What is The Lexus of Guitars?

[complex-barb.0t]

You asked about Lexus but it seems like your budget is Toyota

Is it just me, or are Lexus cars not that expensive? They are $36k-80k for most of their models. That is not the high end at all in cars in terms of pricing. Prob 20-40% on top of what a similar Toyota model costs excluding more limited edition outliers. So my general feeling was guitars that are like 20-40% more than the usual suspects made in Indonesia/China by LTD/Squier/Epiphone/etc. Like a Lexus, a mass produced guitar model, but a higher quality standard than more flashy options. You can buy a Dodge for more than the average Lexus, but it's a total POS.

Are you saying you have to spend $2000+ to be in the upper-middle of guitars? Some folks suggest $5,000 guitars in this thread. Perhaps my car analogy was a bad idea since people seem to have a different idea in their heads of what a Lexus costs in comparison to the rest of the car market. I am rather surprised to hear consistent quality does not start until that price point. Would like to see how you would rank various brands then? Not trying to argue, just exploring market realities. I am pretty inexperienced with various brand options and 2023 pricing realities.

 

[marke]

Tom Andersons are kinda good I've heard.

 

[moregear]

Hands down Mayones is the best I've owned, including Suhr, PRS, ESP, VGS, Ibanez, Solar and Caparison.

 

[MetalDestroyer]

Are you saying you have to spend $2000+ to be in the upper-middle of guitars?

Yeah that is exactly what I’m saying.

Under ~1500 = 20-30k car: standard Honda’s, Toyota’s kias

2k-3k = nice standard MIAs and low end luxury: Ford Lexus Infiniti low end Mercedes etc

3k-5k = luxury: Porsche, Range Rover, nice BMW/Mercedes, maybe a used Ferrari or lambo

5k-10k CS Gibson, PRS wl, Carillion = Bentley Ferrari Aston

10k+ hubers, Murphy labs, private stocks = Rolls Royce , hypercars

You’re in new Honda/used C-class range as far as I’m concerned

 

[lost_horizon]

Lexus make really reliable, luxury cars. They are like normal toyotas but better. It is a bad example.

For a guitar to be a Lexus it would have to be extremely reliable, better than other 'high end' guitars but not mind blowing in terms of performance. A lexus is fast but not AMG/BMW M fast. They hold their value well but also they seem cheap when compared with other less reliable German brands.

Therefore the Lexus of guitars is Vigier guitars.

Vigier Guitars – Vigier guitars information web site

www.vigierguitars.com

-perfect craftsmanship and paint
-extremely tight tolerances
-classic shapes
-innovative hardware designs
-reliable construction
-zero fret
-carbon slab neck/no truss rod
-high tech electronics/shielding
-high grade construction materials
-upgrades to bridges/vibrato systems that others don't have

Would I rather a $5k Gibson or $5k Vigier? Vigier everytime

 

[madrigal77]

ESP, but if you're not wanting to drop that kind of change, the MIK 1000 series are great guitars. Make sure it's MIK though the Indo/China ones aren't as good.

 

[sebwoolley]

Ernie Ball Music Man all the way

 

[Kosthrash]

I am looking for a HH or HSH 24 fret guitar or something with an Explorer body shape. Price range I am looking for something around what I paid for the Korina Epiphone I will be sending back ~$1300 retail, maybe a bit more.

When ordering I am going through a few retailers on Reverb usually. The stores in my areas do not give discounts and often don't even have in stock 2/3rds of the brands we are talking here.

I always see PRS mentioned. Seems universally praised. Am I lame for not being able to get over the birds on the fretboard? Also for the folks talking ESP you mean MIJ ESP and nothing in the 'ESP LTD' lineup right? I am not familiar with the E-II line and will check some of those models out.

Birds are nice!!!

https://prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_mark_holcomb_2023

 

[Grindspine]

So what I am wondering is, what guitars out there are so reliable you would blindly buy one? Or does no such brand exist? Quality seems all over the place for many reasons, but what is the most consistent? What are usually just open the box, tune and start playing guitars? A guitar that wont come with 2mm+ action from the factory. Currently I am sorta thinking of just getting a new RG550 or something. A guitar that is not a cheap POS, but is well built.

I would have a hard time buying Korean or Indonesian guitars sight unseen. After working as a guitar tech for a few years and handling QC at a music retailer, Ibanez Prestige level guitars, Paul Reed Smith core series, and Taylor guitars would be on my list of manufacturers with the highest confidence in their QC. ESP (US made) and E-II (Japanese ESP) are pretty high up on the list too.

 

[SalsaWood]

The car analogy is pretty decent I think. The brand analogy isn't great, though. Brands and their customers can mean different things to different people, and to different lengths of consideration.

Mayones isn't the Lexus of guitars in my opinion to be clear, and I don't like their neck profiles at all so I don't play them. They are built with a fantastic degree of precision and I wouldn't hesitate to trust one right off the rack if I had to- I personally wouldn't say the same of Lexus. These things make it a difficult question to answer.

I once had to send an E-II guitar back to Sam Ash due to manufacturing flaws. ESP said if it left the factory it passed their QC, and I haven't looked at them again since. Sample size of one fwiw.

 

[fudgeman]

Easy and simple. PRS. absolute perfection in terms of build quality. I haven't played anything that is tied for the level of perfection PRS is able to achieve (again, talking from an quality control and aesthetic perspective). It REALLY annoys the fuck out of me that they don't make shorter scale HSS configurations and so few single coils. I want a fucking silver sky SE with HSS pu configuration and without those stupid plasticky tuners. I have a 1988 studio model PRS. toured with it for 5 years. Got a bit beat up but its an astounding guitar. Most of my guitars are very inexpensive but I do have a fender special strat, a min strat, 3 area 51 squiers (incredible guitars), 2 squier cyclones (LOVE the Gibson scale on those) and some rondo super cheap guitars. What I play most these days? My sss student model 24" short scale squier strat because it sounds great and feels perfectly sized.

I played a silver sky SE at a music store last week for the first time and it sounded incredible and it felt great. Although, like I said, I wish they would come up with a shorter scale version because damn that guitar is so freaking sweet. So, even though it's not a short scale, since most of my guitars are standard fender scale anyway, I will probably sell a few guitars and get one of those suckers as long as there is a different option from those ridiculous looking gray plastic tuners and the cover for the truss rod.
Having said all that, for new guitars, nothing beats PRS and how well they stay in tune even the g-string.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I wouldn't expect any guitar to be set up particularly well straight out of the case, unless it's had a thorough setup from a dealer who knows what their doing - after it was shipped to them from the factory.

Even if a brand does great factory setups, it's likely to need another setup by the time it travels halfway around the world and leaves it's case (temp & humidity changes).

A high-end Ibanez from 'Ibanez Rules!!!' with a setup by Rich would be a very safe option.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

Birds are nice!!!

https://prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_mark_holcomb_2023

That looks pretty rad. Is that an owl I see on there? haha.

 

[boogie2]

I seem to have unusually bad guitar luck at the moment. Often if I buy something it usually has several tall frets or some other playablity issue. Here is some recent stinkers:
* Jackson JS42, without the bridge grounded at all. Actually like this guitar otherwise.
* LTD EC-256, missing a fret marker on the side of the neck. Tuns of tall frets all over the place. Surprised because this brand is usually praised. Must have just gotten a stinker.
* Epiphone ghosthorse, completely unplayable out of the box. 6th string really close to the fretboard edge so you have to be very precise fretting or you will slip off.
* Epiphone "inspired by gibson custom shop" (lol) Explorer. Finish cracked/damaged out of the box. Feel cursed with this brand.

After trying a bunch of cheaper stuff, I am looking for a solid player that won't feel the need to get out the fret leveling board or swap out electronics/pick ups. Tired of playing amateur guitar tech.

So what I am wondering is, what guitars out there are so reliable you would blindly buy one? Or does no such brand exist? Quality seems all over the place for many reasons, but what is the most consistent? What are usually just open the box, tune and start playing guitars? A guitar that wont come with 2mm+ action from the factory. Currently I am sorta thinking of just getting a new RG550 or something. A guitar that is not a cheap POS, but is well built.

Was thinking MIK Schecter, but @BadSeed got a real POS one recently in a video. No brand or factory is perfect, I get that.

I know the best advice is to just play guitars in person before buying, but sometimes there are things you don't notice in the excitement at the store until you get it home, etc. Also a lot of the local shops don't have certain models in stock and you have to take a risk, etc.

Anybody go down the route of just getting a cheaper guitar and getting it plek'ed and setup so there is no bullshit?

Tom Anderson. I bought my last over the web and it is a killer. They build top notch stuff.

 

[Chris Bowsman]

Can we address trying out a guitar that's hanging on the wall, then going home with a different one? I've never been to a music store setup like that.

 

[KentBrockman]

Used prestige

Can't believe I had to get to the bottom of the 2nd page for this.

 

[Lord Voldemort]

Damn, what did Lexus do to hurt you?

If someone cuts me off without using their blinker while driving 20-25 over the speed limit they're either driving an Audi, Mercedes, BMW or Lexus, I promise you. I daydream about them going back to their Gibson Les Paul and playing choppy renditions of the Hotel California solo through their Mesa/Marshall amps and leaving comments about how I need to slow down and play with feel on my Instagram videos.

 

[John]

What's the Bernie Rico JR of cars?

If there's a shady car salesman that ghosts you after taking your money, that.

 

[spudmunkey]

If someone cuts me off without using their blinker while driving 20-25 over the speed limit they're either driving an Audi, Mercedes, BMW or Lexus, I promise you.

'round here, it's Acura, Nissan/Infiniti, Dodge, or Toyota trucks/SUVs.

 

[dmlinger]

'round here, it's Acura, Nissan/Infiniti, Dodge, or Toyota trucks/SUVs.

I’m in Dallas and it’s almost always fancy pickup trucks.