What screams "cheap" to you?

[KnightBrolaire]

Having met Tyler before, I think it's more like:

View attachment 96197

yeah that was pretty evident from.his godawful headstock design

 

[High Plains Drifter]

This makes it hard for me to feel like all Epi's look cheap...

 

[CanserDYI]

I will retract my statement about pickup rings on a Les Paul. If not black. I think it's just black ones tbh.

 

[Randy]

Single coils. Like jesus fucking christ man a little bit of wire and plastic doesnt cost a fortune. Throw another one on there and get rid of all that noise.

Fun fact: significantly more $$$ in wire on single coil vs a humbucker. Magnets are more too.

 

[bigbusterstar]

Abalone binding and non matching headstocks are gross. Body binding that doesn't line up with the board / neck...

 

[CanserDYI]

Fun fact: significantly more $$$ in wire on single coil vs a humbucker. Magnets are more too.

Not saying you're wrong, please please explain this

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Here's one: bad bursts. Just ones with terrible blending. Nothing makes a guitar seem cheap like a "bullseye" burst.

Legator is like the king of it.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Honestly? The wrong headstock.

I'm looking at you Dean

Here's one: bad bursts. Just ones with terrible blending. Nothing makes a guitar seem cheap like a "bullseye" burst.

Legator is like the king of it.

You just explained why Silverburst is both the most beautiful finish

And most ugly finish

I know it can be like this for a lot of burst finishes, but when you're dealing with a black on top of a shiny, glittering silver finish, the flaw is *glaring*

 

[vilk]

Thin/cast TOM bridge is a big one for me. Gotoh is the bare minimum, anything less isn't even trying. I especially hate when they have half the saddles installed backwards so your strings are breaking over a goddamn sharp edge, and usually the cheap bridges make it very difficult if not impossible to turn the saddles back around without breaking something.

I have a Gotoh TOM, and half the saddles are facing a different direction... Are you saying this is a manufacturing error?? I don't know if I've ever seen a TOM that's not this way...

If I were to flip them to all face the same way, is there some benefit? Also, which way would that be?

 

[mmr007]

The word “Dean” on the headstock

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Unbound fretboards

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Unbound fretboards

Especially if there are block inlays. Blocks need binding. NEED.

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Especially if there are block inlays. Blocks need binding. NEED.

TRUTH

 

[BornToLooze]

The Epi headstock on their Les Pauls. Stuff like the new Wilshires look great with it, because it's an Epi headstock on an Epi guitar, but it just looks wrong on a Les Paul.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The Epi headstock on their Les Pauls. Stuff like the new Wilshires look great with it, because it's an Epi headstock on an Epi guitar, but it just looks wrong on a Les Paul.

The Wilshire didn't exist prior to Gibson ownership. They bought Epiphone in 57' (deal closed in 58'), but the Crestwood came out in 58'.

 

[r33per]

Relicing that isn't earned (a lovely Geddy Lee phrase).

Instant put off for me. I think it gimmicky, tacky and just downright cheap looking.

 

[BornToLooze]

The Wilshire didn't exist prior to Gibson ownership. They bought Epiphone in 57' (deal closed in 58'), but the Crestwood came out in 58'.

I know, but as far as I know, even the ones that the Gibson Custom shop made where still labeled Epiphone.

 

[Blytheryn]

Hey guys, thought this might be fun to discuss, what are some features on guitars high-end or low-end alike that screams "I'm cheap" to you, regardless of price?

To me, pickup rings. This is the worst culprit to me. Any time I see a guitar with black plastic pickup rings I always picture a Donner or Musiclily Amazon part bin pieces and just really turns me off. Same with plain maple necks/fretboards. Unless it's on a nice lake placid blue or something similar it always looks so cheap to me, I'm really not sure why.

Anyone else have anything like this?

Sticky necks.

 

[mbardu]

Sticky necks.

PRS is sad

 

[Chanson]

Black gloss finish, unfinished headstock, with a rosewood fretboard and white pickguard. To me, it is just the most vanilla looking finish imaginable and reminds me of every single Walmart style starter guitar you see in shops.