Know Your Gear Podcast #439: Did Fender’s Affordable Guitar Work or Backfire

Host: Phillip McKnight
Date: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the Know Your Gear Podcast with Phillip McKnight dives into a range of guitar-related questions from listeners, frequently centering on amplifier choices for affordable guitars, recent guitar amp product reviews, speaker and pickup swaps, and especially Fender's shift towards more affordable, Indonesian-made guitars. Phillip blends personal anecdotes, industry insights, and practical gear advice while also launching a new “Gear of the Week” segment featuring news and holiday discounts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Using Reference Amps for Affordable Guitars

Timestamps: 00:17–07:20

• Phil’s Approach: Historically uses a vintage Peavey Backstage amp to demo guitars under $500, providing viewers a familiar reference point.
• Recent Shift: Now often uses the Boss Katana Gen 3 because it’s widely accessible and “everyone knows the sound.”
• Reasoning:

  “It’s hard to put a $300 guitar through a $3000 amp and then ask, ‘how did it sound to you?’... It’s really about reference.” — Phillip (00:50)

• Sponsored Dilemma: Guitar Center offered a sponsorship to review the new blue Katana Gen 3, which Phil declined as a standalone review but accepted as a good reference amp for videos.

2. Blackstar ID:Core 50X & Anderton’s Review Drama

Timestamps: 04:28–07:20

• Phil’s Method: Released a Veterans Day video on the Blackstar ID 50X, noticed Anderton's negative review, and added a firmware update test segment to address it.
• Firmware Upgrades: Users can revert easily to the original firmware via factory reset, demonstrating “cliffhanger” tactics to drive engagement to his video.
• Speaker Upgrades: Both Blackstar and Katana stock speakers are weak spots; swapping to a Celestion creamback or vintage 30 can have a huge effect, though Phil cautions against too many swap tests:

  “I just don’t want to do a 20-speaker swap. It’s just not worth it to me.” (11:01)

3. Guitar Speaker Preferences

Timestamps: 11:13–16:24

• Phil’s Preferences: Currently uses creambacks in most cabs, though he has extensive experience with V30s, redbacks, and greenbacks.
• Speaker Comparisons:

  “The red back is a little brighter… but one of the things I like about creambacks… is not that they sound so good, it’s they work so well with all the situations I put things through.” (14:39)

• Utility Mindset: Phil values speakers that allow him to quickly identify if any tonal issue comes from the amp or the speaker.

4. Copycat Guitars: Why Does Everyone Make a Strat or Tele?

Timestamps: 22:30–30:16

• Three Reasons Explained:
  1. Market Demand: They're perennial best-sellers.
  2. Improvement: Builders think they can “fix” or improve on Fender’s design (e.g., G&L, PRS, Suhr).
  3. Parts Availability: The most “real” reason—Strat and Tele parts are cheaply, abundantly available.
• Behind the Scenes:

  “You can get Fender’s bridge for a nickel, you can get Gibson’s bridge for a dime… As it gets easier, they get cheaper, and as they get cheaper, it’s harder to justify not using them.” (28:26)

• Anecdote:

  “I wish somebody would knock off my bridge so I could buy my bridge cheaper.”
  — Matt from Texas Toast Guitars, via Phillip

5. Visiting the Cortek (Cort) Factory & Fender’s Indonesian Guitars

Timestamps: 30:37–38:43

• Scale & Impact: Cortek makes 1.2 million guitars annually, manufacturing for multiple brands including Fender and Ibanez.
• Fender’s Asian Standard Line:
  • Phil couldn't show footage of Fender, Squier, and Ibanez buildings.
  • The Fender Standard (Indonesian-made) models are seemingly a success based on massive production for Q4.
  • Market Dynamics:

    “If everybody hates it on the Internet, it’s a huge success. Not always, but most of the time.” (33:54) “When markets tighten, buyers shift to lower price points—but companies like Fender get the sale anyway.” (36:10)

  • The strategy: Retain sales by creating attractive, affordable options when people “buy down.”

6. Monoprice/Stage Right Amps & OEM Drama

Timestamps: 16:29–19:23

• Rumor from Laney: Monoprice Stage Right amps may be “ripped off” Laney designs following outsourced Chinese production.
• Viewer Takeaway: Phil hears Monoprice amps are “just as good” as Laneys from players, but “not from Laney.”

7. Gear of the Week: Holiday Deals & New Releases

Timestamps: 39:35–49:41

• Phil introduces a segment spotlighting gear launches and deep discounts:
  • JHS x Third Man Hardware “Troika” Pedal: Cool 3-slider delay, sold out instantly.
  • Joyo Jam Buddy 2 Mini Amp: $95 on Thomann, fun portable amp with effects and a phone holder.
  • DiMarzio Pickup Deals: 25% off direct and via Sweetwater—with shipping/tax tips for best savings.
  • IK Multimedia TONEX Plug: Compact headphone amp for $150. Phil prefers the Spark Go for its added speaker functionality.
  • Gretsch Streamliner Jet Club Guitars: $189–$350, cool entry price for a Gretsch.
  • Epiphone Hendrix Love Drops Flying V: Heavily discounted to $999 at Empire Music.
  • Boss TU-3 Tuner: $79, available at major retailers.

  “Used gear is where the money savings really is. But here are the best new deals I found.” (40:26)

• Phil invites listeners to submit deals for future segments.

8. The Value of Out-of-Phase Guitar Sounds

Timestamps: 57:29–62:52

• Why Out-of-Phase? Demonstrates the nasal, honky cut-through quality—especially useful in a band context.
• Frequency Tips:

  “The mid frequencies…are a bigger spectrum than you’d think. Mids are everything. When the mids are wrong, I can’t unhear it.” (61:02)

  • Pedal/amp/guitar builders’ ears matter more than pure technical knowledge.

9. Pickups: DiMarzio Tone Zone vs Seymour Duncan JB

Timestamps: 50:51–56:35

• No Direct Equivalent: JB and Super Distortion are “competing” models, but not identical. Phil finds the Tone Zone the closest DiMarzio gets to the JB’s feel, with subtle differences.
• Eddie Van Halen Story: The Music Man Axis pickups were selected by Steve Lukather from a set of DiMarzio prototypes.

10. Donating Guitars and Finding Good Homes

Timestamps: 90:43–101:41

• Donation Policy: Focus on 501(c) charities, teachers, and after-school programs; guitars for Guitars for Vets (funds preferred over instruments).
• Challenge: Many charities won’t accept even brand-new guitars unless procured through specific channels or brands.

  “Charities like that can arrange to buy guitars…because they have a deal with Yamaha Guitars.” (92:04)

  • Teachers are often best equipped to receive donations and put them to use.

11. Listener Q&A Highlights

• Guitar Mod Questions: Pickups for country (Seymour Duncan BG1400 for Telecasters), filing saddle height screws, mini-humbucker swap stories.
• Amp Recommendations: Positive reviews of entry-level modeling amps (Katana, Blackstar, Catalyst, NU-X), noting they’re “all really good right now” and have pushed the market forward.
• Fretsprout Fixes: In humid climates, feel free to dress fret ends right away; improvements via oiling, but properly rounded frets won’t become a problem even after rehydration.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Using Familiar Amps:

  “It’s not about making the guitar sound better or worse… It’s about reference. Like, when I say, ‘this neck feels like a Fender Mexican standard’—most of you have tried that.”
  (01:30)

• On Speaker Upgrades:

  “A speaker upgrade to the Katana makes a world of difference. But I would imagine even more with the Blackstar.”
  (07:57)

• On Fender’s Affordable Line:

  “You can almost guarantee if everybody hates it on the Internet, it’s a huge success.”
  (33:54)

• On Copycat Guitars:

  “The reason everyone makes a Strat or Tele is because it’s so easy to get Strat and Tele parts… You can build an entire guitar in your garage with mostly tools from Ace Hardware.”
  (24:14/27:13)

• On Buying Down in the Market:

  “When the market slows, people just slide down—$3,000 guitars become $300 guitars, but they’re still buying something.”
  (36:10)

• On Pickup Choices:

  “The Tone Zone, I like the Tone Zone. But… the Tone Zone and the JB—main difference to me is the JB’s got more mids, just a little more mids.”
  (56:35)

Featured Segments with Timestamps

• Reference Amps for Cheap Guitars: 00:17–07:20
• Speaker Swap Deep Dive: 07:20–14:39
• Copycat (Strat/Tele) Guitars: 22:30–30:16
• Affordable Fenders – Success or Fail?: 30:37–38:43
• Gear of the Week (Black Friday & New Releases): 39:35–49:41
• Out-of-Phase Guitar Sounds Explained: 57:29–62:52
• Pickups: Tone Zone vs JB & EVH Story: 50:51–56:35
• Guitar Charities & Donation Advice: 90:43–101:41
• Q&A – Fret Sprout Fix: 102:29–107:50

Additional Listener Questions & Takeaways

• Monoprice (Stage Right) Amps: Reported as “Laney clones”; quality is debated but widely considered a solid value.
• Stumac vs. Other Retailers: Good for research and selection, but shipping can be costly—use for reference and buy where it best suits your budget.
• Gear-Related Giving: Focus on direct-to-teacher or legitimate charity; monetary donations often more effective than giving guitars.
• How Market Shifts Affect Manufacturers: Big brands create affordable options to catch “down-market” buyers during downturns.

Tone & Style

Phillip’s delivery is candid, slightly self-deprecating, and filled with dad jokes and asides. He blends deep technical knowledge with relatable stories and a strong focus on audience utility, referencing videos and community feedback throughout. His “no-nonsense,” practical approach makes complex industry dynamics accessible to guitarists at all levels.

For New Listeners:

You’ll come away with practical upgrade and buying strategies, the truth behind affordable guitars from major brands, and why reference gear matters for honest reviews. Plus, you get a sense of community and inside access to both the industry and the realities of being a working, enthusiast-driven YouTuber.

(For further episode questions, links to referenced videos, or to contribute deals for the “Gear of the Week” segment, visit the Know Your Gear YouTube channel or email: asknowyourgearmail.com)