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New Guitar Day!


Mr.Grumpy

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Dang that big-box guitar store and their under-priced bargains! So, I visited my local GC the other day to buy some acoustic foam. (I get to record an audiobook, wheee!)

 

I browse over the used section, and see one of those "EVH" styled guitars on the rack. It's got a maple neck and two humbuckers, and a locking trem. I waited a couple of days, and bought the guitar yesterday, actually traded in the locking-trem guitar I already owned, a Squire Stagemaster (S-S-H). They gave me a stupid amount of money on my trade in! It was only five dollars less than I paid to buy it used last year! :lol: I had to stop myself from running out of the store. With my trade-in, the new guitar and a couple of sets of strings, and I was out of the door for less than eighty bucks.

 

Whatever this guitar is, it's got a mouthful of names. "Sterling by Music Man S-U-B AX3 Axis Solid Body Guitar".

 

This is my 3rd used guitar I've purchased from GC, and like the others it immediately needs the strings changed and the locking trem to be set up - the previous owner tightened the trem springs down to block it. The printed "quilt" top (mine is red) is not that great looking up close. Is it even a real piece of maple?

 

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Here she is... This was in nearly new condition, it still has the protective film over the tremolo spring cover and control cover.

 

It's nice we can upload our pics here now, as you know Photobucket ceased free hosting of pictures.

 

Very nice!

 

How's the neck profile on it? The EVH models that guitar is based on had pretty slim and comfortable necks on them... if that's similar, you did really well on the trade-in IMHO.

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I changed the strings to my preferred gauge & brand (GHS boomers, 10 - 46), so of course the trem, and bridge have to be set up and tweaked, and re-tweaked until the STRINGS and the SPRINGS reach a state of equilibrium. Once I got the tuning stabilized, I played it for about an hour unplugged, it's pretty loud and resonant for a solid body guitar. It's nice and light, very easy and comfortable to play while standing. Also, it's wonderfully balanced, I think the compact 4+2 headstock contributes to that. The body shape isn't as comfortable as a strat for seated playing, but still OK.

 

I also had to tweak the trem bar, something I also had to do with my Squier when I bought it. Not crazy about how the trem bar is set up, but I made it work. The trem bar goes in a hole, and a threaded bushing holds it in, but there's no tension adjustment. Rotating the bar will tighten or loosen the retaining nut. :mad: My solution: placed a couple of wraps of Teflon tape used to seal pipe threads. The Teflon tape serves as a thin plastic bushing to put some drag on the trem arm rotation, that allows me to position the arm where I want it, and it stays there. The retaining nut for the trem bar was secured with some LocTite thread locker.

 

How's the neck profile on it?
It's....different. It's an asymmetrical neck profile, and rather thick, but still very comfortable for my hands. It's apparently an unfinished neck, but it's very smooth and I really like the feel. It's also very flat, so much so it almost looks and feels concave to me. The frets are rather narrow and small, but no problems with playability.

 

How does it play? And sound?
I had to wait until after my kiddo was asleep before I could play, so I had to settle for my (now ancient) POD v.1 and headphones. Whoa! It's BRIGHT sounding, especially the bridge humbucker. The in-between settings on the 5 way pickup switch do a pretty good imitation of strat quack, that was nice. I raised bridge pickup up to try and beef up the tone, and it seemed to help. I'm going to reserve final judgement until I can play through my normal rig.

 

Pros: Lightweight, balanced, comfortable to play. Smooth, great feeling neck. Versatile pickup switching.

 

Cons: Poor QC: one trem claw screw goes in the body at a funky angle. There's no cutout beneath the trem bridge, so you can only bend UP a half-step of so. :confused2: Of course you can dive bomb until the strings are slack, but can't bend up? Also when I took the bridge off I saw that the knife edges were rounded out a bit. smiley-indifferent The bridge plate is apparently chrome-plated brass, and it looks like the previous owner adjusted the action with the strings on. But the trem seems to stay in tune, so no big deal I guess.

 

Yeah, the fake quilt top could be better. I've seen some nice "foto flame" tops that looked pretty realistic even up close, this one looks like wallpaper.

 

Overall rating: :philthumb::philthumb::philthumb:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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