Finding Good Cheap Guitars

It is always a tricky thing when you put together the words "good and cheap." This is the case when it comes to finding good cheap guitars. We must remember to look at the word "cheap" two different ways. One, the guitar is inexpensive or two, its just plain garbage. We will be speaking to both meanings in this article. You can own a sweet instrument without spending a lot of money. There are several things you can do in order to be satisfied with the purchasing of cheap guitars. Lets take a look at a few points that will help you make a wise decision.

General Considerations
One of the most important things to keep in mind is, how does the guitar feel when you hold it, as well as the quality of sound it produces. With a few exceptions the guitar will be made from quality wood such as walnut, hickory or rosewood. Avoid guitars made out of composite materials. They just do not resonate sound like wood does. (There are a few exceptions to this rule.)

The shape is important as well. How it fits your body while your sitting down or the feel of balance if you are standing up. Pick a shape that makes it feel like it is a extension of your body. Visit a local music store and have an employee or a friend play several guitars and listen for a sound that is the most pleasing to your ears.
Note:( When you decide to purchase, do so on-line. You WILL pay less there.)

Replace Tuner Heads and Pickups
You will be amazed at how much better a guitar can sound by replacing cheap pickups with ones that have strong name recognition. There are several to choose from. Find pickups that fit your style. Also the tuner heads on cheap guitars often do not stay in tune very well. Again there are several quality heads that will be fine replacements. Simply doing these two things will narrow your search in finding good cheap guitars and boost your guitars performance quite a bit. They are easy to do using simple tools.

Be Willing to Spend $100 or More
In your pursuit of finding good cheap guitars the most important thing to keep in mind is maintaining that passion to practice. Especially for beginners it is essential that you own a guitar that you just can not wait to play when you get home. If you own something that is really cheap, you will not be enthusiastic about playing it. From my experience plan on spending at least $100 or you will end up with a dust collector.

Check Out Reviews and Ratings
Finally, spend some time on the Internet researching and learning.You will need to educate yourself on the vast array of options available to you. There is a huge amount of selection out there. Many guitar manufacturers are battling for your dollars. That being the case, competition is fierce, and companies are producing fine guitars at a fair price. The most difficult thing in finding good cheap guitars is deciding between all the options you have.

The good news is, there are websites out there that have done the research for you.

It can be frustrating weeding through all the forums and blogs out there while trying to find cheap guitars. If you want to see several 5 star guitars for under $500 all in one place, check out my website Cheap Guitars

I have been in the music business since the early 70's. My goal is to bring all the reviewed guitars and related gear to one place. Saving you the time of running all over the Internet.
Gold Top Musician- Researcher
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T._Gibson

GIBSON les paul and SG part 2

Ready to Rock


The advanced electronics on the 2009 Raw Power models speak volumes about their intentions. A pair of 57 Classic humbucking pickups offer a broad appeal for a wide range of playing styles. One of Gibson’s most popular pickups of all time, the 57 Classics employ Alnico II magnets, vintage enamel coated wire, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers and vintage-style, two-conductor, braided wiring, just like the legendary PAFs that they are based on. In a variation from the majority of original PAFs, however, the ’57 Classics’ coils are wax potted to combat microphony and feedback squeal at high volumes so, while vintage voiced, they are also suited to high-gain playing.

Solid to the Core

The Raw Power Series carries a hardware complement that cuts straight to the core of its intentions. The legendary Gibson Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece pairing aid tuning stability and enhance sustain, while green-key Grover Kluson-style tuners add subtle vintage elegance to their superior performance. A Corian nut helps to ensure excellent resonance and sustain, as well as hitch-free performance. Both guitars feature glued-in necks and are built to Gibson’s traditional 24 3/4" scale length, with a neck width of 1 11/16" at the nut. All Raw Power Series guitars come equipped with a Gibson gig bag, so they’re ready to hit the road and roll.

the Raw Power Les Paul and the Raw Power SG .... just GREAAAAAAAT.

source gibson.com

GIBSON les paul and SG

When it comes to Gibson’s Raw Power Series, exactly what it declares: two of the world’s most iconic electric guitar designs, stripped of superfluous frills and ready to roar. Inspired by the popular but short-lived Raw Power Les Paul of 2000-2001, the newly revitalized series of 2009 includes both the Les Paul Studio Raw Power and SG Raw Power, both in the dressed-down styling and meaty performance package that so many players loved in the original release, but with notable added features to update the theme.

Down to Business

The new Raw Power guitars follow the no-nonsense ethos of Gibson’s popular Studio series, and their down-to-business looks are packed with performance features that the hard-gigging modern musician will appreciate. These are grab’n’go workhorse guitars for tone-conscious rock and blues artists, and they wear their attitude on their sleeves. Both the Les Paul Studio Raw Power and SG Raw Power feature unbound solid maple bodies, with a traditional carved top on the former. This sturdy tonewood offers a clear, well-defined sonic response, as well as looking great with minimal cosmetic treatment. Their solid mahogany necks are topped with unbound maple fretboards, which are dressed with simple dot position markers, and graced with a traditional trapezoid marker at the 12th fret.

Simple, Yet Sizzling

None of this simplicity means that the Raw Power guitars suffer cosmetically, however, and just like the original Raw Power Les Paul — and the Les Paul Studio — these instruments are destined to be admired for their visual purity as well as for their power and tone. A Natural Satin finish denotes the cornerstone of the series (with smoky acrylic pickguard to enhance the natural elements in these guitars’ tops), but both models are also available in a range of finish options, including Satin Gold, Satin Yellow, Satin White, Satin Blue/Platinum, Satin Trans Ebony, Satin Aquamarine, and Gloss Platinum. Furthermore, the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is available in either chrome or gold-plated hardware.

Ibanez, heavy metal axe

beside the legendary guitar such as Fender stratocaster or Gibson les paul, there is also the "Ibanez". The main guitar that exclusively used by rock musician. here is a brief history of ibanez guitar, how can a japanese product used a spanish name and more.







The Hoshino Gakki company began in 1908 as a musical instrument sales division of the Hoshino Shoten bookstore company. In 1935 they began manufacturing their own stringed instruments. The company had little presence in the Western world until the mid-1960s.

In 1954, Harry Rosenbloom opened a music store in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia along with his main store on Arch Street. In the mid-1970s, Harry moved his entire operation to the location it is today, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Due to the post-World War II music boom, his sales soon outstripped his inventory, and he began a company called Elger Guitars (named so after his son Gerson who is now running the business and his daughter Ellen) in an attempt to manufacture enough guitars to fill his needs. The Elger Guitar company made a relatively small number of hand-built, high quality guitars through the early 1960s.

Ibanez JEMBy 1965 Rosenbloom had decided to stop manufacturing guitars and chose to become the exclusive North American distributor for Hoshino Gakki instruments. At the time, the phrase "made in Japan" was considered to have negative connotations of low quality, so Hoshino Gakki and Rosenbloom wanted to distribute the instruments under a "non-Japanese" name. Hoshino had recently acquired a small Spanish guitar company named Ibanez, and it was decided to market the instruments under this brand name. In 1971 Hoshino purchased Elger Guitars, renaming the company "Ibanez U.S.A." and retaining the company headquarters in Bensalem, Pennsylvania as a distribution and quality-control center.

In the early 1970s Ibanez began making guitars that were almost exact copies of popular models by Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker. Using somewhat cheaper materials and greater automation in manufacturing, they were able to sell these guitars for a significantly lower price than the originals. The low price combined with the relatively high quality of the guitars made these models very popular. Many guitar aficionados feel that the early- and mid-70s mark a low point in the quality of guitars from the major manufacturers, which helped contribute to the popularity of the Ibanez copies. These guitars have become known as "lawsuit" guitars and have become somewhat collectible.

The actual lawsuit referred to was brought by the Norlin Corporation, the parent company of Gibson guitars, in 1977, and was based on an Ibanez headstock design that had been discontinued by 1976. Ibanez settled out of court, and by 1978 had begun making guitars from their own designs.





Abandoning the strategy of copying "classic" electric guitar designs, the newer models began incorporating more modern elements into their design, such as radical body shapes, slimmer necks and flatter fingerboards (which allowed for faster playing), higher-output electronics and colorful finishes. This led to an increasing popularity with heavy metal musicians. The company also began an extensive program of consulting with well-known guitar players, such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai and creating signature models made to the players' specifications.