Hatsubai « Fender shaped »
Published on 08/17/11 at 18:23There are a few San Dimas models that have the old style stratocaster body shape. They're a lot like the Charvels that were released around this time, so they're somewhat comparable in quality. The guitar features an alder body, a bolt-on maple neck, 22 frets, dot inlays, a kahler bridge, one humbucker in the bridge and one volume knob.
UTILIZATION
This has the old school Strat style body, and it feels absolutely amazing when you sit down with it. I grew up on these old Strat style bodied guitars, so it fits perfectly in my lap than, say, a Gibson Les Paul. The finish had some chipping going on, and there was some belt buckle rash on it from the previous user. The biggest issue I had with this guitar, however, was the piece of crap Kahler that was installed in it. It totally destroyed what would have otherwise been a perfect guitar. I could go on a huge rant about how awful Kahlers sound, how their feel is gross, how they look ugly, etc. but it would take too much time.
SOUNDS
Another part where the Kahler starts messing with this guitar is in the overall tone. I found that the guitar sounded good, but it would have sounded a lot more resonant and bigger with a normal floyd rose. Acoustically, it didn't seem to ring quite as nicely as my floyd guitars. The pickup in this was a single JB in the bridge, and it covers a lot of ground. The JB is great for anything from blues to metal. However, the cleans kinda suck with these one humbucker guitars. On top of that, you can't easily get that ultra smooth tone that neck pickups tend to deliver.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're going to get one of these, find one without the Kahler. They're the ones you want to look for. All the ones with Kahler bridges should be burned, in my opinion. They're that awful. However, there are some people out there who like them, and if you're one of them, you might like a guitar like the one I just reviewed.
UTILIZATION
This has the old school Strat style body, and it feels absolutely amazing when you sit down with it. I grew up on these old Strat style bodied guitars, so it fits perfectly in my lap than, say, a Gibson Les Paul. The finish had some chipping going on, and there was some belt buckle rash on it from the previous user. The biggest issue I had with this guitar, however, was the piece of crap Kahler that was installed in it. It totally destroyed what would have otherwise been a perfect guitar. I could go on a huge rant about how awful Kahlers sound, how their feel is gross, how they look ugly, etc. but it would take too much time.
SOUNDS
Another part where the Kahler starts messing with this guitar is in the overall tone. I found that the guitar sounded good, but it would have sounded a lot more resonant and bigger with a normal floyd rose. Acoustically, it didn't seem to ring quite as nicely as my floyd guitars. The pickup in this was a single JB in the bridge, and it covers a lot of ground. The JB is great for anything from blues to metal. However, the cleans kinda suck with these one humbucker guitars. On top of that, you can't easily get that ultra smooth tone that neck pickups tend to deliver.
OVERALL OPINION
If you're going to get one of these, find one without the Kahler. They're the ones you want to look for. All the ones with Kahler bridges should be burned, in my opinion. They're that awful. However, there are some people out there who like them, and if you're one of them, you might like a guitar like the one I just reviewed.