Build Quality

[Pastasauce]

People often express opinions on here about the build quality (or lack) of the big brands... well, mostly of Gibson.

But there's often the perception that if people weren't so blinded by the big brand names and were willing to own an instrument that wasn't adorned with one, they'd get better bang for their buck when it comes to build quality.

I'm keen to know what these alternatives are. The ones I really know of are Japanese Tokai's, and the Radian stuff.

But say I had $1500 to burn on a guitar. Maybe an SG, a Les Paul... maybe a Tele. What options are there outside of the above two, when it comes to the absolute best build quality I'd get for that price?

[hamo]

You're a lost cause.

It's ESP standard maybe? Two Charvels?

[Polar Bear]

Jackson?

[Hot_Grits]

Loads of brands have high build quality throughout their price ranges nowadays. I blame CNC routers.

[ash]

You'll get some divisive opinions with a question like that. Someone will name a brand that makes utterly consistent, flawless looking guitars and someone else will point out that they are in fact made of a mix of cheese scraped off past-their-use-by-date-pizzas and pseudo mahogany chipboard (fortified with melamine), pressed into shape by giant steaming robots and then dipped in blanket gloss to hide the dairy/forestry industry by-products within. But they look fantastic! And the fret-work is immaculate (according to the guy who mostly plays slide and sells them for a living). Amazing guitars (for the price). No-one ever mentions that bit in brackets.

Don't forget to account for the cost of replacing all the electrics and hardware that turn out not to be quite up to the task (when retrospectively looking at the small print in the brackets).

/Nostradamus

Just to be further contrary to my natural order, I'll point out that Gibson, for all their sins, are generally contrary to all the above points. They get the materials and bits pretty much as right as they can for the price and only really skimp on a bunch of stuff that doesn't really matter that much to the musical outcome. Innovation, prettiness, smoothness, shininess, cosmetic perfection etc.

/contrary

So... you need to think about what you mean by "build quality". How does your definition of build quality affect your ownership experience? Musically, visually, aurally, financially. By feel, by lifespan, by conscience etc...

[Polar Bear]

Get a Gretsch. Not a proper one though. And replace the pickups.

[Bg]

I looked into the high end tokai stuff years ago, the models comparable to Gibson, cost more than the Gibson.
Their strats back in the eighties were way better than the fenders at te time for a reason, fender was making shit guitars it wasn't that tokai were making theirs from pixie dust and unicorn tears.
I don't care what it says on the headstock, or lack thereof, consequently I have dung and I have gold. Some of them actually have a brand. But If anyone tried to tell me the build quality on my Gibson was poor I'd punch them in the cock.

However, today I will be mostly wearing Hugo boss.

[jeremyb]

I think you'd really struggle these days to find a truly crap guitar!

[Slowy]

Guitars are such personal items. Surely the quest is to find ones you bond with regardless of the brand?
I have 3 keepers; an astonishing Tama acoustic, a homebuild and an expensive Fender that only came good after it finally got the right pickups.

[slash-ed]

Guitars are such personal items. Surely the quest is to find ones you bond with regardless of the brand?
I have 3 keepers; an astonishing Tama acoustic, a homebuild and an expensive Fender that only came good after it finally got the right pickups.

Yeah, but psychologically, some (most?) people may be more likely to bond with something with a fancy brand name on it...

[Pastasauce]

Thanks for the responses. I'm thinking mostly of the quality of the wood and finish.

My LP Studio, for example, has what must be a 6 or 7 piece mahogany back. It's always bothered me a bit that Gibson would let that through when all the Jap Tokai LP's on Trademe seem to be 1 or 2 piece for the same price.

[slash-ed]

I'm sure you can hear the extra glue.

[sopachrga]

The extra glue makes the body resonate out of time with dotted 8ths.

[Bg]

Thanks for the responses. I'm thinking mostly of the quality of the wood and finish.

My LP Studio, for example, has what must be a 6 or 7 piece mahogany back. It's always bothered me a bit that Gibson would let that through when all the Jap Tokai LP's on Trademe seem to be 1 or 2 piece for the same price.

You're assuming that makes a difference

Just to be further contrary to my natural order, I'll point out that Gibson, for all their sins, are generally contrary to all the above points. They get the materials and bits pretty much as right as they can for the price and only really skimp on a bunch of stuff that doesn't really matter that much to the musical outcome. Innovation, prettiness, smoothness, shininess, cosmetic perfection etc.

[Bg]

especially when you're playing it through a JCM800....