GuitArcher

I've been GASing for a Gretsch Electromatic pretty hard lately, but my inability to move some equipment to justify the purchase has left me resigned to being patient.  No need to jump the gun here, FMIC isn't going to cancel the line anytime soon, and I'm actually a bit hopeful that we'll see a few more FSR runs with some new colours that might light the fuse of a purchase. But something else is tickling the back of my brain... Super Strats. Neck through, locking tremolo, flat fingerboard.  The opposite of Gretsch.  Could I end up going in a completely different direction? YES: Half the price, twice the pink? What's not to love? Some thoughts on recent items: Ibanez RGA Lagoon Burst - $350 I don't remember when the original RGAs came out, with their Gibraltar bridges and such, but I remember wanting one something fierce, and being devastated by the price - after all, these were Prestige guitars. Fast forward a decade (or two?)

Despite the fact that my eye has been firmly locked on a thing that costs as much as a used car ( well, a shitty used car ), it may seem strange that I'm so focused on cheap guitars. Here's the thing... Cheap guitars are fun. And cheap. So cheap in fact that every single guitar on this list could be purchased for LESS THAN that PRS I want so badly. Squier Cyclone $150 There is a cartoon on the headstock. Do you need another reason at this price? The bridge is probably crap, the tuners questionable, and the frets only just serviceable. It doesn't matter. There is a cartoon cyclone on the headstock. I repeat: A cartoon on the headstock. Yamaha Pacifica $140 I'm a huge fan of the Pacifica, because every time I pick mine up, I'm surprised at the quality of the critical construction elements: the neck, the body, the neck joint.. Not sure if this example will be as good as mine, and I'm certain that a new bridge block would be in order, but

Funny how the attention you pay to certain kinds of gear comes and goes in waves.  One day it's all about pedals, next day amps, and then guitars. Guess where my head is at today? Bagels mostly...

More than two years ago, I compared my Yamaha 112 to a Squier Standard Stratocaster I owned at the time.  You can read about it here .  While the Yamaha came out on top, I don't think I've played that poor guitar since.

Repeat after me: Used instruments are better value.  Every time I hear someone has gone to a big chain and spent way too much money on a guitar that is worth way too little, I die a little on the inside. Unfortunately, I'm up against the marketing departments of all of the big companies (Fender, Epiphone, etc.) who want to sell newbies a $300 "Starter pack" with a terrible guitar, a terrible amp, terrible picks... You get the idea.   One stop shopping for the lazy if you ask me.  With no inherent resale value, too often "junior" is left with worthless gear that he/she can't sell to buy drugs or smokes or ballet slippers or whatever he or she is into (take the good with the bad parents).

My recent Squier Standard Stratocaster has me thinking about entry level guitars, and specifically the first new electric guitar I purchased, a Yamaha Pacifica 112.  They're great guitars if you ask me, but for obvious reasons don't get the exposure a "real Stratocaster" does (as real  as a Squier can be I suppose). A comparison of the two may be apt. A Squier Stratocaster lists for $289.99 on L&M , while a new Yamaha Pacifica 112J will set you back $239.99 plus tax.  I seem to recall that the Yamaha and a hard case ran me just over $400, so we're about exactly where we were 20 years ago in terms of price.  Weird. Don't expect a comprehensive review of either guitar - that really isn't the point.  I want to talk about a few differences that indicate where your money is going and hope you can figure the rest out yourself. Yamaha Pacifica 112 / Squier Standard Stratocaster The Yamaha was my second electric, purchased sometime around 1995.  Th