 Terrific starter guitar, great value / UPDATE JULY 2008 |
| Review Date: July 28, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Len, Connecticut USA |
This starter kit is a terrific value - sturdy guitar, 10 watt amp, gig bag, extra strings - a steal for $110 at the time of my purchase ($125 with delivery).
The guitar is equipped with standard effects dials to bring out the treble or bass, and can create some serious grungy reverberation combined with the amplifier effects.
The 10 watt amp won't bring down the house, but is fine for home use - easily loud enough to feel the power of an electric guitar - even a modestly priced one.
The guitar and amp arrived in two separate shipments. My amp cord was missing, but Austin Bazaar sent it within a few days after I contacted them.
All-in-all, if you're looking for a starter electric guitar, I can't imagine being disappointed with this one. The electric blue is fine looking too.
UPDATE JULY 2008 - TWO STARS - My experience with Austin Bazaar turned out overall negative. My guitar's had two problems. First, a tuning key was stripped on the inside. Austin Bazaar replaced it, problem solved, but it was an initial red flag on quality. A bigger problem appeared - a persistent buzz on the low E string. I realized the root cause was the first groove on the nut was cut too deep. I requested a replacement nut June 3, 2008. Austin Bazaar asked for my Amazon order information, which I emailed. I didn't hear back from them, and wrote follow up emails June 21, July 2, July 7 and July 12 - with no reply. My takeaway - quality and customer service are not highest priority with Austin Bazaar. Take a chance if you're comfortable with the quality risk. |
This is excellent! Go for it.
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| Review Date: November 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Sam, St. Louis, MO |
| I am a beginner and was looking for a guitar on a tight budget. Wanted to get a decent guitar for a good price. When I bought this set, I wasn't really sure what to expect. But when the package arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The guitar is well built and has a very attractive blue color, body and pick guard. It did come with the promised accessories: a gig bag, extra set of strings, strap, amp and an amp cord. The 10 watt amp is very impressive. It is small and very portable, but at the same time has a good, strong output. I can jam in my garage or take it to a friends place. The shopping experience was also good. The item was received within 4 days from the order date and was well packed to prevent any damage. All in all, I got a good guitar and saved a bunch of money. |
my son loves it
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| Review Date: February 10, 2007 |
| Reviewer: C. Hays, |
| Bought the guitar and amp for his birthday he loves it and is starting lessons real soon. Great sound and amp is great too. |
Very solid package for the price
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| Review Date: February 28, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Brian T. Murtagh, |
Package included gig bag, adjustable shoulder strap, 3/4 guitar, amp cord, 10 Watt monitor, 3 large picks, tremolo bar, spare strings and two hex keys, and a pitch pipe. I also ordered a GA-30 guitar tuner, which is not part of the basic package.
What I know about guitars you could put in one book without taking the matches out first, but everything is brand new and arrived in good shape. The packaging was adequate; the cardboard box the guitar came in was slightly torn, but the guitar itself was fine inside two layers of sheet foam and the gig bag. The monitor and amp cord came in a separate box, though everything came in one shipment (the tuner was also in the guitar box). Shipping only took three days, as promised.
There are some minor cosmetic scratches on the white plastic frontispiece, but I really do mean minor - you have get right up on it to even notice them. Other than that there were no dings or anything. The guitar seems very solidly put together to me, everything firmly seated with no gaps or warps. It's a bit heavier than I had expected, but that's what the shoulder strap is for I suppose. All the screws are firmly in place and do not show overdriving damage. The potentiometer knobs on the guitar are slightly raised rather than flush against the face (presumably to avoid sticking), seem solidly attached and operate smoothly. The tuning keys are neither too tight to turn easily nor too loose to hold the strings taut. The amplifier cord seats nicely and solidly into the recessed input jack.
The monitor is built to a similarly high standard, with all screws well seated and undamaged, etc. The power switch and drive button have nice positive actions, while the volume, bass and treble potentiometers rotate smoothly without any side play. The amplifier cord seated just as well into the monitor's input jack as into the guitar's, and once I'd found a large size headphone plug it turned out the headphone jack is equally good. The monitor is surprisingly slim and light and has a built-in carrying handle on top. A wire stand folds out from the back if you want it to lean upward rather than sit level; when folded in it has a spring-type retainer.
I tested that the guitar tuner recognized the notes from the pitch pipe, then I used the tuner to tune the guitar; all the strings came in with only minor adjustments. After an hour or so of noodling around (i.e. actively plucking and strumming) to test the various volume and tone controls I re-checked the tuning with the meter and it had held just fine, all strings still right in the sweet spot. After another hour and a half of the guitar sitting neglected while I did laundry (my son is the future rock star, I'm going to be his roadie) a couple had drifted just slightly off the perfect mark but they were all still good notes according to the meter.
All the switches and pots on the guitar and monitor work smoothly, varying what they are supposed to vary continuously with no dead spots. The effect of the two tone pots on the guitar was a little bit subtle to my ear, but I don't know how much effect they normally have. The volume range from the guitar knob was wide enough to be useful. The monitor puts out a good amplitude, especially with the drive button depressed (though it only goes to 10 ;) . Not to worry, the headphone jack also works! The equivalent volume in a pair of headphones is quite a bit louder, so when switching from open-air to quiet practice the player should be sure to start with the volume turned down to avoid overdriven eardrums.
Overall I'm pleased with the quality of the package, especially given the very reasonable price. I'm not a musician but it sounded good to my audience-level ear and so should be quite adequate for a beginner's starter instrument. The shoulder strap is a bit cheap and flimsy but other than that everything seems solid enough. |
not bad for a starter
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| Review Date: May 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: , |
| This guitar is a really good guitar for starters. When it arrived it was in really good condition along with the amp. It has a good gain and bass, but the picks are really bad, it dented when i played it a little but that doesnt matter. Enjoy if you are buying this. Oh by the way the guitar is not the color it says it is it is acculey darker with sparkles in it but it looks really good like that at least to me. ENJOY! |
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