After I heard Cordy play this, I went out and bought the exact pink guitar and purple amp, as I always buy everything Cordy demo's...becuase I want to sound like John Nathan Cordy. What I can't figure out is that despite owning everything he has ever demo'd I still don't sound anything like him...
I was a primary school teacher who taught kids to play guitar. I had to start saying to parents that I would buy a guitar for their kid and they pay me back because of the number of children coming to lessons with terrible guitars. Kids were far more likely to stick with lessons if the guitar was setup well and sounded good. As you said, a Squire or Pacifica costs a bit more but is so much better. I’ve gigged with a Squire Strat! Paying a little more gets a guitar that you could stick with for years. The other thing with real cheap guitars is they have no resale value. Buying a Squire will get you a reasonable resale price so if you or your child doesn’t find guitar is for you you’ve probably lost the same amount as buying a real cheap guitar and throwing it away!
My first guitar was an acoustic with high action and rusty strings. But I was 10 years old and didn’t understand how bad it was. I finally had a guitar ! I eventually got better guitars but I still have this one 50 years later.
When my daughter asked for a guitar I got her a Squier Bullet Mustang, full size but short scale, hard tail bridge and 2 humbuckers, it’s a great starter instrument. She doesn’t play it much but that’s another story…
Imagine being a total beginner and sounding kinda bad no matter what, and then being stuck with a complete dog guitar that won't sound good no matter what. That's just gonna like... I mean, get this for your kid if you want to make sure they lose interest in playing guitar in 2 hours tops, and you get to enjoy continued peace and quiet at home.
You should have seen the second hand wreck I started on. The cheapest Kay acoustic with basically unplayable action and literally rusty strings. I didn't really even know enough to change the strings. Bloody fingers until the callouses developed. After that, getting an entry level Yamaha was heaven. Then, in a few years, a Gibson J-50, which I still have.
This proves that you could string up a rake, and the reception would go on as scheduled. LOL. My first electric was a $90 Epiphone that shredded my fingers and put me off guitar, again. But I traded it for a year-old PRS SE Standard 245, and now I have six more, including its replacement, a Les Paul Modern Figured.
John, I've been wanting to tell you something for ages. You literally have a doppelganger from the Boston, Massachusetts area. I grew up with him, and his name is Dave. He has a very common Irish last name that I won't share for privacy reasons, but the resemblance is more than eerily similar. It's twin-like. He lives across the country now, but I took a screenshot of your video once and sent it to his older brother, and he was literally gobsmacked. Dave doesn't play guitar, but he's one of the best graffiti artists I've ever seen. I wouldn't have made this comment if it was just someone you kind of look like. I watch every video you post, and the thought crosses my mind every time. Anyway, I'm a big fan of you're channel and you're playing. Cheers.
People are so lucky these days in that there are loads of affordable playable guitars available, for example Squire CV's, Epiphone Les Pauls, etc, etc. When I started playing in the 70s most "affordable" guitars were similar to the one you've just played, and the only other option was to save up for a US Fender or Gibson (this obviously changed when Japanese guitars such as Ibanez started to become available).
Though I would never choose that guitar, even for a beginner, we are still in a gold time for beginners. Really well made guitars can be had for even less than 200.00. I've seen reputable players pull a bullet guitar and lay down amazing tracks. Last year, I picked up the PRS 594 SE for 600.00. I will never outgrow that guitar.
My first was a Hoyer LP-style. I was 16yo and it was "just a guitar" I could afford then. Now, 40 years later, I realize what a fine instrument it is. Still got it.
My first guitar was a cheap steel string acoustic susuki, and I was so guitar mad I was happy just to have an instrument. The guitar itself,was dreadfull to play and horrible sounding, but I was so overjoyed I didn't care. Most " normal" people would be put off by buying, or being given a horrible guitar like this though, and well meaning parents are often ignorant of just how bad some instruments are ( and not even just the cheap ones) Even Doyle Dykes says that if you're buying a guitar, especially for a beginner, just get a decent one... not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either, or you risk putting the keen beginner off for life. When you start, you don't know anything about how guitars can be set up or even tuned, so if a tuner is not bought at the same time, any internal sense of music that the poor kid has will be dragged through tuneless wasteland of disappointment and frustration, and it's not surprising that many just put them aside, and because they can't really be sold for anything much, they'll probably end up in a skip. I was so motivated that I overcsme all the frustrations of using a cheap horrible instrument very quickly. Even ending up almost in tears , sitting at the piano, trying to tune the thing, couldn't stop me from persevering until I could buy myself a slightly better instrument, but most people would just give up, and that makes me sad. Here in NZ, our dollar is worth about half a pound, and often when people approach me in live situations asking advice on what guitar to buy, I tell them ( speaking of acoustics) to spend at least $400 to $500 dollars on their first instrument, even when some are available for only $150 to $200. That way they will get somthing at least that will be reasonable, and if they change their minds about learning , they can pass it on to a family member or friend, and it will still be of some use. Also I advise them to check the " action" of the string height ( which I have to explain to them) and if it isn't good, to ask the shop to adjust it before buying. Most dhops here won't do this unless they have to because they're just lazy and irresponsible, and people are ignorant of the need to. A heavy action, a lack of a tuner, and a bad tone are the biggest things that discourage beginners, especially young kids. I agree that if you're buying them an electric as their first guitar ( which is as wierd as learning how to run before you can walk), of course a good amp is often overlooked as an essential part of the system, and I agree that a decent small amp should be the least they should consider.... but retailers often have no ethical concerns about selling absolute crap to ignorant customers, so it's a hard thing for buyers who are ignorant of the minimum requirements of a complete guitar system.
Great Day Tripper riff at the end! My granddaughter (who’s three and a half) would approve of the pink and purple color scheme. She will be in need, in another year to two) of a “STARTER GUITAR SHOOTOUT.”
The jet jt300 and js300 are amazing, and I’ve had great success with the Harley Benton te-62 and equivalent Strat. You don’t need to spend more than £140 to have a guitar that will do you for years.
my first guitar was a 1978 ibanez les paul copy. i still own it today. i refinished it myself and replaced the neck. ill never sell it. its a fav of mine.
I just realised that you’ve become really good at recording guitar speakers. That sound you’re getting from that tiny piece of crap doesn’t make it sound expensive, but neither does it sound harsh. It sounds like a crappy little thing was recorded really well
My first electric 1963/4…a Futurama…had 3 rocker switches as well as volume and tone controls…think it had another couple of slidie switches too. First day I had it (Christmas day ) was taking it to my mates to have a play , he was a keyboard player,, anyhoo..was going through a park with the guitar in a bin bag, and had to cross a small river by way of a wooden bridge…which was covered in snow, yep…did the full face plank on top of the guitar…when I looked in the bin back the guitar was perfectly fine…lol…had a neck like a tree trunk.
Now John, mercy, mercy on this piece off wood! Its an expensive way to start your campfire but the crispy sound of the burning wood is fantastic! ♨️♨️♨️
I'm sitting here listening to this video holding one of my 2 Yamaha SE 150's which I paid $60 dollars each for about 15 years ago. They were a bottom of the line budget ax for Yamaha back in the 80's (one humbucker and one volume control only.) The fact that I can afford to play any guitar of my choosing and I choose to play these says a lot about Yamahas' quality from that decade. I've been searching for a better fit for myself for years but the search seems near impossible. I've played plenty of high dollar Strats, Les Paul's, etc. but can't wait to get back home to playing something that fits me like a glove. The lack of options on these guitars is a plus for me. I've had a custom Strat that's been sitting in a closet nearly untouched for all the years I've owned these 2 cheap electrics. To each their own I suppose.
To be fair, the guitar needs a proper Setup. All the Saddles appear to be in a line, meaning it, or even the most expensive guitar, will not intonate correctly. The action may need to be adjusted, if the strings are too high or low. The Pickups probably need to be raised as well to provide a more robust sound. Even a great guitar with a terrible setup will sound like trash.
Got my daughter a squier mini, and it's got a similar feeling in terms of having intonation issues. An exactly priced donner hush X, though, is priced similarly, but plays at least 5x better -- we ended up using that for her practice since it's light enough.
My first was a Yamaha electric with two humbuckers. I think it was 200 bucks new. I don't remember it being as awful as the thing you're playing here and it was playable enough to make me want to always pick it up. You make a really good point here - paying a little more could really make a kid want to continue on with guitar while something super cheap to 'test the waters' for a kid might completely turn them off by being almost unplayable even for a pro. My kids are little and I got them an Ibanez Mikro and a mini Jackson thing almost as props at this point because their hands are too small to really do any playing. Those guitars are kind of like this - never in tune at any point anywhere on the neck. When they're a little bigger I'll probably get them a Mexican made strat on the used market for cheap.
Trust me, there was some horrendous guitars in the late 70s early 80s for a beginner if you couldn't stretch to some more up market MIJ stuff like the lawsuit gear or the Ibanez Aria. With the likes of Harley Benton and the Squire stuff to name just two there is absolutely no excuse to buy this awful throwaway crap now.
I don’t think I would have continued playing guitar for long, if my parents had bought that guitar for me. It’s more than the intonation. It’s as if the fret spacing is all wrong. And, growing up, I loved watching American videos featuring Candy. Ruined it…
I was about to say that not even John Cordy can make this toaster sound good, but it sort of naturally has that lo-fi, AM radio with a bit of worn-out vinyl sound. I wouldn't call it good per se, but it could be a cool intro for a song that you wouldn't need to high pass 😂. My issue with the super cheap guitars is the playability and general set up. The bridge blocks are all lined up, which already suggests it isn't intonated. I'd bet the nut slots aren't right either. Generally making for a bad playing experience for anyone new, and likely pretty discouraging if chords or the basics never sound right. My first guitar was a garage sale Ibanez but I don't remember much about it. Never really played it and didn't get lessons. Eventually got a Mexican Pbass in the 90s and got lessons for that. Moved to guitar eventually but still have my old bass
First guitar on the cheap I might have purchased a Squier Debut cause if your niece becomes less interested at least resale on the Squier might have been easier...
Always spend on the amp. I don't think there is much difference between a £250 and 700 guitar anymore. I used to work in a guitar shop where we set up all of our starter packs, and it made a huge difference. Tbh, it made huge commercial sense as we built customer loyalty. We always tried to get new players to look at s/h amps, and we had loads of traded in Marshall MGs, which were fine for learners. HB,Jet ,Fazley all make decent guitars in the £200 range. My first guitar was a Satellite Les Paul.
Doesn't sound unbearable, but there are those Amazon Debutes. If this needs a setup, nut and fret job, and a set of tuning machines, we are some way into Ibanez AZES territory. I feel sorry for the poor trees.
Started on a Kay acoustic which was bought from Boots (yes!) for I think £15 in 1974. Wasn't too bad......unlike my first electric a Columbus Les Paul which was awful....amazed I persevered. Yes, go with a Squire, second hand even and will then probably hold at least some of its value....along with a little Katana probably. Still have my first amp, a Marshall Mercury combo......great little starter amp.
Proof were it needed that it's all in the fingers. I think you might be one of the very few who could get a tune out of this. Bravo, sir. Bravo. My first electric - after the obligatory Spanish nylon strung classical - was something called a Vox AC Stroller. It would've give this a run for its money in the crappiness stakes.
From just seeing the guitar in the video, I can see that the intonation is not adjusted. This would make it play and sound a lot better. Not great, but make it semi acceptable. But the person that would purchase this would not bother paying for a setup. It's a shame, that alone could push a beginner away after trying to learn.
My first was a Series 10. I got it in 1990. It was a knockoff of the Jackson S type guitars. Mine looks just like the one Robert Baker has been using in some recent videos. Black with what looks like yellow lightning, but it all connects together. Don’t know what that design would be called. 😄 It was a great beginner guitar, but I got it and a decent Peavey amp for $100, from a friend’s older brother. I played it for a few years, before I got a Peavey Predator, which were made in the U.S. Strats, but they were cheaper than Fenders, and I found one that felt just as good as the Fenders I was debating getting. Had it and a Les Paul Studio for many years. Peavey Predators are only $250-500 used. Maybe they were a scam, and not made in the U.S., but I still have mine, and the pickups are a bit hotter than my main guitar, but if it plays like mine, it would be a great beginner guitar. I think one should get a cheap acoustic as well. Learn to fret a low end acoustic, and it makes electric guitar necks feel buttery. I carried around a cheap acoustic, though it stayed in tune, for many years, just as a guitar one won’t be heartbroken to lose, or break. Playing that thing really got my fingers strong and dexterous.
My first guitar was in the 70s, a tele copy made by Avon. It was sold by Woolworths, £34.99. I had to save up for two months to buy it. I also bought an amp from Woolworths. It was called Audition, and was 3 watts! Cost £12. I progressed on to a 20watt Audition then a 50 watt Audition. All of it worked ok for learning and gigging in London for a couple of years. I assume it wasn’t very good, but I didn’t know any better then.
Probably felt like crap to play but amped up properly it sounded quite good. Trouble is beginners can't play around problems with a guitar and will just get turned off. The amp sounded like shite.
The step up from a good squire to an average fender not that much The step up from an PRs se to a PRs s2 (2024) massive I’m to broke to go beyond that lol
@johnnathancordy Haha.. you should take it to your next gig with Jake, along with that crappy amp, just as a prank. Set it up and see what your mates say. lol!
Tonewood is not a myth because it’s a strawman. If you can’t hear a difference between a solid mahogany guitar and a poplar one with the exact same electronics, I feel sorry for you. I can. In fact it’s pretty easy to hear the difference even though it’s subtle. I’ve had audience members remark on the difference. Drummers also. I built both with the same pickups. The myth is that everybody has good ears for guitar tone. AFAIC, this whole debate is haters hatin’ on good players with good ears.
![The Problem With Rotary Speaker Simulator Pedals [And What We Can Do About It]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/l1lYimwbS1c/mqdefault.jpg)
After I heard Cordy play this, I went out and bought the exact pink guitar and purple amp, as I always buy everything Cordy demo's...becuase I want to sound like John Nathan Cordy. What I can't figure out is that despite owning everything he has ever demo'd I still don't sound anything like him...
I was a primary school teacher who taught kids to play guitar. I had to start saying to parents that I would buy a guitar for their kid and they pay me back because of the number of children coming to lessons with terrible guitars. Kids were far more likely to stick with lessons if the guitar was setup well and sounded good. As you said, a Squire or Pacifica costs a bit more but is so much better. I’ve gigged with a Squire Strat! Paying a little more gets a guitar that you could stick with for years. The other thing with real cheap guitars is they have no resale value. Buying a Squire will get you a reasonable resale price so if you or your child doesn’t find guitar is for you you’ve probably lost the same amount as buying a real cheap guitar and throwing it away!
My first guitar was an acoustic with high action and rusty strings. But I was 10 years old and didn’t understand how bad it was. I finally had a guitar ! I eventually got better guitars but I still have this one 50 years later.
When my daughter asked for a guitar I got her a Squier Bullet Mustang, full size but short scale, hard tail bridge and 2 humbuckers, it’s a great starter instrument. She doesn’t play it much but that’s another story…
That guitar will never forget being rogered by a master
Tell me you're British without saying you're British!! 😂😂😂
‘Rogered’ has to be one of the best verbs out there.
I didn't see his face but his arm had a tassel on it.
@@troyrahnedir I'm not sure what the guitar expected, painted like that
Imagine being a total beginner and sounding kinda bad no matter what, and then being stuck with a complete dog guitar that won't sound good no matter what. That's just gonna like... I mean, get this for your kid if you want to make sure they lose interest in playing guitar in 2 hours tops, and you get to enjoy continued peace and quiet at home.
Excellent !
86 / 5 000
Follow-up question: what is this bracelet you are wearing in your latest videos?
You should have seen the second hand wreck I started on. The cheapest Kay acoustic with basically unplayable action and literally rusty strings. I didn't really even know enough to change the strings. Bloody fingers until the callouses developed. After that, getting an entry level Yamaha was heaven. Then, in a few years, a Gibson J-50, which I still have.
This proves that you could string up a rake, and the reception would go on as scheduled. LOL. My first electric was a $90 Epiphone that shredded my fingers and put me off guitar, again. But I traded it for a year-old PRS SE Standard 245, and now I have six more, including its replacement, a Les Paul Modern Figured.
John, I've been wanting to tell you something for ages. You literally have a doppelganger from the Boston, Massachusetts area. I grew up with him, and his name is Dave. He has a very common Irish last name that I won't share for privacy reasons, but the resemblance is more than eerily similar. It's twin-like. He lives across the country now, but I took a screenshot of your video once and sent it to his older brother, and he was literally gobsmacked. Dave doesn't play guitar, but he's one of the best graffiti artists I've ever seen. I wouldn't have made this comment if it was just someone you kind of look like. I watch every video you post, and the thought crosses my mind every time. Anyway, I'm a big fan of you're channel and you're playing. Cheers.
Try to get a photo or video of him!!! Cheers!!!
@brianmiller3287 you can't post that stuff on TH-cam. If John wants me to send a pic directly to him, I'd be glad to.
People are so lucky these days in that there are loads of affordable playable guitars available, for example Squire CV's, Epiphone Les Pauls, etc, etc. When I started playing in the 70s most "affordable" guitars were similar to the one you've just played, and the only other option was to save up for a US Fender or Gibson (this obviously changed when Japanese guitars such as Ibanez started to become available).
Though I would never choose that guitar, even for a beginner, we are still in a gold time for beginners. Really well made guitars can be had for even less than 200.00. I've seen reputable players pull a bullet guitar and lay down amazing tracks. Last year, I picked up the PRS 594 SE for 600.00. I will never outgrow that guitar.
Like Jack Pearson. Yes, I've played entry level Corts that were surprisingly nice. Make enough guitars and some of them will turn out good.
Sounds like a '59.
1859.
My first was a Hoyer LP-style. I was 16yo and it was "just a guitar" I could afford then. Now, 40 years later, I realize what a fine instrument it is. Still got it.
My first guitar was a cheap steel string acoustic susuki, and I was so guitar mad I was happy just to have an instrument. The guitar itself,was dreadfull to play and horrible sounding, but I was so overjoyed I didn't care. Most " normal" people would be put off by buying, or being given a horrible guitar like this though, and well meaning parents are often ignorant of just how bad some instruments are ( and not even just the cheap ones) Even Doyle Dykes says that if you're buying a guitar, especially for a beginner, just get a decent one... not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either, or you risk putting the keen beginner off for life. When you start, you don't know anything about how guitars can be set up or even tuned, so if a tuner is not bought at the same time, any internal sense of music that the poor kid has will be dragged through tuneless wasteland of disappointment and frustration, and it's not surprising that many just put them aside, and because they can't really be sold for anything much, they'll probably end up in a skip. I was so motivated that I overcsme all the frustrations of using a cheap horrible instrument very quickly. Even ending up almost in tears , sitting at the piano, trying to tune the thing, couldn't stop me from persevering until I could buy myself a slightly better instrument, but most people would just give up, and that makes me sad. Here in NZ, our dollar is worth about half a pound, and often when people approach me in live situations asking advice on what guitar to buy, I tell them ( speaking of acoustics) to spend at least $400 to $500 dollars on their first instrument, even when some are available for only $150 to $200. That way they will get somthing at least that will be reasonable, and if they change their minds about learning , they can pass it on to a family member or friend, and it will still be of some use. Also I advise them to check the " action" of the string height ( which I have to explain to them) and if it isn't good, to ask the shop to adjust it before buying. Most dhops here won't do this unless they have to because they're just lazy and irresponsible, and people are ignorant of the need to. A heavy action, a lack of a tuner, and a bad tone are the biggest things that discourage beginners, especially young kids. I agree that if you're buying them an electric as their first guitar ( which is as wierd as learning how to run before you can walk), of course a good amp is often overlooked as an essential part of the system, and I agree that a decent small amp should be the least they should consider.... but retailers often have no ethical concerns about selling absolute crap to ignorant customers, so it's a hard thing for buyers who are ignorant of the minimum requirements of a complete guitar system.
I dare you to gig with it 😆
Great Day Tripper riff at the end! My granddaughter (who’s three and a half) would approve of the pink and purple color scheme. She will be in need, in another year to two) of a “STARTER GUITAR SHOOTOUT.”
My nephew is 3 and will be in the same boat here soonish. I'll probably recommend the taylor big baby to his parents personally.
@@eliasthury425 What a great way to get started!
The jet jt300 and js300 are amazing, and I’ve had great success with the Harley Benton te-62 and equivalent Strat. You don’t need to spend more than £140 to have a guitar that will do you for years.
my first guitar was a 1978 ibanez les paul copy. i still own it today. i refinished it myself and replaced the neck. ill never sell it. its a fav of mine.
I just realised that you’ve become really good at recording guitar speakers. That sound you’re getting from that tiny piece of crap doesn’t make it sound expensive, but neither does it sound harsh. It sounds like a crappy little thing was recorded really well
My first electric 1963/4…a Futurama…had 3 rocker switches as well as volume and tone controls…think it had another couple of slidie switches too. First day I had it (Christmas day ) was taking it to my mates to have a play , he was a keyboard player,, anyhoo..was going through a park with the guitar in a bin bag, and had to cross a small river by way of a wooden bridge…which was covered in snow, yep…did the full face plank on top of the guitar…when I looked in the bin back the guitar was perfectly fine…lol…had a neck like a tree trunk.
…still kick myself for selling off the Roadstar IIs I had growing up😢
Those had such great headstocks too!
Now John, mercy, mercy on this piece off wood! Its an expensive way to start your campfire but the crispy sound of the burning wood is fantastic! ♨️♨️♨️
I'm sitting here listening to this video holding one of my 2 Yamaha SE 150's which I paid $60 dollars each for about 15 years ago. They were a bottom of the line budget ax for Yamaha back in the 80's (one humbucker and one volume control only.) The fact that I can afford to play any guitar of my choosing and I choose to play these says a lot about Yamahas' quality from that decade. I've been searching for a better fit for myself for years but the search seems near impossible. I've played plenty of high dollar Strats, Les Paul's, etc. but can't wait to get back home to playing something that fits me like a glove. The lack of options on these guitars is a plus for me. I've had a custom Strat that's been sitting in a closet nearly untouched for all the years I've owned these 2 cheap electrics. To each their own I suppose.
Looks like John might have found your next Ax for you! 🤘🏼👍
@@TeleTonemonkey LOL !! I'm in it, on it and all over it.
To be fair, the guitar needs a proper Setup. All the Saddles appear to be in a line, meaning it, or even the most expensive guitar, will not intonate correctly. The action may need to be adjusted, if the strings are too high or low. The Pickups probably need to be raised as well to provide a more robust sound. Even a great guitar with a terrible setup will sound like trash.
Got my daughter a squier mini, and it's got a similar feeling in terms of having intonation issues.
An exactly priced donner hush X, though, is priced similarly, but plays at least 5x better -- we ended up using that for her practice since it's light enough.
My first was a Yamaha electric with two humbuckers. I think it was 200 bucks new. I don't remember it being as awful as the thing you're playing here and it was playable enough to make me want to always pick it up. You make a really good point here - paying a little more could really make a kid want to continue on with guitar while something super cheap to 'test the waters' for a kid might completely turn them off by being almost unplayable even for a pro. My kids are little and I got them an Ibanez Mikro and a mini Jackson thing almost as props at this point because their hands are too small to really do any playing. Those guitars are kind of like this - never in tune at any point anywhere on the neck. When they're a little bigger I'll probably get them a Mexican made strat on the used market for cheap.
Haha! That guitar deffo put some sass into your playing- I think there’s room for one guitar solo with that set up in a career- that’s it.
Trust me, there was some horrendous guitars in the late 70s early 80s for a beginner if you couldn't stretch to some more up market MIJ stuff like the lawsuit gear or the Ibanez Aria. With the likes of Harley Benton and the Squire stuff to name just two there is absolutely no excuse to buy this awful throwaway crap now.
Sounds like they didn't use wood for this guitar but made of the plastic soup in the oceans...
Sounds like it has a rubber bridge, which is actually quite trendy these days in the folk community :)
I don’t think I would have continued playing guitar for long, if my parents had bought that guitar for me. It’s more than the intonation. It’s as if the fret spacing is all wrong.
And, growing up, I loved watching American videos featuring Candy. Ruined it…
I concur... Some early Beatles gigs immediately came to mind.
I was about to say that not even John Cordy can make this toaster sound good, but it sort of naturally has that lo-fi, AM radio with a bit of worn-out vinyl sound. I wouldn't call it good per se, but it could be a cool intro for a song that you wouldn't need to high pass 😂. My issue with the super cheap guitars is the playability and general set up. The bridge blocks are all lined up, which already suggests it isn't intonated. I'd bet the nut slots aren't right either. Generally making for a bad playing experience for anyone new, and likely pretty discouraging if chords or the basics never sound right.
My first guitar was a garage sale Ibanez but I don't remember much about it. Never really played it and didn't get lessons. Eventually got a Mexican Pbass in the 90s and got lessons for that. Moved to guitar eventually but still have my old bass
First guitar on the cheap I might have purchased a Squier Debut cause if your niece becomes less interested at least resale on the Squier might have been easier...
Always spend on the amp. I don't think there is much difference between a £250 and 700 guitar anymore. I used to work in a guitar shop where we set up all of our starter packs, and it made a huge difference.
Tbh, it made huge commercial sense as we built customer loyalty.
We always tried to get new players to look at s/h amps, and we had loads of traded in Marshall MGs, which were fine for learners.
HB,Jet ,Fazley all make decent guitars in the £200 range.
My first guitar was a Satellite Les Paul.
Doesn't sound unbearable, but there are those Amazon Debutes. If this needs a setup, nut and fret job, and a set of tuning machines, we are some way into Ibanez AZES territory.
I feel sorry for the poor trees.
Started on a Kay acoustic which was bought from Boots (yes!) for I think £15 in 1974. Wasn't too bad......unlike my first electric a Columbus Les Paul which was awful....amazed I persevered.
Yes, go with a Squire, second hand even and will then probably hold at least some of its value....along with a little Katana probably. Still have my first amp, a Marshall Mercury combo......great little starter amp.
First guitar was a Jay Turser. I remember it doing the job. Pulled it out a few years back and oh boy. It was rough. 😂
Man.... That strap is the same as the very first strap i had for my acoustic guitar back in the 80s!
Marc Ribot needs one of these. Sounds ballsy.
John clutching his face in despair thumbnail strikes again 😂
My daughter would love that paint job, are you saying you can't set it up to play decent at all?
he is saying there are better options that won't discourage young players
Proof were it needed that it's all in the fingers. I think you might be one of the very few who could get a tune out of this. Bravo, sir. Bravo. My first electric - after the obligatory Spanish nylon strung classical - was something called a Vox AC Stroller. It would've give this a run for its money in the crappiness stakes.
From just seeing the guitar in the video, I can see that the intonation is not adjusted. This would make it play and sound a lot better. Not great, but make it semi acceptable. But the person that would purchase this would not bother paying for a setup. It's a shame, that alone could push a beginner away after trying to learn.
My first was a Series 10.
I got it in 1990. It was a knockoff of the Jackson S type guitars.
Mine looks just like the one Robert Baker has been using in some recent videos.
Black with what looks like yellow lightning, but it all connects together. Don’t know what that design would be called. 😄
It was a great beginner guitar, but I got it and a decent Peavey amp for $100, from a friend’s older brother.
I played it for a few years, before I got a Peavey Predator, which were made in the U.S. Strats, but they were cheaper than Fenders, and I found one that felt just as good as the Fenders I was debating getting.
Had it and a Les Paul Studio for many years.
Peavey Predators are only $250-500 used. Maybe they were a scam, and not made in the U.S., but I still have mine, and the pickups are a bit hotter than my main guitar, but if it plays like mine, it would be a great beginner guitar.
I think one should get a cheap acoustic as well. Learn to fret a low end acoustic, and it makes electric guitar necks feel buttery.
I carried around a cheap acoustic, though it stayed in tune, for many years, just as a guitar one won’t be heartbroken to lose, or break.
Playing that thing really got my fingers strong and dexterous.
Even though it was a$$, you could tell it was fun to play with the short scale length and thin strings.
Sounds like Lenny Kravitz on the song American woman
Is it bad that I prefer it to the PRS?
The quack in those single coils is impressive
But!!! My 17 yo daughter said: "That guitar is iconic!!!"
Sounded like the ‘dry’ section in Money by Pink Floyd.
Heavy compression and overdrive makes everything sound pretty much the same.
Sounds perfectly serviceable for single note lines! Chords on the other hand…
It has a distinct Jimi Hendrix sound, especially when out of tune! :)
My first guitar was in the 70s, a tele copy made by Avon. It was sold by Woolworths, £34.99. I had to save up for two months to buy it. I also bought an amp from Woolworths. It was called Audition, and was 3 watts! Cost £12. I progressed on to a 20watt Audition then a 50 watt Audition. All of it worked ok for learning and gigging in London for a couple of years. I assume it wasn’t very good, but I didn’t know any better then.
Probably felt like crap to play but amped up properly it sounded quite good. Trouble is beginners can't play around problems with a guitar and will just get turned off. The amp sounded like shite.
the cheap amps in those packages are more of a problem than the guitars
See, to me that looks exactly like a Fender custom shop (minus the stupid relic job) 🤷♂️
This is a good example of a pro player making any quality of instrument sound good 😀
It's the carpenter, not the hammer :)
It is not that bad at all, it just needs some basic tools, time and love and is ready to gig.
The step up from a good squire to an average fender not that much
The step up from an PRs se to a PRs s2 (2024) massive
I’m to broke to go beyond that lol
.... a vibe of its own
A wise man once said "there are thousands of valid guitar tones"
Gotta be a second hand classic vibe.. Strat.. Tele.. Even the basses are great..
That’s it. I quit.
The guitar sounds like lo-fi alternative rock from the 90s.
it would definitely have a use on a Jack White album.
that sounded so bad it almost sounded good lmao
@johnnathancordy Haha.. you should take it to your next gig with Jake, along with that crappy amp, just as a prank. Set it up and see what your mates say. lol!
Edge of breakup. Not the tone , the guitar..
same headstock shape as Harley Benton
At least have a go at intonating the bridge saddles properly.
Tonewood is a myth. I would never pay more than 50 bucks for a guitar. The difference is not big enough to justify the increase in price…😂
Tonewood is not a myth because it’s a strawman. If you can’t hear a difference between a solid mahogany guitar and a poplar one with the exact same electronics, I feel sorry for you. I can. In fact it’s pretty easy to hear the difference even though it’s subtle. I’ve had audience members remark on the difference. Drummers also. I built both with the same pickups. The myth is that everybody has good ears for guitar tone. AFAIC, this whole debate is haters hatin’ on good players with good ears.
@@TheMasonator777 Whoosh ….
you have found your next guitar then
J Cordy can make a pink Fart sound good!
Clearly made with PRS 'tonewood'
Should have bought a Harley Benton.
could'nt watch this to the end and it was'nt because of the guitar or the amp.
Proof that helix native can make anything sound awesome
I wouldn’t go quite that far. When the bar is set so low from the previous tones, it sounds “better” through Helix.
Tone is in the hands. You’ll get better 😂
matches your personality
Guitar shaped object.
Ooh, sounds lovely! 😂😂😂
Looks like a PRS…….kinda sounds like one too….
😂
LOL everyone is suddenly posting THIS NEEDS TO STOP videos
Hahaha lack of originality
🤣 finally found it 🚀
sounds good......yet sounds like shit
Nice color. It’s the first guitar you play that sounds like shit 😂
very cute guitar , not good for the ears ^^
This is one of the worst sounding cheap guitars ever. You tried to make it sound good.. tried!
John, did the guitar tell you what its pronouns are?
That strap sux, leave the cult out of your videos
My first was a Kay Les paul and a Kay 10watt practice amp which I always dimed (🥸) it felt great to me until I got an Aria pro ll..