Design:

Body construction is identical to the updated ‘56 Pro, with a laminate frame capped with Masonite (hardboard) top and back. It sports a Traditional Danelectro masonite construction with those extraordinary cutaways creating two huge horns. You are either going to love this or hate it. Resplendent in a two-tone Blackburst paint job that fades to light grey at the centre, the Longhorn guitar’s hue at distance is somewhat reminiscent of Gibson’s late 1970s Silverburst finish, albeit without the metallic paint. The Danelectro logo, as ever, is loud and proud on the headstock. The guitar is available in three distinct finishes of Deep blue pearl and Black/White Pearl Burst. All of them have a lovely vintage look. No left-handers are available, although the symmetrical lyre-shaped body outline and central strap button placement are leftie friendly should you wish to flip the guitar around.

Features:

Updates:

The latest reissue of the Dead On ‘58 Longhorn Bass Guitar features many of the iconic bass’s key traits including its unique hollow body design which is a pressed wood top and bottom mounted to a plywood frame, gorgeous lipstick tube pickups, aluminium nut and a deep, scooped tone, including the arguably wear-prone aluminium nuts and transparent plastic scratch plates secured by just a pair of screws. As a new feature, the new longhorn features a bridge with individual string saddles and higher quality buttons.

Bridge:

The bridge is an updated version, which allows for individual string height and intonation adjustment. However, the screw for intonation adjustment is obscured by the string it adjusts. This means you will have to slacken the string enough to move it to one side, adjust the saddle position and then re-tune to check the adjustment.

Controls:

It possesses a slightly different electronics layout from the previous two versions, pairing a pickup selector switch with master volume and tone knobs. We preferred the old layout, especially because the new one’s switch is not much durable and breaks easily, making it impossible to solo the neck pickup. The height of the pickups is adjustable via screws on the back of the body. We were also disappointed to see the original’s old-school tone dials and the reissue’s retro knobs replaced by bland, vibe-deprived plastic knobs.

Neck, Tuners and Headstock:

The standard bolt-on neck that graced the Pro reissues a while back has been maintained. As a matter of personal taste, we are not a fan of the super-glossy black neck finish the company uses; we prefer the satin stain it used on its DC necks. It has a good playable profile with a just a hint of chunkiness. The new all-metal unbranded sealed mini tuners with small knobs felt sturdier than their forerunners, but their low gear ratio makes tuning a chore. They give a nice and positive operation. The traditional “Coke bottle” headstock has been updated with a bit of an Elvis-style quiff. The distinctive Danelectro metal nut is held in place by a single screw. The metal nut is an essential element in the Danelectro sound.

The smooth-grained rosewood fretboard has traditional dot markers. The frets are very well polished medium ones that are set quite low to give a fast and comfortable playing feel.

Sound and Action:

The Danelectro Longhorn Bass Guitar is real fun to play; especially, since it is so light that you will practically for that you have been strapped on to it. The instrument’s short scale made it much easier to pull off fret-spanning finger stretches, and with its stock short-scale D’Addario strings, the Dano feels taut and springy compared to many other short-scale basses. The Longhorn’s super-deep cutaways make it easy to fly high into the upper registers, though you will likely want to spend more time enjoying the mid-scooped thump it provides down low. Unfortunately, like many other switch-equipped Danelectros, the soloed pickups had about half the volume of the blended sound, making it hard to use the bass’s different tones on a gig.

The action was very low out of the box and we were very impressed by the Korean factory set up.

Verdict:

The Danelectro Longhorn Bass Guitar has a lot of character and loads of tones to offer. We found the playing experience is unique. Since the bridge sits so close to the bottom of the body, the whole guitar is a lot shorter than you will be used to. This brings the first three frets a lot closer to you than is ordinarily the case. If you are looking for a truly singular style and tone, this is exactly the guitar you are looking for.

Check Encore Electric Guitars, Godin Electric Guitar Models, Reviews in this website.

Danelectro Longhorn Bass Guitar - Technical Specification Table

Clever Design:

We know exactly what you are thinking, “This looks like a gimmick”. But, please note that, the Goal Rush is actually very much playable and portable electric guitar with a full scale neck. Its small round body is finished in hexagons so that it resembles a football and also bears the official logo of the 2010 world cup held in South Africa. The central black hexagon that sits directly under the strings is actually a speaker grill that covers a 4” integral speaker that is driven by an onboard 1 watt amplifier. On the rear side of the guitar, the speaker has been given some air to breathe by a larger bore grille. There is also a compartment in the rear for the single nine volt battery that powers the amplifier. The body of the Aria Goal Rush 2010 Travel guitar might appear to be quite thick, but most of its wood has been routed away in order to accommodate the speaker and amp. This travel instrument is finished really nicely as you would expect on an officially licensed FIFA product.

Controls and Strap:

The Aria Goal Rush FIFA World Cup 2010 guitar is equipped with a single volume control topped by a simple black knob. This also acts as an on/off switch for the on-board amp, simply pull the knob to turn the guitar on, push the knob back to turn the guitar off. There are two strap-buttons, one on the base of the body and one on the back of the headstock. This causes the guitar to hand in a unique and not uncomfortable way when standing. But note that you will probably need to use a strap even when seated as the round body makes it difficult to sit the guitar on your thigh while you play while sitting down.

Headstock and tuners:

The headstock design is so radical that it can be described as just one thing, an extreme reverse explorer. Then comes the moment when you will drop your jaws just as you realise that it represents a black football boot on a white stocking foot and the tuning knobs representing the spikes or studs on the sole of the foot. The unexpected advantage though is, because of the shortness of the instrument, the headstock design offers up the tuners in a really accessible way when the guitar is on a strap. There is one string guide that uniquely guides the fifth and sixth strings. Though the truss rod access is uncovered, it is well finished.

Neck, Frets and Pickups:

The bolt-on maple neck in Aria Goal Rush FIFA World Cup 2010 Electric Guitar is nicely contoured and finished smoothly, feeling slim and comfortable in the hand. The rosewood fretboard has an even and tight grain. There are traditional pearloid dots Fret-markers that are mirrored down the player’s side of the neck. There are 22 well finished standard medium frets and the neck joins the body at the 18th fret and, because the body is circular, there is no cutaway to make the upper frets accessible. You will be totally deceived by the single pickup that looks like a single coil, but is actually a stacked humbucker.

Other Features:

The tuners are of sealed mini types, having a smooth and professional feel to them. The white plastic nut is a set in a slot cut into the fretboard. Though it has been finished nicely, the extremely splay of the strings as they cross the nut might cause some wear over time. The bridge is mostly a self contained wrap-over model. The strings are loaded from the pickup side of the bridge, pulled through and wrapped over the bridge to begin their journey up to the headstock. The saddle is integral to the moulding of the bridge, and so, it is not adjustable, but it is compensated for best possible intonation. Action or string height can be generally adjusted via two large screws, one at each end of the bridge.

In spite of the fact it has an on-board amp, you can still play through an external amp. The jack socket for this sits on the lower edge of the body set in an oval chrome plate. The GR2010 also comes with a custom fitted gigbag.

Performance:

Now let us find out how this fabulous football like guitar performs. The speaker and the on-board amp produces a reasonably loud sound with a good response. Just as you increase the volume the humbucker overdrives the amp progressively harder so the loudest output is heavily overdriven. After this little guitar is plugged into an external amplifier, the guitar takes on a really different character; the humbucker reveals a richer, mellower tone. Being independent of the limiting factors of the 4 inch onboard speaker the sound takes on a surprising depth.

Verdict:

The Goal Rush FIFA World Cup 2010 is a perfectly playable and attractive little travel guitar and we would really like to see Aria produce it as a standard model without the FIFA branding after the World Cup tournament has finished. This banjo shape and style of the guitar looks a lot more natural than the “mini-me” shrunken guitar shapes often seen in the travel guitar market. As it stands, it is a great little collector’s item that commemorates a prodigious sporting event. Recommended? Of course!

Check other Aria Electric Guitars, Reviews in this website.

Aria FIFA 2010 World Cup Electric Guitar - Technical Specification Table

Design:

A Classic:

The Yamaha CG171SF Guitar is designed to meet the demands of today’s flamenco guitars with its amazing lower action, cut away and superb craftsmanship. The traditional round shouldered and small body guitar features a solid European Spruce top with Cypress back and sides with a subtle natural finishing. Both woods have a lovely golden hue that is far better in flesh than is suggested in the image. The soundhole has a highly decorated decal rosette, with decorative binding gracing the front and back of the instrument. In addition to this, a decorative band runs down the back from heel to base.

Construction:

With the construction, you will realise that it has drawn on the vast knowledge and techniques of Yamaha’s brains. The CG171SF Flamenco Acoustic Electric Guitar and some of the other CG series guitars have been designed with slightly thinner sides and back, and also a thinner neck in order to increase the playability. With a slightly lighter body which offers greater volume and control. This is a very beautiful little guitar nicely finished in a high-gloss.

Features:

Through extensive analysis, research and experimentation, Yamaha has succeeded in blending the best and most critical aspect of traditional Spanish guitar making techniques with modern guitar manufacturing processes. And, these processes include a comprehensive quality check system that ensures that each instrument is of the highest standards possible. The major features of the CG171SF Flamenco guitar include the Solid spruce top, cypress back and sides, nato neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, wood back and side inlays, transparent pickguard and a natural gloss finishing.

Bridge and Pickguard:

The Yamaha CG171SF Flamenco Guitar sports the traditional bridge that is a simple rectangle with a decorative block behind the saddle through which the nylon strings are threaded and tied off. The saddle itself is a straight blade of plastic with slight compensation at the third string. Coming to the pickguard, there are actually two of them and they are invisible. One is below the strings and above them, each made from a very thin transparent plastic. The playing style of flamenco leads to a lot of wear in both these areas, so these scratch plates will keep the Yamaha looking beautiful with minimal interference to the sound. There are no strap buttons because the flamenco style demands you hold your guitar without the assistance of a strap.

Tuners:

There are three in line gold coloured tuners that are mounted on the side edges of the headstock with their compass occupying the slots in the headstock. We found the knobs to be very decorative and the metal parts of the mounting are also decorated with engraved leaves and roses. These lovely traditional machine tuners worked in a very smooth and accurate way. The slotted headstock is faced with rosewood and also sports some sparse engrave decoration.

Headstock and Neck:

The slotted headstock is faced with rosewood and also sports some sparse engraved decoration. The nut plastic nut has been well finished and cut accurately. The Nato neck employed has a wide dimension that is traditionally associated with classical and flamenco playing and this also means that the instrument is only truly suited for certain styles of playing. It also has a beautiful honey brown colouring.

Frets:
The rosewood fretboard has an excellent flat profile which is technically an infinite radius. There are no fretmarkers on the face and only the 5th and 7th frets are marked on the side of the neck. And, all this means that you definitely need to know your stuff to play this guitar. The standard medium fretwire has been polished nicely and also offers a positive playing feel against the nylon strings.

Sound and Action:

The Yamaha CG171SF Flamenco Acoustic Electric Guitar has a superb low action from the box and unfortunately, there is no option to adjust the action of the instrument. The honey-coloured finish of the body is matched by the honeyed tones of the nylon strings. It is a real pleasure to play percussive and staccato styles as each note dies quickly and cleanly leaving space for the next. The CG171SF produces the kind of warm and clear tone that you would expect from a much more expensive guitar, and it does it consistently, only sounding better as it ages. Of course, that assumes that you take care of your new guitar, and use a humidifier during the stressful seasons, particularly during the first few years. The guitar also holds its tuning exceptionally well for extended periods of time, certainly better than any electric guitar we have ever owned; and the nato neck is highly playable and just plain comfortable.

Warranty:

Yamaha offers the CG171SF Flamenco Acoustic Electric Guitar limited lifetime warranty.

Verdict:

The CG171SF makes us feel that Yamaha’s classical guitar craftsmen learned the fine art of guitar making directly from the masters. And yes, under the tutelage of Manuel Hernandez and Eduraro Ferrer, Yamaha guitar craftsmen have acquired the skills that have been handed down from master to apprentice for generations and these acquired skills have been used every day in the making of Yamaha’s classical guitars.

The quality of this instrument is obvious from the moment you lay eyes on it and the sound it delivers is a sweet version of the traditional tones you’d expect in this classical style of guitar. The final result is that, Yamaha has bought to you an instrument that delivers both outstanding quality and performance, that too at a cost that is hard to beat. The Yamaha CG171SF Flamenco Acoustic Electric Guitar is currently the best classical guitar in the market. It is not an all-rounder, obviously, but if classical or flamenco playing is your bag the Yamaha CG171SF deserves your attention.

Yamaha CG171SF Flamenco Guitar - Technical Specification Table

All that you need is just some kind of folk standard to get in on the act. With Vintage, you are just in safe hands. JHS really know their instruments and this is shown well by the company’s taking on the Encore and Vintage, as well as the Ovation round back series. This also shows JHS’s desire to cater for those of us who cannot stretch to a ridiculously expansive option. The Vintage Acoustic guitars are one of those brands out of which you can get the best bang for your money. In the following review, we will see about the Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar.

The one that you really want:

Look, it is probably alright to get along with that ten quid guitar that you bought on a garage sale, just because it looked as though you could get a sound out of it. But, in order to write, practice and gig, you are probably going to want something that not only sounds great, but looks great too. You are just not going to pick up a plain, unexciting guitar that inspires nothing but a workmanlike approach to your playing. You will always need something that the right side of tasteful and flamboyant and you will need something that looks good without overshadowing your musical message. When you pickup this guitar, you will be wanting to really fire out some great ideas, and to do that, you will need a visual stimulus as well as a sonic one.

So fresh and vibrant:

The Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar does exactly that, available in two fabulous finishes of natural and cherry sunburst. With its solid spruce top aflame in cherry sunburst and natural finish, it has already got the arresting look that manages to be both traditional and exciting. The natural satin finishing leaves behind any of the horrific glossy ideas. The look of it is so clean and fresh, that it gives an illusion as though the tree had been cut down yesterday. Adorning both the edge of the guitar and edge of the sound hole, it looks pretty classy. With a neck shape which will suit most hand sizes edge bound rosewood fingerboard feels smooth and easy to play, thanks to the fine gauge frets. And on the unfussy, straightforward headstock shape, the chrome plated, enclosed gear tuners are both stable and accurate in use with the high quality USA made strings, further adding to the highly enjoyable experience of playing a V400 acoustic.

Features:

Vintage V1400 Solid Body Acoustic Guitar is not necessarily with everybody’s taste, and some may say it is a bit too dramatic, but it gives the guitar look at a proper polished and finished feel. Abalone has been used on the fret markers, with a particularly luscious flourish over the 12th fret, with the Vintage V’s swooshing off in either direction. Add to this some gold Grover tuners upon a rosewood neck with some flame maple binding and it is hardly going to go unnoticed wherever it is. It has a unique personality and that is what most of them will be looking for.

Awesome Sound:

The Vintage V1400 guitar offers good projection of sound coupled with an equally impressive depth of tone and a well defined crispness in the treble range. Strumming a few chords, you will find that the response is quite bright, with the treble strings resonating so wonderfully. The guitar body being made of solid mahogany gives the sound a bit more punch, and you can certainly hear it from just a few hard strums. The all natural wood’s tone leaves the sound as bare bones and exposed as it can ever be. It just adapts to any style you fancy, from blues country, folk to indie-power chords, it that is what floats your boat.

Warranty:

The Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar comes with a standard one year manufacturer’s warranty.

Verdict:

The Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar is a fine looking entry level or mid level acoustic guitar with bags of attitude. Essentially, this guitar has looks, style and a bit of personality. The guitar is just perfect for players of any style with glamorous styling to match it. It is not massively different from the others in its price range, apart from its decor, but it is a robust and nicely finished tool for providing music for the masses. Its distinctive tone and comfort of play makes this genuine contender a hard to miss one. If you are looking for an acoustic guitar that gives you best value for money, good looks at best possible price, then it is got to be Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar.


Vintage V1400 Acoustic Guitar - Technical Specification Table

Classic design:

The Vintage V100 electric guitar has a solid mahogany body, based on the classic LP design. The guitar includes a set of quality attributes including a set mahogany neck, dual covered humbuckers, along with separate volume and tone controls for each of them. The V100 possess some seriously good looks, thanks to its well detailed finishing including cream body and neck binding along with a flamed maple tops on certain models. An accurately carved gently arched front gives the V100 its distinctive look. One of the most notable design features of the V100 is that, its Mahogany neck is set into the body as opposed to the bolt neck, thus making it a very genuine instrument to listen to and play with. This combination just maximises its tone enhancing rigidity. This combo of neck joint and mahogany body has long been used on the top quality guitars that tend to fetch quite a deal of price. From a distance, the V100 will be totally indistinguishable from the other guitars that are worth five times as much and even with close inspection, you will have to be nit picking to pull it down.

Features:

The rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets offers it a very positive feel. The block shaped symmetrical headstock of the Vintage V100 guitar is adorned with Kulson style tuners, bearing green plastic tulip knobs in a classic three as side formation. At its tip, the Vintage logo is inlaid in pearloid, in addition to the pearloid emblem. The Trapezoid position inlays down the fretboard contributes well to the V100’s classic styling and they guide your fingers. The neck feels very sturdy and smooth with its gloss lacquer running up around the cream fingerboard binding, concealing the fret ends. The darkened Rosewood fretboard has a very nice feel to it and plays equally well right down the neck.

The Vintage V100 series LP Style Electric Guitar seems to be taking full advantage of its single cutaway body shape, by offering a generous portion of the upper frets in easy reach. On the upper shoulder of the body is the pickup switch that has 3 positions from rhythm to treble and both together. In a gist, lay on some gain and you have got a great grungy crunch, and lean it off a little, you have that classic blues rock sound.  In addition to all the metal works, there are also some cream plastic fittings including pickup surrounds, pickup selector backplate along with a raised pickguard. The four rotary controls allow you to alter the volume and tone and these are paired to control the bridge and neck pickups. The volume and tone controls are of golden resin speed variety along with white numbering.

Fabulous colours and design:

Vintage V100 is available in a glamorous range of colours and finishes to choose from: Tobacco Sunburst, Flame Maple Cherry Sunburst, Gloss Black Chrome Hardware, Gloss Black Gold Hardware, Wine Red, Gold Top, Flamed Iced Tea, Flamed Honey Burst and Artic White. The Tobacco sunburst and Wine Red models have gold hardware and translucent finishing that helps bring out the wood grain beneath. The Gloss Black version has also been complimented with gold hardware, with a solid coloured finishing. The stunning Cherry Sunburst V100 possess a flame maple finish and chrome hardware. The Tobacco Sunburst finish and Flame Maple Cherry Sunburst finishing is also available in left hand style; just for a few pounds extra.

Sound and Action:

The Vintage V100 is equipped with Wilkinson hardware including the deluxe tuners and dual covered humbuckers. The twin humbucker pickups provide incredible sustain, which will not disappoint. The Tune-o-matic bridge helps with the sound intonation and maintains strong tuning. When combined with a separate volume and tone controls, there is a powerful sound to be harnessed and has a lot of scope for tone shaping. Both the rhythm and treble are very powerful and they successfully deliver an excellent thick tone. When used together, they produce a full bodied sound that works great with clean and distorted amp settings alike; and separately, the treble humbucker will cut through with precision and there is just enough bluesy colour to the neck pickup, in order to keep the solos sounding full of life.

Verdict:

No prizes for guessing that the Vintage V100 series is modelled on the timeless classic design of Les Paul. But it is certainly not a cheap replica of the legendary model with no substance. The Vintage V100 Electric Guitar is loaded with features and simply irresistible performance to match it. The Maple and Mahogany tone woods are that killer ideal recipe for the smoky blueness with a very warm jazzy feel while the charging to the other extreme allows the guitar to rage and rampage through high gain amplification like no other. If you have got your eye on this style of electric guitar then the V100 beats the competition at the sub £200 mark and even £300 guitars will not offer much more in the way of build, components and style. Overall, we feel that the Vintage V100 Electric Guitar is a best buy.

Check Epiphone Electric Guitar Reviews, Yamaha Best Electric guitars in this website.

Vintage V100 Electric Guitar - Technical Specification Details

Design:

The full size Encore PK40 Bass Guitar Blaster Pack features a classic design with very simple and easy to use controls. The vintage style contoured body offers maximum comfort while playing. Classic design split-coil Guitar Tech pickup offers versatile, full-toned performance. The maple neck and rosewood fingerboard are also of Vintage profile. The Face Mounted bridge is intonating and fully height adjustable. The PK40 Bass guitar sports a large, attractively shaped full size three-ply scratchplate. The scale length is 864m and nuts are Graphite. The guitar also has a pair of large chrome strap hooks that allows you to play safely whilst standing. This quality guitar kit is available in beautiful finishes of red, black, blue, white and traditional sunburst. The good news for the left handers is that, the black model is also available in left hand type.

Features:

The fingerboard is smooth rosewood and it possesses large heavy duty tuners on the headstock that gives the guitar an accurate grip on the strings and makes for easy tuning adjustments. Useful fingerboard dot markers provide good finger position reference. The single staggered pickup gives the guitar a powerful and precise sound and this can certainly be altered using the guitar’s volume and tone controls. The Quick Tune Digital tuner allows you to precisely tune each string before you play which makes the guitar’s bass always sound spot on. The strap buttons are positioned for perfect balance.

A complete kit:

Playing guitar is the most fun you can have if you love music. But to get this started, you will need a guitar for sure and being a beginner, you will not want to spend heaps of money at this stage. In addition to the guitar, you will also require an amplifier (they are quite expensive), along with a lead to connect them. So, what is the best option? Without any doubts, it is Encore’s ‘Play Now’ packs which come packed with all the accessories that you need to get started. And we say this because; the Encore PK40 Bass Guitar Blaster is exactly one of them. The kit has all the bits and pieces that you will have to get going from the minute the guitar is bought.

The Encore PK40 Bass Guitar package includes a 10 Watt BB Blaster bass amp and cable so that, you can start playing straight away and is just perfect for your lounge practices. The compact design of the amplifier means that it does not take up too much of space and also has very easy to use controls. You also get a gig bag and stand to protect, carry it and rest it safely when not in use. The tough durable outer casing features a black grill that protects the speaker and rubber corner plates to protect the amp from knocks and bumps. There is also an instruction DVD with one hour tuition to provide a real baby beginner for the first few steps along the way. The other contents of the kit include Qwik Tune Tuner, GYC Lead, Tech Guitar Strap and Pelctrum.

Verdict:

Encore PK40 Bass Guitar is just the ideal entry to bass playing, with rock solid bass performance, precise tone and excellent playing dynamics. Couple to an ‘easy-to-get-on-with’ feel and first-class instrument balance for a full-size, long scale instrument the E4 bass guitars are your direct access straight into the world of full-on bass playing.

In a gist, if your pockets are shallow, your budget tight but expectations high, you are always welcome to join millions of others around the world who have picked and strummed their first Encore, which is an ideal first guitar pack.

Encore PK40 Bass Guitar Blaster  Kit - Technical Specification Table

Gibson has managed to release more variations on the Les Paul theme than most of the other companies can manage across their entire product line. Right from the highly tricked out Neal Schon model that is equipped with Floyd Rose bridge and sustainer pickup to the very simple 1957 LP Junior single cutaway, there is something for everybody in the LP line.

The Gibson Les Paul Junior which was introduced in 1954 was in fact the economic Les Paul model. It was the one of Gibson’s no-nonsense look with a single P–90 and at a very low cost, the LP Junior became an instant hit. By the end of the year 1957, the sales of Gibson’s very popular Les Paul Junior single cut away model had begun to decrease and the company explored some innovative ideas to keep an affordable, yet a very powerful guitar in the hands of young players and armatures. Retaining the same low price point that it had for the past three years, Gibson revamped Junior’s body shape into a brand new double cutaway design in July 1958. This latest double cutaway design allowed the players complete access to the Junior’s 22 fret fingerboard and this is an idea that has also been implemented on some of Gibson’s modernistic guitars and also the ES-335.

Design Similarities:

The Gibson LP Junior 1958 double cutaway shares a lot of common features with the classic single cutaway model that was probably one of the most famous in the hands of Leslie West and which also went on to form the basis of Green Day front man Billy Joe Amstrong’s signature model but it deviates from that in several important ways. Just like all the other Vintage Original Spec Series instruments, the Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOS is handcrafted to comfort and playability in the Gibson Custom shop. The complete outline of the of the guitar looks more rounder than a regular LP, that is partially an optical illusion caused by the almost symmetrical cutaways that are smooth and rounded  when compared to the sharply bevelled horns of the subsequent double cutaway model LP model released in 1961, which was later renamed as Gibson SG.

A simple classic:

The Les Paul Junior range is one of the most basic that Gibson manufactures. You might even view this as a guitar that is limited in its range and capabilities but we are sure that we will be able to convince you otherwise and first, we would like to keep you informed on what it is made of and how it has been assembled. The body and neck of the guitar is solid mahogany with a Satin finish nitrocellulose lacquer over an eye catching vintage sunburst. The rosewood fingerboard sports 22 nickel silver alloy medium guage frets. The white dot markers aid in orientation while the headstock and machine heads are manufactured by Grover. The single bridge position P 90 pickup is operated via its volume and tone controls that leaves the LP double cutaway 1958 with its vintage style Wraparound Bridge.

Body:

The body is a nice thick flat slab of mahogany that looks as though it is made out of four pieces that are laminated together. The lovely satin cherry finish allows the mahogany to show through as a texture in the finish itself. There is no binding or contouring of any kind because they would simply be out of place on a little street fighting guitar like this.

Tuners and Nuts:

To maintain the vintage vibe of the ’58, tuners of the junior are covered tuning machines made by Grover and are not sealed. The nickel covers are stamped with the Gibson Deluxe and the tuning knobs are in antiqued, milky white plastic. The heads feel nice and tight and it tunes the guitar in a smooth way without any bumps or grinds. The 3 a side Classic headstock has a black face and gabled top. The Gibson and Les Paul logos have been silk screened onto the surface and the truss rod coved is embossed with the word “Junior”. The white nut that is described as Corian has a perfect finish and this being an US made guitars, the standards of finish sit right at the top. The output jack is set in the edge of the body in a square black plastic plate.

Neck:

The fixed mahogany neck has the rounded vintage profile and it has a rake, which means, it is tilted back from its body. Originally this design feature was necessary to deal with the bulging tops of carved Les Paul bodies. As the Junior has a flat slab body, the rake is not strictly a necessary design feature, but it does give the Junior a nicer feel that links it more closely to the Les Paul heritage. The slightly shorter scale of the guitar is definitely a throw back to its initial basic status and just adds a feather to its compact and no-nonsense attitude. The rosewood on the guitar had a very nice stripy nature and its fairly flat radius complimented the neck profile very well.

Pickups and Pickguard:

Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOS  Nitrocellulose finish Electric Guitar will not just be the desirable one that it is without its lovely Gibson P- 90 single coil pickup in its black housing with dog ears fixings. It is simply one of the truest and best of the class. The single-ply black plastic pickguard extends across and under the strings and helps the visual balance of the instrument in the absence of a second pickup.

Construction:

As far as construction is concerned, the neck profile, hardware and electronics are period accurate and the special nitrocellulose finish treatment gives it the patina of a gently aged vintage guitar. If we had anything ever to complain about the vintage specifications, then it would have to be the small strap buttons and that is the case in the LP junior too. We would recommend you to invest in some larger strap buttons.

Action and Sound:

The action out of the box is quite good It lacks the flexibility of a two pickup guitar like a Les Paul Standard as there is no blending or switching to be done in it, but the quality that you get with the pickup is just more than enough to make up for it. You will find that the Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 to be one of the most resonant instruments which is mainly because of its light weight Mahogany Body and Set Neck design. The single strum of an E chord allows you to feel the whole guitar vibrate against your chest. The Mahogany neck on offer is Gibson’s signature chunky but comfortable Vintage C profile.

When the P 90 single coil pickup is plugged in, it produces a musical, fat and chiming clean sound that cuts through the mix which is a tweak of the control and more mellow sounds ensue. With a bit more turn on the tone control’s dial, you will get a pretty convincing Jazz. As you glide into the light crunch area, your smile will certainly broaden as the guitar excels for rock rhythm and riffing. To enjoy the warm rich lead sound that is worth dying for, just turn the wick right up. The perfect icing on the cake is when you rotate the tone control fully anti clockwise, to get a great neck pickup lead sound from a guitar with no neck pickup.

Package contents:

The package of the Gibson LP Junior 1958 includes a Gibson Custom Shop hardshell Case and a certificate of authenticity.

Conclusion:

If you are one of those artists who aspires to follow the footsteps of Keith Richards of Rolling Stones or Mick Jones of The Clash or our favourite Jhonny Thunders of New York Dolls, then the Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 is exactly the guitar that you have to go for as these players opted for this one which resembles simplicity in itself and great tone. In the late 70’s, the punk guitarists rediscovered the Les Paul Junior and it became a firm favourites amongst some very famous players. And, here we are fifty years later and the simplicity of this humble guitar never ceases to inspire the new generations which is pretty remarkable, given the fact that we live in a digital, gadget drenched environment where bells and whistles seem to rule; clearly for some of us, “less is more”.

If you have never considered a Gibson Les Paul Junior 1958 because you think it is limited, it is time to think again. This is simply fantastic guitar and an affordable classic.

Check other Gibson Electric Guitars in this website.

Gibson 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut VOS  - Technical Specification Table

In the following review we will see about the Washburn EA16 Electro Acoustic guitar that has been created with a performing musician in mind.

A serious beauty:

The EA16 guitar is an absolute beauty. It is just perfect for those who wish to be the style icons. The body and top of this electro acoustic is maple and is covered in black lacquer finish that has a very slight hint of fine gold sparkle. Its round sound hole has a thin rosette decor with colours that reflect a very stylish Art Nouveau sensibility. The substantial cutaway design assists access to the upper frets. The overall finish is excellent.

Features:

The headstock is a flared paddle with three a side and Dutch gable top. The rosewood fretboard has a dry look and the solution is that, it can be softened with an application of the specialist lemon oil which is quite popular now-a-days. The white pearloid dot marker ornaments the fascia and it has been given a very nice finish with white binding. The white plastic nuts next to the fretboard have been cut cleanly. Its rosewood bridge is designed to be a very attractive butterfly with the plastic saddle compensated at the second string. Note that the strings are secured by the traditional bridge pins. A final touch has been given to this beauty with the Washburn logo rendered in a very nice old fashioned script.

Neck:

Coming to the neck of EA16 Electro Acoustic, it was a pleasant surprise. It is simply beautiful and sleek from front to back with a nice and generous fretboard width. This gives the player a comfy flat feeling against palm while reaching around the thumb to damp the 6th string. The guitar almost gives a les paul feeling with the near parallel profile from head to heel. The heel is flat, rounded and feels extremely comfortable to play around when you go for the twelfth fret. The frets of the guitar are medium thin and nicely polished.

Control Panel:

All-important control panel sits on the top edge of the body. Though it seemed to be a bit crowded at the very first glance, it is actually intuitively placed and easy to use. In terms of controls offered, the panel has a slider for Volume and individual slides to control Treble, Middle, Bass and Presence. And yet another special extra on the EA16 is the onboard chorus which has an on/off button along with two small control knobs for Rate and Depth. All the controls run plus or minus 12 dB. In the bottom of the guitar, you will find a single strap button and two outputs; one is a standard jack marked Hi-Z, the other is an XLR marked Low-Z Balanced for direct inject into a mixer. The battery compartment mechanism adopted by Washburn must be appreciated; it has a cradle into which the 9 volt battery slides and the cradle is constructed in such a way that the battery can be inserted only in correct orientation. Once the battery is inserted, the cradle slides into a hole in the control panel, which again fits only in one way. Beneath the receiving chamber, you will find two big springs that dock in firmly with the battery’s terminals.

Tuners:

The Washburn EA16  Acoustic electric guitar offers just more than good looks.  The 18:1 ratio Grover tuners will keep you in tune throughout your wildest performance and they have large kidney knobs. When the guitar comes from the warehouse, it is wildly out of tune, but the groovers smoothly bought them back into tune at the first time of asking.

Sound and Action:

When it comes to the acoustics, the first thing that you would notice about it is its bright and zingy tone which is dedicated by the maple construction. The tone shows good range of differentiation, depending on where you will be striking the strings. The tone was nothing less than breath taking. The amplification is good and you will certainly appreciate the extra scope available on the eq in a band situation. The Chorus goes all the way up to throaty wobble, a sound that most guitarists will not use. But when set down in the lower 25% of Rate and Depth the effect adds a lovely, lush layering to the sound, especially on strummed chord progressions.

Straight out of the box, the guitar has good low action which makes it an immediate pleasure to play. The EA16 now comes standard with the B-Band A3 preamp. The B-Band technology is certainly a modern marvel.

Warranty:

The Washburn EA16 Electro Acoustic Guitar comes with one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

If you are looking for an electro acoustic guitar in your armoury, the Washburn EA16 Electro Acoustic certainly deserves your attention. It is very much a Hybrid and is a compromised solution between an acoustic instrument and an amplified environment. The tone is bright and enthusiastic to sculpt it to your needs and venue. The XLR out is an absolute boon and a big bonny for the live musician. The onboard Chorus is a bonus for occasional use, but there is always the danger that you will get hooked, in which case an off-board unit in your effects loop would be a sensible upgrade. Overall the Washburn EA16 is an excellent, versatile instrument for the price asked.

Washburn EA16 Guitar - Technical Specification Table

Design:

As we just said, the Les Paul Custom Plus Vintage Sunburst is one of the most elegant guitars that Epiphone has ever manufactured. It features all the exclusive appointments like multiple binding, block inlays and gold hardware. In addition to this, the beautiful flame maple top gives it great looks. Its body is mahogany/alder and has bound body, neck and headstock. The guitar is also available in other Heritage cherry sunburst.

Features:

The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Plus Vintage Sunburst Electric Guitar also features two alnico classic humbuckers, 24.75” scale, 22 frets set neck joint and 1.68” nut width. The neck is the Les Paul standard mahogany and rosewood fingerboard with block inlays. The controls include 2 volume, 2 tone controls and three way toggle. Hardware will last for ages and strap buttons are tight.

Sound and Action:

This is one of those guitars that is just perfect for any style. The switch is clean and had no noise. As far as action is concerned, it was perfect. It met the factory standards as set in manual; only the pickups needed very small adjustments. It does provide a very fast playing action because of the maple, the neck is very smooth. The humbuckers give very crunchy sounds and the bridge pick up is great for lead, rock, metal, punk etc and the neck for blues. The 3rd option allows you to use both pickups, and control the output of each one: This option allows you to find the exact tone you are looking for. This guitar will sound great unplugged, clean, or with heavy distortion.

Warranty:

The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Plus Vintage Sunburst Electric Guitar comes with limited lifetime warranty.

Verdict:

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Plus Vintage Sunburst Finish Electric Guitar is one of the bests available in the market when it comes to design. It plays all styles and once you start playing this Epiphone you would not even think about buying a Gibson. We recommend this guitar for those guitarists who like to play all styles. It is a brilliant guitar with a furiously awesome sound; go try it.

Check other Epiphone Electric Guitars in this website.

Les Paul Custom Plus Vintage Sunburst Guitar - Specification Details

Groove Natural Electric Bass Guitar is one of the noted electric bass guitar models, which come in a wide variety of colours and unique features. They require a special bass guitar amplifier, which again have their own unique features which can be easily distinguished from the general amplifiers available in the market.

Design and Ergonomics:

The Groove natural 4 string electric bass guitar has a solid alder body, which means its body is laminated hardwood like mahogany. It has a polished softwood colour, and the neck is made up of maple wood. The fret board, which comprises of 20 frets is made up of rosewood. With a length of 114 centimetres, and a weight of 3.08 kilograms, the groove electric bass guitar is of rather normal size and weight, rather a bit light weight. Towards the base of the guitar, on the main body, there are two single coil bass pickups, which are used for sound enhancement. And other than that, like any other electric bass guitar, this instrument also has an implanted volume and tone controller switch and rotatable knob, and also has a scratch plate. Overall, looks are quite casual and basic, just that the laminated wood finished might be very appealing to certain users.

The Groove Amplifier:

The 10 Watt Groove Bass amplifier is CE Tested, which means, by European laws and standards, the product has been approved for quality assurance tests. The amplifier has a standard 3 pin triple main plugs and has a volume knob for controlling the volume, and 3 tone knobs for appropriate sound modulation and modifications by the user. It also has a headphone socket and the amplifier has front speakers, which are protected by a metal grill.

The Tutorial DVD:

The Tutorial DVD is a very useful accessory that comes along with the Groove Natural electric bass guitar package. It helps and guides beginners with audio visual videos to watch, listen and learn to play the basics. It teaches the users to play along with bar riffs and how to play solid bass lines and tabs and fit into a groove. The DVD also includes introduction to 12 different bar blues, fingering exercises along with some pop and rock songs and also teacher users to pick up the basic slap techniques as well. This region free DVD is really a helpful one for beginners and aspiring guitarists.

Package Accessories:

Other than the Groove Natural Electric Bass Guitar, the package also contains few other accessories:

• A 10 Watt Bass Amplifier, which has a special headphone socket for self practice, without making noise.
• A 3m guitar lead.
• 3 plectrums which are heavy gauged.
• A guitar strap for the electric bass guitar.
• A padded guitar case, with an extra zip pocket for storage and backpack straps for conveniency in carrying the instrument.
• A Tutorial DVD

Verdict:

The Groove natural electric bass guitar is a good package on a whole for beginners to start playing right after the instrument is out of the box. The appearance is also very classy, with the alder body laminated wooden finishing, with a rosewood fingerboard and a maple neck. The two coil pickups, which are connected to the Groove bass amplifier, enhances the sound to quite an extent. The sound is not only loud, but it is also very neat and clear with minimal static related problems. The packaged 10 W amplifier also has a pretty interesting feature which allows the users can plug in their headphone to the amplifier, for a quiet private practice. Moreover, the tutorial DVD provided in the package is an additional boon to the users, as they can very easily learn the basics and techniques for playing the guitar, and it is also a very good guide to groom the users to fit in the groove with the instrument. Concluding it, the Groove Natural electric bass guitar is quite a catchy one, and is worthy enough for learners and budding guitarists.

Check other Bass Electric Guitar models in this website.

Groove Natural Electric Bass Guitar - Technical Specification Table