EART SSS UNBOXING - Are Youtubers being HONEST about CHEAP GUITARS?

The EART I bought: amzn.to/33r77bZ
Apparently youtube is saturated with positive reviews about EART guitars, so I bought one to check it out. Does it live up to the hype?
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[@joefrisco]

I remember when all plastic was cheap. We have come far within our plastic laden society in our abilities to discern between cheap and boutique quality plastic.

[@peterbutlien1335]

Plastic is plastic. Its always cheap. Thats why they use it. Just so happens that some looks especially cheap. I personally think white plastic always looks like the least expensive piece of crap. But its not a reason to purchase or not. For a few bucks I can find nice metal knobs, various colors and finishes.

[@WilliamHaisch]

Personally, I only use free range, grass fed, vegan, cage free, wild caught, certified humane plastics. You really can taste the difference!

[@TranscendentBen]

Yeah, the shiny white stuff is low-end. The good knobs are aged and sunned with a manila or slightly yellowed color, but on this thing it would clash with the Key Lime Pie pickguard.

[@I.am_Groot]

@@WilliamHaisch lol

[@barbaalghul]

Well, actually, chemically saying, plastic is not one thing, plastics are a range of polymers, different ones. So, it's kinda possible to have "boutique" quality plastic, there are different types of plastics, each one with different characteristics.

[@bungopony]

It sounds pretty damn good, especially for that price! I would have killed to have a guitar that good when I was starting out.

[@Stashmanfpv]

My point as well (also noted in the comments below) A great guitar for the money, and I would’ve killed to have one as nice as this, while starting out 45 years ago on a Carlos acoustic, with the action almost a quarter-inch in height. I played it for 4 years before I saved enough to buy my first Gibson Les Paul, and then my playing took off… (Not a Gibson fan any longer, even while I own several of them… YMMV Best! ✌🏼

[@kevindean1327]

I live in a place with lot's of Natives and my buddy who's native was spearing salmon one day in the early 80's when a fender acoustic came floating down the river. He grabbed it and phoned me later and asked if I wanted it for $20. That was my first guitar.

[@Gene_Cali]

@@kevindean1327 Tell your friends to keep an eye out for a 'Tuner' . ;-)

[@kevindean1327]

@@Gene_Cali they don't float!

[@monmixer]

Yea no shit. My Mother bought me a tiesco s style. Afrer the accoustic of course which as an absolute job to play. I truly learned a lot on that tiesco. Not to mention youtube free lessons instead of playing by ear scratching up records and then a sony walk man with transparent headphones so you can hear your guitar along with the music. that was as good as it got for us.

[@shanehen]

Expensive guitars aren’t necessarily good either.

[@tyschmidt7404]

Exactly!!!

[@markrogers7304]

And some cheap ones are great. I've got some expensive guitars. Japan and USA made but one the best cheap guitars I've ever bought and played is right up there with my Japan made guitars and that's the kramer Beretta special,$179 and only needed some minor tweaks and its one of my favs to play. I liked it so much I ever put a good chunk of money into it. Dropped in an evh Frankenstein pup and an original floyd rose flush mounted. Also put on some grover tuners.

[@I.am_Groot]

@@markrogers7304 I had a few chances to get some DEALS on 80s Kramers back in the day. One I didn't because a younger me thought all canary yellow was ugly. Now I would love it that reverse headstock and single slanted humbucker with a German made Floyd... it was $200 and I think had a branded case with it... Ugh

[@markrogers7304]

@@I.am_Groot I remember all those Kramers well. Lot of my friends had them, I wanted one but I was maybe 13-14 and learning somewhat then. Now with quality of a lot of brands Id love those 80's Kramers and the hockey stick heads.

[@johnburris605]

I don't even know what all of this is about. I've never even seen your channel before. I my best guess is the neighbor kids have been in here with my wife's friend and they've been messing with his phone. Sorry if I call you any inconvenience or a problem. But I have no idea what's going on other than I haven't seen his phone in 456 days or longer and I picked it up and it was still on the KZbin channel that whoever used it lasts. Somebody's just messing with you had nothing to do with me. My wife needs to keep the neighbor kids out of here sorry

[@andrijasentic9702]

Ironically, this is the first time I see them being mentioned

[@CMHobbies]

Same. Haven’t seen a single video.

[@eti313]

Likewise.

[@carlosfernandez3565]

people: ... youtubers: so people have been asking me a lot about this!

[@ikesours6558]

I would just go with Squier in price range. Bottom line to me is cheap guitars across the board have improved by light years from decades prior. Put a little love into them and they're perfectly acceptable instruments.

[@extraswaggeroni]

Considering that this guitar is competing pricewise with the Bullet line of Squiers I think this guitar is better. There are so many great alternatives nowadays that I don't think Squier is as recommendable.

[@ampman40]

@@extraswaggeroni I was just thinking though....why, if you want a cheap "strat" experience, would you choose this over a Squier? I don't think I would based on this review....but then I own half a dozen Squiers so call me biased.

[@extraswaggeroni]

@@ampman40 stainless steel frets, heel joint truss rod adjust, faster neck. better bridge it looks like too on this one. 22 frets. Squiers don't have matte paint jobs either. in addition when people talk about Squiers they usually are talking about Affinity/Classic vibe which is a price point above these.

[@fighterx4133]

This guitar is better than the bullet line that squire puts out at the 200 dollar range. Ordering through amazon also takes out the worry of not being able to return it.

[@neilsandy2]

In Canada this would cost the same as the Squier affinity... the eart has better tuners but I love the Squire neck and don't want the hassle or tone of stainless steel frets.

[@donkeyboy585]

I’m almost 60 now so i remember cheap guitars from late 70s. Yes you could get Japanese fender copies for like $120-150 and they weren’t bad (but not any better sounding than this one)but THEY were what you moved up to. Beginner guitars were in like the $60-90 range and you got a stamped steel bridge you couldn’t intonate and weird tin foil pickups so we’re talking now about a guitar that’s about twice the price with over 40 years of inflation. How many things can you say have only doubled in price in over 40 years? Cars? Shoes?. And it makes actual strat sounds and plays reasonably well That said I think some of the ppl who “can’t tell the difference between this and a $1500 American strat “ just want attention

[@chrisparker5278]

Today’s bottom end is yesterday’s mid tier. They’re not perfect but utterly playable

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

I have a 1982-1984 Squire Stratocaster. I was lucky with that. It never changes. I had to put in a new pick guard with new picks as the old ones were dying.

[@63stratoman]

I remember the Matsumoku guitars from that era that were scary good and go for a premium now! I own an old Electra Working Man. Remember those?

[@PhilipHale-nc1ou]

I started in the days when you would need mole grips to fret the strings and playing a clean F chord was an achiievement

[@enthused7591]

I picked up the same guitar a month ago, and aside from the small cosmetic quirks, it's the nicest guitar I've ever experienced for under about $600. The frets, spoke wheel truss rod adjustment, and HUGE trem block make it worth well over $350 alone. The pickups are good and the recessed bolt on neck with individual washers instead of a metal plate, as well as the super nice matte finish and decent tuners just make it even more worthwhile. Also, both the pick guard and back plate are thick, premium 3 ply plastic.

[@mariewarbington6347]

I have two, a Tele and a Strat version, both play great. The frets and neck are superb. Better than anything under $1,000.

[@MrBraz33]

Biggest issue I can see with them overall is that logo. IMO really need to redo that. I think if I owned one I'd probably try and scrape part of it off to read FART, but that's just me.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I support the fart plan

[@robnic52]

Forget the replacement Wilkinson trem. Just convert it to the full FART logo and it's gig ready.

[@elihop9419]

Great, now I need to buy one just to have a FART guitar… 🎸

[@jacobchaunceyweltshmerzhop9794]

I thought it said eat assssss

[@ces69]

It’s a Suhr copy and Suhr transfers are available on eBay!

[@frankcarter6427]

I'm an amateur guitar tech and love setting up cheapo instruments , usually for kids . I'm always amazed at how good cheapies are now, though w/out set up skills , they can be awful and few newbies have the knowledge of how to set them up

[@60CycleHumcast]

Compared to what was around in the 90s when I started cheap guitars are amazing now. Still some duds out there but it’s pretty incredible what you can get for $200 right now.

[@caiusmadison2996]

It seems today, if you have sanding sponges, and aren't afraid to redo a nut at the most, you can turn most duds into dangerous. I can't tell you how many times I bought a cheap Mexico tele or strat, or an epiphone of some sort, and all I had to do was sand the fret edges to smooth from fret sprout, and then replace and properly cut the nut. Boom, instant keeper. Sometimes I just borrow the guitar and tell the buddy I'll get it tip top for them so they can sell, do the nut and fret job, and then give it to them. They end up selling a game system or a spare TV instead 😆

[@neocollective]

@@caiusmadison2996 Exactly ! I do the same to all my guitars. Just bought a Yamaha Revstar RS502T for $425 on Craigslist ($650 new) and could not believe how high that nut was cut, played really awful, no wonder the guy got rid of it. Also got a $185 used, mint, Harley Benton tele after the guy got it set up by a pro and plays like a dream expensive guitar.

[@sneadmc]

Are there any online classes you can take to learn how to set up your own guitars?

[@frankcarter6427]

@@sneadmc there are loads, and it really isn't difficult

[@gtmuse329A]

OMG...I started watching this video and now my feed is littered with reviews of this brand by people and channels I have never heard of. This does not lead to a lot of trust in the brand or the reviews! I appreciate that you always give a clear and honest response to the products you check out. 🎸

[@andrewquigley8052]

It really is a shame that you haven’t gotten the exposure that you deserve. you are my absalute favorite guitar related channel, I think your format is very unique and creates an experience that is extremely welcoming and it almost feels like your in the room geeking over guitars together lmao. All I can say is you are truly an anomaly in the KZbin game and are extremely good at what you do and I hope you soon get the recognition from the algorithm you deserve.

[@Zakota330]

agree. I'm surprised 60cyclehum only has 100k+ subs

[@rondobondo6600]

You actually are the only one that actually took one apart and I really appreciate you for sharing

[@theghastlygamer5326]

I watched the entire video. He didn't take it apart

[@angrynorway]

This video is the first time I’ve heard of this brand.

[@MrDrop442]

I got the strandberg copy and it is my go to guitar now. Good sound and literally took me 5 mins to get it set up and be happy with it. I didn't even have to touch the frets

[@dragan4658]

You need to get out more..... More youtube... Lol

[@angrynorway]

@@dragan4658 thanks.

[@jamieashby8810]

Gotta say this is prob'ly the most intensive and honest review I've seen in a while. If I'm ever looking for a banger, Eart definitely gets some serious consideration. Thanks for the review!

[@Stashmanfpv]

You’d be shocked at how good the stainless steel frets feel! 🔥 I have the “Headless”:version and after setup it’s an amazing instrument, with no need to change pickups, or electronics… it’s a fine guitar in all respects and I own over 50 quality instruments and have been playing for over 45 years. Best! 🔥

[@drummer4hire12]

I just received the SSS........blown away over the details and gorgeous look/feel

[@hughbarton5743]

I am probably a good deal older than most of your viewers (66, been playing poorly for 40+years...), but this type of disparate reviews are nothing new. I bought my first new guitar( a lawsuit Ibanez Tele Thinline ) in 1978 from a chain music store (probably Sam Goody? don't remember...), but had a friend who actually knew what he was doing come along to help. He had the clerk bring out all the inventory they had, and we looked at each one. The results were informative: looked at 10 guitars. 2: unplayable junk. 4: workable. 3:usable. 1 a honey! He explained to me that at that price point, quality control was a hope, not a reality.... P.S. guess which one I bought? That's the problem with getting your guitars online....

[@ratatatuff]

Right! If you don't have experience with setting up guitars, then buying online is certainly a risk. And even if you have the experience you can always get a shitty instrument. I've learned that lesson years when I ordered a cheap Epiphone LP Junior. Because ... it was cheap. I would never ever have bought that crap if I had tried it in a shop. Plus, it's more exciting to shop for guitars in the real world and play them before buying.

[@JoeR203]

Sam Ash maybe?

[@RobLocksley]

My first guitar had problems; it was not the one I wanted it was already sold. I've bought alot cheaper guitar than my first that was allot better, but in the end being able to adjust and set up your guitar will make all the difference...

[@gtdadof10]

"...been playing poorly for 40+ yrs..." Love it! That's me to a tee

[@dickflinghammer58]

@@gtdadof10 Same bad habits? Lol that's my style 😜

[@Xwing11]

Very nice review and I appreciate the time taken stuck in a circle. One of my complaints about budget guitar reviews is “great for the money”. Having someone say the guitar compares higher or lower than a Fender Player Series. Then higher or lower than a Squire, and so on is so much more useful. I am glad the guitar is better than its price point but is it in the league that I am looking for, lol. Very nice job and I appreciate your discomfort toward the end it shows that you cared about being honest without flaming the guitar or the other reviewers.

[@HeelBJC]

Have you heard of a youtuber known as "Trogly?" He's kind of a mysterious figure, but he occasionally does full teardowns (not figuratively tearing the brand, I mean taking the guitar all apart) of a cheap brand known as "Glarry." He gets the guitars from them for free and makes this known, but uses the videos to make suggestions and doesn't hold back from criticisms about QC. I enjoy them and respect that he doesn't go full on shilling for them.

[@jeffreyday2414]

Yep except he's annoying....

[@bmark7951]

@@jeffreyday2414 nope that would be you... and your also an asshole

[@HeelBJC]

@@jeffreyday2414 Stop projecting.

[@jeffreyday2414]

@@HeelBJC lol! He really is annoying as fuck. He learned the word iteration somewhere and he can't stop using it. Also some other things.

[@HeelBJC]

@@jeffreyday2414 He also says soft T's as hard T's (Example: The word 'metal'), but in the vast realm of guitar youtubers he's a good dude and I respect him a lot more than many youtubers (60 cycle hum is another good one) despite the quirks.

[@richardmedeiros8472]

Nice review, subscribed because you know what you're doing very well. You and Daryll Braun do the best job with this stuff. Always learn from you guys. Good job.

[@yamahamusicians]

Excellent review and instead of the usual over the top crap where some like to show off their super-fast shredding we actually get to hear the tone of the guitar and useful info on build quality. Top job :)

[@senseiruss]

Excellent an dentertaining review! It was kinda amusing how you struggled (with yourself) to assess this fairly for us, but you certainly gave us a very detailed and informative view of it. I appreciate that you gave such an exhaustive look at ta lower-price range guitar. And I think the musical styles you chose to play in your demos were very helpful - Grazie!

[@yaguitar]

I've reviewed a few now, all Harley Benton. They are budget and they do the job. It's hard to not use the word "for the money". But they are good for budget guitars lol

[@landonbailey]

I think it was originally FART guitars but it didn't do well and they had to change the name.

[@etrmusiccircles8197]

The name simply didn't test well. Investors walked out during meetings. 😂

[@friedrudibega6384]

@@etrmusiccircles8197 lmao walked out!!!!

[@ronniefnd]

I would buy one of the name was fart. Would be the best wallhanger ever.

[@JaniceLalla]

Ha!

[@devinftf]

“Art, Bart, Cart, Ee-art.” - Homer Simpson

[@SypherLXVII-MySixStringJourney]

Great video. I had a similar experience when I saw all of the hype about the Spark amp. Everyone was raving about it and I was looking for a modelling amp. I bought one, headed straight into a bunch of issues and then I got flamed when I raised those issues on YT. More recently I have been vindicated but not until many other people started to have the same issues and found my channel for the solutions. Us KZbinrs need to be open and honest when doing review videos.

[@stoneyrunva]

Had a Donner DST-100L for two years now. Paid $101.99 new from Amazon. It stays in tune better than my Orangewood or Epiphone. I have no complaints. In fact, I bought a Donner Ukulele and am happy with that purchase also. I have no affiliation with Donner. Just satisfied with the quality and price of the two products I bought with that brand.

[@AndyLovesLucha]

Heck with the guitar, I can just listen to you play surf licks all day - sounds great!

[@oldmanlearningguitar446]

Cheap guitars don’t have to suck. This is basically bad news for brands that keep the quality of their less expensive guitars low in order to justify the price of their more expensive guitars.

[@Hey-Its-Dingo]

Yes, I am opposed to Gibson selling the same quality guitars for a couple thousand dollars just because they put an extra layer of lacquer on the body, or added a different color option than they did with the last model.

[@mightyV444]

@@Hey-Its-Dingo - ... and because it says 'Gibson' on the headstock! 😄

[@mightyV444]

@OldMAnLearningGuitar - This one even has the Tone control hooked up to the bridge pick-up! I had to modify my own American-made Strat to have that option!

[@loubydal7812]

I agree, price depends pretty much on labor hour rate in the country of origin, buy online or in store, and set up level. To get a professional level instrument it isn't justified any longer to pay way over $1000.

[@thegamersgalaxy2855]

That’s an absurd claim. You just have to love the Gibson jelly in some…😆 it’s always the same envious well, tune!

[@stephenwolnisty4013]

Those bridge screws "not being screwed in all the way" looks intentional to me. Many people set up vintage strat-style tremolos where the two outermost screws are the screws that are tightened down the most and the four middle screws are backed off a little. It's a trick to kind of emulate (not exactly) modern two point trems with vintage-style hardware.

[@dahliafiend]

Yeah that’s what I do.

[@paulgraumann2774]

Yes correct and there are other set up tricks for 6 screw bridges also.

[@markcheetah4960]

It's not a good idea to do that. Tightening the 2 outer screws and loosening the 4 inner ones will put undue strain on the 2 outer screws. They should all be level and the same height in order to "spread the load" amongst all 6 screws. I made that mistake too. But somebody told me the 2 outer screws could actually get stripped from the wood eventually under heavy use with several springs installed, so I put it back the way it was. Loosening the 4 inner screws didn't change the performance of the trem unit anyway... it felt nothing at all like the "real" 2 point Fender trems.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Exactly. But these middle screws are backed off too much. If a person knows how to properly set up a vintage 6 screw strat trem it will have great tuning stability. I floated my 6 screw trem, dive bomb and pull up and it stays in tune. Leo Fender was a genius to come up with this design.

[@stephenwolnisty4013]

@@markcheetah4960 Yeah, I'm gonna call BS on whoever told you that doing so could cause the two outer screws to strip out of their surround body wood. This makes no sense in terms of the physics of how the balance of guitar string and tremolo spring tension get transferred to the sides of the six bridge screws. That tension is pulling the edge of the bridge into the side of those screws, not pulling at the heads of the screws away from the front face of the guitar body. Not to mention that all six screws are still present to distribute that tension across them; the only difference backing off the inner four screws is making is that their screw heads are not providing resistance to the top of the bridge plate when moving the tremolo arm up or down. Of course, everyone is welcome to set up their bridges in whatever manner they see fit, but unless you have a seriously defective strat-style guitar, the bridge screws should never be able to be stripped out of the body's wood by string/spring tension alone.

[@21stcenturymetal31]

Happy your making this video. I hope you do a series on these "hype" guitars.

[@dratliff1321]

Not a gigging guitar but a perfect learning guitar after a set up. Impressed with the frets, for under 200 bucks not bad my opinion. Great channel, good honest review.

[@fighterx4133]

Through locking tuners and some noiseless pickups in and she is good to gig.

[@DrMurdercock]

It would be a fine back up gig guitar. Shit, I'd play a gig with one if I knew it was solid. Cheap guitars, you can get fucking crazy with on stage and not have to worry too much lol

[@simonlewis8436]

It’s all about if we can play any genre the guitar name dose not matter,

[@DrMurdercock]

@@simonlewis8436 KZbin has taught me that you can play any genre on any guitar. People make single coil Tele's heavy AF. That was a shocker when I saw it. Not Tele's with humbuckers, but the single coil lol. I mean yeah some guitars are made to work better for certain styles, but they will play what ever you want to play on them

[@bobrichardson5905]

@@smthnew861 It could be if you want it to. It's just headstock snobbery. Maybe a strat loaded pickguard might fit the same holes if you felt the need to modify it.

[@paullatta]

I just got mine the other day and I'm quite happy with it. It's a cherry red finish and is well constructed. The only blemish I could find on the guitar was in the belly cut but it doesn't bother me. Construction is great. The nut is kind of thin in my opinion but is well cut. I wanted to get an inexpensive straight style added to my collection and for 200 bucks this fits the bill nicely. The tuners are really nice for this price point. Hell, it's got a nice roasted Maple neck and I can move up and down and do some shredding in a very comfortable way. I'm happy with my purchase.

[@briano9365]

I have a Badcat Acrylic guitar because of your channel. I thought it would be a fun guitar to hang on the wall but it plays great and sounds great. It's def in the budget price range and worth every penny. Thanks for making great content and doing videos like this!

[@jorgefong2841]

Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts about these alternative instruments. I always have had a feeling that besides the luxury provided by the main brands there is an interesting amount of products that are worth buying and deserve to be mentioned. You have helped me more than once to make satisfying decisions and for that you have my gratitude. Please keep going with this great content and kind regards.

[@nickmartinez8217]

I don’t like stressed Ryan. I really wish the internet could just accept the budget guitars are better now than they used to be and most reasonable people know they aren’t the same as the top tier choices.

[@ENSOTAVES]

He was a bit more careful than usual and showed skepticism, perhaps a natural response to counter all the hype around this Brand. I appreciate it, perhaps he could look at other models from Eart.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Its hard for me to throw around a lot of money on guitars right now, I bought this one and i'll be taking a loss making this video, I cant justify that too often.

[@ENSOTAVES]

60 Cycle Hum Thank you for helping clarify this mystery. I personally discovered them on Amazon and tried and reviewed everyone of their available stock at the time, investing a few thousand dollars out of my own money.

[@nickmartinez8217]

@@60CycleHumcast The same here. You have always been reasonable with your affordable brand reviews.

[@anthonythelwell2601]

@@nickmartinez8217 6

[@skippyi6969]

Ryan, you have the straight up most honest guitar channel on YT. Congrats ! I wish you would buy a Vintage brand guitar like. V6 or a V100 and let us know what you think.

[@PJCobi]

Nice to see a truly honest review and not someone blowing smoke. New subscriber here.

[@EHCreative]

Appreciate your honest review. I constantly look to KZbinrs for honest opinions on gear as my local music stores rarely care the gear i want. Its getting more difficult to find the honest reviews that you can trust.

[@patrickunderwood5662]

In ten years the “Vintage Eart-style Slime Green pick guard” will be a TOP SELLER for the aftermarket guys. Mine should arrive Monday. Hope it’s as good as your review indicates. Subbed.

[@ENSOTAVES]

lol, like this comment, this sss is my least favorite, yet I agree with the reviewer in that is above its class, not yet comparable with a $1000 guitar, although not all $1000 are made the same, and you can pay that much for bad quality and big namebrand.

[@guitarded5198]

It had the best tone of all pickguards

[@angryturtle1173]

I had this guitar in the same color for 2 weeks now and I actually love it a lot. The pickups and electronics are actually very nice, just that the price allowed me to throw in aftermarket pickups and electronics to make it my own. I might give the pickups to my brothers donner soon because he liked it way more than the stock donner ones. The fretboard of this guitar is what surprised me the most, it was so nice to the touch and I love thinner necks.

[@PrettyUglyR6]

Does it have humbucker pick ups

[@angryturtle1173]

​@@PrettyUglyR6 this model does not. since i bought it, i installed new pickups with a humbucker on the bridge, and new pots for it, but the original pickups dont sound bad at all. im thinking about installing them back on just to try it out though.

[@MrRMB1]

Great video! I purchased one of their ES335 alternatives based on reviews from Darrel and Max. I think they are both experienced and honest and I trust their judgement. I was not disappointed and really enjoy playing this semi hollow body!

[@Gene_Cali]

Wow...the tones sound very warm and nice...thanks for the cool licks too!

[@bobbya8622]

Sounds good, looks good, stainless steel frets, less than $200. I’m thinking that the KZbinrs are right that are positive about it. Based on how you didn’t have any issues except related to tremolo use and detuning, and maybe the fretboard, I’m thinking that it also is easy and comfortable to play. I would say based on your review, four thumbs up 👍👍👍👍(out of five). It shouldn’t be considered as anything other than a good, solid, budget guitar, maybe as a first guitar, or even as a project guitar that something very nice could come from your efforts.

[@TheM00ndawg]

There's two things, 1. youtubers possibly giving favourable reviews to poor instruments. 2. Companies sending 'special' instruments unbeknownst to youtubers, that have had more work done to them that what regular consumers might buy. I think 2. would likely be a more common occurrence.

[@dcolum23]

I appreciated the time and effort you took with this review. Personally I feel that too many reviews talked about the look of components, but that’s so irrelevant for anything under $500-$1000. I just want to know how to plays, how well it stays in tune and how it sounds. Looks and finishing are way down the list of priorities for me.

[@blazer6248]

My Indio Goldtop was $219 and it came with leveled frets and rounded & polished fret ends. It's an absolutely fantastic guitar. It needed nothing out of the box except tuned to pitch. Setup was perfect. Neck relief was right on the money. I was shocked, TBH. I love this guitar. Its well worth the money I paid for it. Full mahogany body & mahog set neck. 5/8"(IIRC) maple cap. It's the shiznit.

[@MrDrop442]

I have the headless one that copies the strandberg and I love that guitar. The bridge is a little finiky at first but the fret work is awesome and literally only needed a very minimal setup. I did just get the exposed grain black finish and the finish is a little light where the jack goes but other than extremely minor finish issues like tiny little imperfections in the wood. For the $320 shipped it is worth every penny I paid.

[@eddiejr540]

I totally get what you’re saying about reviewers over singing high praises for these guitars, however, for the market that I feel this is aimed at, it is an incredible value... I can tell you positively that when I was a youngster there was nothing like this available...these so called budget guitars have come a LONG way....so there’s that!!!!!

[@NWLee]

A great video, not so much just the review but, the way you analyze evaluating budget friendly gear.

[@allanharris970]

An honest review no doubt. I don't like the pick guard either. I'd probably scuff up the magnets if they bothered me and replace the knobs and pickguard. The nut looked fine. The bridge looked good and you say the tuners are good. The fret board may benefit from a cleaning or very light fine scuffing. I feel you gave it a better rating than you felt you gave it haha. It''s rare for me to be happy with a factory set up on any guitar but that's my problem :) Thanks so much for this review and I hope you make back some $$ to help offset the cost. I honestly felt from afar it is a pretty decent guitar. Of course I'd have to have in my hands and hear it the same room to know for sure. New subscriber here because of this video.

[@ChadKanotz]

I remember my first electric was a strat copy from some department store in the 1980's. I think I was 16. The things that annoyed me the most about it that I had no idea how to fix at the time were the super high action, and three fact that it went out of tune constantly. I know better now, but I think for beginners those things are important.

[@Homeside301]

And now we can Google it. Crazy world.

[@richardkeller8658]

I have a similar issue with Firefly guitars. I saw so many reviews about how great the firefly was for under $200. I purchased their 335 style and ended up returning it due to a non-functional truss rod. The good thing is that firefly made the return quick and painless. I then purchased their LP Elite guitar gold top. The finish is very good, binding looks great, and zero finish defects. Looks fantastic! However I did have some mechanical issues: The bridge saddle was cut so deep that the strings would actually get stuck in them; the tuners were very cheap; and had a problem with the bridge pickup. After putting in $160 in upgrades, the guitar sounds and plays well. Was the guitar worth putting in $160 into it? Probably not unless you like to work and upgrade guitars. Fortunately, I like to work on guitars. Getting back to your video, I agree that there are some you tube reviewers that give so many rave reviews for "budget" guitars and I feel that a few of them have given viewers the impression that budget guitars are just as "good" as higher end guitars. I simply try to remind myself, these are still $200 guitars. But again, whether you purchased your guitar from a garage sale or online or a big box store, if you like it and play it....then who really gives a shit on how much you spent on it? Thanks for the video!

[@1rwjwith]

You bring up a great point about youtube reviewers. I am always somewhat suspect of hyped cheap equipment so I do watch a lot of content on things these days. I do tend to be more suspicious of STORES with review channels , since they are selling the products they are bound to be as positive as possibe. YOU DO A GREAT JOB. THANKS,!

[@Robylazarus]

Well presented and concise demo. Thank you for sharing.

[@SoCalGuitarist]

Bought an EART as a cheap project guitar, blown away by what I got for the price. But that’s the key here, for the price. Mine was playable out of the box, sounded good, no QC concerns. Honestly better than a Squier in the same price range, and sounds as good as if not better. Full size body is nice for modding too (squier affinity series are all “skinny” so normal trem blocks don’t fit). I think they’re great guitars for what you pay.

[@DJBuglip]

I bought two guitars for right around $200 last year, and both were absolutely great. I reviewed one of em myself. Neither were this brand though, I haven't played one of these. Thanks for the review, Ryan.

[@DJBuglip]

Man, those frets are quite nice. The pickups have surprisingly good tones. Wonder if those are ceramic magnets.

[@baorozzo]

I think this is a very honest review. Very deeply detailed. I thank you for that.

[@baorozzo]

Also, I subscribed

[@drad8266]

GREAT HONEST REVIEW! Awesome review - Awesome channel!

[@kennethwilson5833]

According to Fender specs the four middle bridge screws are meant to be slightly higher than the outer two.

[@Colhogan06]

You are absolutely correct! The strings should be set to match the radius of the neck. In most cases on a Fender style Strat guitar, it means the center will be higher. 7.25" to 9.5" inch radius seems to be the window for Strats. By adjusting the poles the volume of each string stays consistent.

[@caiusmadison2996]

Essentially, making it actually a 2 point. You are correct. This makes that instability people rattle on about disappear, or next to it, all by itself. A small adjustment to height of strings, and a few springs, cut your nut slots correctly, and every guitar should stay in tune much much better with this setup.

[@sainteyegor]

I saw a lot of hype about the $140 Firefly 338 and managed to buy one. All of the KZbin reviews were pretty spot on. Yes, the pickups ARE microphonic. Yes, the bridge kind of sucks and so do the tuners. It still played pretty well right out of the box, which is what almost everyone was saying. I replaced the all of the cheap hardware with “decent” stuff and it’s a damned nice instrument for a $300 total investment.

[@patrickunderwood5662]

Mine finally got here. It was single-boxed but the box was absolutely mummified with packing tape, very sturdy. Finish is beautiful and flawless. No cracks, dings or visible fretboard nails. Wood grain is visible through the red finish and looks great. Neck looks great, fretboard looks amazing. The logo is the only downer-just a bad design for a musical instrument. Getting the protective tape off the pick guard and pickups is a MAJOR chore-I might have to remove the knobs and the pick guard to get it all. BTW I think the almost-glow-in-the-dark green pick guard looks sweet, makes a nice contrast with the red body finish. I’ll play it tomorrow.

[@jakollee]

For what it's worth, I have two PRS's, both have trem bars that push in (not screw in) without any sort of "click" to indicate they're in place properly, and no way to tighten them. Sometimes one of them does seem to be working it's way back out of its hole, but in general it's not an issue. In Elmo Karjalainen's demo video of one of these Eart S-type guitars, he gives it a very intense whammy bar test and the bar did not come off the guitar (plus the guitar stayed in tune!). Anyway, I appreciate your detailed unbiased review, since I'm also tempted by these guitars and the many positive youtube reviews!

[@davidhollowelljr949]

Came here for a demo, ended up getting a mini podcast. Not mad 😎

[@pbasswil]

I'm early in my early 60s, and when I was a teenager, the 'bargain' off-brand guitars were _utter crap._ If you can tweak a few things on that SSS and have a functional Strat that you could actually play on a gig, you're way, _way_ ahead of where we were. We had to save and save (from our mindless $130/week teenager jobs) to get $250 - 300 1970s bucks together before we were functionally guitar-ed up. (Oh, and we had to get up an hour before we went to bed to walk 20 miles to school... etc. etc.)

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

Try telling young people that today, and they won’t believe you!

[@rondobondo6600]

Dude I love your videos you are brutally honest

[@edwardaverilliii1658]

Well-balanced review for the first time on an EART. Don't stress!

[@sarawelling5271]

Of the Eart and guitar you compared it to, I still prefer the Eart. I don't know what it is, because I'm not the world's biggest cheap guitar fan, but they have character. I think they're onto something. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it feels really special.

[@davidmarkham4391]

This is a perfect mod platform. I have been watching this video thinking that i could take that guitar and change nothing besides the pickguard, layout, nut and possibly the block. A proper set up and once over and a modded finish and that would be a bad ass guitar to have in your arsenal

[@sidestyle05]

Really appreciate this kind of "pull back the curtain" video that gives a completely unvarnished review. Well done!

[@TheElectricfishmusic]

Good in-depth review.

[@boudewijnborger1492]

Wish this guy could actually play a song when demoing. Interesting specs on the guitar, i like those rounded off frets.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

KZbin watches for that a lot. That's why so many will just play a few licks and not a song.

[@eartguitars31]

Thanks for the honest review! Great video!

[@guitarded5198]

Heeeey!! It’s you guys!! LOL, way to bring a great entry level guitar to market.

[@rich91710]

I recently picked up one of their headless models for a "toss around" compact travel piece. Really only have a couple of issues, and both are minor. Functionally, the intonation range is insufficient, and the low E and A intonate a hair on the sharp side. It's not bad, most wouldn't notice when playing. Dropping to lighter gauge strings might be enough to fix it. The other is the burled veneer on the top had a large opening near the neck pickup, and it was filled with epoxy filler and cut down flush. Again, it is purely cosmetic, and it doesn't look bad from 10ft away. The neck feels really nice, fretwork is good. For the price, these inexpensive guitars are light years ahead of anything we had available in the late 70s.

[@alexjuckett3030]

I do lessons, and bought one of these for my students that don't have a guitar. They have a very comfortable feel and decent sound, so to me, it makes a perfect first guitar or even intermediate. I can play it and feel just fine, and have even brought it along as a back-up for my Strat. No complaints on it as an everyday practice, or jamming guitar. Now if you're comparing it to anything high-end, I don't think anyone would expect it to hold up. But for what it is, they are great! I love mine!

[@lance134679]

If you make good stuff, you don't need to manage what people say about your stuff, 'cause it speaks for itself.

[@madaxeman9386]

I think with these guitars, the quality is hit and miss, but with the advancement of CNC and better QC, it's becoming more of hits lately. I bought a sunburst one, and I must've got lucky because it plays phenomenal. I just raised the action because it was too low for me (!), and loosen the truss rod to put a bit more bow to the neck and that was all I needed to do. Intonation was spot on right out of the box, and the neck and the frets are flawless! It has become one of my favorite axe, and it plays so well I just can't put it down! It's an unbelievable value, and I ordered another one to mod the hell out of it.

[@PrettyUglyR6]

Does it have humbucker pickups

[@madaxeman9386]

@@PrettyUglyR6 No it's a Strat clone, so 3 single coils. I'm planning on installing a single coil sized humbucker on the bridge though.

[@rifleonline]

Great video, just found your channel and looking forward to checking out further content... to be honest though, I subscribed because of that Acoustic 150 behind you!

[@60CycleHumcast]

The 150 is a beast

[@thomascroce4672]

I have 3 EARTs from Amazon and they are virtually flawless. just received my third one yesterday, HSS Strat style 2/25/24. Low action set up and intonation perfect right out of the box after a quick tune up. Playability is superb. Pickups sound gr8! very loud. pots are smooth. neck and fret work excellent. Overall fit and finish perfect. Selling previously for $399, I got mine in black w/flame maple top for $218 inc. tax and delivery on sale because they have a newer model with a tone shift on the humbucker, which I could care less about. Too many other features to mention. For perspective, I have owned a number of Gibson LPs and Fender Strats and Teles. for $1000s and this guitar is better IMHO. Love all of my EARTs!

[@markd9410]

Uhh I just bought the eart headless travel guitar for my kid. It’s awesome as hell.

[@wadehampton1534]

This guitar is light years ahead of the cheap guitars that were available when I started playing fifty years ago. We were playing Silvertone and Kay guitars, which were absolute crap. They were barely even musical instruments at all. Mile high strings, forget about intonation, ragged fret ends, twisted necks, and microphonic pickups etc. But man did we think we were big shots! I decided years ago that life is too short to play cheap guitars. I'd rather have fewer really good guitars than a room full of cheapies. I save the money, and buy the best that I can afford, which is always from the top tier offerings. I haven't bought any Custom Shop instruments yet, they are ridiculously over priced, I feel that the higher end production guitars are a better value. I'll take a bit of a divination, and write about a different brand, one that deserves your attention. The new Gretsch Streamliners are probably the best bang for the buck out there right now in budget guitars. I'm a Gretsch enthusiasts, but I have two of their Pro Line instruments. Most Gretsch guitars come equipped with a Bigsby vibrato system, which I adore. I've had the opportunity to examine the lowest tier Streamliners in person, and they absolutely floored me with the quality of the builds. They cost around $500, and punch way above their weight class. It keeps getting better and better as you go up the rungs to the mid point Electromatics. These are seriously great instruments that fetch between $800 and $1000. The Pro Line is the cats meow, they are IMO, the best made production guitars made today. Expect to pay $2500 + new for one of these incredible instruments, but you'll be getting an amazing guitar. Gretsch has its own thing going on, and they absolutely shine when played fingerstyle. This where they excel, played clean, with the fingers. They have a chime that sets them apart from the competition, and many players (like myself) are hooked immediately by the unique tones and chime that can be found nowhere else.

[@srh413]

Thankyou so much for this. I’ve seen the hype around some of these brands (Harley Benton,Firefly,Shijie,Donner… etc). I’ve never played a Benton without issues, having said that I could say the same about Squier and others. You get what you pay for 9 times out of 10.

[@misteress3840]

Shijie isn’t budget, but midrange. Yes?

[@KeefsCattys]

Very fair review . Thanks

[@rickcox6788]

I received mine today. I can not tell you how amazing I think this guitar is. It is easily as good as any of my Fenders even up to my American-made ones. It blows the Squier off the stage. I understand being reserved about these and not wanting to over-hype them but easily should be a $900 guitar.

[@overcome8628]

How long was the delivery time?

[@mikeb5372]

How's that guitar holding up for you now, 11 months later?

[@Ryuu87]

I actually think you just tell whatever you get from the guitar and I get when you like something it has the qualities that you like, but that's not why I watch you to be honest. I just have plan good old fashioned fun!

[@superfit60]

Thanks dude for your honesty...

[@v2vroth]

Looks good for the price! Thanks for this video I may look into one. I love your channel ! If i get one I am gonna change the E to an F and play the shit out of it lol

[@rondobondo6600]

I must of gotten a really good one .... I like the EART guitar play's amazing

[@mindfall82]

Very good review! I've always loved your channel because of your honesty. First thing I check when I buy a guitar is neck relief, also if it's straight, nut, saddles, intonation and tuners. Sometimes those cheapies can surprise you! I can't believe it's rosewood when they're putting pau ferro on Mexican fenders!

[@60CycleHumcast]

im not 100% sure its rosewood, the product description says rosewood but the translation is pretty rough on other details. Its a dark wood but its grain doesn't look like any other rosewood ive seen before, it might just be because its very smooth and had a gloss finish on it though.

[@paulgraumann2774]

No I am certain it" s NOT rosewood. I have seen and worked on many guitars that have I.rosewood and B.rosewood and even 1 with Honduras rosewood which is SO hard. it is a bear to refret. I bought a cheap Tele thinline copy that was reviewed on most KZbin guitar channels as having a rosewood neck ( including yours) just to find out it was a composite of some type.No problem as I intended it for a travel guitar/ beater anyway. Only 1 reviewer on KZbin caught the fact that it was not rosewood when he put oil on the board as part of his set up and the oil never penetrated the board !#$! Also the neck had to much edge roll over ( a quick and dirty way of making fret ends feel better) Naturally I didn't see this video untill AFTER I ordered it. So the neck not great but with the thinline body and decent hardware " good for the price" So what I have learned is that one is lucky to get A GOOD rosewood board on any inexpensive guitar under $ 400.Saw a Squire neck with tuners today on FB looked like deal at 65 but RW board was not very straight grained so older Squires had nice RW boards but crap fret ends and fret work but newer Squirts have much better fret work but crap for RW if even RW boards.So that a the way it goes sonething has to give at this price point.

[@DaringDan]

I bought a 335 style Grote for $160 in November. The body and neck(straight) bridge, and nobs were great. The paint was awesome. I threw new pickups, nut, pots, and tuners on it and spent $150 total. It plays and sounds AMAZING for just over 300 dollars total and I learned a ton. I needed to do a lot of work, but it was worth it because I couldn't afford a Gibson.

[@okothobbo]

I have been waiting for long to see a video like this one, thank you very much! Save for one, I have so far bought ONLY affordable guitars (6 in all) none above $350. None has come without quality control issues of different types. I have to say however that, on the whole, I am quite satisfied with them both for their price and quality. What has struck me about KZbin reviews is that the most critical tend to be those where the reviewer has bought the guitar out of pocket. Almost all where the guitar has been supplied by the manufacturer are very positive. Except for some where the hyperbole naturally makes one wonder, I generally do not take the reviewers to be just peddling the guitar or not being honest. Rather, I have wondered whether the guitars that are purpose-supplied to them for review are specially and extra diligently quality-controlled to ensure that there are almost no faults, as opposed to the stock from which the ordinary buyers make their orders which can have horrible problems. In any case, my brows also get raised when, in a different video, I see the same reviewer saying all the great things about a different guitar as I would have seen him say uniquely about another guitar. They may however actually be telling the truth as far as the guitars they get are concerned. What they should do unfailingly is be more revealing that those guitars have come to them purposely from the manufacturer and that they may actually be keeping them or even be making a buck for those purchased from their links. Personally, I take the reviews for what they are but tend to go more by the reviews of ordinary buyers which are definitely more representative of the experience that I have had myself.

[@mightyV444]

The middle 4 screws not screwed all the way in is actually a hack I'd heard of a long time ago and have been doing on my own Strat-style bridges; This set-up is basically mimicking the 2-post vibrato bridges and is meant to provide better tuning stability! 😀 *Edit:* As you mentioned Wilkinson bridges: I did actually put their '5+1' model on my Fender Strat, and it too has an arm that just pushes in; It took me a while before I discovered the lil' screw in the tremolo block that adjusts the arm's tightness! Maybe this EART guitar's the same!?

[@rivulus]

If that is a wilkinson style bridge there is a grubscrew in the sustain block to lock down the arm. Just press the whammy bar as far down as it goes and look under the bridgeplate from behind. ...and that sounds a bit creepy :-)

[@60CycleHumcast]

yeah I found the screw after filming, I'm going to do a follow up where I do a full set up on the guitar.

[@alextimo]

Thanks for doing an honest review. Your honest evaluation, along with Lucas Crossley's, are much needed to balance out the other channels professing "I'm in love" before even taking the guitar out of the plastic and gushing, "These are the best tone knobs I've ever used," about cheap pots without even plugging the guitar in.

[@60CycleHumcast]

lol, there was a channel that said 'the tuners sound really good'.... uhhhh what? im sure they slipped up and meant to say they 'feel really good'. but still, some of those reviews are over the top.

[@alextimo]

@@60CycleHumcast The exact quote was, iirc, "These are the best tone pots I've ever used!" straight out of the box, having never plugged the guitar in. This was immediately after, "I'm in love!" while the guitar was still in the wrapping, and I stopped watching right after that as it was clear it would be nothing but glowing praise. It felt more like a paid infomercial than a review. Comments like, "I took it to my tech, and he couldn't believe I got it for less than $1,000," designed to make you feel like you're getting a great deal.

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@alextimo yeah that’s all bonkers.

[@MarcCoteMusic]

The 4 screws on the bridge aren't screwed down all the way because they shouldn't be. The bulk of the work is done by the two outer screws, hence why it's also possible to have a 2 point trem.

[@justiceforall6412]

By my experience some of these youtubers have been as honest as they could be. The problem would be the quality of the guitar given for review and the guitars for sale. Harley Benton was a HUGE disappointment despite all the positive, over-the-top reviews. Now I just stick to guitars that I have to spend a few bucks on and have warranties. Good review BTW.

[@shanebiggs1888]

What was your experience with Harley Benton?? Very curious

[@justiceforall6412]

@@shanebiggs1888 The quality sucks. One I bought had dead spots all over the neck and Thomann wouldn't make it good. I paid for the repair and sold it ASAP. If you want a quality guitar at an affordable price go Epiphone, Gretsch Streamliner, Squier, etc

[@Guilhem74]

Darrel Braun tested this week a Donner strat he ordered, exactly similar to the one he was given by Donner to review and found out both were of the same quality standard! It was good to know...

[@whatwedointheshadows3349]

It’s a Donner party!

[@lorenhewitt8279]

Great critique. The guitar looks nice especially at it’s price point.

[@bdawnedon]

cool channel love the honesty

[@ahryn81]

I got one of the headless (w2 in blue fade) to have something to work on and learn some tech stuff and like it really impressed me. it is my number 1 right now no lie. I like to think of it as a cake made with dollar store ingredients. if the ingredients are right the cake is good. and I got a good cake :P

[@S0N0MIY4]

I was thinking of buying a headless because i do anime convention gigging as anime characters who play instruments. Would you recommend any fix-ups to apply to it like better bridge, pickups, etc?

[@Stashmanfpv]

I have the same one, but with tremelo. I think it’s the W1? And after setup, it’s one helluva nice guitar! The tremelo is hard to intonate, but can be done, and the guitar is as nice playing (almost) as my Strandberg Boden 6, that’s 5 times the price… I am impressed with mine for the money and wouldn’t hesitate too buy another, if mine went missing. BTW - mine is in natural finish and has an AMAZING veneer top of spalted maple. 🔥🔥🔥 Enjoy! ✌🏼

[@jasongraves8255]

It has a 80’s Kramer and Suhr shaped headstock.

[@caiusmadison2996]

The remnants of the Samick corporation of old are strong in the cheap guitar market. I despise that shape for how generic it is. The shape literally smacks of "Eh, whatever, where's the tuners? Slap em' on, ship it out!" Do ya see what I mean? It is perhaps what you get when minimalistic approaches fail to interest.

[@Goldie_Hawn_Solo]

With a little bit of Hondo thrown in.

[@caiusmadison2996]

@@Goldie_Hawn_Solo yep. I guess you could say Ibanez Roadstar is a similar thing.

[@robertweldon7909]

One thing that I have found about ANY guitar review is the reviewer's preferences and opinion of the brand, price point and style (type) of instrument. Usually, the lower the price, the more negative the view point. Cheap guitars are not meant to compete with expensive ones, but as an entry for someone just starting out with a small budget. Another point is that the quality can vary greatly from one guitar to another, within the same brand, making a purchase a shot in the dark, if it is purchased "on line", no hands on chance to find out anything about it. I saw another review of an EART guitar, their 335 clone. The review gave good marks, in general, especially about the frets and neck, just like this one. Before I would buy one of this guitar brand, I would want to hear several reviews of the specific guitar I would buy (the 335 clone). Great job, it's nice to see an honest review. ;-)

[@Gene_Cali]

This guitar got good reviews by people that actually play guitar. ;)