What's the cheapest keeper guitar you have?
- Thread starter Eywadude
- Start date
tubelectron
Super Member
It's a nice lightweight guitar. Only a bridge pickup, so it has a limited range of tones. Surprisingly, it stays in tune even with the smaller machine head.
Reminds me of the Bronco guitar that Fender had in their lineup.
I still have something similar @Mr Boochie ... But made by Harley-Benton !
As is, bought for 50 Euros - a Mustang knock-off - unplayable, as usual :
Once modified, I called it Cyclone... The pickup set comes from a Squier Std Strat :
T
Interesting! Compared to the Strat, it looks like an upside-down machine head.
EDIT: Oh wait! You are left-handed!
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gizzyman47
Addicted Member
Haven't played it in ages. Needs fresh strings. From what I remember, it wasn't anything special.How does that Gibson sound? Sometimes those have the best tone.
I had this old Hummingbird that was all beat up, but the tone was sweet! It disappeared with my ex-GF.
I bought it used. Albeit for $500.
Dmartn149
Super Member
3 cheap keepers.
An Ibanez SZ $65 with case at an estate sale. I changed the pickups and rewired it master vol, master tone 3 way switch.
A Squier Classic vibe Tele. $300 I changed the neck pickup, flipped the control plate.
A Charvel TX Custom. $200 refretted, rewired, added GGG stratoblaster, S.D. hot rails bridge pickup, changed bridge for Washburn Wonderbar.
An Ibanez SZ $65 with case at an estate sale. I changed the pickups and rewired it master vol, master tone 3 way switch.
A Squier Classic vibe Tele. $300 I changed the neck pickup, flipped the control plate.
A Charvel TX Custom. $200 refretted, rewired, added GGG stratoblaster, S.D. hot rails bridge pickup, changed bridge for Washburn Wonderbar.
This bends the $300 rule but only by a double sawbuck. A Squier Classic Vibe "late '50s" Jazzmaster, fairly uncommon/unpopular. Some sort of factory blem that I can't see. I will be sinking some $ into this one. To my eyes, it's a lovely mix of sunburst, black pickups and gold anodized 'guard.
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Dmartn149
Super Member
My Classic Vibe was a blem also. The only issue I could find was a poor set-up. Specifically, a badly cut nut.This bends the $300 rule but only by a double sawbuck. A Squier Classic Vibe "late '50s" Jazzmaster, fairly uncommon/unpopular. Some sort of factory blem that I can't see. I will be sinking some $ into this one. To my eyes, it's lovely mix of sunburst, black pickups and gold anodized 'guard.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
This bends the $300 rule but only by a double sawbuck. A Squier Classic Vibe "late '50s" Jazzmaster, fairly uncommon/unpopular. Some sort of factory blem that I can't see. I will be sinking some $ into this one. To my eyes, it's lovely mix of sunburst, black pickups and gold anodized 'guard.
That's acceptable.
That one's like an original early first year 1958 model with the gold anodized 'gaurd and black pickups. Very nice. That colourway isn't that common for sure.I'd love to add a Jazzmaster to my collection (never owned one, always wanted one), but I am VERY picky about the specific sound I want from it. For me, Jazzmaster pickups are some of the most perplexing pickups of all to find the tone I want. Not just the overall tones, but I might find one with a great-sounding neck pickup, but the bridge pickup is only ho-hum, or vice versa. Or the middle position just doesn't cut it somehow. The Jazzmaster tone in my head is my white whale at the moment. One day I'll find THE ONE, I tells you! One day! lol
Nice pic by the way.
Some of those factory seconds are almost impossible to know what's "wrong" with them.
That's acceptable.
I'd love to add a Jazzmaster to my collection (never owned one, always wanted one), but I am VERY picky about the specific sound I want from it. For me, Jazzmaster pickups are some of the most perplexing pickups of all to find the tone I want. Not just the overall tones, but I might find one with a great-sounding neck pickup, but the bridge pickup is only ho-hum, or vice versa. Or the middle position just doesn't cut it somehow. The Jazzmaster tone in my head is my white whale at the moment. One day I'll find THE ONE, I tells you! One day! lol
Nice pic by the way.
Some of those factory seconds are almost impossible to know what's "wrong" with them.
My focus is going to be on the neck pickup. The jazz or “dark” circuit is where this shines. Horrible setup, crummy nut and a sinking bridge are all I have to overcome! Loctite I believe has fixed the latter.
I should note that this was a cosmetically faithful rendition of the 1958 original JM - I swapped out the knurled chrome Tele-style knobs it came with. I like the look of the black ones.
I bought this in September at a yard sale for $200. It's an import "Republic" brand.
Not cheaply built, or built to be cheap...unless you compare it to a National, then even new it's a bargain price.
It's gonna stay in the collection. Unless I come across the real deal someday.
It has a nice warm tone ( considering ), it's really loud, and 9 lbs.
Not cheaply built, or built to be cheap...unless you compare it to a National, then even new it's a bargain price.
It's gonna stay in the collection. Unless I come across the real deal someday.
It has a nice warm tone ( considering ), it's really loud, and 9 lbs.
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YY1
Addicted Member
I think it's a "380".
The Music Go Round store it came from also had a 400 model (without the pickguard) but the 380 played better.
I might be off on the model numbers, but they are similar.
I also bought a $125 Epi Les Paul SE that also plays real good, just not as comfortable for me as that SG.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
That's a nice score for a resonator in this day and age. I'm assuming it has a round (non-square) neck?
If I could be picky, I can only hope to find a used Recording King Swamp Dog "Duolian"-style guitar for $200 one day. It's a little gaudy with the "aged" finish it has, but from the ones I've heard, and the one I got to play for a short time, it has a sound that I like as much as original Duolians from the 30s.
I know there's a G-310 model, which is a bolt-on. Is it that one? Feel free to share pics if you like!
Slack key heaven!
tubelectron
Super Member
EDIT: Oh wait! You are left-handed!
That's it @Mr Boochie !
AFAIR and IIAC, I think that Fender or Squier offered a similar Cyclone model to mine...
This bends the $300 rule but only by a double sawbuck. A Squier Classic Vibe "late '50s" Jazzmaster, fairly uncommon/unpopular. Some sort of factory blem that I can't see. I will be sinking some $ into this one. To my eyes, it's a lovely mix of sunburst, black pickups and gold anodized 'guard.
Again, I had something similar - but from Harley-Benton, @enricosonic !
As-Is, before - bought for 70 Euros, poor setup making it vaguely playable :
After modifications - I called her The Tempest, and I sold it a few weeks ago : I do not play in bands anymore, so too much guitars at home, then some must go now !
I even discovered that the HB Jazzmaster were exactly the same on the Squier CV JM - compare the part # below :
T
Yup. Round neck. Very good fret work.
I'm using standard tuning with a slide on the pinky....always nice to try and learn new tricks.
I've had a wood bodied resonator for about 30 years, a "Regal" , an import also. I should sell that now. It fit's the criteria of under $300, but no longer a guitar I will keep forever.
Here's one:
A 70's import from Korea. A "Kasuga" .
My niece got it from her local Freecycle website. It originally had cello friction tuners. So, i had to route the slots and drill the holes for standard nylon tuners.
Sometimes you just need a 'beater'. It's light, indestructible, don't need a pick, and the nylon is easy on the fingers.
A 70's import from Korea. A "Kasuga" .
My niece got it from her local Freecycle website. It originally had cello friction tuners. So, i had to route the slots and drill the holes for standard nylon tuners.
Sometimes you just need a 'beater'. It's light, indestructible, don't need a pick, and the nylon is easy on the fingers.
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Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Nice. I like the carving on the headstock.
Everyone needs a beater. I have an acoustic (steel string) that I bought for, ummmm...ahem! *clears throat...for, uhhhhh...$50 NEW that most certainly qualifies for this thread, but I'm actually too embarrassed to share what it is out of fear of getting laughed off the site.
Regardless, I just really like it and, foreseeably anyway, I don't ever see getting rid of it either. The funny thing is, I actually don't like the sound of it with a pick, but for fingerstyle playing it really pleases the ol' ear holes. It just has a warm, woody and resonant tone with a surprising amount of low-end and depth. It has this dynamic responsiveness to the way it plays, and it responds really well to nuance and touch, and it just has an overall tone that just makes it ideal for relaxing on the couch and noodling away. For me, it's a keeper.This guitar brought to mind my first classical. Decades ago I washed and detailed my aunt's El Camino for it. She never played this thing and got a great deal. Anyway, a made in Japan "Granada". At the time, a Granada to me was just a crappy mid-size Ford. Fast forward to early covid era and I started messing with it.
I apologize to luthiers everywhere for these images
Took a block sander to it w/o removing the bridge:
I liked the grain underneath:
Same treatment for headstock:
Then the sophomoric use of my soldering iron to burn a crude, not well thought-out design. My name's Eric and I was going to put an "E" on there but I got a wild hair and burnt a schwa instead, thinking it'd be cool. Maybe not.
This thread made me dig it out only to discover a snapped A string.
