Discount Guitars

Left Handed Guitars

Here is a collection of left handed guitars on eBay. Most music stores don't have much of a selection of left handed guitars. eBay offers a nice selection and you can find some great deals [phpbay], num, 3858, ""[/phpbay]

Gretsch Guitars

The Gretsch Company actually started out making tambourines. The Brooklyn New York company was founded by Friedrich Gretsch in 1883. Friedrich died unexpectedly in 1895 and his son Fred Sr. headed the company. Fred retired in 1942 and the running of the company was left to his sons Fred Jr. and eventually Bill Gretsch. By the mid 1920’s the company was producing ukuleles, banjos and drums. They introduced a line of tenor guitars in 1927. The company opened an office in Chicago in 1930 for sales and distribution. They did not manufacture instruments in Chicago. By the mid 1930’s Gretsch ...

Gibson Guitars

Orville Gibson started making guitars in Kalamazoo Michigan around 1894. He started creating carved archtop guitars and mandolins. These instruments were much louder and durable than most instruments of the day. In 1898 he was granted a patient for a mandolin whose bottom and sides were carved form the same piece of wood. By 1902 Gibson mandolins were so popular that he couldn’t keep up with the demand. He ended up selling the rights to the patent and the use of his name to a group of Kalamazoo businessmen. They formed the Gibson-Mandolin-guitar manufacturing company on October of 1902. Gibson acted ...

Martin Guitars

Christian Fredrick Martin was born in Markneukirchen, Germany around 1796. His father and grandfather were cabinet makers and wood workers. C.F. Martin became apprentice to a guitar maker in Austria when he was 15 years old. He briefly opened his own guitar making shop in Germany but immigrated to New York City in 1833 and started making guitars. In 1838 he moved to Nazareth Pennsylvania and opened up shop. His guitar labels continued to say New York up until 1898. It was in his Nazareth shop that Martin started designing guitars with the x bracing. The guitars of the day ...

Rickenbacker Guitars

Adolph Rickenbacker, a German immigrant, along with two partners formed the Rickenbacker Manufacturing Company in 1925. The company was primarily a metal stamping shop. In 1928 he invested in the National company and contracted to make the metal bodies of the National guitar. In 1931George Beauchamp, who was a founding partner and general manager of National, formed the Ro-Pat-In Corporation with Rickenbacker and others figures from National. They started work on Beauchamp’s design for an electric guitar with a magnetic pickup. Ro-Pat-In manufactured electric Hawaiian guitars made of cast aluminum. They also made wood archtops under the name the Electro ...

Epiphone Guitars

It is believed that Anastasious Stathopoulo began making violins, lutes and traditional Greek instruments in the 1870’s. He and his family moved to New York around 1903. Stathopoulo made instrument with labels that read A Stathopoulo. Anastasious Stathopoulo died in 1915. His sons Epaminondas (Epi), Orpheus (Orphi) and Frixo continued the family business and in 1917 began using the name House of Stathopoulo. They incorporated in 1923 and focused on making banjos. The company changed its name to the Epiphone Banjo Corporation in 1928. In the 1930’s they were making guitars for other distributors under the names Sorrentino and Howard so ...

Fender Guitars

Doc Kauffman and Leo Fender were making lap steel guitars and amplifiers under the name K&F back in 1945. Doc left a year later but Leo continued under the name Fender Electric Instrument Company. In 1950 Fender started marketing solid body electric guitars. The Fender Esquire and Broadcaster, renamed the Telecaster, were a big success. In 1951 he introduced the revolutionary solid body Precision bass. Then came the all time classic design of the Fender Stratocaster in 1954. Leo Fender also made great amplifiers and this just added to the success of the company. By the mid 1950’s Fender was ...

Guild Guitars

Guild guitars was founded in New York in 1952 by Polish immigrant Alfred Dronge and former Epiphone executive George Mann. Dronge owned a music store where he taught music and was a professional musician. At that time Epiphone had moved much of it’s manufacturing from New York to Philadelphia and Drounge and Mann took advantaged of this by using that skilled labor force to produce high quality guitars. They had a reputation for making great archtop electric and acoustic guitars. George Mann left the partnership and shortly after Guild was moved to Hoboken New Jersey. Guilds reputation grew and while ...

Ibanez Guitars

Ibanez guitars on eBay. Ibanez has been making guitars for years. They are famous for their lawsuit copies of some very famous guitar models. They have since become innovative guitar designers with their own patents and style. [phpbay]ibanez guitar, num, 3858, ""[/phpbay]

Discount Guitars

Discount guitars and cheap guitars are not bad guitars. There are bargains on the internet where you can find Martins, Gibsons, Taylors and Rickenbackers at a huge discount. Some would even say cheap. There are those willing to let go of a great guitar well below the market value. They either need the cash or simply don't know what they have. And there are buyers out there who are willing to pay whatever price the seller has the nerve to ask for that prize guitar. At one time guitars made outside of the United States usually came under the category of cheap guitars or discount guitars but not anymore. A vintage Japanese Teisco electric or a Yamaha acoustic from the 60's have generally increased in value. I think that when you're looking for a guitar you need to forget about the name. Don't get me wrong. You should expect a great sounding guitar when you purchase from a company that has a history of quality but there is that price. You can find great sounding discount guitars at affordable prices if you take the time to shop around.

I have been wanting a resonator guitar for years. I decided I liked the sound of a biscuit cone much better than the popular spider cone. I started reading reviews and came across the Rogue Triolian Biscuit Cone Resonator Guitar. Great reviews and very affordable. I went to purchase and guess what? Out of stock. Oh well....A little more research and I found the Johnson JR-550 Bottle Slide Triolian Resonator Guitar. Surprise. They are both the same guitar! I kept comparing the pictures. Exactly the same guitar right down to the tuners. This is definitely a discount guitar given the price but the sound quality and the way it plays make it one of my favorite guitars. Everyone who plays it loves it even though it is a cheap guitar. I'll be writing about guitars I come across on eBay and the local music shops, post some tabs and share with you a little history about guitar.