Guitar brands that...

Schnozz

Didn't or haven't managed to obtain the recognition that they deserve.

There's a lot, but I think the most obvious for me is Peerless; Yamaha-level QC at half the price, with possibly the bridge pickup letting them down (actually similar to Yamaha's SG).

Several others spring to mind, but who do you think?

kennedydream1980

Fret King

SteveRobinson

Maverick, although those roller controls were odd

Sporky

I wasn't mad impressed with the Maverick I tried. For the same money you could have an Ibanez RG570, which was far superior. 

LionAquaLooper

I always thought Schecter deserved to be more popular than their current status. 

GuyR

Godin

LionAquaLooper

GuyR said:

Godin

Is it pronounced "Go-DIN" or "Go-DAN"? Isn't it a French name? 

skullfunkerry

Grover Jackson's new company makes great guitars, but compared to Jackson they're not even playing on the same pitch.

Philly_Q

Not so much brands which never got recognition, but I can think of a few which seemed to have a strong brand identity and decent market share at one point, but then fell by the wayside... Aria Pro II, Washburn and at a slightly lower price level, Westone.  And in the USA, there was Hamer of course.

Svartmetall

Washburn; I've always been a big fan of them. The MG-7x series were actually excellent superstrats (I gigged with an MG-74 a lot) and I have a ~1990 WP-50, which is a bloody excellent LP clone. Also, the 'Tonewood' superstrat series had speed necks that made Ibanez RGs feel like the Jeff Beck Strat.

Chimpankie

Philly_Q said:

Not so much brands which never got recognition, but I can think of a few which seemed to have a strong brand identity and decent market share at one point, but then fell by the wayside... Aria Pro II, Washburn and at a slightly lower price level, Westone.  And in the USA, there was Hamer of course.

My Washburn dreadnought acoustic (around £250 in 2005) has been fantastic value, and sounds great.

My old housemate had a Westone which sounded BRILLIANT but weighed an absolute ton. I’d guess over 10lbs.

HarrySeven

GuyR said:

Godin

Indeed. 

Great guitars, often super-cheap S/H (not that I’m complaining!)

HAL9000

LionAquaLooper said:

GuyR said:

Godin

Ia it pronounced "Go-DIN" or "Go-DAN"? Isn't it a French name? 

Pretty sure it’s Goh-Dan. I know a couple of people with them and they both pronounce it that way.

HAL9000

kennedydream1980 said:

Fret King

Always ruined by the bat-wing headstock and scratchplate designs. IMHO worse than bird inlays.

BobHillman

Philly_Q said:

Not so much brands which never got recognition, but I can think of a few which seemed to have a strong brand identity and decent market share at one point, but then fell by the wayside... Aria Pro II, Washburn and at a slightly lower price level, Westone.  And in the USA, there was Hamer of course.

I think the japanese made Aria, Washburn & Westone guitars were all excellent, but the quality suffered when they moved manufacturing, firstly to Korea, and then, China.

HAL9000

Obvious one is G&L.

DiscoStu

Absolutely Godin.

Kittyfrisk

HAL9000 said:

kennedydream1980 said:

Fret King

Always ruined by the bat-wing headstock and scratchplate designs. IMHO worse than bird inlays.

I take it you mean the Fender type models? IMHO bird inlays are waaay more off putting.

But vive la difference & all that 

Dan_Halen

Reverend seem pretty decent but are fugly.

Duesenberg are superb (well, the small number I’ve tried were) but people are often sniffy about them because it’s a bit hazy where they’re made/assembled/whatever.

Rowby1

Dan_Halen said:

Reverend seem pretty decent but are fugly.

Duesenberg are superb (well, the small number I’ve tried were) but people are often sniffy about them because it’s a bit hazy where they’re made/assembled/whatever.

Well it’s quite clear they’re Korean/Croatian….sniff away!

Schnozz

kennedydream1980 said:

Fret King

I spoke to Trev Wilkinson on the phone last year and you could tell that he was disappointed that the UK made Green Label / Stvdio / Atelier range didn't get a foothold. I think the Korean made Blue Label was the best value for money. The new ones are made in India. When they came out in Guitarist magazine back in 2005 or something, I genuinely thought they would stay. The neck profiles are some of the best I've played.

DiscoStu said:

Absolutely Godin.

Godins are made of some really nice timber (particularly the old Artisans) but I don't like those with the name carved in the pickguard - Merchant City Music had some and just that part looked a bit scruffy.

LionAquaLooper said:

I always thought Schecter deserved to be more popular than their current status. 

Always heard people rave about the Korean models but just need to make it past the nu-metal looks.

skullfunkerry said:

Grover Jackson's new company makes great guitars, but compared to Jackson they're not even playing on the same pitch.

If you mean the Korean GJ2 Inspiration series (Shredder / Concorde), I get that. I had one of the first GJ2 / Friedman USA models and it was nowhere near the quality of G&L USA... A cheap, characterless CNC job with bland pickup and a neck profile like a keyboard (he was using basswood for necks too). I paid half the price of a Friedman and it's still the biggest hit loss I've taken on a new guitar.

HAL9000 said:

Obvious one is G&L.

G&L has the renown for its pre-2018 basses (dot on the back of the headstock) - They get snapped up in the UK now, but the guitars are still collectors only.