I bought 2 of the Westcreek Revenge models. Both are absolutely amazing. Zero quality control issues in the fit and finish. These guitars play better than my Gibsons! Even the pickups sound great! Real flame top and the frets are perfectly rounded, no jagged edges or scratchy frets! Super happy with both guitars. Just change the strings when you get it. The strings are crappy.
Sean I agree with you. The example of Thus against an Epiphone, Squire, for example everything about those sound better and by a ton! I don't know how we got here with budget guitars but you are right something about cheap instruments will always be an issue even with changes Ike ( pick ups, tuners, strings etc). Ya it's tone it's weight, it's little things like caps, pots, shielding, distance traveled, there no acclamation of surroundings. And it's not in our head either this budget stuff is a waste of good materials in a cheap format! I know folks like this but I'm in Canada it's actually cheaper for me to buy good instruments over Chinese made. I walk in almost any music store and easily you can find good guitars, Basses, drums, etc Anyway I'm sure I'm in the minority and I don't care... Cheers Sean Cathy be well Doug 😎
I'm sure it's more common to others but first I've heard such a huge difference in 2 factory pickups. Guess the wax drip was a sign of things to come lol
I still love my 1992 Gibson Les Paul Classic Plus, every guitar ive owned since is unmatched. Gibson might not have the quality control it once did, but the older ones definitely have some sort of magic!
My bolt neck (after I set it up and put a bridge on between the lightning wrap tail and the bridge P90 and the knocked a few frets down, intonation, crowned the frets, it does sound good, but my hands are too big for the flat back neck. I shattered my shoulder and the nerves are balled up in my neck and hand. The neck is just too thin and no roundness for my arthritis and my left hand goes numb. Man it sounds so good too. The P90 soap bars sound great! Might try slide on it, but I have been looking at Epiphone for round back bolt neck s since I bought it. Even Chibson. The U neck 52 Vintera Tele is right.
The top is exactly the same like on the picture, just with a less visible grain/flame. And you can bet it's either a veneer or photo-flame, given the price of the guitar.
Sean - you have 2 choices on the frets. 1) do it right and press and seat the frets in properly and then relevel, crown and polish them, or 2) play them as is and deal with the frets once some of them start seating from playing and then address them when the frets buzz. Also, size of pots don't reflect the quality of the pot. Also, where is the flame maple? You know that there is such a thing as "flame tone" ;-)
Every guitar that get shipped to me I always use a fret hammer and seek them before I use the fret rocker test that way my sanding is more precise when I level and crown but 90% of the time the Fret Hammer fixes any rocking
Good idea thanks. I bought one of those purple Volgoa VRS1983 that look like a PRS and looks really nice but the G string won’t tune up so going to put some good strings on it and see if that fixes it. I’m a total beginner but have learned a lot for Sean here. That tuner feels different than the others. It’s a bit loser feeling but might just be the little screw. I figured I’d have to change the tuners,strings and pickups so no big deal if I do.
Still not too bad for the price. I bought one of those west creek revenge guitars. The fret work was damn near perfect, intonation is right on. I put some gotoh locking tuners on it and changed out the pickups and I got a straight up rock machine.
I need & want to thank you for your recommendation of Bullstar guitars! I looked for thr model you showed but couldnt find it but, I did purchase the Bullfighter LP style. I looked & looked 4 flaws & could not find any. My only complaint is paramount to personal preference. The neck thickness is my only complaint but, ive never played a 1958 or 59 les paul so, maybe its true to form? Even the strings were broke in. Ive never received a guitar that after tuning it, it plays perfectly. I am amazed! Who in the world is Bullstar? Now i want to try their other models!!!! They have a floyd rose model that I want! Thank you Sean & Cathy!!!!!
That guitar has the looks, but the only good sounding pickup is the neck. But at the pricetag, like you said, it's gonna get a full pimp-my-guitar treatment. But I really want a guitar that will pay off on its own, and THEN get a gradual mod work. Thanks for reviewing it! I always go to ya for advice!
I believe that gunk on the neck nut is graphite powder that they put in the slots for lubricant it’s a safe bet bc it looks like pencil sharpener shaving dust
It's not a flame, it's a flicker. I have one. Pups suck, but an awesome platform or great starter. Can't complain because of the price. I think some in the comment section need to realize for the money and the speed they have to crank these things out to make a profit, these are damn good.
I don't think there's a lot you can do about those frets. If they've already been set up more less perfectly for the nut as they are there's really nothing to do then. If you repress the frets then you have to recut the nut and relevel the frets. You can do that. For anyone else that would be expensive.
Looked ok but you’re right, woulda looked nicer with that flame top. Still, with some pick ups and re do those frets, change out the machine heads and you’d have a decent little weapon there. I have an old charvel or charvette in Calgary that needs some love. If I ever get it back here maybe I’ll send it your way.
I would definitely be interested in checking out one of their guitars now that they've a store on Reverb , but I've seen some videos with constant grounding issues 🤔
Good candidate for some Grovers. Maybe start making jewelry out of the strings I saw somewhere on the interwebs where they so that. Or melt them down for inlays that would be pretty cool
Unreal this beauty with $10 coupon it’s only $169 to my door. Like the sound of it but I reckon it has a lot to do with who’s fingers are playing it too. Middle or neck not so good but bridge is nice. Thanks Sean and Cathy.
They're way overpriced because of Michael Biato , if I'm going to spend close to a grand on a guitar it will be an Ibanez or a Schecter. At least I know the quality will be good....
Not BAD 4 a 1st axe, but very muddy neck PU. If take that neck, but prefer the body be both flamed and bound. Really need to be compared with a modest Epiphone and Squire, but I'm willing to bet they're not anything much better than this, and double the money.
I remember back in the 19and70s when the Japanese started building guitars ... and they sucked right out loud. But then the Japanese got their shxt together and started building GREAT guitars. And then the Koreans started building guitars ... and the went through the same cycle. The same with ol' Mexico. The down side was, at the start, all them places built low cost instruments ... but as they got better ... the prices went up. I suspect it will be the same with the Chinese. Enjoy them cheap guitars while you can.
The frets, press/tap them in or send it back. Your call to make ? I thought it had a hint of flame for the top, just was a subliminal flame. What do the pickups read for DCR ? Unfortunate this one was less than the Explorer Westcreek. Maybe the fretwork corrects that, requires a new set up & pickup height adjustment cleans the muddy form the neck pickup ? It would be a fun challenge for someone that was into that. But getting the Explorer in better shape and this to me is a RMA, send me another or a refund & move on from hoping the next one is Explorer level out of the box.
Bridge sounded sharp... I think the neck is somehow overriding the middle.. neck and middle sounded the same...my thoughts as usual, if it plays ok, throw in some P90S..👍👍
Shew man, I'd love to be able to afford to buy me a guitar and try to learn how to play... I've wanted to do this for so long, years now actually, but just cannot come up with the money living on a fixed income... of only 900 bucks per month, heck I can barely pay the bills and buy groceries each month...
I think Forrest Gump was on to something. Life is like a bunch of chocolates. You never know what your going to get 😂😂. Ive bitten into some candy that i spit out. Uggh. Shawn can make it righ for damm sure 👍💪💯✌️🎸🎸
Those pickups are awful. I wonder what that would sound like with a pair of EMG hetsets. They should sell these without all the electronics and tuners.
I bought 2 of the Westcreek Revenge models. Both are absolutely amazing. Zero quality control issues in the fit and finish. These guitars play better than my Gibsons! Even the pickups sound great! Real flame top and the frets are perfectly rounded, no jagged edges or scratchy frets! Super happy with both guitars. Just change the strings when you get it. The strings are crappy.
I know exactly what you mean. Some guitars just feel cheap. I had a Glarry and a Monoprice and no matter what I did to them they just felt cheap.
Sean I agree with you.
The example of Thus against an Epiphone, Squire, for example everything about those sound better and by a ton!
I don't know how we got here with budget guitars but you are right something about cheap instruments will always be an issue even with changes Ike ( pick ups, tuners, strings etc).
Ya it's tone it's weight, it's little things like caps, pots, shielding, distance traveled, there no acclamation of surroundings. And it's not in our head either this budget stuff is a waste of good materials in a cheap format!
I know folks like this but I'm in Canada it's actually cheaper for me to buy good instruments over Chinese made. I walk in almost any music store and easily you can find good guitars, Basses, drums, etc
Anyway I'm sure I'm in the minority and I don't care...
Cheers Sean Cathy be well
Doug 😎
I'm sure it's more common to others but first I've heard such a huge difference in 2 factory pickups.
Guess the wax drip was a sign of things to come lol
I think the black junk on the nut is the dye they use to make the fret board dark. A lot of cheaper guitars dye it since they use a cheaper hardwood.
I still love my 1992 Gibson Les Paul Classic Plus, every guitar ive owned since is unmatched. Gibson might not have the quality control it once did, but the older ones definitely have some sort of magic!
My bolt neck (after I set it up and put a bridge on between the lightning wrap tail and the bridge P90 and the knocked a few frets down, intonation, crowned the frets, it does sound good, but my hands are too big for the flat back neck. I shattered my shoulder and the nerves are balled up in my neck and hand. The neck is just too thin and no roundness for my arthritis and my left hand goes numb. Man it sounds so good too. The P90 soap bars sound great! Might try slide on it, but I have been looking at Epiphone for round back bolt neck s since I bought it. Even Chibson. The U neck 52 Vintera Tele is right.
The top is exactly the same like on the picture, just with a less visible grain/flame. And you can bet it's either a veneer or photo-flame, given the price of the guitar.
Hammer the frets in and do another leveling crown.
This is another brand I've been curious about. Although I'm less interested now. 😄
If you can’t afford to upgrade your bridge/tail that have loose posts a roll of Teflon tape can help as long as they aren super loose in the grommets.
Betting the black gunk on the nut is "dye" they sprayed, trying to feign either quality rosewood/ebony.
Sean - you have 2 choices on the frets. 1) do it right and press and seat the frets in properly and then relevel, crown and polish them, or 2) play them as is and deal with the frets once some of them start seating from playing and then address them when the frets buzz. Also, size of pots don't reflect the quality of the pot. Also, where is the flame maple? You know that there is such a thing as "flame tone" ;-)
Flame tone. Good one.
I think I saw a little flame in the top, hahahah Another great video man Thanks
Every guitar that get shipped to me I always use a fret hammer and seek them before I use the fret rocker test that way my sanding is more precise when I level and crown but 90% of the time the Fret Hammer fixes any rocking
Good idea thanks. I bought one of those purple Volgoa VRS1983 that look like a PRS and looks really nice but the G string won’t tune up so going to put some good strings on it and see if that fixes it. I’m a total beginner but have learned a lot for Sean here. That tuner feels different than the others. It’s a bit loser feeling but might just be the little screw. I figured I’d have to change the tuners,strings and pickups so no big deal if I do.
Send it back.
Always coming with great content!!! Oohhh GIGGY!!!🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Still not too bad for the price. I bought one of those west creek revenge guitars. The fret work was damn near perfect, intonation is right on. I put some gotoh locking tuners on it and changed out the pickups and I got a straight up rock machine.
I need & want to thank you for your recommendation of Bullstar guitars! I looked for thr model you showed but couldnt find it but, I did purchase the Bullfighter LP style. I looked & looked 4 flaws & could not find any. My only complaint is paramount to personal preference. The neck thickness is my only complaint but, ive never played a 1958 or 59 les paul so, maybe its true to form? Even the strings were broke in. Ive never received a guitar that after tuning it, it plays perfectly. I am amazed! Who in the world is Bullstar? Now i want to try their other models!!!! They have a floyd rose model that I want! Thank you Sean & Cathy!!!!!
I think we take for granted that we are living in a golden age for cheap guitars
That guitar has the looks, but the only good sounding pickup is the neck. But at the pricetag, like you said, it's gonna get a full pimp-my-guitar treatment. But I really want a guitar that will pay off on its own, and THEN get a gradual mod work. Thanks for reviewing it! I always go to ya for advice!
congrats on your new censtar/scarred deal I bet theyre gonna be awesome
Hey there. I love your videos. How about your wife buying some budget bass guitars to check out? That would be awesome for all of us bass players.
I believe that gunk on the neck nut is graphite powder that they put in the slots for lubricant it’s a safe bet bc it looks like pencil sharpener shaving dust
I want the SG looking one with the racing stripe , it looks pretty sick!
It's not a flame, it's a flicker. I have one. Pups suck, but an awesome platform or great starter. Can't complain because of the price. I think some in the comment section need to realize for the money and the speed they have to crank these things out to make a profit, these are damn good.
I don't think there's a lot you can do about those frets. If they've already been set up more less perfectly for the nut as they are there's really nothing to do then. If you repress the frets then you have to recut the nut and relevel the frets. You can do that. For anyone else that would be expensive.
Looked ok but you’re right, woulda looked nicer with that flame top. Still, with some pick ups and re do those frets, change out the machine heads and you’d have a decent little weapon there.
I have an old charvel or charvette in Calgary that needs some love. If I ever get it back here maybe I’ll send it your way.
You should definitly take a look at some of the Harley benton guitars. I'm curious to know your opinion about them.
I would definitely be interested in checking out one of their guitars now that they've a store on Reverb , but I've seen some videos with constant grounding issues 🤔
Good candidate for some Grovers. Maybe start making jewelry out of the strings I saw somewhere on the interwebs where they so that. Or melt them down for inlays that would be pretty cool
Unreal this beauty with $10 coupon it’s only $169 to my door. Like the sound of it but I reckon it has a lot to do with who’s fingers are playing it too. Middle or neck not so good but bridge is nice. Thanks Sean and Cathy.
You seat the Frets properly , file level and re crown them.
Should try ordering one of those sawtooth ET hybrid guitars do a review on it 😂 quite pricey and sucks great show that episode would be
They're way overpriced because of Michael Biato , if I'm going to spend close to a grand on a guitar it will be an Ibanez or a Schecter. At least I know the quality will be good....
Maybe the fretboard has shrunk. Looks like black dyed mystery wood or fiber to me.
I bought the same one and the burst is just like yours. The pictures on Amazon lie.
Hilarious. So much flip-flap for a cheap guitar. Cheap guitars have never been so cheap, or so good. Keep up the good work.
Seat the frets. It doesn't matter if they are level of one of the frets can come loose at any time.
Not BAD 4 a 1st axe, but very muddy neck PU.
If take that neck, but prefer the body be both flamed and bound.
Really need to be compared with a modest Epiphone and Squire, but I'm willing to bet they're not anything much better than this, and double the money.
The black mark on the nut looks like fretboard dye. Pretty typical of some Chinese guitars. Looks like the same ceramic pickups used on Fireflys.
Have you ever tried rondo Guitars? Specially, the agile those are pretty good and asked SX are good I don’t know about the other brands.
Slick are great, too.
I remember back in the 19and70s when the Japanese started building guitars ... and they sucked right out loud. But then the Japanese got their shxt together and started building GREAT guitars. And then the Koreans started building guitars ... and the went through the same cycle. The same with ol' Mexico. The down side was, at the start, all them places built low cost instruments ... but as they got better ... the prices went up. I suspect it will be the same with the Chinese. Enjoy them cheap guitars while you can.
The frets, press/tap them in or send it back. Your call to make ? I thought it had a hint of flame for the top, just was a subliminal flame. What do the pickups read for DCR ? Unfortunate this one was less than the Explorer Westcreek. Maybe the fretwork corrects that, requires a new set up & pickup height adjustment cleans the muddy form the neck pickup ? It would be a fun challenge for someone that was into that. But getting the Explorer in better shape and this to me is a RMA, send me another or a refund & move on from hoping the next one is Explorer level out of the box.
I'd throw it down on the bridge pickup, let the distortion go to 11, and jam the hell out of it!!
If that was my guitar I would put superglue on each side of the frets and hope that it wicks down into the slot
Looks good, what's up with those frets though
Bridge sounded sharp... I think the neck is somehow overriding the middle.. neck and middle sounded the same...my thoughts as usual, if it plays ok, throw in some P90S..👍👍
So muddy that a 1-Meg volume will open up both pickups, especially the dark neck PU.
I’d keep it and play it . If it plays fine then leave it alone !
Love these cheap guitar reviews
Are you sure? It looks like a really weak flame top to me. Most likely a veneer. The burst is way darker on it than the stock photos too.
Your my go to for good guitars
I bought one about 2 months ago, the pickups squeal real bad!!!
I bought it to upgrade anyway. Overall a pretty good guitar for the $.
Like the chrome knobs. Little touches.
Hay how's it going just wanted to say it's a nice guitar
Sean, Can you check out the WESTCREEK JX-22?
Hey what about glass Frets
What are the dimensions of that Guitar ? I’ve been playing acoustic for 4 years and now I want to give electric a try
Scale length is 25”
Did you take resistance readings of the bridge pickup?
Hi I'm from Italy, i love your accent, which part of the states are you from?
Central Florida
Thanks!
Welcome!
It sounded like the tone flwas filtering out the highs in the mid anf neck position...maybe an issue withe the wiring?
great review!
Fretboard was stained
So you've done a ton of "affordable" guitar reviews; who's your favorite?
Like the plain top much better.
I heard it was but you tell me.
Shew man, I'd love to be able to afford to buy me a guitar and try to learn how to play... I've wanted to do this for so long, years now actually, but just cannot come up with the money living on a fixed income... of only 900 bucks per month, heck I can barely pay the bills and buy groceries each month...
Reverb has low payments
Nice
🤘🔥🔥🤘
Pound them frets home like they should be.
I think Forrest Gump was on to something. Life is like a bunch of chocolates. You never know what your going to get 😂😂. Ive bitten into some candy that i spit out. Uggh. Shawn can make it righ for damm sure 👍💪💯✌️🎸🎸
Middle and neck🤮need to upgrade that neck pickup.
The neck sounds like rubberbands😂
Hey bro
YO!
Not a chance. This one is a dud.
That neck pickup sounds awful. Overall seems like a good value for the money.
The frets unseated! Don't you dare.....
And one other guy
Freebird!!!! LOL
It's easily on of the worst guitars I ever had some one needs to do a real critique on this company sawtooth
Those pickups are awful. I wonder what that would sound like with a pair of EMG hetsets. They should sell these without all the electronics and tuners.
Flame maple Not.
Not very flamey