What is a "pro level" guitar anyway?

OilCityPickups

Kittyfrisk said:

OilCityPickups said:

I used to earn my living from photography as well as music ... and in that sphere too 'pro level' gots used to upsell brands ...

It was happening even in the 50s and 60s that's why the press photographer Bert Hardy went out and took one of the best selling and most iconic images of the era with a cheap box camera to prove a point see here

Too right. I once had the great pleasure of meeting Jimmy Forsyth in the Side Gallery Newcastle in the 1980's.
He was a one eyed, self taught photographer that detailed life in Newcastle using a Coronet 127 box camera & later on a second hand Rolleiflex.
 Unique, brilliant & largely unrecognised until much later in his life.
Worth a search & look at his work IMHO.
Nothing to do with the kit, everything to do with the person behind the camera.

An excellent point at which to say that many folks with guitars/cameras spend far more too much time polishing them and talking about them ... than being creative with them ;-)

EricTheWeary

It's funny, I googled this and came up with the example of John Lennon playing an Epiphone as an example of a pro playing a cheap guitar. I think they were being serious; there are people out there who know even less guitar history than I do.


    

Maynehead

Funny enough, I think the quality of the wood and construction is pretty important for a pro instrument. You want something that can stand up to the rigours of touring, which means staying in shape and in tune through varying environments, from extreme temperatures, to extreme humidity changes and being knocked around.

In my experience, the cheaper guitars not made from properly selected and treated woods, and cheaper hardware, will need to be set up every couple of weeks; while the more expensive premium models will still be in perfect tune when you take them out of the case after a year of not touching them.

drwiddly

John Mitchell (Arena, Frost, It Bites, Kino, etc) often plays a Cort guitar. There's an It Bites live show on YouTube where he plays the Cort through a Marshall JMP-1, an 8008 power amp and a rack fx unit and he sounds phenomenal.

Matt_McG

I saw Hiram Bullock guesting with a Czech band once. Cort guitar (his signature model I assume). Sounded amazing.

I would happily rely on a Squier, Mexican Fender or G&L Tribute as a gigging guitar. I might upgrade the electrics or spend a few quid on a fret dress - but I wouldn’t be overly worried if I didn’t. I spent a few days guitar shopping recently (posted about it here) and literally couldn’t see where the extra 2K had went on some high end strat style guitars.

 

thegummy

EricTheWeary said:

It's funny, I googled this and came up with the example of John Lennon playing an Epiphone as an example of a pro playing a cheap guitar. I think they were being serious; there are people out there who know even less guitar history than I do.


    

Aye it seems that, rather than the most knowledgeable people deciding to share their knowledge as a service and write articles, it's more often just people who want to write articles, or want to be reviewers/journalists etc., and write them anyway despite not having much knowledge.

YellowLedBetterMan

Honestly, as long as it intonates and stays in tune, it's a pro instrument. Look at a lot of up and coming indie bands (and some not so up-and-coming). Squiers, Epiphones, even the cheaper Gretsches (Gretsches? Gretschs? Gretschi?) all make an appearance.

See Oasis, Kings of Leon in the early days - all Sheratons. Gary Clarke Jr used a Casino. Graham Coxon used a Squier Tele in the early days. Then you have Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) who uses guitars that were cheap and awful in the 70s and uses them as his main guitars.

I suppose it's all about finding a dependable instrument that you feel comfortable playing and makes sounds that you like. Then just get someone to pay money to listen to it.

OilCityPickups

Maynehead said:

Funny enough, I think the quality of the wood and construction is pretty important for a pro instrument. You want something that can stand up to the rigours of touring, which means staying in shape and in tune through varying environments, from extreme temperatures, to extreme humidity changes and being knocked around.

In my experience, the cheaper guitars not made from properly selected and treated woods, and cheaper hardware, will need to be set up every couple of weeks; while the more expensive premium models will still be in perfect tune when you take them out of the case after a year of not touching them.

I think this was true a few years ago, but not so much any more, particularly with Fender style maple necks and alder/ash bodies. I have multiple Squire instruments that get used as pickup demo instruments and get subjected to all sorts of rigors ... far more extreme than most touring guitars ... they stay in tune between uses ... and never need more than routine maintenance  ... yet my pro level Gibson Les Paul gets treated like best china ... for fear of the damn headstock taking a holiday from the body ... and until I did extensive nut work ... it wouldn't stay in tune for toffee.

digitalscream

Winny_Pooh said:

IMO why £300 is not pro level 
- finishes are used for curing speed and ease, and are not usually thin and hard.
- Hardware is not as robust as Gotoh etc. Trems are unstable & tuneomatics are rattley and made of softer steel where it matters.
- tuners are not likely to be as stable or fine ratio'd 
- pickups are serviceable but often do not suit the guitar they are in. Wrong magnet, wind choices.
- pots and switches will be far quicker to fail.
- wood is not selected for weight. Tone aside, comfort matters.

Most of these problems go away from £1500 up, although the big 2 still put shit pickups in.

Somebody should probably have told Frank Dunnery that he couldn't do It Bites gigs with his favourite Squier Strat in the 80s, then...

darthed1981

Translation of guitar speak to real speak...

"I need a pro level instrument" = "I want a really expensive guitar cos I want one"

"I won't be taken seriously without a pro level instrument" = "My friend has an expensive guitar"

"I'm not going to be inspired by a cheap instrument" = "I've found another excuse not to practice"

"I need a pro instrument for a better studio tone" = "When I hear an isolated track of my playing I hate how shit I sound"

etc. etc. etc....

jeztone2

Back in the day I’d interpret it as something that can stand up to being gigged and rehearsed heavily and perform it’s job seamlessly and without modification.

For example a mate leant me an Epiphone Les Paul for a few weeks. Some of the plastics crumbled under use and the pickups were microphonic and would squeal at gig level volumes. Therefore: Not Pro

My first decent quality guitar was an Ibanez RG560. I played at least 150+ gigs with her, all stock and without issue, other than a seasonal set up now and then. Therefore: Pro Quality.

But that was the 90’s. Even cheap instruments are really good now. I’d happily gig a Yamaha Pacifica, the ones I’ve tried, even 90’s ones were phenomenal. 

guitarfishbay

Has Evertune Bridge
I like the neck and overall ergonomics

Lestratcaster

Something reliable, well set up, will stay in tune, good pickups and just sounds good. Most of my guitars would be used for live and recording situations so they need to be reliable and just work.

NelsonP

thegummy said:

Why are people posting examples of pros using Squiers?

Any singers or producers who have a prejudice against them aren't going to be reading a guitar forum...

Ha ha - too true!

I will admit that I actually I posted those becuase I am a sad case and I want to validate my own purchase of both a J Mascis Jazzmaster and an Gary Clark Jr Epiphone Casino ;-)

And I'm not even anywhere near being a pro, so obviously have no idea what Im talking about.

Vibetronic

It's in the player not the guitar imo...a great guitar isn't going to make an average player better (*much* better - it can help you improve a bit if it's easier to play and inspires you a bit more, imo). I've got a Squier Strat here I'm borrowing for someone to try out, and I can play everything I usually play on my Vigier on it...but it doesn't sound half as good, feel as nice in any way, stay in tune as well etc etc - but if it was my only guitar then it'd be ok. I went for the Vigier as it's perfect for what I play and how I play, and it's super-reliable....very much a working instrument and is starting to get the bumps and bruises to show it unfortunately, but that's fairly unavoidable (and I've never been too bothered about that sort of thing luckily). 

maltingsaudio

IMHO Pro means being 100% reliable and can deliver what is needed anytime anywhere. Whilst we still use thin steel wires to achieve this no guitar can ever be Pro!

Sassafras

Maynehead said:

Funny enough, I think the quality of the wood and construction is pretty important for a pro instrument. You want something that can stand up to the rigours of touring, which means staying in shape and in tune through varying environments, from extreme temperatures, to extreme humidity changes and being knocked around.

In my experience, the cheaper guitars not made from properly selected and treated woods, and cheaper hardware, will need to be set up every couple of weeks; while the more expensive premium models will still be in perfect tune when you take them out of the case after a year of not touching them.

A real pro would have his own tech who takes care of that side of things.

Sassafras

Replace the word 'pro' with 'boutique'.

Danny1969

None of my guitars cost more than £250, they are all pretty good though and perfectly capable of doing pro gigs. But what's a pro gig, £70 a man pub gig, £200 a man wedding gig, £350 a man theater gig ? 

thecolourbox