India has seen a steep
rise in Guitar players over the past decade. From Beginners to professionals
the number of people showing love for Guitar playing has led to many brands
entering India. There has been many Brands competing fiercely for their own
space and it has led to confusion to which one to buy! So, it’s time to clear
the air out!
To make it clear as day, I'm referring to a branded guitar as
something that sells internationally. The popular names on Top of the mind are
Gibson, Martin, Fender, Cort, Ibanez, Epiphone, Taylor etc. There can be also brands that are available in Multiple countries but not all across the Globe. Now
there are some OEM Guitars that are available in India which are exclusively
launched here for this price competitive market. Juarez, Jixing, Vault,
Kadence, Trinity, Techno, Swan, Kaysen, Amaze, Westwood Neowood, Gibz etc are some of the names that
pops up top of the mind. But these are just the few names I can recollect
because they have been around since a while. There are number of names in the
Guitar Market popping up in India every year and some disappear within a year
as well. Now the reason these OEM brands are not as good as the international
brands are because their primary objective is not Quality but rather is the
price. So, say if a Guitar with brand X was launched in 2021 at Rs. 5000. Now
by 2022 the costs of raw material and freight has gone up by a certain
percentage. So, in this scenario the OEM brands will try keeping it in the same
price segment by compromising the Quality. This unreliable consistency is why
the Guitars brands below Rs. 5000 will be varying year to year in sound, build
quality as well as the finish quality.
Another case is certain Guitars launched Exclusive for India by respectable international brands to have their place amongst these other
"Chinese Guitar brands." The most popular models are Yamaha F280,
Yamaha FS80c, Cort AF500c and Ibanez MD39c. Now even though these belong to these
international Giants, they do not sell in any other country other than India.
Since India is a price conscious market, they made their presence in the entry
level Guitar market by launching these models. However, with that being said,
preferring these brands are better than any random OEM brands that many stores
forcibly sell by mentioning it’s of top quality. Now there is a contradiction I
would like to do here. Fender Squire had launched some models few years ago
which are SA105, SA105ce and SA150. These are probably the worst Guitars any
international Reputed brand has ever launched. With inferior quality wood,
Tuning keys and painted fretboard, you should avoid this Guitar at all costs.
(Cannot be called a FENDER)
As a beginner or Intermediate Guitar player / enthusiast, you
should always prefer a brand name because of the R&D and QC that these
companies invest into. Cort, Ibanez, Kepma, Tanglewood, LAG Guitars, Sire, Aria, Orangewood and Yamaha are some of the brands who are belting out consistent Good Quality
in every shipment. By choosing a reliable brand, it will be ensured that you
get what you are paying. Lower quality brands will not only make your guitar playing
experience unenjoyable but you will have to bid farewell to the instrument
sooner than expected. And that is absolutely heart breaking.
A good brand will train your ears better in the direction that
will help you in the long run. It also helps in better playability that is
something a beginner usually struggles with. I'm not negating the
possibility of defective product in Brands, but the ratio is very minimal. And
that's a better probability to bet against. We at John's Music test & setup
the Guitars before dispatch and pack it securely so that our clients get a
perfect instrument. The hassle for returns and damages is not just a wastage of
time and resources but it also contributes to unnecessary carbon footprint. We as an
environment conscious company try our best to do best towards Mother
Nature.
