Hatsubai « Slightly upgraded model »
Published on 11/10/11 at 08:56This guitar is slightly upgraded from the regular JS20. Where as the JS20 had some bizarre wood that nobody ever uses, this one has actual alder wood. However, it doesn't instantly make it better. The guitar has the following specs:
Alder body
Maple bolt-on neck with rosewood fretboard
22 jumbo frets with dot inlays
Floyd rose licensed bridge
Two humbucker configuration
One volume, one tone
Three way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar was put together like an average guitar. The bridge on this really isn't that great, and if you're going to keep it, you're better off replacing it with a higher quality model. The frets on this were a bit haggard. They were oxidized for one thing. They also weren't perfectly level, nor were they totally finished overall. However, they were at least rounded on the fret ends which was a nice thing to see. The neck joint had a gap in it, and that's never a good thing. Overall, it's pretty much what you expect to see on a guitar of this caliber.
SOUNDS
The guitar sounded better than the JS20, but that's not really saying much. The bridge pickup on this was pretty bland overall. It sounded like it wanted to be a JB clone, but it just couldn't get the cut or the clarity that the JB has. The neck is kind of like a really bad 59 clone. It is kinda warm, but it's more muddy than anything else. I recommend replacing these if you plan on keeping this guitar. The real deal should suit this guitar a lot better.
OVERALL OPINION
These are a bit better than the JS20s, and if you can find a good deal on one, it might be worth using as a backup guitar. However, I'd much rather buy something like the DKMG on the used market instead of buying this. You'll get way more for your money, and it'll be guaranteed to sound good.
Alder body
Maple bolt-on neck with rosewood fretboard
22 jumbo frets with dot inlays
Floyd rose licensed bridge
Two humbucker configuration
One volume, one tone
Three way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar was put together like an average guitar. The bridge on this really isn't that great, and if you're going to keep it, you're better off replacing it with a higher quality model. The frets on this were a bit haggard. They were oxidized for one thing. They also weren't perfectly level, nor were they totally finished overall. However, they were at least rounded on the fret ends which was a nice thing to see. The neck joint had a gap in it, and that's never a good thing. Overall, it's pretty much what you expect to see on a guitar of this caliber.
SOUNDS
The guitar sounded better than the JS20, but that's not really saying much. The bridge pickup on this was pretty bland overall. It sounded like it wanted to be a JB clone, but it just couldn't get the cut or the clarity that the JB has. The neck is kind of like a really bad 59 clone. It is kinda warm, but it's more muddy than anything else. I recommend replacing these if you plan on keeping this guitar. The real deal should suit this guitar a lot better.
OVERALL OPINION
These are a bit better than the JS20s, and if you can find a good deal on one, it might be worth using as a backup guitar. However, I'd much rather buy something like the DKMG on the used market instead of buying this. You'll get way more for your money, and it'll be guaranteed to sound good.