This is a brilliant and realistic way to actually review guitars. One guitar is just that, a SINGLE guitar. Very well done to!

So glad someone is doing this type of work. It's absolutely what consumers need when shopping on a budget. I ended up buying a model from this brand and besides a minor finish issue and a buzzy first fret it's been incredible.

Incredible! 😁 If I were to describe the perfect budget guitar review, this would be it. Tells me exactly what I need to know: playability and consistency, with measurements to back it up. Way more helpful than watching other reviewers who just read off the feature list and then shred for 10 minutes. Definitely would be interested in buying one of these once they're fixed up. Thanks for this!

I've been playing over 60 years. A traditional Gibson man if a name need be applied, but oh, have I gotten into these IYVs! Again and againI have been amazed. And not just for the price! Its their feel, their sound and their basic good looks. Enough of each that my Gibsons now generally sit while these are in my hands making music. Good review here. Thank you. Truly informative (a rare thing IMO here on YT)

That was very cool. I never saw someone get multiple of the same guitar to compare them. Thanks for doing that. Very good video. Liked and subscribed.

I got mine in November of 2022 from Amazon for $160. Now it's $218. I changed the tuners to locking tuners and I replaced the bridge with a Musiclilly bridge with individual saddles and I had to replace the volume control after one year. Now I have a great guitar. Yes. Any time you order a guitar from Amazon it's a crap shoot. Out of the seven guitars I ordered from Amazon in the last two years I sent four of them back. This is a great guitar if you like playing Rock, Rockabilly and Blues. and yes , this guitar sounds good even when playing heavy metal

What a fantastic way to cover the subject of super-affordable guitars! This is the first time I've seen your channel, and I think you're providing a valuable and unique approach with the exact information a lot of us are really looking for. I subscribed immediately after finishing the video, and I hope your channel grows quickly to reach as many people as possible. Thank you for doing this!

When you said one of the guitars weighed in at 4. something lbs. I ordered the guitar. I have been looking for an affordable 5 lbs guitar. Plus, this double offset cutaway looks great. Thanks for a thorough and thoughtful review.

Thank you for this useful review 👍.

Thank you so much for making this video!

I think this is a great idea for these budget guitars so people have a better idea of what they are getting into. Could I suggest a video of you showing the repairs needed to get them all set up? Also maybe a video on affordable tools to do the set up? I think that may help out some folks as well.

Very Nice Review. You do an Outstanding Job. Thanks for Sharing.

Thanks for the information... I've been looking at these for quite some time... So, thanks for the groundwork. 😎👍🎸

Very cool comparison. Thanks.

This is fantastic. You are doing a great service. I think Centar might be something to check out. They are one if the few cheap 24 fret guitars that look pretty good.

One of the best reviews i have seen,,, and gave me some ideas for my channel... thanks

Great video man. I took in a copy of the ES135 in on trade. It had about the same issues as those 4. I corrected everything. Except the cosmetics now it plays real nice. I do t like that thicker neck either I might end up shaving it about 1/4 ". It would be good to do these kind of videos as long as you don't go broke buying. You are very informative. Have a good one man.

Very informative review ! 👍🏻

GREAT REVIEW ,,,,,BTW Best I have encountered on YT

I still have my 2-year old IYV IPF-300, and apart from sloppy binding, F-holes, and inlays, it’s been pretty good. It’s obviously not even close to a real PRS in terms of fit and finish, but it’s highly playable, and pretty darned good sounding, especially for the price. I personally like the baseball bat neck better than the typical PRS neck profile, too. This was a GREAT review! You just got my subscription!

sweet guitars brother! last year i caught the IYV ILS-300(green) on a crazy stupidly cheap sale! i bought 4 of these... 3 are a bit modded but number1 is all stock.... theres was a tiny bit of fret leveling involved but im happy with all 4! number2 is a bit "greenyfied" for that peter green tone... number3 has a proper coilsplit on the bridge humbucker... number4 has p94(humbucker sized p90s)....found 2 of the tuners stripped and got a new set.... overall im pleased with my "stupid n crazy sale" purchases....

Great review.

Never liked Wrap bridges But never saw this mod to one But aquired 2 Epi's that have em Ya got me checkin my Gs and Bs again

Very interesting and perhaps singular experiment! I wonder how consistent the QC would be with Epiphone or Fender products if you had four random guitars from each? I have an IYV IJZ-300TSB that is absolutely beautiful, as in flawless cosmetically and a great player after setup. I buy these things from Amazon as a Prime member with free shipping, and if there's anything significantly wrong I just send them back with free shipping. My contention is that just about any low end guitar (and entry level Fenders and Epiphones are low end guitars regardless of price) is going to need adjustment and setup. If you can correct most of the flaws in these and sell three of them and break even or make a profit, more power to you, but from what I have seen IYVs are not selling easily in the aftermarket. Thanks for the effort it took to do this.

Always a good idea. The serial numbers are a bit confusing at best. Not good when tracing back lots of information, etc. Good video.

Very interesting take, thanks. I have an IYV Mustang knock-off and it came superb, nothing needed but a bit of fret polishing (although I also noticed that the tuner feel is disturbingly variable even though they function well.) I also have a Squier Bullet Mustang and honestly the Indonesian Squier is a better guitar, and I have less in it. But I really like that IYV is a Vietnamese-made guitar and a Vietnamese company (as opposed to an outsourced product from an American company.) Interestingly, my Fender Duo Sonic is by far the least playable as delivered - it came with a pot with neither inner nor outer nut even attached, and its fretwork is more saw than guitar. On the other hand, the finish is by far the hardest thing to fix and the Duo Sonic in Sienna Sunburst is absolutely gorgeous. All three finishes are flawless for that matter, but the IYV and the Squier are both solid white semi-gloss which has to be much easier than a multicolor semi-transparent finish. All three are COVID-era instruments so I suppose the disease and lockdowns hit Mexico a lot harder than they hit Vietnam or Indonesia. Or maybe Fender just pushed the Mexican plant harder than the other two were pushed.

Thanks for this. First time I have seen such a comparison. I bought an IYV tele clone. No cosmetic defects. Set up was ok. Weak tuners rough frets but overall a nice instrument. Bought a used Lyx Pro Strat copy. Great neck, very resonant body, light weight. A good platform for upgrades. Pots smooth but not very effective. Good range of sounds but switch wonky. It takes some patience and skills to get these in good playable long term shape. But at their price if the neck and body are good there is lots of $ room for upgrades.

Considering you can easily spend twice that on PU alone, these look like exceptional value. And a great platform to learn a few basic guitar maintenance skills on (like polishing frets, upgrading tuners, etc). Much less stressfull to learn on a cheap guitar than a $$$$$$ guitar. I can't say I care too much about cosmetic flaws. If it feels good and sounds good, it is good. And given the whole "premium priced relic market" (not something that attracts me at all) it seems silly to worry about it.

I got the IP -300-TSB and I had the same rough frets.

Interesting!

Mine came yesterday. Yup, gritty frets. 4 high frets using rocker. Yup, crappy "F" hole finish. Have not checked neck relief or string heighth yet. It doesn't play or sound real hateful. Debating to keep or return.

I like your review. I am deciding tonight weather to order one tomorrow. I have never seen them under 193.00. As of today May 6, 2024 they are 211.00 on Amazon. Almost everything you mentioned was a quick fix for me. The thing that bothered me the most was when you said the piece of wood the bridge is attached to seems like soft wood. If that goes, you are kind of screwed. How would you fix such a thing without taring the entire top off the body. I have the solid body neck thru version of this and I love it. I just tuned it and play it. No issues. So I was thinking this would be good as well. I like the sound of semi hollow bodies and many times I will play them at home unplugged.

Who does this? Amazing.

IYV are hitting a low price point and most guitar players do NOT look for fretboard end-of-inlays and fret smoothness.

Scarr my Guitar had one and had to do a fret level. But it sounds like the odds are good.

IYV is fantastic, Best guitar at this price point. If your not happy you can easily return it.

Even with all the QC problems , id rather own a boatload of IYVs than i would a single Gibson. Which, by the way, would be about the same price.

Well , how does an over priced US maker justify the Highest prices I have ever seen in my five decades of play Only extras being a Relic job (why) And a bit of extra filing , sanding In all reality

P.S. i notice Lebanon Valley and the "red Camaro" which i believe i have a video of that year that car,, as i go through my archives, you let a certain girl borrow while her car got fixed?? idk lol

These guitars ship with gauge 10 strings right? Thanks

Are any of these available yet?

Hot Dog Ends HAAAAAAACUUGHCOUGHCOUGHWEEEEEEEEZZ

My trust issues keep me from mail ordering Even a Legit Sweetwater deal

Have one, twisted neck, Benton is a no.

id rather they just do dot inlatys

Git AAAARRGGHHH firewood

I got burned buying an IYV semi hollow (the LP shaped one) by getting a buzzing fret somewhere around the 12 fret. I dont care how cheap a guitar is, buzzing frets are unacceptable. If a factory isnt capable of doing a proper fret job, then they shouldnt be in the guitar business. Its like any other product, if they make flashlights that dont turn on then dont make flashlights. If they make chairs that break when you sit on them, then dont make chairs. For some reason asian factories think they should be able to make guitars with buzzing or sharp frets. This should not be tolerated. I gave a IYV a bad review for my guitar on Amazon. I hope everyone does the same. Ive been burned by Epiphone with a $150 Les Paul that had sharp fret ends, so this happens with big name brands too. I plan on buying Harley Benton next time, I hear they are setting a standard for good quality cheap guitars.

Solution- stop the headache and buy a better guitar….. junk is junk dude. Damn

budget guitars should be banned. we have wasted all the hardwood on this junk, and what for? landfill.

Not this comedian agan 😅😅 junk,

Bro I just returned a PRS SE Tremonti that I purchased from Sweetwater 🫤 I can’t believe that It was assembled at the factory in Indonesia I can’t believe that PRS inspects all of their import guitars at the facility in Maryland and passed this guitar to Sweetwater and I can’t believe that after a 55 point inspection at Sweetwater they found it acceptable to sell the ☹️ either way I sent it back so imperfections on a $169 guitar I would probably expect 🤨