Gear

Squier Affinity Telecaster 2020

The Bandforge YouTube channel began with this guitar in 2021. When considering guitars for beginners, the Telecaster was the first choice that came to my mind. My favorite Tele remains the 2020 model; I'm looking forward to making significant modifications to it.

Here's the link to my review video.

Squier Affinity Telecaster 2021

The second Squier Tele was bought as a substitute for the 2020 model when we moved to another place. When it arrived, I was very disappointed and ended up purchasing three copies before returning two of them. Although the third copy is noticably inferior to the 2020 model, I still enjoy playing it, with modifications in progress. 

Please check out my initial unboxing video,
why I decided to return it,
as well as the final review of the last copy I received. 

Learn more about the Squier Affinity Telecaster at Thomann.

Harley Benton TE-20

After the disappointment with the 2021's Squier Affinity Telecaster, I decided to try a Harley Benton guitar in comparison to the legit copy. The Harley Benton TE-20 is a very cheap Telecaster with great build quality. One down side are the slightly off-specs every here and there. It's a bit more difficult to source replacement hardware, if you plan to mod it. Also, to my hands, it's harder to play than the Squiers. My Dad loves it, though!

Here's my unboxing video,
the in-depth review,
and also the detailed comparison between the Harley Benton TE-20 and the 2021's Squier Affinity Telecaster.

Learn more about the Harley Benton TE-20 at Thomann.

Fender Player Stratocaster

This is the guitar I play 99% of the time. I bought it in 2021 as a basis for some high-quality mods. Currently, I'm working on an in-depth review of this guitar but so far I can tell you that I love almost everything about this guitar. An exception is the tuning stability.

Find out more about the Fender Player Stratocaster at Thomann.

Alex’ 2011 Fender Road Worn Player Stratocaster

Back then, we found this fantastic guitar at Thomann – it was recommended by a salesman there. The sound totally blew us away as it is stock equipped with Fender Texas Special pickups. It's very blues/rock and exactly the type of sound Alex wanted. She didn't like that it was road worn back then, but over time she grew to appreciate and even prefers its looks today.

Check out the Fender Texas Special pickup set at Thomann.

B.C. Rich Mockingbird

Back in school, my favorite guitar was a B.C. Rich's Mockingbird Special Edition, which I disassembled and modded several times. It has since been replaced by the beautiful Legacy ST model.

Epiphone SG

Before the Mockingbird, there was the Epiphone SG that I heavily modded. I've replaced every part that I was able to remove including the hardware and the electronics.

Alex’ Hagstrom Ultra Swede

The Hagstrom Ultra Swede was bought by Alex as a modern type of Les Paul substitute with less weight. It's still available, and if Hagstrom didn't change their QC policy, you'll be amazed by the build quality and attention to detail. The fitting HagBag is also a great gig bag!

Find out more about the Hagstrom Ultra Swede at Thomann.

Alex’ Fender American Performer Precision Bass

When Alex decided to switch from guitar to bass, she had some hours of playing under her belt and wanted a quality instrument. After doing our research, she picked up this beauty when it was introduced. If you're interested in a review, don't hesitate to let us know. While the overall build quality is amazing, we weren't too happy with the electronics. It didn't take long until the circuit started having drop outs because of a cold soldering joint. It's easy to fix but shouldn't be there in the first place. Besides that, Alex has found that she prefers a Jazz bass neck and that's why we've ordered a Fender Precision to Jazz conversion neck. Fingers crossed that it'll prove to be what the advertisement says!

Find out more about the Fender American Performer Precision Bass at Thomann.