While the Special looks like a Les Paul and features the standard Paul Tune-O-Matic stop tailpiece bridge configuration, its bolt-on neck construction yields a zingier, more articulated sound than the traditional set-neck design common to many high-ticket Gibsons. Within its laminated alder body lays the soul of a true rocker, and a pair of punchy Alnico-5-equipped humbuckers is the perfect vehicle to convey the guitar’s inner flame.
The “Made in China” Epiphone Special, brought to you by the fine people at Gibson, is an axe with more cajones than a stampede of raging bulls. These are serious guitars, producing serious sounds-at seriously affordable prices. They’re not toys, nor are they fretted mockeries suitable only for green beginners who don’t know any better. There are certain areas in which inexpensive axes fall short of their more costly brethren: the woods used are less expensive and the bodies are often made of three or four pieces instead of one or two the hardware (especially the tuning machines) is usually not top notch and the pickups do not yield the same tonal complexity that one would expect from those in more expensive guitars.īut this roundup of six electric guitars listing for under $350 proves that there are inexpensive instruments out there that can get the job done with flying colors. Of course, it would be untrue to say that many inexpensive guitars wouldn’t be better off being recycled as kindling (the same is true for many high-ticket six-strings), but as manufacturers have learned to beef up the quality control and manufacturing techniques in such places as Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia and Mexico, the number of perfectly suitable low-cost instruments being produced has skyrocketed. There’s no doubt about it: cheap gear can produce great sounds. James Hetfield stormed through Metallica’s garage days equipped only with a no-name flying V copy. Kurt Cobain owned (and destroyed) a few fine vintage Fenders, but he spent most of his time playing sturdy, burly imported Strat copies.
Certainly, a fair share of hit albums have been recorded with instruments that cost more than most used cars, but a remarkable number of legendary discs have also been tracked with extremely inexpensive instruments that produced equally stunning results.Įdward Van Halen, for example, recorded his most memorable work with an axe thrown together from leftover and discarded parts. Rock history has proven time and time again that where electric guitars are concerned, you don’t have to break the bank to bust onto the charts.
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