I have a problem. If a guitar is less than $50, and I see the ad for it, and have even the slightest interest, I tend to buy it.
However, some of my favorite guitars I play have come to me this way. A couple years ago I bought a used Yamaha FG-JR1 3/4 scale kids guitar for my travel guitar. And I kind of got hooked on knocking that thing around and putting it in the overhead bin of the Denver to St. George UT flight I'm on quite a bit.
Well, I found a Mitchell (Guitar Center's store brand) 3/4 scale solid spruce top MDJ-10 for $10 that a local early 20 something was selling. Had Ron-Jon surf shop, Van's stickers on it, hand painting etc. I bought it. It fit the baby taylor case I had picked up for the Yamaha. After lots of elbow grease cleaning it, it sounded like 3 times better than the Yamaha. Sold the Yamaha.
Then I found a 1970 Sears & Roebuck (atomic logo) equivalent of a Harmony Stella for $20. Saddle piece was some kind of dyed black basswood - strings had cut through it like cheese. I fashioned a compensated saddle from a Home Depot Hickory flooring sample (cut the tongue end off the sample, and a little chiseling and you can make a crap Harmony guitar sound really nice and intonate just fine.
Then another guitar came up for 6$ and I went and checked it out. It was another S&R but this one was made in Japan, 1969. I told the lady that it might be worth more.
She wanted it gone.
Then my guitar closet came to overflowing. Time to sell. I put the Stella S&R up for sale for $125 and after some waiting a local slide blues player paid that straight up. I told him I had the other S&R (which was in not so good shape, but it had a sort of banjo-like honk to it that made it pretty rock and roll) and he said he wanted to check it out. He strummed it for just 15 seconds or so, said 'Hell yes!' and handed me another $125.
Latest is a $25 very beat up body Squier Bronco bass. This is a 30" scale bass with a crappy single coil pickup in it. The neck on it is get this: solid maple and probably the nicest neck on any guitar I own. It's also very light - solid Agathis body. As an aging player, I made a decision that I was going to turn this into my main 'playing out' bass. So, the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder P-bass pickup that I had in my former gigging bass came out and is going to make a new appearance in the Bronco. I'm thinking of adding a belly cut and forearm cut in this body but I want to play it so bad. I had to fashion a new pickguard and I've had a stack of HPL samples that I wanted to try making pickguards out of so I picked the wildest one I had. Note to others - HPL is a pain to work with. Anyways, here's a picture of tonight's work on it which was doing a full shielding fit of some sheet copper.
What guitarist hasn't got GAS? I figure it's an occupational hazard.
Before COVID-19, I'd cruise the local pawn shops, but never got deals like you! I was mostly looking for spare instruments, so I'd have something I could leave at church that was playable.
At this point, I really don't need much of anything, other than to start playing what I've got.
I've got two short scale basses - a Bronco and an Mikro. They're both fun to play, but I like the Mikro a lot more. It seems to have more oomph than the Bronco.
The key takeaway here is that your account of the collection included the word "SOLD". I buy them but never sell them. I bought a Yamaha Pacifica (which doesn't fit the "cheap" aspect at $300) and it sounds good and plays really well right from the box. I will probably do some buffing on the frets but other than that it's fine. I also bought a Roxio Blueburst Strat from Monoprice, JUST because it's pretty. It is also sounds and plays acceptably, though it will eventually get a tremolo upgrade and better tuning machines.
The fun one now is a no name Strat I bought for $60 from a Craigslist guy. He painted it purple for his grandkid but the kid lost interest in like 47 seconds. I am currently stripping it to bare wood and will get some gel stain that comes close to matching the yellow-ish stain on the fretboard. And here's the fun part.
In order to get my name and identity off of Facebook, I created a parody account named "Dick Steubig" after a character from a mid 90s video game, and then deleted my real account. I then found a guy who makes water slide decals, so the formerly purple Strat will proudly the bear the name "Steubig" on the headstock, a guitar made just for me, by my people!!
It's easily explained: "one man's trash is another man's treasure". This is great, there's always someone to look after and cherish something, long after the previous owner has lost interest. Nothing wrong with that, ever.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
I have a different project guitar that I will get to after this bass. It’s a Squier strat, full thickness body, that I’m turning into a two lipstick pickup Danelectro type guitar. Using a telecaster wiring kit with a 4 position switch (4th position puts both pickups into series wiring). The big surprise on that one is that I made a sort of varitone circuit with a big 6PST rotary switch with a bunch of different tone caps wired in.
I've got two short scale basses - a Bronco and an Mikro. They're both fun to play, but I like the Mikro a lot more. It seems to have more oomph than the Bronco.
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Looks like a fun project!
What guitarist hasn't got GAS? I figure it's an occupational hazard.
Before COVID-19, I'd cruise the local pawn shops, but never got deals like you! I was mostly looking for spare instruments, so I'd have something I could leave at church that was playable.
At this point, I really don't need much of anything, other than to start playing what I've got.
I've got two short scale basses - a Bronco and an Mikro. They're both fun to play, but I like the Mikro a lot more. It seems to have more oomph than the Bronco.
Yeah the pickup on the Bronco is lightweight. But the neck! Oh man it’s perfect. Solid maple with spot on fret work. I have some pretty expensive acoustic guitars and the neck on this Bronco is the best in my fleet of stringed instruments. Fretwork is absolutely amazing. To buy a neck that is this nice from Warmoth or elsewhere would be several hundred dollars.
I buy mostly from Facebook Marketplace. In a city the size of Colorado Springs, there’s usually a couple guitars that are posted with something like ‘Needs a string’ in the description. Those are the ones I go for. Missed out on a Squier with an SG body last week for $20. Those are supposed to be pretty solid guitars for Frankenstein builds
Yes, for many years I acquired a lot of guitars. Not all were bargains.
Then I got a Tom Anderson. Certainly not cheap but not as much as I payed for a vintage Les Paul.
All my guitars set in the case except for the Anderson. I could have never imagined what I was missing before I got the first Anderson.
I do sometimes play the Les Paul because nothing else sounds like it. Trouble is it is like pulling the anchor on my boat...way to heavy for a old guy like me...lol
These "addictions" are problems of prosperity...lol If we had grown up in the former Soviet Union we would have been overjoyed to have any playable guitar!
I must say the best acoustic I ever had my hands on I got in a pawn shop for $35 dollars. Just a nothing guitar from Holland. I think everything just fell in place and the stars aligned when that guitar was made. It is seriously better than any high dollar Martin I ever played. After some years of playing it I gave it to a pro musician friend of mine because I wanted it to be in the hands of someone who could bring it's value to life.
So, buying $50 guitars could turn out to be something exceptional.
Cheers,
Billy
Last edited by Planobilly; 08/12/2004:21 AM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I'm a bottom feeder. I have a number of inexpensive guitars. I have a few SX guitars, a SX bass, a Hadean acoustic 12 string, and a Valencia nylon string acoustic all from Rondo music. I have a couple of old Kramer guitars.
I got some great deals on a Danelectro 12 string, a Dean acoustic bass, a Squire P bass, and a couple of other acoustic guitars. I have a Jay Turser and a Harley Benton jazz boxes.
But more importantly I have a wife who doesn't object!
Last edited by MarioD; 08/12/2005:17 AM.
Waitress "How did you find your steak sir"?
Me "I just looked next to the potatoes and there it was"!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I recently bought what is probably a Kay 6 string. Previous owner modified the label to say Kay. I am thinking a Kay Truetone. Oddly, the strings fold down under the saddle.
With the guitar came a 1950s Wizz Comicbook with an early appearance of Captain Marvel.
I am very happy with the whole purchase. And, I have no interest in the comicbook except for resale.
This is my latest find. A 1930's Regal dobro for $30.
Over the last 50 years I've had some stellar finds but they aren't less than $50.
I'll mention the absolute once in a life time best find I've made. In 1974 I read an ad in a local paper regarding an old Gibson guitar for sale. I get to the house and the guy pulls out a tweed case from under the couch. That sets off all my alarms. He cracks it open and I see the pink plush lining -- oh man! And he pulls out one of the 90 odd original Gibson Fying V's. Yes, really. I buy it for $300 and sell it a year later to a vintage dealer in Atlanta for $5000 thinking I made out like a bandit. Eventually Stephen Stills ends up owning it ... so I was told. I know he has one. Today? $200,000 or more. Regrets? Yeah, but I would never have held on to it for 45 years. Or at least that's what I tell myself. I have some Martin stories too but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say Janice plays a 1943 D-18! Those were THE days for old instrument hunting.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
Well..... not really. I mean, yeah I like buying guitars as much as anyone but.... they have to be decent guitars.
I have bought a few cheap guitars through the years. Kinda wish I still had my first electric harmony guitar. No truss rod and I sold is to a neighbor when I got my Gibson SG and he left it out in the backyard shed where moisture got to it and the neck looked like a bow you could shoot arrows on.
I stopped at a yard sale where I glimpsed a case laying on one of the tables. It was a puke green something or other. Had a bunch of switches and knobs and 3 pickups and came with a case for $20. I thought cool... this is gnarley. Took it to the gig that night and used it for 2 songs.... put it down and played my Gibson the rest of the night. As soon as I turned it up, it went to howling with high pitched feedback. Cheap pickups. I sold it that night to the sound guy for $25.
At a customer's home, they were having a yard sale and in the corner was a red strat copy.... I asked and they actually gave it to me. It's essentially unplayable due to the neck... I guess I could open tune it and use a slide.... action is waaaaay to high to try to fret it comfortably. I tried adjusting it. Nope.... sounds halfway decent otherwise. Currently, it is wall hanger art in my studio.
Everything else I own is a quality instrument. I like what Bud said..... I like buying expensive guitars cheap.
If you are on Face Book... there is a group called Awesome Cheap Guitars ...specifically for people who love the cheap stuff and the yardsale finds.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 08/12/2008:09 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Many moons ago I served as import agent for Kiso Suzuki Instruments of Japan famous for their violins ( The Suzuki Method ) and they made fantastic copies of Gibson guitars. I put a lot of miles on a Hummingbird copy and a Dove 12-string. Both excellent instruments. However, they couldn't make a spider and cone assembly to satisfy Dobro player Mike Auldridge' discerning ear which left our joint venture stillborn.
You wonderful folks have probably heard, ad nauseum, that I jammed regularly with Bob Zimmerman ( Dylan ) in HS in the late '50s. Bob didn't have a guitar at that time. We traded off playing my arch-top, f-hole Sears Silvertone which played like a fencepost and sounded worse.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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