Review: 2007 Fender Classic Player '60's Strat

Review: 2007 Fender Classic Player '60's Strat

The Fender Classic Player '60s Strat is one of the three Custom Shop designed and Mexican-made (and it should be pointed out, assembled, not all manufactured) guitars. You can refer back to my reviews of the Baja Telecaster and '50s Strat for comments about the background of this guitar's manufacture and context.

This particular strat was designed by Fender Custom Shop master builder Greg Fessler, and it essentially is as described. Its outward appearance is that of a vintage '60s Strat but with Custom Shop electronics.

Oddly enough, the neck doesn't address the key complaint about the '50s model neck. Which is that it's too thick. This guitar has a 12" C neck with medium jumbo frets, and it's a familiar profile to most modern players. Familiar, but thicker than usual.

The advantage is that it spaces the strings better, and makes it equally easy to play chords or clean leads. It's an ideal surf guitar for that reason, and for those who fingerpick. Also, if you play half chords and such, this neck will open up a new world.

The maple neck has a rosewood fretboard, which will also give the player a softer sound than maple. What you lose in bite, you gain in nuance. 

The pickup and switching system is the same as the '50s model. There are five positions, with 2 and 4 being hum canceling instead of out of phase. This is an improvement over the original with only three positions and the out-of-phase being achieved by monkeying around with the switch (leaving it stuck between the standard positions).

Where it differs is in the pickups. The Custom Shop '69 single coil with grey bobbins is used, and thus the sonic range fits squarely in the '60s. The sounds can range from classic surf, Jimi Hendrix, rock blues, late '60s Clapton (with a midrange booster), Stevie Winwood, and so on.

It's a brighter-sounding strat than many modern players are used to. However, it's bright without being tinny, and it has a spank in the tone that modern versions don't have. Imagine Traffic's classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” a quintessential '60s Fender song, and you'll have an idea of the tone.

Fender has gone for the vintage look on this one, with Gotoh button pegs, single-ply pickguard (which seems sort of cheap), and aged knobs. The tremolo is a 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Stamped Steel Saddles.

Even nicer, the three-tone and sonic blue finishes are absolutely off the coolness scale. The sonic blue needs to be seen to appreciate how pretty it is. Too bad Fender couldn't have added sea foam green, it'd have made this model into a sales monster.

When you add up the plusses, great vintage looks (made cheaper by a new state-of-the-art facility in Mexico), and Custom Shop electronics, it's a steal at 800.00. There are some differences between the American Strat and this one, but not enough to pay 400.00-600.00 more and not get the customized electronics.

The difference between the older Mexican Fenders with poplar bodies and cheap pickups, and these Player Series guitars is huge. These guitars are closer in value to their American counterparts than Epiphones are with Gibsons. Only the most stubborn would be unable to see past its Mexican manufacture.

If you get one of these strats, you'll soon be enjoying your own Summer of Love.

- Al Handa

  2007

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2007. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

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Review: Epiphone WildKat

Review: Epiphone WildKat

As related in my review of the Epi FlameKat, I seriously revisited those guitars intending to add one of the two to my collection. Between the two, I looked at the WildKat the hardest, because on paper, it's quite possibly the most attractive of the three in terms of performance, cool factor, and price.

In terms of the body construction, it's pretty much the same as the other Kats except for the use of flamed maple over the usual mohogany body and maple neck. The neck feels wider and shallower than the FlameKat, and has a nicer feel. Also, that vintage metal headstock logo is love it or hate it, but count me among those who like it.

Like the FlameKat, it has a Bigsby tail, and as such, as good as you'll get in that department. The same button style Gotoh tuners will help you make quick adjustments after any wild dive bombing session with the tremelo bar.

When looking at these guitars, there's the obvious cosmetic differences, and one hardware difference (the AlleyKat doesn't have a tremelo bar). In most other respects, you have the same small bodied semi-solid guitar. 

Given that, the main differentiation is in the pickups, which is anywhere from 80% to 85% of the sound. I'll note that the percentage is an average from various sources on the internet, etc., and acknowledge that the number is debatable.

One thing that isn't debatable. The pickups and electronics contribute the most to the sound. The pickup configurations are what make each of the Kat guitars unique. The internal electronics are pretty much the same in all three (tone control, etc.). The Kats are excellent ergonomically, and this guitar is no exception. I'll resist the temptation to quip that it'll sit in your lap like a kitty kat, etc.

In this case, the WildKat has two Alnico V P-90 pickups in silver colored covers. It's a nice touch, as most P-90's are either black or that odd vintage beige that sort of looks like it belongs on an old 60's Japanese Teisco guitar (which may be the intention, I can't read into a pickup maker's soul).

What you get is a semi-solid with very hot single coil pickups that give off the aura of a screaming vintage guitar. Which it can be, believe me. There's nothing like a P-90 blasting at high gain, it's a sound that we've heard from the rockabilly days, to the late 60's Who.

On the other hand, the P-90 has a glorious history in jazz also. It was often the stock pickup on many of the classic jazz models until replaced by humbuckers. To this day, many jazzers still prefer the P-90.

So, many guitar players will find that the WildKat is a very suitable jazz flavored guitar, possibly the best of the three. It has a superb clean tone that isn't muddy (like a 490 humbucker can be), and can emulate early jazz sounds just fine.

I checked out both colors. There's the flame maple, which I played in a guitar store, and the translucent turquoise model which deserves a look before buying. One previous owner of the latter had put a Marilyn Monroe decal on it. You know, it looked as good on it as it would have on a World War II B-17 bomber nose. Very cool.

It's a guitar I would recommend to anyone who wants to play vintage rock to jazz, and everything in between. There are some caveats though. These P-90's are well made, but still will hum like the old ones did, just a lot less so. However, to give you a comparison, it's a lot quieter than an old Strat or Telecaster (before anyone objects to that, I should add that I played a '71 Tele for 20 years as my primary guitar, and I know it hums). 

Also, the sound will have a strong clear high to mid-range punch. It's the perfect soloing guitar, and rhythm players will find it has a very clean, cutting chord attack. If you're looking for a humbucker type of sound, this wouldn't be the guitar for you.

However, don't count it out if you're looking for an inexpensive jazz guitar just because it's a single coil type. A lot of your old classic jazz guitar on record was done on single coils.

You might have to look hard for a used copy, as between the three, this model seems to have kept the highest resale value. I even saw a used one at a Guitar Center being sold at it's original street price. That's the highest compliment American capitalism can give an import guitar.

In the end, I didn't get one, as it was too close in sound (to my ears) to my Epiphone Blues Zephyr Deluxe, with it's three P-90's (yes, I am a P-90 cultist). However, given the price difference between the two, you'd be way ahead of the game if you got the WildKat.

Unless you haggled the store owner down to 500.00 out the door like I did for a new Deluxe, that is. But then, how many time will that happen? The guy had turned me down five times before, I have no idea why he finally gave in.

But those are mysteries that man can't answer. The WildKat and it's excellent qualities are something that can be understood the minute you get it into your hands and turn on the amp. From there, you can create your own miracles.

- Al Handa 

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2006. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

COMING IN MAY

Review: Epiphone FlameKat LE

Review: Epiphone FlameKat LE

While I was in the process of getting this guitar's cousin, the AlleyKat, this rather florid axe did catch my eye and got a cursory workout. I decided on the AlleyKat at the time, but recently have revisited getting a FlameKat or WildKat.

One reason is that used ones are finally hitting the market at a nice price, in the 300.00-400.00 range, which for what you're getting is a good deal. 

After a lengthy tryout with a prospective seller, I did have to pass, as I couldn't get past the dice and flame motif, but was surprised at how my initial impression of the guitar had changed.

This pretty successful series of semi-solids didn't come out of thin air, it's sort of a cross between some of the old Gretches and the Les Paul ES model (which I'm surprised isn't kept in at least a limited edition release by Epiphone, as it was a very nice guitar).

This particular model has a mahogany body, with a maple top and neck. Pretty much your archetype electric archtop. It of course has that hard-to-ignore flame motif, with red dice for knobs. Sort of a takeoff on the hot rod with the dice hanging on the mirror thing I guess.

The guitar also has a VibraTone Bigsby and two mini “New York” style humbuckers. It has fast-tuning chrome button-style tuners, which you'll need if you want to yank away on that tremolo bar. I've heard a lot of complaints about the guitar going out of tune when using the Bigsby, but I didn't notice it being a real problem.

The fact is, a tremolo bar will yank your guitar out of tune if it's pulled on too hard and often. Especially if you've got new strings on. If it's used in the traditional manner, to bend notes and create effects, the stress on the strings isn't that bad. If you want to be Link Wray on it, then by all means keep your chromatic tuner handy.

Another surprise was how mild the pickups could be. It has the least smooth clean tone of the three (oddly enough, the WildKat seems to be the jazziest if you want it to be), but it's strikingly jazzy. Certainly a more versatile guitar than its image suggests.

I didn't realize that the first time I tried the guitar, as the flames and dice just made me assume that it was supposed to be played at high gain. I did, and like most mini humbuckers, I found it has a high, cutting tone, but a bit smoother due to the semi-solid body style (as opposed to a solid body Firebird, which also uses minis).

Another thing that struck me was that the dice knobs may be cool, but the square shape does make it a bit harder to make fine adjustments. Takes getting used to. Also, of the three guitars in this Kat series, it has the least comfortable neck. The action and setup were fine, but the taper towards the nut felt odd, and playing on it felt slightly awkward. 

Obviously, judging a neck is a subjective thing, but it would make me advise you to try this one out before buying unless the mail-order company has a good return policy. That's if they have one, it has been discontinued, which doesn't say anything in terms of its success, it was always a limited edition model.

The interesting thing is that except for the neck and flame paint, I liked the guitar. That's probably why I ended up with an AlleyKat, which also has a mini-humbucker up front (and no tremolo bar, which is OK, I don't need one).

So, in a sense, I did like the guitar and bought it, but without the dice and flame job. Also, I think the '57 pickup that the AlleyKat has in the bridge position works better than a mini anyway.

From a sound standpoint, guitarists who will find this guitar attractive are those who play surf, vintage 50's rock, and in particular, those who want a guitar that adds some cool on a live stage. It was made to be posed with, if you know what I mean.

It can sound silky, and then ramp up into some very lively rock and roll, and in terms of performance, it's as good a guitar in its price range as any. If it was a guitar that could take off its stage makeup and put on regular clothes at home, then it'd be sitting in my closet right now with the rest of my six-string buddies.

 -Al Handa

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2006. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

COMING IN MAY

Review: Gretsch G5810 Bo Diddley Electric Guitar

Review: Gretsch G5810 Bo Diddley Electric Guitar

Gretsch dares you to be different with this pretty close approximation of the original Bo Diddley guitar. Before Brian May of Queen, Bo made his own guitar using Gretsch electronics and neck and mated those to a rectangular piece of wood and a floating bridge and tailpiece. Also, there were no synthesizers on his records either.

Square guitars aren't an original idea. Both Leo Fender and Les Paul made their prototypes with simple chunks of wood.

However, Bo Diddley's contribution to the minimalist school of guitar design is that he didn't need a bench and could be played like a regular guitar. He later had two separate custom designs made by an independent luthier, and one by Gretsch. The former was named the “Mean Machine” and the latter, “Big B.”

What makes this guitar unique in the Gretsch product line is that it's been issued in a few different versions. Two were issued as part of the ill-fated Historic series (one full size, and another a 3/4 model). An expensive limited edition was created, and this G5810, is part of the Electromatic line. That's a lot of square guitars.

Except for the limited edition, these guitars are quite inexpensive, both new and used. Which makes sense, it's really just a wooden rectangle with a bolt-on neck, with a modern bridge substituted for the old tailpiece assembly. Add some decent Gretsch humbuckers and you have a pretty good screamer in the 300-400 dollar range (thanks to Asian manufacture).

This makes one wonder why even an American-made Telecaster (which is only a little more complex in construction) hits the 900.00 mark for an American Standard. That point is made rhetorically, as we all know that Teles cost that much because people will pay it.

In spite of the love-it-or-hate-it design, the Bo guitar is certainly a classic. As much so as the Flying V and the Explorer designs, it really should be judged in that class of guitar. It was made to be different than the mainstream and make a statement, and it did that as much as any other design.

This guitar has the two main strengths inherent in a classic Bo Diddley song. One, it's a cut-and-slash rhythm guitar with that metallic Gretsch bottom that will dominate the mid and upper ranges in any band. This isn't a Gibson.

Secondly, its lead voice is sharp and piercing at its best, like in Bo's “Who Do You Love” which wasn't anything like George Thorogood's well-known version. If you listen to Bo's “I'm A Man” or the immortal “Mumbling Guitar” (you'll see where the Yardbirds came from), you'll have here the instrument that will take you to that place.

There are some aspects of the guitar worth noting. You do have to be a little careful with it. I did bang my leg with one of the corners of this plank when sitting down. Luckily, it's not as heavy as it looks. The balance is OK, but with no sculpting, it is like having a straight-edged plank on your leg. Like the V, it's probably at its best as a stage guitar.

Also, the plain finish emphasizes the minimalist look of the guitar a little too much. To the point where it makes it look cheaper than it is, or worse, less cool than it could be. A nice glossy finish in candy apple red or some spectacular graphic would raise the cool quotient tenfold.

Given its flat surface, the owner could find this a nice blank canvas for the usual decals, interesting stencil work, etc. Certainly, a refinishing job wouldn't be all that expensive given how simple the surface is.

The reason I'm focusing so much on the looks is that in terms of the electronics, this guitar really doesn't need the usual pickup and wiring upgrade. If this guitar is about anything, it's style or anti-style.

If you're buying this guitar to emulate the classic Bo Diddley sound, it's more than good enough if you crank up the reverb, mid, and treble. This is as specialized a guitar as an archtop or twelve-string.

The old Bo Diddley records were classics of the 50's rhythm and blues sound. Lots of echoes, reverb, cheap-sounding tremolo, and plenty of that Gretsch treble attack. For that, you don't need an expensive guitar, just one that can recreate that feel. Remember, that sound was created by a homemade guitar.

This one does the job just fine and at a realistic price. A great second or third guitar. In this case, being square does mean Diddley.

- Al Handa

  2007

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!

Review: Dean Chrome G Resonator Guitar (Electric)

Review: Dean Chrome G Resonator Guitar (Electric)

Steel or brass-bodied resonator guitars have been a rarity on the music scene for decades. One reason is that it's a specialty guitar especially suited for certain types of slide blues and Hawaiian music. The other reason is that the guitars are very expensive, averaging 1500.00 and up. 

A few years ago, inexpensive resonators began to appear on the scene. Most notably the Regal single and tri-cones, and the Johnson Duolians (single cones). Although there was the usual snickering and advice about changing the cones out for “real National Resophonic” ones, these economy models have stuck around.

The primary weakness of these mid-priced models is volume. Some of it is due to overly light factory stringing (12 gauge is the minimum you should use), and cheaper, inferior sound cones inside. The fact that simply changing the cone(s) out with a National Resophonic dramatically improves the sound makes it clear that this type of guitar doesn't have to be priced like a Les Paul. It's all about the cone, as the bodies are basically just metal boxes.

In the middle price range, there are two basic types. The Tricone, best done by Regal, and considered the most sweet and resonant sounding. Or the Johnson, the Duolian, with a single big cone that punches hard and is a true blues machine.

Then there's my resonator, the Dean Chrome G. It looks like a standard Duolian, but with most of the surface engraved. The sound bridge is gold plated, and the mahogany neck and headstock follow the Regal model of lots of inlay and a coconut tree on top.

The engraving is more than just decoration. It reduces the one major annoyance that most resophonic owners hate. The engraving reduces the tendency for the shiny chromed surface to pick up every single fingerprint no matter how clean your hands are (not to mention armpit sweat if you play with a tanktop or less).

One other very nice feature of the G model is that it's only half as thick as the typical resophonic. There's less volume of course, but it makes it much easier to play.

You can get more volume anyway using the piezo and lipstick pickups that are mounted on it. Crank up the distortion and you have a pretty mean-sounding electric guitar, lighten up and you have the soundtrack to a romantic evening in Hawaii or a hot afternoon in the Delta. There’s going to be feedback at higher volume but less so because of the rigid metal top.

It uses a “biscuit” style bridge (a piece of wood) so height adjustment is easy, and the Grover tuners are efficient. The tailpiece does have an odd trapezoid shape that makes stringing the guitar hard (combined with the cool-looking classical-style headstock). Anyone who has strung a classical-style headstock knows, that looks can deceive. Count on five minutes per string when changing.

However, those are small complaints about what is a good package. For 600.00, you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer and cooler-looking guitar. That gold-plated lipstick pickup alone is worth the price of admission. It just says “loud vintage pickup” just looking at it.

I bought this one on sight without even trying it out. Guitars that I've checked out more thoroughly have come and gone, but this one has turned into a keeper. It seems that sometimes, there is such a thing as love at first sight.

- Al Handa

  2007

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2007. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!

Review: 2006 Gretsch Wild West Sweetheart Guitar

Review: 2006 Gretsch Wild West Sweetheart Guitar

The new Gretsch limited edition “Wild West Sweethearts” guitar is the logical extension of the baby boomer practice of buying a rare guitar and putting it in a glass case. Gretsch has created a guitar with a collectible box, which like doll collecting, will be an indispensable part of the package. You can buy it and just put it on the pedestal right out of the shopping bag.

You do have to give them credit. After gagging time after time after hearing about the latest Gibson limited edition Les Paul for a measly five thousand dollars, it's refreshing to know that one can get into collecting the “Rowdiest collection of acoustic guitars this side of the Mississippi” for the relatively sane sum of 150.00. Shucks, I've paid more for gas.

This 3/4 size guitar features a “real factory setup” (I know, the term is meaningless), a 24” scale, steel reinforced neck, a red finish that rivals the vintage faded Gibson guitars for drabness, and two of the cutest cartoon gun slinging gals you ever saw on a geetar.

Of course, I had to play it. Any ad campaign that points out that the guitar is made of real wood is bound to fascinate. It reminded me a lot of my first guitar, sort of a rich, resonant, but slightly thin cardboard sound.

Not at all unpleasant. The sound was slightly evocative and had that old-time aura (but then, my acoustic ear had been destroyed by old archtops and resonators). It isn't up to the level of a baby Taylor or even a Martin Backpacker, but there's no denying that when you whip this one out at the campfire, the mosh pit will be in front of the log you're playing at.

There is a serious side, to be fair. Gretsch is reviving an old tradition that was made famous by the old Hawaiian guitars of the 1920s and the cowboy cheapies of the Tex Ritter era. Those guitars made up for the relatively cheap construction by sporting outlandish and colorful illustrations of cowboys, palm trees, and that sort of thing. Many of those do sound decent, particularly when used on slide numbers.

I should also add, that many of those old guitars are highly collectible. Even better, even more, are in such bad condition that for slide players, a cool guitar is often only a hop away from a Salvation Armani or antique shop (avoid the latter, they will charge blue book).

For those who like to read the back of cereal boxes while you eat, the guitar box is a real treat. It has a variation of the famous “Hero of the Beach” ad where the skinny guy gets sand kicked in his face in front of his already gorgeous girlfriend (so why's he worried), takes guitar lessons, and comes back all buff and kicks the bejeesus out of the bully (who was probably a Gibson Les Paul Custom owner to boot). 

Rounding out the fun are the ads that promise guitar mastery in just days, various novelty items we all saw in comic books (yes, I know you all read those at one time), and the cool Gretsch Americana front cover. Nice to have something to read while you play, eh?

Also, need I add, it proudly proclaims that the guitar is made of real wood! The words even look like twigs! I don't know if this will be a success, but it's nice to see a fun novelty guitar with some real history behind it sport a reasonable price tag.

I'd certainly recommend to anyone who wants to try out a 3/4 guitar (for travel, etc) to try this one. Sometimes a fun guitar plays better than a more serious one that tries too hard (see Martin Backpacker) or costs too much (see Taylor).

I have to admit, there isn't one of these fun little guitars in my near future. I already have an old beat-up Gretsch archtop featuring indifferent craftsmanship. For me, the past is already the present.

- Al Handa

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2006. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!

Review: Dean ZX Braziliaburst (Cherryburst Explorer Copy)

Review: Dean ZX Braziliaburst (Cherryburst Explorer Copy)

One of the other doomed but later famous Gibson innovations was the Explorer guitar, which at least had the virtue of being a guitar you could play sitting down. Which was a good idea, as it was pretty heavy, and its shape could find the average air guitarist knocking down lamps and other breakables.

All joking aside, it is a good “stage design.” In other words, a cool-looking guitar for stage use. Past notables who found it a fine live guitar include Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick, and of course, Z.Z. Top, who made the now immortal fur-lined-180-degree rotating model famous.

I have to admit, an Explorer was on my list of “nice to have but not a priority” type guitars. When I found a Dean ZX Braziliaburst (i.e. Cherryburst) for 175.00, it was a no-brainer. The pickups are designed to sound like DiMarzio distortions and do that job fairly well.

Dean is one of those younger companies that have a long or purchased pedigree from the past, and frankly do a better job of putting out inexpensive guitars than the bigger companies. They deal a lot via the internet, like Jay Turser and Agile, and that cuts a lot of costs.

I've noticed that these companies work in reverse of the majors. They use cheaper wood, crafted well, but with better than average pickups. This seems to be a strategy that saves the buyer the trouble of replacing the usual lousy pickups in a cheapie, and, arguably, better pickups are more important than wood quality in the lower price ranges (DeArmond is a good example).

I remember once owning a Jay Turser SG copy, with a single bridge P90. It was purple, and cheesy looking like a Danelectro, but it sure sounded as close to the “Who Live At Leeds” CD as any guitar ever could. It never became my main guitar, but it sure made me rethink my preconceptions about how important pickups were.

The body is basswood, which is acceptable, but watch out for the usual easy nicking and belt rash this wood is vulnerable to. The neck is maple, and well made. Action is very good, and fast playing is effortless. One advantage of the basswood body, though, is that this Explorer is lighter than usual.

Make sure if at all possible to get the right gigbag or case in the deal. If not, you'll get stuck buying a keyboard bag or something, as this guitar will not fit standard or even large gigbags.

The Dean ZX is a wonderful-looking Explorer-style guitar, with decent craftsmanship at a 200.00 internet price and more than passable sound. Also, a string-through bridge with a cool V string plate and zebra pickups make it seem much more expensive than it is.

The only thing I don't like is the garish Michael Schenker-style split headstock, but that's a minor quibble about a guitar that's been made to look spectacular.

Also, its strengths play to its intended use as a full-out rock guitar. Try to play it clean, or jazzy, and the pickups fall flat. Crank the volume and gain, and you are in a mid-70s arena playing KISS or Z.Z. Top.

One could spend a couple of thousand and get a Les Paul that can give you awesome clean tones, as well as powerful noises, but what if you just want to rock? Well, looks like there are companies that have figured out how to sell to that market niche.

I'm not going to say that this guitar should replace the Les Paul in your collection. No sober guitarist would ever say that. However, if you're someone who can only afford an inexpensive guitar that seems to give maximum value (that is to say, good enough sound, good playability, and great looks) at a price cheaper than a bike or iPod, guitars like these are a godsend.

In my case, it added a fun guitar to my collection without having to pay much. Fun enough that I don't feel obligated to play it all the time, if you know what I mean. We all have guitars (like Danos, etc) that are just for fun or one specific sound when needed (well, most of us).

I just pull it out once in a while and just crank it and have a great time playing rock and blues songs at a silly level of distortion and gain. It's been over a year, and I figure in terms of the fun I’ve had, it's already made its 175.00 back.

- Al Handa

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2006. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!

Review: Epiphone G-400 Custom SG (3 PU)

Review: Epiphone G-400 Custom SG (3 PU)

I have to admit, this was one guitar that almost triggered a major GAS attack, and on that day, I was going to buy it on sight. Luckily I didn't, although not for the reasons you might think.

It's a guitar that nowadays you can get for around 450.00 on sale in most places, and it never did replace the standard two-pickup SGs or even dent its popularity. I'm not sure why, from a distance, it's an imposing and impressive guitar. Big, mean-looking, three gold humbuckers, everything about it says turbo-charged SG.

The problem is, when you play it, it's obviously a nice guitar, but it doesn't necessarily give you a compelling reason to buy it over the traditional SG.

The traditional SG is a light guitar, easy to play (except for being neck-heavy due to its lighter body). It has a wonderful tone, warm, but biting, and it's one of the classic rock guitars. Also, it has a more unknown, but very definite presence in the classic blues. One of Muddy Waters' guitar players used an SG for example, as did one of the Blues Brothers band. 

Right off the bat, you notice the guitar's weight. The Custom is a heavier guitar, which compared to the Les Paul is nothing, but given that it's an SG model, perceptions tend to count. The neck is a good one, a bit thicker, but very playable, and the tuners are just fine.

Also, the pickups are good, but whether it's the cost of putting on three instead of two, these don't seem to be as good as Epiphone's top-of-the-line SG model. This may not be a fair comparison, as the reason you have three pickups isn't necessarily to sound like a regular SG.

The key to all three pickup guitars is the middle pickup. It can be combined with the bridge or neck pickups to give you a bigger range of tones. By itself, like most middle pickups, it's supposed to give you the most "acoustic" of all the settings.

The problem here is that the pickups are very close to one another and come close to being there just for show. I did notice some sound differentiation in the various combinations, but the louder I got, the less it showed (and let's face it, most SGs are played loud).

Earlier I mentioned how attractive it was at a distance. That wasn't a casual remark. When you look at it up close, the cutaways look stubbier and less graceful. The extra thickness and weight make it a more awkward guitar to handle than the more traditional SG.

In stock condition, it's still a pretty good buy at 450.00, and I see some used ones selling in the 350.00-400.00 range. At its original price point years ago, I probably wouldn't have recommended it. When a guitar has extra features (like a third pickup), you always have to ask yourself, what did they take away to keep the price down? Better two good pickups than three not-so-bad ones, for example.

To be fair, it isn't a pure SG and taken as that, there are positives. It is a unique offshoot of a classic design, and it has an attractive finish. Its sound isn't quite up to Epiphone's best SG, but it's not bad. The clean tone is its strongest suit.

Also, at its lower price point, it can be a good upgrade model. Given that the pickups are a bit too close, one can upgrade with different types instead of three of the same.

Try maybe a Duncan '59 as the neck pickup, experiment with the middle, and put maybe a '57 classic or hotter type in the bridge. Since it's pre-routed for three pickups, the possibilities are endless, and it's a solid piece of wood to mount it all on.

I don't say that to mitigate the review, but sometimes a guitar finds a second life when it's older (and less expensive, DeArmonds being an excellent example), and this guitar has possibilities of a regular SG or lots of other two pickup models don't have. If it were up to me now, if the price point hit a sweet spot, I'd buy it in a second over a regular SG type. 

Guitars are interesting things. One person can look at one and not like it, or see it as a bad fit for their style of music. Another can look at the same guitar, and see it as a vehicle to get that unique sound that keeps sounding in one's brain.

The G-400 Custom started life as what some might see as an overvalued guitar. As the years have passed, and as its price drops and used ones keep hitting the market, its value goes up for what it is, and what it can be. Funny how that works.

- Al Handa

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!

Review: Epiphone Chet Atkins CE Nylon String

Review: Epiphone Chet Atkins CE Nylon String

The Epiphone Chet Atkins CE was an attempt by Chet to create a low-cost version of the very successful Gibson versions of both a solid steel and nylon string guitar using only piezo pickups in the bridge. I say it was an attempt by him, as it was a stated goal of his to do so and he pushed Epiphone to create such a guitar.

The early nylon string versions had some teething pains, with a high rate of failure in the piezo system created for this guitar. This was exacerbated by a shortage of replacement pickups from Korea, with a backlog often lasting months.

My guitar piezo system failed during the setup process by my local guitar tech, and it took about four weeks to get replacements, and as luck would have it, it was a bad batch. A complaint to Epiphone did speed up things and the guitar was in my hands two weeks later, along with a free T-Shirt.

Like any piezo pickup, the acoustic sound of the guitar was virtually irrelevant, which was good, as the heavy mohogany body produced almost no sound. It was very much an electric animal. When it worked, the results were excellent. The sound coming out of the amp (or headphones) was remarkably natural sounding, and one could play at any volume without feedback and it was tough to distort the sound (at clean setting).

The guitar itself was thin, albeit pretty hefty, and in particular, it was neck heavy like an old SG. The neck was very playable, though, and one could lower the action to an extent unheard of with a regular classical. The overall look of the guitar from the front was that of a traditional classical, with an unfortunately very fake-looking hole offset by some very pretty and effective tuners.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't one-dimensional. With a little adjustment of the tone knob or use of effects, the guitar was capable of a wide variety of tones. In particular, I liked using it with a lot of reverb, and a bit of chorus.

Also, due to the fast neck, nylon-string jazz and world music style playing was especially easy and given the popularity of such guitars now, the CE could have sold much better now than it did in it's heyday in the 90's. Artists like Willie Nelson loved the Gibson version back then and bought several, so the basic design wasn't the problem.

The price wasn't either. The Epi version was in the 350.00-400.00 range, and mine was priced even lower. I guess one could find a lot of reasons why this or that guitar doesn't catch on. In my case, it was simply too neck heavy, the piezo system was cantankerous and sometimes got noisy, and most of all, it basically had no acoustic sound. You always needed an amp unless the house was dead quiet.

Nylon string guitars aren't played acoustically for just riffing around like one would do with a Les Paul for example. Players who choose classical guitars want to hear that translucent bell-like tone that only this type of instrument can produce.

So, in the end, The CE left my guitar collection, and an electric-acoustic took its place. However, to this day, in an age where nylon string guitars are being played almost as fast as jazz boxes, I sometimes wonder if I gave up on the thing a bit too soon. It's a guitar that can still be found here and there, and the used price is often quite good. I've seen it as low as 225.00 on Craiglist. By now, I figure the ones that had the pickup problems are gone, and the ones being sold work just fine.

At its price point, and capabilities, and given current music trends, one would have to say that Chet was on to something. It was just ten years too early.

- Al Handa

  2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2006. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMTED

Here's info on some of my Vella books:

The Quitturz (title not changed on ad yet)

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09PC3L6PC

I, Ivy

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0B3RCBT4D

The Forbidden Lost Gospels Of Murgatroyde

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJ2TW4P1

The Boogie Underground Think Tank: How To Survive The End Of Civilization

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BG6LNXTG

The Adventures Of Queen Khleopahtra: Ruler Of Egypt, Time Traveler, and Literary Detective

 https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BJC122G7

Please check out and listen to my music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other music sites. Please add any cuts you like to your playlists!