Hondo Formula 1 Series Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

What you see (in my case) was a black Stratocaster knock-off and what I got was black Stratocaster knock. The quality is decent (downright great for the price). but of course, that means although the basic guitar is well mased the hardware and pickups are not of stellar quality. If you expected anything else you must be crazy. The guitar arrived in good shape … I put on new strings and straightened the neck, then checked the intonation which was good… This is an EXCELLECT beginner's electric guitar. I have been playing for 50 years and I bought this guitar to practice my guitar repair skills. I will pull all the frets and re-radius the neck then refret the guitar and perhaps replace the pickups. If you buy one of these, be sure have a luthier (guitar builder/repair person) set it up for you if you don't know how to do that for yourself. These are great low-end guitars but (like any other guitar) they do need a setup. I am old enough to remember all the bad ( as in almost unplayable) beginner's guitars from back in the day. Now with CNC machining the quality of the low-end guitar market has increased greatly and this guitar is the result. The beginner can now get a decent guitar at a decent price. This is one of the best guitars the low-end market segment has to offer. Rawk On!!!Thomas

Amazing shipping, Ordered 12/22, arrived 12/26, a SUNDAY, even in our historic supply chain crisis. If I'd known they'd be so fast, I'd have ordered a day or two sooner to have it here for the little ones on Christmas. Everything as expected, except not a trace of the blue burst shown on the website; just solid blue. Pretty color, seems well done, but lost a lot without the burst. The biggest problem is that the bridge (a 6-screw version) is mounted off-center towards the treble side. This means the bass strings are way in on the neck, and the treble strings are close to the edge. Also, they don't line up right with the pickups. (see photos). I hope that's not a problem, it'd be a real bear to fix, and given the automated production of a unit like this, a replacement would probably be the same. Neck has a satin finish, knobs all work smoothly, no scratchies, arranged as Volume, Neck Tone, Center Tone. The selector switch feels stiff but solid. Jack nut seems tight (always seems to be a weak point in electrics) but we'll see for how long. I like the block saddles. I doubt I'm going to gig with this one (I play upper-tier Strats mostly) but it seems like the perfect "bathroom guitar" or kids guitar, certainly better than the plywood crap I learned on. A great replacement for Squier Affinity that now costs $249 street. I wanted a guitar to tinker with, and I sure got one. New strings, tuners, pups… fun for me and the grandkids. I won't save money when it's all done, but the experience for me and them will be golden.New User

I bought this a little over a month ago, and I play it every day. I'm a beginning guitar player, and I'm happy with my purchase. The reviews I read prior to buying this varied: some said it was flawless, others found multiple problems. It appears that while it is an overall good value, the individual guitars may vary in quality. I haven't had a "set up" done on it yet, so I've been playing it just "out of the box" and I'm impressed with the sound and playability. Pros: Looks good. Sounds good. The little practice amp that came with it sounds very nice, and you're not gonna play a bar gig with it, but it's sufficient for practicing at home or even in a garage jam. It's built to upgrade over time, so you can easily customize it how you like. Cons (bearing in mind this is just "out of the box" with no setup): The frets are installed inconsistently. Some frets are flush to the edge of the fretboard, a few are a bit short of the edge, and others stick out past the edge, making it difficult and painful to slide your hands down the fretboard. (See the photo.) This doesn't seem to affect the sound. There's a light intonation issue on the higher strings: a perfectly tuned E on the open string gets to be a sharp E in the 12th fret (so it's about halfway between an E and an F), but this could probably be fixed with a proper set up. Very minor issue: the strap that comes with it is AWFUL. It's thin, it's itchy, it has no pick holders, and the slots to go into the buttons on the guitar don't lock well. Very minor issue: the gig bag is flimsy. Consistent with the reviews I read before buying this, it is definitely worth the money if you are a beginning guitar player or are looking to customize your own guitar over time. The sound is good out of the box and it's a great guitar that can grow with you as you grow as a musician. The quality of individual components (the finish, the frets, etc.) may vary a bit from item to item, which is to be expected at this price point.New User

I have bought several guitars in the 100 to 300 range. I was surprised on the quality of this guitar and felt it was superior to many other brands in this range. From neck joint to fret polish & leveling and finish this guitar is quality except the tuners, however the guitar stays in tune and rarely goes out. The neck is not a Fender Strat or Tele neck so don't expect it to play like one, Its its own thing. It is not wide at the nut so if you need a wide neck at the nut it may not be for you. I find it fine and would not consider it narrow. The neck is slightly fatter than a Squire neck but it is still a C shape and a bit thicker as you go up the neck to higher frets. It plays great. Its set up well for Rock and Blues playing, neck adjusted with a light bow and strings set low (but not to low to buzz). Bridge saddles are stainless steel and this make the strings ring out bright and loud even when not plugged in. Intonation was spot on. Frets are tall enough to allow for string bending (there not super low). As regards pickups this is a personal thing. Pickups are very basic and do okay, one may want to upgrade them to ones own liking other wise there fine.pchapm

I was hesitant when ordering the guitar, but after I received it worry washed away from a single glance. I'm not good at instruments, I never played anything than doing ukulele club when I was a kid so I didn't expect myself to buy a guitar. It's delicate and beautiful, feels great to hold and sounds just as good. I do not regret buying this guitar at all, in fact I'm greatful that I'm able to own it. I strive to become great at playing it, little by little . Thank you!Nazma B.

It's a beautiful guitar and really well made. I bought it for my 9 year old daughter and she loves it. I don't know anything about guitars as I'm a pianist myself, but her guitar teacher was absolutely delighted with it. It's definitely worth paying the extra for the upgrades. I can definitely see it lasting her as it feels really solid, and the knobs and twiddly bits etc feel really solid. I genuinely can't get over how nice it is. Makes me want to learn the guitar myself!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Sound: I can get any sound I want just through the pickup selector, tbx and midrange boost controls, and the master volume takes it over the edge for extra crunch. Playing by myself I preferred the middle pickup, but in a band situation the neck pup cuts through brilliantly with lovely clean treble twang. This is a great guitar for biting blues or rock tones, or dial it back for a nice soft clean tone. I mostly play through a Blackstar TVP 60 or Marshall DSL40, but I keep both mostly clean where it's just starting to break up, which I can control by my attack. Features: The best feature for me is the playability of the neck. The satin finish combined with the low vintage frets is just super smooth. I played about a dozen different Strat models before finding the EC, and once I played it there was no other choice to make. The noiseless vintages pups are a breeze, and the controls do everything Fender claims. Ease of Use: The EC just fell to hand for me immediately, like no other guitar I'd played before or since. 'Nuff said. The pups allow me to keep tight control on feedback only when I want it. Quality: This is a pure quality instrument, and I love everything about it. Having said that, after 2 years there's quite a bit of fret wear from bending, so I'll need to refret with stainless steel wire for longer wear. The volume pot has started to get a bit dirty and noisy, so it needs a clean, even though I've only played in clean environments. Value: Worth it's weight in gold. I have not played another guitar that makes me want to buy it. Manufacturer Support: Haven't need manufacturer support, but in Australia I have Fender-registered luthiers. The Wow Factor: This is EC's guitar, as close as I'll ever get, which is a big selling point. But sheer playability, quality, and value for money, plus pride of ownership, make it simply the best. Overall: Just a fabulous, playable guitar, the best I've ever played.Peter

Arrived in great shape. So far, I love this guitar, and despite all the videos I watched and reviews I'd read, I was still amazed at the sheer number of tones you can get out of it. With the mid and treble boosts, you can really go from "typical strat" tones to get incredible sustain and hit the front of the amp quite hard to get good breakup.Pros:- American Strat quality, fit and finish is good, rolled fret board, etc.- The electronics – endless variety of tones. Not great for modern metal or hard rock, but anything else will work.Cons:- This would be a hard guitar to work into a live venue if you play with other guitars as well. It is LOUD, so much louder than my Les Paul or anything else I own that I have to play with the levels and EQ on the amp. In my house, no big deal. At a gig, that may be tough. That said, I don't own other guitars with active electronics, so maybe other active pickups are also this much louder?- Requires you to unscrew the back plate to change the battery. I'm sure this keeps costs down, but on my active basses it's a lot easier to open the battery compartment without screws. Make sure you have a full battery before a gig.- I was surprised at the amount of set-up I had to do to get rid of fret buzz. Given the amount of distance in shipping, time in warehouses, temperature/humidity differences, etc. my guess is that it was probably fine when it left the factory, but it's the first guitar I've bought online that had so many strings/frets buzzing. Luckily a couple turns on the saddle screws fixed it all without appreciably raising action.Neither good nor bad: – The neck profile is unique to the Clapton. It feels like "a more playable vintage profile" to me. It's definitely not a modern profile. You'll either like it or you won't 🙂 I found it really easy to adjust to, and it seems to work great for "thumb over"- The bridge is similarly vintage, and comes blocked. If you really want the newer Fender bridge, you are out of luck. Given my set-up experience (above), I'm not convinced I could just "remove the block" and have it playable without additional set-up.- Tweed case looks amazing, but is not form fitting like the new TSA case that comes with other American Fenders. I wanted a tweed case, and I don't fly with my guitar, so not a big deal to me.Overall I feel like I made the right choice in buying a Strat, and I can't put it down. If your goal is to make Clapton sounds (or any other great Blues/Rock sounds) – this is a fantastic guitar.Metal Head

For the price, this guitar is awesome. The overall feel and look is outstanding, and the bridge pickup is clear and articulate (the neck is ok). The split coil sounds are chimey but not harsh and brittle which was surprising. No high frets, the nut is cut well for the strings, the tuners are pretty stable. Cosmetically the finish and general build quality is very good with some exceptions. Mine came with a crack in the veneer at the heel of the neck near the pickup. There are some pretty gnarly tool marks on the fret board and frets, but mostly on the higher ones which is pretty typical on something at this price point. there are some chips and what looks to be excess glue to where the nut is installed. Cosmetic stuff isn't THAT important to me, especially for lower priced instruments, although the crack in the veneer bummed me out so that contributes to taking away one star. What also is keeping it from being 5/5 is that the saddles could be a little more rounded off because the low E saddle has it's corner digging into your palm when muting, not painful just uncomfortable. Then finally I needed to add a shim because the angle of the neck was far too steep for me to get the action I wantedRuss

First off I was surprised with the overall quality although the tuners are it's weak point and should probably be changed unless the nut is causing the issue. Everything looks amazing and the sound is very impressive. The alnico neck pickup sounds beautiful. The bridge pickup does what you want to without a problem and overall sounds surprisingly great for rock and metal. The neck is very comfy thanks to those rolled edges and smooth roasted maple satin type finish and makes a big difference in the feel and comfort of the neck. This is a Fender Strat Killer. You get way more for the money and the overall attention to detail you just don't get with Fender unless you do it yourself. A little heavier than I would l would like it but an above average guitar in this price range.Doug

I’ll start with it out of the box. Please keep in mind this isn’t every guitar, just the one I paid for. The set up was pretty dreadful to be honest. I’m not sure if it was set up like that ready to ship, if it was sat in a warehouse like that before hand or if the shipment itself caused the major back bow. In either case, that caused a lot of fret buzz. A simple fix. I can’t fault it for being out of tune out of the box. The finish is great! A lovely, deep red that’s kinda sparkly. Very pretty… Apart from the tone knob which has dug into the guitar causing a scratch in the shape of a ring. The tone knob itself fell off after a day of having it (I think it’s quite funny as that happened to my 2015 ML1 after a few years). I imagine this being another issue caused by shipping. Fairly minor things for a guitar but not what I was expecting from one purchased brand new. I was really looking forward to loving this guitar but it seems somebody somewhere along the way didn’t put the care in to it. Next I want to talk about feel because that’s the thing you can’t understand until you’ve got it in your hands. It’s incredibly resonant and you can feel the guitar vibrate through your hands just like my Korean ML1. The neck is fairly thick, I like that. Some people don’t but that’s not the guitars fault. It feels like the Korean ML1 I mentioned earlier, just a little longer because of the scale length. The neck itself could do with being 5mm wider across to accommodate for the over crowned fret ends, leaving almost no room for the low B string to be fretted. Thus making it far too easy to pull (what would be the high and low E strings) off from the fretboard. I think that may be a flaw in the overall design of this guitar, particularly if you think about the floppiness of the strings even if they weren’t horribly down tuned. The fretboard looks much better in person and feels like an ebony fretboard [insert happy face] The frets are slightly dull and more importantly, heavily over crowned which makes it difficult to play those thick chuggy riffs we all know and love. Functionality: The locking tuners would’ve been a great addition to this guitar if they kept the guitar in tune. I might be going a little hard on this point but staying in tune is a vital part of any guitar and this one isn’t great at keep itself in tune. The pickups are ok, I love the ability to coil split and get some lighter tones out of a guitar. I’ve found myself spending more time with the coil split and it’s lovely. The full humbuckers just don’t have the bollocks they need. I would’ve preferred a HS or HSS set up but that’s a me thing and no fault of the guitar.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Absolutely love the guitar. Color is a lot more subtle in person than in pictures online. Plays smooth right out the box, looks and feels amazing. Neck is quite similar to a strat but gets flatter near the neck. Only reason I didn't give a 5 star review is because when I unboxed it and inspected it there was a scuff on the headstock. It isn't noticeable from a distance but definitely something I'm not happy about. Other than that it plays great, looks great, feels great 🙂Julieanne

Sound: The sound of this guitar, with the JB bridge pup is totally awesome for hard rock and metal. Also, the SD cool rails in the middle and neck positions sound great. The neck pickup in particular really sings. The pickup compliment really makes this guitar outstanding. Features: Has a nice little wrench holder on the back of the headstock. Just keep a penny in your pocket in case you have to remove the wrenches from the holder as it is set up to tighten and loosen with a coin or a flat head screw driver. Ease of Use: There wasn’t really a learning curve for this guitar. Every feature on this guitar is quite intuitive. Quality: Very well made guitar. The Floyd Rose is great. Keeps it in tune better than any other system out there. This guitar comes with a FRT 1000 Floyd Rose trem. I think it’s fit and finish rivals that of the OFR. Anyway, it handles all the abuse I dish out on it, and stays perfectly in tune. Value: This guitar delivers everything that one would expect from a one thousand plus dollar guitar, and then some. Manufacturer Support: See my previous comments The Wow Factor: The finishes offered on this guitar are spectacular. I get so many compliments on the looks of my guitar. Overall: Wow, when I got my Kramer SM-1 the thing seemed too good to be true. The fit and finish was great. The nut was at the right height. The bridge height and the action was just right. I could pull up a mile. Beautiful color (orange). Frets were all level, and no pokey fret ends.As far as being too good to be true, well it did have a stupid flaw. Someone at the factory forgot to put a ground wire to the trem claw. I had to take it to the warranty repairman. Took the repairman 10 minutes to fix it. Four inches of wire and two blobs of solder was all that was needed. Warranty job, so fixed for free. Almost.After 6 months of ownership of this guitar, the warranty guy gave me a call to tell me that Gibson never paid him, and that he was going to submit the claim one more time, and that I was to pay him if Gibson didn’t. When I first brought the guitar to him for the repair, he wanted 50 bucks. I said hold on there man, this is a warranty job. He decided to do the job right then and there, even though he couldn’t get authorization that day.Anyway, I wound up having to call Gibson and told them what happened. They were apalled. Gibson customer service really isn’t that great. I’m still waiting on parts for another guitar from the for the last 6 months. Gibson did straighten the warranty guy out though, and they paid the repairman. Apparently the repairman didn’t submit the claim properly.Well aside from that one issue, the guitar is perfect. The blade pups for the neck and middle sound awesome and so is the HB bridge pickup. SD JB I’m told. This guitar, aside from my ground wire issue, was as perfect as perfect can get. If you are looking for a shred guitar, sheik one of these out. The placement of the neck in relation to the body just feels right, unlike my Jackson soloist, which feels foreign.Scott

Overall: after a thorough check of the guitar:the temolo system is of very poor quality.the knife edges of the tremolo system were badly bruised, as were the posts. the drive-in sleeves were very rusty and not hammered in properly.the mechanics were not properly attached and reils showed an idle travel of half a turnthe frets had strong scratches all over the fingerboardthe electrical system was laid in a mess, 4 cables came loose during the preliminary inspection, the 5-way switch had a loose contactall of the excavated shafts were not sanded, the electrical compartment was not shieldedwhy did i keep the guitar? because I am able to fix everything. and if i pull off the pu, it stays under 650 dollars for a lacquered body with a neck, that's oki installed a schaller lockmeister tremolo, schaller mechanics, a completely new electrical system, the frets dressed and polished, the shafts ground, the electrical compartment insulated, the misalignment on the nut fixed, a string retainer installed, new buttons installed.now i have a guitar that keeps the mood, sounds great and is the way it should be. I invested around $ 550 for this. so in total the guitar cost 1,600 dollars. I would have liked to pay directly if the manufacturer had offered it.I can't give you a recommendation out of the box because the guitar is not playable like this. maybe i get a lemon, but ther is no quality controll at all.Dirk

My son saved his money to purchase this pack. He could hardly wait the few days for it's arrival. He has had no prior guitar experience. He persuaded me to place the order as this would be an elective class for his homeschooling. I had my reservations. He did not play his PS4 for an entire week after receiving his GigMaker pack! He loves it and I am amazed at how well his is learning how to play it. I am extremely happy that his video gaming has taken a back seat to his love for this guitar.KLM

For years Squier has been a popular brand of discount Fenders. They were often someone's first guitar. It was very rare that a guitar enthusiast would want to search out a Squier for their collection, once it was established. Squier has been seriously making a much better product in recent years. With their Paranormal line they have created guitars that are definitely worth owning. They are uniquely crafted, despite being made in China. Even the pickups are designed to be specific to the sound the guitar goes for. The Super Sonic is easily one of the most eye catching. With two volume knobs and two exceptionally juiced humbuckers, you will be surprised what this guitar brings to the table. It's sound can be explosive and heavy. It is made for overdrive pedals and tube amps. The tremolo is near perfect. Two bits of advice that you must know when you get this guitar; first it comes with the wrong type of strings on it. You will need at least 10s in a heavy gauge to make the tremolo work without it slipping out of tune. 9s will not cut it, so restring it first thing. Also the string action most often comes from the factory being too high. Make sure you have a small allen wretch. Adjust the string height is extremely easy, easier than all my Fenders, and it can go low. You get some low action on this guitar, with the tremolo working perfect, and that thick overdrive, you have yourself an addition to your collection that is very much worth the money. This guitar is very much a reason to set out and go in search of a Squier.Ragnorok76

This was my first purchase from ProAudioStar. I ordered on Wednesday, it shipped on Thursday and arrived on Saturday. The guitar was well packed and arrived safely. The Squier Toronado itself is gorgeous with quality similar to the Classic Vibes. Frets are nice, finish is perfect, neck is straight, no obvious flaws (after 2 days at least!). The humbuckers are surprisingly bright, which is a good thing to me. The only word of caution is that the LPB finish is darker than usual. I have a LPB Stratocaster and the Toronado is significantly darker. I actually like the darker shade, it's just something to be aware of.AverageTortoise-819

A perfectly playable guitar at a sub $500 price point that’s a ton of fun as well! Pros: Short-scale, humbucker-equipped, independent volume and tone controls (all very un-Fender-like)! Cons: I would have preferred a satin finished neck; however, the gloss finish looks great, the pickups were set up waaaaay too low to even be really audible, one of saddle screws was stripped and fell out. These last two I fixed myself. Otherwise, the guitar looks and plays great! A quirky Fender with a big voice!Scott

My teacher set this up at practice and declared it one of the best Strats he has ever played and he owns 4. He loved the neck, pickups, tone. From a distance it looks OK but up close the finish appears to have been heated and put in a freezer. The finish fracture is worse up close with thousand of spider web, broken glass specs which could not be photographed. Sounds amazing but I prefer NOS.William

All right… First, I have to thank Brad at Musicians Friend for seeing this purchase thru, for me obtaining a true Time Machine. In 1958, I would have been 9 years old, but I was already listening to Rock and Roll music on the AM radio, here in the San Francisco Bay Area(KEWB). If my parents would have given me this guitar, I know I would still have it, and now I do. I'm not a big lead player, so, I'm content to be the rhythm guy in the band. Not a problem. This guitar is Aztec Gold, but the Custom Shop aged it to Perfection. When I hold it, and play thru my Bassman Re-Issue, my mind goes now where no other guitar in my Collection can take me. I've noticed that there aren't too many reviews on these high-end axes because maybe their minds are blown by how good they feel, or they're too busy jammin' to write a review. I don't know. But this I do know, these Relics, from 50-odd years ago, will get you thinkin' about what your life would have been like IF you had one in Grade School, and how your life would have changed. Just a note: Leo Fender started making the Esquire when I was born, so maybe I feel like I'm in a parallel universe with the solid body guitar in California. So, if you think you can afford one of these Relics, pick a year, and get one that you like from the looks, and I think you'll be on your way to a totally different place when you plug in…..Hope this helps.John out by the Golden Gate Brid

Guitar arrived quickly and double boxed as a guitar off this level should be. As I tuned it up I noticed that the bridge was pulling way up, like it was never tightened to where it should be for a playable set up. So I looked down the neck and saw that the low E side appears to have more relief than the high e side, such a let down.. The nut was cut just enough to hold strings. Due to that poorly cut nut, strings.were really far from first fret So even though I already wasn't going to keep it, I plugged it in and WoW! This strat has just enough glass in the highs and still has grunt with a little drive. I'm not sure how it does both, but despite how poorly it played, it sounds incredible! If the neck wasn't twisted and it had even a decent set up, I would keep this guitar forever.D

1 month review with guitar being setup professionally: Great pickups and tone and overall good sounding guitar after a proper setup, gorgeous nitro finish and paintjob. Relic effects are beautiful. The nitro finish feels thin enough for you to eventually make your own marks from repeated playing – a perfect way to tell a story and give the guitar character. Worn in neck feels amazing to play and not sticky to touch. Worth noting that the Pure Vintage 59 pickups on these don't have a reverse-wound middle pick, so there will be hum including positions 2 and 4. If you are easily annoyed with single coil hum, these pickups might not be for you. Also worth noting that these pickups do sound a bit warmer than a stock Fender Player pickups. These respond so MUCH better to high gain type of playing, all while still sounding amazing on low-gain and clean playing. Despite the pros, there are still some areas are lacking and needs improvement. The guitar had razor sharp frets along the binding that could easily cut you, meanwhile I have a $700 MIM fender player didn't have this problem straight out of the box. It's crazy to think that $700 guitar went through better QA than a $1200 guitar, but whatever, the frets are bound to be polished and worked on anyway with your initial setup regardless. CME's shipping page policies say "Every guitar gets a full inspection, as well as basic setup." Guitar came with an inspection card that had overall playability specs checked but some of it was questionable. The guitar was not playable at all out of the box despite letting it acclimate for over a day before opening BUT that is a given considering it spent time in a delivery truck trunk in freezing winter. However, it was a bit bogus how they even checked off volume output when the pickups were NOWEHERE near the appropriate height out of the box and there was BARELY any audible output on the treble side of the guitar. I highly doubt weather and temperature fluctuation will make the pickup screws spin by themselves to the degree at which the pickups came out of the box. Secondly, the tremolo springs at the back also weren't ******* in the appropriate depth for a either a floating or flushed trem setup – it was just sort of in the middle of the cavity. Weather fluctuation from their shop and may have affected string tension, but I also don't think it would make the claw springs in the back unscrew themselves to the degree the guitar came. Makes me wonder how thorough the inspection was. These might not matter as much to some especially those who will get their new guitars setup anyway, but it's good to note that you may still need to budget for a setup if you aren't doing it yourself. Although there could've been improvements on Fender and CME's part that I don't think could be blamed on external factors such as weather and climate fluctuations, overall, I would still 100% recommend this guitar, and it's a gem. The guitar played well after a proper setup, so I'm happy with it now. The price may be too expensive for some considering it's not made in USA, but it must be considered that this is the cheapest proper nitro-finish guitar you will currently find. The next best thing are Fender custom shop, so this guitar is perfect for those looking to enjoy vintage style paint/nitro body finish, and vintage specs without paying custom shop prices. The appearances are just a plus, since they sound and play amazing after a proper set up.Carlos T.

I've been playing for a little while, I rehearse with my band once/twice a week so my guitars definitely get played quite a bit, I've preferred Stratocasters from an early age. The shape is legendary and the tone is versatile. I own Chinese, Japanese, U.S. and Mexican Strats. This one is very comparable to my American Professional Stratocaster, the neck profile, the weight and intonation. Electronics are great, single coils produce a sweet twangy clean tone and the humbucker roars really nice with the right amount of gain/distortion. Makes it a very comfortable instrument that plays as easy as mantequilla on a hot tortilla. Only issue, (hence the 'almost comparable to MIA strats comment in the headline) are the frets… They are a little bit on the sharp side, I'm guessing it comes down to a player's preference? A competent luthier can dress the fret ends and make this one a real player/main axe. Other than the sharp frets, everything else is pretty solid and straight, the vatos down in Ensenada MX do great work producing these!Benjamin

So my story goes like this, I flew into Portland Oregon for work and immediately drove from the airport to Guitar Center. Upon walking in, someone was shredding on a guitar and it went on for a good 10 minutes. The guitar he was playing was the Candy Red Burst Fender Stratocaster Player Series. After he was done, I grabbed it and saw why he played it so long. It felt just solid in the hands. The strings, fret board and neck were silky smooth; Super easy to glide up and down with no fret buzz. The pickups are all Fender Player Stratocaster series which I have had no issue with and perform great out of the box. Also, just holding the guitar is a treat in the hands. It's a beautiful guitar. The Candy Red Burst has a very high functioning coat that gives a deep black fade anyway you turn it. It also fit my bill for something to remember Oregon by since the guitar is a deep Rose Red and Portland is know as the City of Roses.The Pau Ferro fingerboard is also eye candy as it has black veins that run through the grain matching the black hardware of the guitar. Other then that, I have had this guitar for 5 months as of this review and absolutely love it. The guitar holds its tune very well I enjoy playing it every time. Wait, you still reading this? Go get one already!Allan

Tris LTD was recomended by Bruce Kulick and it is an amazing instrument worth every penny. The construction is solid with a humbucker that has a good range from warm to chunchy. The pull/push control knob adds extra versarility. It a great guitar for the price.Wil

it all started with a visit to the music store in my town in Greece..it so far came to 3 of these guitars in 3 different colours! THAT'S how awesome this guitar is! it is a workhorse guitar, not for the faint-hearted or the beginner crew, and it delivers everything IN SPADES! anything I throw at it, be it mild overdrive, heavy distortion, crystal cleans, it can do it ALL! #must buyPantognostis

Got mine in fall 2021. Set up out of the box was right on. Low action, no fret buzz, fret edges on sides of neck were nice and smooth. Guitar plays and sounds great with or without overdrive/distortion pedals. Big and rich sound out of P90 neck pickup. Bridge humbucker has plenty of punch. Love the tuning stability of the hardtail bridge. Fit and finish A-1. The only small thing is, I wish the tone/coil split knob had a little more drag when you turn it, but it works fine. I would rate this guitar equal to or better than my Highway One Strat. If you're thinking about getting a Player Series Strat, check out a 611 or 612 Pacifica first. Everything from Jimi Hendrix to Judas Priest, this guitar rips! Rock On!rich

Incredibly happy with the build quality. I did buy a 311 first which had some tuning issues. The 611 is WELL worth the extra money with adding the Graphite saddles, the seymour duncan pickups and the maple cap. The bridge pickup in particular was a huge upgrade. Why do I like it? I have had a 90's strat plus (US), G&L, Fender Standard and at least 1 other ST style. I started playing on a tune o matic bridge when I was young and I started with the bad habit of plying with my palm on the bridge. this knocks strats out of tune. I tried blocking bridges with pennies and with wood blocks which but it felt like the strat tone was crushed. This thing is so simple live: 3 way; volume; tappable tone. Great ST sounds, in a hard tail guitar for a great price. Impossible to find elsewhere. This thing is hard to beat in terms of versatility and simplicity. Great ST tone; ability to go to humbucker bridge and a P90 neck. Great tone; great price very giggable instrument. Fantastic choice.Bill J

What you see (in my case) was a black Stratocaster knock-off and what I got was black Stratocaster knock. The quality is decent (downright great for the price). but of course, that means although the basic guitar is well mased the hardware and pickups are not of stellar quality. If you expected anything else you must be crazy. The guitar arrived in good shape … I put on new strings and straightened the neck, then checked the intonation which was good… This is an EXCELLECT beginner's electric guitar. I have been playing for 50 years and I bought this guitar to practice my guitar repair skills. I will pull all the frets and re-radius the neck then refret the guitar and perhaps replace the pickups. If you buy one of these, be sure have a luthier (guitar builder/repair person) set it up for you if you don't know how to do that for yourself. These are great low-end guitars but (like any other guitar) they do need a setup. I am old enough to remember all the bad ( as in almost unplayable) beginner's guitars from back in the day. Now with CNC machining the quality of the low-end guitar market has increased greatly and this guitar is the result. The beginner can now get a decent guitar at a decent price. This is one of the best guitars the low-end market segment has to offer. Rawk On!!!Thomas

Amazing shipping, Ordered 12/22, arrived 12/26, a SUNDAY, even in our historic supply chain crisis. If I'd known they'd be so fast, I'd have ordered a day or two sooner to have it here for the little ones on Christmas. Everything as expected, except not a trace of the blue burst shown on the website; just solid blue. Pretty color, seems well done, but lost a lot without the burst. The biggest problem is that the bridge (a 6-screw version) is mounted off-center towards the treble side. This means the bass strings are way in on the neck, and the treble strings are close to the edge. Also, they don't line up right with the pickups. (see photos). I hope that's not a problem, it'd be a real bear to fix, and given the automated production of a unit like this, a replacement would probably be the same. Neck has a satin finish, knobs all work smoothly, no scratchies, arranged as Volume, Neck Tone, Center Tone. The selector switch feels stiff but solid. Jack nut seems tight (always seems to be a weak point in electrics) but we'll see for how long. I like the block saddles. I doubt I'm going to gig with this one (I play upper-tier Strats mostly) but it seems like the perfect "bathroom guitar" or kids guitar, certainly better than the plywood crap I learned on. A great replacement for Squier Affinity that now costs $249 street. I wanted a guitar to tinker with, and I sure got one. New strings, tuners, pups… fun for me and the grandkids. I won't save money when it's all done, but the experience for me and them will be golden.New User

I bought this a little over a month ago, and I play it every day. I'm a beginning guitar player, and I'm happy with my purchase. The reviews I read prior to buying this varied: some said it was flawless, others found multiple problems. It appears that while it is an overall good value, the individual guitars may vary in quality. I haven't had a "set up" done on it yet, so I've been playing it just "out of the box" and I'm impressed with the sound and playability. Pros: Looks good. Sounds good. The little practice amp that came with it sounds very nice, and you're not gonna play a bar gig with it, but it's sufficient for practicing at home or even in a garage jam. It's built to upgrade over time, so you can easily customize it how you like. Cons (bearing in mind this is just "out of the box" with no setup): The frets are installed inconsistently. Some frets are flush to the edge of the fretboard, a few are a bit short of the edge, and others stick out past the edge, making it difficult and painful to slide your hands down the fretboard. (See the photo.) This doesn't seem to affect the sound. There's a light intonation issue on the higher strings: a perfectly tuned E on the open string gets to be a sharp E in the 12th fret (so it's about halfway between an E and an F), but this could probably be fixed with a proper set up. Very minor issue: the strap that comes with it is AWFUL. It's thin, it's itchy, it has no pick holders, and the slots to go into the buttons on the guitar don't lock well. Very minor issue: the gig bag is flimsy. Consistent with the reviews I read before buying this, it is definitely worth the money if you are a beginning guitar player or are looking to customize your own guitar over time. The sound is good out of the box and it's a great guitar that can grow with you as you grow as a musician. The quality of individual components (the finish, the frets, etc.) may vary a bit from item to item, which is to be expected at this price point.New User

Beautiful guitar, but…the tremolo arm didn't fit. The hole in the bridge was too small. Contacted Monoprice, they offered a refund or an exchange. Decided to carefully ream out the hole with a small, fine circular file. Fret ends as usual were very sharp, easy fix with a foam sanding block. Other than those two bugs, I love the guitar. Wonderful neck, plays and sounds great. Fret work was excellent (except for the VERY sharp ends). Oh, and the bridge saddles are garbage. They are good copies of the original Fender saddles, but those were garbage too. $20 at Eyguitar for brass replacements.Daniel

My OS40 DLX did not arrive with a trem bar so I sourced one from Amazon—it's a standard 5mm with no threads. The bridge was extremely loose (which is normal for a Jazzmaster-type guitar), but the posts AND the sleeves were way too sloppy. Fixed that with some aluminum foil tape. The trem on this model is one way only (tunes downward) and cannot be made to float–like real Jazzmasters–due to the spring being too strong. I replaced the spring with a much weaker version and now it floats and actually stays in tune very well. Last, the bridge is the vintage version which looks like it was made from threaded rod, and the strings will easily shift position when strumming hard. The remedy is a steeper break angle which requires tilting the neck slightly with shims or (like I did) installing a Micro-Tilt device like on real Fenders. This increases the downward pressure on the saddles and along with 11-50 strings the whole thing works great. The body on mine is 2 piece solid wood–not a bunch of scraps like on many cheap guitars–and the fingerboard is exceptional. No shielding under the pickguard but it's an easy fix. Even with the extra work this guitar is a bargain.Matthew

Based on the guitar I received, this is a good starting point if you don't mind doing some work. On the plus side, the finish was very nice and the overall wood components, pickguard, and pickups are solid. On the minus side, there were some issues. The tone pot fell apart and had to be replaced, one of the pickguard screws fell out (stripped), the fretboard was very, very dry and the frets needed some minor work. Also of note, while the neck and body are very nice, the do not join smoothly. the veneer of the body extends beyond the side of the neck at the pocket and took about 2 seconds to crack. All of these items are repairable, but a bit excessive for most beginners.Cullen

I purchased this guitar when it was $95 off full price. So that kind of makes it a worthwhile purchase. Definitely not worth full price in my opinion. Poorly packed with insufficient padding in the box allowed two of the strings to be bent during shipping. I assume this happened during shipping. They wouldnt send bent strings right? Thankfully they provided back up strings… The nut is very poorly crafted. You can visibly see burrs and imperfections in the nut that cause the strings to ring out of tune on certain parts of the fret board even after tuning. The pick-up selector nob fell right off first time I adjusted it. I will have to glue it myself. When the notes do play out true the triple pick ups sound better than the Peavy beginner guitar I used to have– Which only had two pickups and came in a similar starter package but was about half the price as this guitar. I think if I research how to fix some of the issues I can make it playable. But this guitar is far from playable out of the box. Fairly poor quality control.Cody

I was looking forward to ordering this as my first guitar after taking some classes a couple years back. The shipping was remarkably fast–however, when the product arrived the amp was completely broken. Upon plugging the guitar into the amp and strumming, it would make a horrendous scratching, broken sound. Plucking strings has the exact same effect, and occasionally the amp will cut off after a second of playing. I've tried adjusting the dials, turning overdrive on and off, I even bought a new cord thinking that was the issue to no avail. To make matters worse I have called the customer support number multiple times asking if I could recieve a partial refund, or ship back the amp for a functioning replacement–every time I'm left on hold before the call disconnects, if I can even get through to begin with. The only reason this isn't a one star review is that the guitar itself works fine and looks beautiful! I wouldn't reccomend buying the full set if they don't bother to make sure one of the most essential parts is functioning before shipping however.James B.

I worked outside for my father for a good many weeks while the guitar was on sale, and when I got it, I had mixed emotions. After a few days, the gig bag started to rip and now theres a big hole in it. Its still usable, but it isnt really well made. Also the bag isnt really protective. Its more decorative. The strings on it and the other ones were both junk, my local guitar shop guy told me that himself, but strings are moderately priced, and most of the time they last a while, so thats not much of a deal. The amp is lower end, and the cable that plugs into the amp and the guitar started to show copper wire around 2 weeks after purchase. It still works, but it should have lasted longer. And the stand on the amp didnt hold up at all, the plastic on it broke and now it wont angle so the sound comes at your face. But other than that its a good purchase, i would just suggest to just buy the guitar alone, and buy the amp separately, instead of the kit, but that may get expensive, so check out those options and compare them to this product and decide for yourself. My local guitar shop guy told me that the guitar itself is great quality though, but there are more expensive guitars out there, its a great guitar to start out with. Another side note, not relating to the quality of the guitar, but for beginners, how to learn how to play it fast. I suggest buying Rocksmith 2014 with this for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One and other game consoles. Although it is expensive, the cable that comes with it counts as $20 dollars of it, and it actually surprisingly works! I started playing the game in late june or early july this year and I learned pretty quickly, to the point where I am now thinking about combining lessons and the game together to speed up the learning process even faster. Now it wont turn you into Guns N Roses overnight, but its pretty effective.TheVanillaMiner

Bought this book for my grandaughter shes 10 managing this book quite well her granda has helped ter alittle butshes really getting away with this book top marksoliviajewels