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Hatsubai « Very similar to the Yngwie model »
Published on 11/18/11 at 14:08For some reason, a lot of people don't seem to know about the MIJ/CIJ guitars that have been slowly making their way to America. These are great guitars that can be had at awesome prices. They're at least on par with the MIA models, and they sometimes even play better. The guitar had an alder body, a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, 21 frets, dot inlays, a vintage style tremolo, three single coils, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.
UTILIZATION
The fretwork on this was great. The frets were level, and I was able to get the action I wanted without having to fiddle with the guitar too much. With a lot of the MIA and MIM guitars, I tend to have to either settle with fretting out at certain action or get the guitar fret leveled. The neck joint on this was nice and tight, so no issues there. The nut was also cut properly. The finish was a bit worn on this guitar, and that's probably the biggest flaws on these guitars. I find the finishes don't seem to be quite as nice as the ones I see on the MIA models. If you're peculiar on looks, that could be an issue, especially on the sunburst models.
SOUNDS
The pickups in this were pretty decent for what they were. I will note that the electronics in this guitar have been replaced by the previous owner. The pots are brand new CTS pots, orange drop caps, high quality 5 way switch and even a brand new Switchcraft jack. The biggest downfall about these guitars have always been the electronics, and it was nice to see them replaced with higher quality components. The bridge had a nice bite to it, the middle mixed well with the neck/bridge, and the neck was nice for leads. Cleans were also pretty solid with this guitar.
OVERALL OPINION
If you happen to stumble across one of these MIJ guitars, I highly recommend giving it a go. They're put together as well as the MIA models, and they tend to sound just as good, too. The finishes can be a bit odd at times, but they're still pretty cool guitars.
UTILIZATION
The fretwork on this was great. The frets were level, and I was able to get the action I wanted without having to fiddle with the guitar too much. With a lot of the MIA and MIM guitars, I tend to have to either settle with fretting out at certain action or get the guitar fret leveled. The neck joint on this was nice and tight, so no issues there. The nut was also cut properly. The finish was a bit worn on this guitar, and that's probably the biggest flaws on these guitars. I find the finishes don't seem to be quite as nice as the ones I see on the MIA models. If you're peculiar on looks, that could be an issue, especially on the sunburst models.
SOUNDS
The pickups in this were pretty decent for what they were. I will note that the electronics in this guitar have been replaced by the previous owner. The pots are brand new CTS pots, orange drop caps, high quality 5 way switch and even a brand new Switchcraft jack. The biggest downfall about these guitars have always been the electronics, and it was nice to see them replaced with higher quality components. The bridge had a nice bite to it, the middle mixed well with the neck/bridge, and the neck was nice for leads. Cleans were also pretty solid with this guitar.
OVERALL OPINION
If you happen to stumble across one of these MIJ guitars, I highly recommend giving it a go. They're put together as well as the MIA models, and they tend to sound just as good, too. The finishes can be a bit odd at times, but they're still pretty cool guitars.