Something bad happened to musical instruments industry

[HappyBlues]

Have you ever played guitar in shop with top brand badge on it and wondered "How on earth this piece of shit costs more than Squier?". Well I do pretty often these days...

For example I Played a Gibson Les Paul Traditional which is about 2000$ here, and it sounded flat crap compared to a Telecaster which costs around 800$ here.
Yes, it had Pleck'd neck which was dead on great, it had nice tuners and about everything... But woddiness, richness, 3D sound was away for just like a lifetime...
And for example you can buy a Fender American Standard Stratocaster that apart from badge is soundwise an upgraded Squier, just a bit costly...
And I am hearing on and on that even PRS is not what it used to be. Now this is real crap. In my country there is not a single shop you could hope to buy a decent guitar in... Only sometimes, when shop ppl go to storehouse and pick some. And the biggest shop in Austria (our west border neighbour) which is some 300km from my home, by bad roads and slow traffic (and I mean SLOW, on some parts of it you make only 50km (30 miles) per hour ) ... And even there, you might come after 4 hours of driving and find out, out of 40 Les Pauls (Standards and Traditionals) they don't have a single *REALLY* good one...

Now what happened? Good things are not affordable anymore because anyone buys crap? And don't blame me, I have Epiphone at least... (Try playing today production Cort M520 and then go bashing about Epiphone )

So all in all, it is sad, but the only way to make sure you get a really good guitar is to find some great luthier and have him build you one... It is a bit costly but at least you know you're not gonna get screwed...

Anybody has same experience?

[pillagethesound]

In defense of the les pauls, ive heard from a lot of players that the les paul traditional isnt that great. And part of buy a Gibson is like buying other name brand high end guitars...you are buying a guitar that is form one of the oldest manufacturers of guitars (making guitars since 1880). A gibson will be more than a fender dues to craftmanship, wood, structure, etc. A humbucker is more expensive than a single coil, set neck is more difficult to make than a bolt on, mahogany is more expensive than ash, etc etc.

Im not disagreeing with you, but comparing the gibson to fender guitars that is the major price gap. Now ill agree in the diff from lets say say buying an american strat over a mexican or mexi deluxe strat. Your american will cost over a grand (USD) or buy a mexi ($500 USD) and get the electronics upgraded and frets leveled and you can have a guitar that could be better than your american.

[surfnorthwest]

No I have also noticed this for years now. There is a big difference between guitars in all price ranges, more expensive does not translate into better tone. However not to sound like some snob here but all my guitars now are all custom built or custom shop for a reason. After playing for 35 years you know great tone from a guitar. My strats, Les Paul, Carvin, and ES359 are second to none in tone. The biggest thing is I look at them all as investments.

I don't know if you have to go custom shop to get the best ones but that has been my experience. The new custom shop strat I just got renforces that thought.

[burnsy]

I think there's good and bad at all levels and high price definitely don't mean high quality. When I bought my last Les Paul I tried 20 before I found a keeper. When my son wanted a Strat we tried a dozen Squiers before finding a good one. And when no.2 son wanted an SG we found the Epiphone much better than the Gibson. On different days with different stock I'm sure we'd have got different results.
These things are almost living, breathing creatures made from an unpredictable material that grows in a forest. If there was a magic formula for producing a consistent high quality product I'm sure someone would be doing it.
Add to that the speculation that companys like Gibson keep the best stuff in the States and only release the Grade B stock to the rest of the world, then we've got a hard job to find a good 'un.

[HappyBlues]

If there was a magic formula for producing a consistent high quality product I'm sure someone would be doing it.

I think some have found a magic formula. Like Suhr, Larivee or some other high end boutique companies.
But still I don't think that variability in sound of guitars from all price ranges are the way it should be. Not at all at custom shop models, and much lesser in middle price-range guitars. But Gibson and Fender can get away with it, while smaller companies realying on PR from customers would extinct. Gibson is Gibson anyway...

Add to that the speculation that companys like Gibson keep the best stuff in the States and only release the Grade B stock to the rest of the world, then we've got a hard job to find a good 'un.

Well I don't believe in any conspiracy theory, I rather think that americans get the best of production just because that's where they're being made. It is absolutely normal that ppl from music stores in US would pick up the better ones, and I guess, the rest gets elsewhere. Not all guitars you can buy in europe are bad, but when I speak to people who got to get to US and try or even buy instruments there, you hear the same story all the time... There were more guitars and even worse guitars were good mostly. In any price range.


Above all, I just believe that Gibson and Fenders are not afraid of selling crap guitars is, because they are just that. Gibson and Fender. It is not normal to sell a Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster that sounds worse than some Mexicans... But it is possible when a big company can afford some bad PR, because they are beloved for being what they are - a true pioneers who knew how to build a proper guitar i a first place. Just remember how PRS guitars get sown when they don't meet standards. They did it because they couldn't afford the luxury to get bad PR.

[Green Manalishi]

The Les Paul Traditional is a fabulous guitar. I chose the one I own over an R7, over the Standards (easy call really, I don't like the features on the new Standards) and also over a Tom Murphy aged Les Paul. The traditional I had was more comfortable to play, the finish was perfect, setup was great, and it sounded killer, the R7 and the TM sounded great too, but didn't feel as nice.
I guess I found the one for me, but the Traditional I have is by far the best guitar I have ever owned, and one of the best I have ever played.

[HappyBlues]

I had a chance to play my Epiphone Les Paul loaded with DiMarzios and set of just broken in stainless steel strings at something over half blast. The shame was it sounded perfect. The only reason why I will ever go for a better guitar is when I get so good I would feel bad playing an epi... And to get more sustain. Otherwise it was just too perfect sound. Oozed with vintage blues and rock.

[ste_blue]

Been reading this thread with some interest.

I'm looking to buy a new guitar at the moment and it really seems like I should be finding a good Mex Fender Tele and upgrading the pickups and electronics, rather than spending £800 on a US Tele.

Could get a great sounding tele for half the price of the US model.

[HappyBlues]

To be honest, I like high end mexicans models (Classic Player) much much more than cheaper americans.

[slowpokerhino]

Like I've said before, it's the guitar that matters, not the price. If you find a cheap guitar that plays and sounds good go for it. A lot of really expensive guitars play and sound like crap. Every guitar is different, they all have their own personalities.