I've owned cheap guitars my whole life a besides a jack or pu switch, they've stayed intact. ha, Arbor 'woodstock' strato hasn't needed anything (go to for Trower and such). Like Fifth Angel said "Time Will Tell".
Well I picked up a Silvertone Strat-style earlier. I guess I'll see what I paid for within a week. 🤞 Hoping its as good as some of the other budget guitars I've seen. If not, I can, always make it good 😁
VIDEO SECTIONS: 1. Unboxing the guitar! 2. Is it any good? - 3:00 3. What does it sound like? - 10:46 4. One minute solo - 13:54 5. Final Thoughts - 15:21 Enjoy!
An endoscope inspection camera costs about $35 (Amazon). They are small enough to go in the F holes. Most will hook up wirelessly to any device. The can also be found with LED lights mounted near the camera for use in small dark areas. Just thought you would like to know because I think it would be a lot easier than the mirror. Plus you can record the endoscope and edit the footage in your videos.
Just curious how much you paid for customs getting that shipped from California? I'm really considering buying one of these Indio's but I don't want to pay another $100 for customs...
I love how you don't artificially overreact to everything like "WOOOOOOW!" or "OMFG!" etc and take it cooler, this makes your channel much more pleasant to watch. The overreacting thing with people losing their minds over simple stuff is a terrible trend these days and i hope it will die off with the rise of quality content like yours. Thanks for the good work mate, awesome material as usual 👍
haha..you say people are overreacting and loosing their minds ??? I think you are overreacting with much exaggeration by saying that. people are not loosing their minds...which is impossible. They are just excited..But let me say that apparently you have a pet peve with people that say certain things that irritate you, ok we are all different but you must realize that everyone is not like you and not like me. Certain Things irritate lots of people but they don't make a big Fuss about it.
Even if you're a pro but perfect comment. Hard to become a pro if you can't afford an instrument. These less expensive instruments really help a lot of people.
Are you saying hobbyist shouldn't want finely crafted instruments?and a mass produced Ford Focus is certainly cheaper than a hand made Ferrari! Kind of like comparing a Kimball to a Steinway or Bosendorfer!
Can we just appreciate how amazing of a TH-cam Darrell is. He puts out interesting, entertaining and straight to the point videos. Every video of his is amazing and he deserves so many more subs. Great job Darrell👍
I like his vids and playing, but 'straight to the point ?' Hardly. I don't know why, like so many TH-camrs, he has to tell us what he is going to do just before he does it.
I am really not surprised how good that guitar sounds. They really nailed that tone with those pickups. No telling how their made. I played one of their strats and it sounded virtually indistinguishable from a real Fender American Deluxe through a Twin Reverb...
Great work, as always, DB. I’m guilty of this myself, but sometimes we need to look past the name on the headstock and realize that there are several ‘affordable’ options out there. “More expensive” doesn’t always means “better”. If you like the way it sounds and the way it plays, that’s all that matters. The Big brands don’t want you to know that. Keep rocking, Amigo!!
Wish the quality of guitars was like this when I was younger, my very first electric guitar was a Columbus plank of banana wood and sounded like a bag of crap
Exactly! My bandmate got a grey Columbus Semi (335, I suppose) and it fell over at our second rehearsal. Headstock was left lying loose on the floor, and the wood looked like balsa or matchwood. Goodbye!
in '74, minimum wage was $2/hr. My first bass cost me $40, used. It was short scale and had a particle board body that I spray painted every color of paint that my dad had. The neck was made of about 15 thin pieces of wood laminated together. Thankfully, I was finished with the painting phase of life when I started to get P-basses and a 4001. Has anyone put together one of those kit guitars???. I'm curious.
Columbus oh the memories... my first guitar was a Columbus Jazz bass. The neck was shaped like a banana. It was really hard to play, no one told me it was crap I just thought guitars were hard to play. Put me off for 25 years.
The real amazing things are the amps. Most experienced players know that you can make almost any $50 pawn shop guitar sound and play fine with an hour or two of work. The real sound comes from the amp. And there was nothing, I mean NOTHING like a $200 Boss Katana when we were kids. Nothing even remotely close.
When I was a kid years ago we would have loved to have a guitar like this for that price. As an adult I would love to have a guitar like this for that price. A little TLC would take this a long way.
Man looking at the vids you've done on the indios so far. They seem to be, for their price, pretty close to amazing. Would love to see this company grow and start just increasing the quality here and there. Would be great to be witnessing the budget days now of a company that could be a big name when my kids are my age. Crazy to think
Some other You Tube hosts pretend to review guitars, but they are really trying to sell them. Darrell's reviews are honest. I would feel confident to buy a guitar he gives a good review to.
With free or A grade maple and parts scrounged from around the shop - I'd have a tough time building that for $400 with no labor costs. Thats's pretty amazing.
I'm going to take this opportunity to brag about my love for the used market. I picked up an Epiphone ES 339 Pro used, with the hard shell case included, as well as an aftermarket set of P90's, for only $250. I really don't understand why some people strictly buy new guitars, when there are some amazing deals In the used market.
@Inbesuto Sirubesuto honestly most guitars I come across haven't even been gigged at all, and are usually in good or close to mint condition. I think you underestimate how much people care about their guitars lol
Don't think of it as buying someone's scratches and dings, think of it as getting an experienced guitar! I prefer used solid bodies as solid wood can be sanded and refinished to look any way you want. Not to mention if the electrics of the guitar are damaged, they can be upgraded easily.
If no-one bought new guitars there wouldn't be any used guitars for us to buy. I like used guitars as long as they haven't been abused. I don't mind if they've been well played and the finish is naturally wearing through in places. Normal dents and dings are ok with me. I don't like major buckle rash or some major repair. I also prefer stock pickups. The guitar could have been modified with aftermarket pickups at one time or other, so long as the originals are included in the sale.
I got mine for a chunk more, £300. Still happy It doesn’t say it’s a pro but it’s got the push pull features, so I’m not sure what it is. But it’s an Epi 339 alright
Part of the problem with getting second hand is that high end big brand guitars usually hold their value quite well I don’t think things like Ibanezes or GnLs do. So maybe that’s a route you can take
Everyone complaining about the “extreme” logo 😂. Just bust out your Sharpie . Then go to ebay and buy an Epiphone logo for 2$. Nobody’s gonna question an Epiphone . Probably made in the same factory anyways. Problem solved! 😂🤣
Why would you advertise another brand you're not even playing on? That makes no sense to me at all. It's also messed up to the original brand, they're already hardly known & yet you still suggest using their guitar to advertise a bigger company. I'd suggest a sticker you like with a picture or your name, paint your own design over it, or just cover it all black. 🤷♂️ There's more creative thing you could do rather than give someone free advertising lol
Thanks, Darrell, for these "unboxing" videos. I appreciate your consistency in presentation - makes for easy comparison. You clearly demonstrate that you are an authority on this subject. I am primarily a song writer in the CCM genre, not a regularly performing musician, so an expensive guitar has never made sense to me. Your tips and demos have helped me immensely to improve the inexpensive guitars I have, and given me valuable advice to consider about buying another guitar. For me - and I am sure you know what I am talking about - a new instrument is a source of inspiration for new sounds and new songs.
Hey Darrel, I'm from Brazil and I really love to see all these different guitars that you bring here to your chanel, I like to give you a suggestion, here in Brazil we have a brand called Tagima, wich have affordable guitars and some different guitars, two model I have in mind to suggest is the TW61, is a Jazzmaster like with some difference, and one exclusive model of Tagima named Tagima Jet Blues Deluxe, this one is more expensive but have a great look and I think you will like thouse! Cheers from Brazil!
Hi, I'm from Chile. Last time Tagima has brought here many models with good prices. These models, as Leandro says, are "emulations" of most of classic models, like strats, Les Paul's and other ones. Also, I realized that there's a line of "strats" with alnico pickups. I'd like to know more about the characteristics and quality of Tagima guitars, 'cause long time ago I want to purchase one strat with alnico single coils and I don't know if to wait for a Fender or buy something cheaper but with nice quality. I don't know if Tagima comes to North America, but it would be interesting that you could try one of these guitars. I love your channel. Greetings from Santiago.
i just visited brazil and played a few of those! i'm from the us and i'd be interesting to see what another american thinks of them. pretty good quality imo
This guy always puts out a great video. This guitar does come across as a fine item. Yes, the headstock logo needs to be redone but the resot of this guitar is wonderful. There are inexpensive guitars out there. This one is worth the a serious look.
I bought a similar priced "Grote" 335 style guitar and am quite impressed with the quality (flamed maple with purple dye and gold hardware). I added a Duesenberg gold flat arm tailpiece to the existing studs and "wow" what a performer! The fretwork was spot on and the finish was perfect. A great value.
@@ivandel7788 Just go to Amazon and enter Grote 335 style. I recommend the purple and gold finish version. If you want the Duesenberg gold flat arm tailpiece you will have to buy it separately from France (through Ebay) It takes about a month to receive it and costs $115.00, but is well worth it if you like using a Bigsby style tailpiece. And it looks great without any modifications to the guitar.
I remember the Squier 'Strat' but that was the 90s; it was the first one they made in China but reviewers said get the Korean one if you could afford it. (Never had one.)
Wow, it looks amazing. My friend ordered a Chinese 335 and was floored at the quality woodwork. The fretwork wasn't too bad. There was nothing a little touch-up didn't solve. The pickups weren't potted, but it didn't entirely suck. Was it worth the $300.? Absolutely. He had a set of Seymore Duncan pickups in a drawer and he installed new pots....and Gotoh tuners. Now, Bing, Bang, Boom!!! It's his #1 Gig guitar. And it sounds out blues like John Lee was on his shoulder!!
You can find really nice 9% tolerance 3/8 brass shaft vintage taper CTS pots at WD music. These are unusual because they have these in the small, as you would call them, dime-sized bodies. These are specifically made for putting through F holes where you have no back access or other guitars with small cavities such as ones that came from the factory with small pots and putting a large pot would be impossible because the holes are drilled too close to the edge of the cavity so even if you tried to enlarge the shaft holes the pot would hit the sides of the cavity. Full size pots would not fit unless you relocated the hole and that would be ugly cuz you ruin the front of your guitar. They're about $10 a piece, not expensive. God Bless You and Yourn!! Jimmy in NC....
It’s hilarious how amazing it looks and sounds! It doesn’t seem cheap. Just an off brand of great quality. I know Gibson is in trouble and sadly, I can see why. Not surprising though in this day and age. Without any more to say, I have to admit that it appears to be a great guitar at a really great price. I love my Epiphone Sheraton 2, though. And I am looking forward to buying my next guitar. I am getting a sweet Ibanez AM73B semi hollow beautiful beast of a guitar! On a side note, Squier has made some awesome guitars recently. The 70’s Vibe series of guitars and bass guitars are high quality. They are made in Indonesia. So I hope the people actually doing the work of making them are being treated better than my intuition tells me? I might have to check up on that? I bought a Strat for under $300, used and it impressed me. It was a pickup swap opportunity for me (hss) as it was great for the Dimebucker and two single coil Seymour Duncan’s to keep up with Dime. Plays great! Really smooth! 😁
-I looked at a VM thinline tele, and was very interested, but then noticed they've switched to poplar wood, and was very disappointed - also noticed the CV thinline tele's are made of Nato now - not familiar with Nato - not too sure about it, either
the reason that we will find decent objects for better prices is "probably" related to the idea that CDC machines and other computer assisted wood working machines are simply making such accurate cuts into wood that objects that need to fit precisely are fitting well. The end product can often be constructed to a higher level and since the machine does all the work, costs are lower.
A lot more guitar for the $200 than was available back in the 80's when I got my first electric. It's not a Gibson, but it's a very nice tone for the money. Nicely surprised.
Hi Darrell! I watch your videos and love everything you do! Have gotten a lot of great tips from your channel content. I get some of these guitar companies contacting me about doing reviews on their guitars(especially the inexpensive ones). So far I have turned them all down because the instruments that they offer are not ones that I would normally play. I have a lot of great inexpensive guitars, and every one of them is amazing. I just have not been offered any like them to review. Maybe someday. Thanks for what you do!
Dude u rock, too brother! Luv your Strat video! We have a Squire Grey mist 70's Strat which is a top top fave , ever. We played it out like 100 150 times in LA jam nights.
I would like to add my thanks to Darrell Braun guitars for these great videos. I have watched a number of them, and find them to be very informative, and very pleasantly constructed. Thanks very much for the effort you have put into this. Great job!
Daryl, it would be awesome if you'd compare this Indio to other low cost options like: Harley Benton, Grote, and Firefly. Great content. Love your channel!
Love your videos, playing, and positive attitude. Something to take in consideration about those fret ends before dressing, i would recommend humidifying for 24 hours first. Many imports are made in high humidity climates, and often in travel or storage, a lack of humidity can cause the untreated fretboard wood to shrink very slightly. Sometimes just a day in a humidified room is all it needs. It’s not 100%, but i’ve seen it happen. Cheers and keep up the great work.
Its as much of a masterpiece as your kitchen toaster and most likely comes out of the same factory. You need a lot to learn about guitars and what a musical instrument is. I hope you are only a little kid making this statement. I'll give you a pass.
@@zacharyhandcraftedguitars Ha ha ... butt hurting a bit eh ? Yes it IS a MASTERPIECE , especially against the silly high price of anything you'd be struggling to make . Who's the "little kid " crying ?
@@tonedriverss8629 What a stupid statement you made. You are only defending your own incompetence and ignorance. Yes, creating anything by hand is a struggle and why its so rewarding. Try it sometime if you were only capable.
With many of these instruments, once the manufacturer has reached a certain scale, it seems that they generally reach what I would call an acceptable quality level despite their price tag meaning that if you are willing to spend a little time sharpening up the fine details such as the smoothness of the frets and a general setup you actually end up with quite a nice instrument and/or modding platform.
Got myself one of these on your recommendation. Cleaned it up a bit gave the frets a polish. A nice cheap guitar. Sure the headstock logo isn’t great but it plays fine. 👍
Darrell Braun honestly for my love of music , you are the most knowledgeable and interesting musician I've watched on TH-cam . I started when I was 5 . My great grandfather who played 7 Instruments Taught me How to play The harpsichord 1st . Then I started playing the acoustic guitar . I got my dads 59 Les Paul . I can only play Gibsons ,but Listening to you play various guitars I just went out and bought a super strat with EMGS and Floyd rose Bridge This thing sounds amazing. And if it wasn't for your show I wouldn't have ever tried playing anything but Gibson Thanks for all your videos You're very intelligent that's What I like about Hearing you speak and watching you play the The lesser expensive guitars Thanks And Take care .
I've bought 2 of their guitars, immediately replaced the tuners with guitar fetish, filed the nut down with a guitar string, polished the frets, and they turned out amazing. I'd buy another in a heartbeat!
@@caseylee12 Sort of Yes. The more educated and intelligent people are the more they will appreciate my work. However its irrelevant because working full time I can only make one guitar per month. For me its art and I do it becuase I need to create. Sort of like why YOU play the guitar. I hope.
@@caseylee12 The reason you are not rich is becuase Western manufacturing was hijacked and taken to the 3rd world where the slave labor is. At the same time making your own labor worthless. Hence a shiny object fed back to you, which is practically worthless.
How? Because the finish looks nice? What about the build quality, wood used, and the many parts used to make it work? Are they also just cheap knockoffs too? No, American made interment companies aren’t afraid of these cheap knockoffs as they know these things will always be worthless the moment someone buys one! No matter how well you think it’s put together the fact remains this thing is a Chinese mass production slave labor guitar and it’ll never be a prized possession of any collection!
Darrell - I found the official specs for the Indio Boardwalk (from the Boardwalk manual). Here they are (and the body and top ARE maple, as is the neck. Pretty fantastic deal - thanks for your usual thorough review! Bart Brown Model 610502 Color Trans Red Number of Strings 6 Body Style Double‑cutaway semi hollow body Orientation Right Top Material Maple Body Material Maple Fretboard Material Rosewood Neck Material Maple Nut 43x3 mm bone Neck Construction Set‑in Neck Shape C Fretboard Radius 350mm Scale 628mm scale Number of Frets 22 Frets Size 2.6mm Pickups HH ‑ Ceramic, 9.5K (N), 11.6K (B)
I gotta wonder if some of these sellers know who's buying the guitar and try to at least pick the best in stock to send. Darrell's name was printed on a big sticker right on the box. Judging by the reviews on the Monoprice website, not everyone has as nice an experience as he seems to so far. That said, they wouldn't do anything you cant do yourself at home to clean up the guitar and, for the price, you should expect to do some clean up.
Love the look of this guitar... only thing is I wish they had more color options available. I think this would look good in in nice deep red or blue. But this does have me going online and looking for a 335 that would be in my price range
Adding the fact that your playing through one of my favorite KG amps I still was surprised at how chimie this guitar is. Totally agree that that head stock logo needs to be changed. If anything it's the only thing that makes this guitar look cheap.
Considering Brian May built his guitar from scrap wood sourced from old furniture and motorbike parts this is a step up. He also recorded a few popular songs with it.
Thanks for the review. It really amazes me how much quality and sound you get for "low end" money these days. Firefly, Orangewood, Indio etc. give damn good bang for the buck. If I got this Indo in my Christmas stocking I wouldn't turn up my nose at it for sure. And Darrell, I'd take your amp setup in a heartbeat as well. All the best to you. 😎🎸
There's nothing wrong with Alpha pots, I use them in all my guitars.... also on some builds I've had to use the smaller size so I can fit the controls close enough together and I don't notice any real difference in quality between them and the larger size so I'm not convinced of the 'upgrade' point on that either.
Guitar world is infected with certain notions that do not match the reality. Pots have to be big, capacitors have to be hand made by the virgins in the Swiss Alps, and the list goes on.
Agree that Alpha pots are actually very good. I’ve used Alpha in tube amp builds many times and I really like the durability. Also, the turning resistance of Alpha pots is very nice, not too hard or too easy. But...... there is a certain snobbery when it comes to pots in guitars. If it ain’t CTS, people will rip out good pots just to have that CTS look.
Really love the videos! I think it would be nice to also see some clips with afforable amps that would be more likely for someone starting out or on a budget that would most likely be using this range of guitar would have. Keep up the quality content!!
I'd go for the Epi 'dot'. I bought one when my 335 was in for neck repairs years ago and I thought it was great. I bought a black one but decided I needed a cherry one too.
Sometimes I wonder if the manufacturer know who they are sending the guitars to and give you tubers the best of the best and if I bought one I'd get a heap of plastic and strings. lol Idk
@@fabianvanderelst9643 ... I own an Indigo Classic and an Indigo Boardwalk Classic and they both came out of the box basically ready to play. A setup and intonation (replaced the tuners with Hotshot Locking Tuners) and they were good to go. A friend even borrowed the Classic for Surf-Nite at a local club and he wanted to buy it from me, told me to name my price!
I've got one of those Indio Boardwalk guitars just exactly like the one Darrell reviewed in this video, and I can tell you that mine is equally as beautiful and sounds as good as his does with only a few cosmetic issues. This guitar is well worth the money, and I personnally would highly recommend it.
@@DMSProduktions What exactly is your point? Always be clear. Are you denying that working for $1 hr is slave labor? Your alternative lifestyle reference is however very revealing.
That is a stunning looking 335. Harley Benton take note. I would so love this guitar, but impossible to get hold of in the UK. I would make it a project guitar. Swap the tuners, replace the nut with bone, smooth the frets, then overspray that god awful headstock and leave it plain black. I'm on a quest to get one. 🙏🙏🙏
I have an Epiphone 335 that I bought dirt cheap from a man that bought it to learn to play and obviously gave up! It had not been set up was virtually new! I set it up properly, put new strings on it, and this thing sounds and plays almost as good as my Gibson Les Paul, fun to play! Our group lead player stopped bringing his guitar when we practice st my house and he uses and loves the 335! I always enjoy your program and honest opinions, God bless! By the way, I got this guitar for $125 bucks!
They are not bad... but not great either. Some minor tuning before each session so far, but I’m still breaking it in so it may get better as I go. That is probably the weakest point on the guitar and really it’s not so bad. Like I said it’s just a surprising amount of value in this guitar
@@thatziggs4062 I purchased the yellow tele about 2 yr ago,I changed the tuners to locking ,the pu to tone riders with a 4 way parallel series switch and the saddles to block saddles from guitarfetish. Plays and sound great
Now you can't forget what the big boys over here did to make all of this happen! Back in the 70's when those imitations started rolling in Gibson and Fender both decided that if they couldn't beat them to join them! So they both went to China and set up entire factories to build cheaper versions of their own products. Then after awhile, probably due to certain boycotts and/or threats of boycotts, they left China and went to places like Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Japan and set up plants there as well. Well, when they left China, they also left all of that equipment and even design plans and a whole bunch of materials and so some business minded Chinese people started those factories back up and began selling those same guitars once authorized by Gibson and Fender back here to the US and eventually other people started doing the same. With a good CNC machine setup and those designs they can churn out a Les Paul or a Strat that is basically identical to Gibson and Fender, only they use cheaper hardware and electronics.
CNC saved their butts. They removed the human element from producing anything. Yet hilariously they all claim a the same time as being "hand crafted". Even the buffing is done by robot. This is great news for anyone who identifies as male and has no competence in making anything. You can all theoretically now be guitar builders. Like PRS the person. What you don't realize is these objects are lifeless and sterile, plastic covered. So you can never bod with it and actually like it.
As gorgeous as his tone always is with the high-end amps, I wonder what would this guitar would sound like with a solid state combo? Something like what most of us have in our bedrooms?
Instead of a new guitar you should be looking into a tube head.... They make the worst guitar sound great. The best guitar on an anolog or digital modeling amp amp can sound average at best
Not bad, not bad at all. The paint/clearcoat job is very good. Sounds great. I've owned several 335's and it's right there with the old Gibsons. And it's not hard to learn how to dress the fret ends and polish out the tool marks on the frets. All you need is a fret end dressing file ($15 at Stewmac) and a set of Micro-mesh polishing pads ($14 at Stewmac), a roll of masking tape and you're all set. There are lots of videos here and on Stewmac to learn how. Just don't go overboard to the point you've flattened the crown too much, and be sure to do each fret exactly the same. I actually count the number of strokes I use for each grit to keep everything level. (assuming it was to begin with). But you can fix a high fret with the micro mesh pads too. Since they are flexible, you can "bend" the pad over the fret so you don't flatten the crown. The micro mesh pads, going from 1500 to 12,000 grit, won't take off much metal and that's what you want. I always start at the highest grit I need to take out the tool marks, usually 4,000. You don't have to get out every tiny scratch at first because you're going to repeat the process as you go through the grit levels. By the time you get to 12,000 grit the frets and ends will look like fine jewelry and play like butter. Go pick up the cheapest guitar you can find, pawn shop junker, and practice on that first. It's a good skill to have, inexpensive and not hard to learn.
@Charles Pierce no trapezoid inlays on something like a Les Paul or block inlays like on this are just a “premium feature” as compared to dot inlays you usually. It doesn’t affect performance it just looks better
Super Bamse While I agree with you that there are some incredible budget guitars available these days, I think there is always going to be a need for the kind of quality and attention to detail that most of the high-end brands deliver with consistency. Tuners, pickups, durable frets, well-built switches-these are the things you may not be able to see but which can dramatically alter the feel and the sound of a quality instrument. (I’m not a high-end snob; I’ve got a wide range of guitars and enjoy them all.)
They aren't screwed. As the other comment stated there are plenty of budget options which are great, but there will always be a demand for high quality instruments which most hgih end brands produce with consistency.
There will always be pros and wealthy hobbyists who would never look at budget knockoffs in a million years. As for the budget market, this guitar will never take a huge chunk of sales away from the much more well done Epiphone Dot or Ibanez AS series guitars.
Hmmm. They couldn't spend $500 and do something more striking? But yeah, better than before. but the guitar otherwise looks great! I had good luck with "another brand" removing the logo with acetone... don't know if that will work here. and they are currently sold out of these.
I like the fact you start reviewing these guitars not hating them right from the start. A lot of reviews I have seen seem to hate the brand before they even open the box or pick a guitar apart before they even try it and when they do IMO they do not give it a very good review no matter how good it sounds and plays or seems to play on their channel. I was never big into the 335 style guitars until I saw a guy play one at a small gig a few years back it sounded amazing but he had tape over the logo so I was curious. After their set i talked to him and asked if I could try it he was cool with it and I just loved it. He took the tape off the logo and it was a Jay Turser! I was blown away because all i ever heard was nothing but trash talk about the brand. Later I had the chance to buy one of Jay Turser's Warlord guitars. A funky flying V style. I paid about $130.00 used for it and loved it. I have bought several JT guitars since LPs, Vs, another Warlord, a guitar shaped like a shark and eventually the 335 copy from the guy who's I tried at the club. That 335 clone is amazing. Once I got past the logo on the head stock I have found so many guitars I love I would never have considered in the past. I hope you keep up the reviews on these inexpensive guitars. I have 158 guitars in my collection and a majority are of off brands not many people have heard of. I have now considered a few you have reviewed!
First: love your channel! I'd feel more comfortable if you would tell us if they set the guitar free to you or if you purchased it anonymously. With your pull as a influencer, I assume you are more likely to get a prepped ringer than us civilians.
8:42 the taper you’re referring to are for logarithmic pots which are represented by the letter A. Those are usually installed as tone pots. Linear pots represented by the letter B are usually installed as volume pots. Ex: B500k - 500k ohm linear pot commonly used for humbucker volume pot
Monoprice sets them up in California from what I read at their website, so you get a California USA setup that can't be any different than what Epiphone or Squier does on their guitars when shipped from Asia.
I find myself constantly surprised on how far "budget friendly" guitars have come. What a time to play guitar..
This is an AMAZING time to be a guitar player.
Other than name and heritage, im finding it very hard to justify buying stuff from the big brands.
I've owned cheap guitars my whole life a besides a jack or pu switch, they've stayed intact. ha, Arbor 'woodstock' strato hasn't needed anything (go to for Trower and such).
Like Fifth Angel said "Time Will Tell".
Well I picked up a Silvertone Strat-style earlier. I guess I'll see what I paid for within a week. 🤞 Hoping its as good as some of the other budget guitars I've seen. If not, I can, always make it good 😁
Amen. Cheap guitars were horrific when I was a kid.
I'll never understand why anyone would dislike a video like this... much less 113 people??? wtf? what isn't to like? This guy is great.
Gibson bots ;-)
Jealousy!
Gear snobs. There's so many of them.
Tells it like it is he shows class...
423 of dem
VIDEO SECTIONS:
1. Unboxing the guitar!
2. Is it any good? - 3:00
3. What does it sound like? - 10:46
4. One minute solo - 13:54
5. Final Thoughts - 15:21
Enjoy!
An endoscope inspection camera costs about $35 (Amazon). They are small enough to go in the F holes.
Most will hook up wirelessly to any device.
The can also be found with LED lights mounted near the camera for use in small dark areas.
Just thought you would like to know because I think it would be a lot easier than the mirror. Plus you can record the endoscope and edit the footage in your videos.
The guitar for the money is a steal for a beginner.
What is the light behind your guitar wall ?(if my english is bad it because I’m from Québec)
Just curious how much you paid for customs getting that shipped from California? I'm really considering buying one of these Indio's but I don't want to pay another $100 for customs...
My Monoprice California Classic (Strat Clone) is one of the best copies I've seen in person :) Indio is their follow up series.
I love how you don't artificially overreact to everything like "WOOOOOOW!" or "OMFG!" etc and take it cooler, this makes your channel much more pleasant to watch. The overreacting thing with people losing their minds over simple stuff is a terrible trend these days and i hope it will die off with the rise of quality content like yours. Thanks for the good work mate, awesome material as usual 👍
OMG! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! COULDN’T BE MORE ACCURATE!
Lol the caps was a joke you’re correct though.
More palatable that way keeps the heart rate the same I feel like overreaction culture is for kids who like getting excited lol
*losing
Very tasteful vids and very helpful... Keep up the good work
haha..you say people are overreacting and loosing their minds ??? I think you are overreacting with much exaggeration by saying that. people are not loosing their minds...which is impossible. They are just excited..But let me say that apparently you have a pet peve with people that say certain things that irritate you, ok we are all different but you must realize that everyone is not like you and not like me. Certain Things irritate lots of people but they don't make a big Fuss about it.
I like this guy for being positive and realistic. Great guitar for hobbyists, which most of us are.
Even if you're a pro but perfect comment. Hard to become a pro if you can't afford an instrument. These less expensive instruments really help a lot of people.
The most generic comment ever written
Are you saying hobbyist shouldn't want finely crafted instruments?and a mass produced Ford Focus is certainly cheaper than a hand made Ferrari! Kind of like comparing a Kimball to a Steinway or Bosendorfer!
Man, he always looks so friendly. Every time i click on a video he just appears lookin like bob ross if he was a guitar player. Idk if its just me....
There are no wrong notes, only happy accidents.
I feel like I am in kindergarten class when I visit this channel.
He might have been a kindergarten teacher prior to his TH-cam career.
...''There are no mistakes...it's your world...''
No he’s so genuine I’ll always tune in
He's Canadian that's why
Darrel, you are seriously giving a brand reputation to Indio brand.
I agree! And I'm sure Indio notices!!
Great looking Guitar yes as you say the cheap end does have some flaws but they are getting so much better Great Videos always, keep them coming 😎
They probably do because the 100 dollar strat went to 200 dollars after his video was made
@@arinovick3899 or unavailable.
@@mboyer68 ...certainly they pay him.
Can we just appreciate how amazing of a TH-cam Darrell is. He puts out interesting, entertaining and straight to the point videos. Every video of his is amazing and he deserves so many more subs. Great job Darrell👍
Thanks so much SR!
Totally agree!!
Time for a new avatar.
I like his vids and playing, but 'straight to the point ?' Hardly. I don't know why, like so many TH-camrs, he has to tell us what he is going to do just before he does it.
@@thegusk520
How does it make sense not to??
I'd cover the "In" on the Indio logo to make it a DIO guitar
A little chunk of gaff tape fixes that. :)
@@willjamiesonstudio6272 flex tape*
RIP Ronnie
you will experience a holy neck dive
KONO DIO DA!!!
I am really not surprised how good that guitar sounds. They really nailed that tone with those pickups. No telling how their made. I played one of their strats and it sounded virtually indistinguishable from a real Fender American Deluxe through a Twin Reverb...
For those wondering, they changed the font logo and it looks much better on their newer guitars
Great work, as always, DB. I’m guilty of this myself, but sometimes we need to look past the name on the headstock and realize that there are several ‘affordable’ options out there. “More expensive” doesn’t always means “better”. If you like the way it sounds and the way it plays, that’s all that matters. The Big brands don’t want you to know that. Keep rocking, Amigo!!
Wish the quality of guitars was like this when I was younger, my very first electric guitar was a Columbus plank of banana wood and sounded like a bag of crap
Exactly! My bandmate got a grey Columbus Semi (335, I suppose) and it fell over at our second rehearsal. Headstock was left lying loose on the floor, and the wood looked like balsa or matchwood. Goodbye!
@@Ndlanding ahhh the good old days.........
in '74, minimum wage was $2/hr. My first bass cost me $40, used. It was short scale and had a particle board body that I spray painted every color of paint that my dad had. The neck was made of about 15 thin pieces of wood laminated together. Thankfully, I was finished with the painting phase of life when I started to get P-basses and a 4001. Has anyone put together one of those kit guitars???. I'm curious.
Columbus oh the memories... my first guitar was a Columbus Jazz bass. The neck was shaped like a banana. It was really hard to play, no one told me it was crap I just thought guitars were hard to play. Put me off for 25 years.
The real amazing things are the amps. Most experienced players know that you can make almost any $50 pawn shop guitar sound and play fine with an hour or two of work. The real sound comes from the amp. And there was nothing, I mean NOTHING like a $200 Boss Katana when we were kids. Nothing even remotely close.
When I was a kid years ago we would have loved to have a guitar like this for that price. As an adult I would love to have a guitar like this for that price. A little TLC would take this a long way.
In the 90s as a younger kid who loved music stores, seeing a guitar that looked like this was never under $1,000.00.
Man looking at the vids you've done on the indios so far. They seem to be, for their price, pretty close to amazing.
Would love to see this company grow and start just increasing the quality here and there. Would be great to be witnessing the budget days now of a company that could be a big name when my kids are my age. Crazy to think
I have no interest in 335 guitars and yet here I am. Your videos are just so watchable and... reasonable. You're right about unboxing too!
I'm convinced that between your skill and that amp, you could make a broomstick with one string and a piezo electric pickup sound good!
Justin Johnson: "Hold my beer."
Vow! Every guitarist should have strato, tele and 335.
Basic tools you cant go wrong.
Some other You Tube hosts pretend to review guitars, but they are really trying to sell them. Darrell's reviews are honest. I would feel confident to buy a guitar he gives a good review to.
With free or A grade maple and parts scrounged from around the shop - I'd have a tough time building that for $400 with no labor costs. Thats's pretty amazing.
I'm going to take this opportunity to brag about my love for the used market. I picked up an Epiphone ES 339 Pro used, with the hard shell case included, as well as an aftermarket set of P90's, for only $250. I really don't understand why some people strictly buy new guitars, when there are some amazing deals In the used market.
@Inbesuto Sirubesuto honestly most guitars I come across haven't even been gigged at all, and are usually in good or close to mint condition. I think you underestimate how much people care about their guitars lol
Don't think of it as buying someone's scratches and dings, think of it as getting an experienced guitar! I prefer used solid bodies as solid wood can be sanded and refinished to look any way you want. Not to mention if the electrics of the guitar are damaged, they can be upgraded easily.
If no-one bought new guitars there wouldn't be any used guitars for us to buy.
I like used guitars as long as they haven't been abused. I don't mind if they've been well played and the finish is naturally wearing through in places. Normal dents and dings are ok with me. I don't like major buckle rash or some major repair. I also prefer stock pickups. The guitar could have been modified with aftermarket pickups at one time or other, so long as the originals are included in the sale.
I got mine for a chunk more, £300. Still happy
It doesn’t say it’s a pro but it’s got the push pull features, so I’m not sure what it is. But it’s an Epi 339 alright
Part of the problem with getting second hand is that high end big brand guitars usually hold their value quite well
I don’t think things like Ibanezes or GnLs do. So maybe that’s a route you can take
Everyone complaining about the “extreme” logo 😂. Just bust out your Sharpie . Then go to ebay and buy an Epiphone logo for 2$. Nobody’s gonna question an Epiphone . Probably made in the same factory anyways. Problem solved! 😂🤣
Even better, I’m sure he could get a classy “Braun” logo made for just a few bucks.
I'm going 3D ...I have 'broach'? Jewelry where diamond would be on LP custom. Always catches folks eyes, and interest. Just like me!
Why would you advertise another brand you're not even playing on? That makes no sense to me at all. It's also messed up to the original brand, they're already hardly known & yet you still suggest using their guitar to advertise a bigger company. I'd suggest a sticker you like with a picture or your name, paint your own design over it, or just cover it all black. 🤷♂️ There's more creative thing you could do rather than give someone free advertising lol
That's such a poser response. Bet you're one of those guys who puts high-end component badges on a car, but none of that is under the hood.
We should come up with some type of code so the company's won't jack up the prices after seeing these videos haha
@Spike Elwood Wow you took that joke really hard. Therapy might even be needed.
Thanks, Darrell, for these "unboxing" videos. I appreciate your consistency in presentation - makes for easy comparison. You clearly demonstrate that you are an authority on this subject. I am primarily a song writer in the CCM genre, not a regularly performing musician, so an expensive guitar has never made sense to me. Your tips and demos have helped me immensely to improve the inexpensive guitars I have, and given me valuable advice to consider about buying another guitar. For me - and I am sure you know what I am talking about - a new instrument is a source of inspiration for new sounds and new songs.
I thought it looked great, and sounded even better. The logo is HORRIBLE.
I agree, pretty much completely...except that the logo would be the last thing I would worry about.
Ya for $250 VERY pretty guitar, I'm familiar with painting cars etc... So I would instantly sand it down n paint over that headstock
Yup, typical for cheaper brands of instruments and audio equipment to put on a large logo.
Especially when they try to look higher end.
I don't care too much for the fret inlay on the first fret either. It sort of looks dumb sitting there.
@@stevegutierrez8679
Don't waste any paint. Just a little bit of masking tape would look better than the logo...!!!
Hey Darrel, I'm from Brazil and I really love to see all these different guitars that you bring here to your chanel, I like to give you a suggestion, here in Brazil we have a brand called Tagima, wich have affordable guitars and some different guitars, two model I have in mind to suggest is the TW61, is a Jazzmaster like with some difference, and one exclusive model of Tagima named Tagima Jet Blues Deluxe, this one is more expensive but have a great look and I think you will like thouse!
Cheers from Brazil!
Hi, I'm from Chile. Last time Tagima has brought here many models with good prices. These models, as Leandro says, are "emulations" of most of classic models, like strats, Les Paul's and other ones. Also, I realized that there's a line of "strats" with alnico pickups. I'd like to know more about the characteristics and quality of Tagima guitars, 'cause long time ago I want to purchase one strat with alnico single coils and I don't know if to wait for a Fender or buy something cheaper but with nice quality.
I don't know if Tagima comes to North America, but it would be interesting that you could try one of these guitars.
I love your channel. Greetings from Santiago.
I prefer the GBS Pro
I love love love my Tagima!!!
Sim também acho quer seria legal ele testar
i just visited brazil and played a few of those! i'm from the us and i'd be interesting to see what another american thinks of them. pretty good quality imo
I agree on font. In fact i dont like that font at all.
Needs a gray ink wash over those huge bright letters.
Idk I liked it
It screams '80's hair metal.
It's pretty cheesy on their non Strats. I have one of their Teles and it doesn't quite match the beautiful 3 tone sunburst they gave it.
Yes, the logo should have been at the top, a little more subtle in size, and instead of paint, should be pearloid, and clear coated over.
This guy always puts out a great video. This guitar does come across as a fine item. Yes, the headstock logo needs to be redone but the resot of this guitar is wonderful. There are inexpensive guitars out there. This one is worth the a serious look.
yes, absolutely
Just spray the headstock with some clear lacquer with a drop or two of black tint to tone down the logo, will look far better in a greyish color scale
I bought a similar priced "Grote" 335 style guitar and am quite impressed with the quality (flamed maple with purple dye and gold hardware). I added a Duesenberg gold flat arm tailpiece to the existing studs and "wow" what a performer! The fretwork was spot on and the finish was perfect. A great value.
Hey sir do you have a link to buy it?
@@ivandel7788 Just go to Amazon and enter Grote 335 style. I recommend the purple and gold finish version. If you want the Duesenberg gold flat arm tailpiece you will have to buy it separately from France (through Ebay) It takes about a month to receive it and costs $115.00, but is well worth it if you like using a Bigsby style tailpiece. And it looks great without any modifications to the guitar.
The EXTREEEEME font on the Indio logo reminds me of the short-lived Fender "STRAT" from the 80's...you know the one.
I had one of them.
Keith Ferris 😟
You mean the one they brought back for namm this year lol 😂
I remember the Squier 'Strat' but that was the 90s; it was the first one they made in China but reviewers said get the Korean one if you could afford it. (Never had one.)
I have one! Heavy Metal Strat. Someday, it will be super collectible.
I'm just blown away at the nice, inexpensive guitars available today. People starting out don't have to pay a fortune to play something decent!👍😎🎸🎶
Wow, it looks amazing. My friend ordered a Chinese 335 and was floored at the quality woodwork. The fretwork wasn't too bad. There was nothing a little touch-up didn't solve. The pickups weren't potted, but it didn't entirely suck. Was it worth the $300.? Absolutely. He had a set of Seymore Duncan pickups in a drawer and he installed new pots....and Gotoh tuners. Now, Bing, Bang, Boom!!! It's his #1 Gig guitar.
And it sounds out blues like John Lee was on his shoulder!!
You can find really nice 9% tolerance 3/8 brass shaft vintage taper CTS pots at WD music. These are unusual because they have these in the small, as you would call them, dime-sized bodies. These are specifically made for putting through F holes where you have no back access or other guitars with small cavities such as ones that came from the factory with small pots and putting a large pot would be impossible because the holes are drilled too close to the edge of the cavity so even if you tried to enlarge the shaft holes the pot would hit the sides of the cavity. Full size pots would not fit unless you relocated the hole and that would be ugly cuz you ruin the front of your guitar. They're about $10 a piece, not expensive.
God Bless You
and Yourn!!
Jimmy in NC....
Was NOT expecting it to look that nice. 😍
That headstock shape is half Gibson and half Epiphone!
It’s hilarious how amazing it looks and sounds! It doesn’t seem cheap. Just an off brand of great quality. I know Gibson is in trouble and sadly, I can see why. Not surprising though in this day and age.
Without any more to say, I have to admit that it appears to be a great guitar at a really great price. I love my Epiphone Sheraton 2, though. And I am looking forward to buying my next guitar. I am getting a sweet Ibanez AM73B semi hollow beautiful beast of a guitar!
On a side note, Squier has made some awesome guitars recently. The 70’s Vibe series of guitars and bass guitars are high quality. They are made in Indonesia. So I hope the people actually doing the work of making them are being treated better than my intuition tells me? I might have to check up on that? I bought a Strat for under $300, used and it impressed me. It was a pickup swap opportunity for me (hss) as it was great for the Dimebucker and two single coil Seymour Duncan’s to keep up with Dime. Plays great! Really smooth! 😁
-I looked at a VM thinline tele, and was very interested, but then noticed they've switched to poplar wood, and was very disappointed - also noticed the CV thinline tele's are made of Nato now - not familiar with Nato - not too sure about it, either
the reason that we will find decent objects for better prices is "probably" related to the idea that CDC machines and other computer assisted wood working machines are simply making such accurate cuts into wood that objects that need to fit precisely are fitting well. The end product can often be constructed to a higher level and since the machine does all the work, costs are lower.
A lot more guitar for the $200 than was available back in the 80's when I got my first electric. It's not a Gibson, but it's a very nice tone for the money. Nicely surprised.
It's so beautiful man. The colour it's just amazing.
Hi Darrell! I watch your videos and love everything you do! Have gotten a lot of great tips from your channel content. I get some of these guitar companies contacting me about doing reviews on their guitars(especially the inexpensive ones). So far I have turned them all down because the instruments that they offer are not ones that I would normally play. I have a lot of great inexpensive guitars, and every one of them is amazing. I just have not been offered any like them to review. Maybe someday. Thanks for what you do!
How come he didn’t see this 😢
How about a list of those inexpensive guitars that you like...mmm
Dude u rock, too brother! Luv your Strat video! We have a Squire Grey mist 70's Strat which is a top top fave , ever. We played it out like 100 150 times in LA jam nights.
@@fussiestgoblin2872 :(
MY BROTHER & INSTRUCTOR!!!
I got a Wolf, in fact, I bought another after playing the first, CNC tech is a game changer.
I would like to add my thanks to Darrell Braun guitars for these great videos. I have watched a number of them, and find them to be very informative, and very pleasantly constructed. Thanks very much for the effort you have put into this. Great job!
Great review, I really appreciate your precision. I'm blown away, I think the pickups sound better than the stock ones in my Gretsch did. Thanks, man!
Nice review Darrell, as usual. I only just noticed your sign off , "SOLI DEO GLORIA!" Amen to that!
Another marvel of modern instrument technology at remarkably cheap price.
Daryl, it would be awesome if you'd compare this Indio to other low cost options like: Harley Benton, Grote, and Firefly.
Great content. Love your channel!
I, too, would like a comparison of those brands!
@@nateday9328 There are hundreds of these brands and they all come out of the same few factories in Asia. Time to wake up for you.
Zachary Handcrafted Guitars - Give it a rest, dude.
@@crusheverything4449 Give what a rest, dude? REALITY?
@@zacharyhandcraftedguitars
Sounds like Crush doesn't like having his bubble burst.
The logo looks like something you would find on a HM strat.
Love your videos, playing, and positive attitude. Something to take in consideration about those fret ends before dressing, i would recommend humidifying for 24 hours first. Many imports are made in high humidity climates, and often in travel or storage, a lack of humidity can cause the untreated fretboard wood to shrink very slightly. Sometimes just a day in a humidified room is all it needs. It’s not 100%, but i’ve seen it happen. Cheers and keep up the great work.
All of us think you should do an upgrade of this guitar...including changing a decent decal for the brand
Why? Why would you not just buy a better guitar?
@@davecarsley8773 just because it is funnier
sounds like a stupid waste of time
@@davecarsley8773 because it is funnier...it would really turn it into a great guitar...and this is what he does.. that´s why we are in his channel
@@nicolaspopic7546 jus' like puttin STP stickers on our old beater cars made'em faster
That black beauty being cheap is surreal! Really love and appreciate the work on highlighting these underrated masterpieces!
Indeedio. Ooops. I meant "Indio" deedio. Indeed. Hehehe
@@soundtreeatmsn That is awesome man!
Its as much of a masterpiece as your kitchen toaster and most likely comes out of the same factory. You need a lot to learn about guitars and what a musical instrument is. I hope you are only a little kid making this statement. I'll give you a pass.
@@zacharyhandcraftedguitars Ha ha ... butt hurting a bit eh ? Yes it IS a MASTERPIECE , especially against the silly high price of anything you'd be struggling to make . Who's the "little kid " crying ?
@@tonedriverss8629 What a stupid statement you made. You are only defending your own incompetence and ignorance. Yes, creating anything by hand is a struggle and why its so rewarding. Try it sometime if you were only capable.
With many of these instruments, once the manufacturer has reached a certain scale, it seems that they generally reach what I would call an acceptable quality level despite their price tag meaning that if you are willing to spend a little time sharpening up the fine details such as the smoothness of the frets and a general setup you actually end up with quite a nice instrument and/or modding platform.
And it’s still going to be worthless in the end! No matter what you do to one of these it’s never going to give it any value over time!
Got myself one of these on your recommendation. Cleaned it up a bit gave the frets a polish. A nice cheap guitar. Sure the headstock logo isn’t great but it plays fine. 👍
Darrell Braun honestly for my love of music , you are the most knowledgeable and interesting musician I've watched on TH-cam . I started when I was 5 . My great grandfather who played 7 Instruments Taught me How to play The harpsichord 1st . Then I started playing the acoustic guitar . I got my dads 59 Les Paul . I can only play Gibsons ,but Listening to you play various guitars I just went out and bought a super strat with EMGS and Floyd rose Bridge This thing sounds amazing. And if it wasn't for your show I wouldn't have ever tried playing anything but Gibson Thanks for all your videos You're very intelligent that's What I like about Hearing you speak and watching you play the The lesser expensive guitars Thanks And Take care .
Darrell taking it for the team as always
I've bought 2 of their guitars, immediately replaced the tuners with guitar fetish, filed the nut down with a guitar string, polished the frets, and they turned out amazing. I'd buy another in a heartbeat!
Its exactly all you deserve actually or can appreciate.
Do you get off on sterility?
Some of us are not rich. Is this how you intend to build your customer base?
Nice experience
@@caseylee12 Sort of Yes. The more educated and intelligent people are the more they will appreciate my work. However its irrelevant because working full time I can only make one guitar per month. For me its art and I do it becuase I need to create. Sort of like why YOU play the guitar. I hope.
@@caseylee12 The reason you are not rich is becuase Western manufacturing was hijacked and taken to the 3rd world where the slave labor is. At the same time making your own labor worthless. Hence a shiny object fed back to you, which is practically worthless.
The less expensive options keep the big guys on their toes- well done.
indeed
How? Because the finish looks nice? What about the build quality, wood used, and the many parts used to make it work? Are they also just cheap knockoffs too? No, American made interment companies aren’t afraid of these cheap knockoffs as they know these things will always be worthless the moment someone buys one! No matter how well you think it’s put together the fact remains this thing is a Chinese mass production slave labor guitar and it’ll never be a prized possession of any collection!
Wow .... that was an incredibly well done demo! The playing was superb and there was some Gilmour vibe in there!
I’ve got a beautiful Indio Tele that sounds and plays amazing.
I wound up getting a d'angelico DC boardwalk, partially based on your demo. I love it!
I'd love that finish on a Strat or a HH Tele, that would be sick !!
The inlays look like good old fashioned mother of toilet seat. Still though, not a bad looking guitar!
Peyote Pete Thanks for the laugh!
I laughed a lot harder than I care to admit
Peyote Pete I have seen you on a lot of different YT channels lately, you have good taste.
I don’t think they were THAT bad? Mother of bowling ball at worst.
Still beats mother of GOD WHAT IS THAT by a country mile.
Darrell - I found the official specs for the Indio Boardwalk (from the Boardwalk manual). Here they are (and the body and top ARE maple, as is the neck. Pretty fantastic deal - thanks for your usual thorough review!
Bart Brown
Model 610502
Color Trans Red
Number of Strings 6
Body Style Double‑cutaway semi hollow body
Orientation Right
Top Material Maple
Body Material Maple
Fretboard Material Rosewood
Neck Material Maple
Nut 43x3 mm bone
Neck Construction Set‑in
Neck Shape C
Fretboard Radius 350mm
Scale 628mm scale
Number of Frets 22
Frets Size 2.6mm
Pickups HH ‑ Ceramic, 9.5K (N), 11.6K (B)
I gotta wonder if some of these sellers know who's buying the guitar and try to at least pick the best in stock to send. Darrell's name was printed on a big sticker right on the box. Judging by the reviews on the Monoprice website, not everyone has as nice an experience as he seems to so far. That said, they wouldn't do anything you cant do yourself at home to clean up the guitar and, for the price, you should expect to do some clean up.
looks like a great budget starting platform for some upgrades... and sanding off the headstock logo and painting it straight black..lol
Love the look of this guitar... only thing is I wish they had more color options available. I think this would look good in in nice deep red or blue. But this does have me going online and looking for a 335 that would be in my price range
Adding the fact that your playing through one of my favorite KG amps I still was surprised at how chimie this guitar is. Totally agree that that head stock logo needs to be changed. If anything it's the only thing that makes this guitar look cheap.
Considering Brian May built his guitar from scrap wood sourced from old furniture and motorbike parts this is a step up. He also recorded a few popular songs with it.
Thanks for the review. It really amazes me how much quality and sound you get for "low end" money these days. Firefly, Orangewood, Indio etc. give damn good bang for the buck. If I got this Indo in my Christmas stocking I wouldn't turn up my nose at it for sure. And Darrell, I'd take your amp setup in a heartbeat as well. All the best to you. 😎🎸
335's are kind of cool but were never on my lust list. But wow, this one looks awesome!
I love when people trash on Alpha pots when as a Guitar effect builder I can say they are considered the good ones, lol.
There's nothing wrong with Alpha pots, I use them in all my guitars.... also on some builds I've had to use the smaller size so I can fit the controls close enough together and I don't notice any real difference in quality between them and the larger size so I'm not convinced of the 'upgrade' point on that either.
I agree. All of my Carvin guitars have mini Alpha pots and sound grear.
Guitar world is infected with certain notions that do not match the reality. Pots have to be big, capacitors have to be hand made by the virgins in the Swiss Alps, and the list goes on.
Pots are just pots. I have a £1 set off eBay and they feel 20x better than the stock ones and have no crackling or anything.
Agree that Alpha pots are actually very good.
I’ve used Alpha in tube amp builds many times and I really like the durability.
Also, the turning resistance of Alpha pots is very nice, not too hard or too easy.
But...... there is a certain snobbery when it comes to pots in guitars. If it ain’t CTS, people will rip out good pots just to have that CTS look.
Really love the videos! I think it would be nice to also see some clips with afforable amps that would be more likely for someone starting out or on a budget that would most likely be using this range of guitar would have. Keep up the quality content!!
I don't know about your area, but in OKC, there are tons of bargains on Craigslist. Good luck. dgt
I'd go for the Epi 'dot'. I bought one when my 335 was in for neck repairs years ago and I thought it was great. I bought a black one but decided I needed a cherry one too.
Sometimes I wonder if the manufacturer know who they are sending the guitars to and give you tubers the best of the best and if I bought one I'd get a heap of plastic and strings. lol Idk
Dude, I'm always wondering that too! Those reviews sound way too good to be true always!
@@fabianvanderelst9643 ... I own an Indigo Classic and an Indigo Boardwalk Classic and they both came out of the box basically ready to play. A setup and intonation (replaced the tuners with Hotshot Locking Tuners) and they were good to go. A friend even borrowed the Classic for Surf-Nite at a local club and he wanted to buy it from me, told me to name my price!
I've got one of those Indio Boardwalk guitars just exactly like the one Darrell reviewed in
this video, and I can tell you that mine is equally as beautiful and sounds as good as his
does with only a few cosmetic issues. This guitar is well worth the money, and I personnally
would highly recommend it.
I'm so glad I discovered your channel. I absolutely love your videos. Thank you.
It's 9am in my place, saw the notification you uploaded a 335 video. It's a great day already! :)
I kind of like that logo on the headstock. It screams "I am not a Gibson".
hahahaha
God damn right lol
I find the lack of authenticity disturbing.
More like "I don't want to be a Gibson"
Hi,
I just had my fourth electric guitar lesson yesterday and i'm OBSESSED with my baby blue mitchle guitar LOVE my guitar lessons
One thing i noticed and want to know are there strap places on the guitar so you can hold it with a strap?
Would love to see a comparison between this one and the Harley Benton model.
Orvil Farley yes please
I'd say the HB would still be better!
Its the same thing dude, most likely made by the same factory, same slave labour, who don't even know what they are making.
@@DMSProduktions What exactly is your point? Always be clear.
Are you denying that working for $1 hr is slave labor? Your alternative lifestyle reference is however very revealing.
Why? They're prob built side by side.
I want to see the upgrade of this beauty ❤️
Rip the plastic finish off completely to start.
i'm impressed, not as "barky" in the mids than other cheap 335
That is a stunning looking 335. Harley Benton take note.
I would so love this guitar, but impossible to get hold of in the UK.
I would make it a project guitar.
Swap the tuners, replace the nut with bone, smooth the frets, then overspray that god awful headstock and leave it plain black.
I'm on a quest to get one. 🙏🙏🙏
Exactly what I was thinking.
I have an Epiphone 335 that I bought dirt cheap from a man that bought it to learn to play and obviously gave up! It had not been set up was virtually new! I set it up properly, put new strings on it, and this thing sounds and plays almost as good as my Gibson Les Paul, fun to play! Our group lead player stopped bringing his guitar when we practice st my house and he uses and loves the 335! I always enjoy your program and honest opinions, God bless! By the way, I got this guitar for $125 bucks!
Just got a Tele style guitar from Indio for $99 and its a hell of a guitar for the price. Very impressed with the quality at the price point!
How do the tuners hold up? Does it stay in tune?
They are not bad... but not great either. Some minor tuning before each session so far, but I’m still breaking it in so it may get better as I go. That is probably the weakest point on the guitar and really it’s not so bad. Like I said it’s just a surprising amount of value in this guitar
@@Jaybird-uq3tb do you have intonation issues with yours? I got one this past fall and have been scratching my head over it.
@@thatziggs4062 I purchased the yellow tele about 2 yr ago,I changed the tuners to locking ,the pu to tone riders with a 4 way parallel series switch and the saddles to block saddles from guitarfetish. Plays and sound great
keith wind what kind of locking tuners did you get? Did it require any extra drilling or were they drop in?
CNC has done more for guitars than any other invention, with the possible exception of strings.
Now you can't forget what the big boys over here did to make all of this happen! Back in the 70's when those imitations started rolling in Gibson and Fender both decided that if they couldn't beat them to join them! So they both went to China and set up entire factories to build cheaper versions of their own products. Then after awhile, probably due to certain boycotts and/or threats of boycotts, they left China and went to places like Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Japan and set up plants there as well. Well, when they left China, they also left all of that equipment and even design plans and a whole bunch of materials and so some business minded Chinese people started those factories back up and began selling those same guitars once authorized by Gibson and Fender back here to the US and eventually other people started doing the same. With a good CNC machine setup and those designs they can churn out a Les Paul or a Strat that is basically identical to Gibson and Fender, only they use cheaper hardware and electronics.
I don't know. The amplifier was pretty great.
True
CNC saved their butts. They removed the human element from producing anything. Yet hilariously they all claim a the same time as being "hand crafted". Even the buffing is done by robot.
This is great news for anyone who identifies as male and has no competence in making anything. You can all theoretically now be guitar builders. Like PRS the person.
What you don't realize is these objects are lifeless and sterile, plastic covered. So you can never bod with it and actually like it.
As gorgeous as his tone always is with the high-end amps, I wonder what would this guitar would sound like with a solid state combo? Something like what most of us have in our bedrooms?
Joseph B Get a monoprice tube amp. They’re inexpensive and sound killer. Full tubes btw.
Instead of a new guitar you should be looking into a tube head.... They make the worst guitar sound great. The best guitar on an anolog or digital modeling amp amp can sound average at best
Not bad, not bad at all. The paint/clearcoat job is very good. Sounds great. I've owned several 335's and it's right there with the old Gibsons. And it's not hard to learn how to dress the fret ends and polish out the tool marks on the frets. All you need is a fret end dressing file ($15 at Stewmac) and a set of Micro-mesh polishing pads ($14 at Stewmac), a roll of masking tape and you're all set. There are lots of videos here and on Stewmac to learn how. Just don't go overboard to the point you've flattened the crown too much, and be sure to do each fret exactly the same. I actually count the number of strokes I use for each grit to keep everything level. (assuming it was to begin with). But you can fix a high fret with the micro mesh pads too. Since they are flexible, you can "bend" the pad over the fret so you don't flatten the crown.
The micro mesh pads, going from 1500 to 12,000 grit, won't take off much metal and that's what you want. I always start at the highest grit I need to take out the tool marks, usually 4,000. You don't have to get out every tiny scratch at first because you're going to repeat the process as you go through the grit levels. By the time you get to 12,000 grit the frets and ends will look like fine jewelry and play like butter. Go pick up the cheapest guitar you can find, pawn shop junker, and practice on that first. It's a good skill to have, inexpensive and not hard to learn.
this is good, quality content that's informative, useful, and gets straight to the point. Keep up the good work!
Those "mother of toilet seat" block inlays actually look pretty good
@Charles Pierce no trapezoid inlays on something like a Les Paul or block inlays like on this are just a “premium feature” as compared to dot inlays you usually. It doesn’t affect performance it just looks better
High end brands are so screwed with the budget market being this great
Super Bamse While I agree with you that there are some incredible budget guitars available these days, I think there is always going to be a need for the kind of quality and attention to detail that most of the high-end brands deliver with consistency. Tuners, pickups, durable frets, well-built switches-these are the things you may not be able to see but which can dramatically alter the feel and the sound of a quality instrument. (I’m not a high-end snob; I’ve got a wide range of guitars and enjoy them all.)
They aren't screwed. As the other comment stated there are plenty of budget options which are great, but there will always be a demand for high quality instruments which most hgih end brands produce with consistency.
Yeah, you guys keep kidding yourselves that the big budget brands aren't screwed.
@@leslawrenson9305 How would they be screwed? Have you played a suhr? Compare that to a MIM strat and see the difference for yourself.
There will always be pros and wealthy hobbyists who would never look at budget knockoffs in a million years. As for the budget market, this guitar will never take a huge chunk of sales away from the much more well done Epiphone Dot or Ibanez AS series guitars.
They changed their logo! It looks way better now.
Hmmm. They couldn't spend $500 and do something more striking? But yeah, better than before.
but the guitar otherwise looks great!
I had good luck with "another brand" removing the logo with acetone... don't know if that will work here.
and they are currently sold out of these.
Solid review. I like the whole "going through it with a fine comb"-thing. Keep it up!
I like the fact you start reviewing these guitars not hating them right from the start. A lot of reviews I have seen seem to hate the brand before they even open the box or pick a guitar apart before they even try it and when they do IMO they do not give it a very good review no matter how good it sounds and plays or seems to play on their channel. I was never big into the 335 style guitars until I saw a guy play one at a small gig a few years back it sounded amazing but he had tape over the logo so I was curious. After their set i talked to him and asked if I could try it he was cool with it and I just loved it. He took the tape off the logo and it was a Jay Turser! I was blown away because all i ever heard was nothing but trash talk about the brand. Later I had the chance to buy one of Jay Turser's Warlord guitars. A funky flying V style. I paid about $130.00 used for it and loved it. I have bought several JT guitars since LPs, Vs, another Warlord, a guitar shaped like a shark and eventually the 335 copy from the guy who's I tried at the club. That 335 clone is amazing. Once I got past the logo on the head stock I have found so many guitars I love I would never have considered in the past. I hope you keep up the reviews on these inexpensive guitars. I have 158 guitars in my collection and a majority are of off brands not many people have heard of. I have now considered a few you have reviewed!
First: love your channel! I'd feel more comfortable if you would tell us if they set the guitar free to you or if you purchased it anonymously. With your pull as a influencer, I assume you are more likely to get a prepped ringer than us civilians.
Kazan! A really good point.
That guitar sounds amazing for $250. Cheap guitars have come a very long way.
That is a gorgeous looking guitar. If Satriani or Vai rocked an Inidio on one of their albums I'm sure everybody would want one. Lol
Exactly
8:42 the taper you’re referring to are for logarithmic pots which are represented by the letter A. Those are usually installed as tone pots. Linear pots represented by the letter B are usually installed as volume pots. Ex: B500k - 500k ohm linear pot commonly used for humbucker volume pot
Monoprice sets them up in California from what I read at their website, so you get a California USA setup that can't be any different than what Epiphone or Squier does on their guitars when shipped from Asia.
Looks and sounds good! Sounds a bit “thin” but for the money, I’m not mad! It’s actually decent! 😮