I just ordered a Glarry....

[Guitalia]

An American Fender that’s 40+ years old is still sturdy and playable but I wouldn’t bet on a Glarry. THAT'S the difference.

On the other hand, there are all those wildly variable CBS Fenders that people have been ragging on for decades. Glarrys and the like have more in common with the Ibanez carbon-copy/lawsuit instruments that made Fender and Gibson look so bad in the '70s, but updated with CNC'd necks and bodies.

 

[Wez Yo Bice]

It's a paradigm shift. Like stainless steel exhaust. Or digital photography.

 

[CamJazzBass]

$13 - Matte black car vinyl for the pickguard

A guy at a local shop wrapped my Glarry pickguard for $15.

 

[lark_z]

First bag of stuff just arrived. New strap, elliptical end pins, pickups foam/springs, auto film for pickguard, and a contour gauge to measure my Squier and Yamaha daily player necks.

 

[SoonerBill]

Since sign companies have to run full width vinyl through their machines I wonder if they would make a really good deal on pick guard sized scraps.

 

[Major Seven]

On the other hand, there are all those wildly variable CBS Fenders that people have been ragging on for decades. Glarrys and the like have more in common with the Ibanez carbon-copy/lawsuit instruments that made Fender and Gibson look so bad in the '70s, but updated with CNC'd necks and bodies.

In 40 years I will be 112.
I'll let you know.

 

[Guitalia]

In 40 years I will be 112.
I'll let you know.

Or just look at guitars and basses that are already 40-plus years old.

I started buying cheap Japanese guitars from the 1960s as a hobby in the mid-'70's. Some of them are pretty good, some of them are, well, not.

But the junkers haven't deteriorated over the years. They're no worse now than they were 40 or 50 years ago. Just as my mid-'60s Hagstrom I and Gibson ES-125TDC haven't deteriorated.

I suppose it's possible that the Glarry factory has figured out some corner to cut that the builders of cheap guitars in the past didn't try, though.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Or just look at guitars and basses that are already 40-plus years old.

I started buying cheap Japanese guitars from the 1960s as a hobby in the mid-'70's. Some of them are pretty good, some of them are, well, not.

But the junkers haven't deteriorated over the years. They're no worse now than they were 40 or 50 years ago. Just as my mid-'60s Hagstrom I and Gibson ES-125TDC haven't deteriorated.

I suppose it's possible that the Glarry factory has figured out some corner to cut that the builders of cheap guitars in the past didn't try, though.

Well, once you have the equipment and automate majority of the build process, the wood they are using seems pretty cheap and ubiquitous, and they are making the hardware and electronics, any labor is dirt cheap, so variable cost per unit is negligible. After that it's just shipping and distribution costs. My guess is they are selling these at less than full cost basis. Basically buying their way into the market here? And pressuring other manufacturers, squeezing their sales. "Let's see, should I buy a Squier, these Glarry's are supposed to be decent?"

Already seeing slightly modded Glarry's showing up in numbers on Reverb, at twice the price.

 

[Guitalia]

Well, once you have the equipment and automate majority of the build process, the wood they are using seems pretty cheap and ubiquitous, and they are making the hardware and electronics, any labor is dirt cheap, so variable cost per unit is negligible. After that it's just shipping and distribution costs. My guess is they are selling these at less than full cost basis. Basically buying their way into the market here? And pressuring other manufacturers, squeezing their sales. "Let's see, should I buy a Squier, these Glarry's are supposed to be decent?"

Already seeing slightly modded Glarry's showing up in numbers on Reverb, at twice the price.

All true. That's probably the most accurate explanation for why the Glarrys are apparently as good as anyone else's sub-$500 guitars.

And about those modded Glarrys: people love to mod guitars for some reason that has always escaped me. Especially switching pickups: as demonstrated by all those YouTube shorts with one riff being played on a bunch of different guitars, yes, they sound (slightly) different. None sound "better" than the others. Just different.

Though people convince themselves otherwise, of course.

I could be wrong, though. Maybe there are tone librarians out there who flounce out of shows if they detect that the guitarist is using stock pickups on an Epiphone or whatever.

 

[BassicJazzy]

All true. That's probably the most accurate explanation for why the Glarrys are apparently as good as anyone else's sub-$500 guitars.

And about those modded Glarrys: people love to mod guitars for some reason that has always escaped me. Especially switching pickups: as demonstrated by all those YouTube shorts with one riff being played on a bunch of different guitars, yes, they sound (slightly) different. None sound "better" than the others. Just different.

Though people convince themselves otherwise, of course.

I could be wrong, though. Maybe there are tone librarians out there who flounce out of shows if they detect that the guitarist is using stock pickups on an Epiphone or whatever.

I don't think we can say they are good as the Squiers and budget level Sires, Ibanez, or Corts until we have significantly more time pass and more experience with them. My expectation is that unless upgraded these are going to start showing their weaknesses. Tuner gears will start shredding, or not holding tune. Bridge screws will strip. Truss rods will break, necks will warp. Frets will sprout like they are living in the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Screws will start falling out of the wood. Pots will malfunction, start shorting. Finishes will wear down, hardware will corrode.

May take awhile for people to realize what these actually are, since so many are being modded, or upgraded, or repaired, on the fly.

 

[Guitalia]

I don't think we can say they are good as the Squiers and budget level Sires, Ibanez, or Corts until we have significantly more time pass and more experience with them. My expectation is that unless upgraded these are going to start showing their weaknesses. Tuner gears will start shredding, or not holding tune. Bridge screws will strip. Truss rods will break, necks will warp. Frets will sprout like they are living in the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Screws will start falling out of the wood. Pots will malfunction, start shorting. Finishes will wear down, hardware will corrode.

May take awhile for people to realize what these actually are, since so many are being modded, or upgraded, or repaired, on the fly.

Glarrys have been sold in the US for 12 years, per a search. Most owners seem happy with theirs, to the point where people complain that posts praising them are actually nasty disses of more-expensive instruments.

I'm certainly still happy with my all-stock 3/4-scale SX Precision copy that I bought from Rondo Music over 15 years ago. $80 on sale with an SX practice amp, strap, and instructional DVD.

Other than vague predictions of components eventually crumbling, the only hit against Glarrys with possible merit is that the people who like them have insufficiently discriminating taste. Which I will happily concede in my case.

 

[5StringBlues]

I could scrape off the G and have a Sig model.




Nah.

 

[96tbird]

As long as you put tort in it you’re gtg.

Glarry pfff what the H is a Glarry?

Thing is with these Chinese brand names is they’re really horrific. Even offensive to the English speaking sensibilities. Those guys could just hire me as a consultant to pick names that would work in the real world. Big picture I wouldnt cost them much. Im not greedy, and it would be an easy kib to reject most suggestions by them and wait for or come ip with a winner. Such easy work. Glarry. Pffff.

I’m also available for user manual editing

Hah this post and I’m blocked on the glarrryee site. Thin skin.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Glarrys have been sold in the US for 12 years, per a search. Most owners seem happy with theirs, to the point where people complain that posts praising them are actually nasty disses of more-expensive instruments.

I'm certainly still happy with my all-stock 3/4-scale SX Precision copy that I bought from Rondo Music over 15 years ago. $80 on sale with an SX practice amp, strap, and instructional DVD.

Other than vague predictions of components eventually crumbling, the only hit against Glarrys with possible merit is that the people who like them have insufficiently discriminating taste. Which I will happily concede in my case.

I like that you have a sense of humor and can appreciate the irony of it all. I am certain that if Nate Navarro picked up a Glarry he could play circles around me on my Sadowsky. At the end of the set, he would probably turn to me and say "Well, at least you have mighty fine equipment?"

 

[covermego]

A guy at a local shop wrapped my Glarry pickguard for $15.

Well, I'd think @lark_z can wrap about 5 of them. I think that roll of 12" wrap is a 5 ft length. "If you try and don't succeed..............".

 

[TheDuff]

Glarry pfff what the H is a Glarry?

Thing is with these Chinese brand names is they’re really horrific. Even offensive to the English speaking sensibilities. Those guys could just hire me as a consultant to pick names that would work in the real world. Big picture I wouldnt cost them much. Im not greedy, and it would be an easy kib to reject most suggestions by them and wait for or come ip with a winner. Such easy work. Glarry. Pffff.

I’m also available for user manual editing

Good idea but you can’t spell

Therefore bad idea for you to try this. They can’t spell either so you would only make things worse. And humiliating.

 

[Wez Yo Bice]

@lark_z
Have you got a tracking number yet? The suspense is is is. . . When's it coming?

 

[lark_z]

@lark_z
Have you got a tracking number yet? The suspense is is is. . . When's it coming?

They put it on the FedEx truck at 6 am a few miles from here. "Out for Delivery". The excitement builds.

I'll get a slew of pix right away, then a setup. I'll play it like that for a week or so (assuming it doesn't get returned). Then tear down for the GZR pickup/harness and whatever else.

 

[covermego]

Just for kicks-n-giggles, I'm showing a link to my Glarry Short scale bass 4-to-5 conversion, with some comparisons to the Squier Bronco bass (totally different animals). Anyway, the main thing is the mods done to it. I've actually done 2 of these, totally identical, with the exception of paint color.
First, the breakdown:

Post in thread 'NBD Glarry 30" Short Scale Bass - Definite Modding Platform'

Nov 10, 2022

I got this Glarry 30" Bronco-ish bass for $86 brand new off the Fleabay. I had to check it out, so with that little $$, I figured I'd go for it.
Looks to be modeled after a Squier Bronco, but that's about it. Very lightweight, in the Glarry tradition. Fun to play, but that big Sterling-type bridge spaces the strings out a bit beyond the pickups effective zone; A and D strings ring out good, but the G is a bit weak and the E is real quiet. Possibly the cheap strings, as my son had a Glarry P-style Bass and swapping the strings made a huge improvement. If it had a bridge with Bronco...

• B-Mac

• 

-AND, the mega-modded 4-to-5 string Shortie!!

Post in thread 'NBD Highly Modded Glarry 30" Bass, 4-to-5 string'

Jan 1, 2023

wow, nice job, that ax looks super with those mods and changes! it has to be a blast to play --- congratulations on your new instrument!

hit me up anytime if you want to play around with a headstock/logo decal!

Thanks for the compliments, I appreciate it.
I'll let you know about a decal....... once I decide to keep it, lol. I am really into doing builds for fun and not much profit, lol! And since you seem to be a "Glarry Modder", I'll tell you I just finished modding 2 more:
A Jazz that I did a 4-to-5 conversion, along with an Audere preamp and-
One of their new...

• covermego

• 

I hope some of you enjoy the posts. @lark_z , keep on keepin' on!

 

[lark_z]

Hooray! I was out front watering and the FedEx truck drives up!

First impressions:
- Finish looks quite good, fit of parts looks good.
- Neck grain has one knot around maybe the 4th fret.
- 7.0 lbs
- Tuners are OK other than the D. It's harder than sh** to turn. They'll be replaced anyway due to....
- Neck Dive? Oh yeah, not real bad with a wide strap.
- Setup. Truss nut moves OK. Relief was bit flat, loosened the nut maybe a 1/16 of a turn (the strings were not tight for shipping). Nut height looks OK to my amateurish eyes. Action was a tad low for my heavy hand, raised that a bit.
- Sounds OK. I haven't played rounds in 20 years, so I can't tell a damn thing until I put flats on it.


More to come, neck measurements next

[update]
Neck width at 1st fret - 42 mm
Neck depth at 1st fret - 24 mm
Neck width at 12th fret - 57 mm
Neck depth at 12th fret - 24 mm

After reading all the "baseball bat" comments, I'm pleasantly surprised. It feels just like my 5 year old Squier affinity neck and my 1990's Yamaha RBX neck.

String spacing at bridge - 19 mm
As received, E string clearance at first fret - 0.65 mm

Noisy? Oh hell yes. Better with string contact so at least the bridge is grounded. It'll be interesting to look under the hood.
[\update]