Things change. It used to be that cheap guitars were junk. Well, that’s turned around one hundred and eighty degrees. The quality of some of the guitars coming out of China, Korea, Indonesia, and throughout Asia is nothing short of remarkable.
It is important to realize that almost every major guitar manufacturer is importing guitars from Asia nowadays. They run their own factories and maintain very strict quality control. Let’s face it. Few people can afford to buy American manufactured electric guitars. If you look at the price tags on domestically manufactured Fender and Gibson guitars, be prepared for sticker shock. Price tags for these fine instruments are typically in the $2,000 to $4,000 range and custom shop models can easily be double those figures.
The first wave of decent cheap guitars to be imported to the United States came from Japan and Mexico. Fender and Squire were both importing guitars from these countries. Some of these guitars were really good instruments and some are sought after today.
One of the best and most successful import brands being manufactured today is the Classic Vibe series from Squire. Squire has always been the red headed stepsister to Fender. But that red headed stepsister has grown up and she’s hot as hell. The reviews for both the Classic Vibe Telecaster and the Classic Vibe Stratocaster are nothing short of remarkable. Pros and amateurs alike sing the praises for these wonderful guitars. In truth, it gotten to the point where you really have to take a hard look at these guitars even if you have the cash to buy the Fender models. The difference in quality, playability, and appearance is almost indistinguishable. Essentially, what you really end up paying for is the privilege of having the Fender name on the headstock rather than the Squire moniker. Yes, there was a time when Squire guitars were crap and no guitarist worth his or her salt wanted to be seen in the same room as a Squire, but those days are long gone. More and more people are checking their egos at the door and opting to save a thousand dollars and purchase a truly wonderful Squire Classic Vibe guitar.
But the world of great cheap guitars is not limited to the big time manufacturers. Here in the states you can buy great cheap guitars from companies like Monoprice, Rondo Music, and Guitar Fetish. They all have great Chinese imported guitars at rock bottom prices. Europe's largest online Music store, Thoman Music, has their own house brand of Harley Benton guitars that they import from Indonesia. Their Les Paul and Tele models have garnered high praise.
Want to take this a step further? Well, you can buy direct from China if you like. Probably the best place to do this is through AliExpress, but you can also do well at DH Gate. There is actually a Facebook group for people that have bought, or are looking to buy, from AliExpress. They review the sellers they have worked with which could be a great help in helping you avoid questionable sellers.
The bottom line is this folks, unless you’re playing professionally, you need to check out the guitars coming in from Asia. The quality is there and the prices can’t be beat. You can read reviews of several of these guitars at https://www.electricguitardigest.com.
