February 26th, 2009 by Andres Gallo

$300

Design

I have never been a fan of the feel of semi-hollows. They usually have really thick necks with poor upper fret access, making the experience reminiscent of that which one would go through, playing with a baseball bat for a neck. I am obviously exaggerating, but they tend to be constructed much different to the solid-bodies which I am used to. The Washburn HB30, however, is one exception. This review is based on one of the older HB30 models, and the neck is incredibly smooth, and thin. The cutaway is also very ergonomic allowing for very comfortable upper fret access, and the entire guitar’s appearance is well designed, but the finish could be more perfect. I see some glue in the review unit which is annoying to look at.
The appearance is very similar to that of the Gibson ES335, and has some extremely versatile wiring with one tone knob and volume knob for each pickup, allowing for all sorts of tone blending.
The overall design; physical, and electrical is top notch, with the exception of the finish which as mentioned shows some flaws.

Sound

One area where this instrument shines is the sound. It is not the most pristine sounding instrument, however it closely replicates that smokey thick yet clear smooth sound of the much more expensive Gibson. This tone is a real beauty for blues jazz, and pretty much anything played clean and overdriven. Something that is impressive however, is while the sound could be cleaner, this guitar sustains much more than even the ES335, which is after all what it is modeled after. With that said, the wood work, and wood choice is likely top quality and a pickup upgrade could make it something to behold. After all, the way notes resonate on this guitar, cannot be compared to any solid body. It’s beautiful.

Playability

For a semi-hollow-body guitar and in comparison to guitars in general, this guitar is very fast. It has the fastest neck I have encountered on any semi-hollow body, and the cutaway is extended enough for comfortable upper fret access. The only problem I have with it’s feel, is that it is insanely heavy, to the point where I don’t see how it could really be hollow. The neck alone makes this instrument worth it, and as mentioned before, combined with a pickup upgrade it’s pretty much perfect.

Reliability

Washburn is a reliable company, however, the wiring in this model seems pretty loose, but then again it is over a decade old. With that said, I don’t know how reliable the newer model might be.

Customer Support

Washburn’s customer support is very reliable. They respond to emails quickly, however, I encountered problems in which the customer service reps, did not know the physical specs of the bridge, which I plan to change to a tone pros bridge.

January 13th, 2009 by Andres Gallo

$1650

Design

Ovation guitars are well known for their bowl shaped back, and their non-standard multiple sound-holes; both characteristics most of their acoustics all have in common. The 1778LX Elite is not too different from the others at first sight. It has a deep bowl back and the usual ovation sound-holes. The difference is mostly noticed at the first strum; however, I will discuss that in the sound section.
All in all the physical design is very similar from that seen in most ovations, but with a few, but substantial upgrades here and there. I am not saying that for the hefty price tag you get the same “physique” of the lower end models. You get a flawless paintjob, and a construction that screams attention to detail, but much more important you get one of the nicest necks I have ever seen and played in any acoustic. The neck itself looks absolutely stunning with a gorgeous ebony fretobard, and cool inlays. The soundholes also add to the look with their unique look, and artwork that surrounds them.
Outside of appearances the guitar features a built in tuner which I gotta say comes very handy, and the OP-Pro Pre Amp which was designed in collaboration with Al DiMeola and Melissa Etheridge. The preamp features various additional features that allow deep control of the tone of the guitar.
The overall design shows a lot of care was taken in the making of the instrument. The 1778 LX Elite has lots of features, and looks absolutely gorgeous. My only complaint as with most ovation guitars is the bowl shaped back, which can be slightly uncomfortable when playing standing up.

Sound

Crystal clear shimmering tones is what best describes the sound of this guitar. The tones are very sensitive to the pick attack and all sorts of playing dynamics, giving the player a huge dynamic range. I think it may have something to do with the deep bowl back and the soundholes. The sound seems to have a better acoustic projection, which renders so much detail in every single one of its notes; it’s a very special sound. All the notes react beautifully to picking dynamics, and with the OP-Pro Preamp it sounds absolutely beautiful when played amplified. Keep in mind that the sound is very different from other acoustics in this price range, or other acoustics in this range. It’s not as warm, but has a clarity that is impressive and unique. There is not a single complaint I can make of this guitar, other than the ergonomics of that bowl back.

Reliability

Out of all the instruments I have, this is without a doubt the one that feels most solid. The back of the guitar is after all made of the same material they make helicopters with. They have designed an instrument with the ability to defend the user from anything, especially from boredom. With sound like this, I think guitarist will have lots of fun. Durability is definitely not an issue.

Customer Support

They have very good customer support. I had some questions on the guitar’s preamp which they helped me with promptly.

December 5th, 2008 by Andres Gallo

$699

Design

This guitar is absolutely gorgeous. This is my favorite guitar at the moment, with the most comfortable combination of body and neck, which makes it a greatly designed guitar. The body is also made of mahogany, and the neck is a 5 piece neck with a rosewood fretboard to withstand weather changes and such. Another beauty in its design its the 5 way pickup switch which allows for a wide variety of tones.
My only gripe with this guitar is the hardware. The quality of the metal is not the hardest and requires care when locking and unlocking the strings with the allen keys. I changed the hardware on mines to an OFR and its almost perfect.

Sound

The guitar comes equipped with a pair of INF I and INF II pickups. The pickups are pretty good, especially in combination with the 5 way pickup switch which allow them to go from a good clean to a pretty nice heavy tone with lots of “oomph”. The mahogany also adds to that oomph, and helps in creating one of the sweetest sustains possible.
The lows are very powerful and the entire frequency response is very smooth. The sound has a very organic quality to it. There are better pickups out there, but the sound is surprisingly good, considering is an Ibanez made pickup. Once again the 5 way pickup switch is a really nice addition. You can get some really clean sounds with it, that are hard to get with a regular humbucker combination.

Playability

Playability like in most RGs is excellent. The Wizard II necks are one of the faster necks in the market, and the RG body only adds to the experience with its incredibly ergonomic superstrat body. This guitar is in my opinion on the most comfortable guitar in the market. It is so comfortable I recommend upgrading, since I can’t think of a more comfortable guitar.

Reliability

I have had this guitar for a long while, and everything has held up perfectly. However I changed the hardware to an OFR, and the pickups to Dimarzio D-activator X. This is one of those guitar that have such a great feel, that they are worth upgrading. Having another RG with the stock hardware I can say reliability is not an issue, unless you abuse the tremolo system.

Customer Support

Virtually non-existant. It took me a lot of work to find a way in which to communicate Ibanez. It turns out you actually call a completely different company.

December 5th, 2008 by Andres Gallo

$550

Design

There are lots of guitars in the market, but I have to say that most of them are very dull and plain looking. With the said I have to say this is one guitar which has one of the coolest paintjobs I have ever seen.

Appearance aside, this guitar has a really well done wood work. The neck is impressive especially at that price. I have to say it is one of the fastest, smoothest and fastest necks I have played on. The body is also extremely comfortable, and very balanced. Everything about the construction seems very carefully done. The only issue I have about the construction is the metal used in the screws for the locking nut. The metal is very weak and will likely lose the shape for the allen key.

Sound

The most important aspect aside from playability is the sound of course. I think the guitar sounds very good, but the clean does not sound too great, and on distortion can sound somewhat harsh. Most guitars suffer this at this price range, but everything else about this guitar is so perfect, it just hurts to see it suffer this (or more accurately hear it suffer this). I love a really clinical, yet warm clean. The sound is good enough for the price, but it could be better. A pickup change could be the needed solution for this guitar. It sounds decent, but it misses a lot of soul and life. The sound is very dry.

Playability

Here this instrument scores really high. It plays extremely well. It feels like an instrument many times its price. The neck is extremely comfortable, and fast that it is amazing at the price range. Some people may feel weird with the thin and flat feel of the neck. I however, find it to be very versatile for all kinds of techniques. What I mean by that is some techniques really benefit from the added string spacing, and the thinner neck also requires less of a grip, which makes everything smoother and quicker.

Reliability

I have had this guitar for about a year, and everything about it has held up perfectly. With that said reliability is not an issue, unless you plan to abuse the tremolo system, which can wear out with abuse.

Customer Support

Virtually non-existant. It took me a lot of work to find a way in which to communicate Ibanez. It turns out you actually call a completely different company.