I frequently browse a lot of used sites (eBay and the like) keeping an eye out for bargains. In my opinion a lot of instruments out there aren't really worth the money (quality wise etc), but I'm wondering if there's any particular guitars to keep an eye out for? Ones that perhaps either slip under the radar, or look very similar to lower models and often get priced as such. 6 string wise, the late 80s Charvel's used to be amazing bargains as nobody knew what they were. Im a Jackson guy through and through, and have a pretty good knowledge of what models sit where, but other than some junky low end Ibanez I had and didnt like (felt cheap), Im not clued up with other brands, which models are decent quality etc. What would be people's used guitar of choice for approx £350 ($500). Im in the UK so Agile guitars dont pop up too often and generally hold their value. Im not exactly in the market now, but will be keeping an eye out. Im quite tempted with an Ibanez RG of some sorts. One with a pickguard and a trem so it feels different to my other guitars.
Would recommend old Ibanez's like 550/560 or 750/760 depending on your preference of the neck pu. Charvels are mostly around 500€ at least here in Germany so they might worth a look (japanese made ones, so cal and san dimas i dont dig the pointy headstock ones) Also saw some old made in france Lag's going for pretty low ("the beast" series). Schecters might be worth a look the higher end ones i saw for 250€ or 300€ had a very nice one but i wouldnt buy them used if you cannot test them before buying even though i havent played a bad schecter of the higher end korean made ones.(living near Thomann i play a lot different Guitars) Just forgot if you like les Paul shapes the Hagström Northen series might be worth a look the last ones i saw beeing sold did go for 500-600€ which is nice for a made in europe les paul. They also have models with gibson scale (swede) and Fender scale (super swede).
Keep an eye out for a Charvel Model 1....I grabbed one in a trade for a guitar I despised and it totally shocked me. Complete sleeper guitar and I use it for almost everything anymore, and I have some nice guitars sitting here....custom LP, PRS McCarty, and an MJT Tele. The Charvel has an EVH Wolfgang in it and it kills....$300 guitar with a $75 pickup upgrade and it's awesome.
Cheers guys great tips! Used to have a Charvel Model 3 I regret selling. Will check out the Hagstrom ones too! Leaning towards an RG I have to say!
Basically I'd like a MIJ Ibanez RG with a pickguard. Did they offer a 7 string to suit? Or are the 7s all pickguard-less?
6 string look out for Westone Spectrum Series 2 (or II as they're called on the headstock) Bought one for £100 and it slays any shred guitar until you start paying good money. There is a lovely red one on Preloved just now, top of the line one for £200. The Westone Clipper is also very similar, same pups and neck there is currently 2 on ebay, from £180 to 295. Most are made in Korea (And built like tanks) but if you like the other Westone shapes you can snag some MIJ stuff, some seriously high end looking stuff if you just have a gander sometimes. If I could I would Snag a clipper and the spectrum love the necks.
Schecter Jeff Loomis 2014+ models (with SS frets) can be had under $700 often.. amazing quality for what they are. Keith Merrow ones also, if you like hardtail and ebony fbs, but also have SS frets.
You can usually find some good deals on Washburn USA idols. They're great quality les paul-ish guitars and regularly go for under 1K on auction on Ebay.
Half a year ago I would have advised you to look for second hand guitars on the Japanese market (Yahoo Auctions, Digimart etc. via a Proxy). The Yen was extremely weak at the time and you could get gear for great prices even with shipping and the inevitable import tax thrown in. Thanks to Brexit and the Yen's recovery, it's not as favourable to acquire gear from Japan. I would see really nice 7-string Ibanez J-Customs sell for less than ¥125,000. Prestige 7 and RG7XXX MIJ models sometimes go for below ¥50,000. I'd look out for Japanese-made Charvels and Jacksons, circa 1987-1995. In particular the Professional models. A wealth of info is available on this site: http://audiozone.dk/ Yamaha has some seriously underrated guitars that can be picked up fairly cheap - their older Japanese and even Taiwanese models are up there with similar late '80s-'90s Superstrats. Look in the Pacifica 700-1200 range, RGX 600-1200 range and perhaps for the uncommon RGZ Custom.
Used Agile's and Schecters can be extremely good bang for the buck. Not always, but occasionally. Also, here in Canada at least, used Godin's can be found for ridiculously good prices.
I try to follow industry news concerning product lines and brands being discontinued or shelved. From 2013-14, Steinbergers were being sold at clearance following Ned's contract with Gibson ending. This resulted in eBay and reverb resellers lowering their already-low prices to compete. The same happened with Guitar Center's brand Laguna in Summer 2015 and Parker between July 2015 to the present. Those are examples of niche brands/designs, but you can find plenty of discontinued major brand-series getting the same treatment, throughout the year. You can use up-to-the-minute gear boards such as this place, or you can just check out clearance-sales from Sam Ash, Sweetwater, and any of the GC-owned storefronts via newsletter or checking the appropriate site-sections.
AFAIK the only pickguard'ed 7's from Ibanez is the mighty Vai Universes and some of Munky Korn-signatures (Apex100 and Apex2). All others are pickguard-less (all though Perle Guitars for instance, offers a pickguard for the RG7620). An UV777pbk (mirror pickguard) I think is the least popular of the MIJ UV's and can be snagged for a good price. I was lucky and got mine for like 400 euros or so (same with my 'firespeak blue' K7). As others have pointed out, look for used Ibanez Prestige-models. IMO maybe the most bang-for-buck series out there ATM. At least here in Norway, where you can get a close to mint RG1550 for the price of a new RG350...
Last ones i have seen were on Ebay.de or ebay-kleinanzeigen.de sold for 470 and 499 as far as i remember. Also some music stores stock used gear but thats very rare.
Amazing info thanks everyone. I'm literally screenshotting all this! Off to search for Westones and Ibanez bargains! Or book another trip to Norway!
If you browse the Japanese auction sites and used dealers you can find some nice MIJ Ibanez guitars and most especially high end / difficult to find ESPs for pretty reasonable prices. Found a few Navigator LPs for a steal of a deal before, other gear wants are the only thing that stopped me from snagging one.
I'm a huge fan of the Ibanez RGA prestige series so that being said. I have been seeing 6 and 7 string RGA base models selling for dirt cheap like $500 CAD. I've looked it up and it's the same build and wood of the prestige (solid mahogany) it just has budget turnerst, PUPS and bridge. Totally worth the investment in my opinion I can get a solid bridge for under 100$ good PUPS for under $200 a set and good turners for $75. So add $375 and you have a 7 string RGA prestige for $875
