, but it cost three times as as much, second hand. If you can't play the Bullet, you can't play. A very good example of why it's more important to practice than to worry about how much your guitar cost.

[@artamussumatra6286]

Paul B Yup, a great guitar is a great guitar, regardless of price. My Ampro Tele cost 10X what my Bullet Tele did, but I love them both equally. I also used to have a Mexican Standard Tele, that I’ve always regretted selling, it was fantastic. I won’t make the same mistake with the ones I’ve got now, they’re both keepers for sure!

[@mikebaird6788]

Yeah I like the epi bolt-ons too because the neck problem on the demand Gibson's you can always replace it easier

[@orvilfarley7861]

I kept seeing Harley Benton videos and hardly a bad comment on any of them. I thought for the price I'll take a chance just to see for myself. I was shocked at the quality for the price range. Great guitar, at least the one I bought was. I'm considering buying another one.

[@BogoBob]

I've got heaps of them and in my opinion there cheapest models are no different from the no name guitars you can by on eBay. Big difference is thomann will give you a refund if you get a dud which does happen often. When you get the higher end Harley Bentons SC-Custom, HB-35+, CST 24T you get shockingly good guitars for the price.

[@DatBoi-mo9vc]

@@Mark-OutWest its kinda rediculous to blame the brand for that. UPS workers and mail workers in general in the US are being complete dicks lately, and i think its the extra workload that quarantine is causinf

[@chancemiller9340]

@@Mark-OutWest - I've been following the arrivals of HBs to the US on the Facebook page and it is shocking how bad those boxes look. Serious piñata practice before those things get to the buyer. I mean, amazingly awful. If you buy a guitar, and I may some day, you have to buy a hard case with it if you want to be assured of it arriving in a condition that you won't immediately pack it up and ship it back.

[@DeadmeatDarkdaylight]

well on my experiement about HB guitars are like good to bad perhaps nowadays that quality is on a top than years a go many guitar what I had was like hollow and didn´t played at all like dull sounded on acoustic side... but I have to say good thing about HB strings not oily anymore and that brightness is awsome

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Cool, what model did you buy?

[@keithmcduffie7182]

Right On With Numbers 1 & 2...ABSOLUTELY!!!! I Recently Bought A Tagima 3 Tone SB T635 Stratocaster. The Quality Of Which Is UNBELIEVABLE!!! It Has Vintage Aged Looking Knobs & The Finish Is GORGEOUS!!! But More Than That, It Sounds Like No Other Guitar I Have. It Talks, Whispers, Yells & SCREAMS. I Don't Know Who Made Those Pickups Or Where They Came From, But WHEEEEEEW! I've Been Playing It EXCLUSIVELY For The Last 3 Days. Harley Benton? DAMN RIGHT!!!! Last Year I Wanted A Fender Classic Vibe 50's Strat For Christmas, But When I Was Ready To Get One They Were Out Of Stock & THEN They Went Up In Price Just As My Employer Started Cutting Hours Due To Covid! I Came Across All These Reviews About Harley Bentons & Was Impressed By Some Of The Testimonials Given And Decided To Take The Gamble. Plus, For The Price Of The Classic Vibe, I Could Get 2 GUITARS!!! I Ordered The Vintage White ST 20 & The Deluxe Swamp Ash Stratocasters. They Were Delivered In A Flash (Which Is Another Plus For Thomann, In That, The Guitars Came ALL THE WAY FROM GERMANY!!!!), I Plugged Them Up & My Jaw HIT THE FLOOR! First Of All, The Finish On The Vintage White ST Almost Made Me Weep, It Was SO Beautiful. BUT THE SOUND!!!! I Stood In My Garage, Shaking My Head In Disbelief That I Got THAT Kind Of Sound & Quality From These 2 Guitars For Less Than A Classic Vibe: $108 For The Vintage White ST20 & $135 For The DLX SWAMP ASH!!! Until The Tagima Came, These 2 Guitars Were CONSTANTLY In My Hands, EXCLUSIVELY!!! Litmus Test, You Ask? My Main Guitar, Prior, Is A FENDER 50th ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN STANDARD STRATOCASTER That I've Had Since 2004!!!

[@malicesmom]

Who knew there were 35 brands under $300? 🤷‍♀️

[@abcrx32j]

They are technically 36

[@dbmabe]

@@abcrx32j There's actually more. I was a pawn broker for several years, and the brands we could order to sell new were Main Street, Kona, Johnson, and a few others. However, most of those are not worthy of even being in the top 60. Bad fret sprout, electronics issues. I was in a local pawn shop the other day and noticed they are selling new Silvertone Strats. That's a recent development. Silvertone's were never available in the catalog's when I was ordering.

[@jimnelson575]

@@abcrx32j mmmmmmmmmm Mmmm Mmm

[@ZaneDalton]

Jim Nelson what the fuck...

[@tomix1970pl1]

heavyvibrationstudiopl.bandcamp.com/releases

[@Sankeyite]

Whew, glad Firefly made the list. I've been happy with them, the epi special ll is another one. Thanks for the reviews!

[@brandonfairchild5340]

Been digging firefly for 3 years now. Love them.

[@runaprayascitta3970]

Great now make a list about guitar under 15$ because thats all the cash in my wallet right now.

[@bramabull111]

Here's something they call a "plectrum"

[@LarryHovis]

I can Print out a luscious cardboard guitar for you in that price range. Just sayin'.

[@liquid7315]

Hahahahaha. Damn that really made laugh.

[@elephantsmemory3142]

I wish that I could afford a wallet

[@icedvengence3845]

Glarry uh... no wait.......

[@kopprophet3819]

I'm surprised you completely missed IYV (Inyen VIna) guitars (Korean company making guitars in Viet Nam) with a similar business model to Firefly. I've set up 4-5 of them now and I think they blow Firefly, SX, Hadean, Indio, Starshine, etc., away. II can't believe there is not a bigger buzz on them... but at least the prices will stay low.

[@johnwillard6198]

Totally agree

[@Peace-g41]

I agree i just pivked one up on a trade and i am totally in love with it. Honestly my favorite electric guitar ive ever owned.

[@mcmeyer76]

I have 3 different models now (one I got on a black friday deal for $110), and in the price/quality comparison of every other guitar I own - they blow the rest out of the water. Love their work, and play these guitars more than any of my others.

[@psyche234]

Surprised to not see Donner or IYV

[@Falstaff-mr8fk]

There has been a very obvious lack of reviews on the larger guitar forums for IYV guitars. Just on the smaller channels. I guess they aren’t paying anyone for reviews yet

[@andersf324]

Glad to see Firefly up there. I have a bespoke Strat I built back in '89 but set up my luthier bench again a few months ago and decided to grab a cheap guitar to muck around with. Got a Firefly Thinline Tele for $135 and was really amazed at the fit and finish and wood. Yes, I did quite a lot of fret work and setup, but only spent an additional $14 on a set of Wilkinson compensated saddles. Now plays as well as some custom shop Fenders I've played in the past. It really is stunning how this price segment has improved over the years...

[@Jopeymessmusic]

Harley Benton went through a little bit of a renaissance over the last 10-15 years. Initially when they were introduced, they were bad. Quality of parts, fit and finish and playability were all terrible. I don't know what happened, whether they shook up management or changed factories or maybe invested more into their R&D department but Harley Benton is now a serious contender in every price bracket under like, 800 bucks. It's great to have choices in that price bracket.

[@kevinr.3542]

I'm so happy a brand like them exists.

[@joshwallace2183]

They don't even make their own guitars, they are Chinese outsourced..

[@Luckyrider1958]

@@joshwallace2183 So does Ibanez, ESP.. and over half the others out there.. SQUIER is outsourced by Fender.. EPIPHONE is by Gibson.. SO WHAT??

[@edorissen]

@@Luckyrider1958 This guy probably expects each brand to build a fricking factory of their own, lmao. Not gonna happen if you don't want all the guitars to cost 1000+ dollars.

[@Luckyrider1958]

@@edorissen Exactly.

[@richardworkman5416]

I didn't hear EART headless guitars in any of the $ catagories. Stainless steel frets mounted on a flawless neck. Excellent playing guitars. Fantastic at any price. I also owned an original Steinberger w/ a graphite neck & EMG passive pickups. It quickly became the best guitar I have ever owned. (Graphite necks are probably not available now that Gibson bought them out). I bought it in the mid-80s for around $500. The guitar I had would probably not be in the sub-$300 catagorie today.

[@shaalis]

The Epi Studio LT is an AMAZING guitar. The pickups are very good. It's not a baseball bat neck. It sits well. It's not very heavy. It's VERY much a Les Paul for the cheap.

[@wilvern1955]

I noticed you didn't mention IYV guitars. I recently bought a thinline style tele with p90s that I was pretty impressed with for $150. Came with good setup,, only needs minor adjustment, pickups sound good, neck is straight, no fret sprout, stays in tune well, pretty finish. I think I agree about the Gretsch thought, my next inexpensive guitar too.

[@seeburg10]

I just bought one myself. Great tone and sustain.

[@michaelmillican5592]

I don't know how Grote guitar was left off the list. It is currently one of the best affordable guitar companies ever. They build guitars that most companies would not even entertain the idea of building. Firefly is a great guitar and I'm glad you put it on the list. IYV is doing some special things as well. These Asian guitar makers are absolutely destroying the market!

[@iconcanada3660]

Thanks will look into

[@joebloggs8636]

Agreed in IYV guitar s

[@clancyyoung9994]

IYV guitars look awesome. All CNC produced.

[@longhair-dontcare9983]

Based on my guitar experience, I agree with you Michael, IYV, Firefly, and Grote. My top three in that order.

[@garymcaleer6112]

Thanks, Phil. I like to keep up with your posts. I always learn something new. I pray all is well, brother.

[@johncrafton8319]

Squier should bring back the Vintage Modified line. That sub-$300 price point with nearly Classic Vibe levels of quality and kit. Plus, they had that lovely-but-quirky "Squier Vintage Modified '51", which is just a sweet instrument for the price.

[@markyurick4137]

I've got a "51 and is really is a great guitar. Agree on Vintage Modified- what a great value.

[@kriswhite91]

Pretty much the 70s classic vibe Strats are just a vintage modified with a classic vibe logo.

[@kaysmith5495]

I’m really glad you talked about Gretsch and Epiphone because I own one of each I bought under $350. The Epi was used but I got it restrung and set up and it’s perfect! The Gretsch is original, straight from the box and love it! Both are heavy guitars though so I also bought a Squier Telecaster for the lighter weight. I knew very little about brands, just went with how they felt and playability so really good to know my views are shared by someone more expert. Thank you for this excellent review.

[@mattlombardi54]

SX is pretty solid for budget guitars, I have a liquid and a hawk. Liquid has p90’s and the hawk is a strat copy. Both pretty good and playable without upgrades.

[@koDaffi]

I was debating between an SX or Harley Benton. Was thinking about Bad Cat but then I seen on Amazon Hard Luck Kings LP is identical to Bad Cat LP. Only difference was the brand on headstock.

[@Luckyrider1958]

@@koDaffi HB's are great.. have several.. But shipping has gotten really high.. used to be you could ship up to 3 for 39 bux.. now it's like 80 bux.. if you order more than one (you, or you and a few pals) you can divide the shipping cost per Pc by 3... SX are also solid bets.. Have Several of those too, and they are really a working guitar.. Rondo often has some on sale.. that's when I got mine,...

[@rodney19821982]

Surprised Jet guitars didn't make the list. Incredible value for money..well under $300

[@markdavidofficial4274]

Sterling Sub Guitars and basses. Under 300$ and the best guitars for modern styles of music . I have gigged and recorded with both and they are my favorite

[@swagatmalla6634]

Seconded

[@lovemetal2467]

I have three Jackson JS 22's, two of them I bought used, they are older. I have the deep blue one you put up, then I have one that's in a natural finish, and one with a tobacco burst finish. I also have a Kelly JS 32 which I just bought in March. I Love Jackson's Ceramic Magnet Humbuckers, I love there output, there clearness and dim-brightness while I'm soloing, and there heavy midrange and kinda muddy chunk while playing Rythym. I've been a Guitarist for 20 year's, when I switched from ESP to Jackson 8 year's ago, it was the best decision I ever made for myself as a Musician. Take care man. 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@donaldscheer5206]

Great List! some other guitar makers that are working hard to improve their Brands are: Grote & IYV.

[@joeprod1]

Bought a Tagima 635 last fall. After rolling the neck and filing the fret ends, it plays like butter. Bridge, pickups and tuners are perfectly fine as is. I would say the neck feels identical to a Rondo SX I had awhile back. I imagine they are the same.

[@markyurick4137]

You got lucky. All Tagimas I have tried, and I have tried a few, were/are garbage. And there is no customer service. You are on your own.

[@markyurick6699]

I love these lists, generally. They are very helpful. I don't necessarily agree with all of the ratings (I think the Tagima guitars are crap and their customer service sucks) but it's a great way to start a conversation. I really think that the customer service aspect of Squier should rank them a bit higher and the affinity is great guitar. Harley Bentons are shipped by idiots. About half of them are damaged in shipping. It's a pain.

[@attilathehun0]

The last 20 years the price and quality for bolt-ons and set necks are similar. But if it's a Gibson Style Guitar then you must go with the set neck, because those are the rules.

[@swordofhonor2]

harley benton is great. the shipping kills it. it adds up. and if there's something wrong you cant return it. For $300 you can get a decent ibanez.

[@stevewilliams2895]

yea id say their 100-200 guitars arent worth it tbh unless youre in europe. but something like the fusions and amarocks? they are worth the shipping easily. super high speced guitars for the price

[@312diag]

they have their own Reverb store now. kinda fixes that problem, except not every model/color is on there.

[@jahmosaxenamp6797]

Hey Phil My name is joe and I m starting a guitar content based KZbin this fall. I currently own 14 electric guitars all North America built other than a Harley Benton CST-24 HB and a CIJ Fender-Jaguar. As someone commonly frustrated by the lack of build quality in guitars costing over $1kUSD I was extremely skeptical of Harley Benton. It was your enthusiasm for the brand that sparked my interest so I pulled the trigger. It’s an excellent guitar that ended up being closer to 300 than 200 once tax and customs fees priced in. I really couldn’t be happier and feel it really is on par with the PRS SE line. There is really nothing I don’t like about this ax. Thanks for the video Great stuff 🤘

[@christophersmith5413]

those tagima guitar rock, my friend has a guitar shop and he bought some tagimas great sound was set and ready to play and the quality and finish was beautiful,

[@markyurick4137]

Gonna have to disagree. I have had several Asian Tagimas and they were all garbage. Customer service is non-existent. People who compare them to Mexican Fenders have never played a Mexican Fender. I would rather have a Squier Bullet for about half the price.

[@JackTheSkunk]

Recently bought an Eart Tele copy off Amazon. $330. Gorgeous transparent wine finish, stainless steel frets, compound radius neck and rib relief. A great guitar in my humble little opinion.

[@ransombaggins9301]

Good list! I would have put Yamaha in the top 5 or 7, easily. Also, really surprised to see Gretsch as high as that given how little selection they have at this price point. Especially after seeing you mark so many others down for apparently not offering enough (but at least as much as Gretsch). 🤔 NO WAY Firefly should be in the top 5 IMO. Their quality control is horrible! That alone should put them below companies like Yamaha. Firefly belongs in the teens at best. Really hard to argue with your number 1.

[@michaeldavy1586]

I bought a "Flame" brand from China w/Floyd Rose,Humbuckers locking nut really interesting body style kind of like a mini-Warlock style body for $200. stays in tune,beautiful tone,Being mostly poor has driven me to buy some cheapish but excellent off brand guitars.Bought a Hofner travel guitar when I was in Germany in the Army with the small body like Steinberger $120. With a massive sound Humbucker bridge pickup stays in tune with just one fine tune in 3 set 34 song show its 42 years old and still sounds fantastic.I got an import replacement for fear of original being eventually unplayable now I have 2 great sounding guitars that are also eye catchers for their uniqueness

[@joeabstractjoe]

I tried a Harley Benton and absolutely love it. I now have 5 different styles and play them more than my top name brands. Thanks for the video brother. 🎶🎸🎶

[@johnulrich5572]

I was surprised that Firefly was on your list, never mind in the top five. I bought three in a short perid of time: the Jr, double cut special and the 335 style. I bought them with the idea of checking them out and then reselling them on-line. However, they turned out better than I anticipated. Each one needed a little fret cleanup but that was it. The 335 style had a really buzzy abr style bridge. I complained to Firefly support and they credited me with $15 so that guitar cost me a net of $135. All are very quiet, even the P90 solid bodies. They feel and play more like a $300 plus guitar. I leave them sittng out so they're handy and within reach since I really don't care if they get a little beat up. They would make a nice starter guitar for someone who wants something new and shiny and cheap but playable. Wish something like this existed when I was a kid starting out. Good and informative video in a family friendly format. I didn't know a lot of those brands existed.

[@texanfournow]

For the most part, a very rational list. Two exceptions: I would rate SX much higher--great guitars--and I would rate Firefly much lower--they are infamous for Q.A. issues.

[@LarryHovis]

One of my favorite guitars is a Firefly (the Les Paul style). One of my least favorite is a Firefly (the ES-335 style). But the LP with Alnico 5 pickups and me setting it up...that thing is dynamite and I'm not going to spend big money when I have this. It is in my top 3 (out of 14 electrics, all very different from one another).

[@aarons.8532]

I have an XS Bass. I swear it plays as good as basses I've spent $500 on.

[@nocaster5120]

texanfournow I recently bought three SX guitars and they all had scratched up frets with horrible filing marks in them

[@LarryHovis]

@@aarons.8532 BASS. Doesn't apply. We all know it has fewer notes.

[@bhollyfanhardin9627]

I have owned a few sx guitars complete junk i own two fireflys way better than sx guitars...sx are not even in the same league.........The two fireflys are on par with the squier classic vibes i have tried...the fireflys have bone nuts alnico pickups full size pots great setup out of the box the sx junk has non of this......

[@ArgentAbendAzure]

I just bought a Gretsch G2420 Streamliner Hollow Body with Chromatic II Aged Brooklyn Burst for $350 ( + abt $28 tax ). It's really a beautiful guitar. The workmanship is high quality. It does look like a guitar that should cost far more. Pleasantly impressed to get an electric hollow body of such good quality for the price.

[@67lilbear]

What about the IVY brand from Vietnam?

[@cumminspower]

Also didn’t notice this was from 2 yrs ago, lol

[@Tiburcio1950]

Another great video. Really like these kinds of reviews. I have purchased a number of the ones you reviewed used a upgraded them for under $100. They key for me is to start with a good base guitar in the under $300 new price range. I have Harley Benton, Firefly, Cort, Yamaha., Johnson 1983... all from you list. Again great video. Make one dedicated to parts for upgrades, off brand of course.

[@curtwuollet2912]

Check out IYV guitars. I've got a really impressive LP style.

[@anthonyskellern5970]

Brilliant video - packed with information and engagingly presented. Lots to think about and a wonderful service to guitar fans and players. Phillip is definitely the guy you want to walk round the guitar store with if you have some spare cash!

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

I got an EPI Les Paul Special II P90 delivered for $139 and it’s a total keeper.

[@mikeellis9720]

How and where please?

[@TheDrunkenScoundrel]

I searched for promo codes and got a 20% off from retailmenot - it wasn’t supposed to apply to Epiphone but it did. Use a desktop as their site is not optimized for mobile. Just as a warning if you like that color? The actual color is nothing like the picture. It is barely yellow at all. www.wwbw.com/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Special-I-P90-Electric-Guitar-H77433-H77433000002000.wwbw

[@seans.8487]

I recently bought a LP style guitar off Amazon called "Inyen vina" with IYV on the headstock. It's made in Vietnam. They use CNC machines to crank these out. And I've read that that same factory also makes some guitars for Harley Benton. Any thoughts on these guitars? Might there be a video on them in the future? I don't care for the "Destiny CNC Wound" pickups at all, but just playing the guitar unplugged has a good feel to it. Once it's all setup right, I think I'll get some good use out of it.

[@wyliehudson8396]

Being a dumpster diver for 30 years i just found my first guitar. Cadenza electric. Wish I knew how to play it.

[@chiefinspector7280]

Easy play the notes on the 3rd 5th and 7th fret. They all will be in key.

[@bendall248]

This is the list that I have been waiting on. thank you

[@WhiteNacho]

Stagg Chili is actually pretty good with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese some diced onions and a liberal shaking of Franks Red Hot !

[@cumminspower]

Lmao

[@pdkett1]

Thanks for giving a shout out to us lefties. I have a PRS custom, but before I got that I picked up a used Harley Benton.

[@alexanderpotts8425]

I've honestly never heard a bad word about Harley Benton hey. I've been really tempted to order a fusion, even from Australia, because I just can't find a lefty guitar like it at that kind of price...

[@Cookie4yabro]

Go for it! I too can vouch. Harley Benton guitars cannot be beat for value for the money. Every guitar I received from them came set up well and for the most part play almost as good as guitars 3x the price. My Harley Benton TE-52 was only $136 and it sounds and plays as good as the $400 classic vibe Squier Tele.

[@alexanderpotts8425]

@@Cookie4yabro mate that's the recommendation I needed! haven't found a classic vibe guitar I didn't like!

[@ianmwright66]

Very useful to have your thoughts, and I was delighted to see HB come out on top, as I have a TE70 Delux arriving for Christmas from the missus! My first Tele, so can't wait! Stay safe, regards from Wales.

[@TheSdrake1967]

Hey Phil, have you ever looked at Dragonfire pickups? I'd be interested to hear your take on them.

[@brandonbock4763]

I’d like to know about this brand too.

[@davevanenglehoven8323]

I have dragonfires in like 7 of my guitars now lol. I may be addicted

[@josephmullinsii8461]

I bought a Harley Benton TE-20 and started changing out pickups and wiring harness now I have the guitar i wanted for way cheaper! Love my Harley Benton and had a blast learning about the insides of a guitar while working on it!

[@kenhall6525]

I have a Harley Benton Tele copy TE-52 and a L.P. copy SC450 deluxe, they've quickly become my favorite guitars !!

[@Separade]

Ken Hall the TE 52 is they absolut classic. I own one too besides my real American Stat and Les Paul because I wanted to own a tele. When I picked up a 400 Bucks Classic Vibe squier last week I was shocked how cheep they feel compared to any harley benton I touched. Returned it immidiatly.

[@adamfeder7125]

Hey Phil I really appreciate all the videos you do. I bought a Tagima TG540 after watching this video and have been extremely happy with it. The frets were amazing out of the box and, not surprisingly, the better I get at playing the better the guitar sounds. I actually took it in a local gentleman where I live to get a good setup done after a few months and he was surprised at the level of quality when I told him the price and he commented that the frets were as good as guitars he’d worked on that were several times the price of mine. Anyway I just wanted to say thank you and that your advice was amazing and I really appreciate you.

[@DenysJckson]

Please, could you make some review of this guitar?

[@adamfeder7125]

@@DenysJckson the most notable thing about the TG540 is the quality of guitar body and neck. As I mentioned, the fretwork on it was incredible. Far better than my friend's comparable Squier Affinity Strat. The action out of the box was really low but with no buzzing at all. The finish is pretty good though one or two small quality control issues but really you have to look VERY closely to find them so for the price it is more than acceptable. Where the guitar could use some upgrades is the electronics. The pickups aren't bad but there's just nothing special about them. The output jack is terrible and I had to replace that. Since I know how to solder I was able to replace the junky one with a much nicer one that cost about $4.00.

[@DenysJckson]

@@adamfeder7125 ok, tagima is a brazilian brand, and here in brazil they do not sell this model. I bought a tg530, a traditional strat model, i'd like to see they sell tg540 here but i don't know why they don't.

[@adamfeder7125]

@@DenysJckson oh no I'm so sorry to hear they don't sell the 540 there. I've been so impressed with the overall quality of the guitar considering how inexpensive it was and am probably going to spend a little money upgrading the pickups.

[@DenysJckson]

@@adamfeder7125 great, what pick ups you'll put?

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

I can't believe I still haven't tried a harley benton. They are crushing it

[@FloridaManRacer]

take the plunge. you won't regret it.

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

@@FloridaManRacer I've been sooooo close. They make a double neck sg??

[@greevar]

@@everythingbobbywolfe Indeed, they do. DC-Custom 612 Cherry

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

@@greevar well, son of a bitch. I predict 2020 is gonna be the.year

[@FloridaManRacer]

@@everythingbobbywolfe sure do. and it's a looker... www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_dc_custom_612_cherry.htm

[@ahriik]

I actually just got an Xaviere PRO830 (Tele copy with mini rail humbuckers instead of single coils) and I was VERY impressed by the quality of the guitar, it being only $230. A lot of guitars under $300 usually come with pickups you'd be better off replacing, but GFS is obviously already known for their awesome pickups, so its nice getting a cheap guitar with great pickups out of the box. Highly recommend.

[@dontderockmeriz4546]

My Monoprice Indio telecaster is the best $99 I’ve ever spent. It’s beyond gorgeous. Needed a little end filing. 20 minutes later I have a guitar that smokes. And yes, has the tele twang.

[@artamussumatra6286]

Cool. Nothing brings the joy quite like a cheap, yet great tele! I love my Squier Bullet, it gets as much play time as my American Pro.

[@noahtenshen]

Yep, I love my Harley. Beautiful guitar, sounds great, plays great. I could have bought a dozen of these for the price of my LP and I play it more, as well. What's not to love?

[@monmixer]

If you capture the young player with your product you have the chance to keep them forever.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Well put!

[@monmixer]

@@PhillipMcKnight I learned to play on a Teisco that I talked my Mother into buying for Christmas when I was 12 or maybe a bit older. But that guitar had great action. It was pretty easy to play surprisingly. I did have an acoustic since I was around 10 and that thing was certainly not easy to play. This was in the late 60's going into the 70's. the choices out there today are mind blowing not to mention youtube lessons instead of all the records that I destroyed learning by ear and then the Sony Walkman's that I had worn out. 3 I believe. Young people right now have all the reason in the world to learn. They have no clue how much time they are going to save compared to us older people. lol Love your channel.

[@FretLevelMidnight]

My go to Les Paul is my modded Studio LT, I will note the Indonesian ones which are made by Samick are generally far better in my experience than the Chinese made ones, the neck pup in this one is so good, I have no plans to ever change it. My main guitar for a while has been a heavily modded Jackson JS-32Q, which I absolutely adore. My beater guitar that I really enjoy is my Dean Vendetta which I added Guyker locking tuners to, and stainless steel bridge saddles, and a Dragonfire Screamer in the neck, and good lord does that guitar play. My go to Tele is my Harley Benton TE-52, and my high output Floyd guitar of choice is my Harley Benton R-456 (all black), I put a Dimarzio Evolution in the bridge and wow... I then put it's fantastic stock bridge pup in my Dean Vendetta, loving that decision. Every single one of these guitars has been modded, some much more than others, and funny enough ALL ranked high on your list and that's most of my collection, so it's funny watching this and getting that feedback. My only quip with this entire video is Ibanez's rating, for 300 and under I have yet to play an Ibanez I find to be worthy, as a kid I played a GAX-70 for years, and it never stayed in tune, I don't like any Ibanez under a thousand to be honest, I just don't feel they have good value, and even the one you pointed out, was merely a penny under 300 USD pre-tax, no thanks.

[@robertclarkguitar]

Phil,..Remember I used to have an issue with the beginning of your channels success but I didnt hate it...Something happened over that first year with your tone, you found your niche and found it you did indeed. Classy, clean and non biased and no Mr. KNOWITALL mentality. Which I knew you were not that guy in the beginning. Thus the success you found. Being you is what sold your channel to many. Your passion was the key to the gate and you swung it open. Keep smiling and stay you!! Always a pleasure watching your show, live and non....peace. PS. THE ROO says Hi!!

[@jackpot848]

Awesome info on this video. I'm not really in the market but my buddies are always asking me about guitars for their kids. Good job!

[@fernandogarajalde4066]

When are we gonna do one of these for us lowly bass players? We spend and make money too...

[@mitchellvanvliet]

It's safe to say bass players make more money! They are spending less time getting laid 😂

[@dreugh424]

@@mitchellvanvliet you're right, we'd rather spend our time doing something fun ;)

[@JJames666male]

I got back into the guitar fame after 10 years and bought a Les Paul special tribute 2019, a Charvel model 3 from 1988 and a Harley Benton semi hollow. The HB is the one i play the most

[@Hulkhoagie1]

So glad he called out Hard Luck Kings for the pieces of firewood that they are. Their attitude also sucks.

[@gamingwithmrgvil3511]

Maybe I got lucky with them. Last year I got a spider which is their version of a firebird. Setup was perfect and plays great. Only thing I did was a 1/4 turn of the truss rod once it got used to the Florida humidity. Only negative it's a big heavy beast due to the body shape and it's 2 inches thick solid wood at the center piece. Not for those with weak backs.

[@caseyshelton8388]

Love my HLK Lady Luck

[@Chuck-Bob]

The green one in my pic is from them and played like a dream out of the box.

[@aaronjanusch6090]

I have an Xaviere tele and I love it! The issues are minor and are easily fixed. For the price, it's nicer than many guitars 3 times the price

[@stoffls]

I bought a Harley Benton SC450 for 180€ this year. And honestly: I was really shocked how great this guitar is. Top built without any flaws, came even perfectly intonated. And the P90s sound amazing. This guitar is an absolute keeper and the price is unbeatable. Especially here in Europe you can hardly get a better guitar for that money.

[@raytorvalds3699]

Agreed. I've had a couple of Harley Bentons too. They were all good. Not just for the price, but good... period.

[@oatnoid]

Aesthetically I'm working on a Dean Vendetta so cheap a guy gave it to me before he left for Kentucky. I like the look of the #28 SX brass/gold hardware on wood grain. See #4 Fire Fly. Looks similar to the Cort. The all black hardware that the Vendetta came with was blah and the electronics needed some punch. So I'm going to strip it and give it a lacquer coat and figure out some sort of pick guard for it. Love the way it feels. Except the neck was twisted and bowed and it made the frets buzz. Working on that first. But it was used and it was free, with an amp cord case capo What's not to love?

[@wmw0702]

Most of those guitars probably just come out of the same factories in China, Indonesia and Korea.

[@bkon4675]

Yeah, I see a lot of the same parts.

[@Gearhart_Music]

I bought one of those Sterlings you showed in this video. The only issues I had with it were the frets weren't smoothed and polished, and the neck was a little out of alignment. But those are easy fixes. I just loosened the bolts, moved the neck into position, and tightened them back down. I also used the Stewmac fret erasers and some Frine to polish up the frets. Did a quick setup and it plays great. Then I put in new pots, a fender switch, DiMarzio Pickups, Gotoh locking tuners, and I'm having a Gotoh 510 tremolo put in as we speak. But all-in-all I like the feel of it, and the electronic upgrades really brought it to life.

[@Steve-of8zo]

It really magnifies how the "premium" guitars are way overpriced.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

I have the 7 string version of the Schecter you mentioned. easily one of the best guitars I ever bought for that cheap and it's actually more inspiring to me than a lot of their more expensive models

[@dommadonia9207]

I can't believe Epiphone ranked so high, always end up on the bench for work out of the box... No luck at all but Harley Benton, WAY BETTER

[@zipzip8239]

harley bentons quality control is pretty bad. epiphones is top notch.

[@GhibliNova]

Just bought a Harley Benton JA60, (hardtail jazzmaster body with p90s) and the thing is stellar

[@travisbartley3521]

Epiphone les paul express is a bad guitar and epiphone also has had quality control issues over the years.

[@billyweeksrealsmallclosetm8484]

I have one. Put a raised metal nut and some medium/heavy strings on it. Makes a great lap steel. Agree with you on the vertical guitar statement.

[@zipzip8239]

their quality control is actually very good.

[@kenimiller3896]

I agree about Harley Benton. One thing to keep in mind though : they have changed their shipping method to the USA and the shipping cost has gone up quite a bit. Shipping used to be a flat rate of around $45.00 for up to 3 guitars. Now a solid body LP style guitar, for example, by itself, will cost around $68.00 to ship to the USA now, no more flat rate. The advantage is they are using a faster shipping method then before. Something to consider. But they really do have the best selection of amazing guitars in this price range.

[@Ray_Here]

Keni Miller True on the shipping. Just bought one and shipping was $65. I was going to add a second guitar and the shipping went up to $99. It was fast though. Ordered on a Wednesday and received it the following Tuesday. The guitar is great.

[@kenimiller3896]

@@Ray_Here Glad to hear the guitar arrived quick and safe and you're happy with it. That wasn't my experience buying one. 31 days to arrive and damaged (the replacement, which arrived undamaged, took 14 days). Now, if I really wanted a HB guitar the higher price for faster shipping is actually not that big a negative, considering I doubt I would have ordered another one the slower/cheaper way.

[@Ray_Here]

Sorry to hear about the damage. I was worried about that. I’m fact, I watched for the delivery and when the outer box was damaged, the UPS driver made a note of it. This inner box was fine as was the guitar. I hope your replacement was in good shape. Which one did you get and are you happy with it? I’m thinking about a Strat or Tele style.

[@kenimiller3896]

@@Ray_Here The second one was fine. It's the CST-24HB (Hollow Body). The PRS looking one with 2 humbuckers, with split coils. Plays and sounds great. Neck a little thick for my taste, but overall happy with it. The thing about my guitar being damaged, the headstock is sort of pointy on one side and at some point the box must have been slammed pretty hard because the pointy end punched through the foam on the inside of the box and then the inner box, the bubble wrap and through the outer box and then broke off. The SECOND one punched through the foam but not the box, so it was OK. I hope they've improved on the packaging. So be careful of the pointy guitars!

[@Ray_Here]

Keni Miller glad to hear the second one was in good shape. Mine is the CST24t. You’re right about the pointy end. I have a PRS. It also has a bit of a chunky neck. Have to say though, the HB is as good as the PRS. I’ve never been able to get to PRS action where I want it without buzzing. The HB has a couple of frets that are a bit high. It’s also a bit heavy on the bass end so I need to adjust the humbuckers. At the price I paid, I feel comfortable working on it. I’m going to play it for a while before I mess with it.

[@WE_OF_THE_NOV]

no ESP/LTD?! blasphemy, my good man!

[@jonathancalhoun4642]

Your comments on the Gretsch Streamliner Junior Jet are spot-on. I own about 20 guitars and recently I was looking something different in the affordable category for a change of pace. My local music store just got one in and I played it- I was blown away and bought it that day. I also played the Gretsch Double Jet, which was $200 more, and though it was very nice and cosmetically more attractive, the Streamliner sounded better and had a faster, more comfortable neck in my opinion. Also, the Brood'tron pickups are fantastic- they have plenty of bite while being a little fatter than single coils. It's like you read my mind- it looks, sounds, and plays so good I can't put it down and I can't see myself parting with it despite its low price tag.

[@thehound2161]

HB dominates this category. I am up to 6 of them. Yep, it is a commom "problem". The finish, wood quality, and set up's have been very good. Go for the higher end of the line up, the extra $50 or so is a big step at these prices. The SC-Custom's have all but been removed from the line-up. These and the SC-550's are mighty beasts, built with love.

[@redelk2974]

Mr McKnight you have a great talent of directly explaining it. Thank you so much. Definitely a go to for the real stuff.

[@wiseguy9202]

If I were 12 again(30 years ago) with these selections, Hardluck Kings for me.

[@dbmabe]

For sure. Kids these days get some pretty awesome cheap guitar choices. When we were that young, we had Lotus...LOL

[@wiseguy9202]

@@dbmabe Damn right they do. It's a beginner guitarist paradise! Literally.

[@kitoyobeni1]

@@wiseguy9202 If you're not worried about the name on the headstock, its good for everyone. I will admit to name brand worship, but I'm working on that lol...

[@DatBoi-mo9vc]

@@kitoyobeni1 you want what you want right man? I went out of my way to make my one fender a mij at least to not just be fully unoriginal 😅

[@kitoyobeni1]

@@DatBoi-mo9vc My strat is an early 80s MIJ Squier (and heavily modified).

[@Fastlane05]

My wife bought me a Harley Benton LP 450 for my 50th birthay in Dec, delivered to my door for $300 (CDN). It was flawless. I just ordered a $99 《CDN) ST-20 strat in Candy Apple red. It will be here on Monday and I can't wait.

[@bakstabbath]

LTD should have made the top 10

[@WE_OF_THE_NOV]

absolutely, even the very cheapest LTD is better, or equal to most of these.

[@shanesearle5131]

Hi Phillip its shane from Australia great video on guitars under $300 here in Australia we have a brand called Artist Guitar love for you to get your hand on one of these they all of the above great finish, excellent pickups locking tuners etc.list goes on cheer keep up the good work

[@ScrewballMcAdams]

Great list, Phillip. Video was excellent. Steve

[@richardbuse228]

Just bought a Washburn version of a Stratocaster, and absolutely love it. It is my 4th Washburn, The others are acoustic electrics : One 12 string, and 2 different 6 strings. To me they are the most bang for the buck out there.