Underrated guitar companies???

[mcclurer16]

Roscoe customs
G&L
Ernie Ball Music Man
Squier

 

[baserik]

Warwick.

 

[mam1862]

1. The Memphis Guitar Spa - I own 2 basses made by these guys and they are both excellent.
2. Bootleg Guitars - I own 1 bass made by Jon Hill and it also is a quality instrument.

Below is one from the Memphis Guitar Spa I had made a few years back.

 

[chadds]

Fender

 

[NorseBear0903]

This thread is jumping the shark

 

[bassbenj]

Fender

Well, this brings this thread to a final halt as about every bass maker out there has been mentioned!

For full disclosure let me say my main axe "underrated" basses are comprised of a number of G&L and a herd of SX basses. Terrific basses that I did not have to sell the car to buy.

But that being said. allow me also to agree with the above assertion that Fender is "underrated". Here's the story. I was at a guitar show and there was this high end bass dealer on the stage. He had all manner of really expensive basses like Drozd and Ritter etc. And there was this bass playing dude who was obviously a pro of immense skill trying them all (and appeared to have the income to buy anything that took his fancy with out regard to price). So naturally all us sub-arena level players were all crowded around observing this action. It was totally educational watching and listening to a really skilled player putting a host of boutique basses through their paces! Now here's the kicker. When he finished trying the boutiques he grabbed an ordinary USA Fender Standard and gave it a go. And I swear as did everyone else there that the Fender was very clearly in the same class sound-wise as the boutiques. It very clearly had "something" in the tone that made it "special" and the wisdom here is the Fender was thousands and thousands of dollars CHEAPER that all those high end boutique instruments. It was a lesson I've never forgotten even though I only own a couple Fenders and don't play them much and the pro-dude bassist ended up not buying anything, Fender or otherwise.

 

[superdick2112]

Schecter.

Add the Schecter Custom Shop to this list as well.
Their fretwork & attention to detail are outstanding.

 

[chadds]

Well, this brings this thread to a final halt as about every bass maker out there has been mentioned!

For full disclosure let me say my main axe "underrated" basses are comprised of a number of G&L and a herd of SX basses. Terrific basses that I did not have to sell the car to buy.

But that being said. allow me also to agree with the above assertion that Fender is "underrated". Here's the story. I was at a guitar show and there was this high end bass dealer on the stage. He had all manner of really expensive basses like Drozd and Ritter etc. And there was this bass playing dude who was obviously a pro of immense skill trying them all (and appeared to have the income to buy anything that took his fancy with out regard to price). So naturally all us sub-arena level players were all crowded around observing this action. It was totally educational watching and listening to a really skilled player putting a host of boutique basses through their paces! Now here's the kicker. When he finished trying the boutiques he grabbed an ordinary USA Fender Standard and gave it a go. And I swear as did everyone else there that the Fender was very clearly in the same class sound-wise as the boutiques. It very clearly had "something" in the tone that made it "special" and the wisdom here is the Fender was thousands and thousands of dollars CHEAPER that all those high end boutique instruments. It was a lesson I've never forgotten even though I only own a couple Fenders and don't play them much and the pro-dude bassist ended up not buying anything, Fender or otherwise.

I was being only slightly sarcastic.
Because they all have their strengths. G&L is very underrated to me because you get for example birds eye maple outrageous finishes superior electronics and boutique fit and finish in production instruments.

I think that under or over rated is in the mind of the beholder. (I think that enough folks don’t know about G&L.) Under/over could mean people don’t appreciate the quality of an instrument or have biases based on price or name.

People don’t think Fenders are overrated and then buy booteeqees. Your example proved that.

There are great instruments and not so great. The quest for them is the fun isn’t it?

 

[Mark76]

Overwater

 

[Paragon3]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Yeah I know it's obviously edited... Underrated basses.. The 24 fret PJ Vantage and Samick basses like this one.. People literally leave them in the garage for 2 decades and sell them for $47... Literally pocket change.. I've only cleaned it and put 3 strings on it after tightening the output jack... But it plays pretty damn well already. I ordered a Badass bridge.. A Gotoh 201b4 knock off because it was cheaper than a saddles set. Put 40-95 Ernie Ball slinky and I'll be shielding the cavity and pickup areas grounded with copper tape and nickel shielding paint. I have a 43mm brass nut sitting around I may install and I'm thinking of putting in a stacked or split J bass humbucking pickup as well as possibly new P bass pickups and I am going to rewire the volume pots it's a VVT configuration.. with A500K instead of the B500k.. Sounds like a whole bunch of work but really only the saddle pieces and shielding was necessary... The rest is just me being that guy... The neck is straight and the transparent teal/purple body looks the goods. I think it's around a 1991 but you literally couldn't sell me a more expensive bass. I love this thing already. Also my amps and ABY connection seals the deal for me..