Cheap Guitars

Hi All,

I wanted to write about my newest gear passion: cheap guitars.

This all started about a year ago, when fueled by some advice from Garnet Rogers and Ed Gerhard I decided to explore the world of cheap guitars. I'd been looking for another outlet for my compositions, first thinking I'd get a Harp Guitar. But when I found out even the least expensive playable guitars started at $4000 and would take a year to learn to play I knew I had to look elsewhere.

Over the past year I've bought a handful of inexpensive 'novelty' instruments (all under $600 US, most under $400 US). To me a novelty instrument is something that has a very different sound than a standard guitar. Since I almost never play a guitar that is tuned or set up standard, this is an extention of what I'm doing with my custom Carruths, but the sounds I'm exploring, which are brasher and less subtle than what I compose on the Carruths can be found in cheaper packaging. Especially if it's an instrument on which I'm going to learn new techniques.

I'm the same as anyone else. I'm going to learn how to play on the least expensive, good sounding, and great playing instrument I can find. Later, if I'm really committed to the sound or style of that instrument, I'll go in pursuit of the holy grail. But know this, my continued experimenting with cheap guitars has brought me to my new playing passion: slide guitar. Both 'Spanish' style and lap style. That in and of itself has made the experiment worthwhile.

A word of caution. All my cheap guitar purchases have been through reputable on-line retailers who allow a 30-45 day return policy. This is plenty of time to decide on whether a guitar is suitable for my needs and is in good working order. If you buy from Craigslist or e-Bay, or it's a used guitar, your return options may be more limited. But you may find even better deals. It's the quintessential risk reward proposition.

My first dip in the cheap guitar pond was a little 19.5" scale Breedlove Passport, thinking to use it as a high-string travel guitar. That failed, it was too thin sounding acoustically as a high string. Since I've been miking my guitars at more concerts, the pickup, a Baggs,which was outstanding, is of less importance. It's turned out to be a great guitar for my very petite 12-year old daughter. So, no harm, no foul.

I also bought a little Breedlove 12-string. It's wonderful tuned standard with light strings or tuned lower with a heavier strings. And again, the Baggs electronics made the guitar sound as good or better plugged in as it did acoustically. But alas, my hands can't take the pounding a 12-string delivers, and my music doesn't really seem to translate well to 12-string. What I like on the 12 string I LOVE on the high string. This 12-string guitar is for sale, but it was still a worthwhile experiment. At least now I know not to pine away for a great 12-string; I couldn't play it anyway.

Then, on a whim, I got a Regal round-neck Dobro with a Spider Cone and Bridge. It's an Asian import, as are all the guitars mentioned above. But this guitar, as was true of the other guitars, was in immaculate condition; set up well with perfect fit and finish.

This guitar really grabbed my attention. I immediately took the guitar to JC, my guitar repair guy, and had him install a bone nut, Quartermann cone, a new spider bridge, and maple/ebony saddle. I had him set it up with medium action; something I could play in standard and dropped-D tuning as well as paying it in open E or open Eb for slide. After putting a set of Thomastik-Infeld strings on the guitar it sounded remarkable.

I've spent the following 10 months experimenting with tunings, gauges, right hand attack options, and what type of slide to use. Just this week I finally settled on all apsects of playing this guitar.

On my right hand, I'm using a Johnson X-Large Thumb Pick and brass fingerpicks. The louder I play this guitar the better and more vintage it sounds. It could be because that's how most people play this type of guitar. Aside from my comments in the nail blog, sometimes picks are the way to go.

And I've found my slide (s). After spending hundreds of dollars, and trying over a dozen slides, I've found the Holy Grail. It's called the Ultimate Slide made by Diamond Bottleneck Slides, and it is made from hand blown lead crystal glass. It's functional art if I've ever seen it. I'll have three when all is said and done: one in cobalt blue at 60mm in length that I'll use on my Carruths and two clear slides with lengths of 48mm and 40mm exclusively for the Dobro which has a narrower neck. The clear slides are the warmest sounding and the Dobro can use that to help refine its sound. I've also discovered that the shorter the slide the easier it is to control, and the real short slide will be a specialty slide to use when I'm playing a lot of single strings, or partial chords. All the sides have 5mm thick walls with 20mm internal diamaters designed to wear on my pinky finger.

I also finalized the tuning and strings I use on the guitar ending up with a low C tuning,
(low-hi) C, G, C, E, G, C (open C t

Save Now

uning in open D intervals). This tuning and the strings give it a very throaty quality. It's got the mid-range honk, but a bigger bottom end and a sweeter high end.

I string it with T-I Spectrum Bronze strings in the following gauges: *59w, 52w, 43w, 32w, *26p, and 20p. The strings with an asterisk are from D'Addario since T-I doesn't make strings in those gauges. I'm having JC, my repair luthier, raise the action as well as shim the nut in such a way as to push the bass strings out a bit more. This will allow me to dig into the bass strings for that growling bluesy effect, as well as help me attack individual bass strings with more accuracy, as well as add to the overall sonic quality of the guitar. (At some point I'll write a blog about setting up our guitar.) It'll be stout, but it's within normal ranges for playing slide guitar with some left hand fingering. I'd never set up a non-slide guitar this way, but it'll be fun to dig in and not worry about fretting out with the slide.

I fully expect this guitar to joing the Carruths on stage and in the studio. It's a bit like the kid from the wrong side of the tracks becoming a member of the country club. But this is America and it's about what you do, not where you came from. I find this the most exciting aspect of buying cheap guitars; every once in a while you're bound to find a jewel.

So three guitars purchased, two keepers, with one becoming a stage and recording instrument. And I'm exploring a new way to express myself on the guitar. I've written three new songs on the Regal, and I'm working on three other arrangements of covers. I can't wait to see what the next year with this instrument will yield. I think this was a very successful experiment. So...

Next week I take possession of a Gold Tone Weissenborn Solid Mahogany Hawaiian Lap Steel that David Lindley, Bob Brozman and Ben Harper are known for using. I'll let you know how that experiment turns out next year.

Peace, kb