(Source: JetSlide)

You might think only older and established things can be masterworks. But after reading this review on the new Alvarez Masterworks MD350C acoustic guitar, I’m certain you’ll be cleared of that misconception.

Well, with a recommended price of US$1699, I guess quality would have been expected, but even for guitars in this price range, the MD350C seemed to have performed admirably.

It may not be a guitar for a beginner whose passion for guitars has yet to be confirmed, but if you’re an experienced amateur or professional, I’m certain GuitarGearHeads’ final verdict with take you to the store:

The MD350C was a pure pleasure to review. I really enjoy playing this guitar and I will be adding it to my own personal guitar arsenal. Because of this, I award the MD350C the 2006 Rig Ready Award as well as the 2006 Guitar Gear Heads Approved award.

(Read the whole post…)

(Source: JetSlide)

Two months back, the guys over at GuitarGearHeads got a chance to review one of the cooler guitar innovations this year, the JetSlide guitar slide. Unlike conventional guitar slides, this one doesn’t impede normal chord playing.

When you reach a portion of a song where a slide is required, you can easily “flip the slide into place” and you can reverse this when you don’t need it. Moreover, it seems that the thin bar on the JetSlide provides more control than normal guitar slides, and thus more accuracy.

Overall, the ~US$20 slide got lavish praise, with the reviewer concluding that, “The JetSlide™ has become my slide of choice and I am looking forward to becoming a more skilled and competent slide guitar player. My only suggestion would be to figure out how to fit a piece of glass to the ring - then JetSlide™ would own my whole slide arsenal!”

P.S.: There are currently two variants of the slide. One is made of brass, while the other is made of stainless steel.

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(Source: IGN)

Yeah, you’re not dreaming. Rhythm-action gaming with Guitar Hero just got to a whole new level with the TAC Freedom V Guitar Hero wireless controller. Did we mention “wireless”? Okay, maybe that’s just too much hype, but the controller did get a clear thumbs up from the guys over at IGN.

I’m not surprised. Who wouldn’t want to jump, spin, whirl, and swing your guitar “once in a while”, eh? It’s a pity, however, that the included guitar strap is pretty flimsy, so your big stage fantasies will have to be toned down.

Overall, IGN says that, “While purists among the editors preferred the clicking strummer and deeper keys they have grown accustomed to with the standard Mini SG, few could deny that the wireless freedom of the *TAC Freedom V was an exciting new feature. Jumping, spinning, and general metal-insanity took on new levels of awesomeness while we went head to head in Guitar Hero with the new controllers. With an MSRP of $49.99, the The Ant Commando’s Freedom V is a viable and expansionary alternative to the standard Guitar Hero Mini SG for a second controller, or for a complete wireless solution.”

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(Source: Musician’s Friend)

Acoustic-electric bass guitars are a tough nut to crack here at GuPiano due to the crazy number of categories they fall under. Yep, you’ll see this Rogue AB-304 categorised under acoustic guitars, electrics and even bass guitars. But the worst part of the whole thing is that the displeasure doesn’t stop with categorisation.

It’s reviewer over at Ultimate-Guitar.com goes so far to say that, “If it were to get stolen or lost I wouldn’t buy this bass again. I love how beautiful it looks but I hate how you can barely hear it without an amp and how touchy it is.” It’s a pity though, because with die-cast machine heads, piezo pickup and volume control, abalone rosette, top binding, plus mahogany sides, back and neck, the AB-304 looks like a pretty solid bass.

Overall, this Korean-made guitar scores a measely 5.8 out of 10 for its overall rating - though for features, it does get a more respectable 7 out of 10.

(Read the whole post…)

(Source: Master Sound)

Today, we’ll be looking at a review of a guitar from the oh so wide world of Strat (Stratocaster) copies, the Dimavery ST-203 electric guitar.

For only 88.2 euros, it seems to be a good entry-level single-coiled guitar - with solid tone, not-so-noisy pickups, and a sufficiently strong and comfortable build. Of course, don’t expect quality tuners or a first-class finish on this 22-medium fret Strat copy.

But if you’re looking for a cheap feature-light (or rather, not-feature-heavy) guitar, from a sufficiently reputable brand (Dimavery has been in the copycat guitar reproduction industry for quite some time already), for a beginner friend, then the ST-203 looks like a good choice. At least, that’s what the reviewer’s 9 out of 10 impression rating and 7.8 out of 10 overall rating of the guitar tells me.

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(Source: imuso.co.uk)

Over at Ultimate-Guitar.com, the Ibanez JS1200 electric guitar gets a review, which (as usual) is an extremely positive one. Well, 9.8 out of 10 does indicate that, right?

Anyway, most Ibanez JS1000 owners would probably be familiar with most of the JS1200’s features since this Joe Satriani signature guitar comes with almost the same specifications, e.g. 22 frets, basswood body, rosewood board, JS Prestige neck, DiMarzio® Fred® Humbucker pickups, etc.

The few differences between the JS1200 and its older sibling include Paf Joe neck pickups (instead of Paf Pro), chrome hardware (rather than black) and the JS1200’s color-matched headstock.

So, how does the JS1200 fare? If the rating didn’t tell you everything, this should: “Personally I play a lot of Metallica, Led Zepplein, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Velvet Revolver, Megadeth, RHCP, Steve Vai etc. Well, this guitar is fun and plays well with most of these songs, but for those that dont go too well with this guitar, I usually substitute a Stratocaster for that. Well, I love the versatility in playing this guitar. Its thin neck allows for fast action, its medium-small but solid body for comfort. Well, I wish it had a beverage holder other than that it has everything!”

Of course, you’ll have to be ready to pay “just a little bit extra” since you are buying a signature series guitar.

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(Source: Musik-Schmidt)

The title of this post should probably have contained the word “reviews” rather than “review” because we’re actually going to be looking at two Ultimate-Guitar.com user-contributed reviews of the ESP LTD M-200 FM electric guitar.

Both reviews were pretty favourable for this ESP axe, with one awarding it an 8.8 out of 10, while the other an 8.6 out of 10. Both reviewers loved the finish on the guitar, but they found a few minor glitches with several of the factory presets, e.g. action too high or too low, etc.

Overall, the bottom line was that, “I am a metal head by nature, and this guitar appealed to me with it’s EMG pickups, reverse headstock, and tremolo. If the guitar got broken, stolen, or anything of the sort, I wouldn’t necessarily buy the exact same model, but definately another ESP. ESPs give great hardware and features even for low end modeled guitars, so I recomend ESP to anyone that wants a good guitar for a low price.”

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