Dirt cheap project guitars for under $200
(Note: Since publishing this article I've had to change it slightly because it's very tough to find guitars under $100 new these days, so now I'm listing the best you can find for under $200. Times change, what can I say...)
Cheap guitars are fun for several reasons. You can beat the crap out of them, try your hand at custom painting a guitar (whether it works out or not doesn't matter, it's fun to try), rip them apart and figure out how to do wiring, pickup installation, etc.
There are a few standard things to know when buying guitars this cheap:
- The guitar may be "creaky", as in the body, neck and tuners among other things will make creaking noises. Over time these creaks should go away once you break the guitar in.
- You will have to spend at least an hour setting it up because it probably was never set up properly before.
- It's probably true you'll have to file off a few sharp fret edges. Have the appropriate file ready.
- The neck will probably need a truss rod adjustment.
- The nut may need to be replaced, but fortunately they're cheap even if you pay a tech to install one.
- Most important: What you get will either be GOOD or BAD, and there is no in between. There is no such thing as a "sort-of-good" guitar in this price range.
Good NEW solid-body electrics for under $200
The Bullet Strat is one of the most underrated guitars out there, no question. It has vintage style Strat look and feel, and the best part of the guitar is without question the neck. Most cork-sniffer types would never even think about even touching one of these, much less playing one. But once you feel that smooth "C" shape 60s profile, oh yeah, you'll buy one on the spot. And then you can at laugh at all the morons who spend hundreds more for the same thing while you got yours for next to nothing. Yes, the necks on the Squier Bullet Strats are in fact that good.
This guitar may have only one pickup, but if there was ever a Les Paul guitar you wanted to thrash around and not care about, pick up a Junior. And to note, "Junior" does NOT mean it's a little guitar as it has the same scale length as a standard Les Paul.
If you know how a Les Paul feels and plays, you already know the Junior. My recommendation is to get one, throw in a DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup in Creme color (it works nicely with the Les Paul shape and has ridiculous amounts of output compared to the stock pickup), and you've got yourself a kick-ass rock guitar.
Strat-like guitar, but has more of a "growly" sound with its HSS layout (and for rock/metal players, you'd probably like it better than the Squier Bullet HSS). Simple, straightforward guitar, easy-to-play, easy to work on, and of course, cheap.
How to deal with YouTube as a guitar player
YouTube has, without question, the absolute worst community on the internet. However YouTube is the #1 video sharing web site there is, so you're pretty much forced to use it if you want to get any attention as a guitar player.
There are many players who purposely don't post videos to YouTube for the simple reason the audience there is so unbelievably hateful. I've been on YouTube since 2006 and have pretty much received every type of nasty comment you can possibly imagine. And yes, there were several times I wanted to say "SCREW THIS", close my YouTube account and never bother posting videos on that site again. I stayed with the site because I learned how to deal with the crowd over there.
These are my tips on how to deal with YouTube as a guitar player.
1. Disable all email notifications
I receive no email from YouTube whatsoever because I don't need my email inbox flooded with hateful stupid comments every day.
When logged into YouTube, go to the account notifications area, and that's where can turn off all the emails. Believe me when I say that doing this is a huge relief, because otherwise your inbox will be flooded with hate every day, depending on the traffic your videos get (and mine get quite a bit of traffic).
2. Let the hate flow
Hate comments are going to happen on YouTube and that's just the way it is. You have four ways of dealing with this.
- Don't allow any comments on your videos at all.
- Allow comments, but only the ones you approve of.
- Allow all comments, but delete/block anyone that ticks you off.
- Allow everything.
The proper choice is D. Allow everything. All of it. There's an old saying that there's no such thing as bad publicity, and this is a true statement. Leave all comments enabled, leave all ratings enabled and don't block anybody.
Fun fact: People who make it a point to post hate comments everywhere on YouTube will eventually get kicked off the system by other users, so you don't even have to do anything to get them booted from the system. When a specific user gets their comments flagged enough times, their account gets disabled. Happens all the time.
3. Be very selective about how you reply to comments
The easiest way to deal with YouTube comments is to ignore them all. Just post your videos and don't bother looking at your YouTube inbox.
If however you want to participate in commentary, just be very selective about it.
What I used to do on YouTube was blast back at anyone who posted a hate comment in my direction, then block them. I don't do that anymore because that's a complete waste of my time. Instead, I employ the "treat a YouTube commenter as a customer" approach.
How this approach works is like this:
- Never post a negative comment. You're going to want to fire back at someone when they post a negative comment from time to time. Don't. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.
- Only reply to positive comments. When someone posts a nice comment, and it's something you can reply to, reply back in kind.
- You can't fix stupid. Some people just post really stupid comments. Don't reply to these, but let them be posted. Don't try to "educate" them, either. Just let the stupid happen, because that's how YouTube works.
4. Remember that ratings mean absolutely nothing
Originally, YouTube videos had a 5-star rating system, then later changed this to just "like" or "dislike" because most of the time people would only rate a video a 1-star (worst) or a 5-star (best) anyway.
At right are the ratings for one of my videos. Out of 624 ratings, about 33% of them are "dislikes". Do I care? Nope. And neither should you for your own videos.
There are some people who take dislikes very seriously. They see that red line (soon to be replaced with a lighter-gray line) and just freak out about it. As for why they do, it's a psychological reason. People don't want to be hated, and when they see dislike ratings, that makes them feel bad.
Also, any video creator who complains about dislike ratings in the form of a comment or video is a complete idiot, because he or she should be happy people even bother to rate their videos in the first place.
If you're a company trying to make a good image and purposely disable video ratings, that I can understand. But for guitar players, it's like I said above, just let the hate flow.
5. Understand that hate happens on YouTube just for the sake of being hateful and nothing else
It doesn't matter how many positive videos you post or how much you try to be a good person online, because someone is going to hate your guts. And they'll hate you for the dumbest reasons.
In the way human nature works, it is always easier to complain rather than compliment. Everyone has something to complain about, and complaining is easy. Complimenting on the other hand takes actual effort.
A common complaint is that there are no more nice people in the world. Not true. There are plenty of nice people out there, but most of them aren't on YouTube, so all you see there for the most part is massive amounts of hate spread through the site like some incurable disease.
This is incidentally why I think it was a genius idea for Facebook to not have any ability to "dislike" anything, because if they did, everything would be "disliked" and nobody would use the system.
YouTube should have the option on every video uploaded to "Allow dislikes in ratings?" so the video uploader has the choice of what type of ratings are allowed. Will that ever happen? Doubtful, but one can hope.
If as a guitar player you dare to post videos on YouTube, you're going to have to deal with the ever-present waves of negativity on that site. This does require courage and a high level of tolerance on your part. You can make the site work for you and get known as a guitar player through your videos as long as you don't let the hate get you down.
ivory soap
The older I get, the more I purposely seek out simple products. One example is the traditional 2 oz. Old Spice Classic Original Scent deodorant. Another is Ivory soap.
Ivory is one of those soaps that has been around forever (since 1879), and the only difference between then and now is that Ivory doesn't float as good as it used to. The reason for this is because of the addition of glycerin, added in so the soap doesn't dry skin as quickly. It works well, but a bar of Ivory won't come rushing to the top anymore if you drop it in a tub or sink full of water. One of Ivory's ad slogans for the longest time was "It floats!" Well, there's no more mention of "float" anywhere on Ivory soap packaging, but that's okay because the soap still works great.
I can guarantee you at some point in your life you have used Ivory. When I recently rediscovered the brand, I recognized the scent the moment I started using it, and all of a sudden I was a little kid again. The scent is that familiar to me. On top of that the feeling of using Ivory is exactly the same as I remember, where your skin literally feels squeaky clean after using it.
Why did I start using Ivory? Because it's one of the few bar soaps that's perfectly safe for cleaning both the body and face. Believe me, there's a reason when a package of soap lists itself as "hand soap". What that means is that you're not supposed to use it on your face, and if you do, your face will feel awful in one way or another. You'll either feel like your face is burning up for a few minutes, or the skin feels "stretchy" or something else along those lines. Ivory doesn't do any of that. Wash anywhere with it on the body or face, and after you're done you feel exactly how you're supposed to feel - clean.
I've actually read some internet discussion on how some people actually complain that Ivory feels "waxy" or - get this - "smells too soapy". Seriously. And of course the reply by people who know better is always the same: "You obviously don't know what true soap is supposed to feel or smell like."
I for one hope Ivory never strays away from the formula they use, because it's perfect just the way it is. It's a well-known fact that soaps with tons of scent put into it is bad for the face because of the chemicals involved. It's also true that Ivory is one of the very few soaps you can buy with a clear conscience. You don't have to read the label to know what's in it, because you already know. It's just soap that cleans anywhere you wash, doesn't mess up your skin and works exactly like it's supposed to.
I like that kind of simplicity.
Proper string wrap on a Stratocaster guitar
Here's a photo of how much wrap I use on "through the post" tuning posts:
I use a lot of string wrap for one simple reason: To avoid string guide bunching.
On most Stratocaster guitars there are string guides, also known as string trees. The primary reason they exist is to keep the string in the nut. Without the guide, certain strings would periodically pop out of the nut while playing.
Some Strats have two string guides and others only have one. What determines whether the neck has one or two guides on the pegboard depends on the construction of the pegboard (as in the headstock) and whether or not the guitar has tuning posts of differing heights, sometimes known as staggered or height-adjusted posts.
The 5 and 6 string on Stratocaster guitars do not require a guide because the length of string is short enough from the nut to the post where it will not pop out while playing.
Stratocaster guitars with no string guides either have staggered tuning posts (like the Eric Johnson Stratocaster) where the posts are differing heights to lower the angle of the string, eliminating the need for string guides. Others use a metal roller nut that specifically lowers the angle of the string as it exits the nut to the tuning post so the guides aren't necessary.
However on most Strat and Telecaster necks, there's at least one string guide there and it's a "necessary evil" to keep your strings in the nut.
My Squier Strats have two string guides, so what I do is purposely put as much wrap as possible on the 1, 2, 3 and 4 strings to specifically lower the angle of the string from the post to the guide. What this does is put less tension on the guide and decreases bunching noise when performing string bends.
No, this does not eliminate string bunching noise at the nut, but more often than not when you hear the noise, it's probably coming from the guides and not the nut itself.
Does this make strings last longer?
In my experience it does because there's not as much friction on the guides when bending strings.
Would switching over to low-profile tuning posts help with string life?
Yes. If you switch out the standard tall-post tuners with vintage style, you can get the angle of the string a lot lower, dramatically reducing friction on the string guides.
Is there a cheaper way?
Yes. You could put a small piece of black electric tape under the guides which will do the same job. If you put a lot of wrap on your tuning posts and have electric tape under the "branches" of the string guides so the strings rest on the tape, this basically eliminates all bunching noises on the guides 100% - and the best part is that this is a dirt cheap solution that doesn't require you to buy new tuners.
I personally don't use electric tape because I change out my strings every few weeks. My strings don't usually start to bunch up until they get old, and by that point it's time for a string change anyway.
On a final note, no, do not put electric tape on the nut. That will raise the string height significantly and cause tuning problems when the tape gets wrecked from the steel string.
The very-old solution to making a nut smoother for string travel to eliminate bunching noise is that when your strings are off, fill the nut grooves with graphite shavings. Take a razor and file off shavings from the black writing portion of a standard pencil (which is almost always graphite mixed with a clay binder), and fill the grooves with that. Once the strings are on, clean off the excess graphite (usually just by blowing) and that's basically it. Very old-school, but still works.
What is the best way for a gigging band to get local exposure?
If you're in a band and you play out right now, it's most likely true you try but ultimately fail to sell anything at shows.
You should treat each gig as a way to further your local exposure. And the best way to do that is to make your fans walking advertisements by giving away free t-shirts. Yes, I know this sounds "corporate", but the fact of the matter is this:
- Everyone loves free t-shirts.
- Fans will not mind advertising your band because at least you're not some huge faceless corporation.
- Free t-shirts always work. ALWAYS.
Things you MUST have ready before doing this
1. A web site
...as in the-band's-name.com. This has to be up and running. This web site is going to be on every t-shirt, so it has to be working.
2. A blog on the web site (or linked out from it)
The web site must have a blog or at least a link to a blog where you post updates regularly, and you must post updates AT LEAST twice a week.
It is strongly suggested that the blog be something not on Facebook. Use something like Tumblr or Blogger instead.
3. Links to your music that's ready-to-buy
Use Bandcamp. No further explanation needed.
Now that you know the basics, here we go.
How to make your giveaway t-shirts cheap
Step 1. Buy a crapload of the cheapest bulk blank XL unisex t-shirts you can find.
Step 2. Buy 4 cans of spray paint. I suggest using Krylon brand.
Step 3. Print a black-and-white photo of something (your band logo maybe?)
Create a stencil, then spray-paint on the shirts.
Step 4. Have a stamp made at your local stationary shop.
The stamp you have made will have your WEB SITE on it in plain text and only that. After spray-painting the stencil, stamp your web site on the shirt. If you have the stencil in black and the stamp ink in another color like red or blue, this helps make it stick out. The best place to stamp your site is on the back right under the collar.
Step 5. Give these shirts away at every show.
DO NOT sell these things. Just give them away.
Other ways to get creative, cost considerations and the benefits to your band
These shirts are so easy to make that you could customize them for every gig you play.
If you were playing a gig in Tampa Florida, you could create a separate stencil of "TAMPA ROCKS!" and put that alongside your band-logo stencil. That's just one idea, as I'm sure you could come up with others.
The places you play really like it if you actually put their establishment logo on your shirts, because you're advertising them for free at that point and may even give you special treatment when you go to play there again.
For a lot of 100 cotton t-shirts (cotton does soak up paint best and lasts longest), you're going to spend about $125. Yes, that sounds expensive, but it's a worthwhile investment. Remember, 100 shirts for $125 means you only paid $1.25 per shirt.
The ultimate benefit to your band is when your fans start wearing the shirts you gave away in public. At that point they're advertising your band for free, and that's why you gave away the shirts for free in the first place. This kind of advertising is something companies pay BIG money for, and it's ridiculously easy to have people do it for you for NOTHING just by giving away shirts.
Now of course, the drawback is that this only works on a local-only level. Giving away free t-shirts is unlikely to make you world-famous, but it will make it much much easier to get local gigs once you start giving them out. Remember that thing I just said above about putting an establishment logo on the shirt for certain gigs you play? You save that establishment hundreds of dollars in free advertising every time you do that, and they will really love you for it. They'll love you so much that they'll keep asking you back, which means more money for more gigs...
...assuming your band doesn't suck. :)