Guitar Talk 3: First Act Sheena

In this video we review and demo a very cool and surprisingly good First Act Sheena!

[@Shredeker420]

I have the same guitar and I swapped out the pickups for Seymour Duncan blackouts. Money well spent!

[@ForsytheVideo]

The Blackouts are great!

[@barrymcnicholl4140]

Good to see you back again

[@ForsytheVideo]

Thanks Barry!

[@ronnienose8608]

Hey John, all the best from England! Sorry for your loss, but you no doubt gave Shannon a wonderfully loved life. Take care mate.

[@timmyv694]

Cool guitar . I have a couple of me503s . They’re like a red sunburst with that body shape and a bolt on necks. With a little work they’re pretty nice guitars . The pickups in them are alnico5 and sound really good. We have a couple of kittys Oreo and Arnie . They love to help with string changes lol. They love to lay beside my amp when I play. They’re my biggest fans:)❤️ Arnie is almost 20 years old he’s a Persian. Many years ago I had a cat named Gypsy and was the spitting image of Coconut. Rag doll maybe ? I’m not sure. But she had blue eyes also and a very distinctive meow. Love the videos keep them coming:)

[@ForsytheVideo]

I love when kitty cats enjoy the music, I know Coconut does. I may have to pick up a ME503, they seem pretty cool. Hug Arnie and Oreo for me!

[@timmyv694]

@@ForsytheVideo that was a first act me501 not 503 my mistake . Check ‘em out

[@orenfisher8948]

Amazing tones ... and some quality chops lurking there! To my ear, a top drawer country/blues guitar. And yes, John - chin up!

[@ForsytheVideo]

Thanks again Oren!

[@thedanksavatron7782]

Nissssssssssssssssssce 🍻

[@gnydron]

Will those pickup routes accepr regular sized humbuckers?

[@VoodooHighway]

Richard, Nice guitar! I'm sorry that it sold. It's also nice to see another Vaporizer on the web. I love mine. I am still waiting for a quote from Coconut on a refret for my mini first act. Though now that he is a celebrity, he probably only handles high profile clients. John, I'm very sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Shannon.

[@ForsytheVideo]

Coconut is unfortunately too busy defending our home from his mousey toys to take on new clients. I found my Vaporizer locally for 300, it's the surf green version. I'm in love with it.

[@VoodooHighway]

@@ForsytheVideo I understand. Coconut has his paws full. I got my surf green version on ebay for 275, in 2019. Fender only made 2,000 of each color, but everyone knows the surf green ones sound the best. :)

[@ForsytheVideo]

@@VoodooHighway Yessir!

[@beardedcatguitarplus9485]

Great video bud. That guitar sounds and looks great. To your buddy I’m sorry for your four legged loss. That’s one of the hardest things to go threw I wish you the best and hope each day can get a little easier.

[@pizzaface4079]

Hey Rich, nice first act, could you do a review on the first act Volkswagen guitar? Thanks

[@ForsytheVideo]

If I ever get one cheap enough! I found one locally for $90 but it was so badly damaged I had to pass on it.

[@pizzaface4079]

@@ForsytheVideo yeah man every seller wants $200 to $250 new.

[@pcbullets8726]

Ya Dude! Definitely a unique guitar, sorry it sold. My condolences to John.

[@projectexorcist]

Still waiting for a video on those Peavey Aluminum metal strips

[@ForsytheVideo]

Check back in about a week!

[@kennethmeese]

How much did it sell for? I'm just curious because I have a chance to buy one, but I can't find any info on them or what they are worth.

[@TerriHeald-i2f]

If it's under 200, get it!!!

[@stepvanjoe3469]

Hey Richard how you been? Cool first act, that company originally is from Boston and before the Walmart guitar era, they basically did guitars custom builds.

[@ForsytheVideo]

Great to hear from you Joe! I did not know that, that's really cool.

[@stepvanjoe3469]

Yeah really is too bad that they tried the uber-cheap guitar market, I would be interested to know why they went that route.

[@CarsInDimension]

@@ForsytheVideo First Act sold about five different quality levels of guitars. They had a custom shop near Boston that was staffed by a number of ex Gibson custom shop luthiers headed by Kelly Butler (who has launched his own line of guitars continuing some of FA's original body designs). They also had a line called Studio For Artists, designed in the custom shop but made in China, supposedly by a factory that makes import guitars for a major brand. The Sheena is one of those, along with the Les Paulish Lola and the 335ish Delia. Those are set necks, but they also had less expensive single pickup versions made with bolt on necks. In addition to the three SFA models, a very small number of almost prototype quantities were made of the ME821, another set neck single cut, and the Bambusa, which was made of laminated bamboo. Then there were the big box store guitars, which is why people think First Acts are cheap guitars, but even those are decent, fine to learn how to modify. In addition to the simpler guitars sold in the big box stores, they also sold some better guitars like the ME501, which has binding on the body and neck, the same string through design as the SFA models. Paul Westerberg liked the ME501 that he bought at a Walmart or some other store that he started using it at gigs, resulting in First Act selling a modified ME501 as a signature Westerberg guitar. They also sold a slightly nicer version of the 501 with a flamed maple top and a slightly thicker body under the Borg brand. There's an offset body called the ME601 that looks to be made in the same factory as the 501. For a while VW gave away a free guitar, what First Act called the Garagemaster. Those are about on par with the ME501 and have a built in preamp (so you can play through the car's stereo) and an onboard distortion effect. There's also the 591, which is a 601 in a different color with the Garagemaster's electronics. That's not quite a complete list but it gives you a general idea of their range of instruments.

[@Allguitarinfo]

nice guitars ..but hate headstock ,logo,and association with wal mart

[@TerriHeald-i2f]

Your loss.