Professional musicians that use mid-range/budget-range/low-end gear?

[CrushingAnvil]

Meshuggah using POD XT pros, granted they use a combination of Vetta IIs and Pods live, but recording on Pods is an achievement as they are a bedroom thing for many guitarists.

Tony Macalpine uses Carvins. not custom fancy ones, just off the production line Carvins, I think that speaks volumes about their quality. Alan Holdsworth also uses Carvins, which are a signature model, but they are midrange in price unless you go ape with crazy tops and stuff, and are made just like all other Carvin guitars.

"...is an achievement as they are a bedroom thing for many guitarists."



You kinky Fucker

I was going to buy one of those Holdsworth Sigs, great guitars.

Trey Azagthoth is a great example, he has a few customs...but his 'Instagib' Ironbird is low-budget....

Erik Rutan is a notable mid-range kind of guy, but that's only with guitars...A friend of mine and his band is over in Florida with him - he's producing their album, he has Mesa Double Recs and Labogas

 

[MF_Kitten]

Trey Azagthoth is a great example, he has a few customs...but his 'Instagib' Ironbird is low-budget....

he sounds like a geek... probably played alot of quake or something

 

[Sindwulf]

It is known he played LOTS of Doom but I don't know if it carried over with Quake. On the band website there is still a download for the doom level he made lol. Never got a chance to try it out.

 

[MF_Kitten]

ah, that´s probably where he got the "instagib" name from then

i don´t know whether or not they had instagib in doom, but anyways

 

[Grom]

"Instagib" is a Unreal Tournament thing, my friend.

 

[MF_Kitten]

o rly?

from wikipedia:

"Instagib was introduced in Quake II, and grew in popularity in Unreal Tournament"

 

[Anthony]

Jari Mäenpää's tele sounds badass, too...very cool and different tone for that kinda stuff...it's all over the Ensiferum album "Iron" as well

I think he has the Tokai replaced with a PGM now.

 

[Grom]

o rly?

from wikipedia:

"Instagib was introduced in Quake II, and grew in popularity in Unreal Tournament"

"Live to learn, learn to live ..."

 

[Vairocarnal]

mastodons guitarist uses a yamaha pacifica i believe

On that note: Mastodon were (Are?) Endorsing First Act guitars....the only place I've found them is Target...hows THAT for cheap and budget friendly?!?

 

[TomAwesome]

The First Acts being used in Mastadon are customs, though, and I hear those are actually pretty nice.

 

[Ze Kink]

I think he has the Tokai replaced with a PGM now.

I've seen him use a Jem7vwh with the trem blocked and a PGM. Some time ago he was selling a USA Custom hardtail RG at a Finnish forum I'm a member of, the guitar was pictured in a studio so I'd guess some of the new album was recorded with that guitar. I don't know if he actually endorses Ibanez or if he just uses them.

Tokai is actually pretty common here in Finland, and they aren't very expensive. Especially the Gibson LP copies (Loverocks) are pretty common, they are actually identical shapewise (headstock, body etc.) with Gibsons here, since Gibson has no copyright protection in Finland. I guess you'd classify them as mid-range, and a lot of Finnish pro musicians use them, Mäenpää isn't the only one.

SRV played Tokai Springy Sounds too, and he's even pictured in the cover of an old Tokai catalog.

 

[Scali]

And what about guitarists that use the 'budget' variations of the Les Paul, like the Junior or the Special?
The Junior started out as a starter pack in the 50s, combined with a tiny Gibson Junior valve amp.
Even today they're some of the cheapest Gibsons you can buy.