SeriesIbanez PF

- Made in Japan - Separate volume and tone controls for each pickup - 3 way pickup selector - Additional 3 way selector (seems to cut treble) - Vintage Super 70s humbuckers (2) - Star tuners - 3 piece body - Set neck - Post lawsuit headstock - 22 frets - Block inlays UTILIZATION Pretty fantastic overall. Plays beautifully, as well if not better than most Gibsons I've used. Mine dates to 1978, and it has held up beautifully. Frets are very sturdy, neck hasn't had any issues at all. The action is excellent, and the intonation can be dialed in pretty easily. That said I have a few complaints. The pickup selector is a little unstable. It can get knocked back to center from the bridge position pretty easily. It is chambered, so doesn't have the Les Paul weight and sustain. The frets are a little high, so pressing harder can affect the intonation. Some of the hardware seems to be cheaply made, I had a screw on the bridge just break cleanly at the head. SOUNDS Sounds pretty good. I usually run it through clean Fendery or dirty British Marshall style amps. The dual 3 way switched give you a total of nine tonal options. Can be pretty cool, but in all honesty not all are very useful (twang) and it turns into a lot of adjusting. The Super 70s can sound great in some setups, and then can also sound a little weak and loose. Good for some forms of rock, not really for a whole lot else. Love em or hate em. OVERALL OPINION The bottom line is, the PF300 is an incredible vintage LP style guitar at a killer price point. I've seen these go between $400-600, and yet they stand up to Gibsons priced at well over a grand. It certainly isn't a perfect guitar, and do not expect custom shop quality. But for what it is, the PF300 is a fantastic guitar and a solid addition to any collection.

I paid $340 Canadian for this guitar. At Beats and Bytes in Saint John, NB. Canada. It has a nice quick ( low ) action, which is good for me as an obsolute beginner. The sound is actually very good, when using medium strings. It gets a bit "plinky" with the lights I have on it now, so I can learn without getting finger cramps too quick ;-). The finish is a dust magnet, and shows every fingerprint. Some parts of the guitar, seem quite cheap, such as the string pegs for example, which after only 3 string changes are marked up pretty badly. Otherwise not much else to dislike. It looks and feels very well put together. Inside everything looks neat and tidy, not a sign of "gobs of glue" anywhere that I can see, and the finish is immaculate, if I take the time to polish it regularly. Since the finish is a transparent blue, you can see the woodgrain, which looks wonderful on all parts of the guitar. You can even see matching in the woodgrain of the top, though I'm sure it's just made with laminate, and the top isn't truely matched woodgrain, it's a nice little extra touch. For the price I paid, I can't imagine doing any better. I have friends who play guitar alot, are they are surprised when they find out the price, since it has a nice warm tone, one might expect from a much more expensive guitar. It's been great for me learning to play on. And after trying a few other guitars my friends have, I'm glad I made the choice I did. The beautiful transparent blue finish, lends the guitar a nice "special" look and feel, over and above the sound, which is nice too. It's no Martin, but, it's much better sounding than the price would lead one to expect. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com