Best Wide Neck Electric Guitar (2024 Update)

I have twenty Fenders, including seven telecasters, and this is better than all of them. The neck feels like its been played for years, and the shape is perfect. Heavy rolled edges make it a pleasure to play with my thumb over the neck. First guitar I have bought that I had to raise the action slightly on the top two strings. Set up for fast playing or chords straight out of the case. The colour is sparkly brownish, but looks black in most light. Very well made guitar. The pickups are noiseless and are silent even with pedals. They sound like standard pickups, no loss of signal because of the extra windings for the noise cancellation. Sound fine. I must say, the pro 1 series pickups sound better. All in all a lovely instrument, well worth the extra few quid.STEVEN T.

Overall: I have an Ultra Strat in Cobra Blue, an Ultra Jazz Bass in Texas Tea, a Les Paul Standard Gold Top and other guitars. This has the most beautiful finish (Sunburst). Way better than the picture or videos. The tone is amazing. Light weight at 6.2 pounds. Officially my favorite guitar. Add to that they shipped it to me in 25 hours after promising 5 days. Ordered Monday noon and here it is. They had it in a warehouse near Reno and I got it next day. zZounds you ROCK.William

The Fender Ultra Telecaster Texas Tea is an amazing guitar, at first I noticed the D-Shape neck and quickly adapted to it. The neck feels silky smooth, hand glides over frets and is easy to play. The sound from pickups are brutally brilliant, and wit the S1 switch built into the tone knob, sends a slightly different signal, bit more gain with full richness depending on the selector position of course. I went initially seeking for the Jimmy Page Dragon Guitar and walk out of the shop with this Ultra instead, and for the few hundred dollars more, this guitar is totally worth it. The look of it is killer, and so classy – if there is an ultra guitar series in your guitar shop locally, don't hesitate to pick it up and test it out. This guitar is HOT! It's difficult to see in these photos but the colour under certain light angles are different and has small sparkling metallic substances mixed in with the colour. It's a black oily dark grey/brown. The neck has a vintage tone colour and the rosewood neck and skunk stripe just makes this guitar special.Jim T.

Having a couple guitars I was curious about the short scale. Came across a Mustang P90 in surf green with maple fret in the open box section. Awesome deal , guitar is a joy to play. Sounds great clean or with overdrive. What an fantastic bang for the buck fun. Fun to play blues , metal , punk thrash…etc Cannot say enough good things about this guitar.Michael P

Overall: I can't believe there aren't any reviews of this guitar yet!I have the Burgundy Mist version of this with the pao ferro fretboard which, sadly, zZounds no longer carries. It's pretty, really pretty, and it exudes a seriously vintage vibe. (I saw an antique Burgundy Mist Chevrolet last week and I immediately thought of my feisty little Fender.)The hardware; bridge & tuners, is your standard MiM Fender quality. They're more than up to the task. The Strat-style bridge makes this an easy guitar to keep in tune. (I once had a 1978 Mustang and keeping it in tune was a nightmare that not even Edgar Allen Poe or H.P. Lovecraft could imagine.)The MP-90 pickups are capable of so much that it I could fill a whole page trying to accurately describe them. They are beefy enough to really drive a good tube amp. (My main amps are a Marshall DSL1 and Vox AC4-C112.) On a clean setting the neck pickup on its' own isn't particularly impressive, kinda dark, but the middle and bridge positions are really versatile if you tweak the volume and tone controls.With distortion, in my case a Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion (it's more of a gargantuan fuzz than a distortion pedal), all three positions sings with a tone that would make Leslie West smile broadly.I'm not a big guy (5'9", 150 lbs) so the small offset body and short scale neck are really comfortable.There is only one real drawback to this marvelous axe but it's something that shouldn't for even a second dissuade anyone from adding this guitar to their guitarsenal, and that's the pickup selector switch. It's junk. It cuts out and is rather staticky (is that a word?). It's a cheap piece of junk but it usually works so I can deal with it. (And you can as well.) I'll eventually replace it but there's no need to right now.My particular specimen had a truly beautifully grained pao ferro fretboard, with the frets being smooth and very well dressed. I love a big monstrous tone and this little wonder genuinely delivers.(Fender's prices have gone up since I bought mine but this particular axe is an absolute joy to play and for the price is still a true bargain. It loves, LOVES, full six-string power chords so if you're in a Mountain tribute band then you'll find a lot to like in this guitar.)I am first and foremost a "Telecaster guy" but I love pulling out this little dude and blasting away like Han Solo in a cantina full of Greedos.I've gone on for far too long here but it's only because I really, really like this guitar.[In my 'stars' rating I give this guy five stars in the 'manufacturer support' column because I own a bunch of Fenders and have never had a problem.]Mark

Overall: In a YouTube review of this guitar, there was one guy that said he didn't understand why any experienced and knowledgable guitar player would want THIS guitar over something more high-end (i.e., a "real" Eclipse), because of the differing body design features. I, myself, am not anything of a virtuoso player, nor do I have the fattest wallet at the moment, which is why I settled on something more in the midrange for my first relatively decent guitar. I've been playing for years, writing songs on "piece of crap" guitars, and it didn't matter to me that my instrument was nothing to show off when that's all that I was using it for (i.e., to write songs). Before I am an instrumentalist, I am a vocalist and songwriter… but I digress. Anyhow, coming from someone that has a limited span of what truly "decent" is in this department, I, personally, found this guitar to be worth the price. I am not the most knowledgable about guitars, no, but I know what feels right to me as a player. This one is pretty nice. The body is lightweight and thin without feeling or looking cheap or flimsy, and the playability is fantastic. There is little strain on your fingering hand due to how easy it is to press the strings down, unlike on cheaper guitars. Had I learned to play on this one, I would have been totally spoiled! Maybe like that guy with the YouTube review. Haha. The sound is nice and crisp… and the color is beautiful. I went with the Cobalt Blue, because it matches with my room. I have no complaints about it, under the circumstances. It is everything that I needed it to be. The available payment plan was the cherry on top. Just two more payments! Thanks, zZounds!Note: I was required to rate "Manufacturer Support" when I submitted this review, even though I never made any direct contact with the manufacturer. I couldn't give it less than 5 stars when there was never a problem with it. *shrug*Emha

IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! It was on backorder. It took round-a-bout 5 months to get it in my eager hands. I bought the Purple Burst version. What their online photos do not properly convey is that the back and the neck are purple as well (how purple depends on each guitar-having seen two in person). The 1st appeared almost black in most lighting. The 2nd is defiantly purple but when photographed there is a color mismatch between the back and front that is NOT noticeable in person (see photos) This is my first Les Paul body style and my first guitar with split coil capability. The jumbo frets are awesome. I haven't been playing long (2-ish years). They cut down on my mis-fretting. The ease & sound of bending the strings + the sound of the pick-ups are more than I was expecting. The neck is super slim. I have size S/M woman hands. I love the size. There is not a lot of stretching to reach around for the low end strings. The neck also has a lovely coating that allows me to slide up and down easy without sticking- if you have played a matte coated neck, you know what I mean. The fret board and the inlays are leveled out very well but the fret board was a bit thirsty when I got it. A fret board oil & cloth buff were all it needed. The frets are very well placed & filed (no snags or fret spouts). The "Set-Up" was really good straight out of the box. The string height was set really well. Low enough (esp. at the nut) that It was not a finger killer to fret but there was no fret buzz at any frets when playing. The intonation was pretty spot on as well. Took slight adjustment when it got new strings (mostly at the Low E and A). The top pick-up was a touch high for my taste but if that is the worst I can say… The neck was straight and ready to play. The tuners work well and I love the keystone buttons on them that match the headstock style. It is heavier than I expected 7.5lbs- 8.4lbs. To sum things up, I cannot believe I got this beauty for this price point.Elaine, K

As far as Les Paul-style guitars go, this is everything I wish Epiphone offered. It certainly fits the role I wanted it to fill as well as a passive LP model between my active EMG Washburn Parallaxe and my Strat. At sale price I'm perfectly happy with it. At the full MSRP though I would be thinking hard about returning it. The tummy cut and bevel at the neck are certainly better than the Epiphone's I've owned and address my primary complaint with the Gibson Studio I had. They don't come anywhere close to the Washburn Parallaxe I currently own though. Unfortunately the comfort is somewhere between the parallaxe and a classic LP. despite having the same number of frets and a similar scale length, the EC 256 feels incredibly cramped in the higher end compared to the Washburn. The fret spacing is only a millimeter or so shorter at the 22nd fret on the LTD, so maybe it's ergonomics, maybe it's fret wire. I'm not sure. The electronics are good and certainly deliver plenty of good tones. I get everything from a nice sweet blues tone to a good crunch out of my little Vox practice amp with nothing more than gain, bass, mid, treble and volume. I particularly like the coil tapping, since it allows a quick way to cool everything off without a pedal and gives you some very different sounds than the standard dual hum-buckers. It is not a strat stand-in. You're not going to get the chime or twang or anything close to a strat. It just isn't going to happen. I have to say, the 3 adjustment system is my least favorite part of this guitar. When I think of a Les Paul, separate tone and volume controls for the neck and bridge pickups is really elegant in its simplicity and this doesn't cut it. Non-issues: Lots of people have mentioned fret buzz. The action seems to be a bit low from the factory, it's gotten lower adjusting to the humidity where I live. They included a hex wrench. It's not a big deal. The intonation seems to have been done well already but needs a little workDrew the not runner

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.

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.

Sound: The sound is absolutely great, I like metal and this is great for that.and it's great in any pickup settings, it goes from mild to wild with the flip of the toggle, has two styles of sustain, feedback, and a slower buildup for a different sustain, battery life is good when you turn the toggles off and disconnect the instrument cable, or it powers the EMG, Features: This for its cost has a set neck, materials are some of the best mahogany body, and if I remember the neck. Tuners work well, pickups are incredible.rosewood with bat inlays. It just looks good, and sounds better everything on this is great quality,I have always liked guitars that don't inlay the first fret, just me, but I know where the first fret is, it really throws me off. Ease of Use: This is a very easy to play guitar, even not using the big neck magnet it sounds great, the only learning curve was leaving it plugged in, when I would leave it in the stand, the floating tremolo had givin me a few problems but watching a few YouTube videos I got it down pretty fast, I listened to 1 gentlemen and he says cut all of the strings bad information there, but I got past that, bought a bunch of high E strings I would go for the tuners up top and broke a few, but, it's just remembering the fine tuners. Quality: I would have to say it's built better than guitars I own that don't have the set neck, mahogany is durable and imagine it being a collectors, item, that's 30 years, I don't see any problems with it lasting me forever, I won't sell trade. I will just play it and enjoy doing it… Value: Oh yes, I had seen one being played online, was made by another Co. And it was over 3,000.00, Schecter was giving them away. I jumped right on that once I saw it, I would never had the chance, except for you fine people at zZounds. A value yep!! Manufacturer Support: Haven't had to contact them for there problems The Wow Factor: Just looking at it makes my day, anyone that sees it admires it's mean look, the bats are very neat, looks better than grape vines, or other goofy inlays. I wouldn't pass it up because I did get to hear one that cost way more, and it didn't have the look. I love people's reaction when I activate the Sustainiac they can't put their finger on the big change in the sound.. Lots of fun Overall: I own 3 Schecter's and I have had some minor problems, that said I am partial to them, the Damien is always my first choice, it's got sound as long as that toggle is on no more getting up close to a 300 watt amp for my sustain, it works on a 20-watt practice amp. It's well made, solid, a little heavy, but so what it's a set neck,got an EMG pickup that's excellent in it's position,holds tuning well for me.The inlays are cool, it's art to me I hang it so I can admire the flat black, with the silver awesome. My only problem no paperwork there website was lacking anything, but once you figure out the tremolo good to go, I personally took of the top string locks still stays in tune, and I change tuning so much,it's better for me. Seems to be a lot of different turnings. I am about 1 1/2 hours good traffic, and have been thinking of checking out what they do there. Have to say a huge thanks to zZounds they are really good with helping a guy like me has bad credit, never a problem, I will never shop anywhere else..not that I could..Thanks to everyone that works there!!!Dean

This guitar is very awesome looking with the bat inlays , on top of it feeling great in your hands. For the price you truly Couldn't ask for a better guitar. This thing is loaded with custom pickups and Grover hardware and the emg pick ups sound awesome. It is my favorite guitar to play out of my collection. I am no professional but this thing makes me sound like one and is very easy to play. The Floyd rose is a super plus because it holds tune well and you can whammy out. All in all I would recommend this guitar to everybody but a part of me wishes I had the only one. If you don't have one your not living right, so do your self a favor. You will thank me later.Eric

Sound: I think the Heretic pickups are a nice change to most stock pickups they are hot but sound great dirty. chords ring nicely voicing is excellent for metal and rock. Cleans up well too. But pickups could be a bit more dynamic. Great guitar if metal is all you want to play. Features: Quality control shows on the model I purchased it isn't very good. Gapping in the pocket from neck to body shape upper frets just wasn't pleased to be honest . Overall: I just ordered an elite 6 as well the fit in the neck socket is not good I could fit a good size credit card in there. The high frets were sharp and bit jagged and in need a dressing and crowning. A tool mark on the horn and in the gap of where it bolts on can't tell if it's scratched or cracked. I emailed zZounds today hoping to hear back and provide shipping back at no cost to me. Nice guitar but it has its flaws no doubt surely disappointed.ArmandoArmando

I'm not sure how one customer could have received 4 of these that were all bad…maybe a bit of exaggeration, or someone who just doesn't know how to setup a guitar. I've been playing for 37 years now, and have owned countless Schecter guitars. This one is on par with the best of them. For the money, any other brand in this category cannot compete! The neck plays very well and the fretwork is great! The tuners are stable and the pickups are decent. IMO, locking tuners would be more desirable and the pickups could be a bit more robust and clear as well…hence the 4 stars. However, that said, neither HAVE to be upgraded in order to play this guitar live or in the studio. You may need to tweak your EQ a bit, but that's a small price to pay for this guitar's playability and quality build. Grab one before Biden raises the price!!Shane S.

Overall: Ok, so I love the looks of this guitar! The pictures do not do it justice! The problem is that it had a loose neck bolt/screw. zZounds did great getting it returned, but I had to drive 86 miles round trip to ship it back. Plus spend $16 for packing material which I drove another 18 miles to get. The process is slow, which means I can’t play! It’s frustrating to say the least! Second guitar I bought here that had issues. Honestly, I don’t really know how it got past Schecter QC, but it did. Now I have spent multiple hours to get something right that should have been right from the start! Not to mention waiting. I think I will buy guitars from someone else in the future. Everything else I purchased here has been awesome. So for me, I will say that zZounds has been great to deal with, but until they actually do a multi-point inspection on guitars, I will buy those somewhere else.Joshua

I picked up the Surf Green Ltd Ed. Bullet Mustang a few days ago off the rack. They had two. One had rusty strings and sharp frets but the one I picked was almost perfect. These Mustangs are great for smaller learners and older guitarists that may enjoy the lighter string tension due to the short scale. I love the sound of both humbuckers. The bridge one gives you a nice grungy Nirvana like tone while the neck is smoother but both love to be driven. I picked up the Imperial Blue Mustang HH a few weeks ago. They both use the same humbuckers, The only difference I believe is the wood type, Basswood vs Poplar. Both guitars are quite light with the Basswood Surf Green one being somewhat lighter.These Mustangs are ideal for modding but for now I've only changed the cheap pickguard on this Surf Green one, putting a Tortoise Shell on it. So far I'm loving both of them and my Fender P90 Mustang is getting quite lonely.Tingman

First of all, this is a ton of value for the price. I got it on sale which made it even a bigger steal. Now, this guitar needs a lot of setup out of the box. You should polish the frets since they are as coarse as beach sand. Otherwise, string bends will be impossible and will most likely damage the cheap supplied strings (which should be changed immediately as with most new guitars). Expect some fret buzz, so be ready to adjust the saddles and the truss rod (I like my action quite low so this was a minor tweak for me). The intonation was actually quite close to perfect, it only needed a bit of tweaking on the A string. The nut and string trees are the ones you typically get on Squiers, which are good enough but won't do wonders for your tuning and should be replaced unless you are patient enough to tune your guitar every so often. Be sure to change these first before changing the tuners/bridge if you have tuning problems, I haven't changed the tuners or bridge on mine and don't plan to – they just work. Finally, the pickups are surprisingly good for the price, not too mellow and you can get some nice tones from the bridge pickup. You might soon outgrow them, though, and might opt for better humbuckers or P90s. For all these reasons, this guitar is not the best as a first guitar or for beginners unless it gets a proper setup first or if you're really planning to learn how to setup or change electronics/other parts in a guitar. However, those are the same reasons (plus the low price and simple design) that make this a really fun modding platform, and if you don't feel like modding it, with the right amount of work it's still amazing. It's light as a feather and the neck is very fast; you can probably muscle through hours of playing with barely any effort at all. The stock tones are reasonable enough, and in my opinion it looks awesome. You can't get a better deal for the money once you're aware of the above.Carlos, M

I like this guitar because of the 24" scale length. Everything else was pretty bad out of the box. The strings were a 1/4" off the fretboard. The fretboard was super dry. There was fret sprout. The frets felt like sandpaper on bends. The E strings are too close to the edge of the fretboard. When you play you're constantly hitting the pickup selector switch. The finish on the neck is supposed to be satin but it looks unfinished to me and there are light and dark areas on the neck which look bad. It is the worst finish on a neck I've ever seen on a guitar and I'm going to have to put some kind of finish on it. Trying to load strings is tricky and not as easy as on most other guitars you have to bend the end of the strings to get them to load. So that is the bad. The good? The tuners are your typical Chinese tuners that come on all cheap guitars these days, and they are fine. The pickups sound good. The 24" scale is great and really fun to play bends on!Steve

There is plenty to like about this guitar, and I got it for the features I was looking for: locking tremelo, 24 frets, fast neck, 5 way pickup selector, and nice looks. My first impressions of the guitar was slight disappointment with how sloppy Ibanez was. The tops and bottoms of the frets needed to be beveled as they were pretty sharp, there was a noticeable nick on the fretboard, and there was a black smudge on the back of the neck. None of those was a huge deal. The main two issues I have with the guitar are that the middle pickup, the single coil, has such low output that the middle three positions are much quieter than the neck or bridge pickups alone. I do like the tone of the single coil in conjunction with the humbuckers, but those positions are somewhat useless considering how quiet they are, and I have ordered a humbucker to replace it. The single coil alone (middle position) has too much noise AND is too quiet. Not a big deal to replace a pickup, but why they are selling it this way, I'm not sure. The second issue is the volume control. Instead of a gradual swell, there is a sharp dropoff in volume at one point in the rotation of the dial, making it pretty much useless other than having it full on or all the way off. I am not sure if that is fixable, but if it is, I'll need to have that done as well. All that said, if the guitar had not arrived in such sloppy condition and the two problems were resolved, I'd give this guitar 5 stars.hickory spork

The Ibanez RG 450 or any of the RG's are with the exception of the factory p/u and electronic. capable of becoming one of the best performance guitars to own. The base Ibanez Floyd Rose system is fiddley but, after learning how to adjust/tune quickly becomes appreciated for holding tune no matter the severity of attacks you use with the tremolo. The Wizard(ll or lll ?) You would need to go to custom built to exceed the easy play and comfortable frets you will find on and RG. This recent RG450 I upgraded to equal the higher priced models by adding the De Marzio Tone Zone (B), Air Norton (N). And instead of going with the True Velvet. Added the Seymour Duncan Vintage Hot Stack for the middle position and added better electrics to even out the upgrades.. End result; This guitar plays and sound equal to guitars costing over $1,000.00!! Good bones! Yes this can be played well and many will find happiness with this as stock., and, will perform well against the competition dollar for dollar!ikeus

I used to own an '89 Ibanez VBK JEM that I regrettably sold to buy a gaming pc. I wanted to get a newer entry level RG so I could have a floyd,HSH superstrat in E standard. I've had this RG for long enough to know it's a keeper. This thing has the same feel and vibe of my old JEM! Minus the monkey grip and other features obviously. The neck feels fantastic and I only had to do very minor setup adjustments to my liking. I would have liked a rosewood or ebony fingerboard but of course this is the lower end model. The Jatoba feels good under the fingers, similar to rosewood but with a slightly lighter shade to it. Like most guitars you buy online mine came desperately needing some good oil and cleaning. The Jatoba fingerboard seems to require a bit more lubrication than rosewood. The neck binding is done well, not perfect but to a good standard. I do wish the trem was an Edge lo-pro… But again, this is the lower priced model. There is nothing wrong with the Edge tremolo, it stays in tune well with whammy bar abuse but it is one of the bulkier Original Floyd Rose style bridges. The stock Quantum pickups are among the best stock Ibanez pickups I've tried. They are hot but versatile. However I did swap them out with the classic Dimarzio Air Norton/Steves Special combo and a True Velvet middle. I do believe a higher end Ibanez will obviously sound better than this but for the price it really is hard to beat! Well done Ibanez and AMS!Nevin

2 disclaimers: I got this 5 days ago. I've had an Jackson RR tattoo for years. She's a looker… never thought I'd get a purple guitar but the purple quilt w/ gold hardware and white binding is gorgeous and I love how the reverse headstock has the color and quilting too. It plays fast as F. You'll wanna shred on it. It makes me wanna play Crazy Train, Holy Wars and the like but it may make you wanna play stuff that's way above my skill level and you can! Never had a Floyd Rose before but tuning it up wasn't too bad out the box (and it's super fun!); we'll see what happens when a string snaps. The frets and unlacquered back are smooth so it's easy to do fun slides and bendy things! The sustain is pretty good thanks to the mahogany body and the thru neck and it just feels solid. I've read this is heavy compared to other V's but it's the lightest of my 3 electrics and it feels quality and well balanced – there's no neck dive. I love that it comes installed with Dunlop button strap locks which I've had to purchase & install previously on my other 2 electrics. The pickups sound great with distortion and I haven't/am never going to play this w/o distortion so who cares about clean but I will say comparatively it doesn't sound as good as the EMG's on my EC-1000. There are some QC issues: There's fret buzz on the low E, some purple paint smudges on a small part of the white binding and the blending of the paint in some areas (which you generally never look at) could be better. I didn't have any of these issues on my (similarly priced) LTD EC-1000 and (my much cheaper) Ibanez AR-325 so these are pretty disappointing. Bottom line: I haven't put it down yet. It's fun to play and my other guitars currently feel unloved. If you like metal or you've always wanted a V this shape you should get it. I'm going 4/5 stars for the QC issues which are super disappointing but well reported on Indonesian Jacksons. Let's be honest – this purchase is mostly about speed and style. It sounds great and it delivers both of those in spades.Rishav

Paint job is just ok, but not great. It has a cheap quality to it, but looks good from a little distance. Matte is a hard paint job to be fair, and this is entry level, but still, this is a review. Pickup colors don't match at all. I bought black plastic pickup covers, which made it look a lot better fairly affordably. The plastics of the backplate, the humbucker rings, and the pick guard are super cheap and kinda bent, maybe from heat? Once again, entry level, but still, I've bought guitars at this price point without these kinds of issues. The Jackson version of Floyd Rose seems pretty ok considering. I've never had a Floyd rose that stayed in tune for very long, so this seems to be about right. The pickups sound very aggressive and bright, which was surprising. There is a loose wire that I had to tape down because of it hits the right spot, it cuts off the pickups (maybe a ground wire? Everything works still) The high string is a little too close to the edge of the edge of the neck for my liking, but I think that's just a personal preference. The body and neck seem solid, the neck is left unfinished, which I usually prefer, though this neck is like completely unfinished, so I'll probably need to get some sort of wood treatment for it. The fret inlays are great at this price point (not dots) and the frets don't have any burrs, which is a good thing for your fingers. The outline of the neck in white is also a classy touch, and the headstock is beautiful. Overall, it's an ok guitar. I would maybe get a different finish, and wouldn't expect it to be the greatest guitar ever, but it has a personality to it and is still a Randy Rhodes. Plays fairly well, definitely shredable. Accessing the 24th fret is a little bit of a reach, but that's ok. If I were Jackson (fender), I'd raise the price $20 and put decent plastics on it because it really does cheapen the guitar overall. I'll probably replace those parts myself over time, but I really shouldn't have to.Zachary

I am both surprised and please with this guitar I purchased this guitar at GC Nashville after returning a Gibson Les Paul Classic that I bought online. (lesson learned, don't buy from GC online.) The staff there were great and had no issues with me returning a $2200 guitar that I bought online. Even more supportive in helping me pick out a much less expensive guitar. Great people. This Epiphone is awesome. The fit and finish are great. The action is low and no buzz. The tone is great and It is lighter and easier to handle than the Gibson . The best part is it cost a third of the one I returned. I really wanted a Gibson but I am so glad I picked up this Epiphone. A word of caution. I looked at and played several guitars at GC before choosing this one. I even played a couple of other Epiphone Les Paul Customs. No two were the same. One had razors for frets, one had an action you could drive a truck under and this one was just right. Go in an play them before buying.Mike

I'm in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. I wanted a period-correct guitar but could not afford a Turner or a Gibson Les Paul so I settled for the Epiphone. I was pretty happy with the guitar the first month….until at rehearsal, I "lost" my high E string. At first, it appeared to have disappeared off the fretboard. But upon careful examination, I found the string caught under the 5th fret 'tang'(?). The fret itself was not perfectly flush with the fretboard, leaving just enough of a tiny gap to catch the string as it rolled off the fretboard during playing with finger vibrato. Upon further examination, it looked like frets 4, 6 and 7 were not quite flush either. I remedied the situation somewhat by purchasing a Stew-Mac roller bridge that allowed me to slightly shift the string positions further in and away from the fretboard edge. I had previously attempted to pressure-seat the offending frets with a woodblock and hammer, but they would not budge. The roller bridge seemed to help somewhat. But today at rehearsal, I felt some stinging irritation on the inside of my left thumb near the 'web' between thumb & forefinger when I moved my hand quickly up and down the neck. Looking closely at the frets, I noticed that the end edges were extremely sharp as if having never been dressed properly. All that said, I realize this instrument is a 'budget' one when compared to American-made Gibson / Fender / PRS products. I'd read some great reviews on this guitar and made the purchase on that basis. But, once again, it is the same old story – "you get what you pay for". I should not have expected the same build quality and attention to detail like that found on instruments costing four times as much. I suppose a refret is the only solution now. Buyer beware.CHUCK

This is my second fiddle purchase from AMS in less than a year. And let me say they don't disapoint. This PRS SE Custom 24 is one nice guitar. I have wanted a PRS for many years but didn't want to spend core money. After reading many reviews and watching the factory tour in Indonesia I was sold. The quality of this guitar is on point with a MIM guitar I bought last year. As to quality I am very impressed. The tone and clarity are ery nice. Not quite the same as the US made but very close. The only thing I did change per some of the other reviews were the tuners. I also highly recommend the PRS ones AMS sells. Literally drop in replacements. I do plan on upgrading the trem to some brass parts like the American made model. But all very simple upgrades bring this so called poor man's PRS that is already way above average to better. Oh yeah I also ordered the lampshade knobs. Very nice design as well.Oger

Having played just strats for many years (I'm a blues guy) I fancied a bit of a change in sound. Watching videos on andertons TV introduced me to PRS (Both the man and the brand). I went for this model as I loved the look. It arrived in one day and has totally reinvigorated my love of playing, the bright high gain sound has made me look at new music styles and sounds, getting me out of a rut of the playing the same artists. This thing doesn't have squeal when you want it to.. my runs sound cleaner as the wide thin neck actually is a better fit for my hand than the strats i own. I've started exploring the trem for the first time too. The core tap is great for my style, giving single coil for SRV type stuff then humbucker for Gary Moore and beyond.. just by pushing the tone control, very versatile instrument. It is very bright, so takes some taming but worth it. My only minor niggle is the tuning is not quite as stable as my strats, which have locking pegs. So I plan on investing in some PRS locking tuners. Overall I love it… sounds and looks amazing. If this is how good the SEs are then the cores must be out of this world. Would I sell the strats – no, but this is a great addition and a much needed push in totally a new direction for me. Another PRS convertee……Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

If you are looking for a guitar that can be used on all occasions, if you are undecided and do not know which guitar to choose, if you do not know which way to go, whether a strat, super strat or a Les Paul. Well, here you have the indicated guitar. I did not know what to choose, I tried many guitars, at the guitar center in Lynnwood WA, they were patient with me when I arrived and tried several guitars repeatedly, they are very kind. But in the end I was looking for a guitar that would be useful for everything, I wanted quality, comfort, good sound and versatility. Well I found it, after a long search, I called the call center and Sarah Hance attended me, she is the best salesperson, she is not only a saleswoman, she is the best advisor, she takes the time to explain, she is a professional, she always has a solution at hand, there is simply no better advisor than her, this girl should be given an award for the enormous work she does, Guitar Center should have more people like Sarah; After Sarah helped me, she sent the guitar to my doorstep. the guitar came in good condition, without a single scratch, it shone a lot, I tried it and fell in love with it, it can touch the sky with sweet notes but it can also put pure evil in notes with this guitar, it can do whatever you want, its neck very comfortable, its excellent frets, none sharp, unique details. Do not miss the opportunity to take one of these and I assure you that you will not regret itRicardo

I have had this guitar for about a month now. From the first day, I have absolutely loved this guitar. The included Seymour Duncan pick ups sounds amazing and the push/pull function gives you a nice range of voices. Everything about the build of this guitar feels amazing. The neck and the frets are smooth and well cared for, the quality of the hardware is top shelf. If you want a Les Paul, just forget about Gibson. This is what you want, of course there are many versions of this guitar, Any one of the EC-1000's are great, but the finish on this one is pretty outstanding in person.Logan C

I got the natural black color. Its a really nice looking guitar. With a different name on the head stock it would cost thousands. Sounds great, you can play any type music on it. Perfect out of the box . No setup at all needed to be done. I saved almost 200.00 with a blemish model model that was basically perfect.Ltd

Overall: I bought this guitar from zZounds a few weeks ago. First of all, I love the way it looks. When I opened the box, the strings were set very high from the fretboard. I had to lower the bridge to remedy this. It buzzed and fretted out. So I changed the stock strings which were Gibson 10s to D'Addario 9s. It helped but it still buzzed a lot. Thankfully, when plugged into an amp the buzz doesn't pick up. It plays well, but it feels sort of cheap. An almost plastic feel.I swore I would never buy a Chinese guitar. I own a Jackson USA King V, a Gibson USA 60s Tribute SG, a made in Japan Jackson Dinky, a made in Japan Ibanez Prestige, a made in Japan Edwards/ESP V, a Mexican Strat, a Korean made Fernandes Vortex and a Korean made Wolf "Les Paul"You can feel the difference in quality, BUT…It is a nice guitar, even though $900 is a little steep for a guitar that is made in China.Chris

My first electric guitar was an ebony v made by epiphone. I lost track of it over the years and was feeling nostalgic when I saw this one online at American Musical. They were out of stock at the time so I asked to be notified when more came in. Anyway, a few weeks later they were back in stock and I ordered it as soon as I got the notification. Shipping was fast and it came in brand new and in great shape. Looks good and it is just as good as I remembered. Epiphone makes great guitars so don't be a guitar snob because it isn't a Gibson. If you want a V, this is a great guitar. Looks good and price is very fair. Rock on.J Madsen

Takes a while to get used to because of the asymmetrical neck, but once you do it’s very comfortable to play. The volume and tone controls are incredibly responsive. As for the build quality it’s pretty good, with some elements being outstanding, in particular the hardware, specifically the tuners, bridge and tail piece, and the volume and tone knobs. Very impressed so far. The only potential downside is that it’s very particular with guitar straps, I’m lucky because I have a few so could try different styles before settling on one. I’d recommend either one with triangular ends (fender style) or a wide soft leather strap.Jay M.

I was amazed at the quality for the price on this guitar . I own over 20 guitars and actually purchased this one for my sons birthday. All my guitars will be my boys one day but wanted to ad one to his current collection and this was a great choice. I have been a AMS customer for over a decade and love their prices, selection and payment plans. I always recommend AMS to my musician friends, they are the best!!!!Mike

LOVE this guitar! It have a smooth rosewood fret board which makes soloing slick and precise. The tone is perfect for Metal & clean playing. It stays in tune & is all around well built. Great price too!traviveg_9

I expected better from Jackson. Pickups are iffy,tuners are junk will not stay in tune. Pickup selector switch is scratchy and works sometimes. Action is ok after a good setup and string change. Had it for about 5 months now and thinking about trading it in for something a little better. It does look great hanging on the wall though.Keith C.

Very impressed with this guitar. The neck has a great feel and well set-up for playing fast and note bends, especially in the upper register. Sustain is impressive for a sub £1k guitar and there is probably enough grunt from the factory pickups for most players. The low friction volume and high friction tone are a nice thing to have and am considering adapting my other working guitars with this. Using the D-Tuna was a learning curve as you can't use the fine tuner once set at drop D (well, you can tweak the tuning on the D-Tuna itself once set in the standard tuning position). If you don't fancy using it you can always swap it out with the supplied kit. The kill button is fun and I'm sure I'll get good use of it in time but I do keep brushing it when hammering out funk rhythms. Possibly due to my large hands but worth noting that if you splay you strumming hand when playing, you may end up with a scuff bruise or two. All told, I'm very happy with this new addition to my string family.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Great guitar. Plays like butter. My biggest problem is that the Floyd Rose bridge goes out of tune every time I use the tremolo ( actually comes out of the body). Even with me buying the protection plan I keep getting told that my only option is to pay more money and get the bridge replaced and re-setup. Very disappointed with this whole experience.Kevin

This thing is great i own a RR3 bolt on neck with a mirror pickguard and detonator pickups and absolutly love it. Then this came i the mail and i feel like im cheating on it. The xseries is f#### awesome. The reverse headstock is sweet but not a big deal the fretboard though is slightly curved like the fenders so ot makes soloing sweeps hammers and pull etc etc much easier you dont have to do much work to find the notes…as if you just think it and your hand does it with little effort. Thats a big plus on my end, did i mention the active pickups scream bloody murder…yes, bloody murder, and best of all its carved outta one piece of wood. Need i say more, arrived flawlessly and the action was already set for speed picking i mean no biggy just lower the action right but with this fret board curved like i mention active pickups i mean its a dream come true. The only bad is that it didnt come with a pickguard like my RR3 but this is a guutar of guitars if you ask me. With the right amp to run it thru im sure all wpuld be happy with it as well. Hope this helps, shred onMichael

This guitar exceeded my expectations considering price point and some of the erratic reviews that I’ve seen. I don’t regret buying this instrument at all. I’ve been playing guitar since the early 1980s and have always avoided instruments like this one. I got a cheaper version of this a couple of years ago and decided To upgrade so that I could have a back up in case of a broken string on stage. The old one is definitely the back up now. For the money, this guitar is really awesome. I have a lot of instruments and this one is definitely going to be getting a ton of mileage.Joe Shlabotnik

The quality of these guitars are incredible. The design is unique,as well as the pickups. It sounds very open and alive! All in all it's a very simple but wonderfully made guitar with amazing build quality.Lamar

This guitar was a surprise. Great playability, the fret finish and rounded edges on the neck are super smooth making are very comfortable neck to hold and play. Fret access all the way to the 24th fret is very impressive. Many 24 fret guitars aren't very accessible and don't play clearly up high. but it's effortless and still feels like you can go further if added more frets. Versatile guitar with a wide array of tones available, from coil tap Stratocaster like tones to the rich deep bark you'd come to expect from a Les Paul. Absolutely love this guitar. Best Paul Reed Smith guitar for the money and craftsmanship available.virtuosodan

This was my first PRS guitar purchase. I purchased it based on the reputation of the company and reviews I found online. I ordered the violin finish. When I received the guitar and laid my eyes on it I was seriously disappointed. The flame maple top was horrible. The upper half had a much less noticeable flame to it and the lower half while partially nicely flamed it was completely missing flame and was bare grain around the switches. I showed it to a couple of friends who own PRS s2 guitars and they were shocked it was allowed to leave the factory like that. The only reason I rated it a 2 star and not 1 was because it only needed a light setup to be playable but even then the sharp fret ends will need some attention. I would not recommend this guitar to a friend, especially with the price tag.Derek

I purchased this S2 Custom 24 from American Music Supply a music dealer in my personal opinion is outstanding to deal with! I have made many purchases from AMS they are fantastic. As a Tele player who was in need of a humbucking guitar, do to a working cover band. I purchased this PRS because I didn't want a bottom line made in China guitar for $699 but felt someplace in the middle would get me something decent. This guitar is WAY over priced for what it is! The neck, for me was extremely uncomfortable, wide thin. The hardware is all made over seas and extremely cheap. I received the guitar, played it for about 30 minutes. The action was high and there was a buzz coming from the bridge. After 40 years of playing I know a poorly made guitar when I put it in my hands. The pick-ups sounded ok but lack clarity. PRS can do better! The color and finish was gorgeous! PRS is great at that. But C'mon Paul, give us something better for $1699! That's a lot of money for some people! I can see these S2's flooding the re-sale market for about $750 in one or two years, just like the MIM Fenders. Which re-sale value just stinks! I had two high end PRS's the P22 for $3600 brand new I sold it for $1600. I had a 10 Top 594 semi Hollow body for $4100 which I sold for $2000. I lost my shirt on those guitar because the market is flooded with PRS's that wont sell. I was lucky enough to send this one back and NOT have to re-sell it. Thank-God! At $1699 buy a used core PRS model or a USA Fender its still the best bang for your buck. Or a Studio USA Gibson Les Paul. I believe PRS makes great guitars and now they are trying to get a little above the K-Mart guitar market. It needs better pickups and better hardware. Oh…the locking tuners were good! Good-LuckLiving Proof