Guitar Review Ninja

Affordable, luxury Super Jumbo with Moustache Bridge and active electronics with sound hole mounted volume control.

Gibson SJ100 Super Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case) Features…

Handcrafted in: Bozeman, MT

Body Style: Super Jumbo

Top Species: Premium Sitka Spruce

Back and Sides: Bubinga

Body Binding: Single-ply top and back

Neck Species: Mahogany

Scale: 25-1/2 in.

Profile: Round

Species: Indian Rosewood

Inlays: MOP Dots

Nut Width: 1.725 in.

Bridge: Rosewood Moustache

Pins: White plastic

Tuners: Nickel Gotoh

Pickguard: Tortoise SJ-100

Pickups: Active electronics with sound hole mounted volume control

Case: Premium Hardshell

Strings: Gibson Masterbuilt Premium Phosphor Bronze Wound

Buy Gibson SJ100 Super Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case)

The sound is very well balanced. There is not a ton of bottom end, due to the size on the guitar, but it is a very well balanced sound with excellent string separation and sustain. It suprisingly can withstand a medium to heavy attack with picking and strumming, but does not have the composure of, say, a D28. It is not designed for that purpose. The mids and highs really shine, without any edginess or harshness that I have seen on (some) smaller Taylors.

This is a smaller-bodied, solid rosewood accoustic guitar, no cutaway. It is part of Yamaha's hand-crafted series of up-line axes. I would place the size approx. similar to a Taylor concert body. These guitars are made in Japan, I think, but they are supposedly hand-crafted. The overall look is elegant, with very nice detail throughout and a clear pickguard. They do not include a cutaway or electronics on either the LS500 or LL500 (jumbo size). The neck width is standard, not oversize as found on Taylor's concert series. The tonewood is very rich and straight with beautiful match and the top is tight-grained spruce that appears very closely quartersawn. I gave this area a 9, only because I think a cutaway should be standard on this size guitar as it favors fingerstyle.

The set up was pretty good, with medium action. The frets are medium-large, personally I prefer smaller frets, but they are flawless in terms of fit, as is the rest of the guitar. The workmanship is outstanding for this price range. I don't think there is anything in this price range comparable, and yes, I am a fanatic.

No reason to call Yamaha, but I would guess you would not receive the same kind of legendary service as from say a Taylor, Martin or other high end maker. There is a lifetime warranty, for what it's worth.

Anonymous (11/29/2000)

Loud, vibrant tone. Which is impressive considering the body is not that large and it has a very low action. I mainly flat pick, with loads of arpeggios, pull-offs and hammer-ons. I also play aggressive rhythms. The LS500 responds very well to all of this and produces a very sweet tone overall. It's sound does suit fingerpicking but it's rather slim neck may not suit that style for some.

??? Body: Classic "LS" Body style: Somewhere between an

orchestra and an auditorium

??? Solid Sitka Spruce Top: With a nice, golden colour.

??? Solid Rosewood Back and Sides: Nice, dark grain, with a thin

maple strip, down the centre of the back.

??? Mahogany Neck: Satin finish, slim and fast.

??? Rosewood Fretboard: With stylish markers.

??? Rosewood Bridge: Strangely has a pearloid dot on one side

of the strings, but not the other.

??? Albalone Rosette: Blends in nicely.

??? Gloss finish: To top, back and sides.

This guitar is presented and finished to a very high standard. Excellent Gloss body, beautiful woods, taseful binding and classy decor.

It's one fault, from the shop, was a buzzy high e-string, when played open. I raised it a fraction, at the nut end and all is just fine now. This guitar is almost too easy to play. It makes my other guitars feel a bit clunky. Very accurate intonation too.

No opinion.

Graham (09/30/2007)

 Taylor Tech Sheet Symptoms of a Dry Guitar

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 Taylor Tech Sheet Neck and Humidity Information

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The appealing tones and subtle nuances of a solid Sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood laminate backs and sides are amplified with clarity and warmth, thanks to Taylor’s Under-Saddle Transducer (UST) pickup.

A modestly priced, solid-wood guitar with tonal qualities and resonance approaching that of a premium acoustic guitar — an incredible value.

Taylor 214E Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case) Features…

Type/Shape: 6-String Grand Auditorium

Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood Laminate

Top: Sitka Spruce

Soundhole Rosette: Wood Fiber

Neck: Tropical American Mahogany

Fretboard: Indian Rosewood

Fretboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots

Headstock Overlay: Ebony

Binding: Black Plastic

Bridge: Indian Rosewood

Nut & Saddle: Tusq

Tuning Machines: Enclosed, Die-Cast Chrome Plated

Strings: Elixir® Light Gauge Strings with NANOWEB® Coating

Scale Length: 25 1/2 Inches

Truss Rod: Adjustable

Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16 Inches

Number of Frets: 20

Fretboard Radius: 15 Inches

Bracing: Scalloped, X-Brace

Finish: Satin with Gloss Top

Color Options: Natural

Sunburst Options: None

Cutaway: None

Electronics: Taylor ES-T

Body Width: 16 Inches

Body Depth: 4 5/8 Inches

Body Length: 20 Inches

Overall Length: 41 Inches

Case: Taylor Hardshell

Buy Taylor 214E Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar (with Case)

 Taylor Tech Sheet Symptoms of a Dry Guitar

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Fingerpicking, Jazz, and hard strummin' rock!Don't be scared by the brightness initially, it calms right on down but never loses clarity and begs to be strummed and strummed hard…not a typical Taylor trait. Wish they would have strung it with lighter gauge strings, but these elixirs sound great and probably building up my finger strength until I wear 'em out. Great intonation between strings with very little pressure applied to feature certain notes in fingerpicking patterns.

Satin finish, solid spruce top, laminate rosewood back and sides. Taylor ES-T pickup system. Bass, treble, volume controls.Thin mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, 22 frets.Grand Auditorium size. No onboard tuner.Hard case included.

Great action right out of the box. Solid in every way.

Don't know. I have friends who have Taylor's that rave about the customer service. Again, we'll see…

Will (10/22/2008)

Sounded unbalanced right out of the box!?? Now that strings are seasoned and wood has had time to breathe, it is the best sounding guitar I own. Everyone wants to play it! Fingerpicking- great individual string definition with nuances easy to attain, hard strumming- right up there with my J45, even in percussion mode with strings deadened and amplified, it never fails to surprise with a quality, professional sound. No kiddin', this thing sounds incredible!

Satin finished solid Sitka Spruce top, laminated rosewood back and sides, cream binding dresses it up, Grand Auditorium, (very comfortable size to play for extended periods), rosewood bridge and fretboard, on board Taylor ES-T undersaddle transducer pickup. Volume, treble and bass controls on guitar.

The set up was very good from the factory. The tuners are rock solid, chrome, and geared perfectly. The neck is comfortable and radius is perfect for reach and frets are perfect for hammer on, hammer off, etc. The top is typical Taylor quality in the looks department. Beautiful piece of wood. Body is dark rosewood laminate with white binding that gives it a dressed up appearance, but not fancy, just tasteful.

Taylor is notorious for setting the standard with customer service. I haven't used them, but my brother has and they were very helpful.

Smiling Will (10/04/2008)

The Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul Custom EX Electric Guitar has arrived! As everyone from Jimmy Page to Slash will tell you, there is nothing in this world to compare with the feeling of thrashing a genuine Les Paul through a wall of stacked amps. It’s the sound of half a century of rock ‘n’ roll, distilled to its essence, and turned up to 10. Nothing else comes close, man…

Thanks to Epiphone, you don’t have to take their word for it. At the 2008 Winter NAMM in Anaheim, the world’s hottest luthier launched the best version yet of the LP design, and putting it within reach of working musicians who demand monster tone and bulletproof performance It’s called the Les Paul Custom EX, and as one of eight new electrics in Epiphone’s ground-breaking Prophecy Collection, it’s come to rock your world.

There’s no mistaking that shape. As the only luthier licensed to build official versions of the iconic Les Paul design, Epiphone have based the new Custom EX on the same cutaway mahogany body you’ve seen in the hands of your heroes, complete with a highly figured quilted maple top, a moody Midnight Ebony finish, eye-catching pearl control knobs and unique ‘blade’ fret inlays running along the length of a luxurious ebony fingerboard. It looks amazing…

But there’s more to the Custom EX than stunning looks. Pick this beauty up and you’ll be seduced by a Speed-Taper mahogany neck (with 24 jumbo frets) that lets you race through the riffs, alongside a tough LockTone tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece that make maintenance and string changes a breeze. The icing on the cake is a pair of the meatiest humbuckers known to man, with an EMG 85 at the neck and an EMG 81 at the bridge. Isn’t it time you traded in the tennis racket?

Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul Custom EX Electric Guitar with EMG Pickups Features…

Body: Mahogany

Top: Quilted maple

Neck: Mahogany

Neck Profile: Speed-Taper, satin finish

Neck Joint: Glued, set neck

Fingerboard: Ebony

Fingerboard Radius: 14 inch

Frets: 24, jumbo

Scale: 24-3/4 inches

Nut Width: 1-11/16 inch

Neck Pickup: EMG-85

Bridge Pickup: EMG-81

Bridge: LockTone tune-o-matic

Tailpiece: LockTone stopbar

Controls: Master volume, master tone, 3-way toggle

Output Jack: Standard 1/4 inch mono

Power: 9V battery

Nut Material: Graphite

Tuners: Grover die-cast

Strap Buttons: Epiphone StrapLocks

Hardware: Black

Buy Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul Custom EX Electric Guitar with EMG Pickups

"What I have been waiting on for a long time."

I have played many les pauls by epiphone and gibson. I have owned several actual sg's and an explorer,strats,kramers,ibanez's. I am completely excited about this guitar. I have always liked the action and look of the les pauls by epiphone. Every one that I have played however, had some pickup surgery, which is really from the style of music we play. This guitar is what I have been waiting for. It has the look,feel,sound and accessories I want.

It has sex appeal from looking bad azz!

a customer from verizon.net (4/10/2008)

nice surprise

I traded a Epi LP standard for this. I quickly found sounds and tones I could not get on the standard (without the EMGs). A nice variety of music this guitar can handle.

happylpowner from Carterville, IL (Aug 4, 2008)

George Lynch is a longtime ESP endorsee and certified guitar icon. The Serpent 600 is a great feeling guitar and not for the timid. Plus the Serpent graphics on this guitar are astounding! The tone is pure ESP and pure Lynch. George has been playing ESP guitars going on two decades now. Buy one and you’ll find out why.

ESP LTD Serpent 600 George Lynch Signature Electric Guitar Features…

Construction/Scale : Bolt-On/25.5 inches

Body: Swamp Ash

Neck/Fingerboard: Maple/Rosewood

Nut Type/Width: Locking/43mm

Neck Shape: Thin U Neck Contour

Inlays: Dot with Name on 12th Fret

Frets: 22 XJ

Hardware: Black

Tuners: ESP

Bridge/Tailpiece: Floyd Rose

Pickups: Seymour Duncan Screamin’ Demon(B)& ESP LS-100 Rail(N)

Buy ESP LTD Serpent 600 George Lynch Signature Electric Guitar

ESP LTD George Lynch Customer Review

love the neck and is realy comfortable to sit and stand with

defenately a shred guitar like most great esp guitars

if u like to shred and you r looking for a guitar that plays as well as it looks look no further.

Submitted: 8/13/2008

The Jackson RX10D Rhoads model features an alder body; bolt-on maple neck with a compound radius rosewood fingerboard (jumbo frets); and a Jackson double-locking tremolo bridge. Its Duncan Design ceramic humbuckers use ceramic magnets and powerful coil windings to deliver high output with lots of crunch and harmonics. Details include chrome hardware and Shark Fin neck inlays. Made in Japan.

Jackson RX10D Randy Rhoads Electric Guitar Features…

Series: X Series

Body: alder

Top: flame maple veneer on transparent finishes

Neck: rock maple with scarf joint

Headstock: Jackson 6-in-line pointed

Tuning machines: sealed di-cast

Fingerboard: rosewood with 14 – 16-inch compound radius

Number of frets: 22

Fret size: jumbo

Bridge pickup: Duncan Designed HB-103b Humbucker

Neck pickup: Duncan Designed HB-103n Humbucker

Controls: master volume

Bridge: Jackson licensed Floyd Rose tremolo

Pickup switching: 3-position toggle: bridge pickup, bridge and neck pickup, neck pickup

Hardware: chrome

Strings: NPS, gauges: .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042

Scale length: 25.5 in.

Width at nut: 1-11/16 in.

Introduced: January, 2006

Unique features: rosewood fingerboard with acrylic pearl Sharkfin inlays, 14 – 16-inch compound radius, fingerboard, Duncan Designed pickups

Buy Jackson RX10D Randy Rhoads Electric Guitar

crisp, clean 80s metal sound to distorted new stuff

Great guitar

Randy Rhoads V model

nice double hum pickups

floyde-rose 950

22 jumbo frets

beautiful dark red finish

its well constructed, the pickups are great, the stringswere a little tarnished when i first bought it but thats easily fixable

Scott B. (05/04/2001)

"Needs fixin'"

It's hot.

A good value for sure.

Some wires have broken etc. Just some soldering to fix it, although it is a pain. My soldering is much better and will not break. Will last a while.

I haven't needed any, but fender is always a pain to deal with.

a customer from hotmail.com (5/8/2008)

As the RG Prestige history continues to be written, players have demanded new specs, new finishes and new thrills. In 2009, Ibanez has responded with a host of new models. These guitars are all made in Japan by our finest luthiers and have the fast, flat Prestige necks, drop-dead good looks and double-locking trems, plus new finishes, maple fretboards and new pickup configurations featuring DiMarzio(R) Air Norton(TM), True Velvet(TM) and Tone Zone(R) pickups.

Ibanez RG1550M Prestige Electric Guitar (with Case) Features…

Specifications

Neck Material: 5pc Maple/ Walnut

Neck Type: Wizard Prestige

Body: Basswood body

Frets: Jumbo frets

Fingerboard: Maple

Inlay: Black dot inlay

Bridge: Edge Pro bridge

NeckPU: V7

MiddlePU: S1

BridgePU: V8

HW Color: CK

Finishes: PPN, PBL

Neck

Scale/Length: 648mm/25.5 in.

a: Width at Nut 43mm

b: Width Last Fret 58mm

c: Thickness 1st Fret 18mm

d: Thickness 12th Fret 20mm

Radius: 430mm

Pickups

Bridge Pickup

Name: VINTAGE 8

Model No: V8

Construction: Humbucking

Magnet: Alnico

Description: Warm yet articulate lead pickup with enhanced overtones. Good harmonics without excessive brightness.

Middle Pickup

Name: SINGLE 1

Model No: S1

Construction: Single Coil

Magnet: Alnico

Description: Traditional-sounding yet high output single coil with Alnico-5 polepieces for even string output. Designed to work with humbuckers in the split position.

Neck Pickup

Name: VINTAGE 7

Model No: V7

Construction: Humbucking

Magnet: Ceramic

Description: Tight, but bright. Very dynamic for chording and rhythm.

Buy Ibanez RG1550M Prestige Electric Guitar (with Case)

I play rock, heavy metal, that kinda stuff on a regular tuning, and it sounds pretty alright. Run it through a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor and my Roland Cube-30'S COSM, and it sounds great. A nice, deep throated sound from the humbuckers, while the single coil is crisp and clear, surprisingly quiet as well. 5-way switching gives it a huge tonal capability. I intend to swap the pickups for DiMarzio's, for my sound, but if you are a rocker, then the V7-S1-V8 should do just fine.

It's an Ibanez 2003 Made-in-Japan RG1550SA. 24 Frets on a 3 piece Maple neck with jumbo frets. Edge pro bridge, H-S-H combination with IBZ V7, IBZ S1, and IBZ V8 in the neck, mid, and bridge respectively. Galaxy black hardware, and Edge Pro brige. 5 way switching. Beautiful sangria (sparkly, reddish) finish. 1 volume and 1 tone control. Came with a rock solid Ibanez hardcase, with a nice plush interior. Blue in color, it goes very well with the color of the guitar.

Came in absolutely perfect condition. Action was just right, strings were brand new, pickups were perfectly adjusted, altough for personal preference i sunk the single coil in a bit. Electronics worked fine, beautiful finish, looks like high quality wood. Not a scratch or rust. HOwever, the locking nuts were not locked in place, altough it was in tune.

Haven't had anything to deal with the company yet. Doubt I ever will.

Anonymous (06/15/2004)

Well it sounds great now cause i have a dimarzio paf and a bill lwarence 500XL bridge pcikup added. It has been set up perfectly buy some good people where i live and definatly out tones any RG and even some srats.

The year i think is 2001,Its a Japanes one but its not a prestige so it was made before Ibanez became tight ass's and stoped making them there. It came with the V8, S1, V7 pickups which are fairly good quality and suprisingly have quite a nice clean sound. Also has the Ibanez floyd rose system, as for the body its gun metal black with a groovy blueish pickguard and has a rosewood fretboard.

Set up very well. Only the floyd isnt as easy to use as other previous ones.

Yeh the usual

Chris (01/23/2006)