Biggest factor in guitar quality when working on a budget?

rico

I sold a great 1996 US Strat for £475 a few months ago - worth holding on and finding something similar!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

zenzeypher said:

Squire CV range is fantastic to the point they now make Chinese Fenders due to the popularity of this line.

I wouldn't say the MIM is a step up, more a step to the side. The CV range are fantastic, brilliant guitars in fact and can rival many a guitar. I struggled to find any difference between that and my MIJ Tele at the time... even to my custom MJT body.

MIM usually have multi slab bodies with a veneer. My CVC was a 2-piece body. I stripped and painted it black... then 4 years later they release a black double bound body.

MIM however have also come quite a way in the past few years.

Just play em' - that's the only way you're going to find out.

I don't really know what that means in the real world!  Is 2-piece better than 'multi slab', or 'double bound'?

Apologies but I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to the technical side of things!

guitars4you

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

zenzeypher said:

Squire CV range is fantastic to the point they now make Chinese Fenders due to the popularity of this line.

I wouldn't say the MIM is a step up, more a step to the side. The CV range are fantastic, brilliant guitars in fact and can rival many a guitar. I struggled to find any difference between that and my MIJ Tele at the time... even to my custom MJT body.

MIM usually have multi slab bodies with a veneer. My CVC was a 2-piece body. I stripped and painted it black... then 4 years later they release a black double bound body.

MIM however have also come quite a way in the past few years.

Just play em' - that's the only way you're going to find out.

I don't really know what that means in the real world!  Is 2-piece better than 'multi slab', or 'double bound'?

Apologies but I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to the technical side of things!

'bound' is the binding around the body - like many Gibson guitars and many fingerboards - a decorative feature not tone enhancing - very rare on Strats but you do see a few Teles with that feature

2 pc bodies is the traditional format on most Fenders - very few utilise a 1 piece body - But a fair % of 'budget' based models will utilise a 'pallet' format with 3/4/5 piece body - generally lower cost wood - With a block (solid) finish, like black, they can just paint it and you won't notice - With a translucent finish, like sunburst, to hide the 'pallet' they will utilise a thin veneer over the central pallet to make it look more attractive and disguise it as a 2pc body - On paper a 2 pc body should be superior but you can still find many budget models that for some reason defy the price tag and have a desirable mojo that just feels and sounds right - part of me states that in your price range I would not get hung up about it as even many of the more expensive AM Standard models still utilse pallet woods - As I mentioned earlier, with respect then let your hands and ears decide what suits you

lustycourtier

+1000,000 for the squier CV/VM. I got a jag recently, popped a good bridge on it and other than the weight, it plays and feels as good as my old jagumarr, and actually sounds better to me. Quite embarrassing as it was £200 and the Marrs are about £2000 now. 

 I can see a VM custom being purchased very soon 

Teyeplayer

lustycourtier said:

+1000,000 for the squier CV/VM. I got a jag recently, popped a good bridge on it and other than the weight, it plays and feels as good as my old jagumarr, and actually sounds better to me. Quite embarrassing as it was £200 and the Marrs are about £2000 now. 

 I can see a VM custom being purchased very soon 

Learn from this great advice from @lustycourtier, ;earlyish in your guitar journey, a good guitar is neither in the name or the country of origin...and a few well chosen upgrades along with a decent setup surpass many supposedly 'better' guitars.

Jez6345789

I am a big fan of the Pacifica 112 as an entry level guitar find a good natural finish you can see what you are getting in terms of wood 2 or 3 piece rather than some cheaper guitars made of 6 or 8 tiny bits glued together easy to upgrade a few parts but a good setup is worth investing in. My cousin gigged his solidly for 20 odd years and the thing besides being a total sweat covered relic sounded awesome he did in the end upgrade the pickups to duncans but what a great players guitar. 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Great info again guys, you've all been really helpful.   

I'll try and get down my local guitar store in Sunderland and see what strats he has had traded in recently and see if I can try a few and take it from there. 

Failing that I'll try and find time to bother my arse to get up to Newcastle and try some brand new ones for comparison. 

guitars4you

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Great info again guys, you've all been really helpful.   

I'll try and get down my local guitar store in Sunderland and see what strats he has had traded in recently and see if I can try a few and take it from there. 

Failing that I'll try and find time to bother my arse to get up to Newcastle and try some brand new ones for comparison. 

don't you 'mackem' boys not like going to geordie' land

seriously though - good idea to check a few out at your local store and see what he has to help - and remember your hands and ears are great tool to evaluate a guitar and see what works for you

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

It's just a time factor,  something that I have precious little of at the moment! Would require a whole spare afternoon with no work or family commitments, not something I get very often! 

Modellista

How about this, local again. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201993461298

Pete_B

Good stratalikes on a budget? Cort or even Harley Benton

mikeyrob73

modellista said:

How about this, local again. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201993461298

If the op can get that anywhere under £250 that's a great deal. 

Funkfingers

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:
It's just a time factor,  something that I have precious little of at the moment! Would require a whole spare afternoon with no work or family commitments, not something I get very often! 

This remark begs the question, when would you have time to actually play the guitar that you propose to purchase? 

prowla

Don't buy a Squier - buy a Fender; you should be able to get a MIM one for under £300.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

modellista said:

How about this, local again. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201993461298

Hmmm,  added to the watch list, thanks! Would have to change that blinging gold though!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Funkfingers said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:
It's just a time factor,  something that I have precious little of at the moment! Would require a whole spare afternoon with no work or family commitments, not something I get very often! 

This remark begs the question, when would you have time to actually play the guitar that you propose to purchase? 

Hah, good point! Problem with getting to a store tends to be the strange shifts and long hours I work being a manager in a small business (including most weekends). I get plenty of 'noodling' time at home late at night after work or early morning before, but guitar shops tend not to be open at 7am or 9pm sadly!

I'd be all over this one on eBay if it wasn't collection only, looks a potentially cracking deal... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Stratocaster-60s-Japan-Reissue-MIJ-RI-Blonde-w-Texas-Specials-P-Us/132270946375?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140328180637&meid=f37aa452ff6347ac92ad25266911a00d&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=1&sd=263098924407

mikeyrob73

prowla said:

Don't buy a Squier - buy a Fender; you should be able to get a MIM one for under £300.

Bold Statement, i would happily put my CV up against a cheaper MiM 

PonchoGreg

I would snatch this in a heart-beat: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/109176/fs-squier-classic-vibe-50s-stratocaster-250-postage#latest

You could also spend £150 more and try to hunt a 2nd hand MIM classic series - I love them but a. you need to check you're happy with 7.25 radius/small frets and b. factor in a pickup upgrade (I would say that the tonerider pickups in the Classic Vibe p**s over the standard fender mex offering from a great height)

AuldReekie

Levinson Blade Texas, great strats and usually around £450 pre owned

Flanging_Fred

The Squier Classic Vibes that I have tried have had rather glossy necks, meaning that there was a lot of friction when moving about the fretboard.  I personally don't like this, so would choose a MIM over the Squier. Now a rub down with scotchbrite pad on the Squier neck could have fixed  it fir me but I wouldn't need to do that on the MIM.

I guess my point is that although the quality of the MIM and the Squier were both very good, one of those guitars would suit me a lot better 'out the box'.  So I'll reiterate what others have said and to go and try loads.  Strats look very similar but can play very differently.