Michael Kelly Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Wasn't even planning on getting this bass but went to the store and the Sterlings and Squires couldn't even come close. Really surprising find and happy I got it! It really made the squire and sterling feel like toys. There are a few blemishes but the construction is spot on and has a really tight neck pocket. Only downside I'd say is that the finish is kinda cheesy up close (I don't think it's wood grain looks way more like a dip to me) and the head stock decal could use a redesign but besides that it's great!A Badger

I love the bass the neck is beautifully designed and the tones are rich warm tones can adjust the right amount of punch you want from bass and it’s beautifully made ,I highly recommend the bassRichie

Overall: I love the sound and playability of this wonderful instrument. My only complaint is with FedEx, they delivered a day late and at 10pm. they did not walk it up tp the door they left it in the middle of a driveway I share with a neighbor and left with no notification. I just happened to hear their door slam. I opened the front door as they left. I walked out to the driveway and stepped on the package because it was so dark. Fortunately the instrument was not damaged.Micheal

Overall: Acoustic Basses are quiet when unplugged and this one is no exception. However, it is loud enough for practice in the living room and maybe with an acoustic guitarist playing softer. The tone unplugged is above average, very woody with some brightness.BUT this thing absolutely shines when plugged in. I was blown away at the crisp tones and ballsy lows I was hearing. I usually play a Fender 5-String American Standard Jazz so I’m used to lots of sizzle and growl. I am beyond happy to add this acoustic bass to my lineup. The Fishman Presys+ is amazing. You have so much control over your time and can almost get anything you want out of it. The notch and phase features are especially useful for maintaining clarity and tone at high volume and eliminating feedback and distortion. The fit and finish of this bass is exceptional at the price point. It’s like a piece of artwork and even more beautiful in person. Definitely gets bonus points for style.I’m giving this bass and bass alone 5 stars but I must also say this. If you get a case with it, pony up the cash for the hard shell. I got the gig bag and the quality is questionable. It arrived with a small tear and some frayed stitching. It will be adequate for protection for now but I may upgrade to the hard shell eventually. Also the stock tuning pegs aren’t the best but they work and have held tune fine so far, just feel cheap.Tyler

I am a worship director and songwriter. I use this bass in tracking things in my home studio and occasionally when gigging. It sounds fantastic, has good intonation, and is an absolute stunner to look at. I couldn't be happier. The box was a little beat up upon arrival, but the bass was packed well and I damaged in shipping.Zoo Station Studios

Overall: I've been playing music for over 50 years and when I first saw this instrument, just by the looks, I knew exactly what I was getting into!When I played this bass, It left me with a"smile that you can't buy"!! When I was able to say something,all I could say was Wow.I recommend this multi-facet , guitar to both pro and starter level musicians.I can guarantee that the new owners of these basses will be completely satisfied and will tell everyone about this wonderful stringed masterpiece.Andrew

Simply put, this bass is a lot of bang for your buck. Whether your plugging it in or just noodling around with friends the clarity of each note fills the area around you. The upgraded presys plus system is incredibly versatile and extremely user friendly when trying to dial in any tone. Right our of the box between the looks and how rich and full it sounded, it blew me away. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good, playable acoustic bass that plays as good as it looks.Nick

Great looking 5 string acoustic bass. Setup was playable out of the box, no truss rod adjustment needed. Only thing that I feel is definitely needed is upgraded tuning keys as there is too much play in the stock ones. I replaced with Gotoh GB707 which are much sturdier and 20:1 ratio which is much improved. Stock holes need a tiny sanding out to accommodate these tuners but only takes a couple minutes and then an easy drop-in replacement. Since I am playing primarily through an amp, I inserted one of those rubber feedback eliminator discs in the soundhole and changed strings to La Bella white tape wound to eliminated lots of finger noise when amplified. Now plays great, maintains tune and sounds wonderful. With a little tweaking this bass is a welcome addition to my gear.JL

I am so happy with my new Michael Kelly 5 String Fretless bass. Grandon your Luther at our local Sam Ash store here in Indy, did an amazing job. Grandon replaced the strings and completed the set up on this bass and now it is my favorite bass. Grandon has this guitar sounding amazing, with no string buzz. Thank you Grandon! and Thank you Sam Ash.KEN

Wasn't even planning on getting this bass but went to the store and the Sterlings and Squires couldn't even come close. Really surprising find and happy I got it! It really made the squire and sterling feel like toys. There are a few blemishes but the construction is spot on and has a really tight neck pocket. Only downside I'd say is that the finish is kinda cheesy up close (I don't think it's wood grain looks way more like a dip to me) and the head stock decal could use a redesign but besides that it's great!A Badger

I love the bass the neck is beautifully designed and the tones are rich warm tones can adjust the right amount of punch you want from bass and it’s beautifully made ,I highly recommend the bassRichie

This is a beautiful well balanced instrument with outstanding tone flexibility. Both active and passive.I've had it a litte over a month and have not put it down. I had to have it set up out of the box but other than that it's exactly what they say it is. It has a lot of features that I see in the more expensive basses and it sounds, feels like the higher end basses that I own. I can gig and travel with this bass with no worries. Great value for the money. I'll be watching Michael kelly guitars to see what's next. I'm SOLD on this one.Mister Chandler

I've been playing for many years and many of those years as a full time professional musician. I've owned at least 30 basses but these 2 basses the Michael Kelly Pinnacle 4 string and 5 string are by far my favorites.nicolino

I have Several Basses, Fender, MM, Fernandes and some others. This is so customizable with sound and I absolutely cant put it down. I only put it down when my other basses give me a sad face to play them.Ad

Sound: The stock pickups sound great especially with high gain. Nice crunch and break up. Features: For me the reason that I bought this model is that it is the least expensive way to get a real Edge tremolo. I can do subtle things with the Edge that I can’t do on an Original Floyd Rose. The bar is easier to position and it stays where ever you put it. As long as the torsion bushings on the bar aren’t worn out, the pop in bar is neither too tight or too sloppy. Value: This guitar is worth every penny. Manufacturer Support: I did not use Ibanez customer service and I did order half a dozen sets of torsion bushings, but had to order them from different places. The Wow Factor: I love the color of this one, Desert Sun Yellow. Overall: In the last 2 months I’ve bought 5 different Ibanez guitars, both lower and higher price. I must say that this guitar is the most bang for the buck out of any of my 21 guitars that I own.Got more than 200 bucks off on mine as it was sold as a slight blemish. When the guitar arrived, I noticed it did have a hairline crack in the paint on the bass side at the neck pocket. That was the only flaw I could find and it probably would have happened anyway if I would have got a “new” one.This is the shreddiest guitar that I have. The only thing that I had to address is that the 6th fret was a little proud. Other than that the fret job was good. All the frets were shiny and smooth and no fret sprout.This is the guitar that is at the price point where if you spend more money, you aren’t going to get much better. And the fit and finish were top notch.Scott

Overall: This guitar was a total impulse buy and I’m so glad I bought it! It’s easily worth twice the price of it. Can’t get too many mid tier guitars that are neck thru with decent pickups and a 5-way switch that has a fast and slim neck at this price. I mostly play baritone 6 strings and 7 strings but I needed a 25.5” scale for drop C and this is perfect for it with 10-54 strings. I did upgrade the nut with a Graphtech tusq nut and Hipshot locking tuners with knurled tuner buttons and looks even more badass while staying in perfect tune! I have an Ibanez rgib6 Iron Label 28” baritone and this is up there with that as far as quality and playability. The stock pickups aren’t bad at all and definitely surprised me cuz that’s usually the first thing I’ll change in an inexpensive guitar. As you can see by the other reviews people say it’s a great guitar and they’re not lying so if you’re on the fence about getting it then go for it! You won’t be disappointed at all and if for some reason you are then zZounds has a return policy within like 30-45 days so you won’t be stuck with a guitar you don’t love.Josh

The Squier Bronco Bass delivers exactly what I expected. It's a 30" scale bass with a body shaped like the Fender Mustang bass; it has a single pickup (I believe it's a strat pickup), is fairly light weight (mine weighs in a 7 pounds 10 ounces), and it's a fun little axe. It's also the lowest-priced bass by an actual musical instrument company. How do they keep the price down? One way is that this is the only bass I've owned that has no fingerboard. It doesn't affect anything, but the front of the neck IS the fingerboard. The hardware is okay quality. But here's the thing – it sounds decent, feels great, plays well. There's going to be a little luck of the draw in a lower priced instrument, but my tuners stay in tune, intonation was on, everything is good. There was a little too much neck relief, but that was easy to adjust. If you're realistic about your expectations, the Squier Bronco Bass is an awesome value, looks good, and it gets you playing. It's not going to sound like a Stingray or a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, but it doesn't sound bad, either – I would do a show with one without worrying about it. I have other basses, but wanted to add an inexpensive short scale to my stable, and this bass was exactly what I wanted. I may upgrade the pickup later – I may not. For now, it falls between my 34" scale and 28.6" scale basses, and it's fun to play. I'm very happy with it.Pcake

I ended up using this bass for songs where long scale can be a bit difficult. My main bass is an imported '54 P Bass copy, Alder body and maple neck/fingerboard. It had to go into a local shop for some major nut repair, and I needed something to play around with. Off the rack, it was a pretty great bass for the price. The neck is very well crafted, no sharp fret edges like some imported instruments. It's an agathis body, so the tone can be kind of bland, but compared to older Squier Broncos, it seems that all of the bridge and neck contact one piece of wood on the multi-piece construction, so sustain isn't too bad. The bad: The tuners are pretty sorry and are an oddball size, which makes replacement with good tuners very difficult. My E and A tuners rattle some, but all four do hold tune pretty well for cheap tuners. Also, the stock pickup is a six-pole ceramic Strat pickup, so it can sound…odd when bending strings. The other bad is the bridge: although it intonates pretty well, two saddles can make proper intonation difficult to achieve along with proper radius. Also, the bridge mounting pattern is almost impossible to replace with another bridge–four hole lock-down and quick-release style bridges DO work, but the bridge is mounted a little too far forward, and intonation is almost always sharp on the upper end of the fingerboard. Gotoh 201's are also very difficult to adapt to fit. But for its price point, some of these cons are easily fixed. I have a Mojotone Alnico V lipstick Strat pickup in mine with CTS 500K pots. It sounds excellent–it fools some of my buddies about how cheap it is. This bass could probably also benefit from a bar retainer near the nut. It went from an around the house beater to a mainstay for certain songs.Isher

my dad, a professional and extremely experienced bass guitarist, bought me this for christmas last year, and i love it. this is the first bass i've ever picked up and it's easy to play, is well built, has a nice feel to it, etc. i highly recommend it for beginners. i play it in my school band class and it fits in very well with the rest of the instruments. however it can fall out of tune easily and the pickup isn't the best, but ultimately it's the most perfect beginner bassout there, especially for the low price, it's high qualityace

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

I lead worship at church and needed a backup acoustic for my Martin OMC. I picked one of these up for under $350 and have had several people including the sound guy tell me they like the tone of this better than my Martin. Its great to play and is a great value. I highly recommend this guitar. Only issue was the nuts holding the metal bridge plate were loose and rattled but I was able to get in with a socket and tighten them.raduns123

This thing has an incredibly pleasant tone band the craftsmanship is out of this world! You can't beat this thing out of tune with a hammer lolPandaStarr

This guitar just flat out amazes you over and over. From the large soundport that not only turns this into a boomer when it needs to, it's location on the top of the instrument allows you to hear yourself playing easily. The construction, fit, finish and intonation rival anything I've ever played from the big names up to 2k or higher. Michael Kelly has truly reconstructed the sound board bracing and created a larger sound field which, for the price, is simply amazing. I had tried the Galaxy model which I believed would come with the same port configuration, but it is a very spunky slimline that lacks the overall character of this guitar. This could be purchased just as a work of art as it is. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.Joey

I lead worship at church and needed a backup acoustic for my Martin OMC. I picked one of these up for under $350 and have had several people including the sound guy tell me they like the tone of this better than my Martin. Its great to play and is a great value. I highly recommend this guitar. Only issue was the nuts holding the metal bridge plate were loose and rattled but I was able to get in with a socket and tighten them.raduns123

This thing has an incredibly pleasant tone band the craftsmanship is out of this world! You can't beat this thing out of tune with a hammer lolPandaStarr

Had a little trouble tuning at first , user error, never had tuning on board ,once i figured it out everything sounds good,just wish I could get more out of e- string, just not as deep as my j-bass,but1/3 of price also All in All Really Nice little guitarH2O

I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A BASS THAT I CAN TAKE ON A PLANE, AND I HAVE FOUND IT! THIS THING PLAYS UNBELIEVABLY WELL, AND SOUNDS JUST AS GOOD. THE UNPLUGGED VOLUME IS ASTONISHING. THE SOUND PORT ON THE UPPER BOUT HELPS TREMENDOUSLY. THE FISHMAN PICKUP SOUNDS GREAT. THE INCLUDED GIG BAG IS MUCH NICER THAN EXPECTED FOR THE PRICE. WHAT A COOL BASS!JCOFFEY

I took to this bass right away. Short scale is fun to play. I grab this bass when I have a few extra minutes and don't make my way to my studio. Otherwise I play J bass full scale. Only issue I found is the bridge nuts inside all came loose, one fell off. Easy fix once I got my hand inside, but not anything you'd expect on a new bass played for a week and a half. All said tho, I recommend!FergyBass

Overall: By far the most beautiful top guitar that I own, the spalted maple top is a head turner! overall sound is very articulate with the Rosfield p90s. I tried to determine witch pick up selector position that I liked the best, all three positions are very good! the neck feels good with the modern C shape and the Jatoba fretboard is beautiful. The tuners are ok for standard tuners and the frets have no sharp edges and look good. set up was great out of the box, so pleased with it. Would I replace it with another one if something happened to it? heck yes!!!Ken

Can't use it yet, I have to get the Sam Ash luthier fix them first. Very disappointing to have a beautiful instrument unplayableBobo

I've been playing guitar since I was 6. I'm now 53 and own many guitars including Gibson USA, Ibanez, USA kremer and this guitar is my favorite. Great service, outstanding instrument. Thanks so much Sam Ash.Michael

This is the first guitar I've ever bought, just started learning how to play. Wasn't perfect when I bought it but after some adjustment it seems to be playing very, very wellJSTAFF

Sound: Sounds good with new pickups in it. Features: It has locking tuners and a good tremolo just make sure you can intonate this guitar before you do anything to it. Ease of Use: Plays nice now after new pickups and a complete setup and intonation. Quality: It's made pretty well for an import guitar it's going to need some work. Value: For the price it's a good deal but only if you know how to work on a guitar or are willing to pay someone else to do it. Manufacturer Support: I bought another Michael Kelly guitar a few years ago and it was pretty good also changed the pickups in that one too. The Wow Factor: I think this guitar looks really nice and it plays nice too- now. Overall: I ordered this guitar because it had all the features I wanted, even though I had my doubts about (Indonesia) quality control.When I got the guitar I was surprised how good it looked and also how heavy it was- this is not some basswood peashooter that weighs nothing. I would say it weighs anywhere from seven and a half to 8 lbs. The body wood they use is some Asian version of Ash and it is heavy and 1-3/4" thick! Looking at the front the first thing you'll think is that it's some kind of photo veneer, but it is not it is the real wood grain. The neck is very nice not too thin but not fat either somewhere in the middle and no dead frets. Frets look like medium jumbo- which I like. Has locking tuners that seem of very good quality. Neck is also tinted like the body very nice job. So you're saying 'what's the catch?' well there is a catch and it's the electronics. The pickups are all cheap ceramic ones and while they could get you through a gig I'm sure, if you're used to good pickups you're not going to like them. I ripped them all out and put an alNico V humbucker and alNico V single coils from GFS that I just happened to have laying around. Sounded much better still a little harsh, so I removed the little chicklet capacitor and put a 0.47 paper and oil capacitor like a bumblebee but I think it's Russian (very good quality) and that really helped smooth things out. The tremolo seems a very good quality and it works excellent. I did have a small issue with the intonation because the tremble bridge although set perfectly centered and square to the nut was 3/16" short. What this means is that the edge of the tremolo is supposed to be 25-1/4" inches from the nut but the actual length was 25-1/16". I decided to keep the guitar and try to intonate it as is, and I could- but just barely on the low E which is the one that goes furthest from the nut. The neck needed a small half a turn on the truss rod and it was perfect. With the new pickups it now sounds very good. This is a really good modding platform guitar. The closest thing to this is when Fender was making the (Mexican) Ash strats a few years ago which were very nice but also have garbage electronics.So if you know your way around a guitar, and around a soldering iron then by all means buy this and go to town on it. If you're looking for a $1,500 American strat for $429.00 you're going to be very disappointed. But for the money you get a really decent body and neck with some nice hardware just put in the good electronics and you're all set and make sure you check that you can intonate it before you do any work. Good luck.John

Overall: I have a small, but carefully curated collection of guitars. I can't/don't spend big bucks on each guitar, so I want to make sure whatever I get ticks a lot of boxes and, for me, this is perfect. It's light weight, super comfortable (has both arm and belly cuts) and plays like a dream. And with all the super thin necks that are so prevalent today, it's nice to find something a bit more standard for those of us with bigger hands. I did upgrade to locking tuners, but I don't think I'll be touching the pickups. Overall a great pick for a T-style daily player!Grant

The good: Very resonant acoustically before being plugged in, this is the most important sound test, pickups can be changed, a dull instrument is a dead end. The nut was cut well. The fit and finish was excellent, no blemishes, overspray etc. The binding looked perfect. Weight was very good, not too heavy. I really liked the neck and shape, not ultra thin but not too bulky either. They seemed to find that happy medium. The tuners are very good, but I'll probably swap them out for a set of hipshot locking tuners just to make string changes a little quicker. Pickups are very nice. I was assuming that I would upgrade them but after playing this a while, I'm not sure the improvement would be worth the cost as these sound great. The 4th selector option that converts the two singles to a humbucker sound is very nice, I've found my self gravitating there in certain situations. This pickup option takes a great all around tele and makes it a complete workhorse for live shows. I have a Gibson Les Paul, PRS CE, several high end Ibanez guitars, a very nice Godin Velocity as well as various other guitars. This guitar was to check the telecaster box for me and it makes me wonder why I didn't get one sooner. Great all around guitar, this could very easily become my go to live guitar just because it's such a player and is much less expensive than my other ones. It can definitely cover all the bases of the other ones. I can't compare this to a high end Fender because I don't own one but I imagine the differences would be minimal. I recommend this guitar as a good mid tier option. It punches higher than it's weight and is a great value for the money.Jeremy