Cheap Electrics that play and sound good

[Platefire]

Har! Now that's what I'm talking about---didn't hear any "Buzz" in that! I actually have an old LP record of Duane E that I picked up at a thrift shop several years back and was amazed to find his playing ability is a lot more progressive than the simple notes he plays on Rebel Rouser and his other hits. I think it really takes a lot of restraint to play like that and keep it simple. Now if I can find a Ventures version of "Stranger on the Shore"or theme from "A Summer Place" our twang experience will be complete--maybe Doug will record it---his early background is the same. Thanks! Platefire

[TIMBO]

Hey Plate, Here's one for you.
Just paid $250AU

Its Japanese made in 1989 150 series #3611
It was bought by an elderly lady for her granddaughter who mention that she would like to play guitar.
Being young girl at the time, really wasn't that interested in learning and didn't want to disappoint her grandmother and accepted the present.

So for the past 26years it's been in a hardcase under a bed along with a ROSS SYSTENS RG-10 amplifier (still in box)

THE GUITAR HAS NEVER BEEN PLAYED.

http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/charvel-japan-import-guitars.php

[Platefire]

Hey! Good deal. How does it sound and play??Looks good.

[TIMBO]

Hey Plate, NOT real good.

On research the TREMS aren't that great and to tune it been a bit of a job.
The neck had a buzz on the first fret and even with a 1/4" gap under the strings at the base of the neck.
Some adjustment of the truss rod fixed the bow in the neck and I was able to lower the action, but still couldn't get it to stay in tune.
I'm not a great fan of the trem so I will investigate a better one or just block it in place. I also read that the posts on the trem can break and the ones on this guitar are already on a lean.

I think I can invest a few more bucks to rectify a few problems and get it working better.
Not sure on the pickups (not active) just yet, I'll give it a blast over the weekend.

[Platefire]

Yeah, keep tweaking it and it will come around. I'm pretty good with tweaking everything but frets. I need to learn that. I gave up on Floyd Rose style double locking tremolos,  too. Quirky for me
Those fine tuners were always running out of play, then you have to pull the locking nut off again and recalibrate the fine tuners. The classic type trem I can manage better. Platefire

[Platefire]

I've really been into my strats lately. I've got a desire for another project guitar. Thinking Affinity Squier because they are an Alder body. Color Aztec Gold. Mapel fret board. Pickup configuration HSS. Don't know if I'll act on it, but find myself searching eBay with that in mind😉

[John]

Just bought a friends Squier Esprit. Wow. It needs a little setup, but plays easy anyway, and the sound is spectacular.

[Platefire]

Great! A picture would be nice!

[John]

http://www.whitstableguitars.co.uk/Squier%20Esprit%20MIK%202%202005%20(3).JPG


I'm too lazy to dig out the camera.    But this is real close to what mine looks like.

[Platefire]

Wow! That's nice. kind of like a solid body 339. Well get it set up to your taste and you'll R n R'en soon

[John]

Yeah, I can get a lot of different tones/styles out of it. Sounds great playing jazz, can sound plenty nasty doing rock, and everything in between. Now I finally have to take my Epi LP into Coffey music and put it on consignment. I know it won't bring what I have in it, but I rarely play it anymore. Plexi50 is the one that started me down the double cutaway path with that ESP. 

[Platefire]

NAW! You don't want to sell your LP Every guitar player needs a paul

I Don't play mine often but when I do I really enjoy it. Back in the 70's I got some LP's that were dogs and my Epi plays better than those Gibsons I had back then. So I'm hanging on to mine

[John]

Nope, it's gotta go. I'm not going to be one of those guys with 8 guitars or something. Getting too close to that already. lol

[Platefire]

New project guitar I seen in a pawn shop for $40 and couldn't resist. It's 1998 Crafted in Indonesia Affinity Squire Strat. IC in the Serial Number indicates that it was built at the Cort plant that has a good reputation. Platefire

[Willabe]

$40 Fender Strat with rosewood fret board and standard trem? Nice!   

[Platefire]

Well I've been eying Affinity strats because as I understand it have Alder bodies. A good building block to build on. I'm hoping when I pull the pickguard it's routed for a bridge humbuckers, and then I could make it into a fat strat.

Just trying to get it set up as is for now. Platefire

[Willabe]

I'm hoping when I pull the pickguard it's routed for a bridge humbuckers, and then I could make it into a fat strat.

        

[Platefire]

You no lika Phat Strats??

 I did take the pick-guard off yesterday because something was terribly wrong with the wiring. The neck tone pot didn't even work. After taking off the Pick guard off I seen the tone pot for the neck pu wasn't even connected and yes it is routed for a humbucker in the bridge position. It's got the normal squire ceramic pickups--two bar magnet bars on each side of the pole pieces on each one. I don't have and re-wiring parts on replacement pickups as off now, so just fixing existing to be workable.

I could tell someone had messed with the wiring and things were kind of messed around. It is the cheap 500K mini pots and a little green .033 tone cap on the mid pu pot---usually on the neck one. The volume pot has a cap and resistor across terms 1 and 2 apparently added by a mod at some point(treble bleed cap?). I liked the way the volume pot was working, so I left that alone. I put the existing .033 cap on the neck pu pot as normal and tied it to the mid pu pot except I rewired the mid pu tone pot on the switch to control the bridge pu.

I have got the neck bow out and straight and installed my favorite Ernie Ball Super Slinkey .009's and got the action set very much to my liking. The intonation is very close as is. I jammed on some tunes this morning with my JamMan band and was very happy the way it performed. Those ceramics are all over that quack tone Platefire 
 

[Platefire]

I removed the existing treble bleed cap and resistor from the Affinity Squier last night and the ax sounds a lot fatter. The previous owner had installed it and I decided I would give it a try but figured out real quick it wasn't for me. I enjoy the mellowing down when you turn the volume down instead of getting brighter. In fact my whole style of playing includes that effect, so big improvement.
Also the taper seems back to normal where I can do effective Volume swells.. Platefire

[Ed_Chambley]

New project guitar I seen in a pawn shop for $40 and couldn't resist. It's 1998 Crafted in Indonesia Affinity Squire Strat. IC in the Serial Number indicates that it was built at the Cort plant that has a good reputation. Platefire

Tell me about the console Magnavox Stereo behind the Strat.  Is it a toob phono.  Looks cool.

[Platefire]

Sorry Ed, I just now saw your post

That is a 1958 Magnavox Record Player(no radio). It is the very beginning of stereo called "Stereophonic High Fidelity". It does have a stereo balance knob but it's not on top with the controls, it on top of the amp chassis. You know you can't trust the public with a "balance knob" they will go crazy with it

I got it at a thrift shop for $10. It had tubes in it, that's all I needed to know. I figured I could use it for parts if nothing else. When I got it home on the front porch. I decided I try to play the stereo once before I gutted it. I had a Beatles "Yesterday and Today" album I picked up at the same thrift shop, so I put it in there and fired it up. Wow! I couldn't believe the sound I heard coming out of that console. I decided then and there I wasn't parting that out. It's been in my living room every since. That was about 15 Years ago.

It has two 6V6 push pull power amps, I forget the pre's. It's got a 12AT7 PI's. That's the only tube that ever went bad that I replaced. I'm big into classic gospel music, so I got a pretty good little collection. It needs a little maintenance, maybe I'll get to it someday Platefire

BTW-while I'm at it, here is a YouTube of my new project Affinity Strat going through the Kalart projector amp. The amp is stock except I removed a 1.5 Meg grid resistor they had in the input for some reason? Nice thick clean tone, I like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OnwPXEcIm8

[Ed_Chambley]

Sorry Ed, I just now saw your post

That is a 1958 Magnavox Record Player(no radio). It is the very beginning of stereo called "Stereophonic High Fidelity". It does have a stereo balance knob but it's not on top with the controls, it on top of the amp chassis. You know you can't trust the public with a "balance knob" they will go crazy with it

I got it at a thrift shop for $10. It had tubes in it, that's all I needed to know. I figured I could use it for parts if nothing else. When I got it home on the front porch. I decided I try to play the stereo once before I gutted it. I had a Beatles "Yesterday and Today" album I picked up at the same thrift shop, so I put it in there and fired it up. Wow! I couldn't believe the sound I heard coming out of that console. I decided then and there I wasn't parting that out. It's been in my living room every since. That was about 15 Years ago.

It has two 6V6 push pull power amps, I forget the pre's. It's got a 12AT7 PI's. That's the only tube that ever went bad that I replaced. I'm big into classic gospel music, so I got a pretty good little collection. It needs a little maintenance, maybe I'll get to it someday Platefire

BTW-while I'm at it, here is a YouTube of my new project Affinity Strat going through the Kalart projector amp. The amp is stock except I removed a 1.5 Meg grid resistor they had in the input for some reason? Nice thick clean tone, I like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OnwPXEcIm8

Sounds great.  Actually I sort of went backwards to tube amp repair.  I started with TV of course, then very old radio.  When I got my first Tube Console Stereo I could not believe how great it sounded and I have had some great solid state stuff as well.


I am restoring a 1949 Zenith Dual Cobramatic, actually almost done.  My Pride and Joy is a Stromburg Carlson Console with JBL 15's and a couple of Martin Logan Ribbon Tweeters.
I don't say much about HiFi because I try to keep from being called a cork sniffer.


I like me some old Gospel myself and have plenty of vinyl.  I miss the old console stuff, so I have found some really nice pieces for out living room in the Mountain home. 


Thanks for sharing it.

[Platefire]

Hay Ed, if you got some pixs of your console restorations, would like to see them. Before I got into tube amps, I recall getting a tube console from my Brother in Law. I recall gutting it for the speakers to use with another integrated Amp I had. I recall looking at the tube chassis and trying to hook a guitar up to it but never got it to work---just didn't know what I was doing. I ended up hauling that chassis, tubes and transformers to the dump. Now when I think of that, sounds so ignorant!

You speaking of your mountain Home---makes me think of Mountain Home, Ark. We just passed through there coming back from Branson. We stayed in a town called Mountain View. They had Flea markets everywhere there. Man if you want to get away from the world there is some pretty desolate places back in those hills. I swear, there were some turns I went around that were 90 degrees that you had to almost stop to make. Can't imagine when they traveled them same trails in horse and wagon:>( Platefire

[Ed_Chambley]

Hay Ed, if you got some pixs of your console restorations, would like to see them. Before I got into tube amps, I recall getting a tube console from my Brother in Law. I recall gutting it for the speakers to use with another integrated Amp I had. I recall looking at the tube chassis and trying to hook a guitar up to it but never got it to work---just didn't know what I was doing. I ended up hauling that chassis, tubes and transformers to the dump. Now when I think of that, sounds so ignorant!

You speaking of your mountain Home---makes me think of Mountain Home, Ark. We just passed through there coming back from Branson. We stayed in a town called Mountain View. They had Flea markets everywhere there. Man if you want to get away from the world there is some pretty desolate places back in those hills. I swear, there were some turns I went around that were 90 degrees that you had to almost stop to make. Can't imagine when they traveled them same trails in horse and wagon:>( Platefire

My home is just up the road from Mountain City which is in very North Georgia.  That is Rabun County and is the home of flea markets for sure.


I am awful about photos.  I never think to take them.  I will post a few of the ones I have done soon.

[Platefire]

Ok, good to talk with you. Platefire

[Platefire]

Update to Post #113
A little upgrade to this project guitar as a reward for being so good.
This guitar has really became a friend since I picked it up in August this year.
The only thing causing me grief is those flakey original trapezoid tuners.

 So I installed a vintage set of staggered Goth tuners. I had almost forgot
how much I liked the feel of vintage Fender style tuners with the split shaft being able
tuck the end of the string down in the shaft. Also with a new feature being
Staggered post, I was able to  removed my string trees for better tuning stability.
Sweet indeed! Platefire

[Platefire]

Latest Aquasition on the way;>)

I've been admiring this cheap little beast for a long time, Epi Les Paul Special l P-90's, TV-Yellow. I've never had a P-90 guitar before. I love the looks with the vintage LP look and Wrap around bridge. Hopefully I can get it playable.

I know they make the Gibson LP Special 100 that is a fixed neck, double cut and I have been looking close at those. The last major production in 2015 can be had used from $600 to $800 and were about $1200 new I think?

The cheaper Epi has reviews all over the place but best I can tell from my searches, the P-90's are Alnico 5. The TV-Yellow has been out of stock since first part of 2017 at MF and GC. So when the yellow came into stock Memorial day, that pushed me over the edge. So here we go!!! Platefire

Here is the Epi and the Gibby DC:

[Willabe]

I'd love to have the double cutaway for tuning to E for slide. 

They make adjustable wrap around bridges so you can intonate it. Tone Pros has a very nice one and it locks to the stud bars.

And I'd change that plastic 1/4" jack plate to a chrome steel plate before it breaks and from what I've read, it will.     

[Platefire]

How goes it Willabe?

Good to hear from you. Yeah this little P-90 Special is a trip. It's just different enough from my other axes to be really interesting. I've been looking at the adjustable wrap arounds and classic tuners but right now I'm just going to enjoy it as is and figure out what I might do to it later. Right now the bridge and tuners are doing OK. The P-90's are super hot for single coils IMHO and measure out at 9.69K bridge and 8.10K neck. I have to turn the amp vol way down from previous tele/strat settings. I'm proud of myself, I sold another guitar to make room for this one----so I want have to hang it from the ceiling to make room or anything like that:>) Platefire

[Platefire]

Well I know nobody gets too excited about cheap guitars but here is some pictures of my newest acquisition. Just thinking, most all my guitars were aquired used. This is a new guitar untouched my anyone but the builders/inspectors---kind of nice. This guitar is surprisingly good for $150 new. Platefire

[Ritchie200]

I had the double cutaway many years ago, I loved that guitar!  And so did Leslie West!  Great score!

Jim

[Willabe]

Well I know nobody gets too excited about cheap guitars but here is some pictures of my newest acquisition.

No, that's a great deal!!!!!! I'd prefer a double cut away, but hey, I'd have bought that in a heart beat for $150! 

But I'd use it for slide. 

[Platefire]

Thanks! The honeymoon is still going on. Love those P-90's. The P-90 sound is it has some of the thickness of a humbucker and some of the brightness of a fender style single coil all mixed into one. That's kind of hard to describe but I sure like it. I normally play on the neck PU a lot on a strat/tele but find myself on the bridge PU a lot on this ax. Just got in from mowing grass and as soon as I get a shower and a bite to eat, me and the wife are going to run through some tunes and give it a work out. I know I'll eventually get back to my strat but for now, here we go! Platefire

[Platefire]

So the Saga continues. Been hankering for a Fat Strat. Just a Squire or something similar I could work as a project. I been looking on e-bay and in pawn shops for a while. When I saw this the other night on e-bay for $99.99 including shipping, couldn't pass it up. It's in route as we speak but I can't help but get excited even for a Squire cause I've transformed some into great players. Hoping the same for thisun. Platefire

[Platefire]

Had some good experiences with the Fat Strat this weekend, so that's heads up on that one. Having the bucker is like having an extra power pack you can kick in at any time, Nice! Platefire

[Ed_Chambley]

I picked up a Chinese classic vibe thinline a few months ago. The frets and maple neck were not to my liking so I removed the frets. Began to sand off that thick finish.


Well,  it is not a finish. It is some sort of photo wrap and when the poly is removed it is not maple. I really have never seen a neck made this way.  The grain is very dark and doesn't seem to form growth rings.


Anyway, the neck does not vibrate at all when playing. Never did. Even the skunk stripe was some sort of plastic. I refretted it anyway and it is awful. Everyone inn the past has told me they are slab cut maple.


I will install a real neck as the guitar sounds good plugged in. Don Made pups helped a bunch.


Anyone else seen this neck?

[Platefire]

I've got an old CIJ Foto Flame P-Bass where they put some kind of film over the top to make it look nice figured wood but---I would have never guessed they would do such a thing to a fake maple neck?? I wonder it they use that procedure on the other CV's?? Platefire 

[alerich]

Just got this yesterday. 1999 MIK Epiphone Les Paul Junior P90 double cutaway. Bolt on neck. I paid $339 shipped on eBay. Most folks would say I overpaid and maybe I did but try to find a double cut Epiphone Jr for sale. They don't come up that often. Right out of the box it played well and sounded amazing but needed some TLC. The tuners were junk. We all know that. I replaced them immediately with Grover Deluxe tuners (my new favorite tuner). The pickup sounded great - really hot - but was microphonic bad. It sounded so good I made my first foray into wax potting. Success! No more squeal. New Grovers, wax potting, some Gerlitz Guitar Honey on the fingerboard and a fret polish and some slight dressing and lubing of the plastic nut. D'Addarrio XL110 strings and set the bridge height. I really like these cheap lightning bolt wrap around bridges that these Epi's come with.

All put back together and it screams. I am in for $390 and the guitar is amazing. Plays and sounds better than others two or three times the price. I also own a Made in Indonesia HB single cutaway counterpart to this. I put new keys and a Duncan 59 on it (the old microhponic pickup wasn't really all that great tone wise - not worth saving). These are the two cheapest guitars in my stable and two of the best playing, best sounding and fun to play.

We live in the age of great inexpensive guitars. I wish the cheap stuff back in my day (late 1970s) had been this good.

[Platefire]

Hay alerich

I like it! I'm a big Epi fan. Their quality is very good IMHO. Those P-90's and wrap around bridges is a trip. Platefire

[davidwpack]

I got this Duo-Sonic about 3 months ago. It's getting more play time lately than my Gibsons, PRSs, and Rickys. I'm really impressed with it. It's a very bright guitar that in single coil mode I'd equate to a cross between a Tele and Mustang sound. In humbucker mode, it retains it's brightness to a degree that I'd liken to a Gibson 498 but not as loud. Anyways, I recommend it. I think I paid $300. Worth every penny.

[Platefire]

I've crossed paths with the old vintage Duo Sonics. My guitar buddy that I was raised up in school had a sunburst one with a DR for years. Great Sound! Latter in years when we formed a group in our older years, he bought another vintage one Beige that had the metal guard--very nice!

Yours looks lovely! It's nice when an expected zero turns out to be a hero! Love the color that matches up great with the maple board. Also love a humbucker in the bridge position on strats, can imagine it rather lovely on a Duo Sonic Also. Platefire
 

[tubeswell]

I got this brand new in a Black Friday sale - for about the same price as a Squire Classic Vibe strat
24.5" scale medium-C neck with 12" radius rosewood slab board, with 1&11/16" wide ally nut. Agathis body. Bridge pup has a HB/SC coil split. Neck pup is SC 10k impedance. Roller saddle bridge
Build quality is excellent
Plays and sounds like a dream for the price

[tubenit]

That looks a lot like the old Mosrite guitars.  Thanks for sharing the photo and info.

With respect, Tubenit

[jjasilli]

 
Nice nut width.  My Dano's neck is a but narrow for me so I use it for slide.  But a zero fret throws me off visually, so unfortunately I can't use them.  I sold a Mosrite on account of that!

[Platefire]

tubeswell----that is one cool Dano. Being an old Ventures fan I've always wanted a Ventures model Mosrite but off course the price is out of sight. That puts a more modern rendition of it within reach of us budget minded folks. I'm a big fan of sunburst too and that one looks nice and with a Bigsby. Platefire

[Ed_Chambley]

I got this brand new in a Black Friday sale - for about the same price as a Squire Classic Vibe strat
24.5" scale medium-C neck with 12" radius rosewood slab board, with 1&11/16" wide ally nut. Agathis body. Bridge pup has a HB/SC coil split. Neck pup is SC 10k impedance. Roller saddle bridge
Build quality is excellent
Plays and sounds like a dream for the price

I like these ok, but that custom built triple pup tele is KEWL.  I am sure it is not cheap.


I picked up a Shector Hellraiser a few weeks ago like the attached for $75.00 and it had EMG pups not working.  It was only the battery snap and was setup and playing within an hour of getting this home.  These are really nice guitars.  I have another one so I am going to sell this one to a young man is really becoming a great player.  I am not really an EMG Pup fan, so mine has Duncan Antiquities in it.  Will it scream, you bet ya!

[Platefire]

Nice! I've always liked those. Great Price. That always helps when it's not making sound, they mark it down and it turns out to be something simple. I hope the up and coming picker will appreciate it. Platefire

[Ritchie200]

Ed,

You know those EMG Hellraiser's go for 5-700 used and a grand new?  Sustainiacs bring even more.  They are great guitars but boy do they weigh a ton!  I've got the Schecter C1 Platinum and it plays like a dream.  The EMG's sound really nice, I was impressed - and that says a lot coming from a single coil guy!  The tonal spectrum is outstanding.  The sustainiac is really cool too and you can hear that in the "Jojo Afterburner" sound clip I posted.  I've played quite a few PRS and some crap brand called sure, smog, sewer, smegg, slabitchure - I cant remember the silly name...., and the Schecter blew them away at less than half the price.

Jim

[Ed_Chambley]

Ed,

You know those EMG Hellraiser's go for 5-700 used and a grand new?  Sustainiacs bring even more.  They are great guitars but boy do they weigh a ton!  I've got the Schecter C1 Platinum and it plays like a dream.  The EMG's sound really nice, I was impressed - and that says a lot coming from a single coil guy!  The tonal spectrum is outstanding.  The sustainiac is really cool too and you can hear that in the "Jojo Afterburner" sound clip I posted.  I've played quite a few PRS and some crap brand called sure, smog, sewer, smegg, slabitchure - I cant remember the silly name...., and the Schecter blew them away at less than half the price.

Jim

I like it that you are so opinionated and clueless at the same time.  Makes for great reading.


No, they are not anywhere near $1000.  Here is one in Atlanta Craigslist with hard case for $350 and it ain't selling. https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/msg/d/very-good-condition-schecter/6772696406.html  It will for $250, like I told you the other day.  The $75 one had a couple of scratches that buffed out.


And of course you like EMG pups.  You have to knock the shit out of the front of a Marshall, I mean don't you understand anything.  A Marshall was a Bassman, it was the Germanium Booster and a 12Ax7 in V1, which is basically what the EMG does that moved Jim Marshall to the Throne of the Father of Loud!

So Bud, next time you are dancing with Sissy, you tell her you are sure glad Ed is not at Gillys or you would be a wallflower.  Are you a real cowboy?

[Ritchie200]

Ed, Ed, Ed.....

O ye of little faith.  Unlike you, my stories of lore and wisdom are backed by facts, not your fantasies about how good you WERE. I believe this is your guitar?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schecter-Hellraiser-C-1-FR-Electric-Guitar-Black-Cherry-Set-Neck-EMG-81-89-1794/381998955779?epid=23011376436&hash=item58f0e97d03:rk:4:pf:0

Oh and yes I am a Cowboy but I wasn't dancing with Sissy.  I was dancing with Precious AND Grace....

Jimbob