Do you really get what you pay for?

CeeJay · February 2020

Or do these things punch above their weight? Anyone with any positives, or indeed negatives? I mean at that price, I'm seriously tempted to take a punt. My concern is that it may just be pot luck whether you get a beauty, or one that needs work. I'm happy to swap Pick Ups and electrics out so no issues there.
Any thoughts?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_xt_22_paradise_flame.htm

terada · February 2020

They're exactly as good if not better than any custom shop guitar ever made, but particular Gibson R8s and R9s. The only thing you have to remember is to change the pickups.

- Official theFretboard 'Fact'

CeeJay · February 2020

terada said:

They're exactly as good if not better than any custom shop guitar ever made, but particular Gibson R8s and R9s. The only thing you have to remember is to change the pickups.

- Official theFretboard 'Fact'

I'll take that as a No then.

ICBM · February 2020

Whether you really get what you pay for depends how much you're paying and what you're expecting.

[/true but useless answer]

It certainly won't be as good as a guitar costing ten times as much. But it might be nearly as good.

terada · February 2020

CeeJay said:

terada said:

They're exactly as good if not better than any custom shop guitar ever made, but particular Gibson R8s and R9s. The only thing you have to remember is to change the pickups.

- Official theFretboard 'Fact'

I'll take that as a No then.

By most accounts pretty good actually - at least as good as others in that price bracket. But there have been quite a number of comments over the years which made some rather incredible claims, hence my response.

My only concern with them is that to get a guitar landed in the uk for as low as some of the HBs are (sometimes just £60-70), there are quite a lot of compromises that need to be made along the way.

gringopig · February 2020

.

TeleMaster · February 2020

terada said:

They're exactly as good if not better than any custom shop guitar ever made, but particular Gibson R8s and R9s. The only thing you have to remember is to change the pickups.

- Official theFretboard 'Fact'

That thread was really a low point for logic.

phil_b · February 2020

https://reverb.com/uk/item/28913546-copper-icaster-telecaster-iphone-guitar-2019?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImrSzq-DC5wIVC18VCB3o4A-AEAEYASAGEgLVDfD_BwE&merchant_id=116775556&pla=1&utm_campaign=1726164661&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

looks like good VFM

not like this 5K guitar made from junk phones

phil_b · February 2020

https://reverb.com/uk/item/28102195-washburn-nuno-bettencourt?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImrSzq-DC5wIVC18VCB3o4A-AEAEYASACEgJQ5fD_BwE&merchant_id=113565893&pla=1&utm_campaign=1726164661&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

or pay full price for half a guitar

Kittyfrisk · February 2020

Will they be as good as a good Gibson (insert name of choice)? No.
Will they be a good guitar for those prices? I'd say yes.
It will never appreciate in value, but if you buy it to play & not as a speculation, then so what?
Hell, I have far too many guitars & even I'm tempted by it (by the SG 3 pickup type too!).

prowla · February 2020

The HB are Chinese made, but to the specific customer spec and with their Q/A.

Typically the hardware is generic.

webrthomson · February 2020

CeeJay said:

My concern is that it may just be pot luck whether you get a beauty, or one that needs work

TBH that is true of Gibson in my experiance too

Jez6345789 · February 2020

I love a cheap guitar and pimping it up, I also like the silly money ones but I get a lot of satisfaction out of tinkering a cheap guitar into something good. It's not whether its as good as a Gibson insert brand here, more of what is it's potential there are few guitars these days that with a bit of work on the frets and tweaking maybe a pickup change cannot be made to play and sound great. Go for it is what I say

rossi · February 2020

It will probably need some fret levelling and such but is great value for the money and if its a really awful example you can sent it back.Same goes for any make .My own experience of Gibson has been fine and way better than any cheaper copy .Fender dont bother me at all as I can do what I want with their agricultural design and build anyway so I never even check a Fender for other that radius, neck shape ,and weight .I can work on the rest .As to pickups its really only relevant if you play live at a decent volume, where cheapos can flub out, or record for a living .The rest is froth ,your own expectations and vanity, ..........and a turn of a knob .

Dominic · February 2020

It looks exactly like my old US Hamer Sunburst but the book matched top is nicer
The pickups couldn't sound worse than the stock Dimarzio in the Hamer -they were nasty

Musicwolf · February 2020

My son is looking to buy himself what I would term a cheap guitar but of course to him is a fair bit of money (he's 15). Yesterday we called in at A to G Music in Warrington ( @atogmusic thanks for getting in touch and letting me know that you were there). It was quite refreshing to be shopping on such a tight budget but also knowing that it had to be the right guitar for him. It's important because it is something that we do together. He's determined to learn the guitar without Dad's help (or interference as he would call it) so it's nice that he's taking a little bit of advice (or it could be that he just needs me to drive him to the shop).

SlopeSoarer · February 2020

Buy it

Try it

Send it back if it isn't right!

Mail order stores are piling high selling cheep(ish if the brand allows) and putting high street shops out of business. Don't feel guilty if you do send it back.... it is the risk they take.

More than likely you'll keep it.

Nikc · February 2020

I'd bet that as an inexpensive guitar its pretty good. I picked up a Cort electric the other day and had a quick play - it was light felt comfortable frets seemed pretty well finished - in fact it was a nice guitar and the price was silly. I wouldn't buy one now but I would have at the beginning

prowla · February 2020

My experience is that price tends to go with quality, but not necessarily vice-versa.

Whenever I get a cheaper instrument which is quite good, it always has the rider "for the price".

PolarityMan · February 2020

I have a Hb Les Paul. Crazy value for money. Is it as good as a gibson? No my real LP is still better but it's probably in par with my epi LP or my ibanez destroyer and is worth about 100 quid less than either.

midlifecrisis · February 2020

i suspect i would be very happy with the HB if i wanted one. But that may be because ive never owned high end guitars. The only named guitars i have at the moment are a gibson LP studio and a fender modern player tele, my others are a couple of epiphone e 339 and 335. My favourite and main gigging guitar is a budget epiphone 339 which to me feels and sounds great. I accept if id been spoiled by having £2k-£3k stuff i would feel differently

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Do you really get what you pay for?

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