Your LEAST expensive great sounding/playing guitars

[patshep]

i have a gibson es339 studio that cost me about $750 including a trade used, it's great
i had an epiphone sheraton ll from the early 90s that was one of the best guitars ever $350 (plus mods)
used G&L Legacys are an amazing deal on the used market, under $800 for great quality
also most of the ibanez semi hollows are great deals

[brad4d8]

I have a Samick made Epiphone HR Custom that I like. For some things I like it nearly as much as my Artist Award, and before health issues interfered, it was my gig guitar for "seedy" locations. I paid $399 for it used, about 10-12 years ago. I've considered upgrading the pickup, but since I'm only playing it unplugged these days, the expense seems unjustified.
Brad

[Little Jay]

Here I am lusting after a tele, and I see this! Nice!

Hahaha, well the good news is, that if you are handy and have a bit of patience, you can make one yourself for only around 175 bucks! I made this all out of cheap MIC parts off eBay, AliExpress and Banggood :-)

[JazzPadd]

Very much enjoying an Ibanez AKJV95 I picked up recently. Made in Indonesia for the Japanese market, stock no mods, it's quickly become my main jam session guitar, as well as for solo work.

[buduranus2]

I just picked up an Ibanez AF105 with dual humbuckers. I have a couple of 25-1/2" scale archtops, a Triggs San Salvador and a D'Angelico EXL-1, but I finally had to admit I can't manage the scale length. The Ibanez is a "me size" guitar with a smaller body and 24-3/4" scale. The neck is great, kind of reminiscent of an early mid-60s Gibson and the smaller body is very comfortable. But for the life of me I can't tame the excessive brightness, and this is using the neck pickup only. I've lowered the pickup nearly as far as it will go, swapped the tune-o-matic for the included wood bridge, fiddled with the volume and tone controls every which way, and currently have my amp EQ'd a bit on the extreme side for me, with the treble rolled off, the presence nearly all the way down, the mid boost on, and the parametric EQ set to even things out. It's still bright!!! Pity, really, because it's a decent instrument, not a Triggs of course, but eminently playable. I don't think I'm going to replace the pickup – doing so may wind up an exercise in futility. I'll probably just play it a while longer and then return it under the vendor's return policy.

I was about ready to return this when, just for laughs, I decided to engage both pickups. A little fiddling with the volume and tone knobs and now it sounds like...something. More focused, better clarity and balance. Just a little "glassy." That said, it's hard to complain for $370.

[Esport]

Non-Premium Epi ES-175. Swapped in a Stew Mac Golden Age PAF and all new electronics/switch/jack and it delivers the thunk. All in, I spent about $500.

[Cavalier]

Bjarton, I may have 5ish about now. Not saying more.

[gitman]

My Warmoth Tele : put together by myself in late 1993, using a hollowed body in ash and a birdseye maple neck/fingerboard in the "Boatneck" shape. Standard configuration , started with a set of Barden's and swapped out for a set of Area T's by DiMarzio, about 12 years ago. The guitar cost about 1300.00 in Deutschmark, possibly the equivalent of $ 780.00 in 1993. I used that guitar extensively for more than 20 years and it's certainly been the least expensive but most successful breadwinner in my arsenal, due to the sheer quantity of gigs I used it for.

[EarlBrother]

Jake Riekbart posted a vid i saw in another area here.But it is an up scale dining establishment and he playing a cheap ruff looking Ibanez AF 75? I asked him what was the amp and he said a 10 inch beringer of some sort.I love this guy!Him and Rick Seversen seem like really rooted people.If i got that gig i would freak out over trying to dress to the 9s and bringing the polished rig i have.LOL Sorry i dont have the patience to post the you tube vid of him playing at The Earle in Anne Arbor Mich.But that rig in his hands is a money maker!

[lawson-stone]

I would say the best sounding and playing cheapest guitar "stock" for me, with no mods, pickup swaps, etc, is the Epiphone ES175 Premium that I got a couple years back when there was a big sale at Guitar Center on these. I think it was $500 or something. That guitar out of the box literally was fantastic. Set up well, sounded great, did the job with no drama.

[pingu]

My DIY JazzTele El Cheapo without a doubt!
All parts acquired for around €150:

you really should market those Jay ....
an attractive option for Jazz on a plank
it sounds absolutely great man
what strings you using ?

[Little Jay]

you really should market those Jay ....an attractive option for Jazz on a plankit sounds absolutely great manwhat strings you using ?

Really? Market those? You mean produce and sell them? Ha, cool! Well, I already have a day-job and it seems odd to produce a guitar made entirely of aftermarket parts..... The result surprised me as well, I never expected it to sound that well!

I use a set of 0.012 Thomastiks Swings (flatwounds). It's the best jazz-plank I ever played, but that's not surprising since it's tailored to my wishes ;-) Here's another sound-example:

[rmpmcdermott]

Without a doubt, my '89 American Standard Strat. Got it for ~$550 used and it can tackle anything that my higher end custom Strats can. If I had to sell my expensive guitars and keep that one, then I'd be doing just fine.

[zcostilla]

Godin 5th Avenue acoustic was $395. I added a Custom Vintage Vibe pickup (Charlie Christian style) for $150 more. I use D’Addario chromes on it and love this thing.

I paid $415 for a made in Indonesia Hamer Monaco Special (KORINA/LIMBA WOOD!!!). This thing is really good, and the only thing I don’t care for are the jumbo frets. As soon as these wear out (so like 5 years or so, lol) I’m going to vintage style mediums high/skinnies. I like the unders-wound P90s it has, but I am highly contemplating am AlNiCo 2 magnet swap.

My brother plays vintage Gibsons and he fell in love with both my cheapies. Wanted to trade a 74 SG for the 5th Avenue but I didn’t like the neck.

[arielcee]

Picked up this Cort Source for $150. It seems to be a solid guitar; quite well made. Good hardware, sturdy tuners, bridge, etc. Neck is nice (42mm/1.65" at nut); it has a flatter curve on the bottom, feels like a fender to me plus string span is 52.5 mm at the bridge. Pickups are pretty muddy so will put an sh2 in the neck for now. Overall a decent guitar!

[guga7]

Telecaster Classic Vibe

[omphalopsychos]

I don't have any cheapo gear but the lest expensive guitars I own are the teles I've built. This one is my favorite.

[Fred Archtop]

Not that cheapo, but a lot of things for the bucks. Here is my last acquisition, an Epiphone Emperor Regent from 2004 (Peerless, Korea made).

Cheers.

[Gabor]

My least expensive was Epi Joe Pass, used for $500, but not this my least expensive favourite...
It is my Eastman AR 371 CE (not available since years, only the two pickup AR 372 CE available now.)

It is a 175 copy with all parameters, including pickup placement and extra depth body. It was $600. It is obviously not a Gibson, but I think it can beat many $2000 or above guitars. I love it.

[Gitfiddler]

My least expensive, great sounding guitar was this '79 Ibanez 2630, I bought for around $615, back in 1986. Adjusting for inflation, it was pretty close to $1,000 in today's dollars, however. Still, it's always been one of my all time favorites for all music styles.

[DanielleOM]

I am enjoying my Michael Kelly N6. https://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/...rick-turner-n6

[LtKojak]

That's an Indonesian, hardtail 20th Ann. Squier strat that I've upraded with an EMG S set, decent tuners and a pro setup. After that it played and sounded like a million dollars.

Total cost: less than one and a half Franklins.

I've recorded about thirteen projects with it, until I gave it to one very poor but talented young guy in my neck of woods. It's been his main instrument ever since, and he has even toured with it.

[wzpgsr]

I don't have any cheapo gear but the lest expensive guitars I own are the teles I've built. This one is my favorite.

Dispelling the rumor that Teles can’t thunk!

[guga7]

That's beautiful! Did you built it from scratch or was it a diy kit?

[citizenk74]

Not that cheapo, but a lot of things for the bucks. Here is my last acquisition, an Epiphone Emperor Regent from 2004 (Peerless, Korea made).

Cheers.

I've got one of these, though it was built prior to 2004, in sunburst. Gigged with it extensively. Wonderful neck! A treasure.