Aliexpress is full of them! Mine is an exact copy of a Martin D-45. It has the trapezoid abalone inlays, and all the Martin markings. Mine was only $320. Mine does not have that "cheap" sound. And yes, the abalone is very thin and one piece per side. It is not individual hand cut pieces. All machine done. If the abalone was all separate pieces, you would see "shrink lines" between the pieces. All the wood pieces are CNC machine cut and fit. The braces may look hand done, but they are not. And the top may be solid spruce, but the sides and back are plywood. I ordered mine with a Cedar top. It smells incredible! Guitar machines are spitting these out by the hundreds! And yes the QC on these can not be beat!
So I've also got one of these zuwei acoustics myself, mine is a OM41 style, same abalone inlay binding around the perimeter, sound hole, fretboard extension, snowflakes on the bridge and fingerboard, same torch on the headstock so I'm confident same factory. I paid less than 350 delivered for mine and overall it's a very decent guitar for the money. Mine came with some BS knockoff trapdoor fishman pickup that I didn't spec when ordered, so removed and built a rosewood patch piece to screw in where the pickup went, and pulled the piezo wire out from under the (bone) saddle and made a rosewood shim that I then CYA glued to the saddle to restore action height. All that said I noticed that the back and sides appear to be some sort of laminate. Although at first glance it may appear to be solid wood, because mine had the pickup in it I got to see a cross section of the wood and internally it is white with 2 outer rosewood brown layers. . . Idk if this is true wood laminate or some variation on martins HPL but I wasn't too happy about that, despite that though the guitar does have solid spruce top, all inlay work is actual block laid abalone, bridge is pre-slotted which even my Mexican martin failed to do. . . Dovetail neck joint, all bone contact points (on mine at least), this is a crazy speced guitar for the price as you stated, even with laminate back and sides. Overall mine sounds and plays pretty great, I prefer it to my Mexican built martin D10E in a lot of ways, it has a lot more mid-upper definition and articulation to the sound that the dreadnought doesn't have, but still it isn't lacking in the lows either, in my head the Zuwei OM sounds like what I'd want the dreadnought to sound like, after EQ and compression, if that makes sense. . . As far as I know Zuwei is a part of the starshine instrument factory over there which also makes Agile and a bunch of those similar brands.
It's nice to see an honest man. And that's from a fellow capebretoner ..It's refreshing thank you for your honesty It would be a great beginner guitar and the person could have it for a livetime.. people spend way too much on guitars before they get serious.
The heck with it being a great beginner guitar. I own real Martin's and i don't consider my copy (just like J.P.'S) a beginner guitar and it is a real player. I understand what you mean though. It would be a perfect one to learn on and i think cheap low quality 'beginner' guitars do more harm than good for a new player.
Brighter sounding than most dreadnoughts that size. Nice guitar. I have several guitars made in the copy-era that I purchased new in the mid-seventies. Acoustic as well as solid body electrics, they have all been excellent instruments. Two in particular have been played almost daily and a half-century later are still going strong.
I actually bought this same guitar a few years back. The one I order came with a fishman 101 pickup and onboard preamp. I’m a bluegrass flatpicker and man let me tell you, I was absolutely blown away by the quality of this instrument for such a low cost. It provided great tone and volume with pretty impressive playability right out of the box. Unfortunately I ended up leaving it behind the car one day and ran it over… but, certainly an awesome box for the money.
I purchased the same guitar. I also have a 2001 Martin D-45. I was wondering how they compared. The major difference was that the Chinese example has a thick polyurethane finish and not the much thinner lacquer finish found on the Martin guitars. I also found the abalone on the Martin was of a higher quality. I felt that the thicker finish had a detrimental effect on the tone. I did not keep the guitar and after a year sold it for what I had paid. I agree with all else said here. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
It may sound ‘buckety’ but I guarantee if that was a vintage d45 everyone in the comments would be gushing about the amazing ‘vintage’ tone. What a crazy cool $500 guitar, I want one!
Just found your videos and really enjoy watching. I may know some of your distant relatives living in Lafayette, LA. I"m a long-time guitar player who reached my pinnacle about 25 years ago and never got better. I own a Alvarez Dove (1977), Taylor Big Baby and currently on the prowl for a new one. Looking at Yahama FG830, but when I discovered your videos, it opened up my eyes to many more alternatives, particularly another Alvarez. Thanks and keep em coming!
they're factory made, but the fine work follows the improvement in CNC or laser cutting tools and the ability to do almost all of the work with parts that are ready to drop in. As in, the abalam is novel and probably not very deep (assuming it's abalam and not some kind of vivid celluloid that looks like it), but the inlay for it in the neck and peghead follows a CNC laser cutter and CNC.) the reason the workmanship looks so good is the human element of cutting, fitting and filling back the small errors is gone. So is all of the labor from it. Why they will go to this much trouble to make almost nothing for margin is up to them - but they do. Same with indonesia. if they figure out the clear strong bottom and crisp top and mids with just the right overtones, we're in big trouble! What happens with some share of the solid wood guitars like that (they might be laminated) is if they come with huge sound brand new, the bracing is usually a little light to get it and movement that you'd see on a 20 year old guitar will be there in year two. I had a cort gold that had pau ferro (I think) back and sides and it was brutally good, but it was also very radically braced and developed a belly quickly. I sold it because I play an acoustic once a month and if you play that seldom, you can't get one out every 12 times and go "gad....the string action is has made playing this finger crossfit".
The Zuwei guitars truly are decent for the money they cost. I played professionally for over 35 years, I only recently retired... But when I started out at 18, I had "nothing but the best"... Gretsches and a beautiful '53 Standel amp, etc. After a while, a lot of that gorgeous equipment somehow grew legs and seemingly walked away from various gigs I was playing around the country. Insurance money replaced it with OTHER "best of the best" that also was either eventually stolen or ended up falling apart from use. So I vowed about 25 years ago to find and play NOTHING but the best cheap sh*t that I could get my hands on. I've exclusively played Telecaster-like guitars that I've built myself, and through used Peavey amplifiers I've picked up in Pawn shops. I own a couple of Chinee made "custom" acoustics that we're done to my specifications (one even has a "Bigsby" peghead.) And I don't think I've got in the whole shooting match what it would currently cost me to replace my original set of gear at today's prices. That's an absolutely beautiful dreadnought... I might contact Zuwei and ask if they could build me a "45" with the traditional inlays in the fingerboard and a "Bigsby" headstock!
I own 8 of these types of guitars I purchased from ebay sellers. D45, D41, D42 clones. Dreadnought, OM and 000 sizes. Also I purchased several others that I sold. Every one have been amazing in sound, build quality and are beautiful. Sounding as good and some even much better than my Martin D 28. The sellers are guitar-factory and Vita-guitar. They sell solid top, laminate back and sides guitars and also completely solid instruments. To be honest, I can't tell the difference in sound between the laminate models compared to the solid back and side models. These Chinese makers have had years to perfect their craft. Passing that knowledge for a few generations now. I'm 60 years old and remember buying the crappy Chinese guitars (and cellos) of the 70s and 80s. There are still trash you can buy at any big box music store or online. But there are several Chinese makers crafting incredible instruments for very low prices.
@@tyfrazier7786 hiya Ty- I still have my fake D-45 that I bought twenty five years ago... It's got no branding on it at all, and all I can remember about where it was made is that when I bought it in Indianapolis, the feller that owned the music store said that it was made in Japan. It's as close to a real 45 that I'll ever get... And it's finished in real Laquer, so it's "worn in" so well, nobody but a true Martin expert would know the difference. I also have a beautiful PHONY J-200 that I picked up a good twenty years ago... It's unique in that it's back and sides are quilted maple, instead of flamed. I had a luthier out in California make me a Bigsby style, five ply neck with Card Suit inlays in the fingerboard, and the large Bigsby style peghead. He also made upper and lower pickguards out of black Bakelite, inlaid with my name in white. Even with all of that work, the whole shooting match only cost me about one-third of a real one... And I've played that one HARD since Day One. It's too bad that a lot of these incredibly well made Foreign guitars get such a bad rap.
Bought a guitar with similar bling (but cedar topped 12 fret slot head triple O) from Aliexpress a few years ago. The seller customized it with my b-day date as the serial number engraved on back of headstock, and placed my surname engraved in abalone on last fret for around $300. Last year the bridge exploded into several pieces while I was playing. I took it to Dale's Instrument Repair in Jax, FL, and he created a new bridge . Additionally, I added an Ivory saddle handmade by Bob Colosi. Also added the tonewood amp system to . Though it doesn't project as loudly as the Martin 12 frets I've played, it is a very sweet sounding and beautiful piece of art none-the-less.
I've seen similar inlay headstock work on earlier models of Recording King guitars (made in China as well)...it could be the same people making that guitar...they sound great...thanks for the video.
Thanky Again...I believe that is what is happening...I remember I bought a Grand Suzuki 40yrs ago similar inlays on the side cost about a thousand dollars but I guess this is better better 🤔💯✍️🧡
Amazon doesn't carry Martin knockoffs any longer due to Martin's litigation, but you can buy them from China directly or thru eBay still. I don't see anything wrong with them as long as no one tries to pass them off as Martins.
Looks like a recording king head stock. I have a rd-328 and it sounds better than my d-28 by far. I will say this 15 years ago had a Martin hd-28 that was a little better than the recording king.
I recall seeing these around. I think they were made in batches and it’s just between waves of these. I’ve seen quite a few of these with a fake Martin label on them. Zuwie just happens to have a line of these without the fake Martin logo on it. As for students going to work for Eastman? Eastman has their own guild and school they train in house. So this is likely something like ex factory workers for Cort China.
The over the top "blingage" strikes me the same way relic'ing does. It's posing as what it's target haver would like to see in their mirror, or when the turn on the light in their music room. $500 worth of Yamaha or Alvarez is for playing hand hearing.
Always diverting, John. Guitar obsession is such a joy... I have a friend, luthier & top freelance repairman in New York, who has a 335 and a George Benson Ibanez copy from Zuwei, very pleased with them...skeptical of current acoustics, though.
I found out that the company that made that guitar is now called "Grote". They have several in their line all around the same price. They mostly have electric guitars, but if you type in acoustic on the search bar, they come up. And your right they do have some of the most beautiful guitars i've seen. See what ya did?! Now i gotta buy one. Lol. ... Thanx for the knowledge brother.😊
Looks and sounds great! I bought an OM45 clone that is almost as ornate (no tree of life) for $400. At that price I was willing to take the risk. It plays well and sounds very good.
There are quite a few Chinese guitars where they focus on the aesthetics far more than tuning the top and bracing.... A lot of factory guitars in general are overbuilt as far as resonance and tone go. It's a real for $500... But I'd rather a guitar that sounded better... With less adornment
To see someone as knowledgeable as you actually being honest about this guitar is amazing because almost every other review from other's who have tried it out trashed it. I don't know why the China maker put Martin logo on these because i would like it better if they just left it blank or even better put their own logo on it. There are tons of copies of great guitars so it would be great if they made up their own brand name and put it on instead. I have the exact same guitar and even after owning most every high end Martin, Gibson etc... i would not have a problem playing mine anywhere. No it isn't a Martin, but it is a very well made copy and beautiful to boot. It sounds very good too and for the price (i paid less than 400. for mine new and it already has a Fishman in it. I even have mine in a real Martin case because it fits perfectly. Thank you for your courage to tell it like it is. I advise anyone to get them one. Have fun with it.
Yup... That "No Name" Guitar is a Winner for me ! Reckon it would have/has a great Bluesy Tone ???? I would keep it simply for it's own individual Tone. Agreed the Guitar is a beautiful instrument, but 'Tone' always wins with me 🤠 (Tks John)
I have an earlier made one from some years ago. Holds up just fine. The thing plays better with time. I'm going to change the tuners somewhere down the road. But other than that there is nothing to do. Love mine 😊 Paid more than that as a direct order through Ali-Baba. As it was being built I had photo updates showing the progress and the luthier. No student for me. Middle age man who knew what he was doing. Sent my desired features and decorations and 6 months later it was in my hand 😀
Reminds me of my Blueridge BR-183 (original logo version - so very rare) .... a new one runs about $2200 .... Mine has so many abalone and mother of pearl inlays and binding it's ridiculous! Blueridge is complete quality through and through. Martin and Gibson be jealous!
That's a chinese copy of a Martin D45. It's not built by a student, it was produced in one of maybe dozens of guitar factories in China and it's clear to me that very sophisticated CNC machines and laser cutting tools were used in the production of these guitars. I've bought about 6 of them. It's not for everyone, you lay your money out there and wait, sometimes for a long time. Of the six I purchased one had a minor finish blem and one required cutting a new nut because it had been cut too low creating a buzz. And by the way, that's a solid spruce top and I would guarantee the back and sides are laminate. I've been playing the first one I got for over two years now and love it. As for that 'cheap' sound, that may be due to the laminated back and sides that a white-bread Martin D45 (for $12,300!) doesn't have.
I agree. I wonder where the "buckety" tones come from. Looks to be all wood etc.. so you'd think it wouldn't have that. Wonder what the secret is to getting that Martin tone. They figured something out back in the day.
She's a very nicely made apprentice piece and I hope he/she has moved onto bigger and better things after training. So many don't seem to realise China - with it's millennia long history - can and does produce goods to match whichever wholesale budget is set by western buyers. This approach covers all areas of the quality spectrum. Yes, Chinese makers can cut corners equally as well as any corner cutting western manufacturer, but the proof is out there that they're more than capable of surpassing anything in terms of craftsmanship and materials quality if they're presented with high quality build specs. The end result is almost always a reflection of how much western buyers are willing to pay and such middle men tend to be the villains when it boils down to off-loading shoddy goods.
My wife wouldn’t mind me having that guitar as an art piece in our family room. ( I usually keep a nice looking but not Martin quality guitar there to have handy). I’m only listening through headphones but it does sound like an inexpensive guitar. But what a look. Your theory? Sure it could be possible…. And while I would prefer all my guitars were made in North America, I own or have owned many fine Chinese made guitars. At one time I owned a Martin 00, 000, a Gibson L00, AND purchased Eastman 00 and 000 guitars of similar wood and finish. I was AMAZED how well the Eastmans compared. I kept them all for six months or more. So well in fact I sold the Gibson and kept the Eastman copy. I agree with you: there are excellent Eastman, Breedlove, Yamaha guitars, even the inspired by Gibson Epiphone that I would buy instead of a Martin or Gibson at the same price level. Don’t get me wrong, American made Martins and Breedloves are still my favorites. Thank you for an excellent video
Hey JP. Great review. Ebay has a bunch of them for about $380 US delivered! Amazing looking instrument. Our former store in Calais Maine sold mostly Asian made guitars, and at first, we concentrated on So Korea, as Samick was putting out the best for the buck, and then they started producing them in Indonesia, and they were great. Then we got Sejung S101s from China, and from there most of the other brands like Washburn, Tak, etc... were all coming from China. The quality from mid 2000s upwards just exploded. I loved it because a new player could get an incredible guitar for under $500. And this guitar is in that same mind frame that even though there isn't a major brand on the headstock, the unit is well made. Appreciate you doing these reviews. BTW: We almost had you play at our store in the late 2000s, but instead you later played at the Celtic Concert series they had in town, and we had a wonderful chat after your show.
JP, recently found you on YT. Thanks for the knowledge, enthusiasm and candour. I know you appreciate VFM. Have you tried Fender Paramount acoustics? All solid wood, bone nuts and saddles, hard cases. I think they may be a loss leader to get people to view Fender acoustics as more than beginner models. I would love to hear thoughts. Andy, Norfolk, England
Thank you very much for your review and your channel. I appreciate your review on this guitar. I recently gave my Ventura guitar to a friend of mine that I’ve had since I was 16, 46 years ago. I would love purchasing your (Zquria) guitar. Thank you have a good day and thank you for your channel Dave RappNvegas
I have to disagree with the idea that this is a student built guitar. There are many factories in China producing instruments like this one here. The "bucket" sound you refer to or the "cheapness" in the sound is a result of mass production techniques. As for the inlays, the routing for the abalone decorations, headstock and fret board are done by CNC while the inlays themselves are cut by laser. They're then laid out and glued into the guitar before being sanded flush. A guitar like this is probably sold under multiple brand names as the factories reband the guitars as per the customer's order. They have the finishing and production down to a science and can produce anything from a budget guitar to something that can rival the best produced in any mass production guitar factory in the world. I deal with some of these factories and depending on what you want to spend you can get a guitar spec'd out to almost any price point. Great channel and great player. Good to see a fellow Maritimer doing so well for themself. Keep up the great work.
i bought one of these about over a year ago--i got it on ebay all solid wood he was taking offers----i gave him 410.00 --free shipping -at that price--and offered to pay for a set up--i told him all i wanted done--no buzzes-low action-to see what they would send-- wonderful playing--i would have love to had this when i first stated years ago
I own a Larrivee L28 i bought new in1979,love it ,as you always say a cannon. Your review made me buy a Yamaha FGX5 and WOW am I not sorry A super guitar for a very reasonable price. Love your reviews. Any plans to be playing in the St. Andrews, OR St. Stephen N.B. area this year???
Zuwei is a Chinese producer of budget guitars sold under multiple brand names and through multiple online channels. Google Translate gives pronunciation as zoo way language as Chinese (Simplified) meaning as Organizing Committie.
HAVE THE EXACT SAME GUITAR, jOHN ORDERED RIGHT FROM CHINA....$399.00 delivered right to my door...With hard shell case....perfect copy of a D-45....Sounds great...
I just looked them up they are on ebay for about 185.00 from China with shipping. They are very nice looking, I like the way it sounded, but that was over my computer.
I saw these on Ebay for $308.00 brand new. Exactly the same guitars. From China of course. There's a video on TH-cam showing how the Chinese build these. It's robotics and hand built. They can build a guitar in a fraction of the time it takes Martin, BUT, the quality is not as good. The wood is not cured and dried long enough. There's a possibility of warping. You get what you pay for.
I went to see a local guitar seller the other week and walked out with an all solid guitar with Engelmann spruce top and mahogany back and sides with an Ir bags anthem system and hard shell case for around 800 bucks..a Chinese company makes them under the name Mayson..plays and sounds fantastic..ever heard of this brand?
That guitar is a "Tokai" cats eye. The design on the headstock is the giveaway. There is one on Reverb with the same headstock design minis the inlay work for $800 usd. No on the student build.
Ive seen this exact same model recently I thought it was made of plastic or something, but wow man it just sounds fantastic! Stupid question but is there a truss rod in it? I must check these out..
The Asian guitars have come a long way. I bought an acoustic guitar clone of the Martin D 41, from Harley Benton in Germany. The workmanship is stellar. Situated spruce with Walnut sides and back. Paid $400.00 shipped.
I wonder what would happen if a Chinese (or other) company invested all that time, energy and material in an affordable instrument along the lines of Santa Cruz, Furch or Lowden. Understated looks, best materials, best craftsmanship. I guess Eastman comes close. But I'll be excited once I see a five hundred dollar guitar that actually SOUNDS great. You're so right about the "bucket" sound. And it's one hell of a glitzy bucket, too.
I think that the latest top of the range Sigmas do just that. I bought a SRD28s - all solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard, Sitka spruce top, slot head, 12th fret join. Scalloped bracing. . It is absolutely the equal of my 1989 Martin D28 tonally and the execution and workmanship is second to none. All for about £850. Nice and plain, not really decorated apart from tiny abalone position markers although the herringbone binding is very nice. The money seems to have gone into materials and workmanship.
For those curious, ZUWEI means ‘traditional glory’ or ‘ancestral glory’. WEI means glory. ZU means it refers to something handed down through generations. The best translation to English would probably be ‘glorious tradition’. If anybody has some high tech computer AI translating app, I’d be curious how it translates ZU WEI (2 characters in Chinese) to English.
AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😎..... KEEP on picking.... thanks. Never was about trends or name's..... Keep it enjoy,,, that's what it's for..... someone took pride...
I have two of these, very similar, great road guitars or small club guitars. Mine actually say Martin on the headstock even. They don’t sound as good as my Breedlove or Taylor…but they are close
This reminds me {in a sense} of the last Rogue VB100 violin bass that a got a few months ago, brand new, for $129.00. You wonder how the hell they can do that, they must have produced it for thirty bucks! Moreover, you just KNOW that it was made alongside a Hofner Ignition selling for $450.00.
I found them still for sale on eBay. They have solid Sitka Spruce tops and laminated back and sides. But, not all good sounding guitars have to be all solid wood. I prefer all solid, but as you said, for a new player, still learning, or even a guitar to play that you don't have to be super careful with, this is a great choice. Another awesome video..
I was out for a walk in Guangzhou and came across a hole in the wall guitar shop. Full of guitars in cellophane paper and cardboard boxes. Each guitar was different and looked of good quality but had no name on it. I asked the shop guy what was going on. He explained they made guitars that were great copies of top guitars. They were used to approach top guitar brands to say, Hey we have made your guitar better than you can and think we could do business by making your guitars under license. This could be another one of those sort of guitars?
I hear the "bucket tone" I think it comes from the thick polyurethane finish more than anything else. Really odd seeing that much effort go into the inlay work and then such little regard for putting that tone crushing thick finish on it.... that's what goes on with these foreign builders who don't really understand the nuance that goes into building a great acoustic guitar.
I think I agree with your theory - I recently bought a Chinese (?) Epiphone - overall, not bad - but I think it's got a heavy finish on it the hurts the tone a bit.
You can never tell the true sound of any instrument by a video. I don't care how good the equipment or microphone is. Most of us are listening to these videos on phones, tablets or laptops. As I have posted on this thread several times already, I own 8 of these ebay guitars and bought and sold several others. These guitars are truly amazing in sound and build quality. For $350 - $500 you can actually get yourself a guitar that sounds like a $10,000 Martin OM45. Or D42, D45 or whatever Model you want. 3 of the 8 guitars I own are all Solid wood. Top, back and sides. The other 5 are solid top with Rosewood laminate back and sides. I can't tell the difference between any of them. All 8 sound amazing. These Chinese have guitar building down to a science.
I have to agree. I have a Eastman ac222ce hand made in China, and it’s a awesome guitar! At the same price as a Taylor 114 ce sounds and I feel it is built better and all wood! The U.S. created this, buy sending guitars there to make more profit with markups after it hits the states! I’m not a advocate of fakes but unbranded fine!
Aliexpress is full of them! Mine is an exact copy of a Martin D-45. It has the trapezoid abalone inlays, and all the Martin markings. Mine was only $320. Mine does not have that "cheap" sound. And yes, the abalone is very thin and one piece per side. It is not individual hand cut pieces. All machine done. If the abalone was all separate pieces, you would see "shrink lines" between the pieces. All the wood pieces are CNC machine cut and fit. The braces may look hand done, but they are not. And the top may be solid spruce, but the sides and back are plywood. I ordered mine with a Cedar top. It smells incredible! Guitar machines are spitting these out by the hundreds! And yes the QC on these can not be beat!
I had seen these and I thought "that's going to self destruct in about a week." Who would have thunk it?? Thanks for taking the plunge John. 👍
So I've also got one of these zuwei acoustics myself, mine is a OM41 style, same abalone inlay binding around the perimeter, sound hole, fretboard extension, snowflakes on the bridge and fingerboard, same torch on the headstock so I'm confident same factory. I paid less than 350 delivered for mine and overall it's a very decent guitar for the money. Mine came with some BS knockoff trapdoor fishman pickup that I didn't spec when ordered, so removed and built a rosewood patch piece to screw in where the pickup went, and pulled the piezo wire out from under the (bone) saddle and made a rosewood shim that I then CYA glued to the saddle to restore action height. All that said I noticed that the back and sides appear to be some sort of laminate. Although at first glance it may appear to be solid wood, because mine had the pickup in it I got to see a cross section of the wood and internally it is white with 2 outer rosewood brown layers. . . Idk if this is true wood laminate or some variation on martins HPL but I wasn't too happy about that, despite that though the guitar does have solid spruce top, all inlay work is actual block laid abalone, bridge is pre-slotted which even my Mexican martin failed to do. . . Dovetail neck joint, all bone contact points (on mine at least), this is a crazy speced guitar for the price as you stated, even with laminate back and sides. Overall mine sounds and plays pretty great, I prefer it to my Mexican built martin D10E in a lot of ways, it has a lot more mid-upper definition and articulation to the sound that the dreadnought doesn't have, but still it isn't lacking in the lows either, in my head the Zuwei OM sounds like what I'd want the dreadnought to sound like, after EQ and compression, if that makes sense. . . As far as I know Zuwei is a part of the starshine instrument factory over there which also makes Agile and a bunch of those similar brands.
It's nice to see an honest man. And that's from a fellow capebretoner ..It's refreshing thank you for your honesty It would be a great beginner guitar and the person could have it for a livetime.. people spend way too much on guitars before they get serious.
Honest⁉️Really⁉️🇨🇦
The heck with it being a great beginner guitar. I own real Martin's and i don't consider my copy (just like J.P.'S) a beginner guitar and it is a real player. I understand what you mean though. It would be a perfect one to learn on and i think cheap low quality 'beginner' guitars do more harm than good for a new player.
I can vouch for the truth of this!!! XD XD XD
Brighter sounding than most dreadnoughts that size. Nice guitar. I have several guitars made in the copy-era that I purchased new in the mid-seventies. Acoustic as well as solid body electrics, they have all been excellent instruments. Two in particular have been played almost daily and a half-century later are still going strong.
And all made in Japan, our ally and NOT communist China, our adversary. Big difference.
It's like it is always IT'S THE PLAYER MAKES THE GUITAR.
I actually bought this same guitar a few years back. The one I order came with a fishman 101 pickup and onboard preamp. I’m a bluegrass flatpicker and man let me tell you, I was absolutely blown away by the quality of this instrument for such a low cost. It provided great tone and volume with pretty impressive playability right out of the box. Unfortunately I ended up leaving it behind the car one day and ran it over… but, certainly an awesome box for the money.
Here’s a link to a video of the one I purchased. Nothing special, but an example of the sound. th-cam.com/video/Xq7Z2yYBS2M/w-d-xo.html&feature=shares
That guitar you ran over become a deadnaught 😉
@@shaunhennessy603 😂🤣 very nice
Never put anything behind your car, always in front or on the hood. 😢
Same here. Got mine a couple years ago and if anything the tone has improved.
I’ve said for a long while that craftsmen are craftsmen the world over.
I’ve got several MIC guitars.
They hold their own quite well.
Found your channel accidentally -tried to find the model - not there. I really admire your acoustic technique. A delight to hear you play.
I purchased the same guitar. I also have a 2001 Martin D-45. I was wondering how they compared. The major difference was that the Chinese example has a thick polyurethane finish and not the much thinner lacquer finish found on the Martin guitars. I also found the abalone on the Martin was of a higher quality. I felt that the thicker finish had a detrimental effect on the tone. I did not keep the guitar and after a year sold it for what I had paid. I agree with all else said here. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
It may sound ‘buckety’ but I guarantee if that was a vintage d45 everyone in the comments would be gushing about the amazing ‘vintage’ tone. What a crazy cool $500 guitar, I want one!
It looks,sounds,and plays great . That's the holy trinity to us guitar players.👍👍
Just found your videos and really enjoy watching. I may know some of your distant relatives living in Lafayette, LA. I"m a long-time guitar player who reached my pinnacle about 25 years ago and never got better. I own a Alvarez Dove (1977), Taylor Big Baby and currently on the prowl for a new one. Looking at Yahama FG830, but when I discovered your videos, it opened up my eyes to many more alternatives, particularly another Alvarez. Thanks and keep em coming!
they're factory made, but the fine work follows the improvement in CNC or laser cutting tools and the ability to do almost all of the work with parts that are ready to drop in. As in, the abalam is novel and probably not very deep (assuming it's abalam and not some kind of vivid celluloid that looks like it), but the inlay for it in the neck and peghead follows a CNC laser cutter and CNC.)
the reason the workmanship looks so good is the human element of cutting, fitting and filling back the small errors is gone. So is all of the labor from it.
Why they will go to this much trouble to make almost nothing for margin is up to them - but they do. Same with indonesia.
if they figure out the clear strong bottom and crisp top and mids with just the right overtones, we're in big trouble!
What happens with some share of the solid wood guitars like that (they might be laminated) is if they come with huge sound brand new, the bracing is usually a little light to get it and movement that you'd see on a 20 year old guitar will be there in year two.
I had a cort gold that had pau ferro (I think) back and sides and it was brutally good, but it was also very radically braced and developed a belly quickly. I sold it because I play an acoustic once a month and if you play that seldom, you can't get one out every 12 times and go "gad....the string action is has made playing this finger crossfit".
I love your sense of humor about the shirt!!
Still the best guitar channel on the Tubes!!
Hugely entertaining and informative as ever!!
The Zuwei guitars truly are decent for the money they cost.
I played professionally for over 35 years, I only recently retired...
But when I started out at 18, I had "nothing but the best"... Gretsches and a beautiful '53 Standel amp, etc.
After a while, a lot of that gorgeous equipment somehow grew legs and seemingly walked away from various gigs I was playing around the country.
Insurance money replaced it with OTHER "best of the best" that also was either eventually stolen or ended up falling apart from use.
So I vowed about 25 years ago to find and play NOTHING but the best cheap sh*t that I could get my hands on.
I've exclusively played Telecaster-like guitars that I've built myself, and through used Peavey amplifiers I've picked up in Pawn shops.
I own a couple of Chinee made "custom" acoustics that we're done to my specifications (one even has a "Bigsby" peghead.)
And I don't think I've got in the whole shooting match what it would currently cost me to replace my original set of gear at today's prices.
That's an absolutely beautiful dreadnought... I might contact Zuwei and ask if they could build me a "45" with the traditional inlays in the fingerboard and a "Bigsby" headstock!
I own 8 of these types of guitars I purchased from ebay sellers. D45, D41, D42 clones. Dreadnought, OM and 000 sizes. Also I purchased several others that I sold. Every one have been amazing in sound, build quality and are beautiful. Sounding as good and some even much better than my Martin D 28.
The sellers are guitar-factory and Vita-guitar.
They sell solid top, laminate back and sides guitars and also completely solid instruments. To be honest, I can't tell the difference in sound between the laminate models compared to the solid back and side models.
These Chinese makers have had years to perfect their craft. Passing that knowledge for a few generations now.
I'm 60 years old and remember buying the crappy Chinese guitars (and cellos) of the 70s and 80s. There are still trash you can buy at any big box music store or online. But there are several Chinese makers crafting incredible instruments for very low prices.
@@tyfrazier7786 hiya Ty-
I still have my fake D-45 that I bought twenty five years ago... It's got no branding on it at all, and all I can remember about where it was made is that when I bought it in Indianapolis, the feller that owned the music store said that it was made in Japan.
It's as close to a real 45 that I'll ever get... And it's finished in real Laquer, so it's "worn in" so well, nobody but a true Martin expert would know the difference.
I also have a beautiful PHONY J-200 that I picked up a good twenty years ago... It's unique in that it's back and sides are quilted maple, instead of flamed.
I had a luthier out in California make me a Bigsby style, five ply neck with Card Suit inlays in the fingerboard, and the large Bigsby style peghead. He also made upper and lower pickguards out of black Bakelite, inlaid with my name in white.
Even with all of that work, the whole shooting match only cost me about one-third of a real one... And I've played that one HARD since Day One.
It's too bad that a lot of these incredibly well made Foreign guitars get such a bad rap.
Bought a guitar with similar bling (but cedar topped 12 fret slot head triple O) from Aliexpress a few years ago. The seller customized it with my b-day date as the serial number engraved on back of headstock, and placed my surname engraved in abalone on last fret for around $300. Last year the bridge exploded into several pieces while I was playing. I took it to Dale's Instrument Repair in Jax, FL, and he created a new bridge . Additionally, I added an Ivory saddle handmade by Bob Colosi. Also added the tonewood amp system to . Though it doesn't project as loudly as the Martin 12 frets I've played, it is a very sweet sounding and beautiful piece of art none-the-less.
I've seen similar inlay headstock work on earlier models of Recording King guitars (made in China as well)...it could be the same people making that guitar...they sound great...thanks for the video.
Thanky Again...I believe that is what is happening...I remember I bought a Grand Suzuki 40yrs ago similar inlays on the side cost about a thousand dollars but I guess this is better better 🤔💯✍️🧡
I just got a Blueridge br280 love you to review one of those J.P love your demos happy picken.
Amazon doesn't carry Martin knockoffs any longer due to Martin's litigation, but you can buy them from China directly or thru eBay still. I don't see anything wrong with them as long as no one tries to pass them off as Martins.
That thing sounds great!
Looks like a recording king head stock. I have a rd-328 and it sounds better than my d-28 by far. I will say this 15 years ago had a Martin hd-28 that was a little better than the recording king.
Looks like the Martin that was featured in the Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog 50 or 60 years ago.
I recall seeing these around. I think they were made in batches and it’s just between waves of these. I’ve seen quite a few of these with a fake Martin label on them. Zuwie just happens to have a line of these without the fake Martin logo on it. As for students going to work for Eastman? Eastman has their own guild and school they train in house. So this is likely something like ex factory workers for Cort China.
Great review as always. I continue to learn from your reviews JP.
The over the top "blingage" strikes me the same way relic'ing does. It's posing as what it's target haver would like to see in their mirror, or when the turn on the light in their music room. $500 worth of Yamaha or Alvarez is for playing hand hearing.
Fantastic show. Thank you. It sounds good! Buckety! Great story
Still for sale? Just found this video and am intrigued. Thanks, Roger
I have a Zuwei 000-45 12 feet. I found it at a Pawn shop. 450 bucks. Had a 70 Dollar set up. It's killer.
Always diverting, John. Guitar obsession is such a joy... I have a friend, luthier & top freelance repairman in New York, who has a 335 and a George Benson Ibanez copy from Zuwei, very pleased with them...skeptical of current acoustics, though.
I found out that the company that made that guitar is now called "Grote". They have several in their line all around the same price. They mostly have electric guitars, but if you type in acoustic on the search bar, they come up. And your right they do have some of the most beautiful guitars i've seen. See what ya did?! Now i gotta buy one. Lol. ... Thanx for the knowledge brother.😊
But the Abalone is mostly decals. Check out China Guitar Sceptic he'll let you know how to tell. But it does sound good!
Looks and sounds great! I bought an OM45 clone that is almost as ornate (no tree of life) for $400. At that price I was willing to take the risk. It plays well and sounds very good.
Absolutely Beautiful ! Sounds very good on this side . Wonderful guitar. 🎼👍
There are quite a few Chinese guitars where they focus on the aesthetics far more than tuning the top and bracing.... A lot of factory guitars in general are overbuilt as far as resonance and tone go. It's a real for $500... But I'd rather a guitar that sounded better... With less adornment
That's why I like my Martin 00015-SM. No frills, great sound, (if you like Mahogany).
Good to hear John give a shout to Eastman.
My E1d and e1om are top draw guitars for very little cash.
To see someone as knowledgeable as you actually being honest about this guitar is amazing because almost every other review from other's who have tried it out trashed it. I don't know why the China maker put Martin logo on these because i would like it better if they just left it blank or even better put their own logo on it. There are tons of copies of great guitars so it would be great if they made up their own brand name and put it on instead. I have the exact same guitar and even after owning most every high end Martin, Gibson etc... i would not have a problem playing mine anywhere. No it isn't a Martin, but it is a very well made copy and beautiful to boot. It sounds very good too and for the price (i paid less than 400. for mine new and it already has a Fishman in it. I even have mine in a real Martin case because it fits perfectly. Thank you for your courage to tell it like it is. I advise anyone to get them one. Have fun with it.
Yup... That "No Name" Guitar is a Winner for me ! Reckon it would have/has a great Bluesy Tone ???? I would keep it simply for it's own individual Tone. Agreed the Guitar is a beautiful instrument, but 'Tone' always wins with me 🤠 (Tks John)
I mean its not an ”amazon” guitar. Amazon sells fender strat,genuin fender necks etc.
So its not a guitar made by Amazon.
I have an earlier made one from some years ago. Holds up just fine. The thing plays better with time. I'm going to change the tuners somewhere down the road. But other than that there is nothing to do. Love mine 😊
Paid more than that as a direct order through Ali-Baba. As it was being built I had photo updates showing the progress and the luthier. No student for me. Middle age man who knew what he was doing. Sent my desired features and decorations and 6 months later it was in my hand 😀
Unfortunately, no longer available on Amazon
They are still available on amazon. They just changed the name to Grote.
Reminds me of my Blueridge BR-183 (original logo version - so very rare) .... a new one runs about $2200 .... Mine has so many abalone and mother of pearl inlays and binding it's ridiculous! Blueridge is complete quality through and through. Martin and Gibson be jealous!
That's a chinese copy of a Martin D45. It's not built by a student, it was produced in one of maybe dozens of guitar factories in China and it's clear to me that very sophisticated CNC machines and laser cutting tools were used in the production of these guitars. I've bought about 6 of them. It's not for everyone, you lay your money out there and wait, sometimes for a long time. Of the six I purchased one had a minor finish blem and one required cutting a new nut because it had been cut too low creating a buzz. And by the way, that's a solid spruce top and I would guarantee the back and sides are laminate. I've been playing the first one I got for over two years now and love it. As for that 'cheap' sound, that may be due to the laminated back and sides that a white-bread Martin D45 (for $12,300!) doesn't have.
Just purchased and took delivery of the exact same Guitar. $480 total and delivered. I love it. For the price and sound I get Im very happy ;)
I agree. I wonder where the "buckety" tones come from. Looks to be all wood etc.. so you'd think it wouldn't have that. Wonder what the secret is to getting that Martin tone. They figured something out back in the day.
You brighten up my days, love your reviews JP
She's a very nicely made apprentice piece and I hope he/she has moved onto bigger and better things after training.
So many don't seem to realise China - with it's millennia long history - can and does produce goods to match whichever wholesale budget is set by western buyers. This approach covers all areas of the quality spectrum. Yes, Chinese makers can cut corners equally as well as any corner cutting western manufacturer, but the proof is out there that they're more than capable of surpassing anything in terms of craftsmanship and materials quality if they're presented with high quality build specs. The end result is almost always a reflection of how much western buyers are willing to pay and such middle men tend to be the villains when it boils down to off-loading shoddy goods.
My wife wouldn’t mind me having that guitar as an art piece in our family room. ( I usually keep a nice looking but not Martin quality guitar there to have handy).
I’m only listening through headphones but it does sound like an inexpensive guitar. But what a look.
Your theory? Sure it could be possible….
And while I would prefer all my guitars were made in North America, I own or have owned many fine Chinese made guitars. At one time I owned a Martin 00, 000, a Gibson L00, AND purchased Eastman 00 and 000 guitars of similar wood and finish. I was AMAZED how well the Eastmans compared. I kept them all for six months or more. So well in fact I sold the Gibson and kept the Eastman copy.
I agree with you: there are excellent Eastman, Breedlove, Yamaha guitars, even the inspired by Gibson Epiphone that I would buy instead of a Martin or Gibson at the same price level.
Don’t get me wrong, American made Martins and Breedloves are still my favorites.
Thank you for an excellent video
Hi John, how come you never reviewing takamine models?
Hey JP. Great review. Ebay has a bunch of them for about $380 US delivered! Amazing looking instrument.
Our former store in Calais Maine sold mostly Asian made guitars, and at first, we concentrated on So Korea, as Samick was putting out the best for the buck, and then they started producing them in Indonesia, and they were great. Then we got Sejung S101s from China, and from there most of the other brands like Washburn, Tak, etc... were all coming from China. The quality from mid 2000s upwards just exploded. I loved it because a new player could get an incredible guitar for under $500.
And this guitar is in that same mind frame that even though there isn't a major brand on the headstock, the unit is well made.
Appreciate you doing these reviews. BTW: We almost had you play at our store in the late 2000s, but instead you later played at the Celtic Concert series they had in town, and we had a wonderful chat after your show.
JP, recently found you on YT. Thanks for the knowledge, enthusiasm and candour. I know you appreciate VFM. Have you tried Fender Paramount acoustics? All solid wood, bone nuts and saddles, hard cases. I think they may be a loss leader to get people to view Fender acoustics as more than beginner models. I would love to hear thoughts. Andy, Norfolk, England
Thank you very much for your review and your channel. I appreciate your review on this guitar. I recently gave my Ventura guitar to a friend of mine that I’ve had since I was 16, 46 years ago. I would love purchasing your (Zquria) guitar.
Thank you have a good day and thank you for your channel
Dave RappNvegas
I have to disagree with the idea that this is a student built guitar. There are many factories in China producing instruments like this one here. The "bucket" sound you refer to or the "cheapness" in the sound is a result of mass production techniques. As for the inlays, the routing for the abalone decorations, headstock and fret board are done by CNC while the inlays themselves are cut by laser. They're then laid out and glued into the guitar before being sanded flush. A guitar like this is probably sold under multiple brand names as the factories reband the guitars as per the customer's order. They have the finishing and production down to a science and can produce anything from a budget guitar to something that can rival the best produced in any mass production guitar factory in the world. I deal with some of these factories and depending on what you want to spend you can get a guitar spec'd out to almost any price point.
Great channel and great player. Good to see a fellow Maritimer doing so well for themself. Keep up the great work.
I have 3, set them up myself and they are great for me. I agree with your assessment.
i bought one of these about over a year ago--i got it on ebay all solid wood he was taking offers----i gave him 410.00 --free shipping -at that price--and offered to pay for a set up--i told him all i wanted done--no buzzes-low action-to see what they would send-- wonderful playing--i would have love to had this when i first stated years ago
It sparkles on the high end I like it.
Would love to see a few Taylors and Takamine reviewed. Thanks for the great content.
me too
I own a Larrivee L28 i bought new in1979,love it ,as you always say a cannon. Your review made me buy a Yamaha FGX5 and WOW am I not sorry A super guitar for a very reasonable price. Love your reviews. Any plans to be playing in the St. Andrews, OR St. Stephen N.B. area this year???
yeah they're still selling them. just saw them on ebay for 350 usd, same exact model
There are still zuwei guitars all over Amazon. The have their own store. Haven't found THAT guitar yet, but I'm still looking .
Zuwei is a Chinese producer of budget guitars sold under multiple brand names and through multiple online channels. Google Translate gives pronunciation as zoo way language as Chinese (Simplified) meaning as Organizing Committie.
I found several including a Koa one even more ornate. All in that $450-500US range
HAVE THE EXACT SAME GUITAR, jOHN ORDERED RIGHT FROM CHINA....$399.00 delivered right to my door...With hard shell case....perfect copy of a D-45....Sounds great...
I just looked them up they are on ebay for about 185.00 from China with shipping. They are very nice looking, I like the way it sounded, but that was over my computer.
This guitar was in the chinese spy ballon ? 🙂
😂😂
Lol
I heard the balloon said Happy Birthday grandpa on it 😅😅😅
@@Marti4558 So it`s a spy guitar ! 🙂
YESSSSS!!!!
I saw these on Ebay for $308.00 brand new. Exactly the same guitars. From China of course. There's a video on TH-cam showing how the Chinese build these. It's robotics and hand built. They can build a guitar in a fraction of the time it takes Martin, BUT, the quality is not as good. The wood is not cured and dried long enough. There's a possibility of warping. You get what you pay for.
My new 000-42 custom deluxe martin has almost exactly the same head stock which martin used back in 1930's .
Amazon probably got a letter from Martin...hence the reason this guitar is not on Amazon no more... Anyway... what a Beauty !! And Gr8 review !! 🎯
I went to see a local guitar seller the other week and walked out with an all solid guitar with Engelmann spruce top and mahogany back and sides with an Ir bags anthem system and hard shell case for around 800 bucks..a Chinese company makes them under the name Mayson..plays and sounds fantastic..ever heard of this brand?
That guitar is a "Tokai" cats eye. The design on the headstock is the giveaway. There is one on Reverb with the same headstock design minis the inlay work for $800 usd. No on the student build.
Ive seen this exact same model recently I thought it was made of plastic or something, but wow man it just sounds fantastic!
Stupid question but is there a truss rod in it? I must check these out..
Wow! You got the jackpot on this one Sir!
The Asian guitars have come a long way. I bought an acoustic guitar clone of the Martin D 41, from Harley Benton in Germany. The workmanship is stellar. Situated spruce with Walnut sides and back. Paid $400.00 shipped.
I wonder what would happen if a Chinese (or other) company invested all that time, energy and material in an affordable instrument along the lines of Santa Cruz, Furch or Lowden. Understated looks, best materials, best craftsmanship. I guess Eastman comes close. But I'll be excited once I see a five hundred dollar guitar that actually SOUNDS great. You're so right about the "bucket" sound. And it's one hell of a glitzy bucket, too.
I think that the latest top of the range Sigmas do just that. I bought a SRD28s - all solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard, Sitka spruce top, slot head, 12th fret join. Scalloped bracing. . It is absolutely the equal of my 1989 Martin D28 tonally and the execution and workmanship is second to none. All for about £850. Nice and plain, not really decorated apart from tiny abalone position markers although the herringbone binding is very nice. The money seems to have gone into materials and workmanship.
@@SamJones-sv4yl wow that sounds great, congratulations! I have to look into those ...
Nice story! Heck, I'd buy it just for the bling.
@J.P. Cormier i looked on Amazon and i couldn't find that brand. I wonder if they're still making guitars.
JP I think you're just a great guitar player, because that guitar sounds baaaaadddd :)
For those curious, ZUWEI means ‘traditional glory’ or ‘ancestral glory’. WEI means glory. ZU means it refers to something handed down through generations. The best translation to English would probably be ‘glorious tradition’. If anybody has some high tech computer AI translating app, I’d be curious how it translates ZU WEI (2 characters in Chinese) to English.
13:15 respect to the luthiers of the world 👏
it's a shame you didn't check out the Harley Benton guitars..I think you'll be really (and I mean - really) surprised. Cheers !
Please share a link to the Amazon site for this guitar.
AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😎..... KEEP on picking.... thanks. Never was about trends or name's..... Keep it enjoy,,, that's what it's for..... someone took pride...
Sounds lovely and warm and powerful to me.
Is it sold? I tend to think some Martin Silks would lose some of that "buckety' tone..l would love to buy this from you!
I have two of these, very similar, great road guitars or small club guitars. Mine actually say Martin on the headstock even. They don’t sound as good as my Breedlove or Taylor…but they are close
I hope to get few gigs in before I check it out when I change strings.
For the money this looks like a good guitar for gigs where it's a bit ''rough'' . I'm tempted to get one just to see how good I can make it sound.
Question? I can't find that guitar for sale anywhere.
Wow!!! heading to Amazon now;)
This reminds me {in a sense} of the last Rogue VB100 violin bass that a got a few months ago, brand new, for $129.00. You wonder how the hell they can do that, they must have produced it for thirty bucks! Moreover, you just KNOW that it was made alongside a Hofner Ignition selling for $450.00.
To my ears, the tone is awesome!
I found them still for sale on eBay. They have solid Sitka Spruce tops and laminated back and sides. But, not all good sounding guitars have to be all solid wood. I prefer all solid, but as you said, for a new player, still learning, or even a guitar to play that you don't have to be super careful with, this is a great choice.
Another awesome video..
I was out for a walk in Guangzhou and came across a hole in the wall guitar shop. Full of guitars in cellophane paper and cardboard boxes. Each guitar was different and looked of good quality but had no name on it. I asked the shop guy what was going on. He explained they made guitars that were great copies of top guitars. They were used to approach top guitar brands to say, Hey we have made your guitar better than you can and think we could do business by making your guitars under license. This could be another one of those sort of guitars?
I hear the "bucket tone" I think it comes from the thick polyurethane finish more than anything else. Really odd seeing that much effort go into the inlay work and then such little regard for putting that tone crushing thick finish on it.... that's what goes on with these foreign builders who don't really understand the nuance that goes into building a great acoustic guitar.
I think I agree with your theory - I recently bought a Chinese (?) Epiphone - overall, not bad - but I think it's got a heavy finish on it the hurts the tone a bit.
You can never tell the true sound of any instrument by a video. I don't care how good the equipment or microphone is. Most of us are listening to these videos on phones, tablets or laptops.
As I have posted on this thread several times already, I own 8 of these ebay guitars and bought and sold several others. These guitars are truly amazing in sound and build quality. For $350 - $500 you can actually get yourself a guitar that sounds like a $10,000 Martin OM45.
Or D42, D45 or whatever Model you want. 3 of the 8 guitars I own are all Solid wood. Top, back and sides. The other 5 are solid top with Rosewood laminate back and sides.
I can't tell the difference between any of them. All 8 sound amazing.
These Chinese have guitar building down to a science.
I have had a similar experience with a Sevillana acoustic guitar, also out of China. It it amazing for the cost.
I love that buckety sound. Would it help to use a sound hole cover
The pickguard has been put on a bit strange right?
I have to agree. I have a Eastman ac222ce hand made in China, and it’s a awesome guitar! At the same price as a Taylor 114 ce sounds and I feel it is built better and all wood! The U.S. created this, buy sending guitars there to make more profit with markups after it hits the states! I’m not a advocate of fakes but unbranded fine!
Probably an Antonio Tsai , they get budget guitars and go over board on inlay work.