Guitar Review Ninja

 Owner’s Manual

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This box gives you the ultimate control over your instruments and your gear. You can alternate between channels A and B or select both. Send one guitar to 2 amps or use it the other way around to select between 2 guitars into one amp. Thanks to our patented, state-of-the-art optical switching, there’s no added noise, pops, or crackles. Indestructible foot switches let you make your choice with little effort and LEDs indicate channel status. Run it on one standard 9V alkaline battery.

Whirlwind Selector A/B Pedal Features…

Impedance in and out: 1Meg Ohm

Operating Level: -40dBu to 0dBu

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±1dB

Buy Whirlwind Selector A/B Pedal

 Owner’s Manual

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Using dual amps, one valve, one SS, this adds a very little hiss. Not so much as to bother, or even notice easily. Switching from channel A to channel B is great – no bleed through or signal loss.

HOWEVER, the Y function is where it falls short. There is a slight, but definite drop-off in signal, especially in the treble register. This is fine if you're just going to set up a couple of amps, and leave them both going at the same time, but if you want to chop and change, they it's not helpful.

It's not my cables. I'm using decent Klotz stuff with neutrik jacks.

Any dropoff due to my cables would be evident in the channel switching from A to B, but there isn't any, which leads me to

conclude that Whirlwind should have included a decibel or gain boost facility on the Y function.

The features are below, so I won't waste time repeating that. It's all fine, apart from the fact that the switches are a bit too close together. The reason it scores low therefore is as a switcher, this is pretty important.

Other than that, it's fine.

Yep, big metal block. All very tough, and switches feel good also.

For the money I paid, it's great as an A-B switcher. As a Y-box, it falls a little short of what i'd ideally want. If it were stolen, I'd have to go and look at something like a Startough box, or Lehle if I had the cash.

In sum, it's better than the bog standard Morley and ProLab cheapo switchers out there, and is great as an AB box. Not so great as a Y-box. If you want a good Y-box, get something else.

Joe (12/21/2004)

It is totally transparent as far as I can tell. No tone coloration or loss of signal strength. It is also totally silent when switched, not a peep. The only problem I can see (and this is not really Whirlwind's fault) is that even though both of my amps are relatively quiet when played separately, the Marshall amp has a little AC hum when it and the Fender amp are connected to the Whirlwind simultaneously. If I unplug the Fender from the Whirlwind, the AC hum in the Marshall goes away. This noise probably goes both ways but the Marshall is set up with much more gain than the Fender so it is probably just more noticeable in the Marshall.

Pretty basic. I plug one guitar into the input and route the "A" output to a Fender amp and the "B" output to a Marshall amp. Then I can switch between "A" or "B" or "BOTH".

Seems reliable enough. I haven't had any problems.

This A/B selector does exactly what it advertises. Silent switching. Be aware that if you plan to use a dual amp set-up like this, in order for you to mic your sound you will need two mics and two channels at the mixer. Remember that both amps are now going to be ON with volumes turned up at all times (even though you'll usually only be PLAYING through one at a time). This means that any hiss, hum, or other noise from both amps will be ADDED together and will always be there.

Matt (03/07/2000)

Pedal board and carrying case combo! The pedal board is constructed of plywood covered in Tolex and comes with a carry handle which slides into a 600-Denier nylon padded carrying case. Access holes for cables to run below th board to utilize 4 supplied mounting screws for most multi output power supplies.

Gator GPTBLPWR Powered Pedal Tote with Carry Bag Features…

Pedal board dimensions: 16.5 x 12 in.

Buy Gator GPTBLPWR Powered Pedal Tote with Carry Bag

The FX400 features a set neck, mahogany body, and spalted maple top.

ESP LTD FX400 Spalted Maple Top Electric Guitar Features…

Construction/scale: set neck/24.75 in.

Body: mahogany w/ spalted maple top

Neck/fingerboard: 5-pc. mahogany/maple/rosewood

Nut type/width: standard/42mm

Neck shape: Thin U

Inlays: abalone dots

Frets: 22 XJ

Binding: none

Hardware: black nickel

Tuners: Grover

Bridge/tailpiece: Tune-o-matic w/ stop tailpiece

Pickups: EMG 81 (B)/60 (N) Active

Electronics: toggle/vol/tone

Buy ESP LTD FX400 Spalted Maple Top Electric Guitar

"Stop looking, you found what you want right here."

This guitar is going to stand out on stage and make you the star. All thats left to do is to buy it and rock with your band.

Like I said above, this is a great value. If you are looking for a $500-$1000 guitar, then ESP LTDs are the way to go. The quality of a Korean made LTD is better than some American made Gibsons that I own and have played. On top of that, Gibson doesn't make their guitars in the USA anyways now, so if its between the 2 companies I would pick ESP or LTD every time.

Mahogany wood, EMGs, a compensated nut, and its ESP? Can't ask for much more than that. Better spent money on this LTD than on an Epiphone. Not that Gibson actually makes their guitars in the USA anymore anyways. ESPs and LTDs are always a good choice.

ESP is a great company, but it takes them a long time to do anything. However, the wait is always well worth it.

a customer from gmail.com (3/5/2008)

FX400 Spalted

There's nothing to complain about with this axe. Its got EMG's, outstanding quality built like my other 2 ESP's. This body style is surprisingly comfortable even sitting which I didn't expect. If you like the looks and price of this guitar don't hesitate to buy it. It won't dissapoint!

puterbooter from SouthEast USA (Dec 29, 2007)

The purr-fect guitar! Squier’s new Hello Kitty Mini guitar is designed to bring the gift of music to younger hearts and smaller hands, and features the smiling face of Hello Kitty herself right on the front! Rest assured, though — this is a real, great-sounding and great-playing guitar! The reduced scale length of the smooth-as-silk maple neck makes life easy on the up-and-coming rocker in your house, and the guitar comes in cool Pink and Black finishes. The 3 single-coil pickups let you purr or roar!

Squier Hello Kitty Mini Electric Guitar Features…

Model Name: Hello Kitty Mini

Model Number: 033-5101-(Color#)

Series: Hello Kitty Series

Colors: (506) Black, (570) Pink, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)

Body: Laminated Hardwood

Neck: Maple, C-Shape, (Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5 in. Radius (241 mm)

No. of Frets: 20 Medium

Pickups: 3 Single-Coil Pickups

Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone

Pickup Switching:

5-Position Blade

Position 1. Bridge Pickup

Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup

Position 3. Middle Pickup

Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup

Position 5. Neck Pickup

Bridge: Hard-tail 6-Saddle Bridge

Machine Heads: Standard Die-Cast Tuners

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 1-Ply White

Scale Length: 22.75 in. (575mm)

Width at Nut: 1.61 in. (41 mm)

Unique Features: Script Hello Kitty Logo Artwork on Front of Pink Body, Collage Hello Kitty Logo Artwork on Front of Black Body, White Control Knobs, Black Silkscreen Squier Logo, Engraved Squier Neckplate

Strings: Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003

Accessories: None

Introduced: 7/2006

Notice: Product Prices, Features And Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice

Buy Squier Hello Kitty Mini Electric Guitar

This is the most complex monster I have…

This is the most complex monster I have ever tamed. It puts my Gibson Custom Shop Black Beauty into a fit of hysteria driven by jealous rage. I can't believe the sonic deluge I summon from this grim reaper of tone. Every note brings me over the edge of a new plane of existence. I was totally blown away as I slid this beauty out of it's box; it's killer looks flooring me with it's awesome flamingo pink body and aggressive, snarling pickguard. I am in love with a demonic, musical entity that is unleashed as soon as I coerce the strings with my pick. Without a doubt the most daring and demanding guitar you will ever weild in the name of music. Buy it Buy It Buy It… if you think you can handle it!

BadKitty2001 from Hollywood. (Dec 22, 2007)

This is definitely a strat

So far I've not had any problems with tuning as the other review has stated…and you have to keep in mind what this guitar's made for.
I bought this guitar as a gift for my new girl on the way. As the technician was in the back setting it up, I heard a mean strat sound coming from the back. I thought that there was no way this guitar was the little hello kitty one that I was purchasing. It was! The technician had never set one up before and was quite impressed with its playability and sound. It's fast and has a really good strat tone. I own three other strats and I find it extremely comparable to my American Series strat in tone.
I think that there is no better option for little ones to learn on. Just remember that its built for little ones with little hands, it's not meant to be beat up by guys who like to manhandle their guitars. That being said, I'm fairly certain it could withstand the beating that little ones tend to give out – a drop here and there probably won't hurt it.
I bought this as a sentimental gift for my new daughter, but I just may sneak into her room to play it myself.

smccord5000 from Missouri (Jan 2, 2008)

Icon.
Not a word to be used lightly. But the Stratocaster is just that. The new American Standard Stratocaster guitars are beauties to behold in sound, look and feel. Feder kept the hand-rolled fingerboard edges, alnico V pickups and staggered tuning machines for playability, tone and stability, and added several new features, including:

- A new bridge with improved bent-steel saddles and a copper-infused high-mass block for increased resonance and sustain.

- A new neck treatment—tinted for a richer presentation, with the maple or rosewood fingerboard buffed to a high gloss. The back of the neck still has that silky satin finish.

- A thinner finish undercoat that lets the body breathe and improves resonance.

- A new Fender-exclusive SKB molded case.

- Two beautiful new finish options, Sienna Sunburst and Blizzard Pearl

Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar (Rosewood, With Case) Features…

Body:

- Alder on:

(700) 3-Color Sunburst,

(705) Olympic White,

(706) Black,

(712) Candy Cola,

(755) Blizzard Pearl,

(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic,

- Ash on:

(747) Sienna Sunburst

Neck: Maple, Modern “C†Shape, (Gloss Headstock Face with Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck)

Fingerboard: Rosewood (p/n 011-0400) 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups: 3 American Strat Single-Coil Pickups

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. Delta Tone

(“Delta Tone†system includes high output bridge pickup and special No-Load tone control for Middle and Bridge Pickups)

Pickup Switching – 5-Position Blade:

- Position 1. Bridge Pickup

- Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup

- Position 3. Middle Pickup

- Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup

- Position 5. Neck Pickup

Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles

Machine Heads: Fender Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.685 in. (42.8 mm)

Unique Features:

- New Bent Steel Saddles with Elongated String Slots

- Copper Infused High Mass 100% Metal Bridge Block

- Thinner Undercoat Finish for Improved Body Resonance

- Tinted Neck

- Maple Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Front

- Rosewood Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Headstock Front with Buffed Fingerboard

- 4-Bolt Neck Attachment with Micro-Tilt Adjustment

- Bi-Flex Truss Rod System

- Parchment Knobs and Pickup Covers

- Rolled Fretboard Edges

- Staggered Tuning Keys

- H/S/H Pickup Routing

- New Molded Fender/SKB Case with TSA Locks, Glass Reinforced Nylon Trigger Latches, and Form Fitted Plush Interior

Strings: Fender Standard Tension Bullet ST3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-203

Accessories: Fender/SKB Case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth

Case: High-Tech, Molded Rectangular SKB Case

Introduced: 1/2008

Buy Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar (Rosewood, With Case)

I play blues to metal. My current basic setup is Guitar to Marshall Guv'nor, to Cry Baby, to Dan-Echo into a Marshall VS265R in the clean channel. It sounds great, although the noiseless pickups do not give you the hollow Strat sound that you might expect. It is a more generic sound. You CAN get that sound with a little tweeking, but the deluxe sound is nice in its own right.

I like using positions 2 and 4 on the selector switch. Position 2 gets me a deep 'boopy' sound, almost like a Les Paul can get. Position 4 is more Strat-like. 5 is brighter and frettier. 1 is too bassy for my tastes.

I wish the whammy bar was a screw-in, rather than the pop-in type. It is hard to keep it where I want it. I put some tape around the base to keep it from just pointing to the floor.

I bought this thing in June of 1999 right off the rack. It is an American made Strat with deluxe noiseless pickups, etc., etc. Black body, blond neck. Very pretty. I give it a ten, because it has everything that a Strat is supposed to have.

The action was good right off the rack, but I like it very low. I have it as low as possible without any noticeable buzz. I must say that the workmanship on this thing is first-rate, especailly for an off the rack instrument. Kudos to Fender!

NA

Wil Sindarius (04/14/2000)

I play everything from Pink Floyd to Z.Z. Top to Scorpions to

Neil Young to Iron Butterfly, and more.

…Classic Rock, 1969 – 1985, give or take a couple of years.

This guitar will do about everything you need it to do…

unless you what to "thrash" in a heavy metal mode.

…You can sound like Hendrix… OR Dire Straits…

I amp with a Digitech Valve FX multi-effect processor into

(stereo) a 1975 Peavey Musician and a Fender Sidekick Switcher

amp combination, split stereo into our 1,000w stereo P.A. through

JBL cabinets. …Let me tell you about KICKASS sound!

Use a noise gate with this puppy… it can be noisy if you're

not careful how you handle it!

I bought my 2000 American Standard Strat in 2000.

I wanted to replace my original 1975 strat with a duplicate

of what it was when I first got it, new, in 1975.

It was a clear-finish, "blonde" guitar with a maple neck/fretboard, white pickguard, knobs, pickup covers, et. al.

I got what I wanted and more.

My original '75 strat has gone through so many "adaptations"

and "customisations" that it has become what can only be

described as a unique, one-of-a-kind "Opland"-model strat.

…in fact it has an "Opland" signature gold-leafed under its

clear lacquer finish, on the upper horn of the body.

(I'd have to charge about $5,000.00 for it if I were to sell it!)

(…which I will NEVER do!)

(…it also sports a '59 stacked humbucker in the center pickup

position. …so it "becomes" a Les Paul when I want it to be!)

No complaint about that, but I just wanted to get another

one to get me back to my "basics".

I really love the 2000 Strat…

One day after a particularly hot solo, a friend who was

was listening said "Okay, Hendrix, cool it down!"…

and then I knew I had a hot guitar!

…that's saying something, considering that I own 8 different

electric guitars! (now)

( 3 B.C. Rich, 3 Fender, a Series 10 "Strat", and an Artisan

lap steel).

When I bought the 2000 Am. St. Strat, I traded in a Jackson

Performer Strat, a B.C. Rich Platinum Strat, a Charvel Strat,

and an electric bass guitar, all with cases, PLUS $100. cash,

for this one guitar that I wanted.

I have NO regrets!

The 2000 Strat has what I wanted… an original feel, and better

electronics, better neck, better whammy, better tone.

Set up at the factory was adequate…

I needed a custom-job to get it really "right".

Who needs repairs on a guitar like this???

Bill Opland (11/24/2007)

 Maintenance

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 Guitars and Basses Manual

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Now you can turn your back on traditional budget guitars that only feature single coils, boring finishes, and a bogus name on the headstock. The GRX has humbuckers for solid leads, metallic finishes, and every one is set up with the same stringent standards as the most expensive instruments from Ibanez. That’s why it proudly says “Ibanez” and not “by Ibanez” on the headstock.

Ibanez GRX20Z Electric Guitar Features…

Neck Type: GRX

Body: Agathis

Fret: Medium

Bridge: Standard trem

Neck Pickup: PSND1

Mid Pickup: n/a

Bridge Pickup: PSND2

Buy Ibanez GRX20Z Electric Guitar

 Maintenance

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 Guitars and Basses Manual

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"Buy one, buy two!"

It looks good.

Great guitar for $150, $250 for that matter.

Fit and finish are very good.

It's great guitar for getting sounds you won't get out of your Fender
Strat.

a customer from ispwest.com (12/18/2003)

ROCK ON DUDE!!!

This guitar sounds a little better than my brother's Ibanez on his amp, but it'll sound ten times better when I get the recommended accesories for it and replace a few things. I'm getting a set of Seymore Duncan Blackout Active pickups, then I'm getting a Line 6 Spider-3 15 amp, then I'm going for a Live Wire Advantage cable in 30 ft. I already have a pack of DR Red Devil strings, but I have alot of money to save. I'm in a band named PainFace and I wanna sound as good as possible. Anyway, buy this guitar, it makes an awesome Christmas present, and it'll be worth the $ you spend.

Seth Struble a.k.a. from Wildomar, CA (Jan 14, 2009)