JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum The Five Most Underrated Guitars of All Time

Hey guys,

So it's International Guitar Month, and I decided to ask this guy's opinion on the five most underrated guitars of all time.

The Five Most Underrated Guitars of All Time - We All Make Music

Did he miss anything? Did he get it right? Would love any comments/feedback on this.

Thanks,
Max

I've never heard anyone call the "vintage" guild acoustics underrated before.

Kevin

I'd never heard of *any* Guild referred to as "underrated." I would probably agree with the rest of their assessments. I know a music store owner who has copies of those two Harmony guitars in his shop, and they are nice instruments.

And I believe those are *D'Armand* pickups the article was referring to (it called them "Dearmand"). I have a soundhole one in my acoustic guitar. They cost around $300 now, and I know why. I've had mine over 30 years, and it was used when I got it. And a definitely unique electric sound.

Joe

A Fender Jazzmaster like that was my first solidbody electric back in the olden days. It was fine but sounded a bit thin compared to my friend's Firebird, so I got a Firebird. Haven't played one in years.

My friend has an old Guild acoustic and a newer Rhode Island made Guild acoustic. Both are very nice. Cheaper than an equivalent Martin.

I happen to have an old Harmony for sale - not these models but it has DeArmond pups. My demo is on Youtube [color:#FF0000]Harmony/Airline[/color]. It's on Ebay if you want it!

Colin

Nope! No credibility. Fender has never made anything underrated, so too, Guild. Two out of five are not good odds. I worry that someone without an advanced level of experience would read this and interpret it as gospel rather than opinion.

A better title would be "Five underrated Fenders", or even "Underrated Popular Guitars". Some of the old Harmony's are sought after, and there are several makes and models not mentioned that were really underrated.

Framus for one, had some unique axes with unique sounds. Gibson Explorers didn't sell the first batch made, I guess 300 or so made. They didn't sell so they stopped making them. Love to have one of the first serial numbers there.

Bottom line, this article is misleading it should have been researched more. -5 for spelling the pick-ups wrong.

Ventura made some pretty sweet little numbers, both acoustically and electrically in the '70s... course the examples that they have on Ebay these days as 'collectibles' leave a lot to be desired. For the most part, the acoustics were laminated tops and sides, but the construction was superior to a lot of the crap from Indonesia and China today with a few exceptions. The electrics really tried to copy the American manufacturers to a tee... down to three piece mahogany necks on some LP copies. Ibanez, Greco, Memphis, Electra and a bunch of other companies were out there selling reasonably well built products at a fraction of the cost of the American originals... of course, they haven't faired as well in the long run when it comes to durablity or retaining their value... with few exceptions.

I really don't think these guys looked far afield enough. Their list is more like the five most underrated guitars by famous makers of musical instruments. That's hardly worth the space the article takes up.

Two really obscure underrated guitars I've run across--that I'd have really liked to own, and I'm not somebody who collects guitars--were a garish little thing called a "Nashville Sweetheart," whose whole body was painted in badly-drawn cacti, and horses, and cowgirls, and mesas (I'd swear that thing would glow in the dark), and a little cheapie by Sears (I know not the brand name) that was made our of painted, laminated *cardboard* (came with a case made out of the same stuff). Both were actually well-made, incredible-sounding guitars (the Sears had a metal truss rod through the neck, so it was pretty durable despite the cheap body).

The "Nashville Sweetheart" sold (this was about 5 years ago) new for $145, and shipped in a cardboard box. The Sears I saw and played had been bought used at a yard sale for $16.50--I don't know how old it was.

Joe