Steel String Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

These new M-steel strings are not worth the price. I have been using EB Cobalts for the last year and now have them on all 12 of my electric guitars. Because I have been impressed by Ernie Ball's recent innovations in string making I thought I would give these M-steels a try. First impression is that they do not have the nice silky feel on the fretboard that the Cobalts do. The one thing I can say about the M-steels is they are loud acoustically which means they are also loud going through the pickups and on to your amp. I found this to be a bad thing because my rig is already set up for the cobalts strings output and these were actually so loud that they were overdriveing the front end of my amp and creating a extra unwanted highend fizziness that sounded terrible. Besides this the M-steels break easily, you heard it here first. Specifically the wound strings are prone to breakage because they have a smaller core wire and extra large windings. My guitar has locking tuners and 3 of the 6 strings snapped off at the peg when I tuned to pitch. The wound low E string and D strings did this and the non-would G string also snapped at the peg. I though the non-wound M-steel were supposed to be ultra strong? I have never had this problem with any other string type. I was using a set of M-steel 10-52 btw so they are pretty thick to begin with and should never have this kind of breakage problem. As for how long they last I wouldn't know because I was so mad at myself for paying for this M-steel gimmick that I went and ordered myself another set of cobalts and threw the M-steels in the trash. Cobalts Rule!Brother Snippey

If you use locking tuners and go back and forth from standard to drop D for example, the wrapped strings can't manage that too many times before it breaks. I suggest wrapping the low E string around the post like you do with normal tuning posts. I haven't tried this yet, but I will with my next set, hopefully I can get some extra life out of them. I do have an Evertune bridge, so I'm not worried about the tuning instability associated with wrapping the string around the post. Besides the weakness issues, I flat out love the slinky, less weighted feel and tone of the three coiled strings. I don't notice this difference much on the higher strings. I would rate these 5, if they fix the breakage issue that happen with locking tuners and tuning down to D. I'm not one to lock my tuners using a Herculean effort either, they're just prone to breaking. I would say they'll be completely fine if you just set it and forget it.Justin

I've been playing for 38 years. I wasn't aware of generic strings in the old days so I've used all the big names, Ernie Ball, GHS, D'addario and to me these are pretty good strings. I've been using them for 8 or 9 years now. The main thing I will say about them is that they mellow out quickly, in other words the new string brightness goes away pretty fast. For me, this is good. I do not like that jangle brightness of new strings. Other than that I can't hear or feel a difference from the major brands. I have recommended them to friends who also liked them. We were in a cover band together and had to restring many guitars fairly often because they would get sweat all over and not wiped down. So these were economical.Quinn

I bought a whole bunch of these in different sizes as it is a good way to experiment with using different sized strings. Some strings last a while but many pop almost immediately right at the ball. Once I had three in a row pop, each one the first time I struck the string with the pick. Enough of the strings work well enough to allow me to accomplish what i wanted but it is frustrating and I will be glad when they run out. But whatever at this price I don't really care.b

I ordered a huge bulk back in 2010, the 10 thru 46 guages set. They hold tune well and have good tone. After each time I practice or gig, I wipe down the strings with 3 in 1 oil and they last. Some people complain that the ball ends break off. But I only use these strings on my Floyd Rose equiped guitars, so I use the ball end wrapped through the posts of my tuning keys, then lock the clamp down. I use stainless steel picks and stacatto pick ( like Yngwie Malmsteen), bend 2 whole steps and pull up hard on the tremolo bar …..and they stay in perfect tune. I'm due for another huge order and will post another review.A.J.

I really like these strings. They are warm, and give what I believe to be the best tone on my Stratocaster's and Telecaster. I don't really remember when I first started using Pure Nickel strings (of any brand), but I DO know I have never used anything but Pure Nickel since. The strings got a 4 star rating. I purposely omitted 1 star because, I feel they don't last as long as say a Nickel wound D'Addario would…but then again, I have not found a Pure Nickel D'Addario set of strings. So I forfeit the longevity for the tone. I DID just today order some Fender 150M (medium gauge 11's)…which are also Pure Nickel. I would never order 10 sets of strings if I didn't like them. Once I get to play the 11's, I will give a review on that product page. As far as Fender Pure Nickel strings go…you can't go wrong on the tonal quality. Rock on!!!White Dog

For years I've played flatwound strings, but when I bought my new Fender American Professional Jaguar I was taken by how lively and expressive the strings were! I left them on. There was a learning curve, with me having to learn a lighter touch, but the more I played them the more I liked them, I went on the Fender website, clicked on the "Chat with us" button, and asked what set came on the Jaguar. It was this set – the Fender 250L Super 250 Nickel-Plated Steel Electric Guitar Strings. VERY musical, VERY expressive! I play jazz-inflected folk, fingerstyle or various flatpicks, including Fender 351 Thins and Dunlop 204s. There's a reason Fender puts these on their guitars!RubyTuba

BUY THESE ! I hadn't used Fender strings for 30 years . A friend of mine bought out a music store so to liquidate he sold me all the strings and drum sticks in stock .. there were mostly Fender strings so I started using them . 20 packs of 9's lasted me well over a year . I work at least 3 night a week as a lead guitarists / vocalist . so I use my main Strat a lot . after I ran out of Fender's I used GHS and noticed I was breaking strings .. so I tried the Ernie Ball's .. breaking strings again ! I went to a local music store and bought a pack of Fender's . as an experiment I wasted to see how long before one would break . SIX WEEKS ! .. THEY LASTED 6 WEEKS ! .. That's 18 gigs , 3 hours pr night for a month and a half every Thursday Friday and Saturday . and they still sounded good ! FENDER RULES !horsesass123

Great strings! They have a good tone, and if kept clean, will last forever! I know, because I had one set of strings on a guitar of mine for over 20 years. I have had the guitar for almost 30 years, and only on the 3rd set of strings. You may say bull, but these strings will last you for a LONG time! Highly recommended!gpgl-p-qn9d97b

These Blue Steel strings are so lively I am surprised they don't get up and walk away from the guitar! They have a resonance to them that is more than simply an added brightness; in fact, I have found that other types of strings are unbearably bright using the hot 498T bridge pickup on my Les Paul Special. These strings, though, seem more balanced to me and nicely crunchy in the midrange and bass, with an extra ring to them at all frequencies, not just the high end. They last forever even with daily play. I usually plug into my computer and use guitar amp modeling in GarageBand or Logic, and these strings shine through every tweak I can make. My only complaint, as noted above, is that the last set I put on the guitar seemed rough on my fingers at first. I hadn't noticed this before, but I had used a different brand last time I changed the strings and although they died within a couple of weeks, they were silky smooth to play. The new Blue Steel strings felt a bit like little metal files when I first put them on, but after a break-in period of just a few hours of play (or perhaps a callus-growing period?), they felt fine. I try different strings from time to time, but I always keep coming back to these, and I am never disappointed with them. I have a pack of Ernie Ball strings that I am going to try next, just because everyone raves about them, but I think chances are slim that I will switch allegiances. I love these strings. Love love love! I suppose the main feature of these strings is the processing they go through. Whatever they do to them, it works. They sound better on my Les Paul Special than any others I have put on it. The strings come in a sealed package and so remain uncorroded and shiny even if you don't use them right away. I have yet to break one of these while playing. My only complaint is that they seem to chew up my fingers when brand new. Or maybe I was just having a bad left hand day. They wore smoother with some play. A bit more expensive, but they last longer than most other strings I have tried, so you can probably get away with changing them less often without a reduction in sound. I am happy to pay a little extra for strings with the life and staying power that these have.ErikTrips

Overall I love these strings, they suite my style greatly and they sound so good through my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Fender Blues Junior! These strings are number 1 in my arsenal of strings because to me, i enjoy the brightness that these strings offer! they get me the nice twangy, chimey crystal clear bright tone and sound and each note i hit with these strings really pronounces so greatly! i only set my hot rod deville's drive barely on 2 and i get a nice rich gritty sound and when i strum at the tip of the neck like Kieth Richards does, i get that nice bell like chime perfectly. One thing to note with these is, in order to keep that nice rich flavor to them, you gotta use string cleaning oil such as fastfret or dunlop string cleaner, you cant let the grease from your fingers sit on these after gigs or long times of play because it will dead end the tone greatly. but all in all these strings are great, they are my number 1 brand strings i like to use! One thing to note is you have to keep up on making sure you clean these strings right after you play because if grease from your fingers is left on them it will greatly dead end the tone. Not a bad value just wish they were less but they are worth it though.cUpBsrmjO

I build guitars and buy these for setups period. I have tried to use these on one occasion just for kicks but found the tension all wrong. Not so much on the wound strings as the unwound upper strings. I found the tension and feel really poor. They seemed to be ridiculous to bend and if you managed that they felt like they were about ready to snap. I did not like the brittle tone either. The feel of these is just all wrong but they are cheap and fine to use for building but my guitars would never go out with these!Thump54

Musicians Gear strings are perfect for any player. If you get your strings for free because of an endorsement deal, you can claim a better value. I don't have that option = I pay for my strings. I change strings about once a month, sometimes more often, because NOTHING sounds as good as a new set of strings. But I can't afford big coins to keep fresh strings on them. These MGs are very affordable, they sound great, they play well, they are consistent, and I am very happy when I play with new strings. The new packaging helps stop rust and corrosion, so I usually buy in boxes of 10, just so I have some on hand.guitarpicker7

I use these strings all the time. Dont believe all the nonsense you read- they sound good, they last well and they are affordable. If you dont need to pay double or triple for hype, buy these strings. The best sounding strings in the world are new strings. Buy a stack of these and change them whenever you need to. The more you play, the more often you will need to change them. Even a cheap guitar will sound good with new strings. And the most expensive guitar will sound bad with old strings. I love them.reynardfoxe

Sounded a little chimey on an Epiphone Les Paul Special-1, with 650/700's. Quite a bit mellower on an Epiphone Les Paul Plus Top Pro, with ProBuckers.. Many online have suggested for Nickel allergy. I don't play enough to say for sure, but I think it sure helps for that.A.J., ND

My super power is to sweat a lot and kill nickel strings in record time. These stainless steel strings put up much better fight and sound great for much longer.DG

Better than expected. Solid tone. Easy to play. Just right. Not too bright, just clean and tight, as a well made set should sound. Lows still great, even at the slightly lighter gauge. Don't get me wrong, they can get plenty bright if you want that. Just that they didn't seem as extra bright as some kinds try to be because they can with all the "super nano ultra special coated infused …but still hand crafted somehow" type stuff. Was never happy with previous sets on my 5 string. With these, I was able to set up with slightly lower action. This alone is worth it on my instrument. Finally, it's the bass it should've always been. Waited way too long to find these. I hope they keep making them. Probably going to order a few extra sets and try to keep a few on hand. As others point out, I'm not sure there's another set with these gauges for 5 strings. To me these are just right in a lot of ways.Person

Overall: Don't pay any attention to the low price these are great strings. Have used Fender 7250's on all kinds of bass guitars they always sound great and feel good. Years of use have proved quality. I put them on my Jazz bass, my PJ, and my Squire, have used them on Samick, Music man, OLP, and Epiphone basses, all good.Scott

Been using the 8250-5M set for awhile. Wanted to try a lighter gauge. I get more guitar tones out of these. I was concerned I might overpower them since I'd used medium gauge for a couple of years. These are literally perfect on my Modern Player Jazz Bass V and 2 1993 Jazz Plus Vs. I bought the Modern Player new from Musiciansfriend. I think this light set is the set that it had on it. I use a pick, single and double thumb as well as two finger picking techniques. The E and B strings give a nice low end. The A, D and G strings have a growl and bright tone and respond well to picking or plucking. I'll be using these strings for some timegeorgesguitars

Overall: I put these on my Strat 4 hours ago and without hesitation I can say that these are 5 star strings. There is definitely more sustain and volume and I really like the feel. Strange “grey” winding actually matches my brushed nickel hardware. Quite an inexpensive way to make my amazing Jeff Beck Strat even better. These are now my “go to” strings which says a lot since I’ve actually been using Super Slinky strings since I was introduced to them in a music store in San Francisco in 1969.Buy these!John

Paid over 10 put all strings on not overwound and then wiped finger marks from guitar and b string 0.13 gauge just broke for no reason??. So dissatisfied and disappointed had to fit a cheaper 0.11 gauge which are for nines not the tens I purchased. Wont buy again just wasted 10 plus now have ten strings mixed with a nine b string. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY PS I have been changing strings for yearsukderek1

I've been playing for 38 years. I wasn't aware of generic strings in the old days so I've used all the big names, Ernie Ball, GHS, D'addario and to me these are pretty good strings. I've been using them for 8 or 9 years now. The main thing I will say about them is that they mellow out quickly, in other words the new string brightness goes away pretty fast. For me, this is good. I do not like that jangle brightness of new strings. Other than that I can't hear or feel a difference from the major brands. I have recommended them to friends who also liked them. We were in a cover band together and had to restring many guitars fairly often because they would get sweat all over and not wiped down. So these were economical.Quinn

I bought a whole bunch of these in different sizes as it is a good way to experiment with using different sized strings. Some strings last a while but many pop almost immediately right at the ball. Once I had three in a row pop, each one the first time I struck the string with the pick. Enough of the strings work well enough to allow me to accomplish what i wanted but it is frustrating and I will be glad when they run out. But whatever at this price I don't really care.b

I ordered a huge bulk back in 2010, the 10 thru 46 guages set. They hold tune well and have good tone. After each time I practice or gig, I wipe down the strings with 3 in 1 oil and they last. Some people complain that the ball ends break off. But I only use these strings on my Floyd Rose equiped guitars, so I use the ball end wrapped through the posts of my tuning keys, then lock the clamp down. I use stainless steel picks and stacatto pick ( like Yngwie Malmsteen), bend 2 whole steps and pull up hard on the tremolo bar …..and they stay in perfect tune. I'm due for another huge order and will post another review.A.J.

I build guitars and buy these for setups period. I have tried to use these on one occasion just for kicks but found the tension all wrong. Not so much on the wound strings as the unwound upper strings. I found the tension and feel really poor. They seemed to be ridiculous to bend and if you managed that they felt like they were about ready to snap. I did not like the brittle tone either. The feel of these is just all wrong but they are cheap and fine to use for building but my guitars would never go out with these!Thump54

Musicians Gear strings are perfect for any player. If you get your strings for free because of an endorsement deal, you can claim a better value. I don't have that option = I pay for my strings. I change strings about once a month, sometimes more often, because NOTHING sounds as good as a new set of strings. But I can't afford big coins to keep fresh strings on them. These MGs are very affordable, they sound great, they play well, they are consistent, and I am very happy when I play with new strings. The new packaging helps stop rust and corrosion, so I usually buy in boxes of 10, just so I have some on hand.guitarpicker7

I use these strings all the time. Dont believe all the nonsense you read- they sound good, they last well and they are affordable. If you dont need to pay double or triple for hype, buy these strings. The best sounding strings in the world are new strings. Buy a stack of these and change them whenever you need to. The more you play, the more often you will need to change them. Even a cheap guitar will sound good with new strings. And the most expensive guitar will sound bad with old strings. I love them.reynardfoxe

So, what is it? Acoustic or electric? Wanting to re-learn the guitar I started to look for acoustic guitars. I’ve had Yamaha in the past, so a safe place to start now. The ‘silent’ guitar fitted the bill perfectly. I don’t annoy anyone but can play for hours. But… You will see below the ‘would I recommend it' is NO, and 'is it comfortable to play' is OKAY. Why? The NO is because you must understand what it is. I didn’t know and you can’t quite tell from the photos and videos. I thought I was buying an acoustic guitar (PMT have it in the electro-acoustic and acoustic sections). But it is not. The designer has flubbed it for the desperately simple reason of the body width. Because you create the sound with the body of an acoustic they are wide, deep. Not so here. With no need for a body it is a shallow, electric guitar depth. So when I set up in a classical guitar position, I was all wrong; far too close. The designer should have made the outer body shell deeper, AS IF it were a classic guitar depth. So, what is it? It is an electric guitar you can play 'silently’. Hence the reason why the recommendation is NO, If you want a ‘silent’ acoustic, this is not really it, unless you are happy with the electric guitar body depth. And the OKAY recommendation is there because if you are expecting a classic acoustic depth, as I was, you will be disappointed, despite the excellence of the kit. This then brings along another annoyance. Luckily, I decided upon getting a strap. Handy really, but now the lack of body means a lack of good balance. In an electric guitar the body weight ‘holds’ the guitar down, here the neck is the heaviest item and it just feels a little odd as, sometimes, I get the feeling the my left arm isn’t so free because it is forming the chords/riffs AND ALSO supporting the guitar. That is probably just me being finicky, though. Or, at least, it is my excuse why I can’t form the chords/riffs quickly enough whilst re-learning. So I am now going to get some Ernie Ball electric guitar strings, as I had on the Gibson twin, and work it as a ‘silent’ electric guitar. As noted on PMT, it has been on stage and I would be happy doing so later, if that is where I intend to go. To end on some positives, the ability to dismantle it saves some great space when transporting it in the half-size bag. The electronics in the guitar completely fool the mind into believing you have a real, live acoustic guitar in your hands. The action is superb. Overall, do I like this kit? Am I pleased? Would I change? Yes, I do like it. Yes, I am pleased. No, I wouldn’t change. I now know what it is, what I am doing with it, and where we can go together.Mr R.

After touring with a full-size acoustic guitar for so long, and having to do too many fly-dates with it, I had to either accept that at some point I was going to wind up with a case full of splinters, or find a better alternative. The silent guitar is that alternative. It plays and sounds great. Would I record with it over my good dreadnought? No, but live through a PA it sounds fantastic. The on-board effects and tuner are decent. Nothing fantastic, but do the job if needed. It loses a star, however, because the strap buttons (which also double as the top frame set-screws) tend to loosen when using a strap. I'll have to find a way to keep that from happening in the future. Otherwise, though, this is my new touring acoustic, and I will accept the small infractions while making my travel life way easier.Mikey

Okay, so it sounds great. The neck is lovely. It stays very much in tune, and it makes a terrific practice instrument when I'm out of town. But it could be so much more! The biggest flaw is that when you put a strap on it, the strap actually loosens the bolts that screw the upper bout into the unit. Using a strap will potentially make the guitar come disassemble. I could probably rig something but right now I'm giving up on playing this standing up. Also, the jack does not work will with an angled plug, particularly when standing. Even when using the straight end, the cable can readily disconnect while playing standing up (highly disconcerting). Another oddity is that –for me — the instrument isn't particularly comfortable. I'm 5'8" and of smaller build and when playing seated in the classical position (yes, that's how I learned) the upper bout's contoured edge digs into the chest. After a while, you may find yourself looking for a cloth to drape over that edge to provide cushion. The reverb effects are over-the-top and not terribly useful. The chorus is nice, but I wish I could tweak the depth/speed on it. Finally and sadly, I'm discovering it hungrily eats batteries (AA), or at any rate it signals "low-power" after only about 5-6 hours of playing. The case is okay, just large enough to accommodate the instrument but not much else. I got mine used and it was a good price. I'm glad I own this, but I'd be disappointed had I paid full price. With improvement, this could be a gigging instrument, but in this edition, it is a fun travel/practice instrument.JD Cazador

I bought this as a Stupid Deal of the Day. I wasn't expecting great quality — just a serviceable instrument. Alas, even there I was disappointed. There were minor annoyances like absolutely no documentation — no manual in the box; no manual on-line; nothing. I still don't know what the little allen wrench that came with it is for. When I picked up one of the legs it fell apart. There is a press-to-fit collar that holds the screw which allows adjusting the length of the leg. It wasn't actually pressed onto the shaft it was supposed to be attached to. A little brute force (before I attached the leg) solved that one. The real problem, however, came when I managed to assemble it anyway in spite of these minor glitches. Within moments of me setting it up on it's legs, one of the legs fell off. Actually the metal plate into which the leg screwed fell off. Luckily I still had all the packing material because I hadn't actually managed to completely unpack it. I called Musicians Friend. They were very helpful and immediately sent a RMA and a return label. Back it went.Bill, W.

Excellent product, I found it to hold tune and appears fairly sturdy. Strings are adequate for practice will experiment with others later, but not bad. I ran this through my Fender Deluxe reverb and found very little hum. Practically none and this surprised me as it is a single coil pickup. My only grip is the legs, I could not even get them to screw in, but then I didn't plan to use them in the first place, this instrument is best in your lap. The legs will come in handy if there is a noisy cat in the alley, or I need something to sink a boat (they are fairly heavy and seem decent, except, they are impossible to screw into the dang guitar!) Overall I would highly recommend as a first lap steel for sure.Mike

I've played electric/acoustic/bass for over 25 years, but got curious to try a lap steel because I've always loved the sound; I know what a quality instrument should feel like, and this definitely met or exceeded my expectations. I tuned up to C6 easily, and the single-coil pickup gives a nice bright tone that is consistent in volume from string-to-string. I haven't noticed any hum from the pickup at normal practice volume, and no grounding problems. I expect I'll change the strings soon, but that's a personal preference. A few people mentioned tuning problems; the tuners aren't the best, but I'd suggest pulling on each string when you first get it, to get any extra slack out of them. After that, mine holds tune perfectly fine. It packs up really neatly in the included gig bag, which does hold the detachable legs as well. The gig bag doesn't have much padding, but should be perfectly fine for storing the guitar when not in use. If you need to gig with the instrument professionally, I'd suggest getting something more solid, but this is a fantastic option for someone looking to learn on, or for studio use where you're looking for some different tones.Sam A

I use these strings on my Ibanez Premium RG with Dunan Distortions and compared to the cobalts I usually use, they feel a lot stronger, definitely even louder and the high strings really ring out a lot. On a clean sound they're very crisp and clear, for high gain they have a lot of output and clarity, even compared to the cobalts. I just got them not long ago so i can't comment on the life yet, but I assume it'll be as good, if not better than the cobalts. Overall excellent strings and i really love the new plain strings as i was kinda disappoint by the cobalts on changing the wraps. Great job on these!JeffTremy

So I've been putting Ernie Ball coated strings on my Strat for a while now. I played around with cobalts and the tone was great, but I thought the life wasn't as long. The M-Steels don't seem awfully different from the cobalts. This certainly isn't a problem; they feel great and sound great. However, after how hard they marketed these strings as a "revolution" it just seems strange to me that they put out a product that's so similar to the cobalts. Marketing gripes aside, these are good strings. Great tone, bright and snappy but not thin. They feel like very solid, strong strings. Like all Ernie Ball strings, they have great feel. Are they a revolution as advertised? No. Are they are great set of strings? Sure.Kevin

Ernie ball m-steels are for me a great find, nice and tight bass side of the strings, and a more mid focused sound with increased output. They feel a bit strange a first and have a slight increase in tension, I have these on 4 of my guitars, it only sucks that they don't do 7 or 8 string sets which I have already msged Ernie ball about, maybe that will change in the future.gnosisdemiurge

I'm glad I tried the Fender ss strings. They feel great and have a consistent tone. Not sure bout the longevity yet, too soon to tell. Great price as well. Bought a few Set to give as presents.RochesterTom

These are great guitar strings and a lot better than the ernie ball. As a leading manufacturer of strings, for decades Fender has delivered a high-quality product. The sound of these stings with a Spanish Cedar Wood pick is crisp.mojogumbo

I used Fender strings a long time ago and they always performed well. I made the change to super slinkys many moons ago but decided to go back to 350L when I changed over to my Nighthawk. The slinkys seemed a little dull, maybe it has something to do with the Nighthawk having a Fender scale length. Great move! Everything is much brighter and present with no sacrifice on bottom definition. I play every day and liked the longevity of the super slinkys so we will have to see how the Fenders compare. Great strings and a great price from MF as usual.Jerzy

I play the hybrid Slinky strings on all my Guitars.. 14 of them , these M Steel are stronger .. And a little darker sounding.. (But that may be because I'm using them on an all Mahogany Guitar?)David

I play in two different bands. I play lead guitar through a Roland G20 guitar synthesizer for unlimited sounds. These hybrid strings made all the difference in the world especially in the low tones. I would highly recommend these to anyone.guitar man

The sales manager from the Highland Park store was very knowledgeable and helped me discover these strings. Great tone, higher output, and longer life!Mark

While Ive been a professional musician for over 35 years as a guitarist, Ive never played lap steel, so I wanted a good first guitar that was solid yet affordable. This is it! Easy to play, sounds good, stays in tune. A great learning instrument that can also gig when Im proficient enough to do so. Thanks Rhonda Music!allerando

Be aware this will need some work. Raised pickup with more foam, leveled saddles, re-cut grooves, lowered bridge with pan head machine screws in place of adjustable posts. After all of that, it works great.melody1876

I have been a pedal steel player for many years. In my old age, I have become interested in the lap steel. It is a much more complex instrument than I expected. The Gretsch Electromatic is probably the nicest looking steel in it's price range, but there are some problems right out of the box. Keep in mind that I am talking only about my instrument. I cannot speak for others. First, the fretboard is plastic, and held in place with screws. The intonation is off slightly, (which can easily be compensated for by bar adjustment) and the fretboard, not being glued down, was bowed up off the base approx. 1/4 of an inch. This condition was easily taken care of with a little Super Glue. Next, the bridge cover had to be removed in order for me to hand block the strings. The bridge is very simple, but it looks okay, so that's not a big thing. And then there is the issue of the volume and tone knobs being too close to the position my right hand naturally takes when I play. This also interferes with string blocking. I am playing this instrument through a Boss ME-80 and into a Peavey Classic 50 2X12. I am very pleased and surprised at the wide range of sounds this little steel makes. The finish is blemish free and beautiful. It weighs less than I expected, but it stays nicely in place on my lap. All said, I am looking forward to the journey ahead, and learning to play the Lap Steel. The volume and tone both are responsive, and it sounds great. I can live with a few imperfections for what the Electromatic costs. I learned long ago that steak costs more than hamburger. I think it was a good buy.J Lindley

There are a gazillion of these everywhere on line. I bought one long ago for around $299 and that was too much I sent it back. The fret board is the cheapest PVC plastic. The looks is pretty good. That is about it. Five hundred bucks is way out of line. Recording Kings are a better instrument for half the price.wy03bay

It has nice tone with a few limitations. The tuners are very poor quality, it is Chinese made. The bridge is fixed, so there is no chance of fine tuning intonation or string height. If you lay the bar on the strings on the higher registers, the second and third lowest strings don't touch the bar without placing pressure on the bar, adding to the intonation problem. The finish is absolutely beautiful, high gloss and nice color. That being said, it could use moleskin or felt to keep it from sliding around on you lap. I used black adhesive backed felt, worked perfectly.cheswinster

I love this Casino. I knew I wanted a P-90, and I really wanted a fully hollow body. I wanted to see if I could replicate a I've been agonizing over the purchase for months, looking for every possible solution, and was almost ready to pull the trigger on the Epi USA version, and after MUCH research, finally decided to go with the regular Epiphone. The construction, from everything I read, is excellent, and I knew that if necessary, I could always switch out the pups. Well, I can't say enough about how good this guitar is! I am extremely fussy on setups (I do setups on my own guitars and for other people) and this thing was ready to play right out of the box! I literally didn't touch a thing except to tune it up. I won't even have to dress the frets. I may touch them up just a bit (again, I'm really fussy) but they feel better than most guitars that cost three times as much. It is really beautiful. I love the vintage sunburst. The finish is flawless. Now for the important part – it plays like a dream. The neck profile is extremely comfortable. I can move up and down the neck as fluidly as on any guitar I own. And the sound! I was amazed at how present it is, even before plugging it in. I see this little sweetheart spending a lot of evenings on the couch with me. Soft enough not to overly bother my wife, but again – very present. Plugged in – well lets just say I won't be replacing these pups. It is exactly the sound I was hoping for. I'm no Grant Green, but I can certainly understand why he loved this guitar. Would I recommend it? Heck yeah! Country? Check. Classic rock? Check. Rockabilly, surf, blues and even jazz? Check, check, check, and check.Jess

Had the money to buy any guitar in the shop. Liked the looks of the SG, worn ebony with rosewood fingerboard and the Gibson speed knobs. Having only played guitars with 9.5 radius, I found the 14 radius was better for bar chords. The craftsmanship is excellent, can find no flaws the body or neck. The truss rod was out of adjustment, considerable back-bow. I fixed that, and set the action low. The intonation was spot on. Frets were polished with no sharp edges. I plan to upgrade the cheap electronics with new pots. As for the pickups, they sound ok. Since I use a modeling amp, not a big issue for me. The nut is a GraphTech synthetic bone. Nice touch for an inexpensive guitar, since i do not like changing them out…too much risk of damage. I have fender Strat and Tele, but have not put this down since purchasing it. Once I upgrade the electronics, this will be a very solid guitar.Jeff

This guitar is the Squire Stratocaster Bullet by Fender. The guitar is an excellent guitar for the price. The tones have a wide range. You can get a very clean sound, a very bluesy sound, and good distortion when running through a pedal. I use a Zoom II 505 effects pedal and a Marshall practice amp. When I do not want to disturb the neighbors I can use just the pedal with headphones. Bright sharp sounds are crisp when run through the pedal. This is great for rhythm and leads because the guitar can get clear notes on distortion when playing from the Double Humbucker position. Playing from the neck pickup results in a rich tone that can sound like Iron Maiden. The fret board has a good feel to it. The frets are not as good as on higher end guitars, but a good player will feel comfortable with the smoothness in playing this guitar. The guitar also stays in tune remarkably well. I have not played in some time so I have yet to be adventurous with the Tremolo. So I do not have an opinion of how it stays in tune when using Tremolo. When holding the guitar on the lap it tends to slide on the leg. Strats are best played while standing up, moving around and playing with your whole body involved. The light weight of the guitar allows a freedom to move. The neck is a good shape and easy onthe hand. The body has a great finish and the wood grain comes through the lacquer. This makes for a very attractive instrument that will look good on stage or in front of your friends in the living room. Disclaimer: If you are a good guitar player you will get a great sound. If you are not a good guitar player you will get a sound like someone killing cats no matter how expensive the guitar is. That is what makes this guitar such a great guitar. For a starter guitar, you won't spend a lot on it. If you give it up then you haven't wasted a lot of money. If you get better and make the guitar sound great, you will want to keep it even when you buy a more expensive guitar. Why, because this is a great guitar with great sound, great feel and great look at a great price!!!chuckamania35mm

Overall great beginner or budget guitar, sounds great with both the single coils and humbucker, quality wise there were a few issues I found with the fret work on my particular guitar but nothing a little filing can’t fix. Superb service from PMT as always, arrived exactly when they said it would and packaged great.George F.

I had been looking for a first guitar for a while. After lots of research I decided to go for the Squier, knowing the build had a relation to Fender. I'm happy with the guitar. You can see where they have cut corners to save money, things like the volume and tone knobs are quite plasticy, but for a first guitar I'm very happy. I went for the hard tail option as I didn't feel I needed a tremolo. Overall very happy.Jack H.

Love the solid bullet ends I believe it adds to the mass of the steel block for better sustain plus the steel wound nickel strings sound more like the older strings did back in the day, great strings no doubtcoaldust2011