Any suggestions for a unique/cheap guitar?

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Sat May 16, 2009 8:47 am

Nobody plays Stratocasters right now, so they would be unique and you could get any sound imaginable.

Sounds facetious, but it's true.

Or...+100 on the Danelectros.

joninc · Post by **joninc** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:01 am

the dano's can be bright and they don't have a ton of sustain but they have a sort of presence that makes them cut through other tones really well. i actually use some dropped/alternate tunings and fingerpick with a more round/neck pickup sound and find it to sound really articulate and warm in a certain context.

and there's just something about the way the neck feels that makes it really fun to play. its a great stumming guitar. it loves distortion and can totally grind or feedback nicely. plays well with others ...

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:21 am

Eastwood has a whole mess of really great reissues of some of the weirder guitars from the 60s. I've played several and they're all very nice.

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/

magritte · Post by **magritte** » Sat May 16, 2009 11:37 am

joninc wrote:the dano's can be bright and they don't have a ton of sustain but they have a sort of presence that makes them cut through other tones really well. i actually use some dropped/alternate tunings and fingerpick with a more round/neck pickup sound and find it to sound really articulate and warm in a certain context.

and there's just something about the way the neck feels that makes it really fun to play. its a great stumming guitar. it loves distortion and can totally grind or feedback nicely. plays well with others ...

you're not talking about vintage models, correct? just any contemporary dano at a guitar shop?

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Sat May 16, 2009 1:08 pm

kayagum wrote:+1 on the Danelectros.

If you want a Danelectro with better hardware, check out http://jerryjonesguitars.com - I own a longhorn bass and 2 baritones at the moment (1 with a Bigsby!)

at $1200 i wouldn't call them cheap!

quite nice, tho.

ashcat_lt · Post by **ashcat_lt** » Sat May 16, 2009 1:55 pm

You could check out rondomusic.com I've never used them, but heard good things, and they are certainly cheap. All of their guitars look almost like the famous ones they're based on. The SJM model is not quite a jag/jazzmaster, but has much the same functionality:

I think they've also got Ric knockoffs.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Sat May 16, 2009 4:52 pm

+1 on the Dan-o. Very useful in some very strange ways. Price has gone up on some of the older models lately.

beefy · Post by **beefy** » Sat May 16, 2009 5:36 pm

Get a G&l tribute model used. If the body isn't unique enough for you take a jig saw to it. Then get some spray paint and do what ya like to it. If you really want to get fancy wet sand in between coats of paint and put a few clear coats on after it. You will have a great sounding guitar that also sounds like a fender that is pretty unique if you do it right.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Sun May 17, 2009 1:24 am

minorleagues wrote: I also like a couple Schecter guitars, I know what you a thinking, they are nu-metal guitars,

Interesting. Must be a generational thing. When I think of Schecter I think of Pete Townshend on the early '80s Who tours.

Trick Fall · Post by **Trick Fall** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:21 am

I recently saw one of those PT Schecters for 800.00 unfortunately it was a righty and I'm a lefty otherwise I would have had to purchase it. When I first started playing I thought that was one of the coolest looking guitars out there.

infiniteposse · Post by **infiniteposse** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:45 am

An important note in all of this is that the pickups play a huge part in why cool sounding guitars sound cool. Dano's have very unusual pickups (and no, they don't sound thin at all - very versatile guitars and a great deal @ the $200 used they can be found for...). Old Teisco's and Harmonies - cool pickups. Old 50's/60's Fenders - great pickups. Old Gibsons - great pickups. And on and on.

Your average cheap Mexican fender has mediocre pickups in it and to my ear, they rarely wow me. With better pickups, assuming the body/neck combo are a winner, they can sound a lot better.

Also note that you can always just replace boring pickups in a guitar you really think looks/plays great with something more in line with the sound you're after. Humbucker cavities are especially easy to find replacement pickups for - TV Jones (Filtertron-like pickups - amazing), P-90 variants by Harmonic Designs http://www.harmonicdesign.net/, etc... There's tele bridge pickups for strats and vice versa.

My point being - I'd personally start with a sound I wanted to hear and then figure out how to get it. Is there a specific guitar sound that blows you away and that you think works with what you do as a guitarist?

One more note from someone who got really into playing with different pickup combos in different guitars just to see what might happen: learn to solder! You'll save a ton of money if you're going to pay someone else to install them for you.

I hope this helps.

MisterMark · Post by **MisterMark** » Sun May 17, 2009 9:38 am

If you are looking for something in the Silvertone/Dan Electro flavor, check out Musicvox. Used to be able to get them for a few hundred dollars years ago, but ever since they were used in the last Austin Powers movie, the price has gone up. I know for a fact that Mark Mothersbaugh and Devo have them.

jaguarsg · Post by **jaguarsg** » Sun May 17, 2009 11:53 am

kent.

blackdiscoball · Post by **blackdiscoball** » Sun May 17, 2009 6:04 pm

cheap and sweet would be a Teisco. you might have to look around for one that plays nice, don't buy one off the internet. The sell for like 100-200, i wouldn't pay more then that for them but they sound cool.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Sun May 17, 2009 6:51 pm

Every Fernandes I've tried, and most Hamers, sound good, and can be quite cheap.

And I keep seeing those cheap, latter-day B.C. Rich guitars, what are certainly unique, butt would take cojones grandes to play in about anything but a death-metal or cover hair band ...

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Any suggestions for a unique/cheap guitar?

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