i live 10 minutes from the FGN factory in Japan - best guitars i've ever seen - better than Fender American Pro series - i bought 4 in the past 4 years and appreciate them more as time goes on - the necks are PERFECT
John Cordy “A man of The People” bringing excellent modeling sounds without ripping people off and proving you don’t need outrageous type guitars to have a professional level of playing!
@@greek42069 he does man, he’s personally answered questions of issues I’ve had in the past granted that was probably about 2 years ago but you can’t demand full service technical support for as little as he charges! I’ve paid more for one singular patch than what I spent for all of Johns!
@Kane I understand u can't get full service and am thankful the price is cheap , but unfortunately he doesn't tell u specifically what presets are in each bundle so if u watch a video where he is using "x" preset in my scenario it's a plexi light preset I want but I've bought 3 of the preset packs from gumroad and it's not in any of those packs unfortunately. So I don't wanna continue to just blindly buy packs until I get lucky and buy the pack that has plexi light in it ya dig. Really love his tones regardless
Gretsch Electromatic deserves a shout in this price point. Bizarrely overlooked, versatile, beautiful, surprisingly shreddy & raucous, consistent well made instruments.
I second this. Fantastic guitars. I’ve owned 4 over the years. The pickups and electronics on their earlier models about 10 year ago where fairly lackluster, but these days their electromatic pickups are much better. Their hollowbodys are really well constructed, finish is fantastic, fretboards and frets have been really good quality. Tuning stability has been great on all mine, despite the reports of the Bigsby issues, but I do wonder if that is down to the Bigsby being used for dive bombing. I personally feel modern electromatics are in fight for best quality sub-£1k guitars
And don’t sleep on the Streamliners! I almost bought a Gretsch Streamliner 2655T-P90 on the spot after playing it in the store, and I will probably end up buying it. The Streamliner range is lighter weight than the Electromatics or Pro series, which makes them the most playable Gretsch’s in my opinion.
@@r0bophonic I had a Streamliner before I bought my Electromatic. Wonderful playing guitar. But the (not filtertron) humbuckers were very dark for my taste & the tuning slipped constantly (both guitars have Bigsbys, but the Electromatic barely slips). Streamliners are great. I'd buy a non-Bigsby one in a heartbeat if I was looking. However, I'd also want to mod it...possibly because of the lower price just making it more desirable to muck with for fun. I don't have that with the Electromatics, wouldn't change a thing.
@@johndoroh9301 I like those Electromatic "Blacktop" Filtertrons so much I chucked them into my old Epiphone Black Beauty. Dirt cheap pickups (think they were sub $50 cad at the time) that completely revitalized that guitar.
@@GitShiddy I agree, my most recent Gretsch has the ‘Blacktops’, they are great pickups. Clean, light breakup, or rockier stuff they sound great. I think they particularly shine doing QoTSA style stuff
I had a Gibson lp special. It was flawless. The only problem is it cramped the hell out of my thumb. I returned it. Tried a Epiphone version. The finish was terrible but the playability was fantastic. I love it. The imperfections let me play more freely without worrying about having to resell it because it was only 400 bucks
I bought a spalted maple PRS SE for $600. I bought it because it looked so cool but I never really expected to play it more then my LP or Strat. Turns out I play it more then all of my guitars combined. Really great guitar that plays well and sounds great.
Would love to hear thoughts on what defines a “pro-level” guitar. One thing I’ve learned after decades of guitar playing is that the modern guitar market is driven by fashion and disinformation and prices are almost totally unmoored from playability/quality. One example: to get a solid body guitar under 7lbs (ideal playability for me), my options are mostly either sub $200 entry level or custom shop over $3k. Weight is one of the key factors in playability and manufacturers don’t even list it on spec sheets.
@@CAGED1702 Ha! I just checked out his interview with Marty Music. This guy is my new hero! The sunburst Squire Bullet Stratocaster he mentions is what turned us both on to cheap guitars. One of the best guitars I’ve ever played.
Devil's advocate for a moment - I'd say it actually makes sense not to list weight on the average guitar spec as the density of wood varies quite a lot. I do agree it makes a difference, but would be impractical to try and standardise, or display in many stores (although manufacturers could say put a more precise weight measurement on box at the point of shipping which would be easy for a retailer to check). The other thing to consider is different styles of instrument (SGs are often quite light even for solid body) or you can select certain woods that are likely to be less dense. Even basic mods to save some weight if its more marginal - like aluminium rather than steel bridge/trem on a Strat - or even relieving a little weight somewhere inconspicuous like under the pick guard if you're a little more skilled (for example, Anderson Guitarworks does this for their high-end models which are all v light).
@@NFMorley Great points. I agree that variance in wood density is likely the main reason they don’t list weight specs. However, they could list a range and stay within it. Some already seem to do this without actually listing the spec (Novo, PRS). The big manufacturers also reserve their lightest woods for the custom shop. I just wish manufacturers would create more lightweight solid body designs (like the SG). If there WAS a listed spec for buyers to compare guitars against each other, I suspect this would start to happen.
I'm not a professional player, but I've been playing bass since the mid 90's and being a weekend warrior since then. I remember trying a 5000 € custom Warwick bass and being disappointed...and playing a gig with a borrowed 600 € Sire bass and feeling comfortable like it was my own bass. It sounded good, stayed in tune and played very comfortably. IME, I don't need a 2000 bucks instrument to get my musical needs covered.
I’ve been really blown away by the schectre Nick Johnston S + T type Indonesian models. Really great quality instruments at real pro level but like £700-£900 in the UK. Killer guitars.
Hey John, have you checked out G&L? I have 2 of the Legacy models (made in Indonesia) and they are pretty nice. I Got the Doheny recently: P90's and they have the treble and bass tone knobs, which allow for a wide variety on tone choices. Around $650 USA.
I have a Revstar Standard in Swift Blue with the P90.... Man it sounds fantastic! I was looking at everything available in my area around that price point. The neck is sublime and the P90s sound really great. Would recommend to anyone in a heart beat.
@@keithb5612 Hey Keith, unfortunately my rig is pretty low-tech. I run a Vox AC15 with a couple of overdrives and a delay and the guitar. :) Haven't had any issues with that, but would love to hear how you go with it. I might need to explore modelling options/headpones soon due to a new bub! Thanks for your message! -Liam
A guitar that really surprised me was the Fret-king Corona Custom with the soapbar in the neck and humbucker in the bridge. It was amazingly playable and the neck was super smooth satin, all frets rolled nicely, and the switching options were incredible! I picked mine up for about £400, though I can see they are more in the £600-700 price range today. That dude Michael Britt took a punt on one and ended up being so blown away that he toured with it.
I’ve had a lot of fun buying cheap made in China guitars that play well and slowly upgrading them part-by-part. You grow really attached to them when so much of the character is a result of your choices, and when you know its the only guitar like it.
Fujigen (FGN) is kind of legendary, they were always considered one of the top Japanese manufacturers and have been building really great quality instruments for a long long time. I have 4 Fujigen built instruments, 3 Ibanez Prestiges and an old early 90's Fender strat. I will never part with that strat, its so damn good. While I don't own an FGN house brand, I wouldn't hesitate to own one. I know and trust them to build fantastic instruments.
1982 Fender Japan / Fujigen ST57 Strat. I have played Custom Shops for years, and many are just as good, or have different advantages. But I've never played a regular production Strat that plays as well.
Schecter Nick Johnston, PRS SE 594 (I have a core one and it's the best guitar money can buy IMHO). Also Eastman - More expensive, but just as good or better as a Gibson SemiHollow or Hollow. I'd love to try an FGN. I still have my second guitar, a 1985 Fender Contemporary Stratocaster HSS made by FugiGen Gakki back when Fender was sold by CBS, and even though the purchasers had all the trademarks and designs, they didn't have much of a factory, so FujiGen made the one I have and the Squier Stuff of the mid 1980's, which is just as good. Mine is excellent, better than any USA Charvel/Jackson I owned in that era.
Until recently Yamaha were selling the SG 1820 at a VERY reasonable price indeed. However I just checked and was shocked to discover SG 1820 prices are now about the same as Les Pauls, which is puzzling. I thought they were phasing them out because of the Rev Star. The SG 1820 is made in Japan - big, thick, heavy and chunky - more like a Les Paul than an SG. I love mine.
You have a wonderful fluent playing styles John. Nice on the ear. I have a 2017 odyssey standard. Basically an fgn strat copy, with a hss pick-up configuration all seymour duncans. It's a fantastic guitar, so well made and i would never get rid of it. Could you ever do a video on the fsg les paul equivalent?
Schecter Nick Johnston signature are killer guitars for the money. Sub £1,000 but professional quality hardware and finishing. Go for the HSS configuration. Unbeatable at the price.
i recently got a sunburst epiphone 339 that is set up beautifully and plays so easily. gretsch electromatic is great too, pickups a lil dark for some stuff but great for jazz
I got an insane limited Ibanez RG6PPBFX Premium Tropical Seafloor for 500€ because a tiny chip on headstock made it B-stock, the Bare Knuckle pickups themselves are worth more than half the price, top quality guitar
The FGN, PRS DTG SE, and some Epiphones are good choices without breaking the bank. I was also impressed with a couple of Hagstrom guitars I picked up for very reasonable prices. The Swede plays very well, and for a jazz box the HL-550 is another guitar I feel comfortable gigging with. They've both served me well for about a decade now. I actually prefer the Swede to many Gibson LP's I've played over the years.
If you want quality without paying a fortune, there is only one solution: buy used Japanese products. You can't really go wrong with Japanese brands, especially in the used market. Alternatively, there are some European brands that have lost a lot of value. For example, a hand-made Lag guitar from France can still be found at reasonable prices because no one wants them anymore, especially now that they have stopped making electric guitars.
I think he has those in mind at around 3.45, when he's talking about sire, and says that the quality isn't always consistent and that FGN has overtaken them in his mind.
Thank you for this excellent video. It's so true! The Epiphone Lazarus is really very good. I upgraded my instrument with the Pearly Gates PUs by Seymour Duncan and polished it so that it is now quite glossy like the original. You can see this clearly in the video in which JB presents the original Lazarus and the Epiphone version. Did you make even more upgrades to your one?
Thanks for this vid, along with all your content. Jack Pearson, another super talented player, who's played with the Allman Bros., amongst others. uses Squier Strats the majority of the time. Hard to get better tone and dynamics than he does, if you like Allman Bros. style sounds.
This is a great video and think this would target the vast majority of players for sure. Like anything, there are products to target different markets ranging from people on a stricter budgets to those people who have $ to spend and add to a collection, with everything in between. It's like if you're in the market for a 2 seater convertible car. There's that used Mazda that can fit what you're looking for or a new Porsche that's 20x as much.
It’s almost like they don’t want to exist in the average gigging musician world anymore. Only big bands and collectors. Epiphone is still hit or miss but if Gibson keeps it up they will price themselves into the grave. There are too many other options now
Hey John, DSM just came out with a new "Humboldt Electronics Simplifier mk2 Zero-watt Stereo Amplifier". would you be reviewing it anytime soon, looking forward to what your thoughts are on this new product line.
Hi John great shout on some nice guitars, I recently purchased a chapman ml3 pro,, I didn’t pay full price, but wanted to try one out, came with a couple small flaws I was disappointed with, and had to change the switches due to poor quality, but overall stainless steel jumbo frets, a really nice neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, roster maple neck, locking tuners, worth a try and a shout out, I’m not a metal guitarist, I am very opposite and was really happy with some of the tones through the helix, if you get a chance worth a try,
I understand why people collect guitars; they can often look gorgeous. And if you've got the money, then fill yer boots. But it's not for me. I want a guitar that feels good to play, that sounds good, and that does all the things I want it to. Ideally, that would be one, perfect guitar. And I'd rather buy a mid-range guitar and then mod it to suit myself.
Mid/low price guitars are really good now. But I played PRS Modern Eagle last month and that was an experience rather than just a jam. So I am torn now.
I checked out TruFire but it's really old people that I have no idea who they are and no metal just 'old rock' I've just bought a Harley Benton and I tell you, it's amazing, I bought it as I was looking at the Jim Root Jazzmaster but Fenders are not worth the money they charge at all.
hi john! sorry for writing it here, i wrote it on old video of yours as well . i wonder if you could help me with my question. i have victory kraken amp running with torpedo captor (regular) to my pc (i have no real cab at all). i wonder , if ill buy HX FX , is there a way to connect it with PRE and POST fx (4 cable ish) but also to use the HX FX IR loader , and use headphones \ monitors direct to the HX FX? without the use of the pc? just the hardware. or do i must have cabinet? really hope you can help me, i tried to find answer for that everywhere thank you brother!
For me the pro level guitar is a guitar that can be playable 20+ years and usually is better after that. Consumer level guitars will deteriorate faster and be trash after 10+ years. Unfortunately it's difficult to know in advance, which category the guitar is. Good quality can be found in many prices and vice versa
The mules in the Epi are not cheap, about $250. Total still much less than a Gibson. I put Wolfetone pickups in an SE Bernie Marsden, and that makes a lovely LP. Less than 1k total.
Japanese guitars are usually better quality than Indonesian made ones however there are exceptions from time to time, even with Chinese made guitars. The Revstar Standard is waaay ahead of its time for the price, the black one will be mine soon!
Lazarus is the truth. I understand the hesitation of an epiphone at that price. But they play, sound, and feel like a guitar at that price. With Bonamassa being “the collector” I can see these being collectible in years to come. Not for everybody for sure. But I think there are enough that warrant its value.
I love reverend! I’ve had the billy corogan model. My dad owns the eastsider s. And now I own a Warhawk. They do it right. They do a very good setup before sending to vendors
@@spider5001 I was sat in the shop playing a £2.5k fender Tele thinline I couldn't afford while I was waiting for the to find my Reverend in the warehouse. The second I picked it up I forgot about the Fender immediately. The Reverend was just straight up better. Better neck, better pick ups, hardware was better fitted. It's pretty too. I'd recommend them to anyone.
I have just sort of asked this question on our 4 strong WhatsApp Sg owners group .... Having seen a Murphy aged SG for £8500 on TPS, which as a luthier, joiner and musician I think is utterly ridiculous, the question put is ...What is your ceiling limit spend on a specific guitar .. so at what point do you go...I don't care how much I want it I'm not paying that for it.... There are a few for me... Les Paul senior was one...I ran off to buy one as soon as I saw it ..utterly loved it... But £4.5k for a junior with a carved top... Sorry not happening ever in my world... Also. Epiphone are doing such a great job in the inspired by series that you have to question the huge mark up for a decal and nitro. .. As predominantly a gigging bass player I gig an Epiphone explorer (1 song) a heavily modded Mexican Jazz ( that I have seriously upgraded and fettled) as my main bass, a £25 Squier affinity p bass that I use for all Maiden stuff. ( Sounds great and has never let me down) and I have a Chinese Dingwall that is utterly spectacular that is the top end of my outlay scale ...I think it cost me £1250 new from Andertons....and shows how good the quality can be out of China if you also have Canadian QC on your case. Basses I have that never gig .Warwick streamer, Rickenbacker 4003, Gibson Les Paul, and an Ibanez fieldy Sig 5 string.... So the top 4 of my basses coastwise, never leave the house... Because the other ones play better...go figure....
I have two,a T59v 335 style and a newly acquired T64vt , fully hollow with P90s, Casino style. Both are great quality instruments, came perfectly set up , medium C neck which is perfect for my small hands. I got a Gibson custom shop 61 335 historic a few years ago , great guitar but the Eastman will be staying with me.
@@latifburdick3061 Thank you, a T386 appears fantastic value if the quality is as good as everyone says. I had a Gibson that was a real dissappointment.
On his info page and all youtubers is an About on the line click that he has an email showing there, you have to hit it and click that you are not a ROBOT, hopefully you find this helpful.
Sadly, there's always gonna be people that will insist the opposite is true, and that anything under 3k can't possibly be any good? I've worked out my collections total cost, new, at 7k. list price. I've got less into them, but that's what they're worth. 2- LTD's, 2-Epiphone's and 2-Sterling's. So that's around $1150 per guitar, on average. I don't believe spending more will reap ANY measurable advantage? They look good, sound great, and actually hold value better than most of the $3k.+ big name brands. Good luck trying to flip a new/used ESP, Gibson or MusicMan without taking it in the shorts.
Scam alert: I got an obvious scam reply to my previous comment. When I try to view the reply on this page it doesn't load. Also noted that other comments will show 1 less reply than it says they have. Guessing you've got some scammer working your channel. Meanwhile, thanks for all the great videos!
Tokai are hidden gems, you don't have to go to the Japanese range or vintage to get a quality instrument. Try the chinese Tokais and you may be surprised...
Fantastic video mate. A pro guitar (as a tool) shouldn’t cost more than £1500 at the top end, everything else is collectors and rarity. Whilst these highest end instruments are beautiful and the craft that goes into them is often stunning are you going to want to bring it out of the house to get it dinged up or dropped? I wouldn’t.
I'd love a Navigator custom, but I've heard they stopped making them after the whole Gibson-Dean lawsuit. I heard they didn't want to be targeted next by Gibson.
Anything used with a roi can be considered pro. Ask Seasick Steve. People want "pro" gear because that will make them play or sound better 😂 Once heavily invested in "pro" gear only few will admit that it does matter far less than told and bragged about. Regarding gear the guitar is the most interesting piece of equipement in the "pro" cathegory.
I own a range of instruments, from a Core PRS to Harley Benton strat and a couple in between. While the difference between pro-level and budget is significantly less than what it used to be, it is still there. All of them perform well, including the HB. None of my instruments perform as consistently well as my Core PRS. All of them require more maintenance than my Core PRS. So yeah, pro-level instruments are still a thing. But pro-level and gig-worthy are two different things. I would gig with any of my instruments, including the Harley Benton. It all depends on what is needed for the gig.
I’ve found that the cheap guitars rip your fingers up on the fret ends. The Sire guitars are the best when it comes to finished fret ends. While they are great affordable guitars, the feel of smooth finished frets is wonderful.
Pro level should be defined like materials used, tuning stability etc. The thing is that such definition does not exist and therefor can be used/applied for basicly everything.
It seems to me that the increasing “guitar snobbery,” is relative to the sub £1k increase in “guitar quality.” “To boomer or not to boomer, that is the question.”😆
i live 10 minutes from the FGN factory in Japan - best guitars i've ever seen - better than Fender American Pro series - i bought 4 in the past 4 years and appreciate them more as time goes on - the necks are PERFECT
John Cordy “A man of The People” bringing excellent modeling sounds without ripping people off and proving you don’t need outrageous type guitars to have a professional level of playing!
If only he responded to customers who bought packs !
@@greek42069 he does man, he’s personally answered questions of issues I’ve had in the past granted that was probably about 2 years ago but you can’t demand full service technical support for as little as he charges! I’ve paid more for one singular patch than what I spent for all of Johns!
@Kane I understand u can't get full service and am thankful the price is cheap , but unfortunately he doesn't tell u specifically what presets are in each bundle so if u watch a video where he is using "x" preset in my scenario it's a plexi light preset I want but I've bought 3 of the preset packs from gumroad and it's not in any of those packs unfortunately. So I don't wanna continue to just blindly buy packs until I get lucky and buy the pack that has plexi light in it ya dig. Really love his tones regardless
@@greek42069 he just had a baby so it may take him a bit to get back to you
@Mudd Buddah makes more sense now thank u
This upload couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m about to order a Revstar Standard.
Gretsch Electromatic deserves a shout in this price point. Bizarrely overlooked, versatile, beautiful, surprisingly shreddy & raucous, consistent well made instruments.
I second this. Fantastic guitars. I’ve owned 4 over the years. The pickups and electronics on their earlier models about 10 year ago where fairly lackluster, but these days their electromatic pickups are much better.
Their hollowbodys are really well constructed, finish is fantastic, fretboards and frets have been really good quality. Tuning stability has been great on all mine, despite the reports of the Bigsby issues, but I do wonder if that is down to the Bigsby being used for dive bombing.
I personally feel modern electromatics are in fight for best quality sub-£1k guitars
And don’t sleep on the Streamliners! I almost bought a Gretsch Streamliner 2655T-P90 on the spot after playing it in the store, and I will probably end up buying it. The Streamliner range is lighter weight than the Electromatics or Pro series, which makes them the most playable Gretsch’s in my opinion.
@@r0bophonic I had a Streamliner before I bought my Electromatic. Wonderful playing guitar. But the (not filtertron) humbuckers were very dark for my taste & the tuning slipped constantly (both guitars have Bigsbys, but the Electromatic barely slips). Streamliners are great. I'd buy a non-Bigsby one in a heartbeat if I was looking. However, I'd also want to mod it...possibly because of the lower price just making it more desirable to muck with for fun. I don't have that with the Electromatics, wouldn't change a thing.
@@johndoroh9301 I like those Electromatic "Blacktop" Filtertrons so much I chucked them into my old Epiphone Black Beauty. Dirt cheap pickups (think they were sub $50 cad at the time) that completely revitalized that guitar.
@@GitShiddy I agree, my most recent Gretsch has the ‘Blacktops’, they are great pickups. Clean, light breakup, or rockier stuff they sound great. I think they particularly shine doing QoTSA style stuff
I had a Gibson lp special. It was flawless. The only problem is it cramped the hell out of my thumb. I returned it. Tried a Epiphone version. The finish was terrible but the playability was fantastic. I love it. The imperfections let me play more freely without worrying about having to resell it because it was only 400 bucks
I bought a spalted maple PRS SE for $600. I bought it because it looked so cool but I never really expected to play it more then my LP or Strat. Turns out I play it more then all of my guitars combined. Really great guitar that plays well and sounds great.
Would love to hear thoughts on what defines a “pro-level” guitar. One thing I’ve learned after decades of guitar playing is that the modern guitar market is driven by fashion and disinformation and prices are almost totally unmoored from playability/quality. One example: to get a solid body guitar under 7lbs (ideal playability for me), my options are mostly either sub $200 entry level or custom shop over $3k. Weight is one of the key factors in playability and manufacturers don’t even list it on spec sheets.
Better ask Jack Pearson! 🙂
@@CAGED1702 Ha! I just checked out his interview with Marty Music. This guy is my new hero! The sunburst Squire Bullet Stratocaster he mentions is what turned us both on to cheap guitars. One of the best guitars I’ve ever played.
PRS doublecuts are usually about 7 lbs. And an SE will be at $700-1000
Devil's advocate for a moment - I'd say it actually makes sense not to list weight on the average guitar spec as the density of wood varies quite a lot. I do agree it makes a difference, but would be impractical to try and standardise, or display in many stores (although manufacturers could say put a more precise weight measurement on box at the point of shipping which would be easy for a retailer to check).
The other thing to consider is different styles of instrument (SGs are often quite light even for solid body) or you can select certain woods that are likely to be less dense. Even basic mods to save some weight if its more marginal - like aluminium rather than steel bridge/trem on a Strat - or even relieving a little weight somewhere inconspicuous like under the pick guard if you're a little more skilled (for example, Anderson Guitarworks does this for their high-end models which are all v light).
@@NFMorley Great points. I agree that variance in wood density is likely the main reason they don’t list weight specs. However, they could list a range and stay within it. Some already seem to do this without actually listing the spec (Novo, PRS). The big manufacturers also reserve their lightest woods for the custom shop. I just wish manufacturers would create more lightweight solid body designs (like the SG). If there WAS a listed spec for buyers to compare guitars against each other, I suspect this would start to happen.
I'm not a professional player, but I've been playing bass since the mid 90's and being a weekend warrior since then.
I remember trying a 5000 € custom Warwick bass and being disappointed...and playing a gig with a borrowed 600 € Sire bass and feeling comfortable like it was my own bass. It sounded good, stayed in tune and played very comfortably.
IME, I don't need a 2000 bucks instrument to get my musical needs covered.
I’ve been really blown away by the schectre Nick Johnston S + T type Indonesian models. Really great quality instruments at real pro level but like £700-£900 in the UK. Killer guitars.
Currently selling a guitar to fund the Nick Johnston HSS. Heard overwhelmingly positive things about it.
I tested it recently and was surprised about its playability.
Not sure why surprised - Schecter has always made good guitars.
Schecter kicks ass.
Hey John, have you checked out G&L? I have 2 of the Legacy models (made in Indonesia) and they are pretty nice. I Got the Doheny recently: P90's and they have the treble and bass tone knobs, which allow for a wide variety on tone choices. Around $650 USA.
I have a Revstar Standard in Swift Blue with the P90.... Man it sounds fantastic! I was looking at everything available in my area around that price point. The neck is sublime and the P90s sound really great. Would recommend to anyone in a heart beat.
Can I ask... Have you found any sound quality issues in the out of phase positions when using Digital modelling units? Cheers
@@keithb5612 Hey Keith, unfortunately my rig is pretty low-tech. I run a Vox AC15 with a couple of overdrives and a delay and the guitar. :) Haven't had any issues with that, but would love to hear how you go with it. I might need to explore modelling options/headpones soon due to a new bub! Thanks for your message! -Liam
@@LWMyrth Cheers Liam. Thanks for your reply. Enjoy the tones.
A guitar that really surprised me was the Fret-king Corona Custom with the soapbar in the neck and humbucker in the bridge. It was amazingly playable and the neck was super smooth satin, all frets rolled nicely, and the switching options were incredible! I picked mine up for about £400, though I can see they are more in the £600-700 price range today.
That dude Michael Britt took a punt on one and ended up being so blown away that he toured with it.
I’ve had a lot of fun buying cheap made in China guitars that play well and slowly upgrading them part-by-part. You grow really attached to them when so much of the character is a result of your choices, and when you know its the only guitar like it.
Fujigen (FGN) is kind of legendary, they were always considered one of the top Japanese manufacturers and have been building really great quality instruments for a long long time. I have 4 Fujigen built instruments, 3 Ibanez Prestiges and an old early 90's Fender strat. I will never part with that strat, its so damn good. While I don't own an FGN house brand, I wouldn't hesitate to own one. I know and trust them to build fantastic instruments.
1982 Fender Japan / Fujigen ST57 Strat. I have played Custom Shops for years, and many are just as good, or have different advantages. But I've never played a regular production Strat that plays as well.
I am waiting for a SE McCarty 594 to arrive tomorrow. Fingers crossed it’s a good one🤞🏻 😬
Big love to FGN, loved them for a long time. So stoked to see them getting attention here!
I just got myself an epiphone SG standard, based off a ‘61 SG and it plays great! Put me out about $550 and I would totally buy it again.
Mike Rutherford did a stadium tour with Genesis playing an Affinity Squier Strat. Kinda makes me rethink spending a lot of money on guitars.
Schecter Nick Johnston, PRS SE 594 (I have a core one and it's the best guitar money can buy IMHO). Also Eastman - More expensive, but just as good or better as a Gibson SemiHollow or Hollow.
I'd love to try an FGN. I still have my second guitar, a 1985 Fender Contemporary Stratocaster HSS made by FugiGen Gakki back when Fender was sold by CBS, and even though the purchasers had all the trademarks and designs, they didn't have much of a factory, so FujiGen made the one I have and the Squier Stuff of the mid 1980's, which is just as good. Mine is excellent, better than any USA Charvel/Jackson I owned in that era.
I would include the Grestch G5210-P90 in that list.
im really enjoying my Solar GC1.6 "killertone". it was $1299 US and just kicks ass
Until recently Yamaha were selling the SG 1820 at a VERY reasonable price indeed. However I just checked and was shocked to discover SG 1820 prices are now about the same as Les Pauls, which is puzzling. I thought they were phasing them out because of the Rev Star. The SG 1820 is made in Japan - big, thick, heavy and chunky - more like a Les Paul than an SG. I love mine.
You have a wonderful fluent playing styles John. Nice on the ear.
I have a 2017 odyssey standard. Basically an fgn strat copy, with a hss pick-up configuration all seymour duncans. It's a fantastic guitar, so well made and i would never get rid of it.
Could you ever do a video on the fsg les paul equivalent?
Schecter Nick Johnston signature are killer guitars for the money. Sub £1,000 but professional quality hardware and finishing. Go for the HSS configuration. Unbeatable at the price.
i recently got a sunburst epiphone 339 that is set up beautifully and plays so easily. gretsch electromatic is great too, pickups a lil dark for some stuff but great for jazz
I got an insane limited Ibanez RG6PPBFX Premium Tropical Seafloor for 500€ because a tiny chip on headstock made it B-stock, the Bare Knuckle pickups themselves are worth more than half the price, top quality guitar
The FGN, PRS DTG SE, and some Epiphones are good choices without breaking the bank. I was also impressed with a couple of Hagstrom guitars I picked up for very reasonable prices. The Swede plays very well, and for a jazz box the HL-550 is another guitar I feel comfortable gigging with. They've both served me well for about a decade now. I actually prefer the Swede to many Gibson LP's I've played over the years.
If you want quality without paying a fortune, there is only one solution: buy used Japanese products. You can't really go wrong with Japanese brands, especially in the used market. Alternatively, there are some European brands that have lost a lot of value. For example, a hand-made Lag guitar from France can still be found at reasonable prices because no one wants them anymore, especially now that they have stopped making electric guitars.
A good chunk of my guitars are now secondhand Japanese. Just got a Japanese Satriani sig for plenty under £1k
Used Ibanez prestige ftw!
Do these brands have stainless steel frets?
What about the Larry Carlton L7, S7 etc range?
I think he has those in mind at around 3.45, when he's talking about sire, and says that the quality isn't always consistent and that FGN has overtaken them in his mind.
Thank you for this excellent video. It's so true! The Epiphone Lazarus is really very good. I upgraded my instrument with the Pearly Gates PUs by Seymour Duncan and polished it so that it is now quite glossy like the original. You can see this clearly in the video in which JB presents the original Lazarus and the Epiphone version. Did you make even more upgrades to your one?
Thanks for this vid, along with all your content. Jack Pearson, another super talented player, who's played with the Allman Bros., amongst others. uses Squier Strats the majority of the time. Hard to get better tone and dynamics than he does, if you like Allman Bros. style sounds.
This is a great video and think this would target the vast majority of players for sure. Like anything, there are products to target different markets ranging from people on a stricter budgets to those people who have $ to spend and add to a collection, with everything in between.
It's like if you're in the market for a 2 seater convertible car. There's that used Mazda that can fit what you're looking for or a new Porsche that's 20x as much.
Check out some G&L Tribute models with MFD Pickups and Fret King 2023 models with the Varicoil function.
great video! but i think your microphone is too close from your neck! so depending how you move, it get muffled and distorted!
Some great suggestions. I would add mid to high level Godin guitars with ergocut necks and Tagima Brazilian made guitars.
Les Paul Standards are 3k across the board now in the US
It’s almost like they don’t want to exist in the average gigging musician world anymore. Only big bands and collectors. Epiphone is still hit or miss but if Gibson keeps it up they will price themselves into the grave. There are too many other options now
Hey John, DSM just came out with a new "Humboldt Electronics Simplifier mk2 Zero-watt Stereo Amplifier". would you be reviewing it anytime soon, looking forward to what your thoughts are on this new product line.
John's a great player and I trust his advise...solid stuff! Great video.
How about the Harley Benton fusion III series?
Yes, looking forward to you revstar standard review. Would love to see a comparison of fgn boundary vs iliad ash with seymour duncan pickups.
Hi John great shout on some nice guitars, I recently purchased a chapman ml3 pro,, I didn’t pay full price, but wanted to try one out, came with a couple small flaws I was disappointed with, and had to change the switches due to poor quality, but overall stainless steel jumbo frets, a really nice neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, roster maple neck, locking tuners, worth a try and a shout out, I’m not a metal guitarist, I am very opposite and was really happy with some of the tones through the helix, if you get a chance worth a try,
I understand why people collect guitars; they can often look gorgeous. And if you've got the money, then fill yer boots. But it's not for me. I want a guitar that feels good to play, that sounds good, and that does all the things I want it to. Ideally, that would be one, perfect guitar. And I'd rather buy a mid-range guitar and then mod it to suit myself.
Not a fan of basswood but that FGN looks really good and has nice specs.
Thanks for a another great video. Why is the Yamaha Revstar not on your list? You liked this one a lot in previous videos.
I've got both versions of the revstar standard (humbucker and P90) and they honestly have me questioning the point of my "higher end" guitars.
FGN are being stocked by Andertons now, might be worth a look there?
Mid/low price guitars are really good now. But I played PRS Modern Eagle last month and that was an experience rather than just a jam. So I am torn now.
I checked out TruFire but it's really old people that I have no idea who they are and no metal just 'old rock' I've just bought a Harley Benton and I tell you, it's amazing, I bought it as I was looking at the Jim Root Jazzmaster but Fenders are not worth the money they charge at all.
hi john! sorry for writing it here, i wrote it on old video of yours as well .
i wonder if you could help me with my question.
i have victory kraken amp running with torpedo captor (regular) to my pc (i have no real cab at all).
i wonder , if ill buy HX FX , is there a way to connect it with PRE and POST fx (4 cable ish) but also to use the HX FX IR loader , and use headphones \ monitors direct to the HX FX? without the use of the pc? just the hardware.
or do i must have cabinet?
really hope you can help me, i tried to find answer for that everywhere
thank you brother!
Have you tried Jason Sadites, he is very very knowledgeable on Helix stuff and Tonex stuff and recording in general.
Is that an air freshener hanging from the FGN head?
For me the pro level guitar is a guitar that can be playable 20+ years and usually is better after that. Consumer level guitars will deteriorate faster and be trash after 10+ years. Unfortunately it's difficult to know in advance, which category the guitar is. Good quality can be found in many prices and vice versa
The mules in the Epi are not cheap, about $250. Total still much less than a Gibson. I put Wolfetone pickups in an SE Bernie Marsden, and that makes a lovely LP. Less than 1k total.
Is anyone familiar with Bacchus guitars? They have Indonesian guitars that have pretty good specs priced around £600.
Japanese guitars are usually better quality than Indonesian made ones however there are exceptions from time to time, even with Chinese made guitars. The Revstar Standard is waaay ahead of its time for the price, the black one will be mine soon!
5:55, is that a ghost talking?
Blade make some lovely guitars for the money
Blade guitars are excellent , and not only for the money! Swiss made btw!
How many guitars do you currently own? Just curious. How often do you buy/sell/trade them too?
Have you ever tried the Epiphone Les Paul 61 SG Standard? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this guitar in comparison to the Lazarus
The andy timmons indo ibanez is good but a bit more expensive.
Lazarus is the truth. I understand the hesitation of an epiphone at that price. But they play, sound, and feel like a guitar at that price. With Bonamassa being “the collector” I can see these being collectible in years to come. Not for everybody for sure. But I think there are enough that warrant its value.
A bit more than what you quote but anything by Reverend is pretty much an instrument for life. Mine was £800 and it's basically perfect.
I love reverend! I’ve had the billy corogan model. My dad owns the eastsider s. And now I own a Warhawk. They do it right. They do a very good setup before sending to vendors
@@spider5001 I was sat in the shop playing a £2.5k fender Tele thinline I couldn't afford while I was waiting for the to find my Reverend in the warehouse. The second I picked it up I forgot about the Fender immediately. The Reverend was just straight up better. Better neck, better pick ups, hardware was better fitted. It's pretty too. I'd recommend them to anyone.
Amazing playing, sir.
Bought the guitar last year but left the tag on? 🤔
I have just sort of asked this question on our 4 strong WhatsApp Sg owners group .... Having seen a Murphy aged SG for £8500 on TPS, which as a luthier, joiner and musician I think is utterly ridiculous, the question put is ...What is your ceiling limit spend on a specific guitar .. so at what point do you go...I don't care how much I want it I'm not paying that for it.... There are a few for me... Les Paul senior was one...I ran off to buy one as soon as I saw it ..utterly loved it... But £4.5k for a junior with a carved top... Sorry not happening ever in my world... Also. Epiphone are doing such a great job in the inspired by series that you have to question the huge mark up for a decal and nitro. .. As predominantly a gigging bass player I gig an Epiphone explorer (1 song) a heavily modded Mexican Jazz ( that I have seriously upgraded and fettled) as my main bass, a £25 Squier affinity p bass that I use for all Maiden stuff. ( Sounds great and has never let me down) and I have a Chinese Dingwall that is utterly spectacular that is the top end of my outlay scale ...I think it cost me £1250 new from Andertons....and shows how good the quality can be out of China if you also have Canadian QC on your case. Basses I have that never gig .Warwick streamer, Rickenbacker 4003, Gibson Les Paul, and an Ibanez fieldy Sig 5 string.... So the top 4 of my basses coastwise, never leave the house... Because the other ones play better...go figure....
What are everyone’s thoughts on Eastman Semi s ? I’d love to know
I have two,a T59v 335 style and a newly acquired T64vt , fully hollow with P90s, Casino style. Both are great quality instruments, came perfectly set up , medium C neck which is perfect for my small hands. I got a Gibson custom shop 61 335 historic a few years ago , great guitar but the Eastman will be staying with me.
The reviewers give em a thumbs up. The finishes are really nice looking, they are priced in that mid range group , around or under 2000.
@@latifburdick3061 Thank you, a T386 appears fantastic value if the quality is as good as everyone says. I had a Gibson that was a real dissappointment.
I had a pro revstar . amazing 5
Great video. Thanks for the recommendations.
Sometimes, we need to just need to use our hands and ears and ignore the paradigm.
Second hand Reverends are great. People practically give them away, I have no idea why they’re so cheap on the used market.
Ibanez Artcore AF75. Real nice. Paid 450$
Do you A. Respond to comments ,B. Have customer email to contact you about purchases??? Would really appreciate a response I've been trying non stop.
On his info page and all youtubers is an About on the line click that he has an email showing there, you have to hit it and click that you are not a ROBOT, hopefully you find this helpful.
Sadly, there's always gonna be people that will insist the opposite is true, and that anything under 3k can't possibly be any good? I've worked out my collections total cost, new, at 7k. list price. I've got less into them, but that's what they're worth. 2- LTD's, 2-Epiphone's and 2-Sterling's. So that's around $1150 per guitar, on average. I don't believe spending more will reap ANY measurable advantage? They look good, sound great, and actually hold value better than most of the $3k.+ big name brands. Good luck trying to flip a new/used ESP, Gibson or MusicMan without taking it in the shorts.
What are you talking about!? Gibson LP's hild value better than almost anything out there. That's just the truth.
@@mbgmail5911 go buy one then. I'm good.
Scam alert: I got an obvious scam reply to my previous comment. When I try to view the reply on this page it doesn't load. Also noted that other comments will show 1 less reply than it says they have. Guessing you've got some scammer working your channel.
Meanwhile, thanks for all the great videos!
Tokai are hidden gems, you don't have to go to the Japanese range or vintage to get a quality instrument. Try the chinese Tokais and you may be surprised...
CP value is import
Fantastic video mate. A pro guitar (as a tool) shouldn’t cost more than £1500 at the top end, everything else is collectors and rarity. Whilst these highest end instruments are beautiful and the craft that goes into them is often stunning are you going to want to bring it out of the house to get it dinged up or dropped? I wouldn’t.
Edwards ESP. Best kept secret for so long
I'd love a Navigator custom, but I've heard they stopped making them after the whole Gibson-Dean lawsuit. I heard they didn't want to be targeted next by Gibson.
Anything used with a roi can be considered pro. Ask Seasick Steve.
People want "pro" gear because that will make them play or sound better 😂
Once heavily invested in "pro" gear only few will admit that it does matter far less than told and bragged about.
Regarding gear the guitar is the most interesting piece of equipement in the "pro" cathegory.
I can't believe people take phrases like "pro level guitar" seriously anymore
It's still a thing though, isn't it?
When you play a lot and in front of people you better have a good guitar. You need a pro level nut for sure.
I own a range of instruments, from a Core PRS to Harley Benton strat and a couple in between.
While the difference between pro-level and budget is significantly less than what it used to be, it is still there. All of them perform well, including the HB. None of my instruments perform as consistently well as my Core PRS. All of them require more maintenance than my Core PRS.
So yeah, pro-level instruments are still a thing. But pro-level and gig-worthy are two different things. I would gig with any of my instruments, including the Harley Benton. It all depends on what is needed for the gig.
I’ve found that the cheap guitars rip your fingers up on the fret ends. The Sire guitars are the best when it comes to finished fret ends. While they are great affordable guitars, the feel of smooth finished frets is wonderful.
Pro level should be defined like materials used, tuning stability etc. The thing is that such definition does not exist and therefor can be used/applied for basicly everything.
It seems to me that the increasing “guitar snobbery,” is relative to the sub £1k increase in “guitar quality.”
“To boomer or not to boomer, that is the question.”😆