1948 Gibson L48
MIM Tele in black refinished to TV yellow. Warmoth neck, Schaller locking tuners.
Epiphone Les Paul. The Korean made Epiphones are quite good IMO View attachment 8006316View attachment 8006321View attachment 8006317
This is something I have noticed. The "cheaper" guitars are darn nice guitars....not darn nice for the money, flat darn nice.
Story time:
Several years ago I got in my little peanut brain I wanted a "real" Les Paul. Had to be Gibson. So I go down to the little mom and pop guitar shop I visit with $5k in my pocket ready to get that Gibson. Old guy says why, well it is a Gibson. He says humor me, puts a blind fold on me and hands me several (3) guitars, I play them all and say I like this one......an Epiphone. Well so much for that. It was just so much "better" in every way. Had better tone, both plugged and un plugged....(I hate lingo BTW, things like the word tone, action, on I just hate, same with gunz I hate the lingo) and I pay the guy the $650 for the Epi and have that guitar to this day....that was roughly 15 years ago. Then in screwing around on the internet I see this place out of England doing the same basic thing, and it is interesting to see what comes out on top, never the most expensive.
Comes a time when you are paying for the name.
To continue on with that, a few years ago Firefly guitars started getting lots of talk, how good can a $100 guitar really be, heck for 100 I will find out myself. The one I am looking for is always out of stock, I keep looking, watch videos see people talk about them finally after about six months of half looking shows up in stock at Amazon, buy now. It is a good little guitar, the pickups are not the greatest, but how often does a "guitar guy" not have a dozen pickups laying in his junk drawer. I am shocked at how well the little thing plays, fit and finish are....well ok, but as far as a player, again darn nice.
The "low priced" offerings can really give you a playable guitar......but I think you do need to do a little research, and know a little bit about guitars going in, not sure I would suggest one to a new person without help.