10 Budget Solidbodies Article - Nov. GP

[duhvoodooman]

Just got the new Nov. issue of Guitar Player a couple of days back, and there's an interesting comparo article in their "Gear Roundup" section, featuring 10 "budget" solidbody guitars:

1. AXL Badwater 1216
2. Epiphone Limited Edition Wilshire
3. Godin Redline 3
4. Hagstrom Ultra Swede
5. Jackson Mark Morton Signature D2 Dominion
6. Michael Kelly Patriot Decree
7. PRS SE Custom 24
8. Reverend Buckshot
9. Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
10. Washburn HM Series WM24 Renegade

Street prices run from $225 (AXL) to $819 (Godin), spread pretty evenly over that range. They conferred "Editor's Pick" status on two of the ten--the Reverend and the Squier. The latter, at just $349, is a particularly amazing value. It's funny that the Buckshot is basically Reverend's take on the classic Telecaster design and, despite the distinctive Reverend body outline, it otherwise resembles the Squier CV Tele quite strongly.

I already have a Tele (a Xaviere copy that I upgraded with Fender Alnico 3 p'ups--the same kind that come in the Squier CV!), but I really oughta look into one of those Reverends....

 

[Kodiak3D]

$819 qualifies as a "budget" guitar?

Not in my wallet.

 

[Robert]

All Reverends are great guitars. Joe Naylor is a heckuva guitar designer/builder. I am contemplating a Reverend with P-90s one day... haven't decided when and which model.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Yeah, that seemed a bit on the high side to me, too. I think I would have kept the maximum street price to the $600 range. That would have knocked out the Godin and the PRS ($665).

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Compared to $2500+ Les Paul's, $819 would sound "bargain basement"!

 

[hubberjub]

For a MIA guitar the Godin is an excellent value. I'm sure the street price on those is much less.

 

[duhvoodooman]

For a MIA guitar the Godin is an excellent value. I'm sure the street price on those is much less.

GP showed the Godin as retailing for $985 and $819 as the street price.

 

[Trailer Park Casanova]

All Reverends are great guitars. Joe Naylor is a heckuva guitar designer/builder. I am contemplating a Reverend with P-90s one day... haven't decided when and which model.

 

[birv2]

Well, now I know where on the guitar buying scale I rank. If a guitar costs over $800 and it's in the "budget" category, I guess I'm in the dumpster-diving edge of the scale.

Maybe GP's demographic is lawyers and doctors (no offense meant to any lawyers or doctors here). Yikes!

 

[bigG]

Gee, I wish I had their budget if that's what they think is budget!

(PS: isn't Godin a Canadian manufacturer? Maybe my info is incorrect...?)

 

[Kodiak3D]

(PS: isn't Godin a Canadian manufacturer? Maybe my info is incorrect...?)

Yes, they are. Don't underestimate them. My dad has one and it rocks really good!

 

[duhvoodooman]

I am contemplating a Reverend with P-90s one day... haven't decided when and which model.

Speaking of Reverends with P-90's, I'm kind of partial to the Jetstream 390. All the pickup combo tones are good, but the P-90 version of "quack" that you get at pickup selector positions 2 and 4 (like a Strat) is tres cool. The distorted tones are just flat nasty, too. Talk about P-90 "growl"!! Check it out:



Though they don't make this particular model any more (a two P-90 version is still available), used ones are around, if you look. And that Reverend bass "contour" control is just da bomb!

 

[bigG]

Yes, they are. Don't underestimate them. My dad has one and it rocks really good!

No, man, I'm not under-estimating them at all! They make a great git! An earlier post had said they were MIA. A friend in the Toronto area is soon to buy one. He turned me on to them (he says it's pronounced Go-dan'. He should know, I guess, fwiw )

:beer:
G

 

[Kodiak3D]

No, man, I'm not under-estimating them at all! They make a great git! An earlier post had said they were MIA. A friend in the Toronto area is soon to buy one. He turned me on to them (he says it's pronounced Go-dan'. He should know, I guess, fwiw )

:beer:
G

Yes, go-DAN is what I have heard. I think the name is French-Canadian.

 

[Robert]

Hmm, funny how DVM suddenly knows so much about Reverends....

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, now I know where on the guitar buying scale I rank. If a guitar costs over $800 and it's in the "budget" category, I guess I'm in the dumpster-diving edge of the scale.

Maybe GP's demographic is lawyers and doctors (no offense meant to any lawyers or doctors here). Yikes!

I'm a lawyer, and to me, a decent quality, nice solid body can be had for plus or minus $500. Both my Fender 60th MIM and Hagstrom Viking were under that number. To me a budget guitar is more like a CV of some kind, or more in the 2 to 400 range.

 

[M29]

The Reverend in the vid sounds good Vood. I was expecting a Marshall Tucker or Outlaws tune before the video started.

 

[Tig]

Hmm, funny how DVM suddenly knows so much about Reverends....

Maybe we should rename him
The Reverend DVM? :rotflmao:

I wish I could have gone with my first instinct of getting a 3 pickup P-90 instead of my 2. The tonal possibilities are really sweet with 3.

I'm narrowing down my next guitar choice... This week (LOLz), the favored choice is the Michael Kelly Patriot Limited. (but a Reverend HH isn't far behind)

 

[bigG]

Just a quick note, here:

there is no Michael Kelly. The company is named after the boss's son and daughter: Michael and Kelly (according to the receptionist at Michael Kelly Guitars)...and...

I just found this out today: thefret.net popular Seagull acoustic is made by Godin! (And Kodiak was right - French Canadian - based in Quebec.) See this review of a Seagull from acousticguitar.com:

http://acousticguitar.com/article/default.aspx?articleid=24114

I didn't know dat!

G

 

[hubberjub]

(PS: isn't Godin a Canadian manufacturer? Maybe my info is incorrect...?)

Godin is a Canadian manufacturer. They have a factory in New Hampshire though. If I really wanted to split hairs I could also point out that Canada, being in North America, is also American. (No offense to Canadians.) MIM Fenders are also American according to my genius theory. I should work in marketing.

 

[marnold]

I think you want this one, Robert

 

[duhvoodooman]

I think you want this one, Robert

Not so much. I like the 3 P-90's and the color scheme is pretty cool, but:

1. W-A-A-A-A-Y-Y too pointy for me, and
2. I play mostly sitting down, and I hear those are a BEAST to play seated....

 

[Robert]

Nah, me and a V don't see eye to eye.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Hmmmm, now I'm not sure which "Robert" that Rev Rawk meant. Usually it's only my mom who calls me Robert, and it's generally not a good thing! :rotflmao:

 

[marnold]

Hmmmm, now I'm not sure which "Robert" that Rev Rawk meant. Usually it's only my mom who calls me Robert, and it's generally not a good thing! :rotflmao:

Robert is Robert. You is DVM

One of these days I'm going to have to find a place where I can try the Reverend Volcano. The jack is on the bottom of the bottom wing, so it should be relatively easy to play sitting down (at least as easy as any V is).

 

[Robert]

I have tried it, and it was great, but V's aren't my thing.

 

[duhvoodooman]

The jack is on the bottom of the bottom wing, so it should be relatively easy to play sitting down (at least as easy as any V is).

Have never played one, but I understand that when seated, the V guitars just slide off your lap, which makes sense in this gravity-plagued world of ours. Apparently, the way V players get around this is to put the bottom "wing" of the V underneath their right thigh (for a right-handed player). This basically leaves you straddling your guitar. Reminds me of a dog a friend of mine used to have. A very friendly dog. A little too friendly....