Show Me Your Cheap Guitars!

[Quasara]

Guitars from unheard brands are the best, nobody is cooler than the guys over there playing the Strat & Tele copies with nothing but the word 'Legend' on the headstock of the Strat and an ironically elaborate 'Caliber Electric Guitar' on the Tele's head.

Legend! The Most Extreme Word You'll Never Find On An Actual Strat.

Theres something about those crappy old copies (whose bodies are sometimes only slightly altered to avoid copyright) that just makes me scream! The altered headstocks, high-set pickups, uneven laquer, scratchy volume pots, and faulty pickup switches are awesome! It's a testament to the guitarist's actual skill if they can sound good on any old plank. People learn better if they start with guitars that bite back. If it's a struggle, then you develop a relationship with the guitar, the guitar develops character... You push yourself to play better even moreso. Because if you start on a Gibson Dark Fire or a Highway One Strat, you'll never learn how to feel what you're playing. I think the high-end guitars are too impersonal and clinical for some kid to just walk into a shop and say 'I'll take that one with the flashing lights and the cupholders'.

So to all guitarist out there that started on or are still using a cheap, problemed guitar by some unknown brand, please show us some pictures of your axes! Make sure you tell us what the brand is too!

[ChrisR]

That instrument is too extreme to have its excess string length trimmed. Like Samson, it is the source of its power.

[Anvil Amps Alan]

Guitar had no visible brand, after a few people made comments after trying to play it the name to bestow upon it became obvious!

[Rog]

Some of you will remember I had an Asian guest who was unable to pay all of his bill at the motel and from whom I claimed a fake PRS in part payment - (probably saving it from appearing on TM). This is my cheap guitar and is simply nothing other than my beater. Its pretty rough and not one of the good copies, but it was essentially free. Those with longer memories will know I didn't like my real Cu22 and gave it to my eldest son in London. He actually loves it - strange lad.

Soundwise, this is just an average beater (as you'd expect) which sounds like a twin bucker no-name guitar - although it does nicely with its average sounding pups, is very light and has a wide neck that I'm not a great fan of. The PRS name is typically some Chinese bloke's idea of what it should look like, based on a camera phone picture from a concert, I think. The bird inlays are not great, either.

The headstock:


A bird inlay: (uneven string spacing is just my pick stuck in the strings pulling them off a bit)


The body: probably the cheapest paint job I've ever seen - patchy and fast-fading.


There ya go - a basically free PRS copy.

[Vorbis]

Wow Rog...what a total shitter!

[Matt_Demise]

First electric guitar I ever had at the ripe old age of 10 was a stunning example of a piece of shit called a 'Sierra' .
It was pretty much like playing guitar on an actual Ford Sierra Station wagon covered in bog and filled with empty KFC buckets.

[Rog]

Wow Rog...what a total shitter!

LOL - everyone shoud have a beater!
No cares if its scratched, drink spilled on it, or dropped etc

[Anvil Amps Alan]

First electric guitar I ever had at the ripe old age of 10 was a stunning example of a piece of shit called a 'Sierra' .
It was pretty much like playing guitar on an actual Ford Sierra Station wagon covered in bog and filled with empty KFC buckets.

Sierras can be converted from shit to awesome with a lot of time, effort and expense.
I lost count of the hours I spent building the best Car Audio show car in NZ.

http://playloud.org.nz/sierra.html

I hate Car Audio!!!

[Matt_Demise]

mean

[Rog]

I hate Car Audio!!!

That's something I've never got interested in.
If I want to listen to music in a car I use my $200 iPod and buds and I'm happiest with just that.

[Matt_Demise]

I hate Car Audio!!!

That's something I've never got interested in.
If I want to listen to music in a car I use my $200 iPod and buds and I'm happiest with just that.

But how are you supposed to drive around and around the city for hours trying to look cool and trying to pick up chicks if no one can hear your doof doof bro?

[telefiend]

I like how Rog's 'shitter' is still somewhat nice looking

I had a black Probe P-bass copy as a starter. Had the biggest pointy headstock thing ever. Was like *BOOSH*, when I probe you, you'll be the first to know

Wasn't flash.

[Jenesis]

I had a Firefox Strat, bought it as a fixer-upper. Ended up throwing it out.

[Zaulkin]

I want a beater, sold my last one and now wish I didn't.

It was an Ibanez GRG20JB or something like that - anyway, with an upgraded set of tuners it was a very nice guitar.

At the moment I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a beater, so when the right one comes along I will nab it up. I am building a Tele at the moment, however I think it might turn out too nice to use as a cheap guitar - especially if it has my name on it. But anyway, I think all beaters should be ideally HH or HSS.

[Jenesis]

I want a beater, sold my last one and now wish I didn't.

It was an Ibanez GRG20JB or something like that - anyway, with an upgraded set of tuners it was a very nice guitar.

At the moment I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a beater, so when the right one comes along I will nab it up. I am building a Tele at the moment, however I think it might turn out too nice to use as a cheap guitar - especially if it has my name on it. But anyway, I think all beaters should be ideally HH or HSS.

Sigh. Fine, I'll do it seeing rocklander's off galavanting...



There.