Making An $85 Guitar Play Like A $1000 Guitar

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Nothing new here, I can make any $1000 guitar sound like a $85 one.

Best Tip: remember FFF for intonation, if Fretted note is Flat, move saddle Forward!

Making an $85 guitar sound like a $1000 guitar: plug into a really nice amp.

I enjoy talking guitars all the time. At 75 yrs of age, I have learned over the decades that the amp and the guitar player are as important as the guitar itself.

"I'm going to play the same riff on both guitars" proceeds to play fancier on the more expensive guitar

It’s 2020 and I’m feeling nostalgic watching this dude just walk up in a stranger’s house without a face mask

I bought a used Starcaster years ago, did everything you mentioned here with the addition of swapping out the wiring for lower gauge (thicker) wire. It had a loud buzz if stood within 6-8 feet of the amp, but increasing the thickness of the wiring eliminated it completely!

The taking a buddy or two on a craigslist run is good advice... I always take my bros, smith and Weston...

0:46 "so i worked at a G--, one of the largest.."

Setting Intonation: "Always" set intonation with the guitar in the playing position. Hold it like you are playing it . Many guitars, especially bass guitars are "position sensitive". So if you set the intonation with the guitar flat on a table the intonation may read quite different in the playing position. Also....the most overlooked adjustment on setting up a fender style "screw on neck" is before you do anything else to the guitar you have to check those 4 neck screws. Even right from the factory they are usually loose. Tighten them. All the other set-up steps are useless if the neck screws are loose. I've been a Guitar Repairman in the Boston area (since 1974)

Cheap guitars so much better than they were decades ago. I am almost reluctant to admit that a $90 Squire P-Bass I bought to travel with sounds almost as good and plays as well as my Rick 4001. The quality of fretwork and finishing is leaps ahead of a cheap guitar I bought 20 years ago for similar reasons, where the neck was not capable of proper adjustment and the frets were sharp on the sides. I also got a $99 Fender acoustic guitar on a trip (for something in the hotel room) and was stunned to find the intonation and string height was exactly what I wanted with no adjustment - also, traditionally, a weak spot of cheap guitars. So computer-aided manufacturing is showing its benefits in consistent quality, I guess.

Thank you, Guys! I've learned a few different Intonational techniques but your method has been the quickest, simple and effective.

Should be called "Putting new strings and doing a basic setup on an $85 guitar"

Thank you so much, guys! A friend just gave me a cheap old guitar and I love the feel of the bodystyle and the tone of the pickups. It just came with all the little issues you showed me how to fix. This info is valuable (local shop wanted to charge 85 to do that stuff, but I love to tinker, just didn't know how). P.S. I'm a happy guitareo paid subscriber. Thanks for making your free content high quality too.

I've had guitars in my life for decades. I think you guys just taught me more then I've ever learned in just a few fun minutes! Thank You both.

Ahh, my guitar's intonation was off. Now I fixed it! Thanks!

I’ll save you some time. They just clean it and change the strings. A basic setup. Didn’t change a thing.

A short wouldn't make it crackle. A short is when the positive wire comes into contact with ground. In something that is using high voltage, well beyond the millivolts the guitars pickups generate, it can cause an electrical fire. On a guitar this would cause it to go silent. But it shouldn't make a crackling sound. That would be caused by an open. An open circuit is when there is a tear in the positive or negative wire, and if it's an intermittent signal it can cause a crackle sound. In either case the wiring should be replaced. This is much more common that an actual short. Good luck!

Great video thanks. I just bought a Jackson Soloist SLX, where I thought I had a great guitar with a great price. Was pretty disappointed when I realized it sounded like crap. Thought I should have spent 2k more and get a USA Select. I did try to set it up, without really knowing how. So I've watched quite a few videos, including yours, I was on the right track. I like things simple, and you made it quite simple and easy to understand for everyone. My SLX (from Indonesia) now sounds just as great as a USA Select (almost). No buzz, in tune all the way, perfect string height and pick-up height. It was a guitar on the floor at the store, therefore I took those strings out, cleaned my fret board, put new strings, and it honestly feels great. Thanks for taking the time to make that video. Cheers!!!