Improving a Budget Electric Guitar

ShriekingSheet

I'm struggling a bit to make a decision around sorting out a second guitar, purely for string-breaks at gigs. I'm trying to do it as cheaply as possible. I'm after a Telecaster, specifically.

My budget is no more than €150.

My question is, am I better buying a very cheap second hand Telecaster (Squier etc) and paying to lower the action (or some other improvement), or just paying more for the initial guitar?

I've looked around and it doesn't seem there's anything decent out there. Fairly confused tbh.

Thomas from Presence

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

I'm struggling a bit to make a decision around sorting out a second guitar, purely for string-breaks at gigs. I'm trying to do it as cheaply as possible. I'm after a Telecaster, specifically.

My budget is no more than €150.

My question is, am I better buying a very cheap second hand Telecaster (Squier etc) and paying to lower the action (or some other improvement), or just paying more for the initial guitar?

I've looked around and it doesn't seem there's anything decent out there. Fairly confused tbh.

I'd say €150 is too low a budget for this to. What type of guitar would it be depping for?

The Epiphone stuff might be closer to budget and is of good enough quality if Gibsonesque axes are your thing. Good deals on them can be got on Adverts.ie

A good way to improve a cheap guitar is to upgrade the pickups. Depending on what you're after sound wise there's plenty of after market options from Seymour Duncan et al.

ShriekingSheet

Thomas from Presence wrote: »

I'd say €150 is too low a budget for this to. What type of guitar would it be depping for?

The Epiphone stuff might be closer to budget and is of good enough quality if Gibsonesque axes are your thing. Good deals on them can be got on Adverts.ie

A good way to improve a cheap guitar is to upgrade the pickups. Depending on what you're after sound wise there's plenty of after market options from Seymour Duncan et al.

I play a mexican Fender Telecaster Custom Deluxe, which I'm really, really happy with. Some form of Tele would be what I'd like to sub in.

I know it's low, but I'm just hoping for a second hand bargain.

It doesn't need to be great - just a reasonable sub, even for a song or two. Will be rarely used, but I can't afford to spend more.

ShriekingSheet

Something like the below is what I had in mind, but would this be crap compared to what I have?

http://www.adverts.ie/electric-guitars/fender-squier-telecaster/1346465
http://www.adverts.ie/electric-guitars/fender-squier-telecaster/1454419
http://www.adverts.ie/electric-guitars/fender-squier-20th-anniversary-telecaster/1386168

damonjewel

Personally I'd go for the second ad and upgrade the pickups if there not to your taste. I have one of these Indonesian Tele's and its not bad at all, only issue is the frets aren't exactly to my liking. The fret wires seems to be not rounded off which causes problems for sliding into notes. But I'm sure that if I got the frets dressed it would solve my issue. I have put new pickups in mine and they sound great.

ShriekingSheet

damonjewel wrote: »

Personally I'd go for the second ad and upgrade the pickups if there not to your taste. I have one of these Indonesian Tele's and its not bad at all, only issue is the frets aren't exactly to my liking. The fret wires seems to be not rounded off which causes problems for sliding into notes. But I'm sure that if I got the frets dressed it would solve my issue. I have put new pickups in mine and they sound great.

Thanks a mil.

That action is the main thing I'd have a concern about. How is it on yours?

Has anyone a contact who's good at lowering action?

damonjewel

The action on mine is fine. However I made a slight adjustment by taking the neck off and putting a piece of business card at the body end of the neck pocket. With the result that the neck slightly tilts back and improved the action. On a cheap guitar like that I say watch some tutorials on youtube or read up on tdpri.com and do it yourself and experiment....thats what I did and I have a fairly nifty budget guitar (despite the frets)

Etc

Buy something reasonable and get a professional set up. Cheap way to get instant improvements on action, intonation and physical improvements to the guitar, fret dress, nut. Following that check small ads sites and ebay for pick ups, new bridge etc.

It will give you time to get to know what you like and dislike about the guitar.

zafo

I'd second that Indonesian Standard Tele, also keep an eye out for a Classic Vibe Squier. Few I've played have been nicer or at least on par with MIM Fenders.

As for lowering action, it's best to learn how to do it yourself, that way you can experiment and find the perfect action for you while saving a few quid in the process that could go on new tuners or pickups etc.

Obviously this for bass but seeing as it's the same thing and the explanation is great: http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/

JonathanAnon

I'd make sure to get something with good tuning pegs on it ...

ShriekingSheet

Cheers guys. I missed out on that Indonesian one I think - slightly glad as I wasn't mad keen on the colour. I'll keep an eye out for another, or a classic vibe squier.

Cheers

Etc

Don't forget yamaha pacifica's, excellent guitars, classic vibes are not going to be in your price range on Adverts

Demeyes

I think if you pick up a cheap guitar you should learn how to set it up yourself. You can't go too far wrong making slight adjustments for action and intonation especially on a telecaster. You'll be glad you learned it yourself as it doesn't take much time and it'll save you bringing it to a tech.
On a cheap guitar for a backup you'll probably want to change the pickup you use the most and the tuners if they are not great. This way you'll have a guitar that keeps it's tune and will sound good too.
I actually picked up a cheap Halrey Benton tele style guitar a few years ago and it's not the worst. I put some nice pickups in it and gave it a good setup and I use it all the time now. I eventually plan on putting new tuners and a better bridge into it. In the end the parts will be worth more than the guitar!

ShriekingSheet

Demeyes wrote: »

I think if you pick up a cheap guitar you should learn how to set it up yourself. You can't go too far wrong making slight adjustments for action and intonation especially on a telecaster. You'll be glad you learned it yourself as it doesn't take much time and it'll save you bringing it to a tech.
On a cheap guitar for a backup you'll probably want to change the pickup you use the most and the tuners if they are not great. This way you'll have a guitar that keeps it's tune and will sound good too.
I actually picked up a cheap Halrey Benton tele style guitar a few years ago and it's not the worst. I put some nice pickups in it and gave it a good setup and I use it all the time now. I eventually plan on putting new tuners and a better bridge into it. In the end the parts will be worth more than the guitar!

Yeah, I've shyed away from this kind of DIY job up til now. Your post and a few others like it are making me think I should give it a go. Would just hate to try it as a way to save a very small amount of money, and not do a great job.

Celly Smunt

IMO i think you should buy a kit that isn't assembled and put it together yourself to start with.This will teach you all the workings of building and modding guitars while being fun.Most of the woods in these kits are the same as the squires and normally to the same dimensions.

If the stock Pups and such are utter cráp,replace them with your own choice this again is practice with electronics.

I have a few of them built with nice pickups and they generally sound great and sit nice in the hand for a small price.

ShriekingSheet

pmcmahon wrote: »

IMO i think you should buy a kit that isn't assembled and put it together yourself to start with.This will teach you all the workings of building and modding guitars while being fun.Most of the woods in these kits are the same as the squires and normally to the same dimensions.

If the stock Pups and such are utter cráp,replace them with your own choice this again is practice with electronics.

I have a few of them built with nice pickups and they generally sound great and sit nice in the hand for a small price.

Thanks man. What kind of money did you build yours for? Have you anything up in the post your gear section?

Banjo

Worth noting, that for the price of a kit (the only ones I've seen are around €100 or so - if anyone has a line on anything cheaper, do share!) you could probably buy a cheap 2nd hand guitar and have a bit of change left over to spend on the parts you might want to upgrade it. SX, encore, westfield etc or if your Adverts-Fu is strong an Affinity Squire or even a Pacifica 112 - any of them are as likely to be as if not more playable than a self-assembled kit, but you won't have to bother with finishing touches (eg carving the headstock, painting the body, minor neck/pocket adjustments, drilling or reaming holes) that you don't appear to be interested in. Also, cheap guitars are often bought as first guitars, from shops that don't give a monkeys by people who don't know better, meaning they've never been set up and will still benefit from you looking at intonation, fret levelling etc - all the stuff you are interested in.

You can turn any 2nd hand guitar into a kit using a screwdriver and an empty cardboard box

Celly Smunt

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Thanks man. What kind of money did you build yours for? Have you anything up in the post your gear section?

i got one like this for around the same price off thomann and put another €500 or so into it over 5 years or so,some nice seymours and some legit hardware and it's ahead of my mexi.You hear a lot about "putting so much money into a guitar like that",but at the end of the day if you get bored with the body and woods the €500 worth of **** you put into it is still there so there's nothing lost at the end of the day,just add onto the axe what you want over time.

I actually don't come to think of it,i rarely come here

Celly Smunt

Banjo wrote: »

Worth noting, that for the price of a kit (the only ones I've seen are around €100 or so - if anyone has a line on anything cheaper, do share!) you could probably buy a cheap 2nd hand guitar and have a bit of change left over to spend on the parts you might want to upgrade it. SX, encore, westfield etc or if your Adverts-Fu is strong an Affinity Squire or even a Pacifica 112 - any of them are as likely to be as if not more playable than a self-assembled kit, but you won't have to bother with finishing touches (eg carving the headstock, painting the body, minor neck/pocket adjustments, drilling or reaming holes) that you don't appear to be interested in. Also, cheap guitars are often bought as first guitars, from shops that don't give a monkeys by people who don't know better, meaning they've never been set up and will still benefit from you looking at intonation, fret levelling etc - all the stuff you are interested in.

You can turn any 2nd hand guitar into a kit using a screwdriver and an empty cardboard box

I agree with you in many ways,but sometimes second hand guitars,especially at budget price are just haunted and no amount of dicking around with frets or adjustments will fix and probably end up being costly.The thing i like about the Kits is that it's a complete blank page,no faulty electronics,no cleaning up somebody elses failings and much nicer to start off with when just getting into modding guitars,although time consuming it is a lot more self satisfying at the end of it.Plus everything you put into it you could just put into a second hand guitar anyway and sell the assembled kit for €30 cheaper on adverts.

I figure the €30 you might lose on selling the axe on is worth the satisfaction of learning and building a guitar from scratch.