Best Guitar For Drop Tuning (Jan 2023 Update)

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

I have not stopped playing this sucker. Thought it was delivered next week but it came a couple days ago. This will be my church guitar. A Fender Hellcat is not a church guitar lol! Technically, this is my second Martin. I have the backpacker and it has been played to death but still holding up. I opted for any "600$ Martin" and this kept coming up. I am happy with this guitar regardless of the lack of research I did for it. Now that it is in my hands I can judge it more thoughtfully. The feel of the guitar is something I've never had before with any other guitar. I wanted Martin for this reason. I just didn't know how much "feel" there was to a well-crafted instrument. Again, I am happy happy happy and blessed!Kris w/a K

I play at some parties, but mostly recording in a small home studio. This guitar has a very nice deep and rich sound – great for full chords to back up vocal(s). Despite its description as an environmentally adaptable guitar, the neck compressed slightly when kept it in a colder room of the house, exposing undressed fret ends which were very sharp. More like what you might expect from a $100 guitar. Additionally, the action on higher frets began to get higher within the first couple of months. Martin does not include a truss rod wrench with the guitar! Had to order one. Altogether, great sound, but sub-par quality for a Martin. Still would recommend the guitar, just for the sound.Tom R

I've had an alvarez for the past 15 years that has served me well, however the frets are pretty much worn down to the point they were in need of replacing. I decided to just get a new guitar and retire the old guy, went to GC and tried a few acoustics and ultimately settled, so I thought, on another new alvarez. As I was walking out of the room I saw the Martin and it was within $40 of the alvarez and I figured, what the heck I'll just give it a quick play. I couldn't believe how great this thing sounds for being composed mostly of paper and wood scraps. It's not a perfect comparison to a high end Martin, but it definitely comes close. It is bright, clear and still punchy on the lower notes with very good sustain. I immediately put the alvarez back and took this guy home with me. I couldn't find much online about this exact model, it doesn't even show up on the Martin website. However from what I can tell it's the same as any other all HPL body Martin's with a different color wood grain. The wood grain pattern has no effect on tone with the all HPL versions so it's really just cosmetically what you like. Up close you can absolutely tell this isn't real wood (except for the headstock, and even the fret board is passable as real wood). And it actually started to make me wonder if I should return this and get the all wood Alvarez. Upon further thinking I decided it was a stupid and superficial thing to care about. This guitar played better and sounded better than any of the real wood instruments in it's price range. Build quality is great. No sharp fret ends, no glue on the body, no cracks or dents. I tuned this once so far. On the way home from GC in the back seat of my vehicle. It's now been 3 days since then and the tuning has held which is shocking. I never thought I'd like a fake wood instrument, but time makes fools of us all and martin can apparently build a fantastic guitar out of paper.Luke

On paper, a pink strat style guitar with humbuckers would be the last guitar I'd want to play. However seeing this Charvel Pro-Mod Dk24 on the wall in it's sort of darker pink (burgundy mist) just caught my eye so I played it. I knew I found a real player's guitar. The color grew on me even more and the functionality was great. Humbuckers you can run as single coils with the 5 way switch is very practical. I didn't want to put it down. Super strats have always been very versatile but I've never dreamed of buying one just because I always found the styling to be extreme. However the color is kind of soothing. The neck didn't leave much of an impression but I think that there's something nice about not having to think about the neck. If it works and I don't have to think about it, so be it. Played rock through a little orange amp well yet it also sounded beautiful with a lush clean sound through a Fender Princeton. I think super strat type guitars are starting to come around to the market. Between the Silver Sky the PRS Fiore I think the more mellow color/designs with the versatility they've always had are making super strats more desirable to new guitarists. This one's a great one.G

I bought it for the neck thru construction and the finish which is quite stunning and very well done. The "Duncan Design" pick-ups are crappy, muddy and middy. Replaced them with "REAL" Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" and it sounds great now. The Floyd sits too low in the pocket (unlike my Charvel's do) poor engineering on Jackson's behalf. You can't get to the allen heads when you change strings because they sit so low in the pocket. You actually have to change one string at a time or insert the whammy bar and physically push it down to raise the rear of the Floyd so you can access the allen heads that hold the strings to the bridge. I have 17 guitars and this one is hands down the hardest guitar to change strings on I have ever owned. If Jackson would put better pick-ups in this model, and re-engineer how the Floyd Rose is mounted, it would be a lot more popular, but like most Jackson guitars priced under $1,500 they opt for the cheap electronics which in my opinion has been the case with every Jackson I have owned, you need to change the pick-ups and pots. The guitar itself is quite nicely made, balanced well and sounds awesome with real pick-ups in it.dtvamigo

This is a sweet guitar. The sustain is excellent, quite a difference from any bolt on neck guitar. I have a 1991 Ibanez 540SLTD, it is an excellent guitar. Been playing that for nearly 3 decades and its still my main guitar. This Jackson SL3X Soloist is just as playable. The neck is very comfortable from top to bottom. The Duncan designed pickups are very good too. Make no mistake, this is a shred guitar through and through. Can it do evreything else in between, like classic rock, jazz, country? Absolutely. You can dial in just about any sound needed. The pickups seem to have good output, but not insane, which i like. I also own a late model Ibanez RG350DX, with the infinity pickups. Those pickups, especially the bridge, are really loud, and overly distorted. I find that i have to roll the volume back to keep clarity. These pickups in the Jackson have good clarity. The neck and middle hot rails pickups are sweet. Artificial harmonics sing everywhere. The Floyd Rose special seems to stay in tune good as well. The fine tuners are a little gritty feeling, not anything wrong with em, but not silky smooth. They probably will get smoother as time and use allows them to break in. The hardware seems good. Solid tuning heads. Nice adjustment of knobs and pickup selector switch. The finish, neon orange, is flawless. Binding on neck and headstock is nicely done as well. The only issue i had with mine was fretbuzz on the first fret, 5th and 4th strings. Quick turn of the truss rod nut to add a little relief and reset the bridge height took care of that. This is a very fast neck to riff and shred with. Of course its great for slow playing, open chords etc… but, if Klingons are around, Warp Factor Five! Neck through Jackson Soloist, its a spaceship in disguise as an electric guitar. My Ibanez 540SLTD has an amazingly fast and thin neck, this Jackson is without a doubt on par with that, plus 2 more frets/ Jackson has better sustain and there is no sub 4 a thruneck.Freddy F

With this guitar going on sale it's worth the wait, it's neck feels awesome and active emg's for Rock and metal especially sound great bit it'll handle any style you jam. It is a quilted maple top but there's a big difference between satin and gloss but still looks awesome but that glassy look many have is far from this. Plus if you do the points you'll get enough back to get the musicians friend molded case for single cutaway guitars which fits this guitar really well. For the money it'd be hard to find a better guitar in this price range ,it's also fairly light which your shoulder will thank you forRock it out

When you look at construction; great p'ups (JB & 59 SD's on my sunburst), locking tuners, tonepros locking bridge, a comfortable weight, good balance, more bling than a guitar deserves (although I do find that all of this abalone makes the fingerboard feel glass-smooth and is super fast!), great sustain and with a decreased head-stock angle (over the LP) to reduce neck breakage, 2-way adjustable truss rod and a much better price it's sort of a no brainer. I've had mine about 2 years and did have to change out the 3-way toggle after about 6 months due to periodic shorting out, but other than that it's been a fantastic guitar. Some day I might spring for the LP, but guitars are about tone, ergonomics, durability and how they comfortable they feel & play. The LTD EC-1000 has a lot going for it. It'll rock your socks off and cleans up nicely too! I can get some great country tones out of this one as well!JS

Fwiw, my experience is limited to being an "experienced beginner", not quite a low level intermediate. This guitar plays great and came set up decently with no obvious flaws in finish or quality. I believe it may be on sale because of problems with the finish color. Mine is beautiful, but definitely not the color described. The back is black, but the front is very greenish with off-white, yellowish binding. I love it, but if you are set on the color as described you could be disappointed if the whole batch is like this.Soylent Green

Only disappointment the guitar was placed in a oblong box with a few bits of paper trying to protect it as apposed to it's original triangle box & then placed in the oblong box, it did arrive in one piece surprisingly, with one scratch that I've managed to polish out. Apart from all that, it's a beautiful guitar.Jim S.

This is a seriously awesome guitar! The neck feels great and guitar is well balanced. The pickups have that nice clear P90 attack and sustain for days. Mine arrived by courier from across the country and when I took it out of the case, it was in tune! Struck a chord and felt the resonance through my body. Then I did a few string bends and felt and heard the strings scratching on the frets! Absolutely dismally polished frets! Very disappointing to buy an expensive guitar and end up having to spend a few hours polishing the frets myself. The rest of the setup however, was impeccable. Intonation, action, string height, all really spot on. Overall, I’m really happy with this guitar. I’ll include a photo of the frets where you can see the polished frets next to the dull ones.Yamaha please include locking tuners on the next version! Absolutely love this guitar though!Peter R.

I purchased this Yamaha Professional with P90s and also A Reverend Gristle 90 to compare and the Ergonomics and the neck feel on the Yamaha was nicer and easier to navigate. More tone option for me on the Yamaha. The Jumbo Stainless Steel frets had a familiar and nice feel for me. The only drawback and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the Yamaha did not have silent P90s whitch is not a game changer for sure, nothing a good noise gate wouldn't fix or switch out Pick Ups. Craftsmanship is stellar. Trying it out for the first time at a gig tonight. Chicago Music Exchange did what they promised and put new strings of my preference with a nice set up. Thanks David A.Jim O.

I got this guitar on September 14th, 2021, and have had some minor issues with it. When I receive this guitar, it was perfect. Not a single case of fret buzz, the nut was perfect, and it was an all around great guitar. However, after about a month. I realized the tuners were a bit out of wack. I would be a bit flat, and turn the tuning peg over and over and over, only to not tighten the string at all. Then when I finally did one last turn, I'd be sharp by a whole note! Whatever, just replace the tuners. I had been putting that off. The next issue was a bit weird. I play really hard, and over time, the bridge pins were starting to get loose, and eventually a whole screw came out, and I had to take the guitar to a tech. I know this is probably user error, but still. I eventually just decided to turn it into a Jonny Greenwood tele, with lace sensors, a kill switch, and all. And let me tell you, this guitar is perfect now. The neck is (and always was) exactly what I was looking for. It's a bit thinner that my Squier Affinity Strat, but I like a thinner neck. Bottom line, I would recommend this guitar if your okay with getting new tuners. No one else I know has had problem with the bridge, so consider that. (P.S. I forgot to say that the stock pickups are amazing! I almost just kept them, they sound really good)Cory

Sound: The vintage tone noiseless pickups are perfect for what I wanna play on this guitar. All my other are humbuckers, high gain passive and active humbuckers at that, so the vintage tone single coils give me that sound I simply cannot get from my other guitars. Granted, my other guitars have split coil options, but there is a noticeable difference between a split humbucker and a noiseless single coil. Features: The S1 switch serves me no purpose, just turns the tone into mud. Ease of Use: It's not rocket science, but I'm used to 3way pickup selectors, and an all or almost nothing attitude when it comes to my other guitars volume controls, and never touch the tone controls, so for me personally there is a learning curve when it comes to all the tonal possibilities that come with a typical Strat setup.If I could change one thing on the guitar, it would be using 6100 jumbo frets, but generally speaking the guitar is a breeze to play, after a day or so… It's very stiff out of the box.The tremolo has a very nice feel to it, and the pop in arm should be standard on all trems at this point. Quality: The guitar is very well made. This is a professional guitar! Value: This is where my issue is… I just can't see how this guitar is worth $400 more than the Professional series. With everything being made on CNC machines, that little contour on the cutaway and the compound radius fingerboard seem like an unjustified mark up, the only thing on this guitar that should be a logical price mark up are the locking tuners and the pickups, neither of which equate to $400 in parts… But I liked the finishes more, and didn't feel like swapping out tuners and bridge saddles. Manufacturer Support: Never had to deal with Fender customer service. Overall: This guitar is a purists nightmare, but it's a dream to me. Compound radius fingerboard and satin neck finish are up my alley.Rob

First things first, the manager and the guys at Guitar Center in Pensacola were very helpful. About 3 weeks ago I bought the Plus Top Stratocaster and I loved the guitar but wanted to upgrade to the Ultra so I started shopping around for one and found one at a different music store down the street for a significantly lower price than what was advertised at the local Guitar Center. So I figured I would have to return my guitar to the store. When I got there I asked about the price match guarantee that Guitar Center provides and I brought it up to them that I found the Cobra Blue Ultra guitar at a lower price at another store and after a few minutes and the manager doing some research he pretty much told me " if you're are going to buy this guitar, I would rather you buy it from us " I was very surprised. In my mind I thinking that he was going to come up with some sort of excuse to not match the price. That is what customer service is all about!!!! Middle finger to other stores! From here on out I am a lifelong customer of Guitar Center. Oh and this guitar is the best of the best!! It's like being handed the keys to a brand new Corvette ( or a Ford Cobra, whichever you prefer). So, hands down the best guitar and the best customer service you could ask for!! I'm already looking forward to getting an Ultra Tele this year!Steve

This is my third Fender. I previously owned an "standard" Ultra that I traded towards another guitar, and I also currently own a Lincoln Brewster model strat. While those guitars are very good, the Ultra Luxe is next level. The craftsmanship, feel and sound of this guitar truly deserves the "Luxe" name. Before ordering, my biggest concerns were how the stainless steel frets would affect the tone and how the new neck shape would feel. But I have ordered from Musicians Friend off and on since the late 90's and have always had excellent service, so I figured I could return the guitar it I didn't like it. Both concerns were put to rest within moments after plugging in. The tone is definitely that unmistakable Fender strat sound and I had no trouble dialing a nice funk and a very serviceable SRV tone. You can also get a pretty good variety of other tones thanks to the switching. I was kind of expecting a thin neck shape based on reviews/descriptions that I read, but it is pleasantly thick without being too chunky. I can't stand thin Ibanez style necks and thankfully the neck on the Luxe is not like that. It fits the hand nicely. Not a chunky as the Lincoln Brewster model (which I also really like) but feels a little thicker than the neck on the standard Ultra. I believe it has the same bridge found on the standard Ultra model which is the push-in style. So no thread to wear out over time. Overall, I am so happy that I bought this and it has already become my new #1 guitar.Matt

This is a gorgeous guitar and plays amazingly well. The frets are rounded perfectly with no jagged edges. The frets are polished extremely well. The body is very comfortable, and the Duncan JB and '59 pickups are THE standard in rock pickups especially if you want those 80's rock tones ala VH, Ratt, Crue. BUT the ability to SPLIT the pickups makes this guitar extremely versatile for Blues, Country, and even Jazz if you roll the Tone off to warm it up. The Pro-Mod San Dimas is a sure to be a classic – Charvel guitars from the 80's are still highly sought after and retain their value very well. Not many people like to get rid of them though because they play so well and are made with quality craftsmanship. The Transparent Green Burst finish is gorgeous too. The spoke wheel makes for on the flow truss rod adjustments and it is DOUBLE reinforced – which makes it very resistant to warping. And finally, the Floyd Rose system is not the cheap version. The studs are quality metal which ensures smooth movement, the arm is also closer to the original FR bar which is also nice. TIP: wrap some plumbers tape along the outside of the collar to help close the space between it and the arm to tighten it so it doesn't swing so easily (old school trick 😉 FR bridges are incredibly stable and once you tine them and lock them down they stay in tune VERY well. Get a tremolo stabilizer or block it down to make string changes easier. Get this guitar – the combination of a basswood body, maple neck, jumbo frets, JB and '59 pickups, and a quality Floyd Rose bridge make this THE standard for rock and metal guitars. And they come in other great colors.mobiletechman

Sure, there are more expensive guitars that might have a bit more to offer…but for a grand? This is really superb quality and value rolled into one. The pickups are more than great. Seymour Duncans all around. JB in the bridge with no load tone. Cool thing is, if you feel its a tad too bright, just click down to 8 or 7 and it warms up nicely. I was afraid of the no load tone pot at first, but the little click helps tremendously. You know exactly where you are. The neck feels great. Like a thin C shaped Fender. Super fast! HSS config gives you plenty of options. It comes equipped with a Floyd 1000. Not their number one unit, but it is just fine and stays in tune very well. Even after a few dive bombs. I dont generally live in that realm, but nice to know it will hold its tune. Another thing, the guitar came set up just perfect for me. Zero adjustments needed. Quality on the build, paint job and finer points, is excellent. I bought this without even playing it beforehand and I was not disappointed. Good job Charvel/Fender!iluvnicki3

Pros: Neck feels amazing Coil spit delivers great tones Floyd Rose stays in tune great Sounds amazing Get lots of compliments about it Cons: The one thing I wish I knew before buying this is the "Extra Jumbo" frets. They're too darn huge and I often wish I knew that before buying this. The block where the neck is bolted on is huge and playing passed the 17th fret is tough. The pickup switch has a "dead spot" when switching so it's possible to go silent when moving the switch. I wish I tried the DK 24 HH FR before buying this because I feel that I would've been way more satisfied. Overall it's a great guitar. I love mine to death, but yeah beware of the cons if looking at this.Dan H

It is close to being a 5/5 guitar for me. It plays very easily with the condition that the back of the neck feels a bit weird to me right now, I have only played it twice though so through playing this might very well go away. It's a maple neck and the back is non glossy which I like but the thin nitro coating they have sprayed it with feels a bit weird under the hand, it's not sticky in the slightest, it's just nothing like I am used to. Might just be me, and as always this should go away with playing. I like the colour and design of the guitar. I like the neck in general, I am not a metal player and thinner necks aint my thang but this neck is thin but also comfortable with it. The pickups are good, I have two Seymour Duncans in my only other *metal* guitar and I am not sure which set I prefer. This one has a JB in the bridge and a 59 in the neck. The 59 is well capable of Bluesy, rock and even Lead Tones. The bridge JB does Lead and can get clear clean tones especially if you roll some tone off on the guitar. I hear some people complain about the harshness or more like the bite of the JB but I think that's unfair. It's true this guitar does Blues, rock and metal well but for modern metal it is in the ballpark but not quite there. It's more suitied to 80's thrash metal than modern stuff and it does all rock well and you can do Blues with it in the neck position. So it's not an out and out metal guitar and so I like it better for that. It is versatile. I play Pink Floyd on it and it sings. Performs well with any type of rock and if you want Metallica early metal tones and onwards this does it really well. I am not much into modern metal anyway so I am not too bothered. I did Motorhead songs the other day and it kills it. The tuners are Jacksons sealed ones or whatever they are ,so not locking as far as I know but it stays in tune really well, maybe because of the floyd rose on it, which works really well. My first ever Floyd Rose guitar and it impresses me with how well it works and not as hard as you think when it comes to changing strings etc. Lastly the price is very good for what you get which is always a selling point for me.And what yiou get is a proper set of Seymour Duncans and a proper Floyd not the cheap ones you get in low budget offerings in a guitar that looks the part, the headstock alone is worth having it for! I got it for 600 quid. Complete no brainer.R O.

I had never played a 7-string guitar before but had been thinking about it for a while so I decided on this Dinky after seeing the price and reading the reviews. I didn't want to spend a ton of money since I didn't know if I would like the 7-string. After having it and playing it for a few days now, I must say that I'm quite impressed. Like so many of the other reviews say, it's set up pretty well right out of the box. I noticed that it is very lightweight compared to my Telecaster, which I really like. Some people mentioned some rough frets but I didn't notice that on mine; it feels really good. It took some getting used to the extra string but I'm really having fun exploring the new sounds I can get with an extended range. The pickups are decent for the price and I'm really happy with it. I may look at changing them out eventually but for now I'm happy with them. I agree with a lot of the other reviews that say that Jackson could easily charge twice as much for this guitar as they do. All in all, this guitar is excellent value for the price. If you're looking for an entry-level 7-string to noodle with and see if you will like it, you can't go wrong here.Madd Dogg

Do not buy without seeing/playing. I waited 6 months for this to arrive and was SO looking forward to it. The finish is absolutely beautiful, which makes the rest of the story that much more depressing. The tremolo, specifically the D-Tuna, does not fit the cavity. It hits the body when in regular E tuning. When I first picked it up, it wasn't surprising that it wasn't exactly tuned after shipping, though it was actually close. However the sixth string was tuned to E, with the D-Tuna disengaged (so should have been a D). I thought that was an odd mistake, but realized after trying to engage the D-Tuna into regular E position that whoever did the final setup did that on purpose because it won't go into E position without totally colliding with the body! Oh and the bridge pickup is totally loose and wobbling. That can probably just be tightened, but please… This is the second EVH Wolgang USA I've seen since Eddie's death that has had major, similar problems. The other's bridge pickup worked intermittently, and again the D-Tuna was hitting the body. It would be one thing if this was a cheap, import guitar. But at this price, these issues are unacceptable. So again, hold and examine the guitar yourself before buying.Joel D

Just bought this guitar and could not be more satisfied. To put my review in context: been playing 30 years, have had over 50 guitars and currently hold onto about 20- most are the high end USA models with "bells and whistles." I just read the book "Eruption" written by guitar magazine journalists and loved it- described Ed's constant tinkering with his guitars and search for best tones. Half way through I knew I wanted to go get an EVH model to add to my guitars (played a few over the years and they were all great, but very expensive Music Man Axis / Peavey), and wanted to wait until I finished the book to narrow down my search and go try out a new one to buy. Glad I did- toward the end of the book he explained how this model guitar is exactly what he wants to play right off the shelf as an entry level model a great gift to guitarists wanting an affordable guitar that isnt junk. I bought it and after about an hour playing with it as my guitar tuned down to Eb half a step- it is now my #1 guitar for that tuning (also for context my #1 for standard tuning is a Shur super strat which costs like 6x this Wolfgang). In response to some other lower reviews- yes, this is not equipped with a Floyd Rose floating bridge, just as Ed played- he sites the reason as Pros= better tone and you can rest your hand a little on the bridge without playing out of tune. Yes, the cons include not being able to pull up a note to really high pitch with the bar. right off the shelf it was set up with IMHO the best gauge string for his type of playing and a guitar tuned down half a step- 09-46 gauge. The 6 page manual with the guitar was really cool- a note from Ed was in it about how he wants folks to play the guitar and make it their own with literally their playing, grit and grease from hand oil actually being the wood finishing on the unfinished wood. The neck and fretboard are very sturdy, with jumbo frets and the latest technology in manufacturing to ensure each note can be fretted and in remain in tune / bend smoothly. All electronics are top notch- great humbucker pickups picked by Ed after a trial of about 100 different different pickups during the design phase. Tuners and Floyd Rose Special bridge were standard- I may upgrade them in a few months after breaking in the guitar. This is the only guitar review I have ever done- just trying to get some good karma I guess from this treasure I found and pass on the scoop on this guitar to others. Hope this helps- buy this! The perfect guitar to make yours just as it is, or customize/tinker around with it since it is affordable and there is much less stress of messing something up. IMHO if this guitar gets its due in the upcoming years it is our generation's Les Paul.Kevin

I had played one of these in a store and liked the feel. After having one for a few weeks, I like it even more. I'm slightly taller than the average guy. Hence my fingers are a bit longer than the average guy. Maybe it is just because the neck seems to get thinner as you get up to the higher notes, but it seems like the neck is a little wider than the rest of my guitars up around the 15th to 24th frets. ("rest of my guitars" include Les Paul, Strat, Ibanez RG550, EVH Wolfgang, and others for reference). Aside from how great the paint job LOOKS, it does not have a gloss coat on it. This is a good thing since the paint job extends up the back of the neck allowing your hand to slide quite freely on the back of the neck. The bridge humbucker is fantastic. It screams the notes clearly with ZERO noise or hum when not playing. I'm not that impressed with the neck humbucker, but that's comparing it to the neck hum on my Les Paul, Carvin, and PRS Custom. AND, for about 90% of the 80s hair band songs you are never using that pickup anyway. The Floyd Rose is great! I got tired of waiting for it to need minor tuning adjustments naturally, so I'm to the point of TRYING to make it go out of tune even slightly and it STILL stays locked in tune. Overall, this guitar is now my GO TO for anything 80s (the biggest chunk of my playing preference).Steve

I was keen to find a 6 string that had a fixed bridge that I could use for covers and so I can retune to alternate tunings easily without having to get the screwdrivers and spending a lot of time retuning like a Locking Tremolo guitar. Thankfully the guitar already had Seymour Duncan pick ups in which are essential to having a aggressive tone but as well allow good expression so this meant it would be a case of getting the guitar out the box and playing rather than buying separate pick ups having to fit them in and so on. As I wanted a guitar that wasn't black or brightly colored the desert sand finish on the guitar really stood out and attracted me. Most of the SLP2's have a great selection of finish's. As for the neck and wood finish it is very smoothly and allows you to get quick access from from end of the neck to the other. Behind each the tuners on the headstock, there is this interesting circular turning device to help lock in the strings. This may help keep it in tune more but I also just attribute it staying in tune due to the general quality of the guitar. I bend the strings a lot for my lead playing and I play very aggressively with thick picks and rhythmically so once I put some heavier strings on (my preference) and configured the bridge saddles with a very small L shaped Allen/hex key the guitar stayed in tune.Tom H.

Overall: First the guitar is very nice for the price. The neck is fantastic feels unfinished (sealed) but is actually a satin sealer on neck and unsealed board, which should age nicely. The frets are finished nicely and it's just smooth to play. The size of the neck is somewhere between an Ibanez (wizard II & III) and a Fender Strat. I think it feels better than an LTD EC 1001, probably due to no paint and compound radius.The guitar is heavier than expected but still a light guitar, it's not a thin body as some strat style guitars are. The guard is simple black but fitted nicely. The pickups aren't bad at all, personally the single coils sound mid and bass heavy, while the humbucker is more mid to bright. All in all compared to a Fender, the guitar is darker sounding, it's not bad but something I noticed.The single coils are definitely weaker (quieter) than the humbucker and not as crisp as ones in a strat. The humbucker is hot but not extremely so, I actually like it better than the ones in a comparable strat (MIM or older AM special).There are flaws though or at least in mine. First minor sanding flaw with 17th marker, smeared on board some. There's a chip in the paint on the top side of the pocket, looks like a small line about a 1/4" long. I also have some feathered pieces on the guard, where it was cut from the sheet of plastic it was made from. These are all minor things and you really have to go over the guitar to notice. It is something I expect at this price on an import guitar, just small QC stuff.Now to the major problems. The action was way high at the bridge when I received it, just under a 1/2" from top of body to bottom of the tremelo. Looking to figure out how low I could go, I noticed the neck was sitting at an angle and there was a gap in the neck pock.I removed the neck to find a shim had been placed in it. Now if this guitar wasn't heel adjust I would have just sent it back and never known but since you have to remove the neck for adjustment, figured why not. After removing shim I was able to get the bridge down to 1/8" off the body, you'll never be able to fully deck it. I also had to adjust string tension at the head to keep the lockers from turning strings sharp, not a huge deal, that's what it's there for.The newer models also don't match the picture. there is no longer a bullet plug on the head stock (where rod usually is on a strat). There is also no longer a skunk stripe on the back of the neck either. I am assuming these are cost cutting measures.The QC is an issue on these guitars I imagine, that's the biggest flaw. They are on par with most any $500 guitar, except the neck. The neck is leaps and bounds above others in my opinion. I put the guitar on the same level as a MIM strat.In the end I think it's a keeper and a decent guitar. I'd just suggest really looking over it when buying and be ready to do a little work or pay a good tech to set it up, which is common in this price range. Don't let it having a shim scare you off, it's probably rare anyways. I figure it was done as a fast way to set it up with a low board action to give people the ability to have a push pull trem, I prefer dive only or just enough for flutter. Just remember at $500, they aren't spending hours to set up a guitar, they'd never get enough out the door. I listed manufacturer support at 2 1/2 stars as I haven't used it but even if they are great I shouldn't have to need them (if they did what they should in the first place) so half way seems fair.Waylon

I have been playing guitar for over 50 years and have enjoyed the work of Adrian Smith in Iron Maiden and especially the work he did on the Bruce Dickenson solo albums. I was in the market for a high quality bolt on guitar with a Floyd Rose and ebony fingerboard and this guitar comes with a DiMarzio Super Distortion pickup which I used to have on one of my old Jacksons, I feel this is an great high gain pickup. This guitar has an excellent build quality that you would expect from a USA made Jackson. The guitar has a nice feel but the tone is so satisfying especially for high gain solos, the notes seem to have a fuller sound compared to some of my other high end guitars (Ibanez J. Custom, ESP E-II and Kiesel JB24), it's a very satisfying guitar to play. Please note that there are two similar models here, evidently this is the new model and the only difference in the description is that this is the snow white model and it's a few hundred dollars more than the other Adrian Smith San Dimas USA model. I had bought the other model first because I couldn't see any difference in the description but when I got it I needed to adjust the truss rod and that's when I found out that in order to adjust the truss rod on the cheaper model you have to remove the neck, I mean seriously? After I called Guitar Center and their tech confirmed that information I called Guitar Center and they gladly processed the return and got me the proper model in couple days no problem. Just be sure that you are getting the model that is snow white and look closely at the picture to see it has the spoke wheel adjustment for the truss rod but yeah the Adrian Smith San Dimas USA Snow White guitar sounds awesome!Mark G

This guitar is a very good value for it's cost. I really like the neck, as it's finish is really good for a guitar in this price range. Frets are smooth and the ends were done nicely, no snags on the fingers. The Floyd Rose Special holds tune nicely. I made some minor adjustments in string action and trem height to get really low action. The pick ups sound great coming through my Marshall DSL 20 Head and Cab.I really like the Fender style headstock with the black hardware. Overall it's an amazing guitar for the price. I am a musician of 35+ years and have owned many, many guitars over the years. I purchased this for my 15 year old son as it was an upgrade from his first guitar, a Squire HSS Strat. He loves the instrument. There are reviews where there's mention of the 1st E coming off the fretboard during play, I or my Son have had no issues with this. Maybe it's a technique thing.. Best of wishes to all you shredders!!Old Guy In The Midwest.

After allowing the guitar few weeks to adjust and giving it a good set up including new strings and a neck adjustment (tightening the rod), Conditioning the fret board and a good polish, The guitar is easy to play and has great sound for an inexpensive guitar. I like the So Cal green color others may not as it is a vintage vibe. Tuners are price point but even price point tuners these days are decent. A little sticking from the nut, I think I can lightly file that out and add some nut sauce. The fret ends were not too sharp but I conditioned them to a nice smooth finish useing 500 grit sponge. Very little cost to make improvements and the guitar is fun to play. The sustain is probably the biggest suprise and I am satified to practice with this guitar every day. Very pleased for the cost. Good value.Bruce P.

Guitar is ok for the price; however, I was expecting the strings to last longer than 2 days before breaking. Even the extra ones that came with the bundle broke as I was putting them on. I had to buy better ones and had a professional put them on to make sure they were adjusted correctly. Additionally, the small tuner's battery was dead out of the box so I had to get a new one. Again, I guess you get what you get for the price. On a positive note, the guitar looks nice, the small amps is super convenient, and everything arrived fast and together in one box.Luis L.

The guitar did not have the black scratch panel that is shown in the Sunburst guitar. Also, when my son opened the gift guitar, the black bag was covered in a white mold/mildew. It was delivered one week before his birthday and kept in a dry room, and opened for the first time on his birthday. The guitar seems ok, I will know more when someone with some guitar knowledge checks it out for me. It may be going back to the store. The pictures show exactly what the bag looked like minutes after the gift was opened. Looks rough, 2 stars are for the fact that the guitar was not moldy.Kacee

I will start by saying I returned the guitar to the store where I bought it after about 10 days. It took some time for me to discover some small scratches on the back and a torn "wrap" around the neck pick-up. I decided I had a "used demo" and not a brand new guitar. However, I liked the guitar very much over-all. The finish is beatiful and the tone also very nice. I was a little unsure about the amaranth fretboard playability even though the set up was perfect. When bending strings it seemed to be just a little sticky. Not a whole lot, but enough to make me think that rosewood or ebony is a better choice. I also found that I really didn't like the sharp pointed headstock. Barely room to attach a tuner. So I deduct one star because of these "issues" . All in all, still a very good guitar and probably perfect for just the "right" player.JIm

Love this guitar. Neck and quilted purple body finish is amazing, pickups sound better than I thought they would. They sound real nice for stock pickups. Now the Jackson Floyd Rose…works flawlessly. GC guitar tech put some cobalt ernie ball 10s and a small set up and "wow" what a difference that made. This guitar came out of the box mostly in tune and set up with 9s. Sounded great but now plays and sounds so much better. Floyd stays in perfect tune even after a lot of abuse. Very impressed with the guitar for sure. So glad I bought this!Don M

Play through my effects to Sheffield Bandit miked to my Marshall. Heavy thick sound, versatile for metal to 70's rock and some rock-pop. No malfunctioning or cracking/breakage- used heavily for 18 months now. With the medium frets no problem re-doing the frets as they wear further. After setting it up, with new strings and a bit of noodling then moving the tremolo arm a bit, the licensed tremolo stays in tune. I'm very particular with pitch and use the micro-tuners as needed anyway. But no problem getting through a tune in tune. But also I don't slam the tremolo hard, a tiny touch is all that is needed for 90% of metal anyway. Good fit for venues, etcetera. More than adequate. Rather not risk my Strat, SG, Jr. etcetera so there is that as well. Already bought a Jackson JS34, almost identical backup still in the box in case of loss of this one. Mod? I may later replace bridge pick up with a higher level one and neck pickup with a antenuator/sustainer is the only modification I'd do probably. Recommend? For the reasons above-mentioned (general use, price/risk, functionality, genre of music) I would.Kryt Havoc

I bought a Fender American Deluxe HSS Stratocaster almost ten years ago. It's absolutely gorgeous with its glossy, 3-color sunburst finish, aged white pickguard/controls and shiny chrome hardware and it plays like butter. The only problem? The Noiseless N3 single coils don't have that traditional Strat tone. I know I could swap pickups, but I wanted to keep it stock in order to maintain its value. I recently started looking for something that captured the sound I had in my head, but either didn't like the neck shape or fretboard radius of anything current or felt they sounded too much like what I already had. Enter the Nick Johnston Traditional SSS. This sweet baby IS the Strat sound, at 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of any of the made in USA Fender models. The tones range from low and throaty to high and scratchy, and the neck is one of the fastest I've ever played. Seriously, it's like my fingers just know where to go when I'm fumbling through scales or noodling unplugged in front of the TV. The roasted maple fretboard gives the guitar an aged appearance, like it has hundreds of stories from the road to tell, without the rest of the guitar looking beat up and rusty like a relic model. Too bad Atomic Orange is the only finish to offer that fretboard, but the combination of the two still looks sweet. Factor in the locking tuners, low action, a floating tremelo bridge that works well with palm muting, the Schecter reputation for quality at a reasonable price and you have yourself a winner. Tone is subjective, but with or without a Tubescreamer in front of my Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb and DSL40C, I am in sonic heaven. I rarely write reviews, but noticed this model didn't have any yet and am too excited about it not to recommend it to others. My Fender will soon be up for grabs on all the online sites, if anyone's interested…Craig C.

This is my second Schecter Nick Johnston traditional and the 2021 version has a roasted maple fretboard instead of rosewood that feels and looks great. I got it in the Atomic Orange finish which is the best looking orange guitar I've ever seen, and the light caramel color of the roasted maple fretboard looks incredible against it. If you are familiar with Nick Johnston's music then you know the pickups aren't voiced for metal, but through a high gain tube amp you can get an array of impressive tones. Though the pickups may be the same as in the 2020 version I had, they seem to be voiced differently. The bridge humbucker has a great roar and a really detailed lead tone, while the neck single coil has that warm tone that's perfect for everything from jazz style chords to shreddy leads. I usually blend the middle single coil with the neck single coil on clean tones for a warm sound with a bit of shimmer. Most impressive thing for me is the tremolo. I'm not sure if the guys at AMS did this, or if its something new from Schecter, but the tremolo came set up to float and it stays in tune really well. I couldn't believe how much smoother the trem on this new 2021 version was than the 2020 NJT that I had. It's really amazing for a strat style guitar, better than my comparably priced Player Strat and Schecter Van Nuys. Overall, I'm very happy with this NJ Traditional!Mark O.

Pros – To my own personal taste, these things play phenomenal. The neck makes the guitar for me. It's thin and wider than what I've always been used to on my MIM Strat. The frets are quite a bit wider and more forgiving. The color of the body and the color of the neck and fretboard make this thing beautiful in person. Pictures don't do it justice. It's a sea foam green, with a hint of blue in person. It doesn't have your typical Strat sound. My friend described it to me as somewhere between a typical single coil and a p90 when he heard it. People have called the pickups somewhat flat and dull, but I've gotten quite a bit of sparkle out of the pickups with just an eq pedal. I'm not much of a tremolo guy, but it seems to be well made, however I'll be switching to a 5 spring setup in the next few days so it'll basically be null and void anyway. Cons – I would absolutely give this guitar 5 stars if it wasn't for a few issues I ran into. The set screws in the back of the headstock that go through the tuning peg plates were drilled and screwed in at an angle and weren't tightened very well. Tightened them all LIGHTLY and broke the G string screw off into the headstock. Had to drill it out, dowel the new hole and redrill and put in a new screw. Could've filed a claim, but I liked the guitar too much to send it back and I knew I could fix it myself. Other little things are the setup wasn't the best and pretty much all of the nut slots needed work to either stop various strings from binding or notes going sharp. If you've read this far I'll tell you something else.. Before I bought this I went into my local GC and played several monetarily comparable Fender Strats. Player Series and the Deluxes. This thing kills them. I picked up EIGHT different ones and every single one had QC issues and felt horrible. I do not want to knock Fender in any way because my first electric guitar was my MIM Strat from around 2004 and I love it. However, at the price point, I'd recommend the Schecter just from my own personal experience.Coley

VFM – 5/5. Beautiful player. We’ll set up. Flawless construction. Stunning new guitar shape and colour. Humbuckers are sweet and can be split. Highly recommended.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I have the Player Plus Nashville Tele and wanted another guitar in the series. I've been enamored with the Meteora since it first came out. This thing is amazing. It is the right mix between a Strat and a Jazzmaster. I love the fireball pickups and the S1 switch gives some awesome tonal options for single coil twang. Weight wise it feels like a strat or a jaguar. Rolled fretboard feels great, neck is a c shape similar in feel to a Les Paul but with a super nice satin finish. Overall this thing is an absolute beast!Dave

I have 5 other fender strat's all usa made and this mex made Meteora is my new "go to" Finish is flawless, neck feels awesome, fret work is better than my new $2,500 ultra strat. Super comfortable to play, The fireball pickups sound great. Way to go Fender Mexico !Don

This is the perfect guitar for a versatility of sound. The amazing high output Seymour's will leave no doubt it is more than ready to perform. I am am a true 80's metal fan and I play a lot of it on this guitar. The playability, quality, and sound is the best I have ever played in the past 35 years. I pair it with my Standard Pro Les Paul and Line 6 V240 for a powerful set at the club. This is probably the best guitar I have ever put in my hands! Only downfall is it's locked tuning so I use the Les Paul for DROP "D".Darin

I bought this guitar to shred some Van Halen with when he passed and while it isn’t an EVH guitar, it’s pretty darn close! I absolutely love this axe, the tone is very bright and warm, the Floyd rose functions smoothly and changing strings isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Not to mention it had great action and good feeling strings right out of the box. The So-Calus are a staple of what a superstrat should always be, and Charvel seems to nail it on the head every time with these! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for your classic 6-string Floyd ????Nolan

Wonderful guitar. I bought this axe in vintage white (love it). I cannot find any flaws in frets or finish. The pickups scream when needed. The neck is fast. I'll definitely be looking at buying another Charvel in the near future.Yabs

A lot of the reviews posted here are for Strats, so I'm not sure what's going on. Anyway, I bought the red sparkle Squier Bullet Tele. The finish is gorgeous and that's what prompted me to do a spontaneous purchase. I have only experienced owning USA Teles, but I've played some Squiers that really impressed me. This one? Not so much. I don't detect any finish on the back of the neck although I'm sure it has a sealer of some sort. The body finish is nice, but the bridge hardware is cheaply made and I'll be replacing that for sure. Same goes for the tuners. I'm pretty sure it has some high frets because it goes dead starting at the 10th fret, but some of that was back bow. I loosened the truss and got rid if it, but now when I sight down the neck the forward bow is pretty obvious. I don't notice the frets being sharp on the ends. It now plays plays pretty good after sitting long enough for the truss Rod to settle, but I may need to tighten it just a little to get rid of some of the forward bow. The neck has a very comfortable profile. The body is thinner than my American Teles, but it doesn't bother me – in fact it's lighter which I enjoy. The body is Poplar and that's fine by me. I may leave the back of the neck alone for now because it actually feels pretty good, aesthetics are certainly lacking, but the body makes up for that. I'm sure with a little patience and help from my friends I'll have a nice instrument. All the basics are there. As is, it's not all that great, but still better than my first electric guitar! -!an old Kalamazoo single pickup thing with a bolt on neck back in the mid sixties. Like the title says, this thing has potential. I probably couldn't buy a finished body for what I paid.Ronnie

I bought my black metallic Squier Bullet eight years ago when GC was having a Columbus Day sale. I was looking for a guitar to which I could permanently mount my Roland GR-33 guitar synth's GK2a pickup. Previously I had the pickup mounted on my '96 Strat, and I didn't like this fit because I couldn't close my Strat's case with the pickup installed. I have a gig bag for this Squier, and it fits fine in the bag with pickup installed. Anyway, about the guitar. Right out of the box, it played great, requiring only a minimal amount of action adjustment. I was surprised at how good the pickups sounded, it being a Bullet and all. But the humbucker sounds especially nice when playing the guitar through my Marshall. The neck pickup has a decent sound, but not quite up to the snuff of a good alnico pickup. Still, for what the guitar cost, I really can't complain. If I want to, at some later date, I can always change out the neck pickup to a better alnico model. One thing I especially like about this black Bullet is its looks. The photos here at GC don't show it off all that well, but the guitar body's finish is metallic and the pickguard is a heavy metal flake. It looks spectacular under the lights. And the black hardware does a great job of completing that black look. The Bullet's body is thinner than a typical Strat or Squier Affinity or Classic Vibe body. The result is a light weight guitar, but there is no sacrifice in tone.Michael

I would first like to begin with- I normally would be giving a 5 star rating of this unit/Squier, as I have typically never had problems prior to the recent/earlier this year upset regarding shipping containers/etc being paused/sitting in the ocean/etc, delaying container delivery. PLEASE READ ON FOR FULL EXPLANATION. Two imperative points- 1. The fret ends were so sharp, when I say it was not playable (both sides/neck in its entirety), I mean, it was not playable (THE DATE OF INSPECTION WAS EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND I IMMEDIATELY ASSOCIATED THE FRET ENDS PROBLEM BEING DUE TO THE SHIPS BEING DELAYED/SITTING IN THE OCEAN/ETC- It looked to me like maybe between March and July of this year, although, I couldn't quite make out the stamped month). As well, the serial # of the guitar, of course, was of this year/'22. I maintain/work on most all my guitars, and I normally would've tightened up the fret ends myself, however, there was a hairline crack on the red sparkle finish at the bass side neck joint (which i just couldn't accept, visually), as well as a small tooling gash along the top edge of the headstock. The replacement/reordered guitar arrives tomorrow. 2. THE NEWER UNITS (AS, ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS A 2022-BUILT UNIT) ARE TOP-MOUNT/STRING THROUGH THE BACK OF THE BRIDGE, NOT "STRING-THRU" as the description indicates (and, with Squier bridge mounting, these are 5-screw mount plates, which, if ever you want to upgrade your hardware, particularly, w/the bridge, you must find an aftermarket unit that is "string through the back", along w/the correct string spacing (with Squier, they're 54mm, typically), and you'll typically need to redrill given it's rare to find plates that have Squier mounting dimensions that provided string through the back holes. I'm upgrading to a Babicz, given the results found. Also, there are two string trees (the second being a tree for both the D and G strings), and it looks great, actually, with both. Overall, I was impressed with the finish, as it was nearly flawless (aside from the hairline finish crack mentioned previously). The fretwire/fretwork, felt great….I found maybe two or so "slight" dead spots, which weren't enough of a "ping", or string buzz to be of concern, or critiquing the fretwork negatively. Rather, I was impressed with the fretwork. As well, it's important to note that the mounting of the bridge, along with the neck positioning/etc, was spot-on. No misalignment of the bridge mount/etc (and the same goes for the nut spacing). I've always been impressed with what Fender/Squier/Jackson are putting out. The quality is typically quite high…as for this unit, the quality is high, but the results of the environmental dilemma with either being stuck in a container offshore, or, sitting in a facility for weeks/months/etc, have had quite the impact on this guitar. As an important example, I had purchased a Bullet Tele last year (the unit in Burst color offered here through MF), and it was/is flawless, and I completely upgraded every part. As I own approx'ly 53 guitars ranging primarily from ESP to Jackson (some of which in the better than $2K range), I love to take what's titled as a "beginner" guitar, and totally hotrod it with high end parts (such is the case w/this guitar). As mentioned above, I've reordered the guitar, as MusiciansFriend provided me a generous discount (without having to ask) to accommodate me. Upgrades- 1. Babicz Full Contact Tele "Ashtray" bridge Gold, 2. Genuine Fender Gold control plate, 3. Fender Infinity Gold strap locks, 4. Gold input jack Ferrule, 5. Custom built Gold Sparkle w/star cut-outs Tele pickguard, 6. Philadelphia Luthier Tools "Fat" neck plate/Gold w/gold neck mounting screws, 7. Earvana compensated nut (Ivory), 8. Philadelphia Luthier Tools Gold string trees, 9. Fender locking tuners, Gold, 10. EMG T-52 set (black), or, EMG T-set, Red., 11. EMG Gold Telecaster knobs. 12. Powder coated Red pickguard screws, 13. Gold pickup mounting screws. Beginner guitar?……no more (ha).Dave