I've said it before but with our multi axis CNC routers we could have made just about any of Leo's creations where I worked. The aerospace market is a great deal more lucrative though!
Once you know that these MIM guitars are knocked out by the thousands and all identical, it's a short step to appreciate that what makes or breaks them is the set up.
I remember back in the 1970s being so proud of my Columbus Strat that I set about "Rory-ing" even though I knew back in the day let alone when I actually bought it that it was rank rubbish. At that time we had Aria coming out with fabulously made instruments (eg the game changing SB1000 bass, and Pro II guitars?) and of course Ibanez, Yamaha, Burny and Tokai etc etc. Blinded by the mediocrity of my Columbus, I persevered in worshipping at the alters of Anaheim and Nashville. How wrong I was? Those Ibbys and Yammys were ploughing wonderful fields of their own design, and Tokai, Burny et al were beating the big boys hands down but I was blind to it through prejudice.
It is the skills of folks like Dane, Eddy, John and other contributors on here that make or break a guitar. Of the five bolt togethers that I've done, only those that I've paid someone to set up for me have that feel we look for when we pick up a guitar. Even when I've mixed and matched necks and bodies, it is those necks that originally benefitted from a canny set up three decades ago that have survived the Frankenstein treatment relatively unscathed. Nuts and bolts are my forte, but even an MIM Tele is more than just nuts and bolts. With the passage of years, the Mex folks have had to up their game to survive and we are where we are. It's truly a golden age for excellent budget instruments.
Nice Teles Eddy. It took me over 30 years for the Tele penny to drop!
e&oe... It took a long time for me to like Teles. Now I can't get enough of them. Back in the day, all I had was my Gibson LP custom and an acoustic made by EPI. I got my first combo amp in 1984. By then I had been playing a long time. I bought my first Strat in 1985. It was a black and white one. Much like the Clapton
Blackie" I plaed the frets off that guitar. I wound up giving it away years later to a guy that just had his guitar stolen.
In 1999 I bought my second Strat. It was candy apple red. I sold that one about 2 1/2 years ago. I didn't start getting into teles until I made my first one. Some my remember it as the "Copper-t" I no longer have that one. But since then I started liking Teles more and more.
The two guitars I posted I like a lot! And for me to say I like them a lot, they have to be ones that have impressed me. It has been a long time since I have liked a Strat like I like this one. It not only has a great feel, but sounds really, really good! I can't remember the last time I had a Strat turn my cookie like this one.
NOw I did have to do one of my set ups on it. The person that had before I did like the action up high. So that had to be foxed...
The Tele is one that as soon as I put the thing in my hands, I knew I was to own it. As of yet I have not had to do anything to it but lay it. I am thinking on changeing out the pickguard gor one that matches the Strat. But I still undecided about that. LOL!
I have worked on a lot of guitars since the first day I found Guitar Attack, So far I have found a lot of made in Japan, Korea, USA, MIM, and so on are all pretty cool guitars. But I will say that USA is not on top of my list to buy. In the last 10 years USA to me has been coming in last to some of the guitars I have listed. I will say for now that the USA guitars do hold value better, But I have seen a decline in that as well, in the used guitars department.
I have a made in Indonesia guitar that is super top in quality. I have it up for sale and people turn their nose up to it when I tell them where it's made. It's a sad thing, in today's world of guitars, that people (some) won't even look at guitar because of where it's made.
But as far as production guitars go, Most of the guitars made today are pretty good guitars. As far as electric guitars go that is.
Squire is a guitar that a lot of people turn the nose up at. I had a lot of fun selling these guitars in AZ. I would take them in on trade, and then go through them and make them play and sound really good, then I would put them up for sale.
This is what made them fun to sell... Sometimes there would be 2 or 3 guys come by at the same time and wanted to try out the Squire I had for sale. Well lets say I would wind up selling to the highest bidder.
One time I had two guys show up to buy one them guitars. They started going on at me (in trying to get me come down in Price) That it was a Squire and was not worth what I was asking. So here is what I did. I told both of them If I blind fold you and have you play my USA Start and this Squire, and if one of you pick the USA over the Squire I will sell you the Squire for less. So I had one guy go into the living room while I blind folded the other one. So One guy I gave him the Squire first then the USA. When the other guy came into the room, I gave him the USA first.
So after all said and done these two guys pick the Squire over the USA. They both though that the Squire was the USA one. LOL! Changed these 2 guys forever! Sp that told me that Name is everything. Until you cover up the name.
The other fun thing is selling guitars like Squire, is that people would come by, play one of my guitars, and then want me to set their guitars up for them. So if I wound up not selling a guitar, I would get a set up or two out of some of them. I had two guys that brought me over about 8 guitars each for me to do thing to them, all out of playing one of my guitars. Not boasting, but it really made me feel good that I can offer people something, that makes them feel good.
I have had guys bring me guitars, and then come by to pickup the guitars and start crying, after playing the guitar for the fist time since I worked on it. They all said, " I am in love with my guitar again" " it plays better then the day I got it" Best feeling I ever had, to see people so happy!
I know I went a little off track, But I know us custom builders have to go through a lot when we build a "Kustom" And to me no production guitar can hold a handle to a one off custom guitar. To me Customs have something that a CNC cut guitar will never have. I don't care how many mods one makes to a production guitar, it is till a production guitar. In the "Kustom" world, You can have anything you want. One thing I liked a lot in building someone a guitar was, I worked really close with the person I was building for, and once the guitar was done, that guitar was their guitar. It was built with them in mind all the way through the build. And again to see their faces light up when they would play it for the first time, was worth seeing.
I now have guitar builds all over the USA, Some I never did post about. I have also worked a so many guitars I can't even count anymore. For me I have to say I like them all. "Kustom" and production guitars all have their place.
My advice too all, is buy what you can afford, get the guitar that will make you want to play it. Here is the hard part, find someone that knows what they are doing, to set the guitar up for you.
But always buy the one the sings to you. I don't care who makes it. Don't get cough up in who it's mad by. Once you learn to play and you been at it for a while, then if you can afford a name brand or a "Kustom" then go for it.
Don't get hung up on "what can I sell a guitar for" There are so many guitars out there to buy at really good prices. Like I said get the one that turns your cookie!
EB
