how big (noticeable) a difference between a $200 and a $1000 guitar?

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phatj

Golden Member
Mar 21, 2003
1,837
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i have a washburn that cost $200 and sounds awesome in my opinion (once I put new strings on it sounds so beautiful)

i have a cheap electric guitar -- its an esp i got used for 200 -- and it sounds good (i think the only thing holding it from sounding sweet is my ****** amp)

so do $1000 guitars really sound $800 better?

I mean it seems if you buy good strings and have a good amp (for electrics) that there really isn't much else to change about a guitar?

i've only been playing about 2 years and admittedly have never owned an expensive guitar so I'm sure it's partially my ignorance on the topic....


 
Platypus

Platypus

Lifer
Apr 26, 2001
31,046
321
136
It can make a LOT of difference.. but whether or not you can play it well enough will determine if you notice where the money went.
 
JoLLyRoGer

JoLLyRoGer

Diamond Member
Aug 24, 2000
4,153
4
81
I can't speak so much for guitars, but as a drummer and an active musician who plays out regularly, I can say that there are distinct differences between a $300.00 shell pack and a $1000.00 shell pack.

With drums it basically comes down to construction. 7 ply birds eye maple vs. 5 ply oak. Little detals like isolated tom mounts and memory collars vs. shell mounted hardware that is cheap and comes loose at times and can over time distort the true round of the shell, etc, etc. I should imagine that the same holds true for guitars....

i.e. Quality of the soundboard... better electronics, construction materials, Better hardware (like the tremolo, bridge, or the grovers), etc...

I'm sure you get what you pay for. That much is pretty consistant when it comes to musical instruments.

My .02
JR..

 
A

AlienCraft

Lifer
Nov 23, 2002
10,539
0
0
Originally posted by: phatj
i have a washburn that cost $200 and sounds awesome in my opinion (once I put new strings on it sounds so beautiful)

i have a cheap electric guitar -- its an esp i got used for 200 -- and it sounds good (i think the only thing holding it from sounding sweet is my ****** amp)

so do $1000 guitars really sound $800 better?
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Sometimes they sound twice that. I mean ,you do get what you pay for, after all.
I mean it seems if you buy good strings and have a good amp (for electrics) that there really isn't much else to change about a guitar?
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The truly gifted players can make it look as easy as falling off a log. Without exception , every one of the name players I have teched for fell into that category. One, (Todd) actually encouraged me to return to a player mentality and less of a tech one.
i've only been playing about 2 years and admittedly have never owned an expensive guitar so I'm sure it's partially my ignorance on the topic....
Click to expand...
There's a difference between ignorance and ignorant.
One is a condition; the other, a choice.

Neal Schon could pick up a guitar in a music store, and with just a few licks, would be playing signature licks, relative to the specific guitar, that would have "THAT SOUND".
You will find, that after a while, your "SOUND" will live in your fingers and not be as device dependant.
Now, IF you choose atone ala Robin Trower and need a praticular device in order to create said tone, that isn't what I'm speaking to.
It's in your hands, literally, and figuratively.

 
K

KillyKillall

Diamond Member
Jul 1, 2004
4,415
0
0
EXTREME difference..

$200 guitar has bad fretwork that cuts up your hands and doesn't have fast action. It typically has a generic bad tone, but you can find ways to make it sound better if you're creative.
$1000 guitar depends on what it is.

Examples:

$200 - Some piece of crap fender squire entry level or something like that
$1000 - Nice Epiphone Les Paul Custom or entry level Gibson SG or Les Paul
 
C

CptObvious

Platinum Member
Mar 5, 2004
2,501
7
81
there's a big difference but i think there's diminishing returns above maybe the $700 mark. $700 today could probably buy you a guitar that is very close in quality to a $1000 guitar. for example, with acoustics you can get an all solid wood Martin, Taylor, or Larrivee for around that much, with a case. with electrics you could get a Japanese or Classic/Deluxe series Fender that's close to American quality, or a Carvin.

for $200, you can get a playable decent guitar, but most likely the neck will be unfinished and have rough fret ends and the hardware/electronics will be dodgy and need replacing in a couple years.
 
GuitarDaddy

GuitarDaddy

Lifer
Nov 9, 2004
11,465
1
0
Originally posted by: AlienCraft


Neal Schon could pick up a guitar in a music store, and with just a few licks, would be playing signature licks, relative to the specific guitar, that would have "THAT SOUND".
You will find, that after a while, your "SOUND" will live in your fingers and not be as device dependant.
Now, IF you choose atone ala Robin Trower and need a praticular device in order to create said tone, that isn't what I'm speaking to.
It's in your hands, literally, and figuratively.
Click to expand...

I agree that the true players transend the instrument. My best buddy and my guitar mentor is such a person, he can pick up the cheapest POS in a music store and start playing it and within seconds every wannabe guitar player in the store stops playing and listens.

But to the enthusiast's ear, a quality instrument makes a HUGE difference. To the normal observer they see 98% talent and showmanship 2% quality of the sound. But once your no longer wowed by a players performance you start to realize the impact that the instrument makes. My buddy plays a $250 washburn on stage mainly because it takes a huge beating on the road and in a club\festival setting with sound reinforcement the acoustic sound quality is not as important, but he doesn't skimp on his electric which is a pre CBS strat valued at $12,000. But I have heard him play the $250 washburn at private partys and campfires, then play my $2500 Martin and the difference is unbelievable.

 
R

ruffilb

Diamond Member
Feb 6, 2005
5,096
1
0
Originally posted by: compuwiz1
This is a nice guitar

I don't think even $1000 would buy that. :)

Edit: $1000 definitely won't buy it. :shocked:
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Sure, it looks better, but how does it play?

Probably not all that different from a $1000 guitar, tb sure.

Originally posted by: BW86
go to your local guitar store and find out yourself :p
Click to expand...

FTW. It depends on your own ear, and the level of your play.

This thread makes me sad :(

I've been playing for a while now, and I still have a total of 150$ invested into my guitar and amp COMBINED.
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
A player's skill is what makes an instrument sound good. And a good player can make a $200 sound fine, but that same good player is going to spend a lot of time thinking "boy, this thing sounds off, and these frets are kind of goofy, and it won't stay in tune for more than three songs, and it's got some fret buzz, and..." etc etc etc.

As you get better, you'll realize you need better equipment. I'll mark this for later and show you the difference in tone and sustain in a $250 Epiphone and a $1800 Les Paul.

Also, lower end guitars tend to be made with cheap pickups and wood laminates that deteriorate after aging- so the older the guitar gets, the worse sounding it gets. With premium guitars, the opposite is true. As dense wood ages, in enhances the instrument's ability to vibrate, giving it richer tone and more sustain. Pickups are the life line between the guitar and amp- low end pickups tend to blot out your middles, making you sound sharp and tinny or muddled and bass-ie.

Finally, a last benefit is a premium guitar is an investment that, if you need need to sell it, you can get most (sometimes all, and if you're really lucky MORE) of your money back out of it. Musicians seek out used quality instruments, while the cheap Fender Squires go unsold on Ebay because they're a dime a dozen.

If anyone needs a high quality guitar, Musician's Friend has a Mahogany Les Paul Studio for only $899. Normal Studio's cost in the $1100-$1400 range, but this one just has the natural wood finish (saving you labor costs). The difference between a Studio and a Standard is simply the trim on the outside. Otherwise, they're pretty much identical. This model comes with Burstbucker pickups too- which sound like late 50's hot vintage pickups (GREAT for distortion or rich blues playing). This guitar will last forever and sound excellent.

OK, enough gabbing. I'll try to post the sound differences later. Hope this has all the info you need.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
well, for one thing, you're going to get much better quality parts, like tremelo and pickups. usually low end guitars have crappy pickups which cause a lot of noise and feedback.
 
S

SupaDupaCheez

Platinum Member
Nov 21, 2000
2,034
0
0
I'd have to say that it really depends on your preferences. If you've been playing for 2 years, you 'should' be able to pick up a few different guitars without even looking at the price and tell the difference between them (playability wise).

For instance, I purchased a Fender Showmaster at the same time I purchased an Epiphone Les Paul Dlx after only playing for 2-3 months. Once I played them for awhile (about 3 months), I found that I couldn't stand how the Showmaster played (and sounded) but LOVED the Epi LP. The Showmaster routinely sells for over $600 (what I paid) and the Epi is around $500 (I paid $300 used). While both guitars are fairly close in price, they play VERY differently.

The best way to put it is this: When you pick up a guitar, it should feel like an extension of your fingers, not a chunk of wood that looks pretty. You shouldn't have to work hard to hit chords or runs. Play a song that you are comfortable with that has a fair amount of chord changes (especially Barre chords further down the neck). This should give you an idea as to how hard/easy it will be to play as compared to your current guitar. It will show you how low/high the action is as well as how comfortable the fret size is for you.

When I first started playing, I purchased a MIM Fender Strat and thought that guitar was the sh!t. It wasn't bad and played relatively well but once I purchased my Gibson SG Standard, I was hooked on the Gibson neck size/shape (which is probably why I didn't like the Showmaster much).

CLIFFS:

1. Go to music store
2. Pick 4-5 random guitars off the shelf (try not to look at price)
3. Play same songs on each
4. Choose top two
5. Look at prices
6. Buy one of those or...
6a. If price is too high, find other guitars with similar necks/materials in a lower price range and return to step 2

PS: Anyone interested in a Showmaster ;)
 
Lithium381

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,452
2
0
You get what you pay for. But for sure go to the store and buy a specific instrument, don't order online for a model of instrument.....my friend just dropped 1900 on a martin, sounds SO CREAMY and smooth, whereas my guitar is 300, and while it sounds nice, it sounds rough compared to the martin
 
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