Not to be nitpicky but when a guitar costs thousands of dollars can it really be considered "underrated" at all? I certainly wouldn't use that word to describe an expensive automobile that happens to be well-made. The Sire is the only one that costs under $1,000 while half of the others are over $2,500 and some are near $5,000. I've been playing for nearly 40 years and have a pretty nice collection but most players will never own a Heritage, Valenti or Zemaitis even if they could justify spending that kind of money. That being said, great guitars and another great post.
100% agree. Pick from lesser known companies. Gibson, Schecter and even Sire don't really need a shout out. I've stopped watching so much these days as I feel Darrell has slid into a rut of just playing expensive guitars. He used to do lower end, actual affordable guitar shootouts. Now his "affordable" ones are $1,000+
I get what you mean, after all, some people with a butt load of cash might say a Rolls Royce is an under rated guitar, cause it’ll do a million miles driving and you’ll give it to your grandkids…and for the price it should.
i have over 20 H150s. they are criminally underrated. h555, h535, h530... etc... they've been making guitars that Gibson would charge three times as much for.... yes underrated. cost isn't really the point. that's simply scale. jaguar f type. underrated. still expensive... i paid so much less than sticker... because... underrated.
@@lukerabin5079 you can pay the same and get a Maybach that won't go as far. Porsche 996... underrated. headlights weren't round. car after had worse ims issue/repair.... and when you think underrated... don't look at initial price... look at the resale. that's where "opinion" begins.
I am glad that you brought up Godin, they make great guitars that just don't get the love that they deserve. I like them enough that I have 3 electrics (an SD, an Icon Classic Type 2 and a Detour) as well as a La Patrie classical with a piezo pickup in my collection. The quality is top notch and they are made up here in the Great White North, which makes me happy knowing that I am supporting fellow Canadians...
Ya buddy, I have 2 godins as well the radium, which I did swap out the neck pick up and the stadium. Godin necks are so fantastic and build quality is u real
I am happy to have found Godin, I currently own a Montreal Premiere Limited, Session HSS, and a parlor acoustic by Simon and Patrick. Love them all and hoping to get some more in the future! My brother also has a bass from Godin and it is a killer instrument too!
The Godin acoustic brands like Seagull, Simon & Patrick, and La Patrie, are my favourite even money no object. The Seagull S6 is especially great for fingerpicking.
I picked up a G&L Comanche Tribute Burl Top in a trade earlier this year. I've owned and still own Strats, have had LPs, a PRS but this G&L holds it's own with all of them and totally blows my Strats out of the water. Roasted maple neck, locking tuners and best of all the pickups are the American made MFD Z coil pickups and also American hardware. For under $850 USD it's a steal.
G&L as a whole is a brand that is seriously under rated and the Unknown Under rated brand that is innovative and outstanding are Jasper Guitars by Tony Louscher
In the past I have tried a Richmond Empire (Godin) in a music shop in France and I was blown away by the build quality and sound. The neck was a dream to me and the neck Godin pickup was wow. I had, by that time, a Gibson Les Paul Studio Worn Brown 2011 and told the guy at the shop that I would swap my Gibson for the Empire in a blink of an eye. That was because the qc of my Gibson was absolutely horrible. Great video as always.
I agree 1000 %!! I was in fort Wayne, at Sweetwater, last Saturday, for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert! I had a couple hours to kill, and tried 3 of the Heritage guitars out. AMAZING!!! I just wish I’d had enough to walk out with one. I did walk out with a Yamaha Pacifica though.
Cort, I'm not a acoustic person but when I was at the store I saw someone trying a custom shop which they usually don't do cort acoustic it had koa wood and it looked gorgeous, the sound was amazing and the feel and details. Perfect. Then their electric guitars are also very nice ^^
I got a used low end Cort with a cracked top and mismatched tuners to use as a beater and in spite of all the abuse it went through it just feels so dang nice to play. Makes me a little upset the previous owner didn't treat it well.
I have an Ibanez semi- hollow AR520 with TriSound switches on each of the humbuckers for less than $700 that is just fantastic. From Les Paul to jazz tones and nobody has ever heard of this beautiful guitar.
Glad to see Godin in the list! I finally gave into buying a second hand model off of Reverb, the Godin Radiator Black, sold off really cheap and these Godin guitars are hard to come by in Spain so I'm quite happy. Can't wait for it to arrive next week! That said, great overview, many of the names from the list were unknowns to me and they do deserve exposure!
The G+L Legacy tribute, in fact any G+L tribute, every bit as good as Fender. Also The Agile LP style, a full 3/4 maple cap over 2 piece mahogany body and neck, ebony fretboard, Grover tuners , pretty good finish, (frets etc). Perfect platform for electronics upgrade, and still stay within a grand budget, including set up. They make killer guitars like this, but they are weighty!
@@louisn660 i have a total of 6 Agiles, have a 3100, got it 2nd for $280, not sure what pups are in it, i know they are Gibson pots, but this thing sounds Very Koss like! Its just me that doesn't channel the master!I have 2 3010, one with 57s and full Jimmy wiring, and another with Whole lotta humbuckers, all are different, all awesome, the 57's are Hot, the WLH's are incredibly articulate! The Agiles really do rival Gibsons with a little work, in fact i have an Eastman SB59, and they are every bit as good, with a little fret dressing and a good set up! A damn sight cheaper! All my Agiles came in under $1k the 3100 i've just done some set up and 9's for strings , just awesome value!
@Mark Hill Got mine at Guitar Center for $225 in like new condition when they didn't know what Agile was. Had to replace the pickups and pots. Got a plug and play Classic '57 Epiphone zebra pickup set on eBay for $40. Gave it that Pagey sound! Sounds as good as my '81 Gibson LP Standard with a Shaw pickup and DiMarzio in it. Too bad the used market on the Agiles have gone up.
@@louisn660 yeah, and I'm sinestral, so that makes it even harder. They're bring $500 and up 2nd hand, yet still only $500 new, but new is very rare now. May God take you up his Stairway and teach you to Rock n Roll!
Tanglewood Electric guitar, I don’t even know if they make electrics anymore but my one is a Les Paul style and it’s the best guitar I have ever owned, I have had it for about 8-10 years now!
Hey man, love the support to us little guys! Finally followed through with persuing my shop, got 2 sales coming up. Glad to see support for the small guys
The most underrated guitar I’ve had and regret to let go was a red b.c rich mockingbird st I got for 300 bucks. Floyd rose, straight through neck, very versatile controls. Honestly can’t beat it. now they’re like 900 bucks somehow.
I love when you do these kinds of videos. As someone who wants to save money but doesnt have the money to make a mistake with a trash guitar, I thank you.
Reverends have great pickups - the Kingbolt RA (with railhammer pickups) are amazing. Bill Nash too makes fantastic Fender Custom shop quality at a fraction of the price. His S-63 is unbelievable. Lastly, the Harmony Silhouette is the most fun possible in a solid body - best of both Gibson (Heritage) and Fender (offset form factor) combined.
I live in the UK and not many outside Britain have heard of Revelation Guitars. If you haven’t tried one give them a go. They fall into a kind of budget category with the max price around £350 GBP But some of the features and styles are unbelievable.
Darrell, I had a Godin "Summit Classic Convertible" a couple of yrs ago & it had the best fretboard I've ever used (Richlite) & the most diverse tone you can buy. They make incredible guitars for some amazing prices. I've never seen better guitars for the money & it feels good to buy "local". As far as 'value' is concerned - I got a Harley Benton "Les Paul Jr" w two P90s delivered to my door in Eastern Canada in 6 days from Germany, (it was in perfect tune!) including taxes & import fees: $438 CDN.
You should definitely check out the Reverend Greg Koch Tele with the Gristle P-90s! I've also heard the Guild Bluesbird is highly underrated, would love to see a review of that!
I own 2 Reverends. The Gristle 90 and a Pete Anderson PA1. Both are great guitars. My number one is an LsL Bad Bone 290. The LsL is the best guitar I have ever played.
Chapman ML1 was a revelation to me when I came back to playing the guitar. Hard to go past it at the price, compared to alternatives last year and showed up the playability faults on my older guitars. Solar also look interesting if you have the budget.
Thank You Darrell for this great and very informative video. Would like to watch some Guild, Harmony, Hagstrom and Silvertone guitar reviews on your channel. Really appreciate your videos, your good vibe and great guitar skills. Cheers!
I have a Vintage V624 that is in that underrated category. Maple neck, 15" radius, Wilkinson humbuckers, bridge, and tuners, reverse headstock... plays well, sounds good, built to shred, and very affordable.
Nice to see Godin getting some well-deserved love, and yes, they're made right here in Canada by the master craftsmen of Godin Guitars. I am lucky enough to own three Godin guitars; an Art &Lutherie Wild Cherry acoustic, which has beautiful clarity and tone, and plays very nicely; a 1993 Godin Artisan St-1 Ultimate super Strat that absolutely kicks the heck out of much more expensive brands with its American linden body, German carved birdseye maple top stained in cognac-burst, birdseye maple neck with a top- matching veneer on the headstock, three Custom Tetrad Blade pickups, gold Schaller locking tuners and gold Wilkinson VS 100-C convertible vibrato bridge; and finally, a 2020 Godin Radiator Trans Cream, which is an awesome little rock monster! It's like a hollow body LP, with 22 frets, a 24.75" inch scale, one-piece wrap-around bridge and two custom Godin humbuckers. The body and deep tenon set neck are made of silverleaf maple, and the fingerboard is a lovely slab of 12" radius rosewood with simple dot fret markers. The top is a chocolate brown tortoiseshell Formica over a deeply hollowed out body, making it an incredibly resonant guitar, but without f-holes to cut back on unwanted feedback. It's also light enough that I can play it for hours without any fatigue or pain. The Artisan and Radiator are currently tied for the #2 spot in my stable, second only to my superb 1991 PRS Custom 24. Yes, Godin guitars really are THAT good!😉
JHS has done several on them. They are made from the same circuits the expensive ones they are based on are, just with a plastic housing. They sound as good as the ones they copy, just maybe not as durable, but for the price... Great pedals to start with.
@@codyreynolds6333 Both great sites. JHS has done side by sides where they put the Behringer next to the clone and switch off screen to see if you can hear the difference. A lot sound exactly the same.
We brought a couple of Sires for our kids because of the narrow neck. These are great for their 5-8 year old hands, and should give them a good decade of growth and playability. For us grownups, we've bought a bunch of Godin xtSAs (since we're Line6 fans) and Radiums (since we not Tele fans but now we've got 3 pickup arrangements). Very impressed with all of them.
One acoustic guitar maker who deserves recognition is Jay Duncan of Duncan Africa Guitars. An apprentice of Larrivee, who actually takes young people out of poverty in Uganda by training them in guitar-making skills. His instruments are definitely up there with some of the better Canadian-made acoustics.
Any Reverend would be a great choice, but since I know you love unique pickups look for one with railhammers like the kingbolt, charger RA, sensei RA, roundhouse RA, or a signature model like Reeves gabrel RG1. All those have awesome flame tops too and run $1-1.2k.
I love my 90s Japanese-made Ibanez Talman. Great take on the offset body style and the Kent Armstrong stacked P-90s make it the most versatile guitar in my arsenal. Definitely worth a try if you find one lying around used.
You are spot on with the Sire, i have the Blue Maple S7 brilliant guitar, so well made and its a bargain of all bargains, exceptional quality for the money
Your mind is going to be blown when you try out a Reverend guitar. I played a Contender with a Bigsby last week at a small guitar shop on vacation and it blew every Les Paul I ever played away.
Good review , and it's nice to have a look around other makes to see the direction they're headed in . Surprised to find Godin on the list , as they are very well known , They made a special one for John Mclaughlin for his birthday , and it's now one of his favourites. My fave , the Sire guitar that looked spectacular all round instrument for rock , jazz , country , Indonesia I think , I'll have to have a look at their range. Great review though thanks
I have. Dillion DL650 I got back in 2005. It’s a LP Style guitar, and still sounds and plays amazing to this day. It’s a gorgeous blue with a flame top.
It might be considered unique or even a little boutique, but Brian May guitars are the nuts! I'm a big fan so I got because of that. However, it's one of my faves both from a playability standpoint as well as a sonic standpoint. It has one of the nicest necks that's super comfortable to play. And the sound from the pickup combinations are endless. You don't even need to sound like Brian! 2 point trem lets you do subtle bends or even metal flutters like the double locking. Stays in tune amazing. If you want a different guitar, that's the one.
I had one. Bought it off a doctor who'd amassed an impressive collection of guitars but whose wife had "advised" him to sell some of them. A great guitar (I guess you know the story of May's original guitar). My only reservation is it's being so synonymous with just one guitarist and that may be why one doesn't see them used by other guitarists very often.That does not detract from the quality and versatility of the instrument.
How about the briefly available Squier/Fender '51?? Best $170 NEW from my local dealer I EVER spent on a low-end. I sort of bought it as a "mod platform" but fortunately the only thing I changed were the tuning machines (to Gotoh non-locking minis) and the mistakenly out of phase bridge pickup wiring. Because of the Tele-style chrome control plate, that took all of 10 minutes. (didn't even have to slack the strings). It's worth immediately increased by more than %100. Had I butchered it with other "upgrades" I would have SOON regretted it... like MANY guitars immediately reconfigured. Love your episodes, Man!
I have a Schecter Nick Johnston HSS. Mine is the Diamond series, which sells for $899. Amazing guitar!! Locking tuners, very dark roasted maple neck, huge frets, ebony fretboard. Mine is only 7.4 lbs...tough to find that weight! The pickups on this guitar are rather unique and awesome! Really amazing strat tones and playing experience. Wonderful instrument for the price!!
If you ever try out a Revered, i would suggest the Charger HB, it's like a Tele and a LP mashed together Btw, as an underrated guitar, i would like to mention Jericho guitars, made in the USA (for those who care) gorgeous models, better suited to modern/heavier stiles since they're a bit larger in scale than usual
I've been looking for a guitar with P-90s and have my eye on the Chapman ML3 in orange sparkle. The specs on the new ones are incredible and they look like nothing else. Reminds me of my '73 Nova that was burnt orange. Stunning!
My goto underrated guitar is second hand Schecter. For some reason, they come in under $500 - complete with quality construction, quality and great looking woods, good electronics - and I love the smooth neck joint.
Wonderful that you do this Darrel, big thanks to you. The guitar community really could use some new input instead of the old “truths” dated some 65 years ago (you know what I mean). So refreshing to hear a guy with your knowledge talk about something new and reasonably priced instruments. Keep ‘em coming. Great. 😊👍🏻
I was thinking about the Fender Tele special just as you mentioned it! A seriously underrated and affordable guitar! I also love Framus guitars. I have a Framus Pro Diablo and Tennessee models and they are both amazing.
My Reverend Bayonet is a great guitar. The real surprise though, was my St. Blues Mississippi Bluesmaster. Absolutely killer guitar, and mine is from the Korean line.
Nice choices! I've been debating buying the Godin Summit Supreme for the past few months. There's a couple around at "reasonable" prices, and it is a beautiful guitar. I have Gibson LP Supreme and other Gibson LPs, so it would be nice to have a Canadian made guitar that is just as good.
@@niallb2265 I don't know, I think it's because they don't really push the advertising. They don't have any signature models, or much presence online. I would love it if they made more high end Summit models, like this LTD Supreme. Even limited runs would get them some free advertising on youtube.
While this video is a shout out to present guitars, two of my personal favorites are solid body Ovations. Ovation still makes acoustics, but I don't think electric solid bodies. I love both my Breadwinner Limited, and Magnum bass. The switching and electronics on the Breadwinner are wonky, and string changes on that bridge setup are an unnecessary nightmare, but it gets great tones. The bass is heavy, but sounds great. Both are mahogany, so have that great resonance and have unique body shapes. I was in the biz for almost 50 years, and I've never seen anyone else playing a Magnum, and only a couple of regular Breadwinners. I was invited to play a set at a major music festival in May, and I brought my old trusty Precision, and a Tele. ....but I also brought the Ovations (and ended up playing them) because I figured no one else would have either on any stage. I'd do the same again.
Thanks for the video! That last guitar is one I need to look into. I currently got a John Page Classic (Japan) in a trade. It is one of the best ´Strats » I’ve ever played.
Great vid on underrated guitars. All you vids are great..helped me buy my PRS SE Paul's fantastic. Reverend Sensei my nephew bought I hope to get in plum .. terrific PureSalem guitar classic creep is something I'd like reviewed if still made but Cardinal model also cool. Sterling bigger but I love my 3 mini humbuckers..what guitar is available with 3 mini nf Thanks
Hi Darrel another great video! Thank you!! I have a suggestion about your default camera angle, we are not able to see the whole guitar, the neck gets cut out of frame. Maybe you could try placing the camera an extra feet or so away from you? This way it's not too far, plus we get to see the whole guitar when you introduce it.
Amazing instruments, some of which I have already seen you demo here. Since you asked: I'd love to see you give a test run of a Samick Greg Bennett, either the full body models like e.g. the Avion AV 6 or the semiacoustic Royale RL 3 or RL 4..Gear4Music still sells them, not many rerailers carty them anymore since they're EOL..But I think you might appreciate their build and specs. Awesome list and video ss always!
Kramer is an underrated brand nowadays. Even some of the cheapest, bottom of the barrel Kramers have some of the most incredible necks out there. EVH endorsed them for a reason. I bought a used 1984 Striker 200ST for 100 bucks and it makes an American Fender neck feel cheap. Highly recommend picking up a vintage Kramer if given the opportunity.
Awesome selection. Please tell us more about the fender telecaster special edition custom FMT HH. This guitar is so unique that it deserve it's own video
As a machinist love 304 guitars! 304 is the type of stainless steel and it's incredibly difficult to machine but 304sst is used in the aerospace industry
Just a suggestio, how about "Overrated" guitars? There must be a few out there that just dont live up to the claims made for them. I dont mean some amatuer back street bodge job, the major manufactures produce "lemons" too, might be an interesting counterpoint to this most excellent video.
@@onefatstratcat I've had mine for a week or so. The only drawback I see is the nut. It's cheap plastic and cut a little too high for my preference. It's going to be replaced with a GraphTech but there's no urgency. Guitar comes with D'Adario 10-46. I like D'Adario for acoustics but the LTD is going to get strung up with my old standby LP GHS Boomers 9-42. My LPC loved those strings. I'm hoping the LTD will too. I've got to say, I'm very impressed with this Chinese made guitar. I'd rate it road worthy right out of the box!
Two brands that are sold at smaller stores but make instruments of a good quality are Johnson and Michael Kelly. I think every Johnson is either a remake of a Gibson or Fender but comparable if not better than the Squier or Epiphone in the same price range. The Michael Kelly's go from copies to pseudo new styles of guitars with interesting pickup combinations, exotic woods and other features to keep them in business despite no advertising or internet presence.
Missing from many lists like this are Hagstrom which get no love. Vikings are nice but I first laid my hands (albeit on the small side) on a then new Swede back in the 70’s-it stood out among a host of LP impersonators (most of which were much better than Gibson was turning out at the time) including the Electra which are highly sought after. Fast forward to 2011, saw and played a brand new Ultra Swede jet black and well you can guess the rest of the story.
Hey Darrell! An idea. What if several guitar related TH-camrs can come to a friendly agreement and do a series of videos featuring underrated guitars. Like 10 TH-camrs showcase a Godin Radium on their channels. Their next vids show d’Angelico Bedford. And so on. The combined audience is thus quite big!
I love watching your channel. You are awesome Darrell. Very quality videos great information and I love to watch you play of course. Thank you for all your great videos
Great video, interesting that the Sire (under $700 USD) has S/S frets while other brands at 3 to 5x's the price are N/S. After playing for over 40 years having S/S frets matter. I don't care "how experienced" the luthier or if you do it yourself the neck can do unwelcome things when you pull and insert replacement frets. Eart can produce entry level models for well under $300, and remember that 1/4 of that price is shipping. Even with labor rates and upgraded HW, USA/Canadian producers should be able to produce a solid guitar for under $1200 with S/S frets. Can't wait for Sire, Cort, and Ibanez to fix their supply issues. I'm done with overpriced guitars. Anyone interested in a Strat or LP with worn frets..... lol...
One of the best guitars I’ve owned was a Brian Moore C90/C90P. Not the “i” guitars, I’m talking the made in USA models. Impeccable quality and impeccable playing. They’re not cheap, but I don’t think Brian is making them anymore.
I bought my grandson a Schecter for Christmas that looks a lot like the double cutaway but thinner. I bought Schecter because of Nick Johnston. It is a beautiful guitar in dark green
I was considering a G&L at one point, but they are hard to find around here. I would have trouble buying a guitar without trying it out. But I did find a few that were nice.
What guitars have you guys played that you consider "underrated" (don't say Gibson USA lol)
Enjoy :)
Cmg from Statesboro ga out of polka dot music. They make a 24 3/4 tele and a nice les paulish model under 1k usually.
B&G Step Sister!
Michael Kelly! I'd love to see some reviews of their stuff here, I'm a big fan.
@@thecranium so expensive
@@lostinspacecamp4245 yup my cousin has several..cool inlays
Not to be nitpicky but when a guitar costs thousands of dollars can it really be considered "underrated" at all? I certainly wouldn't use that word to describe an expensive automobile that happens to be well-made. The Sire is the only one that costs under $1,000 while half of the others are over $2,500 and some are near $5,000. I've been playing for nearly 40 years and have a pretty nice collection but most players will never own a Heritage, Valenti or Zemaitis even if they could justify spending that kind of money. That being said, great guitars and another great post.
100% agree. Pick from lesser known companies. Gibson, Schecter and even Sire don't really need a shout out. I've stopped watching so much these days as I feel Darrell has slid into a rut of just playing expensive guitars. He used to do lower end, actual affordable guitar shootouts. Now his "affordable" ones are $1,000+
But if there’s an expensive car no one knows about then it is underrated compared to a Lamborghini
I get what you mean, after all, some people with a butt load of cash might say a Rolls Royce is an under rated guitar, cause it’ll do a million miles driving and you’ll give it to your grandkids…and for the price it should.
i have over 20 H150s. they are criminally underrated.
h555, h535, h530... etc... they've been making guitars that Gibson would charge three times as much for.... yes underrated. cost isn't really the point. that's simply scale.
jaguar f type. underrated. still expensive...
i paid so much less than sticker... because... underrated.
@@lukerabin5079 you can pay the same and get a Maybach that won't go as far.
Porsche 996... underrated. headlights weren't round. car after had worse ims issue/repair....
and when you think underrated... don't look at initial price... look at the resale.
that's where "opinion" begins.
I am glad that you brought up Godin, they make great guitars that just don't get the love that they deserve. I like them enough that I have 3 electrics (an SD, an Icon Classic Type 2 and a Detour) as well as a La Patrie classical with a piezo pickup in my collection. The quality is top notch and they are made up here in the Great White North, which makes me happy knowing that I am supporting fellow Canadians...
Ya buddy, I have 2 godins as well the radium, which I did swap out the neck pick up and the stadium. Godin necks are so fantastic and build quality is u real
I am happy to have found Godin, I currently own a Montreal Premiere Limited, Session HSS, and a parlor acoustic by Simon and Patrick. Love them all and hoping to get some more in the future! My brother also has a bass from Godin and it is a killer instrument too!
Own a Session and I love it. I wish I dished out a bit more for the Session Plus with the HDR
Agree. I was lucky enough to get to NAMM 2019. Everyone was losing it over the fender acousticcaster and the Godin Summit was just there!
The Godin acoustic brands like Seagull, Simon & Patrick, and La Patrie, are my favourite even money no object. The Seagull S6 is especially great for fingerpicking.
I picked up a G&L Comanche Tribute Burl Top in a trade earlier this year. I've owned and still own Strats, have had LPs, a PRS but this G&L holds it's own with all of them and totally blows my Strats out of the water. Roasted maple neck, locking tuners and best of all the pickups are the American made MFD Z coil pickups and also American hardware. For under $850 USD it's a steal.
G&L as a whole is a brand that is seriously under rated and the Unknown Under rated brand that is innovative and outstanding are Jasper Guitars by Tony Louscher
Thanks for dropping in Godin! Hopefully they'll someday get more Summits and other models into US stores to play. Great group of guitars.
In the past I have tried a Richmond Empire (Godin) in a music shop in France and I was blown away by the build quality and sound. The neck was a dream to me and the neck Godin pickup was wow.
I had, by that time, a Gibson Les Paul Studio Worn Brown 2011 and told the guy at the shop that I would swap my Gibson for the Empire in a blink of an eye. That was because the qc of my Gibson was absolutely horrible.
Great video as always.
I agree 1000 %!! I was in fort Wayne, at Sweetwater, last Saturday, for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert! I had a couple hours to kill, and tried 3 of the Heritage guitars out. AMAZING!!! I just wish I’d had enough to walk out with one. I did walk out with a Yamaha Pacifica though.
Cort, I'm not a acoustic person but when I was at the store I saw someone trying a custom shop which they usually don't do cort acoustic it had koa wood and it looked gorgeous, the sound was amazing and the feel and details. Perfect. Then their electric guitars are also very nice ^^
PRS Se , stranberg , schecter , ibanez premium are made by cort
I got a used low end Cort with a cracked top and mismatched tuners to use as a beater and in spite of all the abuse it went through it just feels so dang nice to play. Makes me a little upset the previous owner didn't treat it well.
Thanks
@@RudolfWolph wow huh
I really love the Valenti, Sire and Vola. Absolutely beautiful especially the contrasting colors of that ice blue Valenti! Incredible!
I have an Ibanez semi- hollow AR520 with TriSound switches on each of the humbuckers for less than $700 that is just fantastic. From Les Paul to jazz tones and nobody has ever heard of this beautiful guitar.
Glad to see Godin in the list!
I finally gave into buying a second hand model off of Reverb, the Godin Radiator Black, sold off really cheap and these Godin guitars are hard to come by in Spain so I'm quite happy.
Can't wait for it to arrive next week!
That said, great overview, many of the names from the list were unknowns to me and they do deserve exposure!
The G+L Legacy tribute, in fact any G+L tribute, every bit as good as Fender. Also The Agile LP style, a full 3/4 maple cap over 2 piece mahogany body and neck, ebony fretboard, Grover tuners , pretty good finish, (frets etc). Perfect platform for electronics upgrade, and still stay within a grand budget, including set up. They make killer guitars like this, but they are weighty!
Agile Les Paul's are incredible. I have a Burst 3100 and I play it more than my '81 Gibson LP Standard.
My Agile goldtop with p-90s is still the best guitar I've owned. I miss it.
@@louisn660 i have a total of 6 Agiles, have a 3100, got it 2nd for $280, not sure what pups are in it, i know they are Gibson pots, but this thing sounds Very Koss like! Its just me that doesn't channel the master!I have 2 3010, one with 57s and full Jimmy wiring, and another with Whole lotta humbuckers, all are different, all awesome, the 57's are Hot, the WLH's are incredibly articulate! The Agiles really do rival Gibsons with a little work, in fact i have an Eastman SB59, and they are every bit as good, with a little fret dressing and a good set up! A damn sight cheaper! All my Agiles came in under $1k the 3100 i've just done some set up and 9's for strings , just awesome value!
@Mark Hill
Got mine at Guitar Center for $225 in like new condition when they didn't know what Agile was. Had to replace the pickups and pots. Got a plug and play Classic '57 Epiphone zebra pickup set on eBay for $40. Gave it that Pagey sound! Sounds as good as my '81 Gibson LP Standard with a Shaw pickup and DiMarzio in it.
Too bad the used market on the Agiles have gone up.
@@louisn660 yeah, and I'm sinestral, so that makes it even harder. They're bring $500 and up 2nd hand, yet still only $500 new, but new is very rare now. May God take you up his Stairway and teach you to Rock n Roll!
"toiling in obscurity" LOL Rock on, Heritage Guitars!
Tanglewood Electric guitar, I don’t even know if they make electrics anymore but my one is a Les Paul style and it’s the best guitar I have ever owned, I have had it for about 8-10 years now!
Hey man, love the support to us little guys! Finally followed through with persuing my shop, got 2 sales coming up. Glad to see support for the small guys
Glad to see Godin get some love. I have a Session and it's an amazing guitar
I came here to make the exact same comment. The Session is definitely an underrated guitar
Yes! You REALLY need to get into Reverend. I've got 3. My favorite is my Reeves Gabrel in the orange finish.
Hagstrøm guitars! They have never let me down 😁 killer guitars, have the one that out of a 335. Crushes it. And it’s 1:3 of the price 🥰🎸💪🏽💥
The Hagstrom Viking, right? It is a great guitar! I always liked the Hagstrom solid bodies with those many on/off switches on them!
I have a Hagstrom Ultra Swede, great little guitar.
The most underrated guitar I’ve had and regret to let go was a red b.c rich mockingbird st I got for 300 bucks. Floyd rose, straight through neck, very versatile controls. Honestly can’t beat it. now they’re like 900 bucks somehow.
I love when you do these kinds of videos. As someone who wants to save money but doesnt have the money to make a mistake with a trash guitar, I thank you.
Reverends have great pickups - the Kingbolt RA (with railhammer pickups) are amazing. Bill Nash too makes fantastic Fender Custom shop quality at a fraction of the price. His S-63 is unbelievable. Lastly, the Harmony Silhouette is the most fun possible in a solid body - best of both Gibson (Heritage) and Fender (offset form factor) combined.
I live in the UK and not many outside Britain have heard of Revelation Guitars.
If you haven’t tried one give them a go.
They fall into a kind of budget category with the max price around £350 GBP
But some of the features and styles are unbelievable.
Darrell, I had a Godin "Summit Classic Convertible" a couple of yrs ago & it had the best fretboard I've ever used (Richlite) & the most diverse tone you can buy. They make incredible guitars for some amazing prices. I've never seen better guitars for the money & it feels good to buy "local".
As far as 'value' is concerned - I got a Harley Benton "Les Paul Jr" w two P90s delivered to my door in Eastern Canada in 6 days from Germany, (it was in perfect tune!) including taxes & import fees: $438 CDN.
bought my first ever electric - a RevStar Standard. Backordered to the horizon so I'm still waiting for it to arrive. Anticipation? Yes.
You should definitely check out the Reverend Greg Koch Tele with the Gristle P-90s! I've also heard the Guild Bluesbird is highly underrated, would love to see a review of that!
Any Reverend dude!
Badass guitar!
I have a Reverend Manta Ray and it's my #1 player of 42! So versatile and comfortable, definitely a Badass mofo!
Thanks for your videos! They have taught me allot about guitars. And I love your affordable guitar series. Thanks Darrel!!
Glad for the Zemaitis shoutout. Bought a DF24 Buccaneer Island just because the artwork was so cool. Then found out how great it sounds!
D’Angelico definitely deserve more respect! Absolutely gorgeous and superb QC (at least my experience)
Absolutely 100%
Nice to see the Vola arrived to you safely and you dug it so much! I had it before you did and I miss it to pieces
I own 2 Reverends. The Gristle 90 and a Pete Anderson PA1. Both are great guitars. My number one is an LsL Bad Bone 290. The LsL is the best guitar I have ever played.
I have two Chapman guitars. The ML3 Pro and the ML2 Bea Standard. Both incredible guitars and I love them.
Any idea what the "ML" stands for? The number is somewhat understandable but the ML makes me wonder.
@@Dobermanator it stands for Monkey Lord. I have no idea why that is, but that's what it stands for lol
Chapman ML1 was a revelation to me when I came back to playing the guitar. Hard to go past it at the price, compared to alternatives last year and showed up the playability faults on my older guitars. Solar also look interesting if you have the budget.
Thank You Darrell for this great and very informative video. Would like to watch some Guild, Harmony, Hagstrom and Silvertone guitar reviews on your channel. Really appreciate your videos, your good vibe and great guitar skills. Cheers!
I have a Vintage V624 that is in that underrated category. Maple neck, 15" radius, Wilkinson humbuckers, bridge, and tuners, reverse headstock... plays well, sounds good, built to shred, and very affordable.
Yep. I have more expensive guitars and this one's my favourite
The new Harmonys are so great, made in the Heritage factory in Kalamazoo
Nice to see Godin getting some well-deserved love, and yes, they're made right here in Canada by the master craftsmen of Godin Guitars.
I am lucky enough to own three Godin guitars; an Art &Lutherie Wild Cherry acoustic, which has beautiful clarity and tone, and plays very nicely; a 1993 Godin Artisan St-1 Ultimate super Strat that absolutely kicks the heck out of much more expensive brands with its American linden body, German carved birdseye maple top stained in cognac-burst, birdseye maple neck with a top- matching veneer on the headstock, three Custom Tetrad Blade pickups, gold Schaller locking tuners and gold Wilkinson VS 100-C convertible vibrato bridge; and finally, a 2020 Godin Radiator Trans Cream, which is an awesome little rock monster! It's like a hollow body LP, with 22 frets, a 24.75" inch scale, one-piece wrap-around bridge and two custom Godin humbuckers. The body and deep tenon set neck are made of silverleaf maple, and the fingerboard is a lovely slab of 12" radius rosewood with simple dot fret markers. The top is a chocolate brown tortoiseshell Formica over a deeply hollowed out body, making it an incredibly resonant guitar, but without f-holes to cut back on unwanted feedback. It's also light enough that I can play it for hours without any fatigue or pain.
The Artisan and Radiator are currently tied for the #2 spot in my stable, second only to my superb 1991 PRS Custom 24. Yes, Godin guitars really are THAT good!😉
Could you do a review over Behringer low priced pedals, they have a wide variety that cost from 25 USD to 30 USD. And btw I love your videos
JHS has done several on them. They are made from the same circuits the expensive ones they are based on are, just with a plastic housing. They sound as good as the ones they copy, just maybe not as durable, but for the price... Great pedals to start with.
Jhs did some amd 60 cycle hum does alot of budget pedal videos
@@codyreynolds6333 Both great sites. JHS has done side by sides where they put the Behringer next to the clone and switch off screen to see if you can hear the difference. A lot sound exactly the same.
We brought a couple of Sires for our kids because of the narrow neck. These are great for their 5-8 year old hands, and should give them a good decade of growth and playability. For us grownups, we've bought a bunch of Godin xtSAs (since we're Line6 fans) and Radiums (since we not Tele fans but now we've got 3 pickup arrangements). Very impressed with all of them.
One acoustic guitar maker who deserves recognition is Jay Duncan of Duncan Africa Guitars. An apprentice of Larrivee, who actually takes young people out of poverty in Uganda by training them in guitar-making skills. His instruments are definitely up there with some of the better Canadian-made acoustics.
I totally felt for the Gibson Schtick at the beginning! I hope we get an in-depth view at that Schecter Corsair sometime soon.
Any Reverend would be a great choice, but since I know you love unique pickups look for one with railhammers like the kingbolt, charger RA, sensei RA, roundhouse RA, or a signature model like Reeves gabrel RG1. All those have awesome flame tops too and run $1-1.2k.
Valentino looks perfect! I love it.
Thank you, man!
I love my 90s Japanese-made Ibanez Talman. Great take on the offset body style and the Kent Armstrong stacked P-90s make it the most versatile guitar in my arsenal. Definitely worth a try if you find one lying around used.
You are spot on with the Sire, i have the Blue Maple S7 brilliant guitar, so well made and its a bargain of all bargains, exceptional quality for the money
The Vola would look a lot better without the acrylic pickguard.
Your mind is going to be blown when you try out a Reverend guitar. I played a Contender with a Bigsby last week at a small guitar shop on vacation and it blew every Les Paul I ever played away.
Good review , and it's nice to have a look around other makes to see the direction they're headed in .
Surprised to find Godin on the list , as they are very well known ,
They made a special one for John Mclaughlin for his birthday , and it's now one of his favourites.
My fave , the Sire guitar that looked spectacular all round instrument for rock , jazz , country , Indonesia I think ,
I'll have to have a look at their range. Great review though thanks
Yamaha rev star standard is a great guitar at a good price, great tones
I have. Dillion DL650 I got back in 2005. It’s a LP Style guitar, and still sounds and plays amazing to this day. It’s a gorgeous blue with a flame top.
It might be considered unique or even a little boutique, but Brian May guitars are the nuts! I'm a big fan so I got because of that. However, it's one of my faves both from a playability standpoint as well as a sonic standpoint. It has one of the nicest necks that's super comfortable to play. And the sound from the pickup combinations are endless. You don't even need to sound like Brian! 2 point trem lets you do subtle bends or even metal flutters like the double locking. Stays in tune amazing. If you want a different guitar, that's the one.
I had one. Bought it off a doctor who'd amassed an impressive collection of guitars but whose wife had "advised" him to sell some of them. A great guitar (I guess you know the story of May's original guitar). My only reservation is it's being so synonymous with just one guitarist and that may be why one doesn't see them used by other guitarists very often.That does not detract from the quality and versatility of the instrument.
As always Darrell some really great info for the future buyer. Awesoome content!!!!!
How about the briefly available Squier/Fender '51?? Best $170 NEW from my local dealer I EVER spent on a low-end. I sort of bought it as a "mod platform" but fortunately the only thing I changed were the tuning machines (to Gotoh non-locking minis) and the mistakenly out of phase bridge pickup wiring. Because of the Tele-style chrome control plate, that took all of 10 minutes. (didn't even have to slack the strings). It's worth immediately increased by more than %100. Had I butchered it with other "upgrades" I would have SOON regretted it... like MANY guitars immediately reconfigured.
Love your episodes, Man!
Completely agree on the Schecter. I have a Banshee 6. Great sound and price
I have a Schecter Nick Johnston HSS. Mine is the Diamond series, which sells for $899. Amazing guitar!! Locking tuners, very dark roasted maple neck, huge frets, ebony fretboard. Mine is only 7.4 lbs...tough to find that weight! The pickups on this guitar are rather unique and awesome! Really amazing strat tones and playing experience. Wonderful instrument for the price!!
If you ever try out a Revered, i would suggest the Charger HB, it's like a Tele and a LP mashed together
Btw, as an underrated guitar, i would like to mention Jericho guitars, made in the USA (for those who care) gorgeous models, better suited to modern/heavier stiles since they're a bit larger in scale than usual
I've been looking for a guitar with P-90s and have my eye on the Chapman ML3 in orange sparkle. The specs on the new ones are incredible and they look like nothing else. Reminds me of my '73 Nova that was burnt orange. Stunning!
The Sterling Cutlass is a great value imo.
Guitar appreciation with good prices. A great combo. I'm impressed - thanks.
My goto underrated guitar is second hand Schecter. For some reason, they come in under $500 - complete with quality construction, quality and great looking woods, good electronics - and I love the smooth neck joint.
Wonderful that you do this Darrel, big thanks to you. The guitar community really could use some new input instead of the old “truths” dated some 65 years ago (you know what I mean). So refreshing to hear a guy with your knowledge talk about something new and reasonably priced instruments. Keep ‘em coming. Great. 😊👍🏻
CMG from Statesboro GA. A short scale Tele is a hellva drug. Usa built under 1k.
I was thinking about the Fender Tele special just as you mentioned it! A seriously underrated and affordable guitar! I also love Framus guitars. I have a Framus Pro Diablo and Tennessee models and they are both amazing.
Maybach Lester '59 - I got mine two weeks ago. Absolutely love it!
My Reverend Bayonet is a great guitar. The real surprise though, was my St. Blues Mississippi Bluesmaster. Absolutely killer guitar, and mine is from the Korean line.
love my Schecter Corsair . . . great video
Nice choices! I've been debating buying the Godin Summit Supreme for the past few months. There's a couple around at "reasonable" prices, and it is a beautiful guitar. I have Gibson LP Supreme and other Gibson LPs, so it would be nice to have a Canadian made guitar that is just as good.
It’s amazing what you can get from Godin especially on the used market. Why they are not as well recognized is beyond me. Such incredible instruments.
@@niallb2265 I don't know, I think it's because they don't really push the advertising. They don't have any signature models, or much presence online. I would love it if they made more high end Summit models, like this LTD Supreme. Even limited runs would get them some free advertising on youtube.
While this video is a shout out to present guitars, two of my personal favorites are solid body Ovations. Ovation still makes acoustics, but I don't think electric solid bodies. I love both my Breadwinner Limited, and Magnum bass. The switching and electronics on the Breadwinner are wonky, and string changes on that bridge setup are an unnecessary nightmare, but it gets great tones. The bass is heavy, but sounds great. Both are mahogany, so have that great resonance and have unique body shapes. I was in the biz for almost 50 years, and I've never seen anyone else playing a Magnum, and only a couple of regular Breadwinners. I was invited to play a set at a major music festival in May, and I brought my old trusty Precision, and a Tele. ....but I also brought the Ovations (and ended up playing them) because I figured no one else would have either on any stage. I'd do the same again.
Thanks for the video! That last guitar is one I need to look into.
I currently got a John Page Classic (Japan) in a trade. It is one of the best ´Strats » I’ve ever played.
thanks for this video! was indeed helpful. been wanting to get a second electric that wasn't a fender or a massive brand.
Great vid on underrated guitars. All you vids are great..helped me buy my PRS SE Paul's fantastic.
Reverend Sensei my nephew bought I hope to get in plum .. terrific
PureSalem guitar classic creep is something I'd like reviewed if still made but Cardinal model also cool.
Sterling bigger but I love my 3 mini humbuckers..what guitar is available with 3 mini nf
Thanks
Hi Darrel another great video! Thank you!!
I have a suggestion about your default camera angle, we are not able to see the whole guitar, the neck gets cut out of frame. Maybe you could try placing the camera an extra feet or so away from you? This way it's not too far, plus we get to see the whole guitar when you introduce it.
Have you tried a Chapman guitar, I own one, and it's fantastic! excellent build quality, and sounds great!
Amazing instruments, some of which I have already seen you demo here.
Since you asked: I'd love to see you give a test run of a Samick Greg Bennett, either the full body models like e.g. the Avion AV 6 or the semiacoustic Royale RL 3 or RL 4..Gear4Music still sells them, not many rerailers carty them anymore since they're EOL..But I think you might appreciate their build and specs.
Awesome list and video ss always!
Kramer is an underrated brand nowadays. Even some of the cheapest, bottom of the barrel Kramers have some of the most incredible necks out there. EVH endorsed them for a reason. I bought a used 1984 Striker 200ST for 100 bucks and it makes an American Fender neck feel cheap. Highly recommend picking up a vintage Kramer if given the opportunity.
Ummm why is Steve Vai's Hydra absent?
Awesome selection. Please tell us more about the fender telecaster special edition custom FMT HH. This guitar is so unique that it deserve it's own video
Ibanez EHB basses...absolutely fabulous instruments. Kinda hard to find sometimes, but so worth the hunt and worthy of the hype over the SR basses.
As a machinist love 304 guitars! 304 is the type of stainless steel and it's incredibly difficult to machine but 304sst is used in the aerospace industry
This video is so useful, thank you so much for your work.
You can find amazing MIK Schecter super shredders on the used market for $300-400. They might need a setup but are insanely underrated.
Just a suggestio, how about "Overrated" guitars? There must be a few out there that just dont live up to the claims made for them. I dont mean some amatuer back street bodge job, the major manufactures produce "lemons" too, might be an interesting counterpoint to this most excellent video.
I just bought an ESP LTD EC-256FM. I don't see that one reviewed that much. Love to hear your opinion.
I have one... very playable weekend warrior axe but overall kind of mehhhh... not bad but not great
@@onefatstratcat I've had mine for a week or so. The only drawback I see is the nut. It's cheap plastic and cut a little too high for my preference. It's going to be replaced with a GraphTech but there's no urgency. Guitar comes with D'Adario 10-46. I like D'Adario for acoustics but the LTD is going to get strung up with my old standby LP GHS Boomers 9-42. My LPC loved those strings. I'm hoping the LTD will too.
I've got to say, I'm very impressed with this Chinese made guitar. I'd rate it road worthy right out of the box!
The shade being thrown at Gibson in this video makes me so happy 😊
Two brands that are sold at smaller stores but make instruments of a good quality are Johnson and Michael Kelly. I think every Johnson is either a remake of a Gibson or Fender but comparable if not better than the Squier or Epiphone in the same price range. The Michael Kelly's go from copies to pseudo new styles of guitars with interesting pickup combinations, exotic woods and other features to keep them in business despite no advertising or internet presence.
Missing from many lists like this are Hagstrom which get no love. Vikings are nice but I first laid my hands (albeit on the small side) on a then new Swede back in the 70’s-it stood out among a host of LP impersonators (most of which were much better than Gibson was turning out at the time) including the Electra which are highly sought after. Fast forward to 2011, saw and played a brand new Ultra Swede jet black and well you can guess the rest of the story.
Hey Darrell! An idea.
What if several guitar related TH-camrs can come to a friendly agreement and do a series of videos featuring underrated guitars.
Like 10 TH-camrs showcase a Godin Radium on their channels. Their next vids show d’Angelico Bedford.
And so on.
The combined audience is thus quite big!
I love watching your channel. You are awesome Darrell. Very quality videos great information and I love to watch you play of course. Thank you for all your great videos
Great video, interesting that the Sire (under $700 USD) has S/S frets while other brands at 3 to 5x's the price are N/S. After playing for over 40 years having S/S frets matter. I don't care "how experienced" the luthier or if you do it yourself the neck can do unwelcome things when you pull and insert replacement frets. Eart can produce entry level models for well under $300, and remember that 1/4 of that price is shipping. Even with labor rates and upgraded HW, USA/Canadian producers should be able to produce a solid guitar for under $1200 with S/S frets. Can't wait for Sire, Cort, and Ibanez to fix their supply issues. I'm done with overpriced guitars. Anyone interested in a Strat or LP with worn frets..... lol...
Cort need a shout out. Acoustic or electric… decently priced for most part. Always under the radar in vids like this
though out of date with the scope of this great review I always found late 90's High end Yamaha Pacificas to be incredible and under rated
One of the best guitars I’ve owned was a Brian Moore C90/C90P. Not the “i” guitars, I’m talking the made in USA models. Impeccable quality and impeccable playing. They’re not cheap, but I don’t think Brian is making them anymore.
I own a Heritage H150...Amayzeballz. I own a Gibson 50s standard and an epiphone currently... the Heritage is in my hands the most often
I bought my grandson a Schecter for Christmas that looks a lot like the double cutaway but thinner. I bought Schecter because of Nick Johnston. It is a beautiful guitar in dark green
I bought a Shijie based on your review and it’s probably the nicest guitar I’ve ever owned and I’ve had American and Mexican Fenders.
Reverend guitars are well made and beautiful to play - I just picked up an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson 61 LP SG. I am loving it -
You should also look at Pensa guitars. Mark Knopfler used one in the 1980s. Originally built by Johs Suhr himself until he and Pensa parted ways.
I was considering a G&L at one point, but they are hard to find around here.
I would have trouble buying a guitar without trying it out.
But I did find a few that were nice.
Shout out to Tagima and Reverend guitars, they are excellent in quality and usually mid range in price. Definitely deserved to be on this list.
Schecter hollow? I have to check that out. Another excellent video big guy
Charbonneau Guitars here in Quebec, Canada. Small shop, fantastic hand built guitars and basses!