New electric guitar ?

[Mr.Everready]

I'm thinking of getting myself a new guitar. Currently I've got a Squier beginners Stratocaster, it does fine but I'm thinking of upgrading.

Looking at up to £200 max for the new guitar. Probalbly nearer £150

So, what's decent ?
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[UnknownStuntm...]

Yamaha's are good at that price. But for a couple quid more you could buy a real strat. Or a Tele.

Thing is, there's a whole load of variables. What music do you play? Are you a chordster or a widdler?

If I was doing it, I'd go to a secondhand shop and play the guitars there. They won't depreciate the way a brand new 'budget' guitar will, plus if it's a couple years old it'll be stable and won't keep going out of bloody tune as the wood mellows.

I think one of my best buys was a chinese (two brothers? or summat!) Tele copy, for £70. It had a cracker of a neck! It was all shiny when I got it, so I got the wire wool out and gave it a satin finish. The pickups were guff when I bought it so I spent a few quid on ebay for some higher output ones, rewired it, new scratch plate, clean and so on.

Now I can't bear the thought of letting someone use it in case they break it!

[KLR600]

I think for that money I'd be inclined to upgrade the one you have rather than buy a similar spec guitar. Maybe a new set of pickups and some new tuning heads to add a bit of tuning stability and a different sound would be good. That does depends on if you like how the guitar plays though.
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[Mr.Everready]

[Mr.Everready]

PS I've had the guitar maybe 10 years and it's been in and out of the cupboard on many occasions but it's only now that I'm doing some proper practice.
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[angryjonny]

[oldpink]

TBH for £200 your not going to get something much better than your squire
in fact the older squires are actually decent guitars
I'd be tempted to spend it on an acoustic guitar for £200 you can get a decent Ibanez, Fender or Yamaha
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I have become comfortably numb

Theory & hazard 24-may 2016, CBT 8th June 2016, MOD 1 2nd Aug 2016 Mod 2 2nd-Nov 2016 - Current bike CBR 600 RR

[Mr.Everready]

I've already got an electro accoustic.

I'll maybe look in to doing the Squier up a bit then, it's a bit tatty after lying in the cupboard for so long. Get new pickups/scratch plate etc.... So where do i start looking for pickups ? I assume Strat one's will fit ?
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[Mr.Everready]

[_Will_]

Maybe a new project, build your own?

Buy the neck, pickups etc and make your own body.
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[oldpink]

try E bay
lots of parts for Strat's / squires that will fit though slight differences apply to different years & models
like the scratch plate holes so some slight bodging may be required but nothing serious
unless you plan to change the neck
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I have become comfortably numb

Theory & hazard 24-may 2016, CBT 8th June 2016, MOD 1 2nd Aug 2016 Mod 2 2nd-Nov 2016 - Current bike CBR 600 RR

[Mr.Everready]

I've got new strings en route, that's about the height of me guitar mechanics.
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[unitynotsocri...]

if it was me i'd get a nice epiphone or yamaha,or even somthing classic,to match my hairline
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nearly a normal tax paying tosser.......with ferrileness suzi100,cg125,cb125scb100n,cb175,cd100,cj250t,kh250,c15,125 bantam,super 6,rickman gs750,xt500,250rs,dt175,lifan125,dolomite1850,metro,Morris220ld,morrisfg,leyland princess,range rover,corsa,vw camper .now struggling with legs. MORE ORDER = MORE CHAOS

[angryjonny]

If I had £200 to spend on a guitar and I couldn't add to it or not buy a guitar with it I'd probably go for a Yamaha Pacifica.

But if I had a Strat (even a Squier one) and £200 I'd just pimp my axe with the cash.

[ajbsmirnoff]

A second hand ibanez rg (as an alternative to the very good pacifica), or an epiphone les paul if you want change of style.
something like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Guitar-Ibanez-RG420FB-/200853899642?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2ec3d3497a
(ignoring the pickup only)
There are alot of RG (avoid the grg) guitars out there, and they're all pretty darn good. Being popular makes them cheaper as they are anything but rare.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-RG320FM-AM-/181032682753?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a26638501

or this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gibson-Epiphone-Les-Paul-Korean-Korea-1997-Flame-cherry-sunburst-set-neck-guitar-/251181753622

but a smidge cheaper. Again, there are loads of these which keeps the price down if you avoid the (pretty) flame maple tops.

Upgrading a cheap guitar ? it'll still feel the same and sound very similar unless you through throw alot of money at very good quality pickups. I'd go for a newer pre-owned guitar where someone else takes the initial depreciation hit.

[UnknownStuntm...]

[sidewinder]

cort are pretty decent for around your price range
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"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[pits]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ibanez-rg350mdlx-black-with-maple-fret-board-/221159180412?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item337e1d487c


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[ajbsmirnoff]

I bought one of these (but in cherry sunburst) 20 odd years ago.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Washburn-MG70-electric-guitar-in-vintage-sunburst-gold-trim-made-in-Korea-1992-/221158503663?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item337e12f4ef

its stratty, and they were/are very nice guitars near the top of the model range,- only the american made washburns were better.

Actually, don't look - I'll buy it myself.

[The Tot]

Right, here's my 2 cents..

WHAT sort of music are in expecting to play? If you want the jack of all trades, I'd recommend getting a HSS Stratocaster - Don't knock off squier because their recent stuff is actually pretty good.

Failing that, Yamaha Pacifica 112's are good to go.
But I'm an Ibanez man, so I'd always recommend an Ibanez SA (HSS) - they sound so versatile. If you like your necks flat and fast, nothing feels as homely as an Ibanez Wizard neck.

If you want to know about Ibanez RG's, then I'm your man! You might think "why have 3 of the same guitars" - answer is one's tuned to drop B so I can play Djent and heavily detuned metal. The other is in E standard so I can use it as a workhorse, and the white one has a blanked out cavity plate effectively hard-tailing the floyd rose bridge (my budget option to turning it into a Mick Thompson Bridge) and that's tuned to drop C for Metalcore/Easycore/Numetal. Tonally, they are poles apart as well due to the string gauges I use for the respective tuning.

https://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/293111_10151100375870712_1265143240_n.jpg

Those are my axes, from L-R: 2002 Korean RG320FA, 2010 Indonesian RGA32, 2004 Japanese RG2570 Prestige.

Now, if you're relatively new to this electric guitar malarky and have no intention in going shred happy, then I'd avoid models with the floyd roses. You got to know what you're doing with them - snap a string on them and it throws off the tension on all your other strings. But set your bridge and action up right, and EVERYBODY will want to play on you guitar - My mates love the RG320 but the 2570 more so.

Then, there's the sound, for £200, you're not going to get guitars with high output active pickups, and you're likely to get guitars mostly made from basswood or mahogany.

Interestingly, Cort are Indonesian made, and they are officially licensed to produce the Indonesian made Ibanez guitars - they all come from the same factory in Indonesia.

You won't go far wrong with an RG, but if you're trying to avoid the cheapo floyd roses (I'd only EVER get a floydie if it uses Ibanez's old school edge bridge!) then the RGA32 hardtail or RG321 are cracking guitars as well.

Did I say I love Ibanez?
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[unitynotsocri...]

80's squier strats are very good ,more recent ones less so.Keep your eye on cash converter as they occasionally sell decent stuff cheap,like 80's squier strats for 60 squid.......the staff assume they are cheapo strat copies...seen a few sub 70 squid pacifica's as well.
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[The Tot]

If you're on that sort of budget, try to fork out Korean made guitars because they're becoming much of a rarity these days. The mid-spec guitars used to be made in Korea by most manufacturers, now they've hopped off down to Indonesia. Got to big up the indonesian craftmanship however because modern guitars are just as well built. I'd avoid chinese, unless you enjoy having a gap between your bolt on joint and neck that's as big as Ronaldinho's teeth!

You MAY find a fender mexican strat at that price as well. But obviously the best advice is to go to your local music shop and have a look around - sometimes, they have VERY good late 80's guitars and 90's for half their price - eg. at my local in Cheltenham, they had an original 90's Ibanez Sabre (early S series) for £250 with edge bridge - road worn mind, but it all adds to the appeal.

If you WANT to buy new, www.dv247.com is the place to go - next day delivery and they very often have New Old Stock or display models (with tags) going for £25-£50 less. I got my RGA32 from there and it was virtually brand new! Not a mark, but because it was new old stock, I saved myself £50 over retail!
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[ajbsmirnoff]

Modestly priced guitars - two Ibanez RGs, both cost a smidge over £200 each.
Both play nicely. I'm toying with blocking the trem of one of them as I rarely use the whammy bar now. One has a set of seymour duncan (alnico2/pearly gates set - very nice), t'other has dimarzio evo pickups (arrgh my ears). Another vote for slim ibanez wizard necks.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/DSC08307.jpg
More cheap guitars. The tele is a 'parts' guitar(£200ish due to the cost of the neck),
the epi was £250 (inc a super hard case), and the Washburn £350ish in 1992.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/DSC08303.jpg

[Villers]

I stripped my Ibanez down the other week and haven't had the chance to put it back together again. It has a noisy switch, noisy jack and crap pickups. The Pickups were two double coils and then one single at the neck. Since everyone's recommending pimping up the old guitar have any of you guru's got a certain type of pickup to recommend for a bit of punky thrash rock and roll?
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[The Tot]

Seymour Duncan SH8 Invaders have got ridiculous amount of output for a passive pickup - I've got her fitted on my Shechter. Roll back the volume and it growls with a nice crunchy tone. Crank it up to 11 and, yeah, it's good from anything from classic rock to metal. It certainly isn't subtle.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism