Wood Finish Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I have wanted an American made Strat for the longest. Not just any American Strat, but The One built to my specs from the looks right down to the pots and of course the feel and sustain. This is it and AMS made it easy and in reach just as they've helped me to make other musical dreams to come true! This guitar feels great, sounds amazing, beyond my hopes & expectations, and even the price tag was a pleasant surprise! Tech has come a long way, but in a lot of ways we've lost craftsmanship. Well, not out of Corona California. Crisp tones, nuanced variation, and that wonderful Fender sustain! I have some other expensive guitars, which I love, but at under their price point the Professional II is going to be a close lifetime friend. If you are looking at these and don't need boutique trimming of the Ultra line or the royal treatment of the Custom Shop, look no further and pay no more. Strat-Halla is right here at a reasonable price point for a heritage worthy instrument. I won't waste time going over the specs. It's all here. Get acquainted with your new best friend!Pete

This is my second American Stratocaster. My first is from 2007 and it has a rosewood fretboard. I wanted a maple neck strat as well. I bought the Miami blue version and love it. To me, Strats are each very unique in the way they play and sound. My other Strat has Dimarzio Area pickups in it (which I love), so I’m having to get used to the stock single coils. I love the bridge, but to my ears the neck pickup it too muddy. The trem system is good, and the overall construction is good. I had to re set it up because I use heavier strings. I may end up changing pickups before it’s all said and done. Only time will tell. I wish Fender would have put Locking tuners on from factory! That’s a must for me.Justin

I purchased this guitar about 3 weeks ago (working with Zach), it has quickly become my favorite guitar I own. The full rosewood neck is incredibly smooth and the the deep C shape is extremely comfortable. I mostly play through a Helix Stomp and have been really happy with the sound and tone variability I can get with it using the various pickup selections especially with the push/push for adding the top pickup to the mix for positions 1 and 2. The pictures in the listing look great, but it looks much better in person. The pictures have a lot of light which makes the blue appear lighter than it would in a normal room. The picture where the guitar is positioned in the case is a great representation of the color in a normally lit room.Kevin

Set up to perfection.. plays like a dream…. Sound and feel is perfect for 60s jangle, but then softens beautifully for those early 70s proggy sounds that I don’t normally own up to . Bought at the same time as my Furch. Red… I have spoken of the first class service that I received in more detail in that review, and I shall spare you a repeat, as I am usually a curmudgeonly old bu**er, and it’s not normally in my nature to speak so highly and warmly of someone twice in one day!!!😃😃😃😃😃Martin K.

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

First a much deserved word about Musicians Friend. Having made numerous purchases in the past year (5 guitars, two amplifiers & two sets of powered monitor speakers) hats off to Musicians Friend. They are professional, courteous and a pleasure to purchase from. They truly have treated me like a friend over the last decade and a half. My guitar arrived in pristine shape, no issues, of course. For me this is a beast of a guitar and cannot be beat, not even close, at this price range, nothing I've played compares. Love the sculptured maple top and head to toe creamy binding, simply beautiful. The setup was very good, slight string height adjustment, neck did not need adjustment and pickup height was good. Someone is paying attention with quality control. The neck is fast, silky smooth and easy to navigate, I can accomplish sweep picking with this guitar. Coil split is always nice with humbuckers adding to the available tone palate. Everything works and works well. Check it out if in the market for a very nice modestly priced guitar. Doubt you'd be disappointed.Stratocasterplusplayer

Totally stoked on this purchase. I was looking for something solid with an inexpensive price point and came across this Schecter. I've never owned a Schecter before so I was unfamiliar with them but they put some serious quality into this instrument. Feels good in my hands and plays really fast and it looks fantastic. I do recommend upgrading the pickupups but if you're just looking to play around the house with this, it's set up and ready to go. Highly recommendableSmooks

I understand why people call this a beginers guitar. Some the components are cheap and the guitar felt unfinishhed. I own 8 guitars. All of them are higher end Made in America guitars. This guitar caught my eye solely because of looks. I decided to purchase it as a project guitar. After receiving the guitar it needed to be properly set up. I straightened the neck, leveled and radiused the fret board, re-crownded the frets, filed the fret ends and rolled the edge on the neck binding. I proceded to replace the bridge with a Graph-Tech Resomax NV2, and the tuners with Schaller M6 ones. I replaced the tone capacitor with an Orange Drop NOS .027 UF. The pickups are versatile and offer a wide variety of sound. I now have a guitar that has a fast articulate neck and fret board, great tone and sustain all for $160.00 in parts and my labor. This is no longer a " beginers guitar" . The guitar has great bones and was easy to convert to a guitar that you would pay over $1000.00 dollars for. Good job Schecter!Hodigity

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

Sound: I haven't even got far enough to plug it in the action is so buzzy that is why i do not recommend this guitar. If it was set up to playable i would probably like it. You can feel a feel a few fret edges, but nothing horrible. That i would expect for a guitar in this price range, but for it to show up completely unplayable is unacceptable. Value: The way it arrived no. Overall: I have always liked ESP products, but today i am disappointed. This guitar arrived today and is unplayable. The neck has got a back bow and all the strings buzz horribly. The strings are hitting on the back of the bridge after the saddle because the tail piece was screwed all the way down to the body. If ESP did this they should be ashamed, if zZounds did this they should be ashamed. Not sure who set this guitar up? I'm going to try to fix it tomorrow wish me luck. If i can get to stop buzzing and to play decent i may keep it, if not it's going back. It is a pretty guitar and aside from the atrocious setup seems to be of decent quality.Shawn

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's an itty bitty little thing. It's so lightweight it almost floats away! It was perfectly set up out of the box, it arrived with no damage. First, I tuned it. (It was close, whoever set it up musta tuned it before shipping). It's got very accurate tuning pegs, not like a Squier or Glarry, with slack in the pegs. Then I sat down and ran through some scales, and strummed some chords. It's got a fast playing neck. I can play faster on this guitar, than any I've tried, and I've played hundreds of guitars from an American Fender 52 reissue Telecaster, down to the terrible cheap electric guitars of the 1960s. Anyway, I finally got around to plugging into my Blackstar Fly 3 battery amp, and wow those Mitchell humbuckers are HOT! I love this little thing, it's going to be my main axe, and I'm going to order it a new hard shell case, so it stays looking great.The Volkswagen Cowboy

For the most part; this a pretty nice beginner's guitar. It has nice features that aren't usually found on cheaper guitars. I was very impressed with the body contours, pickup arrangement, sealed tuners, & string through body. I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my son. I paid a little extra for expedited shipping & it arrived less than 48hrs after I ordered it! Everything was great until I tuned up the guitar & found that the claims that "every guitar receives a stateside set up" are entirely false. The ends of the fret wire are extremely sharp; there's no way that I'd let a child attempt to play this without first filing down/ dressing the frets to avoid gouging your hands. It seems to stay in tune fairly well; which is rather surprising as the neck is NOT properly bolted to the guitar body. There is a relatively large gap between the neck & body- large enough to see daylight! The gap is likely due to common machine assembly w/ poor quality control. I'm somewhat excited to see how well this guitar will play after I disassemble the neck, drill the body holes 1/16" larger, file the frets, & reassemble w/ some higher quality strings. Even with the additional work that's necessary; it's still a rather nice guitar & definitely cheaper than a project guitar. Last time I checked; it was around $20 or so to have a guitar set up by a Luthier- so it still works out to be a decent buy if you bought it & paid to have it set up. I'm just rather disappointed that the only problem with the entire transaction is a very simple issue that could be avoided w/ a couple tweaks of the CNC machines spitting these out by the 100's…Jonathan

I am quite fond of short scale guitars, and I rate this one quite high on the list of must haves! Frets are adequately dress, it is quite light, finish (walnut satin) is excellent. Playability is quite good, intonation is spot on, even the pickups are ok, though I did change them out on mine, along with putting some shielding paint in the pickup and control cavities and swapping out the potentiometers (none of this was necessary, but you know how us guitarists can be!). The kind of music I like is 70s rock, 80s and 90s metal, I don't play clean much – always some grit coming outta the amp! I got this on sale, so it was well below $100. Not sure what else to say, but if you are on the fence about getting one of these, either for yourself or a young, aspiring rocker, just pull the trigger, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Main thing to keep in mind on this is playability and setup are very good for a guitar in its price point even at full price, maybe even twice the price. Is it perfect? No, but it doesn't need to be, just needs to be good and it is. Just get the darn thing. it's a fun guitar to play, looks and sounds good as well.Scott

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

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

Yes, the tonal range is great, especially the piezo pickup, nicely playable and overall looks and finish seem perfect. But, with nicely contoured access to the high notes let down by the overly large neck heal which starts a fret or two earlier than my other electric guitars. Another annoyance is the very cheap knobs which don't sit straight on the pots. I have a guitar costing a tenth of the price with better fitting knobs. The battery compartment is a bad joke of a design, as the battery holder comes out with the wires attached, you then have to prise up the battery from its contacts and the lever it out for replacement. Overall these are minor annoyances on what is a great guitar but, at this price I expected better. Oh yes, it came with a hard case. Which doesn't fit properly and with no tags or brand markings so who knows what it was made for. It did come with two loose bits of foam, one which was floating around unsure of its purpose.Kevin L.

PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo — I've owned and played this guitar for about three months now. Bottom line: I'm very happy with it–and would recommend it–in spite of a couple issues. There are dozens and dozens of videos that go into detail about the appearance, fit, and finish of this guitar so I won't bother with all that except to confirm that it is very well made overall. The magnetic pickups sound fantastic, period. The piezo pickup was putting out FAR too hot of a signal, distorting at low guitar volume, but once I learned how to adjust the trim pot for it (thanks to the PRS guitar forum website), that problem was solved and now it sounds good. It's a tad bright in my opinion but that's easily fixed with the tone knob on any amp or with an EQ pedal. The battery compartment opens easily enough, but getting the 9V battery out of it without breaking the plastic frame is a challenge. Fortunately, the battery isn't used unless you plug a cable into the PIEZO/MAG jack. The 3-way selector is garbage and I was experiencing crackling and signal drop right out of the box. HOWEVER, this is a known issue and several reviewer videos mention it so I knew what to expect. My soldering skills are only beginner-level (and I've never worked on a hollowbody before) so I paid to have a pro replace the switch for me. MF has offered to credit me the amount of the repair once I send them the receipt, so that's good. The Guitar Case — This shipped with a hard case, which I'm not happy with. When the guitar is properly seated and the lid is properly closed and latched, there is a quarter-inch gap around the bottom (see pics). That's not good. There are several (expensive) case options that are touted as "PRS and PRS-style" cases but they WILL NOT FIT this particular guitar because the lower bout is 14" wide (at least an inch wider than other PRS models). Also, it's about an inch thicker (front to back) than a Jazzmaster so a Jaguar/Jazz case won't work either.RiserGrease

I received the Black Gold Burst version about a week ago. It's a BEAUTIFUL guitar. The pictures don't do it justice. The f-holes really add to the appearance. Fender ALSO makes a hollowbody guitar, but they went the round sound hole direction, which, IMHO, is hokey looking. The sound is INCREDIBLE! I have 4 other electric guitars, including a Fender American Standard Strat, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG and an Ibanez Prestige- They are ALL wonderful guitars, and each has its own personality, in how they play AND how they sound. THIS guitar has a sound that TRANSCENDS ALL of my other guitars. There are a number of videos on YouTube. BUT, as with the appearance, they simply DO NOT do it justice. The humbucker pickups ALONE produce a sound that is CLEAR and RESONANT. Adding the sound from the piezo pickup sends it over the top! ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS. I was a little reluctant to purchase a guitar made in China. However, the CONSTRUCTION and FINISH are PERFECT! PLUS, the cost is WAAAY less than the equivalent US-made version. I hope I've given you the idea that this is a SPECIAL guitar, BECAUSE IT IS!Kevin

I bought the Honey Burst because I didn't have a burst and honestly not a big fan of "bursts." But when I saw this honey, and it lacking a really dark edge like most bursts do I decided to play it. Sounded fantastic, played so sweetly, just as fine as my Miami Blue American Pro II, and my American Showcase. Don't spend the extra money on one of those if you're on a budget, tryin to save some money, but want USA made, this performer stacks right up with them, you won't be missing much if anything. I uploaded a YT vid, its my American Showcase, In the process of making a vid of this Performer, like sub and stay tuned! If you mention this review and leave a link to on of your vids I will reciprocate!CHARLES

Manufacturer Support: Did not contact manufacturer. Overall: I just got done demoing the floor model at my local big box store and I have to same I'm really impressed. For comparison, my main Strat is an American Special with three single coil Texas Special pickups and the new Yosemite pickups and the Doubletap humbucker have a lot more output. I used a floor model Boss Katana amp (distortion) as well as a Marshall amp (clean). The Doubletap humbucker sounds great with light to heavy distortion. Even with max distortion, it is very clear and pronounced and I was able to distinguish all the notes being played without it sounding muddy (first position and coil split off.) The second position (coil split off) sounds amazing. Even with heavy distortion, I was able to get some great sounding blues solos with the first and second position. With positions three, four and five, I was able to get those classic Strat tones that everyone loves. Going from humbucker to the single coil via coil split, the pickup still seemed to have a higher output than the Texas Specials. Just to make sure it wasn't the coil split, I also demoed the traditional three single coil setup and still, they seemed very hot. I played the opening riff and the solo to Paranoid and was very happy by the sounds the guitar made but the clean sounds are what really sold me. I played various chords (major, minor, 7th, different positions, coil split on/off, etc.) and was not disappointed at all by what I heard. To me, it sounds very different from any other Strat I've played. I use my current Strat as an all round guitar but that's soon to change. The finish is satin and for those who haven't played a guitar with a satin finish, the finish may feel a little rough as if it needs to be sanded but it doesn't. I prefer a gloss finish myself but that aspect can be easily overlooked if you want an amazing sounding guitar.Russell

Tim Shaw double tap humbucker with yosemite pickups great combo! Covers a wide range. The humbucker in the bridge gives you that fat extra distortion. And when you want that single coil sound pull up on the tone knob and split the coils. Well balanced. Plus you can still get that Sweet Home Alabama sound in position 2 with the HB in single coil mode ! Yosemite Pu's have classic Strat tone in clean channel. The rosewood neck plays and feels good. Came set up out of the box. Fender did a nice job on their Performer Series. Definitely worthy. Kudos!Mikeb

I sat down with the Ibanez AF75 at Guitar Center for over 3hrs. I had traded in a guitar and wanted a jazz/blues machine. I had come in with the Ibanez in mind, but also I had my eye on the Epiphone Wildkat, and the Epiphone Dot. I liked the tone of each, but I kept coming back to the Ibanez. Overall, the build on the Wildkat was poor; it couldn't stay in tune even without using the tremolo. I have owned several Dots over the years and had the same problem with each, the necks broke when adjusted, not by myself, but by 3 different luthiers. The Ibanez just has this warmth to it. Unplugged it sounds like every other semi hollow, maybe a bit tinnier, but plugged in, it just sings. This is perfect for blues/jazz/rock/ or in my case, being in the worship band at church. Do yourself a favor, go to Guitar Center, tune one up, and sit with it for 15min on your favorite amp, just a little overdrive and some reverb, and you will see exactly what I mean. Fantastic instrument. Unbelievable price for this quality. Mine stays in tune like a champ. Minor adjustments every few days. Can't believe it.Davetheworshipguy

Overall: I just got this 3/27/2018, after my Gretsch Streamliner was stolen by a FedEx driver a week earlier and marked it as it was delivered and it was not. but when I followed up a couple days later. I was told by a zZounds customer service rep, that the driver told them he had lost it? So I bought this Ibanez and it is indeed blemished at the neck pocket, just a hair line crack in the finish not the support foundation. the guitar has a very nice acoustic tone and the pickups sound good as well. I recommend prepping the neck nut and the intonation bridge or your strings will not slide smoothly and will hang up and you will be out of tune. the electronics meaning the volume/tone, Input jack and 3way toggle are very cheap but work with a little noise when turning the controls. being in the wholesale / retail business zZounds is paying less than half what it is being sold for in most cases. buy it blemished and save a few dollars…it is a good instrument, plays well and sounds good and I will take it to my next Jazz gig.Chuck

I bought a used (maybe five years old) model of this guitar. Changed the strings and that was that. Can a used Chinese made guitar become a favorite? Yes it can. Yes it has. The construction and finish details on this guitar are at a level of the best American Fenders I have played. Vastly superior to the recent Gibson's, which are, in my view, a disgrace. Set up properly this guitar is very comfortable with no issues such as bridge, nut or tailpiece problems. I am truly amazed. The pickups are not great but with proper amp EQ it will make some very warm music for you.jazznotes

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.

Captains log, earth-date Jan 2021. ‘Ding-dong’. I opened the front door to see the courier standing there po-faced and shivering, holding an oblong cardboard box with Anderton’s printed on the side. Trying my best not to show my excitement, I said “thanks” in a cool James Dean-esque manner – casually took the box and closed the door. I carried out the obligatory air fist-pump with a simultaneous squeal like a prepubescent boy. This was followed up by a gruff Jeremy Clarkson voice, “The Eagle has Landed.” Due to the cold weather and transit, it was hard to resist putting my grubby mitts all over it but I resisted and left it to acclimatise to room temp for 24hrs. Out of the box, it did need a setup. There was a lot of relief in the neck and needed adjusting. Also the string height and intonation needed tweaking to my liking. Upon setup and firing on all cylinders, it feels absolutely superb and worth every penny of her majesty’s coinage. I’m still getting used to ESP’s XJ frets – I think they’re equivalent to Dunlop 6100 fret wire or very similar, but that’s just a personal thing. I did some reading up on ESP guitars before I purchased, and according to ESP, the MH-1000 is a marriage of the M (Mirage) series and the H (Horizon) series. ESP and LTD are the same company with the ESP range being the premium line and the LTD being the affordable line. Saying that, some of the LTD series have premium attributes of the ESP series like this guitar has – ‘Set-Thru’ neck and premium hardware. There’s a lot to like about this guitar. The obvious eye-catching cherry-fade on top of a slightly arched ‘figured’ quilted maple top. Construction is sublime and very good fret finishing. Hardware-wise, it has coil-splitting via a push-pull on the tone knob. The Floyd Rose 1000SE, for all intents and purposes, is almost identical to the Original Floyd Rose albeit uses zinc for a few less important parts and has a smaller 34mm zinc tremolo block. It holds tune perfect even after the most extreme use of the whammy bar. Do I have any gripes? If I was being really picky, I found one tiny blemish on the top finishing. It’s underneath the poly and you’d have to be sharp-eyed to spot it. Personal tweaks – I’ve replaced the screw-type tremolo arm for a push-in type. In the future I may swap the zinc 34mm tremolo block for a bigger brass one like I have in my other guitars.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

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

I've been playing rock and metal guitar for 35 years. As a longtime superstrat player, I found the neck profile thinner than those of other popular sub-$1,000 LP-style guitars, and I took to it immediately. The 13.75" fretboard radius makes it easy for me to play barre chords. The guitar's 24.75" scale length lets the strings be more "slinky," enabling extreme bending of notes. The other standout features are light weight (7.2 lbs.) and the contoured "belly cut" on the back that lets the body rest comfortably against your waist instead of a 90-degree hard edge digging into you. Off the rack, the intonation was spot on and the neck relief was just right; for an optimal setup, I only needed to lower the bridge about 1mm on the bass side and 0.5mm on the treble side. Intonation remained intact! I've barely had the guitar home for 36 hours, and I can't stop looking at it. The fit and finish is on par with guitars costing twice as much! Everything is tight, the finish is flawless, and the electronics are great–I don't feel the need to swap out the pickups at all. The frets are glassy smooth. The only complaint I have is that the jatoba fretboard has visible traces of what I suspect is dried fret polish, which I plan to remove with F-One Oil when I change strings. (BTW, the strings feel great. They remind me of my preferred strings, Ernie Ball Slinkies.) I look forward to using this guitar for alternate tunings in my alt-rock cover band. Its aggressive styling looks the part, but it's still classy and timeless enough to look at home playing classic rock, blues, or country.Identity Crisis Tim

The vast majority of us will never even touch an original '59 Les Paul, probably the most valued electric guitar model of all time. So when Gibson decided to have Epiphone build and deliver a faithful re-release of the OG, it was immediately something to check out. Watching reviews, I found that it comes with '50 style wiring, top-notch electronics and Gibson USA Burstbucker pickup, I decided I had to check it out. I of course checked with AMS and found one in the Southern Fade and pulled the trigger. Two days later, my new guitar was delivered (per usual with AMS!). I opened the box to find that the case looked just like the vintage tan Gibson case complete with pink interior. Then I saw it — beautifully finished in what I would call a semi-gloss finish, fit and finish to die for, looking GREAT. I took it out and played for a while wihout plugging it in and was blown away by the tone and sustain for days. So I plugged it in to check out those Gibson USA pickups – Wow, so many tones with the '50 wiring and great quality pots and switch. I didn't want to put it down. Since then I find new tonal surprises every time I play this great instrument. I know that if you love or even like Les Pauls — you will love this one. My advice — GET YOU ONE OF THESE!BigBuzz

What a brilliant guitar and superb value package! I have owned ‘real’ Gibsons over the years and bought this outfit as a birthday gift for my granddaughter who is learning to play. She has had a fender acoustic for a couple of years and now wants her own electric guitar. I chose this outfit as having previously owned one in the past I like Epiphone guitars. Before giving it to her I thought it best to check it over and set it up but there was nothing to do really, after tuning this guitar was perfectly playable right out the box! The feel, balance and weight is very like my Gibson and the sound is superb. The amp is excellent and packs enough punch to put a smile on your face too. She’s delighted with the built in tuner as well as the other essentials included in the outfit. What’s not to like? I can’t find a better value package!W O.

My original review still stands, but I made cosmetic-only upgrades for less than an average couple's meal at a casual restaurant that makes this look much, much more expensive. No tuner, pickup or pot swaps. Replaced black plastic parts with cream, added cream pickguard, replaced chrome tuner knobs with Klausen-style ivory-look knobs. Installed chrome pickup covers. Replaced speed knobs with gold top-hats.Easily done to make this look like a proper Les Paul. I'm happy with the looks for the little extra money spent.Steve

As the song says: "I'm a Sucker for a Cheap Guitar". I own over 30 – some cheap, some not so cheap. This one arrived perfectly set up: low action, no buzzing, no sharp fret edges, easy to play – amazing for a guitar in this price range. Although not great, the pickups even sounded acceptable. It's heavy, which to me means good, though not as heavy as my Gibson. It's OK-looking, but needed something to enhance it – a pickguard. I added one and it looks much better – more expensive. Instead of cutting off part of the guard to accommodate the knob as I've seen some others do, I drilled a hole big enough for the nut on the body underneath the knob to fit through the guard (see photos). Since the guard isn't much thicker than the nut, it allowed the guard to fit flush with the body and the knob to turn without any restriction of motion, and the pickguard is not butchered. It's a very clean look – like it came that way – not modified. So, I am pleased with this instrument, and would recommend it to anyone for any purpose: especially beginners to play or someone like me who just collects cheap guitars to hang on the wall of their studiio.Steve

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

This is my second 6 string electric, and I couldn't be HAPPIER with it! My first guitar is an entry level Epiphone SG Special that was a couple hundred bucks back in the day. It got the job done…good frets, good tune, good everything. I recently decided to step it up and get a "mid-range" guitar but still not break the bank with an Epiphone. And I'm not calling Epiphone cheap…they are just more in my price range when compared to Gibsons. Stepping it up is the right description for this guitar!! It is AMAZING! The feel, the tone, the look! It sounds great and feels good in the hands too. I especially love the Silverburst color!! The main reason I wanted this specific guitar. It's Adam Jones from TooL color scheme finish but on an epiphone! They are coming out with his own model of epiphone, but I'm impatient lol. Looks are important to picking out a guitar as much as sound! The inlays on the fretboard look beautiful. The pick guard and finish are beautiful, the trim/binding around the guitar… this guitar has reignited my passion for playing! As of this writing, I have no complaints! Excellent guitar!Matt

I purchased this guitar because a Les Paul was missing from my gear arsenal and I didn't want to drop three grand on a Gibson. I played a wall model at a local GC store and decided to buy, but requested a factory new model sent to me, because the wall model I played had some nicks in the fretboard, a sketchy 3 way switch and had worn strings and the intonation was way off above the 14th fret. I paid for next day air shipping to expedite the process because I tend to want the things I pay for fairly quickly. The shipping tag originated from the same city I live in, meaning they had a factory new either in the warehouse or at the neighboring store about 20 miles away. So I essentially paid 42$ for expedited shipping and could had likely gotten it same day if I asked the right questions I suppose. Shame on me. The next business day my guitar is delivered to my residence, I open it and immediately inspected it for possible shipping damage or factory flaws. It arrives with a broken 3 way switch, all strings tuned nearly 2 steps flat and also needed to make a truss rod adjustment to straighten the neck. Completely unacceptable that these issues left both the factory and GC's "quality control" in the condition it did. Luckily I work at a local small box music store and worked with our own luthier after hours to set it up and correct the problems. All that said, this guitar is absolutely fantastic. It plays and sounds very good and even though the stock pickups aren't top tier, they are excellent performers at a very reasonable price point. Monster value in this guitar. If you can acquire one some where other than Guitar Center, do it. If you do purchase from guitar center, make absolutely certain to have it looked at by a professional before accepting it. 5 stars for the guitar and it's value. 1 star for guitar centers lack of QC shipping items.Dan

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.

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

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