I don't understand the negative comments. My first guitar was a cheesy piece of crap Japanese guitar that I bought at Sears. It was $80. And that was in 1968.
My first electric was a Kay with impossibly high action even with the bridge all the way down. The neck was warped and there was no truss rod and no way to fix it. It cost $200 secondhand in 1967, and that is the equivalent of $1803 in 2023. If you can get the neck straight this new guitar is a fantastic bargain.
The negative comments come from GEAR snobs. These are spoiled douche bags that only have good opinions on guitars they own or can afford. Never do they have anything intellectual to say due to their lack of self confidence and insecurities. They flex their words as they hide behind the mask like cowards. I’ve been reading comments online for 15 years and it’s always the same guys that “know better than the rest” they have no imagination, nor is their creativity present. I’m sure they all know how to play a Metallica or Slayer riff and consider themselves a Pro. It’s really sad they are clueless to what the guitar industry is offering these days. They’re not aware that marketing efforts have them brainwashed, and with that they truly believe they know more than we do. Shameful and sad
Why is it that people accept a bolt on neck on a telecaster but not on a LP? lol some people have nothing better to do than complain. Hey at $70 it's an amazing modding platform. Thanks for the video!
@NolanVoid-dr1ch that may very well be but many seem to look down at the bolt on neck guitars especially if it's on a LP style and I feel that's an oversize on their part.
@NolanVoid-dr1ch Right you are. Bolt ons usually give you better access to the higher frets, and it’s never been proven conclusively that you get more sustain from a set neck. Bolt ons are also a lot easier to refret. I’m now in the process of converting a Dean imported Soltero from a set neck to a bolt on. The original neck had a hard V shape and it was killing my arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. When I am finished the guitar will play and sound much better,
I'm sorry to hear you had the issue with the neck. I'm like others.... I couldn't help myself. Pulled the trigger on one of these, and got it for $85. Holy Cow... I can not believe it. It wasn't perfect out of the box... but it was darn close. A tiny bit of buzz on the A String - only when fretted. But I haven't even touched it yet. And the buzz is very minimal. Pickup heights were perfect. Action and string height is excellent for me. The P-90s aren't very noisey on mine - especially for Single Coils. ZERO Fret Sprout. The neck is dead straight, and literally perfect. The fit and finish is great on mine. It looks absolutely incredible. Honestly... I can't believe what I got for $85 bucks!
Phenomenal video Raf. Very thorough, great playing and I appreciate you showing and using the accessories included. Great work! On a side note I was able to get one of these in white for $80 and it is great! No neck issues of any kind and fretwork is great. Pickup height seems good too. Thanks for sharing!
I had a guitar called a Westfield E4000 that was pretty much the same guitar as this (might have come out of the same factory for all I know) and it was a decent guitar, I sold it and now regret it a little as it was nice to play.
I have one of these on the way, and I'm also planning on doing a video also. It'll be interesting to see if I have the same issues. This is my first time seeing your channel, and I'm looking forward to checking out more of your videos. Nice job. Subscribed 👍
I received mine about five weeks ago. Same problems. The cavity inside the body of the guitar was made at an angle. The neck was set at about a 30 degree angle. I used a file to get the body cavity straight. The next problem was the intonation. At the 12 fret, all the notes were a half note sharp. I moved the saddles back as far as I could but the notes are still about one sixth to a quarter note sharp. I would not recommend this guitar to anyone. It is a project guitar. Someday I'll try putting in a decent bridge in the guitar.
Why not just return it? Even if you plan on doing some work on it, maybe just swap it for another one to start off a little bit closer to usable. The one you got sounds like a nightmare.
Underwhelming pickups, and I heard it slip out of tune while you were playing. File the nut. Fill it with pencil lead, upgrade tuners, get new strings and adjust the truss. Guitar like this are projects to learn on. You could get some hotter pickups., level and polish the frets. It long as the neck isn't bowed, it's just a piece of wood. Every part can't be up graded. You can buy a bone nut blank for $9.00
Whenever you run into intonation problems changing to new strings should be the first step. A badly cut nut and poorly crowned frets can also be a cause of intonation issues.
looks nice. I was interested at first, But I have never considered a bolt on neck guitar to be a les paul. not sure why set neck guitars are more expensive, they are not really not much more expensive to manufacture.
There's 0 issue. My $2700 Prs CE is a bolt on neck. I just found it interesting some people considered that to be a deterrent in buying a guitar like this.
@NolanVoid-dr1ch only assholes use emojis to express themselves...... I don't need to "go ahead "& buy a les paul I already own 2...Maybe one day you'll be all grown up enough & able to play &'ll maybe own one yourself...
I passed on this deal, kinda of glad I did after that ramp,that's not your normal easy fix,but it didn't happen on all of these guitars,other reviews gave it high marks, I'm just not a fan of bolt on necks on an LP,I must admit they made it easy enough to become one, right when these LPs were selling out, they brought out their Tele thin line model but they wanted $199 for it,hopefully they do the same sale on them too.
Just a note I've found that most of the time raising the pole pieces is more effective than raising the whole pup. Especially on the the first 3 strings.
got one black friday for $87. everything is good except for the bridge pickup way too low and couldn't raise any higher. will need to add some neoprene insert as suggested by another ytber and should help with being able to adjust to proper height. congrats.
Some of the gibsons ,epiphones and even knock off LPs that have p90s are not adjustable you need to take a closer look at the specific models before buying one to see if they’re adjustable , on the internet almost impossible to tell if it’s an adjustable p90
If there is a kink in the neck right where it meets the body the problem could be caused by a truss rod that is too short. If that’s the case then there will never be any way to get the neck relief right. I’ve seen cheap guitars with oddball parts, like short acoustic style truss rods installed in longer electric necks, and if that’s what’s going on here the guitar is never going to play well. You made the right choice to send it back.
bolt on is no big deal considering most lawsuit era gibson knockoffs were bolt on LPs. It didn't stop ppl from buying them, and it doesn't stop them from snapping up ibanez lawsuit knock offs with bolt on necks.
@@dekion261 100% agree. Bolt on is simply a different constructiom style. It foes not make a guitar any lesser, despite what some people might believe.
After reading the comments I would say that purchasing this guitar would be a serious roll of the dice as to what kind of quality you would get. They seem to be from one extreme to the other. I don't spend money on something new, that I would have to fix.
Bolt-on necks give you virtually ZERO tonal difference from a set-in neck. This is a screaming great deal. I would buy this even with its minor issues because it is a perfect platform to learn how to work on guitars. Sand down the back of the neck to correct the angle of the fretboard. Plug the bridge posts and re-drill a new mount for the bridge posts to correct the intonation issue on the G string. Learn how to hide that work so that is is unnoticeable with a touch-up refinish. Replace the nut with a bone one, and address the pickup height. And finally, level and crown the frets. All of these skills might be great to maintain the rest of your guitars or to buy better brand guitars that are in disrepair inexpensively and bring them up to grade.
The whole problem I have with this, which I've thought about a great deal recently, is after those original Les Pauls, with the hinged tailpiece before tune-o-matic, the single coils were already used. Humbuckers, which famously started later on and employed on other guitars, were to replace those pickups, and were meant to replace them. AND provide an obvious solution to the issue. Not an "alternative" to those outmoded P90 types, but to actually solve the problem and, obviously, tone. Therefore, why would I want to go back to a point in retroactive time where you stick those P90's in a new guitar, which were meant to be replaced, which Gibson obviously did, to begin with!?
@@vv3110 I know how much these vintage reissues cost. Let alone what it costs to get what I need, and want, in a left handed model. You got that right. Apparently, it indeed is.. to each his/her own.
Obviously not a serious guitar player The p90 is a very sought after sound- but then again you’re debating over an $80 guitar….. my standard Gibson LP is just under $3k…. A Jr with p90 is about half that.
@@sixstringcity3931 Furthermore, when the famous picture of Les Paul was taken, with him sitting down and holding the new SG body model, Les Paul Custom, it didn't have your P90 soap bar pickups in it either. Lol.
You did get a bad one. Especially that fretboard being curled up like that. I've had mine for about two weeks and it's not like that. And no other reviews I've seen or read mentions that issue.
@@shabadaba7466 It's an excellent guitar for the money, especiaply great for a beginner. If it's just the first string you could try raising the saddle slightly but it being your first, I'd take it to a local guitar tech for a proper set up.
The 70% discount is fake IMO, I wouldn't recommend this to a complete novice, they need guitars that are set up relatively well and with good tuners and level frets.
We talking plywood top and back. Pine siding. Boxwood neck Lose uneven frets. And another sales person like Joe Public. We know the electrician situation will need a comprehensive re haul. Wow. Get wot you pay for…!
I only came to watch a 70.00 guitar not a 250.00 dollar guitar. Of course there are decent guitars at 250.00 Click bait at its finest. See ya won’t be back.
It was $70! And hundreds were sold for that price. Nothing clickbait about it. I can't help it if they don't continue a promotion or, in this case, if they sell out 🤷♂️ But hey thanks for stopping by! 🫡
You don't want to raise the bridge pickup up to the strings like you tried but can't. Better tone is actually lower pickups, if you want more volume then use the amp volume knob. For balance lower the neck pickup for equal volume output with the bridge pickup.
Some people like the big ballsy sound you get when the pickups are closer to the strings. This gives you an improved signal-to-noise ratio as well. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to pickup height adjustments.
They're selling cheap because they're a failure it's a new guitar company, that was selling stereo equipment now they're into guitars.I think they are going down the Monoprice road but I don't think it's working for them !
It definitely is. The padding around the guitar fooled me initially. It's like an 'upgraded' dust cover. Then again it was part of a $70 package so it'd be insane to expect a high quality bag right?
I don't understand the negative comments. My first guitar was a cheesy piece of crap Japanese guitar that I bought at Sears. It was $80. And that was in 1968.
My first electric was a Kay with impossibly high action even with the bridge all the way down. The neck was warped and there was no truss rod and no way to fix it. It cost $200 secondhand in 1967, and that is the equivalent of $1803 in 2023. If you can get the neck straight this new guitar is a fantastic bargain.
The negative comments come from GEAR snobs. These are spoiled douche bags that only have good opinions on guitars they own or can afford. Never do they have anything intellectual to say due to their lack of self confidence and insecurities. They flex their words as they hide behind the mask like cowards. I’ve been reading comments online for 15 years and it’s always the same guys that “know better than the rest” they have no imagination, nor is their creativity present. I’m sure they all know how to play a Metallica or Slayer riff and consider themselves a Pro. It’s really sad they are clueless to what the guitar industry is offering these days. They’re not aware that marketing efforts have them brainwashed, and with that they truly believe they know more than we do. Shameful and sad
Sears guitar, 1983.
80 bucks in '68 wasn't cheap lol
KNOW WHAT? WE USED ONE ON OUR NEW ALBUM........AND ITS SOUNDS AMAZING
Bolt on neck is NOT a problem, most knowledge guitarist understand this.
Agreed. Dunno why so many people were triggered about it.
Why is it that people accept a bolt on neck on a telecaster but not on a LP? lol some people have nothing better to do than complain. Hey at $70 it's an amazing modding platform. Thanks for the video!
Right. It's crazy to me. Like I said, it's $70 lol. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a bolt on neck.
@NolanVoid-dr1ch that may very well be but many seem to look down at the bolt on neck guitars especially if it's on a LP style and I feel that's an oversize on their part.
@NolanVoid-dr1ch Right you are. Bolt ons usually give you better access to the higher frets, and it’s never been proven conclusively that you get more sustain from a set neck. Bolt ons are also a lot easier to refret. I’m now in the process of converting a Dean imported Soltero from a set neck to a bolt on. The original neck had a hard V shape and it was killing my arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. When I am finished the guitar will play and sound much better,
@lumberlikwidator8. 863 Exactly.
Like, realistically, I know the bolt on neck isn't a huge deal...but it's just weird on an LP
I'm sorry to hear you had the issue with the neck. I'm like others.... I couldn't help myself. Pulled the trigger on one of these, and got it for $85. Holy Cow... I can not believe it. It wasn't perfect out of the box... but it was darn close. A tiny bit of buzz on the A String - only when fretted. But I haven't even touched it yet. And the buzz is very minimal. Pickup heights were perfect. Action and string height is excellent for me. The P-90s aren't very noisey on mine - especially for Single Coils. ZERO Fret Sprout. The neck is dead straight, and literally perfect. The fit and finish is great on mine. It looks absolutely incredible. Honestly... I can't believe what I got for $85 bucks!
I'm on Amazon all the time looking for LPs...
I've never seen one for that price.......Congrats
Well I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger on this one. Thanks for taking one for the team!
If they can get their QC in line it'd be great.
Phenomenal video Raf. Very thorough, great playing and I appreciate you showing and using the accessories included. Great work!
On a side note I was able to get one of these in white for $80 and it is great! No neck issues of any kind and fretwork is great. Pickup height seems good too.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Much appreciated! 🙏
I had a guitar called a Westfield E4000 that was pretty much the same guitar as this (might have come out of the same factory for all I know) and it was a decent guitar, I sold it and now regret it a little as it was nice to play.
Sounds like a shopping centre!
That looks amazing for $70
It really does
I have one of these on the way, and I'm also planning on doing a video also. It'll be interesting to see if I have the same issues. This is my first time seeing your channel, and I'm looking forward to checking out more of your videos. Nice job. Subscribed 👍
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for when you share your experience!
Hey Raf ,do you play the drum's or any other instrument's.Your really Great on that Guitar.
$70 is unbelievable...
I'd buy two.
I received mine about five weeks ago. Same problems. The cavity inside the body of the guitar was made at an angle. The neck was set at about a 30 degree angle. I used a file to get the body cavity straight. The next problem was the intonation. At the 12 fret, all the notes were a half note sharp. I moved the saddles back as far as I could but the notes are still about one sixth to a quarter note sharp. I would not recommend this guitar to anyone. It is a project guitar. Someday I'll try putting in a decent bridge in the guitar.
Why not just return it? Even if you plan on doing some work on it, maybe just swap it for another one to start off a little bit closer to usable. The one you got sounds like a nightmare.
From the headstock shape to the bolt on neck to the top. Looks just like my 1st electric in 1993 a Series 10 from Bently.
Great video and nice guitar. Finish is beautiful.
Thank you and yes it is. The grain and finish are very nice.
Underwhelming pickups, and I heard it slip out of tune while you were playing. File the nut. Fill it with pencil lead, upgrade tuners, get new strings and adjust the truss. Guitar like this are projects to learn on. You could get some hotter pickups., level and polish the frets. It long as the neck isn't bowed, it's just a piece of wood. Every part can't be up graded. You can buy a bone nut blank for $9.00
Awesome video Raf! Too bad about that neck though!
Yeah it's unfortunate but still a cool budget piece.
Whenever you run into intonation problems changing to new strings should be the first step.
A badly cut nut and poorly crowned frets can also be a cause of intonation issues.
looks nice. I was interested at first, But I have never considered a bolt on neck guitar to be a les paul. not sure why set neck guitars are more expensive, they are not really not much more expensive to manufacture.
Looks cool! Fret #20 looked a bit short, at least on the treble side :D Probably a good decision to return it.
Good eye! I forgot to call that out. There were 3 frets shorter than they should have been at the edge.
@@RafsGearReviewsNonetheless, rolled fret ends are very nice and omg I can only imagine the work it takes to get them that way :D
This isn't specifically directed to you.. But.. Bolt on neck
.. 9 out of 10 Fender are.. So what's the Issue..
There's 0 issue. My $2700 Prs CE is a bolt on neck. I just found it interesting some people considered that to be a deterrent in buying a guitar like this.
What's fender design got to do with the Gibson les paul design? Les Pauls don't have bolt on necks,,,that's the issue...
@NolanVoid-dr1ch only assholes use emojis to express themselves...... I don't need to "go ahead "& buy a les paul I already own 2...Maybe one day you'll be all grown up enough & able to play &'ll maybe own one yourself...
Bolt on isn't that big an issue. i mean, look at how many lawsuit era ibanez instruments are bolt on vs their legal gibson and ric counterparts.
cool find just being cheap p90. just adjust the truss rod it will reverse that ramp easy. done it literally more times than I can count.
I passed on this deal, kinda of glad I did after that ramp,that's not your normal easy fix,but it didn't happen on all of these guitars,other reviews gave it high marks, I'm just not a fan of bolt on necks on an LP,I must admit they made it easy enough to become one, right when these LPs were selling out, they brought out their Tele thin line model but they wanted $199 for it,hopefully they do the same sale on them too.
Yeah. Even though it was still very playable it's unfortunate it had that little ski ramp thete.
Just a note I've found that most of the time raising the pole pieces is more effective than raising the whole pup. Especially on the the first 3 strings.
Very Cool, Thankyou. Stunning Guitar and Playing as always. Bargain. All the Best. Cheers
Thank you! Definitely a looker this one.
I wish you could get them in Canada. Good modding platform
Is it painted or does it have a laminate printed top?
It seemed like a standard finish. As for the top most likely a veneer.
No issues with mine, and a great gig bag and quality cord… how dey do dat?!?
Beats me!
Kinda amazed that a 70$ guitar can sound like that!
In your description you said this is a 100% objective review. I think you meant subjective.
got one black friday for $87. everything is good except for the bridge pickup way too low and couldn't raise any higher. will need to add some neoprene insert as suggested by another ytber and should help with being able to adjust to proper height. congrats.
Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. The included foam will work beautifully for raising the pickup too!
Some of the gibsons ,epiphones and even knock off LPs that have p90s are not adjustable you need to take a closer look at the specific models before buying one to see if they’re adjustable , on the internet almost impossible to tell if it’s an adjustable p90
If there is a kink in the neck right where it meets the body the problem could be caused by a truss rod that is too short. If that’s the case then there will never be any way to get the neck relief right. I’ve seen cheap guitars with oddball parts, like short acoustic style truss rods installed in longer electric necks, and if that’s what’s going on here the guitar is never going to play well. You made the right choice to send it back.
Very nice for $70.00 !
bolt on is no big deal considering most lawsuit era gibson knockoffs were bolt on LPs. It didn't stop ppl from buying them, and it doesn't stop them from snapping up ibanez lawsuit knock offs with bolt on necks.
@@dekion261 100% agree. Bolt on is simply a different constructiom style. It foes not make a guitar any lesser, despite what some people might believe.
Censtar are awesome.
Got a white one. Frets up all over. Plus your issues
Bummer!
After reading the comments I would say that purchasing this guitar would be a serious roll of the dice as to what kind of quality you would get. They seem to be from one extreme to the other. I don't spend money on something new, that I would have to fix.
Bolt-on necks give you virtually ZERO tonal difference from a set-in neck. This is a screaming great deal. I would buy this even with its minor issues because it is a perfect platform to learn how to work on guitars. Sand down the back of the neck to correct the angle of the fretboard. Plug the bridge posts and re-drill a new mount for the bridge posts to correct the intonation issue on the G string. Learn how to hide that work so that is is unnoticeable with a touch-up refinish. Replace the nut with a bone one, and address the pickup height. And finally, level and crown the frets. All of these skills might be great to maintain the rest of your guitars or to buy better brand guitars that are in disrepair inexpensively and bring them up to grade.
The whole problem I have with this, which I've thought about a great deal recently, is after those original Les Pauls, with the hinged tailpiece before tune-o-matic, the single coils were already used. Humbuckers, which famously started later on and employed on other guitars, were to replace those pickups, and were meant to replace them. AND provide an obvious solution to the issue. Not an "alternative" to those outmoded P90 types, but to actually solve the problem and, obviously, tone. Therefore, why would I want to go back to a point in retroactive time where you stick those P90's in a new guitar, which were meant to be replaced, which Gibson obviously did, to begin with!?
There are guitars costing thousands of dollars that have P90's on them. I guess different tones for different folks.
@@vv3110 I know how much these vintage reissues cost. Let alone what it costs to get what I need, and want, in a left handed model. You got that right. Apparently, it indeed is.. to each his/her own.
Obviously not a serious guitar player
The p90 is a very sought after sound- but then again you’re debating over an $80 guitar….. my standard Gibson LP is just under $3k…. A Jr with p90 is about half that.
@@sixstringcity3931 Furthermore, when the famous picture of Les Paul was taken, with him sitting down and holding the new SG body model, Les Paul Custom, it didn't have your P90 soap bar pickups in it either. Lol.
I would definitely change the tuners...
Purchased one 1 month ago. Worth about 50 dollars.
That's unfortunate
@NolanVoid-dr1ch So buy it for parts.
I want to get one
You did get a bad one. Especially that fretboard being curled up like that. I've had mine for about two weeks and it's not like that. And no other reviews I've seen or read mentions that issue.
I saw a few mention neck angle but I think I'm the only one that got a ski ramp neck. Sweet axe for the money though!
I bought a Gear it guitar for 120$ on Amazon and I genuinely don’t know if it’s good or not because it’s my first guitar
Also I don’t know if buzzing on the e string is normal lol
@@shabadaba7466 It's an excellent guitar for the money, especiaply great for a beginner. If it's just the first string you could try raising the saddle slightly but it being your first, I'd take it to a local guitar tech for a proper set up.
i Got one fro $53 shipped to my front door
Instead of fall away, it's got a ski ramp.
That's actually a great way to put it lol.
My Gibson Les Paul tribute has a very similar neck angle.
And it Wasn't $70. And it's set neck so very difficult to fix.
I bought a Stagg sel-std les paul style Black and i cant find a flaw on it , for 260.00 its G.A.S. lol
That is alot of stuff for 70 dollars. It's a good beater guitar if you can fix the problems
Agreed!
Damn, had to pay $102 for mine
Still a great deal if it turned out gold!
I think I just ran into you on know your gear
I was on there!
Actually I prefer a bolt on neck.
70 bucks ? Hell 2 trips to McDonald’s 🤷
The 70% discount is fake IMO, I wouldn't recommend this to a complete novice, they need guitars that are set up relatively well and with good tuners and level frets.
It’s a weird thing… all strats and teles were bolt on necks….
Sorry... I thought it was 70$..🤔
It was.
I'd buy it for 70.dollars
So Much for Made in America ? 😢
Maybe it's an EART reject
We talking plywood top and back.
Pine siding.
Boxwood neck
Lose uneven frets.
And another sales person like Joe Public.
We know the electrician situation will need a comprehensive re haul.
Wow.
Get wot you pay for…!
$134.88 as of today. 12/22/2023
I only came to watch a 70.00 guitar not a 250.00 dollar guitar. Of course there are decent guitars at 250.00 Click bait at its finest. See ya won’t be back.
🤣🤣🤣
It was $70! And hundreds were sold for that price. Nothing clickbait about it. I can't help it if they don't continue a promotion or, in this case, if they sell out 🤷♂️
But hey thanks for stopping by! 🫡
You don't want to raise the bridge pickup up to the strings like you tried but can't. Better tone is actually lower pickups, if you want more volume then use the amp volume knob. For balance lower the neck pickup for equal volume output with the bridge pickup.
Some people like the big ballsy sound you get when the pickups are closer to the strings. This gives you an improved signal-to-noise ratio as well. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to pickup height adjustments.
They're selling cheap because they're a failure it's a new guitar company, that was selling stereo equipment now they're into guitars.I think they are going down the Monoprice road but I don't think it's working for them !
Just when I saved up enough money to buy myself one for the holidays, THEY DISCONTINUE IT! COLOR ME ANGRY!😡
Who cares. Try to buy a mahogany body for less than 100.
A case for it would cost more than the guitar.
That guitar bag looks cheap...
It definitely is. The padding around the guitar fooled me initially. It's like an 'upgraded' dust cover. Then again it was part of a $70 package so it'd be insane to expect a high quality bag right?
Waste of resources.
O K?
That guitar just screams cheap. Even for a wall hanger.
I dunno, it wasn't a high end guitar (I mean obviously) but i've certainly seen much worse. For $70 it's hard to imagine it being any better.
Garbage and nothing worth buying.
You know? stop with these cheap guitars! they're all garbage. If your into garbage guitars? that's your business! Cheap guitars are cheap guitars.