Squier Telecaster. Review

 
Features: I really enjoy playing this guitar. It is a US made guitar. 21 frets and really comfortable and quick action. The body of the guitar is sleek and is very durable. I have it in Butterscotch color. I the only problem I have had with the guitar so far is that one of the wires was not properly secured to the 3-way pickup controls. Other than that, the clean sound is very good for David Bowie songs and also for more modern bands. The distortion is very good as well. It produces a sound that fit's perfectly with a fast, punk-rock sound. If the tone is put down, it creates a good fuzzy sound, like The Black Keys. However, not all sounds (metal, grunge, etc.) can be perfect with the guitar. Everything else is pretty good. Take the time to think about what music you want to play and test the guitar before you buy it. // 9
Sound: The guitar fit's my style of music perfectly. I used an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. And the sound was too clean and produced a hum. This Affinity produces a minimum hum, and produces a punk sound on distortion. The sound is more focused on a 90s rock to modern rock basis. It is a full sound. The guitar, on clean, is very rich and you can hear every string. For what I use the guitar for, it has fitted my needs perfectly. // 10 Action, Fit & Finish: The action of the guitar is very quick, especially for solos. Pending what gauge of strings of you use (I use D'Adarrio Extra Lights [.09]) and the action for the strings offer great control over what is being played. The body and neck of the guitar are in almost perfect condition. When I bought the guitar, there was a slight nick in the neck of the guitar right after the 7th fret, but it did not affect the sound and neck of the guitar. The wood does not scratch that easily and it fits anyone Who is an intermediate guitar player. The pick ups are in good placement and work really well. It was very well put together. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I have used this guitar at several shows so far and it still sounds like the first time I plugged it in. I usually only bring this guitar to my shows, it's rare I bring anything else. The finish is very good for jumping around and being able to be knocked around for a bit. I have dropped it on occasion, but it did not effect the guitar too much, there was nothing but a scratch that came off when the guitar was cleaned. // 9
Impression: I play punk music and it fit's perfectly to my needs. I have been playing for about 3 years. I own a Marshall amp and a Fender amp. I also own a Mega Distortion pedal. All of my equipment suit's my guitar to what I need. I would indeed buy this guitar again if it were missing. I never really hate anything about my guitar, I find it very fitting to me. I compared it to another Squire, a Strat and a Yamaha guitar. I was very thankful I bought this guitar, I have had it for a year and still works like the first day I bought it. I would recommend this guitar to anyone still learning guitar, but knows a lot of the basics and can do some soloing. // 9

Epiphone Les Paul Studio. Review

 
Features: This guitar is amazing. It has 2 humbucker pickups and 22 frets. This guitar has a tone and volume knob for each pickup and a 3 way Switch. It has a set mahogany neck and a mahogany/alder body. Mine is new and made in 2003. Mine also came with a gig bag. // 10
Sound: This guitar is great. I like playing a lot of classic rock like van halen and this guitar is perfect. the treble pickup I found great for punk rock. I also love elvis I love that old time elvis rock and roll and I was quite surprised to find out how great this guitar is for old time rock n roll. In fact I did a few elvis gigs with this guitar and it was great. You can also get some pretty wicked solos goin and it's also great for blues. This guitar has a huge variety of sounds. I can't even seem to find a style of music this guitar isn't awsome at. // 10  
Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was pretty well set up when I got it. But I still recomend people who own one to get it all checked up and tuned after a couple of months. After a couple of months and getting it all checked up this guitar should last a long time. With mine I totally fuck the shit out of it and it stays in mint condition. I traded in my Strat for the guitar and it was worth it. I used to have to get my Strat fixed all the time but with this guitar I'm golden. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This guitar is awome and like I said with this guitar you can fuck the shitty fuckin brains out of it and it'll be like brandnew. The strap buttons are solid and the finish is great. Like I said I really lay a beating on this guitar because I like grung and heavy metal and when I do those kind of shows I really get into it and I've had no problems. And I always use it at gigs without a back up. // 10
Impression: Overall this guitar is great. I had an actual Gibson Les Paul Standard that I only use when recording and practicing so I got a Epiphone for doing gigs. I actually ended up selling my Gibson because I liked this guitar better it is definitely worth the money and more. If any one tried to take my guitar I would hunt them down because this guitar is great. If you have a Strat and want to get something better I recomend this guitar because I traded in my Strat for it and it was definitely worth it. // 10

Ibanez RG470. Review

 
Features: 24 fret Ibanez made 02 in Japan, Floyd Rose bridge, 5 way selector. // 10
Sound: This is a really good guitar, I've been playing for 8 years on various guitars, and it wasn't until I played on my friends RG470 that I really understood how good this guitar was. The Ibanez neck is very thin, that really improves the speed in certain scales and solos. The sound is also very impressive alltrough my amp is not. I also have an Epiphone Les Paul Studio and the difference is remarkable. I play both metal and slower classical guitar and it works superb. // 10  
Action, Fit & Finish: I bought this guitar second hand in a musicstore in Sweden. The prevoius owner treated this guitar the way it deserved (or maybe he just liked to look at it) because it wasn't any scratch and the neck look like it just was made. I guess that is why the secound hand price (and the fact that it was japanese) made it quite expensive. The only thing that is a bit negative is that the swingstick (English is not my first language as you might see, hope you get it) can loosen a bit when played, still it's just a tiny problem, still worthy of a 5. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I haven't played live with this guitar yet, but that is absolutly nothing that I'm afraid of, it sound great and yet I havn't had any problem with it. Then I am afraid of loosing a string on stage and that is not the guitars fault. I havn't played on the korean made RG470 yet but I know from earlier that the Japanese guitarbuildes really put in everything when the construct their guitars, their mentality is diffrent from ours, it's an honour thing I guess. // 10
Impression: I think I've said what needs to be said on this matter. There is a lot of good guitars out there. Students like me can't afford the Ibanez JEM customs and the Gibson's Les Paul series. But this time I really think that this is defenitly good enough. The next thing I'll buy is not a new guitar, it's a new amp. // 10

FAQ. Pickups

Hi and welcome to the pickup FAQ, this normally lives in the GB&C forum but I decided it was time to unleash it on the rest of UG and is in fact more up to date than that version! Feel free to give me suggestions new websites tidied up versions of this, heckle me (not too much please) whatever just make it useful! There may however be minor cock ups in here due to the immense size of the damn thing if you let me know an I’ll endeavour to sort it out.

This is not the be all and end all of pickups on this site just a guide to inform your choice and what you do is up to you.

Contents

01. Interesting And Informative Websites
02. Manufacturers Of Pickups
03. Manufacturers Of Acoustic Pickups
04. Pickup Wiring Diagrams And Mods
05. Different Kinds Of Pickup:

a. The Difference Between Single Coils and Humbuckers
b. Passive Pickup Systems
c. Active Pickup Systems
d. Low-Impedance Pickups with Separate Pre-Amps
e. High-Impedance Pickups with Separate Pre-Amps
f. Onboard E.Q. Circuits

06. Changing Pickups For Beginners

Editorial Note: Due to the excessive length of the original article, we decided to post it in several parts. In the next portions of Pickup FAQ the following topics will be considered:

07. Guitar Pickup Adjustments: How To Adjust Pickup Height And Adjust Pole Pieces On Your Guitar Pickups
08. Why Should I Change/Not Change My Pickups?
09. Pickup Reviews
10. Credits And Thanks

01. Interesting And Informative Websites

# buildyourguitar.com
# users.chariot.net.au

02. Manufacturers Of Pickups

Most of you will head strait to one or two companies when considering a new Pup why not take a look outside the box with these and create a unique tone?

# seymourduncan.com
# bareknucklepickups.co.uk
# highorderpickups.com
# swinesheadpickups.co.uk
# emginc.com
# lacemusic.com
# dimarzio.com
# tvjones.com
# lollarguitars.com
# fralinpickups.com
# gibson.com
# kinman.com
# prsguitars.com
# andersonguitars.com
# riograndepickups.com
# lrbaggs.com
# harmonicdesign.net
# crcoils.com
# wolfetone.com
# bartolini.net
# kinman.com
# schaller-guitarparts.de
# andersonguitars.com
# vintagevibeguitars.com
# billlawrence.com
# vanzandtpu.com
# mywebpages.comcast.net
# sdpickups.com

03. Manufacturers Of Acoustic Pickups

# sunrisepickups.com
# shadow-pickups.com
# schattendesign.com
# world.std.com
# lrbaggs.com
# highlanderpickups.com
# kksound.com
# epm-ltd.com
# barcusberry.com
# ericksonguitars.com

04. Pickup Wiring Diagrams And Mods

(Note that wiring for pickups vary from each model)

# seymourduncan.com
# projectguitar.com
# guitarnuts.com
# guitarnucleus.com
# fender.com

05. Different Types Of Pickup

A. The Difference Between Single Coils And Humbuckers.

# General Knowledge And The Basics

Pickups are essentially magnets. Your strings are made of magnetic metals; usually electric guitar strings have a steel core wrapped in nickel, or are just plain steel. Your pickup creates a magnetic field that when the strings move, disturb. This disturbance is transferred to an electrical signal by your pickup, affected by all your guitar's electronics and eventually reaches your amp and is turned into vibrations which you hear as your guitar.

Pickups get their magnetism from either a magnet attached to their base, or from magnetic pole pieces. Pole pieces are the metal cylinders that come out of the pickup under each string. The pole pieces are wrapped in magnetic wire (usually copper), which increases the strength of the magnetic field. One set of pole pieces wrapped in copper wire is called a coil of a pickup.

# More Advanced Stuff

There are 3 main types of magnets used in passive pickups; Alnico II (2), Alnico V (5), and Ceramic.

Alnico II is the lowest output and the smoothest/warmest/bassiest of the 3 main magnet types. Alnico V is higher output than Alnico II and has more trebly/midrange bite than Alnico II. Ceramic is the highest output of all and the most trebly/biting. In general, Either Alnico II or Alnico V can sound good distorted or clean, but ceramic pickups generally produce a tone that isn't as pleasing clean, but somewhat preferred for heavy distortion.

Depending on the type of wire used to wind the pickup, it's thickness, how it was prepared and how old it is, the wire can affect the pickup's overall sound greatly. Companies generally do not list information about what wire type they use in order to keep their pickup formula somewhat guarded. In general, the more wire that is used will give you a greater output and a bassier tone.

As you may have noticed, if you pick closer to the bridge of your guitar, the sound you get will be quieter and more trebly than it would be if you picked closer to the neck. When pickups were first made, they didn't account for this and your bridge pickup would sound very quiet and trebly, while your neck pickup would sound very loud and bassy. Eventually, people began to realize that if you over-wound the bridge pickup, so that it became hotter and more bassy, and under-wound the neck pickup, so that it became quieter and more trebly, that you could create a greater balance between the pickups. In general, bridge pickups will still sound more trebly than neck pickups, but not in all cases.

So, now that you have some general knowledge, we can move on to the pickup divisions.

# Pickup Divisions

There are 2 main different pickup constructions, single coil and humbucker (2 coils). Single coils and humbuckers come in all different sizes and shapes.

Here are some various single coil pickups: 01, 02, 03, 04.

Here are some various humbuckers: 01, 02, 03.

Hopefully you know, visually, the difference between humbuckers and single coils now.

# Single Coils

Here is a pic of a generic single coil.

The first pickups created were single coils. Along with picking up signals from your strings, which they were supposed to, they also picked up stray radio frequencies (RF), which you would hear through your amp as an annoying buzzing sound. The orientation of this RF signal is related to which way the wire is wound around your pickup. Meaning that if you wind the pickup clockwise, the RF signal will travel in a different way then it would if you wound the pickup counter-clockwise. If you have 2 signals being used at once, where the RF signal is different in each, they will cancel each other out, or at least lessen their collective sound greatly.

This is why humbuckers were created.

# 5A (cont). Humbuckers

Here are a pic of a basic humbucker with the cover.

Humbuckers are essentially 2 single coil pickups that share a large magnet at their base. Each coil of a humbucker is wrapped differently, so that the RF signals they create cancel each other out.

The only purpose in creating humbuckers was to "buck" the hum that single coils created.

However humbuckers did not, and do not, sound just like single coils without hum. Since a much larger magnet was used, and there were 2 coils of wire, the humbucker created a much louder signal.

There are many other differences between humbuckers and single coils. Some will say that humbuckers are only good for distortion and single coils only good for clean. This is only personal taste, and many people (There are too many people who use Gibson style guitars for clean to begin to list them) use guitars with humbuckers for playing clean. Also, guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Ywingie Malsteen, Kirk Hammet (Metallica), both of Iron Maiden's guitarists and many others have used single coils for metal.

I could begin to describe the tonal differences of humbuckers and single coils to you, but it would be best if you went out and played a lot of guitars and found them out for yourself. I could say single coils have more "quack" or "twang", but what you think of as quack may be different than what I think of, so it'd be best you come to your own conclusions.

These links have clips of many different pickups, use them to help you make decisions about pickups.

# toneninja.net
# soundclick.com
# artists.iuma.com

B. Passive Pickup Systems

All basses and guitars generate an output signal by means of a pickup that translates some of the vibration energy of the strings in to voltage that gets sent to an amp. “Passive” instruments send this raw signal to the amp, and passive volume and tone controls can only attenuate the signal and treble response, that is, make it quieter. In order for passive magnetic pickups to generate enough voltage to drive an amplifier, they must be wound with a large number of turns of wire. This causes high inductance in the coil, and a high impedance output signal. This has the effect of rolling off the extreme high and low frequency response and making the signal more susceptible to loss and degradation in the cable on the way to the amp. While this sounds bad, it’s one of the reasons passive pickups can sound “punchier”, because the ear perceives more midrange when the high treble and low bass are rolled off. The powerful magnets and larger wire coils in passive pickups can also produce strange electromagnetic interactions with the strings and adjacent pickup coils, causing irregular response curves and dynamic effects usually not seen in active pickups. Both of these factors contribute to the unique voice and continued popularity of passive pickups.

C. Active Pickup Systems

Typical examples are EMG pickups and the Duncan/Basslines Active Pickups. These generally use low-impedance pickups with a smaller number of wire turns. This causes less loss in the high and low end, and generally allows a much broader, full-range, hi-fi sound. Unfortunately, it also means the voltage produced by the pickup is very low, not nearly enough to drive an amp through a long cable. So these pickups have miniature amplifiers, called preamps, built into the pickup housing itself. Thus the signal only has to travel a fraction of an inch before it gets amplified and buffered into a low-impedance output. These systems often, but not always, provide a higher output signal than passive systems, so you don’t need to turn up the gain as much on your amp, which can add noise.

To confuse matters, active systems can use passive volume and tone controls just like passive pickups. These controls are almost always have different values for potentiometers and capacitors, and you usually must use the parts supplied by the pickup manufacturer. In addition, because the connection from the pickup coils to the preamp is made inside the pickup housing, options like series/parallel switching and coil tapping are rare and generally not available unless the manufacturer has specifically designed the pickup for it.

D. Low-Impedance Pickups with Separate Pre-Amps

This kind of system is essentially an active pickup with the preamp taken out of the pickup housing and mounted separately in the instrument’s control cavity. This approach is typical of some Bartolini and Lace Sensor designs. You gain the ability to do things like coil-splitting and phase switching, because the pickup wires are accessible before they go into the preamp. However, adding a passive bypass switch is usually not a good idea, because the passive output of the pickup is so low. The preamps that go with these systems have a lot of gain to boost the output of the pickup’s signal to a useful level, and usually also offer some kind of active tone shaping E.Q.

E. High-Impedance Pickups with Separate Pre-Amps

This is essentially a passive instrument with high-output passive pickups that has an onboard preamp. All preamps will buffer the pickup’s output to a low-impedance signal and many add some gain to help drive your amp with less noise. This helps maintain signal integrity and retains much of the high and low end that would get lost in the cable run, resulting in a kind of “ideal” passive sound. With this system you retain all the switching options you have with a passive instrument, and you can easily bypass the active circuit with a switch for a more “vintage” sound, or as a fail-safe in case your battery runs out.

F. Onboard E.Q. Circuits

Most of these preamps also give you onboard active tone controls, where you can boost as well as cut frequencies, just like the E.Q. in your amp. There’s no sonic benefit to using these onboard controls rather than the ones on your amp, and they’re usually not as clean or quiet. The main advantage is being able to control your sound from the instrument, especially when going direct into a recording console or P.A. system.

06. Changing Pickups For Beginners

Now you’ve chosen you pickup your probably wondering how the hell to install the bloody thing! Well whatever you do don’t take it to a shop because the will rip you off do it your self here’s the idiot’s guide on how to do it.

All your electrical components inside your guitar are connected by a metal called solder. Solder is a mix of lead and tin, and melts at a relatively low temperature. It is melted over a wire and electrical terminal, hardens in only a few seconds, and then you have a nearly permanent electrical link between the wire and whatever you've soldered it to. Solder is commonly melted with a soldering iron, here's a picture of one.

They work by heating up a lot, you putting the tip to some solder, the solder melting over the wire and electrical terminal.

If you want to change pickups, you'll need to get yourself a soldering iron of your own, you can pick one up at radioshack for like $8. I'd recommend a 35 or 40 watt soldering iron. One would tend to think that the lower value iron you get, the safer you are from messing up your guitar, but it's actually the opposite. If you get a low value soldering iron, it will take a longer time to heat up solder to the melting point. During the time it will take to heat up the solder, the heat will travel through the whole component, and could warp the plastic and silicone parts inside. If you have a hotter iron, you'll hold it there for less time, heating up whatever you're working on for less time.

Picture it like this, if you put something in the oven or microwave at a high power for like 3 seconds, the outside will probably get hot, but the inside will still be cool. If you put it in there at a medium power for a bit longer, the whole thing will get heated up.

You'll also need to buy solder for installing new pickups. The industry standard is 60/40 rosin core solder, this is the same stuff that's used basically by everyone in the world, and is fine.

I also advise getting desoldering braid. It's a metal braid that sucks up liquid solder. So if you have a lot of solder somewhere, you just heat it up and touch the desoldering braid to it, the braid sucks it up like a paper towel does water, and your joint is clean.

Now, you know what you need to buy, this is how you actually change your pickups.

Take off all of your strings

Unscrew the pickup you're removing.

Locate the wires from that pickup and carefully desolder them carefully. Be sure when desoldering or soldering anything that you let the component you're working on cool down before you work on it again, or you can overheat it.

Totally remove the pickup

Screw the new pickup into the pick guard.

Follow whatever sort of diagram you're using.

Test that everything works by plugging the guitar in, selecting the pickup you changed and tap on the pickup's coils with something magnetic, and listening to if you get a sound from your amp. If you hear any sort of noise, then you did it right, restring and play.

Godin Kingpin. Review.

Brand New Godin Kingpin with a single P-90 pickup in cognac burst. Made entirely in Canada. This guitar is an archtop. It is very light and comfortable to play. The neck is fairly thin and is very easy to play. The tuners that come with the guitar hold a tune very well. Here are the specs from Godin's website:

Canadian Wild Cherry archtop
Canadian Wild cherry back & sides
Silver Leaf maple neck
Contoured high-gloss black headstock
Custom Polished Finish reminiscent of the
french polish of the 19th century
Rosewood Fingerboard
Adjustable Tusq Bridge by Graphtech
Cream Binding
1x Godin Kingpin P90 single-coil pickup
1x Volume, 1x Tone
16" (406 mm) fingerboard radius
24.84" (630 mm) Scale
1.72" (43 mm) nut width
Colors: Black, Cognac Burst & Natural

There is a very cool case for this guitar called a TRIC case. It isn't much to look at, but it is very lightweight for a hardshell, very sturdy, resistant to temperature change, and waterproof. This case was not included with the price I paid, but the case only costs around $80, which isn't any more than you would pay for any other hardshell case. // 9
Sound: This guitar is very well suited for jazz and blues, both of which I enjoy to play. I plug this guitar into a Fender Hot Rod. The clean sound is very balanced and full. It really is ideal for jazz rhythm guitar or mellow lead parts in any style of music. It is also great for a singer songwriter or just for quiet practicing. The guitar has a very glossy sound, especially on the higher strings. There isn't much variety in the this guitar's sound given that it only has one pickup, but what you are able to tweak on your amp in combination with the tone knob on the guitar should give you enough of a different sound. There is some feedback from the pickup if you are within a few feet of your amp, but that is common of most hollow bodies. The P-90 handles distortion very well, should you ever find the need to play with distortion on this guitar.

Acoustically, this guitar has a very midrange sound, and is maybe about half the volume of a dreadnought Acoustic guitar. It could be used to accompany an Acoustic guitar. When unplugged. If you try one out though, I would strongly suggest that you plug into an all tube amp with a very clean sound to unleash the full potential of this instrument. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Coming straight from the factory, this guitar arrived very well set up. The action was very low, but there was no fret buzz. As soon as I tuned it up, it was ready to be played. Godin's entire product line is just fantastic, and this guitar is no exception. I don't think that any product of theirs has left their factory in poor shape. Godin's pride in quality shines through in this guitar. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Knowing Godin, I would not hesitate to travel with and play Live with this guitar. The hardware is of very high quality, as is the flawless finish. I could definatly depend on this instrument for Live playing, but I will work with this guitar more in the studio, so I'm sure that I will have the guitar forever. // 10

Impression: One of the biggest features that isn't mentioned anywhere is just how beautiful this guitar is. So much thought was put into the design, and it shows. In my opinion, the cognac burst looks the best, but I also like the look of the ebony model. Very classy look. Something I would like see is this guitar equipped with two P-90s, like many old jazz guitars did, but the one does just fine. If lost or stolen, I would buy another in a heartbeat, if I could find one. It took me a long time to find this guitar in a store near me. Godin is producing a large quantity of these at the moment. They weren’t prepared for the amount of demand that that got for these guitars. I really like the feel of the body, it is very light. The neck isn't very fast, so it won't replace hollow bodies like an ES-335 or something similar, but for the money, this guitar simply cannot be beaten. I first started my search for a hollow body with Gretsch, but they are not made nearly as well, and the models comparable in price to the kingpin are all manufactured overseas, in Korea I believe. I bought this guitar after playing it for an hour in the store. You will not find a guitar of this caliber any cheaper anywhere. // 9

Demo:

Boss Distortios DS-1. Review.

This pedal is simple to use. This is my first pedal and I got it brand-spankin' new. It comes with a manual and some sample settings to help unexperienced users. // 10
Sound: I use this with my Peavey Raptor and Backstage amp since I don't have alot of money. This pedal is never noisy, even when it's maxed out. The effects of this pedal are endless. You can get almost any sound you want from this baby. Yepperz' you can sure get the sound of some good artists, such as Kurt Cobain or James Hetfield, this baby swings with the best of em'. All effects on this baby are awesome. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Damn right you can depend on it, it's rock solid and is made entirely out of metal. Damn right I would use this on a gig without a backup. I'm playing to shows soon and I just got this so I can't wait to try it out. // 10

Impression: I mainly play rock or metal and this pedal suits my every need. I may use a Peavey Raptor but it sounds amazing even with beginners equipment. I have been playing for a few years on my friends old Marlin SG. If this pedal were stolen I would castrate the bastard who stole it. The thing I love about this pedal is the amount of sounds you can get with it. There is nothing I wish this thing had, it's a perfect distortion pedal. People complain about no Overdrive but thats just it, it's not an Overdrive pedal. Buy this thing. // 10

Sound check

Epiphone Blues Custom 30 . review

Features: This is an all tube amp: preamp tubes, 5X Sovtek 12AX7A's, Power tubes- 2X Sovtek 5881s, Rectifier 1X 5AR4 (I believe it's also a Sovtek. This is a two channel amp, clean/overdrive. It is switchable from 15-30 watts. Weight: ~70lbs (heavy). Nice vintage look with the creamy white piping around the grill cloth and chicken head knobs. It's got two 12" Eminence Lady Luck speakers rated at 70 watts each. A fan is located in the back for keeping things cool. No headphone jack or effects loop. // 9

Sound: I've tried my cheap strat knock-off with single coils. This gives a terrible tinny sound. I suspect I'd get the same effect though with any amp using this guitar. I mainly play my Ibanez Jetking2 with splitable humbuckers thru this amp, playing blues, classic rock. I also hook up a DigiTech DF-7 effects pedal when I'm looking for a little more crunch. This amp gives a real bluesy sound in the clean setting and classic crunch in the overdrive setting for classic rock sounds. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This amp is built like a tank, I've been playing it for about 6 months now and I'm still discovering new sounds with it. I don't foresee any problems. I don't gig, just play at home. I am planning on putting some castor wheels on it for ease of movement. // 10

Impression: Overall Impression: I've only been playing for a few years now and this is the first tube amp I've owned. It may well be the last as I'm very happy with it. If it were stolen I'd buy another for sure. It is a great bargain given the price, sound, and build. // 10

Ibanez AEG10NE-NT. Review

Features: The Ibanez AEG10NE-NT is a nylon stringed acoustic guitar with a very narrow width at the nut (only 48 mm, 1.89 inch). It is kept in a classical style but has a cutaway. Therefore it is interesting for people which are usually playing electric or western guitars. The AEG was made in China. It has a Fishman Sonicore Pickup with Ibanez SST Preamp which offers a very nice sound when it is played amplified. Here some other features:

- Mahogany neck
- Mahogany back and sides
- Built in tuner
- Gold classical tuners
- Rosewood bridge and fretboard
- Balanced ¼” and XLR outputs

In Europe there is only one finish available: natural (NT). In the US there is also black flat (BKF) and tangerine high gloss (TNG) available. My one came with an Ibanez case (special offer) but usually it comes with gig bag and strap. I sometimes play classical stuff and therefore I bought the guitar. I usually play on a steel string or a electric guitar and therefore I'm used to play narrow neck and have problems to play on a normal sized classical guitar. Therefore the AEG10NE fits very well to my left hand as I do not have to hyperextend my fingers. // 8
Sound: The guitar is very flat and the body is kept small which makes the guitar easy to handle but the sound is (un-amplified) not very loud. It's fine for at home or lesson. Amplified it sounds great, very nice pickup! But the AEG10NE is NO replacement for a "real" classical guitar! // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came with a excellent factory set-up. There was nothing I had to change apart from a string which was not well fixed. Also I had to remove all strings as the cable holder was not fixed as well and seemed to came loose during transport. As it is self-gluing I could not fix it on again. I called the Ibanez support Who directly sent me a new holder with the instructions where to put it, excellent support! // 7

Reliability & Durability: The hardware keeps the tuning very well. Due to the size the guitar can be easily handled for a gig and due to the neck size it is easy to change between an electric guitar and this one. The stap buttons are solid and big therefore there is no problem by using a strap. The guitar itself and the finish is solid, nothing to complain. // 8

Impression: The overall impression is very good. The guitar came with the above described small flaws which could be easily solved out. I looked for classical guitar with a thin neck profile and there was the choice between the Ibanez AEG10NE and the Fender CDN240SCE. I decided for the Ibanez because I prefrred the shape and the finish of it, and there was the special offer to get it with case. The price was the same. If it was stolen I would replace it with another guitar as I would like to try something new. Ranking: Between 7 and 8. Overall I would say (with the flaws) 7. // 7

BOSS Overdrive OD-3. Review

Ease of Use: The Boss OD-3 OverDrive pedal is a very simple plug-in-and-go footswitch. Just a few adjustments to the drive and level and you can go from Speed Meatl to over-driven blues. // 10
Sound: I am using an Ibanez RG270, GSA60, Gibson SG VooDoo, Gibson Les Paul Standard and Fender Telecaster... (not all mine, I own the RG270 and SG) and the Pedal sounds excellent on all of them. This Pedal never seems to lose tone, no matter how overdriven you go, the tonal quality is never hindered. The amps that I use: Marshall MG100DFX and Line6 Spider2 (the last two amps in the world that need effector pedals) manage the pedal wonderfully and can even change the overall sound quite nicely. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I would depend on this at a gig without a backup, but it is battery powered, so I would change the battery first. But it is very reliable, and the tough steel casing allows the pedal to be near unbreakable. // 8

Impression: This is definitely a pedal that any good rock guitarist (maybe not punk, playing punk with pedals is a sin) should have as part of their rig.

If it was liberated, or temporaryly misplaced I would buy another one, the price is reasonable, the sound is Grade A+ and the feel is superb. // 10

Fender Stratocaster USA '02. Review

Features: My guitar is a 2002 (if I'm not mistaken) made in U.S.A. model, with 22 Standard frets on a maple fretboard (I'm not a big fan of rosewood fretboards), Heritage cherry color, transparent finish, classic Strat bridge, a 5-way selector switch, 3 standard issue single coil pickups, and classic Fender tuners. // 10
Sound: I am a fan of classic rock, and play just about anything originating from that genre. This guitar is the very essence of classic rock in my humble opinion. My influences include Mark Knopfler, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and the list goes on and on. This guitar is perfectly well suited to my style of music. I run it through a Marshall MG30DFX amp and use a Marshall Guv'nor GV-2 pedal, which I think suit's it just fine. Obviously, because of the single coil pickups, it has a very bright sound to it, and the bridge pickup sounds amazing with distortion, very agressive. On the other hand, I can get a Slash sound out of it on the neck pickup. I can't say however, if it has a good sound on a clean channel because my amp is a piece of s**t and the guitar doesn't work well on it (on a clean channel, of course). The only style it can't play is metal (by metal I mean Metallica and thrash metal in general, not NWOBHM). It's truly one of the most versatile guitars out there. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up ideally. It had no problems what'soever! Those people in Corona know what they're doing! No Factory flaws on it, but I myself have nicked it a few times. There is honestly nothing that I can complain about, and believe me, I complain a lot. I myself have adjusted the pickups numerous times in order to get the sound I'm looking for. It hasn't had anything happen to it. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will withstand just about anything you throw at it! Or on it, for that matter. As I mentioned above, I've had this guitar for two years and it hasn't had any major (or minor) problems. The hardware is rock solid, and looks like it will last a very long time. The pickups are as good as new and there's not a hint of oxidization. The strap buttons are perfectly reliable. I say this because it has only come loose once. This guitar is the ideal guitar to take to a gig without a backup, without a doubt. I would know, as I have already done so. I play on average about 1.5 hours a day and can safely say that, if you don't take vitriol and spray the guitar with it, the finish will last a long time indeed! // 9

Impression: As I have mentioned before, I have a Marshall MG30DFX amp and a Marshall Guv'nor GV-2 pedal. I honestly wish I had not bought a transistor amp because it just doesn't suit my guitar. I feel it deserves better. I have been playing for about 3 years now and the guitar I had before this one, a Squier Strat, was inferior in each and every way. Would I buy it again? No, I would seek out the person Who stole it, kill them, and then retrieve it. Failing that, then yes, I would buy another, exact same model. I compared it to an Ibanez (can't remember which model), a Gibson SG, and a Fender Tele. For my style of music, this guitar was the one and only. At the shop, it cost around 1000$ but I got it for about 200$ off, a bargain in my opinion! If you're an aspiring classic rock musician, then this is the guitar for you! // 9

Epiphone Dot. Review

Features: 2002 Korean made (Un Sung) Cherry Red dot. 22 Medium frets, pressed into a rosewood fretboard with dot markers (hey, what's in a name). Neck is made out of mahogany, the body is made of (laminated) maple, with a nice grain! Neck has the '60s profile, much shallower than the fat '50-ies model. The finish is a High Gloss Cherry-red. The guitar is designed after the Gibson es335, so it's a semihollow one. Standard Gibson features, like a 24.75" scale length, 2 vol & 2 tones, 3way Switch and two alnico humbuckers. TOM-bridge and stopbar tailpiece. My guitar features Gotoh "Epiphone signature" tuners. I received my guitar with a Epiphone case and strap, strings, picks, cloth. Even a Gibson t*shirt! // 10
Sound: I play mainly blues & classic rock, and together with the Epiphone G400 "SG", this is the ideal combination for playing everything between the Elvis, over Big Brother & The Holding Company, to The Doords, Led Zeppelin. I run the dot thru a Fender Blues Deville, and the tubes are doing the guitar justice. On the neck pickup, you het the nice soft & warm bluessound, while the bridge pickup gives you a nasty twang. Both pickups delivers you the sound, ideal for strumming. The guitar isn't at all noisy, although it isn't shielded. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Guitar was set up perfectly, though I recommend to change the strings to GFX flatwounds. Nothing to say on this one, the guitar was build to stand for years (if you would handle it with care). The woodwork was done properly, as wel as the hardware. The chrome won't come off. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It's a Epiphone, sure it would withstand liveplaying, but you'll have to be carefull, because the body sides are very thin, and can be damaged quickly when you drop your guitar (hollowbody's don't bounce like a Telecaster). The finish is "Bullet proof", I can't get a scar in it, but the wood dents very fast. // 10

Impression: Like I said, mainly blues & classic rock, and it's a very good match fot those styles. Also, it's a classic design, it looks really nice! I've been playing over 8 years now, and this is the best Epiphone I've put my hands on. I would guard it, so it won't get stolen, but if so, I'm gonna buy another one, but with the '60s profile. // 10

Fender Telecaster, American. Review

Features: This is your totally standard Tele. American made, 2 single coils, one volume one tone, blade selector Switch. Only unusual thign is that it is not a common colour, it is Vintage white which is a kind of off yellow colour. The scratch plate is black and it has a rosewood board. Hardcase included. Nothing special here, has everything you need and nothing extra. // 7
Sound: I played a lot of different music when I was a music student. I used this for rock, blues, soul and funk music. For anything heavier than classic rock I switched to one of my humbucker equipped guitars. The neck pickup sounds fantastic for lead playing. The bridge is a little too trebley but you can just back off the tone a little to control this. I have used this guitar to record some metal tracks, using it to lay another layer over my humbucker guitars. This gives depth and a huge sound you couldnt get without adding single coils to the mix. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was absolutely flawless and perfectly set up. The chrome is shiny, there are no nicks or blemishes. The action was low, the strings were new. The only problem I can think of is that the little black bit on the end of the pickup Switch was missing. They take these off in the shop so you don't steal them if you lose yours, and they forgot to put it on before putting it in its case. I haven't bothered to replace it as I like the look of it without it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have never had any kind of problem with this guitar. I had to slightly adjust the height of one saddle to stop buzzing when I played in drop D. I have played gigs without a backup guitar. it's so simple there really is nothing to go wrong. It stays in tune perectly. The neck is so smooth that your hand doesnt't stick even under the heat of stage lighting. Again I can't fault the guitar in this area. // 10

Impression: This guitar would clearly suck if you needed to play some thrash metal, but that's obviously not the point. For pop/rock/blues/soul/country/indie/funk, virtually anything that doesn't require masses of gain and drive, it is the perfect guitar. If your looking for a lead guitar your better off with a Strat so you can get a whammy bar and a double cutaway. Buy this and a les paul and you will never need another electric guitar. If it was stolen I would buy the same guitar straight away. // 9

Gibson Les Paul Studio. Review

Features: This guitar was made in the USA this year (2005). Body, neck and woods: this model has 23 frets and a rosewood fretboard. The body is a solid body made from 2 different woods, Mahogany with a maple (heavier wood) on top as a cap. This guitar would be realy realy realy heavy otherwise. Finish: this guitar looks beautiful, it has a clear finish which is coloured a wine red colour with gold hardware (looks stunning). Body style: this is of course no copy so obviously its the Gibson les paul body shape. Controls: this guitar gives a 3-way selector Switch to Switch between the neck, the bridge or both pickups. There is also a volume dial provided for each pickup (2) and 2 tone controls, again one for each pickup. Pickups: these are the standard Gibson humbuckers which come on the guitar, (check out thier website for more info). Tuners: these are Gibson Deluxe tuners (as standard) very robust. Accessories: this guitar comes with a whole host of accessories; Gibson hard Case with the Gibson logo on "Gibson USA", Gibson strap, Picks (plectrums), Gibson guitar polish/cleaner, Polishing cloth, Gibson tuner, and a lot of information to do with spare parts and other useful stuff. // 10

Sound: This guitar is very diverse. I play a lot of different styles: rock, Indie, punk, ska, skate, emo, soloing etc. It plays very well in all of these styles it is very quick to play as the fretboard is excelent. I am currently using this guitar with a Marshall Valvestate AVT 150 head and a Marshall Valvestate 412A 200w cabinate. This has a whole load of effects on it and the guitar sounds sweet with every one!, the guitar can make a lot of diferent sounds from bright to an rich sound which is great for soloing. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was set up perfectly it was tuned and the pickups were set perfectly. The colour was exactly the same as it is shown on every website I have seen and it works wonderfully with the gold and black hardware. The bridge is properly routed and it is also for keeping the guitar in tune as it it self adjusting. Any flaws? No chance! This guitar is perfect, there is not one flaw on it! Everything is cut, placed and fixed perfectly, the finishing of the varnish is also excellent, it covers every where I havent seen any gaps or uncovered bits yet! and I dont expect to either. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is extremely reliable and durable! I've been playing the guitar now for a good 10 years! And I'm only 17. I haven't known any other guitar be this reliable of durable. This guitar is solid, I've banged it a few times on chairs and desks etc, and it hasne dinted the guitar or even put a scratch on it, I thin Gibson must be using some super laquer or something! The hardware and strap buttons are very strong and seems like they will outlive me! I for one depend on this guitar alone, I have three other guitars and when I go to play at a gig I don't take them unless I'm using different tunings, I depend on this Gibson normaly. I play my guitar for at least 3 hours a day, everyday, this finish seems again like it could outlast me, it shows no sign of wearing away. // 10

Impression: I play a lot of different styles of music: rock, Indie, punk, ska, skate, emo, soloing etc. This guitar is great for all of these styles. I have been playing for 10 or more years now and I'm only 17. I own quite a frew bits and bobs of gear: Marshall AVT 150 stack, Marshall MG 30, Marshall MS-2 microamp, Tanglewood acoustic guitar, Another acoustic guitar, PRS (Santana style) guitar, this Gibson, an old Strat (poor), Peavy ST-15 Speakers and a Peavey MP400 PA system. (Few things more but I've forgotten them). If this guitar was lost or stolen I would cry, then I would go and buy another one (well the insurance would). I love everything about this guitar I feel it has no bad points! My favourite feature would have to be the sound or the looks. I compared this guitar with the new Fender Strat (£675) and the Fender HHS Strat, and to be honest the Fenders play awful! They say you either like Fenders or Gibsons, so if ur considering buying either, check both of them out, go and play one first (I'm definately a Gibson man). // 10

Squier Bullet Stratocaster by Fender. Review

Features: My guitar was made in 2002 in America it was my first guitar and I have always liked the the Strat shape so I choose this. The guitar has 22 frets which are medium sized and the neck is rosewood. I don't know the wood used to make the body since I had a choice with the neck but no the body. The bridge is pretty standered like most other strats and has a 5-way selector with 3 single coil pickups. The tuners are non-locking and are Squier. The guitar cames with a strap, a lead, a spare set of strings and a rubbish elctronic tuner which later broke. // 9
Sound: Well it was my first electric guitar so back then I didn't have a style but I now play in a heavy metal band but I normaly play blues and rock outside of the band so it only really suits outside the band. The amp I use with it is a Marshall 50 DFX and a couple of effects pedals. The guitar is noisy when selected on just one pickup but it is easily sorted since I put a copper plate behind the scratch-plate since it had no sheilding. The guitar can reach tons of diffrent sounds from deep bass to hight treble and is amazing when you solo and switch from diffent pickups to get some weired and ace sounds. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar when I bought it was perfectly set up I was amazed when I use the trem the guitar never goes out of tune which normaly happens to my Fender Strat. The pickup were adjusted almost perfectly it was really only the back pickup which wasn't adjusted. The guitar only contains one flaw that the pickups are going rusty but otherwise it is perfect. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The guitar will deffinitly withstand a live play but I wouldnt used it to many nights in a rowbut otherwise it would. The strap buttons on mine I have replced with strap locks like all my guitars since I would kick my self if it dropped and smashed. I would use it in a gig maybe with a back up but I normaly have a backup anyway even if the guitars is very reliable just incase. The guitars finish has not worn off yet and I have had it for 4 years but the hardware is some times questionable since I have had to have it completely rewired. // 8

Impression: I play metal in bands but outside of bands I play blues fued with rock like jimi hendrix but deffinitly not as good. I have been playing for 5 years ruthly and I own a Fender Strat, Artisan 335, Blues Rock double neck SG, Ibanze bass of some sort, a cheap acoustic and a woods steal stringed acoustic and amp wise I ahve a mashall 50 and a small Marshall 10 watt and a couple of effects pedals. There is nothing I wish I ahd asked before buying it really but if it was stolen I would try to get it back but other wise I'm never going to get another squire like it since I ahve tried a few so I would prob get a Jackson or Dean guitar. What I love about it is the thiness about the neck and the amazing sound you can get out of it. What I hate about it is how it just looks like a run of the mill guitar. I choose this one because my guitar teacher mainly reconmended. The only thing I wish it had was a flyde rose trem or locking nuts. // 9

Review by : claguemanx

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First of all, I'd like to tell, that i am playing on guitar for 2 years. There were a lot of hard steps in learning guitar, but i think that person, who really want to learn guitar, will overcome all the difficulties during the learn process.

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