Jay Turser Guitars

Hey all,

Anyone have/played a Jay Turser? I've see them all over Ebay, and they look like great knockoffs of the real thing- from Strats, LPs, you name it. Cheap as hell, but wonder what they feel/sound like.

Hi Silimtao,
I bought a Turser strat copy a couple of years ago. I don't have it anymore.
I can say that it played well, felt good and had a decent tone for the price. If you're looking for a first guitar or are in a band that demands you have that "strat sound" for a few tunes and you don't want to spend a lot of money the Turser is one way to go. Have a great weekend Silimtao.
Doug

Hi Doug,

Thanks for input. Turser Strats are going for $129 on Ebay, but I saw a custom Turser Strat for $229 or "best offer"- free shipping. The "custom" part was the middle pup was wound the opposite way of the neck and bridge pups to cut down on the Strat hiss. I offered $150, they counter-offered with $205- I passed.

All the close-up pics looked fantastic, and it had a beautiful tobacco finish. I've been real lucky on ebay- but never bought a guitar I've never played before. I figured if I won @ $150, I could mod it somewhat. Thanks again, and you have a good weekend also. I might actually get to play some today, lol.

Slim

I have had very good luck with old Yamaha guitars on eBay. Their quality control was such that there was no such thing as a 'bad one'. I don't know about the new ones, but I suspect that if you find one you like in a shop, then one of the same model on eBay will be just as good. The quality is not as good now as it used to be, as a result of keeping the prices reasonable, but I'm sure they're every bit as consistent as they ever were.

I have a few old Washburns that I don't plan to part with, most of them bought on eBay. Again, I don't know how the new models compare to their mid-eighties production, but they're probably worth a look-in.

YMMV, but my most expensive guitar is a 1985 Yamaha SA-2100 that cost me all of US$1400, delivered to my door. I've played ES-335s and Sheratons that weren't as good. And they cost a lot more.

Originally Posted by: LordathestringsI have had very good luck with old Yamaha guitars on eBay. Their quality control was such that there was no such thing as a 'bad one'. I don't know about the new ones, but I suspect that if you find one you like in a shop, then one of the same model on eBay will be just as good. The quality is not as good now as it used to be, as a result of keeping the prices reasonable, but I'm sure they're every bit as consistent as they ever were.

I have a few old Washburns that I don't plan to part with, most of them bought on eBay. Again, I don't know how the new models compare to their mid-eighties production, but they're probably worth a look-in.

YMMV, but my most expensive guitar is a 1985 Yamaha SA-2100 that cost me all of US$1400, delivered to my door. I've played ES-335s and Sheratons that weren't as good. And they cost a lot more.

Morning, Lord
I've had very good luck on ebay. I bought yet another Strat, MIM w/noiseless pups, and it looks near mint. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220205371703&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=012
Not my color, but when I see a guitar, something almost mystical comes over me. I'm really enjoying the MIM Strat I bought on ebay. My American needs a professional setup, I think. It has a strange truss rod system, and I don't want to damage it. My Tele hasn't seen the light of day in quite awhile, but I'm hanging ALL my guitars out in my living room.

I have an old Yamaha acoustic- can't remember where/how I got it, but it's about 20+ yrs. old. I've abused the poor thing to death, but it still holds a tuning pretty well. I gave it to my niece who I was supposed to teach guitar to, but now that I've moved, I don't have the time. Maybe she'll give it back :o

I was just intrigued by the Tursers because they're all over ebay, and LOOK really good. But after some research, I believe a lot of sellers are selling B stock Tursers (hence the cheap prices); There's another no-name knockoff vendor named New York Pro- I bought a cheap acoustic for my daughter that cost $100, and it plays great (of course she has no interest in playing anymore- something tells me the Epi SG Deluxe I bought for my son will be another wall ornament, but it plays very well for a cheapie.) A mom and pop music store I go to have really cool guys running the place sell NY Pros, so if I want to go off-brand, at least I can test drive the thing. But I think I have to hold off on my guitar spending for awhile. Just wanted a take on the Tursers- unless I'm able to try one out...

I got a Jay Turser LP a few days ago from Ebay. Still waiting for it to ship though, so I'll have to say how it is when it gets here.

Mind if I ask what it cost? Their knock-offs look real good in pictures, but I've never seen or played a real one. Hope you're happy with it, and welcome to GT.

it was $180 without shipping.
UPDATE: It was back ordered and I didn't know that so I ended up not getting it

i cant seem to find a JT-220 anywhere in stock... I still want a Jay Turser though :D

Have you actually played a Turser, xanic? They seem to sell like candy on Ebay, look fantastic, but I figure they must be cheap as hell. I've read good and bad things about 'em. Maybe it's a good thing you didn't get the one you ordered. From what I've read, try to buy from a seller who guarantees it isn't a "B" stock- meaning lower grade in quality. The only guitar I've ever bought that I never played was a Jackson Dinky- was mint, and the seller upgraded the pups with DiMarzios and gave me the stock pups also. I also got a coffin case along with the deal, and it all cost me under $400. The Coffin cases go for over $100 bucks alone. Thing is, I hardly ever play it, and can't even remember why I bid on it :confused: . Good luck on your next bid.

I just did a search on ebay, and got one hit for a jt-220:http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-JAY-TURSER-VINTAGE-STYLE-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-JT-220_W0QQitemZ280188291717QQihZ018QQcategoryZ2385QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

I haven't played them but theres lot of youtube vids on them and I haven't seen that many bad reviews about those guitars.

and yeah, thats the one that i bid on

Maybe you can buy direct from Jay Turser? Here's the hit I got on google: http://www.jayturser.com/jt-220cs.php

Yeah, I've seen them on youtube also. They def look and sound pretty good...but, as far as I'm concerned, if I shop carefully, I'd rather spend a few bucks more for the real thing. I've been lucky so far on ebay. Not criticizing your choice; I actually made a "best offer" bid on a Turser Telecsator, but it was refused. I figure it was meant to be. Let us know how it goes.

Well I'm still thinking about it. I could just save up and get a mainstream brand, like Gibson. I'm looking into those faded SGs.