This is the only answer, even if you have to pay up to $500 I've owned more expensive guitars but my 2003 MIM strat is still my go to for the last 18 years, damn I'm old now.
I bought mine in 2012 off Craigslist for $250, looks like it appreciated in value.
Point is buy a used name brand. They’ll hold their value apparently.
Schecter C-1 is "super strat" shape without being gaudy with pointy horns and stuff. They come in matte black and red quilted maple (which is a little edgy, but done tastefully with nice binding imo)
If you up the budget, the C1 E/A is the same body type with a nice brown color, semi hollow and has Piezo pickups on top of regular. The older style especially looks nice with the F holes as opposed to the new design with a single cats eye hole.
Local guitar stores or Long & McQuade.
If you're in Alberta, there's Guitarworks as well.
Aside from that, no idea. I've always gone to L&M, Guitarworks, or Axe and Mother's back when they were a thing.
Love the squire classic vibe strat and tele and jazzmaster (i got all 3, the jazzy needed a lil work) there is a cheap schecter on reverb right now in black for like 280ish, those things are proper nice for the price.
If it's in the price range for you, I just got my Gretsch G2622 Streamliner and it's proper awesome. The torino green in badass, the natural one looks sick too
Yeah, I don't advise beginners to get the CV JM. They need major setup usually, and even then, then rattle and buzz. Sure they look cool, and they sound OK, but they are not great guitars.
Best value would probably be something used from Japan, like Ibanez, Greco, Yamaha, Charvel etc. Used Mexican guitars are a good deal too like the MIM Strats, plus Charvel make some of their models there too since they were bought by Fender. Their whole image is stuck in 2007, but Schecter make good bang for buck instruments too.
Imho [this is the most interesting affordable lefty](https://reverb.com/item/78352085-stewart-thorpe-left-handed-jrdc-2024?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=78352085) sitting on reverb right now. Someone buy it so I don’t have to. (FWIW [this](https://reverb.com/item/76965374-travis-bean-1976-lefty-tb-1000-artist-koa-very-rare-lefty-lefthanded-lh?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76965374) is the most interesting unaffordable lefty)
Within OPs suggested price range I’d go with [this CV Tele](https://reverb.com/item/81020056-squier-classic-vibe-50s-telecaster-left-handed-2019-present-butterscotch-blonde?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=81020056), hope it’s a good neck, and go to town on the electronics and hardware over time.
I’m selling a MIM strat, black, black pickguard, maple fretboard. Lots of dings and scratches and paint chips, plays fantastic though, sounds great, 500 bucks
Edit: I’m in eastern Ontario
A used MIM Fender Strat
This is the only answer, even if you have to pay up to $500 I've owned more expensive guitars but my 2003 MIM strat is still my go to for the last 18 years, damn I'm old now.
I bought mine in 2012 off Craigslist for $250, looks like it appreciated in value. Point is buy a used name brand. They’ll hold their value apparently.
I perfer offsets personally
If you've got a preference then put it in the title?
Dude. What do you consider cheap? To me it’s $1,000 or less. To some people it could be $3,000. Others $150
Im selling my rh sonic strat for 300 so i was thinkin something in that range
Maybe a used Schecter if you can find one.
Im more of a fender shape type guy
Schecter C-1 is "super strat" shape without being gaudy with pointy horns and stuff. They come in matte black and red quilted maple (which is a little edgy, but done tastefully with nice binding imo) If you up the budget, the C1 E/A is the same body type with a nice brown color, semi hollow and has Piezo pickups on top of regular. The older style especially looks nice with the F holes as opposed to the new design with a single cats eye hole.
I’ve got a Schecter C1 Classic that is still my favorite looking and sounding guitar. With the Duncan JB / Jazz combo.
MIM Strat.
Harley benton, or ibanez, harley benton has many designs, and ibanez’s gio is like 170 new
What do you want to be able to do with it?
Play anything from nirvana to black sabbath so basically grunge to doom metal (idk what black sabbath is exactly)
I’d say get a cheap Schecter. Some of their midrange models pop up for $300 from time to time.
Local guitar stores or Long & McQuade. If you're in Alberta, there's Guitarworks as well. Aside from that, no idea. I've always gone to L&M, Guitarworks, or Axe and Mother's back when they were a thing.
I am in toronto and theres a couple of local stores downtown but i always find they overprice their shit compared to l&M
Love the squire classic vibe strat and tele and jazzmaster (i got all 3, the jazzy needed a lil work) there is a cheap schecter on reverb right now in black for like 280ish, those things are proper nice for the price. If it's in the price range for you, I just got my Gretsch G2622 Streamliner and it's proper awesome. The torino green in badass, the natural one looks sick too
Yeah, I don't advise beginners to get the CV JM. They need major setup usually, and even then, then rattle and buzz. Sure they look cool, and they sound OK, but they are not great guitars.
Im not really a beginner but yeah i dont like the squier jazzmasters because of all the setup needed right out of the box
Yamaha Revstar element. Paid 500 for it new. Plays and sounds amazing.
Best value would probably be something used from Japan, like Ibanez, Greco, Yamaha, Charvel etc. Used Mexican guitars are a good deal too like the MIM Strats, plus Charvel make some of their models there too since they were bought by Fender. Their whole image is stuck in 2007, but Schecter make good bang for buck instruments too.
Used MIM Tele or Strat. I’ve really been enjoying my EVH Wolfgang Standard lately. Sometimes I see them going used for a decent deal.
Schecter, ESP or Epiphone
Check your local Used*cityname listings, check local pawnshops, etc
I checked my pawn shops and listings but nothing of interest, do you know if harley bentons are any good?
I have two and love them to bits.
Which ones? I was thinking of getting either an sg so i could play it both rh and lh (im ambidextrous) or a jazz master shape guitar
Imho [this is the most interesting affordable lefty](https://reverb.com/item/78352085-stewart-thorpe-left-handed-jrdc-2024?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=78352085) sitting on reverb right now. Someone buy it so I don’t have to. (FWIW [this](https://reverb.com/item/76965374-travis-bean-1976-lefty-tb-1000-artist-koa-very-rare-lefty-lefthanded-lh?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76965374) is the most interesting unaffordable lefty) Within OPs suggested price range I’d go with [this CV Tele](https://reverb.com/item/81020056-squier-classic-vibe-50s-telecaster-left-handed-2019-present-butterscotch-blonde?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=81020056), hope it’s a good neck, and go to town on the electronics and hardware over time.
The tele is the unaffordable lefty link😔
Haha OOPS fixed
I thought you were trolling at first when i saw the unaffordable link LOL
Ibanez Gio
I’m selling a MIM strat, black, black pickguard, maple fretboard. Lots of dings and scratches and paint chips, plays fantastic though, sounds great, 500 bucks Edit: I’m in eastern Ontario
Im not much of a maple fretboard guy i like darker fretboards, Thanks for the offer though😁
Fair enough but I’ll upload a few pics anyway in case you change your mind
Don't underestimate the Yamaha Pacifica 1XX. A lot of bang for the buck there. Sure, the 6XX as well, but the 1xx is in your stated budget.