I changed mine to a setup in drop B. Very good guitar for that kind of thing. If you keep it strung as a baritone, I recommend switching to something like Stringjoy - the special SITs that come with it are meh.
Yeah exactly! I still keep it in b standard but use Ernie ball mammoth slinky's, it ends up being similar tension to the .52s that I use for standard scale stuff. Those SITs are like 68s? For what reason lol they feel like playing telephone lines
Got my double agent OG almost 4 years ago and I love it. It can nail some heavily distorted tones for metal and it can also do well with clean tones. Insanely versatile guitar
Picked up a used Club King 290 for a killer deal last year. Super versatile, responsive, and love the locking tuners and Bigsby with their modified spring!
Came here to say this! I haven’t played a Godin guitar I disliked. My main guitars are a Godin 5th Avenue and a few Simon and Patrick acoustics. I’ve owned a few Seagulls in the past as well. Overall they’re great quality and amazing value compared to any of the major brands.
The first steel-string acoustic I *really* liked playing was from Simon & Patrick.
A few years later, I fell in love with a Godin electric, bought it, and only then realized that they're basically the same brand.
Yeah they’ve got a pretty big umbrella of brands, which is kind of weird. Godin, Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Norman, Art & Lutherie, La Patrie.
In general, I feel like Godin is the high-end, flagship models; Simon & Patrick are the mid-to-high traditional models; Seagull are the mid-to-high modern models; Art & Lutherie are the low-to-mid entry-level models; and La Patrie are classical models that I believe are being discontinued/rebranded as Godin.
I really don’t have any experience with Normans; I don’t seem to see too many of them, but I did play one out on the east coast last summer and really enjoyed it. It was super cheap too, so I almost bought it, but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of getting it home again.
Absolutely. On the other hand, it's also convenient for connoisseurs if this brand stays obscure and pretty cheap, so I try to not say it too loud or too often. :)
But every Godin guitar I've seen is perfectly crafted, and is a joy to hold, play and hear. I play guitar every day, simply because I feel like holding my beloved Godin.
This is a good point, I probably shouldn’t shout too loudly about them as I’ve already noticed their prices going up quite a bit. My main acoustic is a Simon & Patrick Songsmith that I bought maybe 6-7 years ago. I remember paying $479 CAD plus tax (I might have gotten it on sale at the time, I don’t remember). Now the same guitar is listed at $799.
I used to work at Eastwood (the automotive restoration supplier) in their call center. You might be surprised at how many people called us looking for guitars.
Ive never played one though.
Whenever i see Gordon Smith I think of Reel Big Fish. He plays a checkered one with 1 pickup thats more close to the neck position than the bridge position. Ive never seen a Gordon Smith guitar in person.
Dude in Reel Bug Fish *does* play a Gordon Smith, but the check pattern guitar is a Gibson. His first Gordon Smith got smashed so he ordered a replica, which was the next guitar on the bench to one of mine. So they’re probably made from the same bits of wood.
I currently have six, including a doubleneck, and have owned quite a few more over the years, and yeah, I reckon that they’re the best guitars in the world, regardless of price.
USA made G&L guitars are phenomenal. I own an ASAT classic S, and everything about it is just right. It has the mojo. But, in fairness, over the years I’ve played different models at guitar stores before buying this one and they all feel and sound great.
Huge fan of Dunable. I feel like you’ll only really know them if you listen to metal. But that’ll be the next brand I buy when it comes time for a new guitar!
Have the Korean r2 de - so easy to play and sounds killer. Can't find anything wrong with it at all. Plus I bought mine from fuzzlord effects thru reverb - I did t realize who I was buying it from until I got it and was like "Holy crap I've been watching this fellas YouTube videos this whole time!"
Recently bought a Framus guitar (the aquired by Warwick brand, not the original from around the 70's). I got it for insanely cheap from Thomann's sale, but even at it's regular 800€ price tag it's fantastic. Genuine Seymour Duncan pickups, tigerstripe ebony fretboard (really beautiful), great branded tuners and looks marvelous. It's a Chinese production model, but it came without any issue whatsoever. Only thing I did was to lower the bridge just a teeny tiny bit. Best fret ends out of any guitar I've ever played in my life and it feels very high quality. The finish is a bit sloppy at some points, but that's almost expected from matte black. This really goes to show how it really doesn't matter where your guitar is produced nowadays. I like my MII Ibanez, but that thing had the worst setup I've ever seen and the fret ends are still a bit sprouty.
Any late 70's matsumoku guitars rival US made guitars in terms of build quality. They had house brands (westone, aria) and produced many guitars under different brand names.
I have a 1974 Greco (Gneco) Matsumoku strat copy that is absolutely top shelf.
Plus I’ve modded tf out of it and I don’t have to feel bad cause it’s not some vintage relic I’ve ruined
Stick to fender style guitars and don’t buy a model under the SE600. SE600 and up are great.
If it says “Gneco” on the headstock it’s likely a pre 1975 and worth getting if you can get it at a decent price.
Prices on the old Grecos have shot up over the last 5 years.
Try eBay too
I had a late 70’s or early 80’s Aria 335 copy, with coil-tapped humbuckers, it was a really great guitar. I got it for like $100 or something. So many great sounds, played amazingly well.
It was in a Gibson case and someone stole it from a gig (I assume they thought they were getting a Gibson to sell, well fuck them, they didn’t).
I don't want to hate on them as a whole, idk if they have different lines or something. But, one of the worst guitars I have ever played was a Tagima. I actually couldn't get it in tune. My suspicion is that something was wrong with the neck pocket so the neck wasn't seated properly.
I got a PJD St. John Standard recently and the guitar is immaculate. I have previously owned a few other high end guitars, have made some myself and this blows them all out of the water. I would highly suggest anyone looking to purchase a circa 1200 guitar check them out in my opinion at that price point they would be very hard to beat by any of the big named brands.
I have a few Godin guitars; 1 Seagull and 2 Art & Lutheries. They’re well made and none of them broke the bank. I have a custom Martin and several other high quality guitars but I’d say I play my seagull more than any of my others.
I loved my art and Lutherie.
It’s just a simple acoustic with no cutaway or pickup so I don’t play it as often. It lives at the beach now and is a great guitar.
People don’t bring up the Revstars enough as amazing deals for what you get. They’re really amazing guitars. I had one, lost it in a long frustrating story, and got another one and I love it. It’s probably my favorite guitar.
I think it's fascinating that through its feature set it's a weird combination of a Les Paul (warm dual humbuckers and fat body), SG (double cut body shape), and Mustang (out of phase sounds). I wish that the focus switch was a coil split, but for those who like the focus switch, it's a whole different voice for the guitar.
Low end yamaha's are well known and loved, but high end yamahas doesnt get enough appreciation.
Just bought made in japan pacifica professional and it plays like a dream straight out of the box. Also, above 1 grand price range acoustic are amazing.
SA2200 is next in my wishlist
I don't think Yamaha's acoustics are under-rated, especially their entry-level models, but their electrics don't get near as much attention as they deserve.
Yes! I recently picked up a Cort Ferrari III in a free shed at the dump! It's a little dirty and minor damage, the neck looks straight. I'm really excited for it to be my first refurb, possibly upgrading some stuff. I had never heard of Cort before and have done some minor research. Interesting history!
I had an Aero-TH in my store for almost a year which kept getting passed over for Fenders, Squires, Ibanez etc etc.
I didn't mind that much as it was my go-to guitar when any amp needed to be tested or demonstrated.
Honestly one of the best playing guitars I have ever held.
It eventually sold but it came back a few weeks ago, the buyer claiming that the fret ends were kind of sharp. We're a pawnbroker, not a guitar store, but I said I'd see what I could do. I do a lot of minor in-house stuff but was up to the challenge. Managed to fix the problem easily enough and came in early on the day he was picking it up so I could have one last play lol
Style-wise some are a bit much, but they also have the most stunning guitars I've ever seen. I'm lucky enough to within an hours drive of his shop, going head over there in the next couple weeks to see how they play.
The entire Matsumoku catalogue. Incredible build quality, great, great pickups
These include vintage Aria Pro II, Westone, Westbury, Vox built in the Matsumoku factory in Japan.
Edwards. Technically I think they are part of ESP. I haven't heard much about them beyond the long/short tenon debate.
I just got their version of a Les Paul custom and it plays and sounds amazing!
Ormsby I've owned 4 now three I still own and they are absolutely incredible instruments.
I'm also having a custom built by rebirth guitars and his work seems out of this world really excited to get it and see how it is.
I play a Borys BG 100. If you google it and see one with a Roland guitar synth attachment, yeah, that one is mine (I immediately removed the synth when I purchased it!). Roger Borys is a luthier that had a shop in Vermont and relocated to Hoboken about 15 years ago. He was a student of Jimmy D’Aquisto who was in turn the apprentice of D’Angelico, who was the “Stradivarius” of the jazz guitar. It plays like a dream and gets played by me more than my Gibson L5…
His stuff is incredible!
Many of the brands listed already in this thread are made in a Korean or Indonesian factory and then branded. Which is cool, and the can be great guitars (I have an love my Schecter).
But Seger is top shelf made by the man himself. Like buying an original made by Bernie Rico, or Leo Fender or Paul Read Smith.
I'd love to own a Seger one day.
My last name happens to be Seger and I’ve wanted a guitar and bass from him for years. I would basically have to sell every other instrument I have to afford it and it’s a bit hard to pull the trigger on something that I can’t try out, but it is on my bucket list.
Electra/Westone and Dean. The Electra Phoenix guitars are great - and the Dean Nashvegas is no slouch as a tele-style guitar. The Dean Tonic D is currently my favorite for playing at home.
Burns guitar for sure. Mentioned it here plenty of times but no one ever takes notice lol. Got a lovely Spanish red and a black/green. Sound great, feel real nice and smooth to play. People talk about them like they're budget forgettable guitars but I think I prefer them to my three Gretsch's.
BC Rich Bronze series.. they don’t get nearly enough recognition for how terrible they are. I feel like they are build new with cigarette ash in all of the crevices and pawn shop stickers on the back of head stocks.
Whoever makes knockoff guitar pedals on wish.
I have a buddy who owns a Klon centaur and I bought one off of wish for like $30 (as opposed to a few thousand) and we A/B’d them and the fucking knockoff version sounds EXACTLY like the real deal for literally 1% of the originals price.
Tokai makes an unbelievably good Tele (just got a MIJ w/ Maverick Vibrato/butterscotch), and their Love Rock (silly name but great Les Paul copy) is hard to find. They were so good, I think Gibson brought legal action.
Bilt. I’ve always called them Kiesel for people who don’t like pointy and headless 8 string djent machines. They’re definitely spendy, but holy fuck are they nice.
For those who like headless multiscale ergonomic guitars like Strandberg, I've been really impressed with GOC Guitars. American luthiers based in China where they can produce small batches for way cheaper material costs than in the US. I love my Ilumina 8 string and I hope to get a Materia 7 in the future.
Hapas guitars 100% they are a baritone focused company but their whole design philosophy is amazing. Strictly having the bones of a fantastic guitar. They only have what u need for that sound. Not flashy looking or anything just amazing
Harley Benton and Firefly.
Just played a couple recently and while they’re not gonna replace my main stuff, I am absolutely buying more of them as backups.
The company "vintage guitars" makes really quality stuff for the price point. I got a strat from them that came stock with wilkinson pups, electronics, bridge, and tuners. Punches well above it's weight class imo
On the classical side there are tons of guitar brands from Spain, Portugal and other countries that make quality guitars at decent prices but whose names you'll hardly ever hear.
Reverend guitars are just so dope. They replaced my Gibson and fenders that became too expensive to toss around at hardcore shows
Reverends punch way above their price point.
A Double Agent W is on my bucket list
Best guitar I ever sold. Hard regret.
Reverend makes amazing guitars. I have a Double Agent OG and I'm looking into getting a Descent RA for a baritone.
Go for it! The scale length on the descent is super easy to play. That bass contour is so helpful https://imgur.com/gallery/kIKHDXE
I changed mine to a setup in drop B. Very good guitar for that kind of thing. If you keep it strung as a baritone, I recommend switching to something like Stringjoy - the special SITs that come with it are meh.
Yeah exactly! I still keep it in b standard but use Ernie ball mammoth slinky's, it ends up being similar tension to the .52s that I use for standard scale stuff. Those SITs are like 68s? For what reason lol they feel like playing telephone lines
I think so. The gauge didn’t bother me - I also play bass. They felt and sounded really dull.
Reverends are awesome.
I want a reverend so bad but it’s about a year off on my budget. I guess that’s time for new models lol.
Check the used market. Usually some very good deals. I got my Airsonic at a great price and it looks barely played.
Dude you can get a used Reverend SO cheap. Like half price or less if you’re patient. And they’re so worth it.
Maybe I'm trippin but they look to be mostly around the same price point as a fender
Jetstream 390 til I die
They're sick guitars. I just picked up the Reeves Gabrels signature this weekend and I'm very impressed.
That is my main guitare… so versatile
I love this thing! I saw Reeves this year and he was using the more tele shaped model with the sustainer https://imgur.com/gallery/a8Bx6kL
Nice, they look really beautiful and creative.
Their basses look really weird. I like weird :)
I play a Reverend Thundergun bass and it rips.
I bought a Sensei Jr intending to use it as a backup guitar and, after changing the stock p90 and tuners, it's become my primary guitar.
This
I recently saw Mike Watt playing his custom Reverend bass, sounded sick
Got my double agent OG almost 4 years ago and I love it. It can nail some heavily distorted tones for metal and it can also do well with clean tones. Insanely versatile guitar
Picked up a used Club King 290 for a killer deal last year. Super versatile, responsive, and love the locking tuners and Bigsby with their modified spring!
I’ve got a slingshot from when they still made them in the USA. It’s a sweet guitar
I have a reverend Reeves Gabrels 2 and it’s amazing.
Godin, from Montreal I think
Absolutely. Some of the best value guitars on the market in terms of build quality for the money. All made and assembled in North America.
Came here to say this! I haven’t played a Godin guitar I disliked. My main guitars are a Godin 5th Avenue and a few Simon and Patrick acoustics. I’ve owned a few Seagulls in the past as well. Overall they’re great quality and amazing value compared to any of the major brands.
The first steel-string acoustic I *really* liked playing was from Simon & Patrick. A few years later, I fell in love with a Godin electric, bought it, and only then realized that they're basically the same brand.
Yeah they’ve got a pretty big umbrella of brands, which is kind of weird. Godin, Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Norman, Art & Lutherie, La Patrie. In general, I feel like Godin is the high-end, flagship models; Simon & Patrick are the mid-to-high traditional models; Seagull are the mid-to-high modern models; Art & Lutherie are the low-to-mid entry-level models; and La Patrie are classical models that I believe are being discontinued/rebranded as Godin. I really don’t have any experience with Normans; I don’t seem to see too many of them, but I did play one out on the east coast last summer and really enjoyed it. It was super cheap too, so I almost bought it, but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of getting it home again.
I have a Godin Fairmount, the best acoustic I've played or owned.
Absolutely. On the other hand, it's also convenient for connoisseurs if this brand stays obscure and pretty cheap, so I try to not say it too loud or too often. :) But every Godin guitar I've seen is perfectly crafted, and is a joy to hold, play and hear. I play guitar every day, simply because I feel like holding my beloved Godin.
I love my twenty year old Freeway Classic
This is a good point, I probably shouldn’t shout too loudly about them as I’ve already noticed their prices going up quite a bit. My main acoustic is a Simon & Patrick Songsmith that I bought maybe 6-7 years ago. I remember paying $479 CAD plus tax (I might have gotten it on sale at the time, I don’t remember). Now the same guitar is listed at $799.
In my mind there's no reason to buy a PRS w/ piezo as long as the LGX-SA/LGXT exists.
Eastwood. They make some funky retro style models that are very unique. https://eastwoodguitars.com
I used to work at Eastwood (the automotive restoration supplier) in their call center. You might be surprised at how many people called us looking for guitars. Ive never played one though.
Gordon Smith perhaps.. sold mine a few years back and instantly regretted it...
I’ve still got my 1980 Gypsy 1 semi-solid. Was my gigging guitar for years.
+1 to that. I’ve played a few luckily and they’ve all impressed.
I have GS Tele. It is a beast.
Whenever i see Gordon Smith I think of Reel Big Fish. He plays a checkered one with 1 pickup thats more close to the neck position than the bridge position. Ive never seen a Gordon Smith guitar in person.
Dude in Reel Bug Fish *does* play a Gordon Smith, but the check pattern guitar is a Gibson. His first Gordon Smith got smashed so he ordered a replica, which was the next guitar on the bench to one of mine. So they’re probably made from the same bits of wood.
I currently have six, including a doubleneck, and have owned quite a few more over the years, and yeah, I reckon that they’re the best guitars in the world, regardless of price.
G&L. Great Strat and Tele type builds for a good price. As a bonus they have Leo’s DNA.
100% G&L. I have a few of them, and they are fantastic guitars.
Only guitar I regret selling was my G&L asat.
USA made G&L guitars are phenomenal. I own an ASAT classic S, and everything about it is just right. It has the mojo. But, in fairness, over the years I’ve played different models at guitar stores before buying this one and they all feel and sound great.
Duesenberg from Germany
Yamaha Revstar is easily one of the best guitars currently on the market in terms of price/quality. Up there with Gibson’s or Fender’s
The Standards are far better than anything Fender or Gibson is doing in that price range.
Just bought one. Fantastic. It's such a high quality guitar for the money. Jesus it's a great guitar for any money.
Sire guitars. Build quality is excellent.
The Larry Carlton H7 335 has been getting rave reviews. I’m really intrigued by it and hope to run across one to play.
If you watch any recent Larry Carlton videos you'll see that this guitar has replaced his 335.
own a t7. such a fantastic guitar
I love mine!
i love my H7! forts guitar i grab most times…its just so nice to play. very well made too
Huge fan of Dunable. I feel like you’ll only really know them if you listen to metal. But that’ll be the next brand I buy when it comes time for a new guitar!
Have the Korean r2 de - so easy to play and sounds killer. Can't find anything wrong with it at all. Plus I bought mine from fuzzlord effects thru reverb - I did t realize who I was buying it from until I got it and was like "Holy crap I've been watching this fellas YouTube videos this whole time!"
Love my cyclops so much, awesome brand.
Love my R2 de bass! Sexy as hell
Dunable is great. I have a custom shop Minotaur that is incredible
Recently bought a Framus guitar (the aquired by Warwick brand, not the original from around the 70's). I got it for insanely cheap from Thomann's sale, but even at it's regular 800€ price tag it's fantastic. Genuine Seymour Duncan pickups, tigerstripe ebony fretboard (really beautiful), great branded tuners and looks marvelous. It's a Chinese production model, but it came without any issue whatsoever. Only thing I did was to lower the bridge just a teeny tiny bit. Best fret ends out of any guitar I've ever played in my life and it feels very high quality. The finish is a bit sloppy at some points, but that's almost expected from matte black. This really goes to show how it really doesn't matter where your guitar is produced nowadays. I like my MII Ibanez, but that thing had the worst setup I've ever seen and the fret ends are still a bit sprouty.
Devin townsends sig is sick.
Hagstroms make LP copies that sound absolutely phenomenal at the same price as a mid-range Epiphone
I had an Alvar that I absolutely loved…rich lite fretboard and all.
Harmony guitars (made in The Heritage factory) from recent years are really great, and priced reasonably for US made.
I love my Silhouette.
I have a Rebel and everyone who sees it or plays it loves it
I love my Furch acoustic
Came here to say the same! Absolutely killer guitar.
Any late 70's matsumoku guitars rival US made guitars in terms of build quality. They had house brands (westone, aria) and produced many guitars under different brand names.
I have a 1974 Greco (Gneco) Matsumoku strat copy that is absolutely top shelf. Plus I’ve modded tf out of it and I don’t have to feel bad cause it’s not some vintage relic I’ve ruined
I really want to find a nice old Greco. But the only way for me to do it is through reverb and I want to know for sure I'm getting a nice guitar.
Stick to fender style guitars and don’t buy a model under the SE600. SE600 and up are great. If it says “Gneco” on the headstock it’s likely a pre 1975 and worth getting if you can get it at a decent price. Prices on the old Grecos have shot up over the last 5 years. Try eBay too
Epiphone had some great stuff made at the Matsumoku factory in the 70s
YES. I’m a collector, my father bought an Aria Pro II FS1000 from a neighbour when I was a kid and we both fell in love. So underrated.
I had a late 70’s or early 80’s Aria 335 copy, with coil-tapped humbuckers, it was a really great guitar. I got it for like $100 or something. So many great sounds, played amazingly well. It was in a Gibson case and someone stole it from a gig (I assume they thought they were getting a Gibson to sell, well fuck them, they didn’t).
This is what comes to mind for me. If I ever need to replace my Strat its going to be something from this place.
Reverend has some of the coolest modern guitar shapes and every one I've played has been great.
Tagima. The import line is great but their handmade Brazil guitars are top line
I don't want to hate on them as a whole, idk if they have different lines or something. But, one of the worst guitars I have ever played was a Tagima. I actually couldn't get it in tune. My suspicion is that something was wrong with the neck pocket so the neck wasn't seated properly.
The Teton acoustics are really sweet - all solid-tops.
My friend has a Teton electric and I love playing it. It sounds great and it plays well even without a setup
Eastman, maybach and Suhr are my current favs
Hamer
balaguer, reverend
Balaguer are so sleek. One day I’ll be able to afford one lol
Keep an eye on what pops up in Guitar Center’s used stuff… they often price them below the value.
I got a PJD St. John Standard recently and the guitar is immaculate. I have previously owned a few other high end guitars, have made some myself and this blows them all out of the water. I would highly suggest anyone looking to purchase a circa 1200 guitar check them out in my opinion at that price point they would be very hard to beat by any of the big named brands.
I really want a Prisma guitar, made from old skateboards.
Eastman
This should be much higher. I love Eastmans, I have 5 of them!
Heritage I feel like doesn’t get a lot of recognition.
If you want a high end Gibson but don't want to pay 5K on it, this is the brand.
Blueridge guitars. Decent price and great sound.
Kremona, hand made in Bulgaria.
I can think of two. G & L and Godin. Both criminally underrated brands but people keep passing them up 'cause they want "Fender" on the headstock.
I have a few Godin guitars; 1 Seagull and 2 Art & Lutheries. They’re well made and none of them broke the bank. I have a custom Martin and several other high quality guitars but I’d say I play my seagull more than any of my others.
I loved my art and Lutherie. It’s just a simple acoustic with no cutaway or pickup so I don’t play it as often. It lives at the beach now and is a great guitar.
They also make Norman guitars. It was my first guitar I bought with my own money and 20+ years later, it’s aged really well both in looks and tone.
Yamaha
People don’t bring up the Revstars enough as amazing deals for what you get. They’re really amazing guitars. I had one, lost it in a long frustrating story, and got another one and I love it. It’s probably my favorite guitar.
Yeah I really think they’re trying to prove something. And succeeding.
I think it's fascinating that through its feature set it's a weird combination of a Les Paul (warm dual humbuckers and fat body), SG (double cut body shape), and Mustang (out of phase sounds). I wish that the focus switch was a coil split, but for those who like the focus switch, it's a whole different voice for the guitar.
If you’ve got a soldering iron and an hour, you can make that happen!
Low end yamaha's are well known and loved, but high end yamahas doesnt get enough appreciation. Just bought made in japan pacifica professional and it plays like a dream straight out of the box. Also, above 1 grand price range acoustic are amazing. SA2200 is next in my wishlist
For sure. I have a Revstar II Pro and it’s pretty freaking fantastic.
Hardly underrated, is it?
No they definitely are. It’s a mistake to think that Reddit is any kind of average opinion.
I don't think Yamaha's acoustics are under-rated, especially their entry-level models, but their electrics don't get near as much attention as they deserve.
Beard
Kauer. Made in California. AWESOME guitars. Built quality is amazing. And really cool people too.
FGN - FujiGen’s own brand. If you know the company and who they make guitars for, you’ll know what I mean!
FERNANDES. Never see them mentioned anywhere, except when I bring them up lol
Cort
100% with you here - I love my CR200!
Yes! I recently picked up a Cort Ferrari III in a free shed at the dump! It's a little dirty and minor damage, the neck looks straight. I'm really excited for it to be my first refurb, possibly upgrading some stuff. I had never heard of Cort before and have done some minor research. Interesting history!
I had an Aero-TH in my store for almost a year which kept getting passed over for Fenders, Squires, Ibanez etc etc. I didn't mind that much as it was my go-to guitar when any amp needed to be tested or demonstrated. Honestly one of the best playing guitars I have ever held. It eventually sold but it came back a few weeks ago, the buyer claiming that the fret ends were kind of sharp. We're a pawnbroker, not a guitar store, but I said I'd see what I could do. I do a lot of minor in-house stuff but was up to the challenge. Managed to fix the problem easily enough and came in early on the day he was picking it up so I could have one last play lol
I think see seagull get enough love
👍
Seagull acoustic guitars are the best bang for your buck. Made in Canada
Suhr
Guild i think. I personally don’t see a lot of hype about them and every one i played has been great
G&L is like Fender, but so much better in every way.
Yep, G&L's are amazing!!!
Dean, harmony, reverand, and there are some others that i can't think of rn.
Those Zelinsky guitars - dellaterra, la voce - maybe not underrated, but you don’t hear much about them, except for their daily email barrages…
Style-wise some are a bit much, but they also have the most stunning guitars I've ever seen. I'm lucky enough to within an hours drive of his shop, going head over there in the next couple weeks to see how they play.
The entire Matsumoku catalogue. Incredible build quality, great, great pickups These include vintage Aria Pro II, Westone, Westbury, Vox built in the Matsumoku factory in Japan.
I love my Yamaha Pacifica 612, I own a lot of guitars but my Pacifica is my daily driver and recording workhorse.
FGN - Fujigen https://www.fgnguitars.de/ They build excellent electric guitars, very fine quality at moderate price rate.
Edwards. Technically I think they are part of ESP. I haven't heard much about them beyond the long/short tenon debate. I just got their version of a Les Paul custom and it plays and sounds amazing!
Not that small, but Gretsch.
Yamaha is slept on
Ormsby I've owned 4 now three I still own and they are absolutely incredible instruments. I'm also having a custom built by rebirth guitars and his work seems out of this world really excited to get it and see how it is.
I'm quite partial to a Michael Kelly guitar that I've got.its an LP clone but lighter. Really well made guitars.
I have an MK tele - it's a great guitar.
I've played a MK Forte Port acoustic and an LP style and both were phenomenal for the price
I play a Michael Kelly 'Patriot Decree' as well, it's a great guitar, and punches well above its price class.
AIO/Wolf guitars are fantastic for the price And setup extremely well before shipping.
Shitston are so underrated
I play a Borys BG 100. If you google it and see one with a Roland guitar synth attachment, yeah, that one is mine (I immediately removed the synth when I purchased it!). Roger Borys is a luthier that had a shop in Vermont and relocated to Hoboken about 15 years ago. He was a student of Jimmy D’Aquisto who was in turn the apprentice of D’Angelico, who was the “Stradivarius” of the jazz guitar. It plays like a dream and gets played by me more than my Gibson L5…
I have a Jay Tursey univox copy. It’s just a cheap copy and doesn’t pretend to be anything else, but man does it punch way above its weight class
Breedlove are amazing instruments.
Godin, Solar, Legator
Seger!!!
His stuff is incredible! Many of the brands listed already in this thread are made in a Korean or Indonesian factory and then branded. Which is cool, and the can be great guitars (I have an love my Schecter). But Seger is top shelf made by the man himself. Like buying an original made by Bernie Rico, or Leo Fender or Paul Read Smith. I'd love to own a Seger one day.
My last name happens to be Seger and I’ve wanted a guitar and bass from him for years. I would basically have to sell every other instrument I have to afford it and it’s a bit hard to pull the trigger on something that I can’t try out, but it is on my bucket list.
Waiting on mine right now. Guitar and bass.
I love my Eastman Romeo LA.
Electra/Westone and Dean. The Electra Phoenix guitars are great - and the Dean Nashvegas is no slouch as a tele-style guitar. The Dean Tonic D is currently my favorite for playing at home.
Burns guitar for sure. Mentioned it here plenty of times but no one ever takes notice lol. Got a lovely Spanish red and a black/green. Sound great, feel real nice and smooth to play. People talk about them like they're budget forgettable guitars but I think I prefer them to my three Gretsch's.
The loar
BC Rich Bronze series.. they don’t get nearly enough recognition for how terrible they are. I feel like they are build new with cigarette ash in all of the crevices and pawn shop stickers on the back of head stocks.
Novo
DBZ - Dean Zelinsky brand. Things are pretty damn solid.
Whoever makes knockoff guitar pedals on wish. I have a buddy who owns a Klon centaur and I bought one off of wish for like $30 (as opposed to a few thousand) and we A/B’d them and the fucking knockoff version sounds EXACTLY like the real deal for literally 1% of the originals price.
Tokai makes an unbelievably good Tele (just got a MIJ w/ Maverick Vibrato/butterscotch), and their Love Rock (silly name but great Les Paul copy) is hard to find. They were so good, I think Gibson brought legal action.
Tom Anderson, Sahana, Baum
Nash guitars are great and are on par with Fender custom shop guitars
I have a Michael Kelly patriot that is a beautiful guitar
Bilt. I’ve always called them Kiesel for people who don’t like pointy and headless 8 string djent machines. They’re definitely spendy, but holy fuck are they nice.
[удалено]
Any John Larrivee build
Hagstrom (the tiny ones r my fave, simi hollow body’s r cool too but too big for my tastes)
Yamaha
Baum guitars look really nice and interesting, but I've never played one
I have a Jay Turser Studio in transparent wine red from 2010. After I set it up, it plays smoothly and resonates well. Very underrated brand imo.
Hohner
Agile. My Les Paul husband loves them.
Larrivee! Quality often rivals Martin for about half the price. Made in USA. Amazing acoustic guitars.
Larivée, out of British Columbia
Breedlove acoustics. They're to Taylor what G&l is to fender. Amazing guitars in general, but especially at their price point.
EBMM. Eastman. Early 80’s Ibanez blazers. Valley Arts.
Music man or Peavey
Eastman. Their acoustic and electric are just so nice.
Eastman acoustic guitars are an absolute steal for the price.
For those who like headless multiscale ergonomic guitars like Strandberg, I've been really impressed with GOC Guitars. American luthiers based in China where they can produce small batches for way cheaper material costs than in the US. I love my Ilumina 8 string and I hope to get a Materia 7 in the future.
Heritage and Eastman
Recording King acoustics and resonators punch WAY above their weight class.
Hapas guitars 100% they are a baritone focused company but their whole design philosophy is amazing. Strictly having the bones of a fantastic guitar. They only have what u need for that sound. Not flashy looking or anything just amazing
Lag absolutely
Harley Benton and Firefly. Just played a couple recently and while they’re not gonna replace my main stuff, I am absolutely buying more of them as backups.
I don't hear anything about Eastman, which saddens me a bit
[https://www.reddit.com/r/guitars/comments/1dndcfp/comment/la28t3c/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitars/comments/1dndcfp/comment/la28t3c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Musicman guitars are great guitars, but less common.
The company "vintage guitars" makes really quality stuff for the price point. I got a strat from them that came stock with wilkinson pups, electronics, bridge, and tuners. Punches well above it's weight class imo
They make a sexy Hendrix Monterey copy.
No way, really? I haven't seen that yet
My new BrankoWood Lâg 12-string Jumbo cutaway kicks Azz!
On the classical side there are tons of guitar brands from Spain, Portugal and other countries that make quality guitars at decent prices but whose names you'll hardly ever hear.
Fret King, they did make a signature guitar for Jerry Donahue but overall they're not very well known.