What's your goto "sleeper" brand for used instruments?

[RockyStar]

Any ideas specifically for singlecuts? Teles and LPs and the like?

Monty

I have a Les Paul Junior, one P90, TV Yellow with a true 59 neck and that thing is an absolute beast. No disappointments.

 

[maliciousteve]

Charvel

 

[cdf294]

Pretty much any US made Peavey that doesn't say Wolfgang on it.
I like the Wolfgang but at it's current market value, it's not a sleeper IMO.

If not for an incoming guitar, I'd be on my way to pick up a $120 Tracer as I write this.

 

[rockstarazuri]

Fender Japan anytime for affordable strats and teles

 

[cip 123]

Westone! Korean or Japanese made depending on the model, play great and pretty cheap.

Although any of the old 80's 90's lawsuit stuff is good. Burny, Greco, Orville, etc.

 

[bzhan1]

older japanese ibanezes without a lot of wear play as good as any new guitar. I have a beat up 99' that feels better than high end LTDs

 

[NeubyWanKaneuby]

I didn't see anyone mention Reverend guitars. My buddy bought one a few years back and said it was one of his favorite guitars.

 

[pushpull7]

Any ideas specifically for singlecuts? Teles and LPs and the like?

carvin. they are very affordable new. and moreso when they are used

Used, MIJ Ibanez. Everytime.

Anything from the 80's or 90's and you're golden. Any RG5xx or upwards will be as good as any other guitar out there in my opinion with the right pickup change and in the right person's hands.

@MIJ Ibby: A good choice. I'd also add that early to late 2000's are pretty good too.

@Carvin: If you can do it, that is probably about as good a "go to" as there is when you consider price/quality/consistency.

@Singlecuts: Has anyone ever mentioned the PRS/SE's yet? I had one that was fantastic. I didn't care for the neck personally, but the frets were awesome and it sounded great. And it looked the part

 

[DraggAmps]

For me, it's a brand called US Masters. They're kind of a Suhr/Anderson-ish superstrat type brand (although they make other styles) that just aren't super well-known or popular, though they've been around for a long time and know what they're doing (they actually have been doing compound fretboard radiuses for so long that they call it "conical" fretboard radius or something, if I'm not mistaken?). They also have a pretty sweet neck joint that has a subtle difference that's supposed to lock the deck super sturdy in place.

They're a pretty typical superstat type guitar (I have the LeGrand Custom Legend and another one that's almost the same but a slightly modernized strat shape but also looks about the same) with Floyds or other high quality vintage trem (Wilkinson's, usually, I think) and Sperzel tuners, direct mount pickups, etc. Very solid USA guitars, but again, they're not super popular, so they're insanely well priced on the used market. $700-$800 for both and they were both $2500-$3500 guitars new. They're what I recommend every time someone plays by Suhr and asks what they can get that's similar but much cheaper.

I can't say the level of fit and finish is quite that of a Suhr, but's it's still very, very good. At least on par with Carvin and maybe even EBMM, but of course the finish and attention to detail on a Suhr is just as good as it gets, so it's not quite there, truly. But it's a sub-$1000 guitar that has 90 percent or more of what you'd expect from a Suhr or Anderson. Super solid, high end, professional guitars that are just little known for some crazy reason. I have yet to find something that's such a solid option for a bang for your buck instrument (used).

 

[DraggAmps]

But for LP style guitars, definitely the Edwards LP's. There are other good Japanese LP's but they're usually going to be older. With Edwards, you get a guitar that's exactly what I would expect a Gibson $3000+ to be, yet the ones I've owned have been better than literally every $5000 Gibson I've played. They have the true vintage construction with long neck tenon and thick maple caps, and don't use stupid binding that gives faux fret ends like the high end Gibsons just so they don't have to worry about doing proper fretwork. Instead, they do normal frets with outstanding fretwork. From what I understand, they're built right alongside ESP guitars in Japan and are made by ESP, so you get the quality and fit and finish aspect. 5 times the guitar of most Gibsons for 1/5th the price (IMHO). I personally feel you just have to spend WAY too much to get a proper Gibson. I'm not a fan... but I'm a huge fan of Edwards if I want an LP style guitar.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Depends on what I'm after....

Strat? MIJ Fender, usually right around $300 around here.

LP? LTDs.....can usually find EC1000s for between $250-$400 here. Although I will say that I'll grab an LTD for pretty much anything and be satisfied.....I've had guitars in all of their price ranges and they've all been great guitars in the end.....cannot say the same for any other manufacturer in my experience. Lot of great guitars out there, but the LTD line is consistently good from 256s up to 1000 series.

Not really a 'sleeper' brand, but my friends that don't forum have been consistently shocked when I hand em one and they've never heard of it, and then play it and are blown away.

 

[vilk]

But for LP style guitars, definitely the Edwards LP's. There are other good Japanese LP's but they're usually going to be older. With Edwards, you get a guitar that's exactly what I would expect a Gibson $3000+ to be, yet the ones I've owned have been better than literally every $5000 Gibson I've played. They have the true vintage construction with long neck tenon and thick maple caps, and don't use stupid binding that gives faux fret ends like the high end Gibsons just so they don't have to worry about doing proper fretwork. Instead, they do normal frets with outstanding fretwork. From what I understand, they're built right alongside ESP guitars in Japan and are made by ESP, so you get the quality and fit and finish aspect. 5 times the guitar of most Gibsons for 1/5th the price (IMHO). I personally feel you just have to spend WAY too much to get a proper Gibson. I'm not a fan... but I'm a huge fan of Edwards if I want an LP style guitar.

The issue with this is that they aren't for sale in the United States, and if you want to get them here you will be spending some money on nothing, so to speak. Yeah, it'll be cheaper than Gibson and certainly with the same high quality, but to have one sent here, or even if you find someone selling here they are usually marked up used to the price they would be new in Japan.

So yeah it's great stuff, but to buy them in USA is really not very economic.

 

[canuck brian]

90's Yamaha RGX's and Pacifica 7xx models and up. Absolutely killer guitars all around.

 

[DraggAmps]

The issue with this is that they aren't for sale in the United States, and if you want to get them here you will be spending some money on nothing, so to speak. Yeah, it'll be cheaper than Gibson and certainly with the same high quality, but to have one sent here, or even if you find someone selling here they are usually marked up used to the price they would be new in Japan.

So yeah it's great stuff, but to buy them in USA is really not very economic.

So about what do they cost these days? Because the one I had was several years ago. I think I paid $850 for it from someone who had already brought it over to the States, but it was brand new. It was the most expensive model at the time as it had a flame maple top, light aging, Nitro finish, aged Duncan Antiquities, etc. So it was very much a vintage replica. I think the same guitar was gonna be about $1200 on eBay after shipping to the U.S. That's not cheap but it's still less or similar to the cost of an actual ESP and in my opinion, that guitar was better than any modern Gibson I've played that wasn't well over $5k. It was closer to the actual product Gibson was putting out in the 50's and 60's than their own $5k LP's.

I admit I would take the expensive Gibson over it, but I truly think the Edwards would actually be by far the better guitar. If I didn't know any better which was which and the headstocks on both were blank, I would choose the Edwards easily. So if you can still get an Edwards for around $1k, it's still far and away worth it IMO.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I don't get the Edwards hype. I've owned one and played/worked on several. They're really good LPs......but so are EC1000s and those go for less than half of what Edwards LPs go for. I know the Edwards are closer to Gibson specs, but feel wise and tone wise the EC1000s are on the same level. Even when it comes to quality the Edwards aren't really better overall.

Heck, you can even get legit ESP Eclipse models for less than most of the Edwards models. Brand new even. When compared to used the prices are almost identical.

 

[GenghisCoyne]

For me, it's a brand called US Masters. They're kind of a Suhr/Anderson-ish superstrat type brand (although they make other styles) that just aren't super well-known or popular, though they've been around for a long time and know what they're doing (they actually have been doing compound fretboard radiuses for so long that they call it "conical" fretboard radius or something, if I'm not mistaken?). They also have a pretty sweet neck joint that has a subtle difference that's supposed to lock the deck super sturdy in place.

They're a pretty typical superstat type guitar (I have the LeGrand Custom Legend and another one that's almost the same but a slightly modernized strat shape but also looks about the same) with Floyds or other high quality vintage trem (Wilkinson's, usually, I think) and Sperzel tuners, direct mount pickups, etc. Very solid USA guitars, but again, they're not super popular, so they're insanely well priced on the used market. $700-$800 for both and they were both $2500-$3500 guitars new. They're what I recommend every time someone plays by Suhr and asks what they can get that's similar but much cheaper.

I can't say the level of fit and finish is quite that of a Suhr, but's it's still very, very good. At least on par with Carvin and maybe even EBMM, but of course the finish and attention to detail on a Suhr is just as good as it gets, so it's not quite there, truly. But it's a sub-$1000 guitar that has 90 percent or more of what you'd expect from a Suhr or Anderson. Super solid, high end, professional guitars that are just little known for some crazy reason. I have yet to find something that's such a solid option for a bang for your buck instrument (used).

Have to second this. One of theirs is the only 4 string bass I cant let go of. The neck joints are insanely accessible and the build quality is way higher than i would have expected for 300USD (used). If you see one play it.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The US Masters stuff (which are actually built not too far from me) is actually really good. I've been able to play a bunch of them as they're pretty popular around here, giving a "local discount" and all.

I'd never put it on the level of Suhr or Anderson though. But for the price, especially modestly spec'd and with discount puts it above a lot of the non-boutique production stuff, think USA production Schecters or Japanese ESP.

 

[technomancer]

I don't get the Edwards hype. I've owned one and played/worked on several. They're really good LPs......but so are EC1000s and those go for less than half of what Edwards LPs go for. I know the Edwards are closer to Gibson specs, but feel wise and tone wise the EC1000s are on the same level. Even when it comes to quality the Edwards aren't really better overall.

Heck, you can even get legit ESP Eclipse models for less than most of the Edwards models. Brand new even. When compared to used the prices are almost identical.

The Edwards LPs are about $750-850 new shipped from Japan right now and they're not some weird bastardized shape. You're better grabbing one new direct than buying a used one as guys are always trying to make some cash on flipping them.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The Edwards LPs are about $750-850 new shipped from Japan right now and they're not some weird bastardized shape. You're better grabbing one new direct than buying a used one as guys are always trying to make some cash on flipping them.

I wouldn't call the Eclipse a "weird" shape.

Plus, we're talking about used guitars here.

If we were talking new and wanted a DAMN close Les Paul, the Edwards are great, but there is too much great stuff that's the tiniest bit off on the readily available used market over here, not flipper fodder.

 

[GenghisCoyne]

The US Masters stuff (which are actually built not too far from me) is actually really good. I've been able to play a bunch of them as they're pretty popular around here, giving a "local discount" and all.

I'd never put it on the level of Suhr or Anderson though. But for the price, especially modestly spec'd and with discount puts it above a lot of the non-boutique production stuff, think USA production Schecters or Japanese ESP.

havent they been out of business for several years?