I Bought the Famous Amazon Guitar. I wanted to hate it...

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Steve Sterlacci

Steve Sterlacci

Күн бұрын

I Bought the Famous Amazon Guitar. I wanted to hate it...
The legendary Firefly 338 in stunning spalted maple! AMAZING budget guitar that gives my Gibson and Heritage a run for their money!
Also, they're $189, not $198 like I keep saying 🤣😅
Affiliate for Amazon
amzn.to/3qyNE29
Shop for other guitars at Sweetwater!
imp.i114863.net/rndmQv
00:00 Intro and Where to Buy
00:43 Appearance, Title and Price
1:50 More Specs
6:05 Flaws
7:28 Pickups & Clean Demo
10:54 OD and Lead Tones
12:50 Final Thoughts
Tip Jar - paypal.me/stevensterlacci
Gear I Use (Amazon Affiliate)
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Пікірлер: 1 500
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Shop for other guitars at Sweetwater! imp.i114863.net/rndmQv
@bobhannula4805
@bobhannula4805 Жыл бұрын
I just might have to get one
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
@@bobhannula4805 do it
@markbrown7103
@markbrown7103 Жыл бұрын
I like to check one out and play it before I buy it not only that but things get damaged in shipping really bad these damn people throw this stuff around like it’s nothing and they destroy it I’ve had several things destroyed but never a guitar and I will and will never ever let a guitar be shipped to me because I’m afraid it’s gonna be all tore up by the time I get it so I don’t do that😖😖😟😠 would be OK if they went and throw everything in a round and sometimes when people on at home they steal stuff off of your porch I don’t like that either that’s one another reason why I don’t have guitars sniped Maybe if they ever got sued for that stuff their employees would quit doing it and people would stop stealing stuff I don’t know what kind of bomb would wanna steal your guitar that you worked your ass off paying for but I don’t work anymore and I’m on a fixed income so I got to protect myself somehow😖😠😫😫🎸
@kennethbobu3989
@kennethbobu3989 Жыл бұрын
I know you were trying to help us with this review, but can't you just post what the specific item number is so I can find exactly what you reviewed rather than some other one you didn't?
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
@Kenneth Bobu if its not on guitars gardens website, its either sold out or discontinued. They dont leave items on their site like a typical store does. Their stock and shop hours are reflected in their store. I just looked and this color isn't on the site right now. You have to keep going back to check. Idky they do it this way
@stringsalive20
@stringsalive20 3 жыл бұрын
Luthier here: I build high end steel string and classical guitars. A scarf joint on the neck is a superior construction technique to a “single piece” (generally, a scarf joint neck is still coming from the single board - you cut your angle, flip, and glue). It is also a more responsible use of materials. The neck will be more stable, and the grain does not run out at the most critical point - this is a big reason for headstock breaks. A more aesthetically appealing place for the scarf joint begins at the headstock. This uses a slightly longer neck blank, but is virtually invisible if you use a back strap.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Robert! I appreciate the expert input 👌
@timwhite5562
@timwhite5562 3 жыл бұрын
Exactly my point. If Gibson used them more on Les Pauls, you wouldn't need to be as vigilant whenever you're thinking of buying a used one to see if it had a repair. Well that, or they could just finally address that design flaw that they've had for 65+ years: reduce the back angle of the headstocks a little, reposition the tuner posts so the string runs straighter from the nut to the post, and make the nut a bit thinner. Instead of doing everything BUT that. They'd rather try zero frets ( i personally use Zero glide nuts that are a bone nut combined with a zero fret, and prefer them over graphite nuts, but that's not really the same), or putting ugly, heavy and stupid robot tuners. Though i do appreciate the robot tuners every time someone with any 2015 LP that got them whether they wanted them or not. It's qn easy hour bench time. *(Ironically in 25-30 years, whomever replace hipsters will be paying top dollar for them because of how rare they are, either because they were removed or just not purchased at all.)
@jacobbrown1690
@jacobbrown1690 3 жыл бұрын
i usually make five piece necks. i just like how they are stable dont warp.
@timwhite5562
@timwhite5562 3 жыл бұрын
@@jacobbrown1690 It's good that companies are using roasted maple more and more. When Ernie Ball (i think) started doing them a decade ago, there was a lot of the "it's just gimmick," criticism about them. I ordered one for a partscaster i was building for someone because they wanted the maple neck to stay raw without any finish. As all the other luthiers here can attest; with maple you have to use SOMETHING because they're susceptible to bowing everytime the temperature swings at all or humidity levels change. They run the risk of twisting too, which when it happens you pretty much have to replace the neck. That reason and the fact that they just look much better than raw maple does (I've always thought it a sin that i can only find the Candy apple green on the Eric Clapton Strat because i just do not like how white the neck is). I really didn't expect anything else, but i immediately could see, hear and feel the difference. Normally i always used quartersawn maple for necks because of the increased stability, but the roasted don't really need them as much as flatv sawn.
@willrichtor
@willrichtor 3 жыл бұрын
When it's done right its stronger. It's not usually done right and leaves you with the same weakness that an angled headstock on a mahogany neck does. Just instead of running into end grain at the point of highest tension, you've got a bad glue joint. The big difference is it breaks under like the third fret instead of at the nut-under the 1st. One of my favourite solid body designs is the old Hamer Stellar, which was like a PRS with 24 frets and a scooped out heel instead of that clunky block like on a PRS. The achilles heel of that guitar is the scarf joint. You find one used and they've often been repaired. I mean, do it right the first time, yeah it's great, but it's not George Lowden putting together the ones in question.
@dwanestarkey8820
@dwanestarkey8820 3 жыл бұрын
Man , now I’ve got to sneak another guitar into the house 😀
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
At least its inexpensive this time!
@msgn8i11s2
@msgn8i11s2 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci 🤣
@dwanestarkey8820
@dwanestarkey8820 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci I've used that line already :-)
@DJBuglip
@DJBuglip 3 жыл бұрын
Lol, right?
@dalefuller5507
@dalefuller5507 3 жыл бұрын
wife's talking to me the other day is that a new guitar and I'm like no no I just haven't taken it out of the case in a while but I've had it for a while I'm pretty sure she's counting all my guitars now I don't think I can pull that one off again
@SH-th4wy
@SH-th4wy 3 жыл бұрын
To quote Sheryl Crow: "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad" I have a great Les Paul and a really nice Strat, but I also have a Peavey Raptor (Strat knock-off). The first two are like best friends. The Peavey is like a brother. It is family. It makes me happy.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I agree with ya!
@doofinator4285
@doofinator4285 3 жыл бұрын
I have an old Raptor as well. It’s now my mod guitar I’ve been tinkering with. I wore ruts into the frets I played that thing so much.
@smflyboy
@smflyboy 3 жыл бұрын
I have this exact model and I’ve had it for a while...maybe a year roughly. At first I was annoyed at how microphonic the pickups are, so I hung it back up on my wall because it looks so beautiful as decor in my music room and just left it there, but I pulled it back out recently and started playing it again and have realized that I was being unreasonable. I think I expected to hate it (like you did) and it tainted my first impression of it. Actually though, it came set up beautifully right out of the box and it sounds great. All I did was put new strings on it...that’s it. I am super happy with it, especially for the money. I’m not going to bother modifying it. It’s fine just like it is. Great video by the way!
@andrewkaiser7203
@andrewkaiser7203 Жыл бұрын
That was some excellent playing. Really fantastic guitar work. Gorgeous guitar too.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much Andrew!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 2 жыл бұрын
9 month follow up vid with upgrades - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XXXol9briEepI
@MikeUIibarri
@MikeUIibarri 2 жыл бұрын
"I wish this dude would do a follow up..." Oh, look.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 2 жыл бұрын
@@MikeUIibarri 😏😏😉
@mica_micasa
@mica_micasa 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you. With that video you got me back to music after at least 20 years. When i saw the thumbnail of the video, i thought: wow, i would like to have this guitar - even it was just a piece of furniture. Unfortunately i could not buy it in germany, where i live. At guitars garden it was sold out of cause. I ordered a headphone amp. I didn't know, that they were invented in the meantime. Wow, great. I took my 40 year old noname strat and it was such a blast to get back into music. I ordered the yellow Harley Benton HB 35plus, because of the split single coil pickups. I really like it. And i really like to say: thank you! 👍🏻🤗
@hog7203
@hog7203 Жыл бұрын
A guy that plays in my band got the 338 around a year ago. He brought it to practice, I played it, and I love it. I don't even play my guitars anymore when we get together. I've been playing for nearly 50 years, and it's the first guitar I've never had to retune. Crazy! It was in tune the day he handed it to me and it's been that way ever since. And I'm hell on some guitar strings, bending, playing hard etc. Everything is stock on it except for the new strings he put on it the day he received it. It sounds great on any style of music. I usually play it plugged straight into an amp, a Vox AC10, or a Crate V32.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thats awesome! They are such great value
@popsfereal3192
@popsfereal3192 Жыл бұрын
"been in tune ever since..."
@redhorse702
@redhorse702 3 жыл бұрын
Steve I bought one 1 year ago exactly for the reasons you did. I've been playing my original Gretsh Country Gentleman since 1977 when my church orchestra gifted me with it. It's been needing a fret job for a few years but it's my only guitar and we have service 4x per week. I saw the Firefly and thought it would be a relatively decent cover until I could get the CG done. So I bought one and took it to my Lutier first. It did not come with a bone nut. It has one now. The tuning pegs were terrible so they are canged. Also I had him do a fret job & lower the action. When I got it back I nearly freaked! I love it.. btw,, I got mine from Amazon for $139. I have a $455 Firefly that is a FABULOUS sit in for my CG! NOW I HAVE 2 VERY AMAZING GUITARS . FIREFLY is no total replacement but it won't make anyone ask. WHERE'S YOUR COUNTRY GENTLEMAN? THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark! With a little love itll definitely be greaT!
@Ndlanding
@Ndlanding 2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad! But, to be honest, I cannot imagine anyone in any country ever asking "Where's youre Country Gentleman?" In fact, that question could lead to violence. :¬ )
@skynard94
@skynard94 3 жыл бұрын
Great review!! I own this same guitar and would love to see a video of the polishing!!
@seal010101
@seal010101 3 жыл бұрын
I ordered one this morning. Thanks for uploading!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoy it when it comes
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Also, ***these are $189, not $198*** as I keep saying 🤣😅
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Hit that thumb up! Would you give one of these a chance?! Amazon Affiliate Link - amzn.to/3qyNE29
@daveydoodle1916
@daveydoodle1916 3 жыл бұрын
G. Garden doesn’t have them and people are selling them double the price. I saw them last year but past it up. I’d never pay double I’d head down the music store and buy there
@novanut1964
@novanut1964 3 жыл бұрын
i went to your link currently unavailiable, i will keep checking, great review, made me want to buy one immediately!
@seankessel3867
@seankessel3867 3 жыл бұрын
I'm gonna order one tomorrow now. Oh and DEFINITELY make a vid of you sanding the frets down.
@shwnusmc119
@shwnusmc119 3 жыл бұрын
If you can ever catch them in stock.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
@@shwnusmc119 rumor mill in the FB group says maybe this week more are coming
@patrick35400
@patrick35400 10 ай бұрын
HI steve and everyone, excellent report! Thanks so much, kind regards from France.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 10 ай бұрын
Thanks for checking it out France!
@oldmanzen6682
@oldmanzen6682 3 жыл бұрын
I've got one of their blue 338s. Bought it in 2019. When it arrived, I spent an afternoon working on the neck. Spent quite a bit of time on the frets, which weren't terrible, but they're beautiful now. And the fretboard was stained on mine as well, though it would come off on my fingers when I played. So I stripped as much of that stain off as I could just with fretboard cleaner and restorative spray, and then used a nice set of decals (same kind Nita used to use... she may still, I don't know). I used the nice moon inlays which fits with the Firefly theme (if you enjoyed the show). I adore mine. Enough so that when this spalted maple version came out, I tried to buy it, however after I bought my blue one, they stopped shipping to Canada.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Ah that stinks! The blue ones are so cool! If i had the space I would go for one. It seems each year or few months they up their quality as well
@aladolfsenjustanoldguy2045
@aladolfsenjustanoldguy2045 3 жыл бұрын
I bought the same guitar back in December. I'm very happy with it. The frets were very dirty, fingers were black after playing. The nut was not glued down, but that was a simple fix. Fret spout also, but that could be the result of winter shipping. Cleaned and polished the frets, had a set up to remove a little buzzing on low E and filed frets. Plays beautiful. Compared it to epiphone 335, and an Ibanez semi-hollow, and it was as rich in sound as those.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I think it punches well above its price range! Mine was not very dirty, will see if the nut falls off when I change strings
@thedude4594
@thedude4594 3 жыл бұрын
Mine was definitely turning my fingers black but just a little buff & polish & it was good.
@tomwhittaker9461
@tomwhittaker9461 Жыл бұрын
It's crazy how good these cheap guitars are getting these days! You can pretty much get a great guitar for around 200 bucks.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
This is def a classic example of that!
@NotThatBob
@NotThatBob Жыл бұрын
Not all of us can afford the $1K guitars. So yes, I agree Tom and it's wonderful news for us penny pinchers.
@BrutishYetDelightful
@BrutishYetDelightful 11 күн бұрын
Inyen Vina does a mean-ass little red flame-top tele with p-90s in it - the ITF400. Mine was 170 bucks new in the box. For the quality of guitar I got, 170 bucks is almost like I stole it.
@waltberger7885
@waltberger7885 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you, your the first person to review one of these and mention how the Intonation was out of the box (without doing work on it first). Thank you. Mine should be here next tue. :-)
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Hope you are still digging it!
@alvisgrady3357
@alvisgrady3357 2 жыл бұрын
Great playing ! Thanks for demonstrating plenty of clean tones before you did the distortion .👍
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks Alvis!!
@jamesnorton7601
@jamesnorton7601 3 жыл бұрын
Hollow bodies are always loud. That sounds excellent. The player helps for sure. That lead tone was lovely. 189 bucks is worth the trouble I suppose providing you are prepared to deal with some flaws. That holds true for any guitar though. Nice review Steve.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks James! Minimal trouble at that! Should be 10 minutes of work between string changes
@jamesnorton7601
@jamesnorton7601 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci it is what it is. You never know from guitar to guitar. You have to learn how to do this stuff if you want to be a player. Know your instrument. I have to sell a Hellraiser before I'm in the market again. That was a great review. Sounded like a hollow body guitar. The player always helps. You have a good channel buddy. Keep doing what you're doing.
@74dartman13
@74dartman13 3 жыл бұрын
I've already told myself...no more guitars...but this one's got me thinking...maybe one more won't hurt!😂👍😎🎸🎶
@americanescu
@americanescu 8 ай бұрын
You give Steve any guitar and ... pure soul and goodness comes out of it! It's never the "guitar" alone.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 8 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for the kind words! Means a lot
@americanescu
@americanescu 8 ай бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci I play too, bro! I know how it goes :-) You're an inspiration to me, just so you know! Much respect!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 8 ай бұрын
@@americanescu awesome 😎😎😎 thanks again
@rooster0223
@rooster0223 3 жыл бұрын
Sounds so good unplugged I could hear wind chimes...AMAZING!!!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
You're gonna want that toannn!
@GeneWalkGroup
@GeneWalkGroup 3 жыл бұрын
I have one. It's the transparent purple flame ! Sweet !
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Those are beautiful!
@ctvaughn707
@ctvaughn707 3 жыл бұрын
I bought it from Guitar Garden 6 months ago. Love the spalted maple. Worth every bit of$189 I paid. Easy set up too.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
absolutely!
@qua7771
@qua7771 3 жыл бұрын
Is it real or photo finish?
@ctvaughn707
@ctvaughn707 3 жыл бұрын
@@qua7771 Yes it's real. Very thin but real.
@ricknelson8886
@ricknelson8886 Жыл бұрын
I've been wanting a 335esk guitar, think I'm going to get this one, sounded awesome!
@Ron_Masterjohn
@Ron_Masterjohn 7 ай бұрын
Gorgeous guitar. ❤️🙏🐕🙏❤️ Sounds very good and no one would ever think they’re looking at and hearing a guitar that cost just $185. Thanks for another great video 🎸🎸🎸
@heathpass3708
@heathpass3708 3 жыл бұрын
I got this same guitar a week ago. I have to say that it's become my favorite guitar. It plays extremely well to the point where I don't think I will have to do any adjustments to it. I will upgrade the tuners and pickups and maybe the bridge. Overall for what you get for the price it feels like your ripping the company off honestly. Definitely worth buying because how can you not afford one??
@scooterfoust4361
@scooterfoust4361 Жыл бұрын
Replace the tuners, pickups and the bridge? So half of what makes it a guitar, basically.
@ThatGuyThanus
@ThatGuyThanus Жыл бұрын
Looks great. If it plays anything like it looks, and that’s a personal thing, then it’s a great buy. I much preferred the cleaner sound, which I tend to, anyway.. If I had that, I’d change the pickups, and leave it at that, and I reckon I’d have a really good guitar for not a LOT of money.. I see you upgraded, so I’ll go and watch that. Great demo, though - thanks!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Hope you enjoy the upgrade vid! And hope to have earned your sub
@jonofrye2394
@jonofrye2394 Жыл бұрын
Hi Steve, Greetings from Australia, Great review thanks. Bit late but hey. Love the grain on this guitar. I'll have to get on now. Keep up the good work!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Hey Jon! Thanks so much
@redryderaus
@redryderaus 2 жыл бұрын
That is a gorgeous guitar. Thank you for removing the pickguard and switch plate, it just exposes the wood perfectly.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 2 жыл бұрын
Much better without them!
@13StJimmy
@13StJimmy 3 жыл бұрын
I got this guitar during the last run and I can’t put it down. I’ll probably change the pickups soon but really they’re not terrible for how cheap everything is
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I feel exactly the same!
@markcatron8996
@markcatron8996 3 жыл бұрын
I've purchased two of the 338's along with one each of their lp double cutaway with p90's and the tele style with maple neck, the tele is my favorite to play of them all, they are not as great as my PRS or Fender USA Strat, but they are very playable. I have had to tighten truss rod on all of them, and do other minor adjustments..I wish there were guitars of this quality when I was young and first started playing.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Totally agree! Glad you love yours
@JohnSmith-wd9rc
@JohnSmith-wd9rc 3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, started messing with guitars in the 70's, and it was either cheap junk guitars or big buck guitar. I went from a Cheap Asian D body, got fed up and bought a good electric, 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom in tobacco sunburst. I have one of these 338's, very nice. I may upgrade to Seymore Duncun Psyclone pickups. If you can get a solid built and beautiful finish guitar like the 338, why not tweak it a little and give it a fantastic sound?
@jerrym3261
@jerrym3261 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for a very good, fair review! I bought my transparent red 338, July, 2018 for $139.91 and I'm delighted. My bridge does have the wire and my pickups are out of phase but, I still say nothing but good about it. Mine is still all stock parts, I have others I play more and I look at it way more than I play it. I think a lot of people reviewing these guitars want to impress us by finding all of the things "wrong" with them. I think the worst I saw was a guy that said they were a waste because his was "ungigable" and he spent so many hours @ his price of $200 per hour to do a setup and polish the frets. It was like 4 hours of his time and he's NOT a professional guitar tech. I have never seen a guitar that I wouldn't change something on so, I do a setup on every guitar I buy. I can't imagine one coming with the action height and a lot of those other things you adjust being exactly your preference. Thanks again!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
You're right Jerry! I even had to tweak my Suhr when it got here
@louisstokes1898
@louisstokes1898 Жыл бұрын
I bought the FFLG last year. Very good for the money. Im pleased and would buy another
@dakota51tpa2001
@dakota51tpa2001 3 жыл бұрын
I bought one 4 to 5 months ago, and made two modifications to it. The stock pickups were awful. They were microphonic and shrieked horribly with feed back. I changed them to Dragonfire Gatebuckers (about $75) and it now sounds awesome. The only other complaint was the tuning machines. It would not stay tuned. I swapped them with a set of Grovers.(about $50). Problem solved. I now have a guitar that I have less than $300 in, that sounds like a much more expensive instrument.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Nice! I think they upgraded tuners. Mine really feel great and it holds well. They started using Jin Ho japanese tuners from what I have heard
@willrichtor
@willrichtor 3 жыл бұрын
Now I can't refute that the tuners were cheapos and probably worth replacing on a classy guitar, but it's almost impossible for tuners to cause a guitar to go out of tune. That's always caused by binding at the nut and/or bridge. The mechanical design of machine head tuners is such that, the way they're geared, it's not possible for tension from the string to turn the post without enough pressure to destroy the gears. It is absolutely possible for certain tuning heads to operate smoother than others, have a higher ratio for finer tuning and generally be much easier and more pleasant to tune up or down with, but once a string has been tuned, issues with staying in tune are either at the nut slot, bridge, string tree(if present) or the string itself.
@edgeofeternity101
@edgeofeternity101 3 жыл бұрын
I hate fancy quilted tops, but that is so freaking nice, I love it, nicely burst and beautiful colors. i bought a grote, and it also is a good value. The fret were amazing for the price. I bought the one with mild tiger stripes in a red that has a purplish hue to it. It has the mickey ears which i wish I'd looked because some of them have the ibaneze type ears. Pickups are non microphonic and sound alright, but not like a set of handwound. I bought a set of Pro buckers and will swap them when I get the urge. Nice cheap upgrade.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thats spalted maple! Such a cool unique look. Grotes look cool. I was very happy with this cheapo!
@eearts
@eearts 6 ай бұрын
Great honest review!!!One of the nicest tops on any guitar!
@jeffreyvanhorn1996
@jeffreyvanhorn1996 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you. Too bad everyone is out of stock! But I'll wait. :) Appreciate your video! Well done!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Jeff! Check the fb group. They have a rumor mill and heads up when they are back in stock
@THEC.O.VISIT.
@THEC.O.VISIT. Жыл бұрын
Beautiful guitar and tremendous sound for 200 bucks! Wow!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks for checking it out! It sure is. Hope to have earned your sub
@rockkstah2550
@rockkstah2550 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for doing the Review Steve, I was actually at a local Guitar Center this afternoon looking at semi hollow body’s. Epiphone, Gretch, D’Angelico,PRS etc.. I think I’m going to check this one out, for under $200, there’s nothing to cry about if I don’t dig it...
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! From what i see in the facebook group, most people are really thrilled with theirs. This could be an $800 guitar easily
@rockkstah2550
@rockkstah2550 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci Firefly, is the Brand? Or is it under a different name due to Distributor I should look for at amazon? And thanks in advance for your reply..
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Amazon has been sold out. Check out guitarsgarden.com. they usually have stock!
@auntjenifer7774
@auntjenifer7774 3 жыл бұрын
They also sell under leo jaymz guitars in Amazon.
@thedude4594
@thedude4594 3 жыл бұрын
You will dig it and go... I almost paid $800
@Anton-ji4td
@Anton-ji4td 5 ай бұрын
Amazing guitar. Looks and sounds fantastic.👍
@jimmyz2098
@jimmyz2098 3 жыл бұрын
I picked up 2 of these last year. Got this exact model in spalted maple - and picked up the Gold Top. I absolutely LOVE them. Can't believe what I got, for that amount of cash. I saw where G-G had them in stock.... and so I grabbed one. Like it so much... went back & got the Gold Top a month later. Love em.'
@MrMixolydian7
@MrMixolydian7 3 жыл бұрын
How do you find the pickups?
@tomwhittaker9461
@tomwhittaker9461 Жыл бұрын
@@MrMixolydian7 These sound a bit wooly from the demo. Warm, but probably lack clarity.
@bitemedude
@bitemedude 3 жыл бұрын
I bought the transparent red model a year ago. I love it, despite mostly minor issues. Mine is pretty much as described above: very good finish overall, a few very minor flaws, frets could use polishing. I'd say the shape is actually somewhere between the 335 and the Artcore. I don't know if the hardware/setup is the same a year later, but I did have two main issues that I just haven't gotten around to correction. First, I get some fret buzz with drop D tuning; might be the bridge, or the action may need a little adjustment, although I have a feeling that the problem is the stock strings are too light. And second, the pickups sound OK clean, but are very microphonic. You can literally hear your voice over the amp when you talk directly into them, and I get major feedback when I use overdrive. But for that money, I don't see how you could get a better quality instrument new, especially as versatile as this one.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Interesting! For under $200 its way better than its price for sure. A new set of pups will be amazing. I think they upped the quality in the last year on the hardware
@bradleestone5344
@bradleestone5344 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci Interesting, most all the guitars I've owned except $400+ LTDs(w/only SD upgrade) I've had to replace the tuners if it needed different pups.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
They may crap out. But i have heard they're Jin Ho from Japan tuners. They honestly feel great
@aaronjanusch6090
@aaronjanusch6090 3 жыл бұрын
It you put a layer of copper foil on the bottom of the pickups it'll kill the microphonic effect, and will vastly improve the sound overall 😁
@Ndlanding
@Ndlanding 2 жыл бұрын
I can't believe you are still using the factory strings, especially after one year of use.
@thedude4594
@thedude4594 3 жыл бұрын
I bought this same guitar & I can’t put it down! The pickups are the only thing that are subpar. It’s absolutely gorgeous. the action and intonation were almost perfect out of the box. Love it!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Sounds like we are on the same page!
@zbooblewis
@zbooblewis 8 ай бұрын
A friend gave me one two weeks ago, can't put it down,I have les paul and fenders, can't believe how. Good it is
@normawinton6832
@normawinton6832 2 жыл бұрын
Love the way you bring out the tones! Nice sound and it did have a little griddiness.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks Norma!
@stimpsonjcat67
@stimpsonjcat67 3 жыл бұрын
I got this exact model for Christmas. I couldn't help myself and swapped the pups for Dragonfires and added some locking tuners...because locking tuners. Very happy with the guitar. Quite light. Even sounds pretty good unplugged.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Good calls all around! Glad you like yours too!
@stimpsonjcat67
@stimpsonjcat67 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci oh, and mine's prettier. ;P
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
@@stimpsonjcat67 fair enough! Lol
@rjones2000r
@rjones2000r 3 жыл бұрын
It has unbelievable sustain that's usually found in Les Pauls costing ten times more..
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Definitely has some serious sustain!
@arlizan6473
@arlizan6473 3 жыл бұрын
I got mine in spalted maple in November 2020. Spent a few hours tweaking the setup, cleaning the whatheheck shoepolish (??!!?) then some lemon oil on fretboard, working the almost microscopic grit off the frets by firmly rubbing the stock strings over the frets. That, then a string change (and last odd fix I'll mention) and it's wonderful, none of the crafting/tuner/electronics etc flaws others have reported, and I pick it over the Fender American Pro Strat when playing live many times...and have a hard time feeling like switching back, song after song. The only anomaly I've noted is a tiny bit of sympathetic ping I've isolated as being between the tailblock and the string saddles. Resolved it with two 1/2 inch by about 5 inch strips of heavy paper in that space of strings between tailblock and saddles; one is woven over the 1st string, under the 2nd, over the 3rd and so on...the 2nd strip beside it woven UNDER the 1st, over the 2nd, under the 3rd, etc...silly fix for now, yep! But it works (less-noticeable thin felt strips sometime?). Anyways, counting shipping for a total of 201 bucks at that time the creative 'setup' was well worth it and a bit of novel and lighthearted adventure...WHAT a bargain! My favorite comment is usually heard in two parts: "How much was it?" , followed by "That's all?...wow, what's WRONG with it?" Maybe I should have insisted on paying 8 or 10 times more? :)
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
That's what I say! Could easily be an $800 guitar
@auntjenifer7774
@auntjenifer7774 3 жыл бұрын
Top wrap your bridge in the next restring and the ping will be gone.
@jerrym3261
@jerrym3261 3 жыл бұрын
@@auntjenifer7774 That's what I've planned to do for mine. Glad to see somebody else recommend it as a fix.
@auntjenifer7774
@auntjenifer7774 3 жыл бұрын
@@jerrym3261 yeah, and if that doesn't work try using 11-50 for a while then next string change go back to 10-46 and the bigger strings should kinda gauge the slots in the saddle and nut so they don't bind and catch the stressing area.
@auntjenifer7774
@auntjenifer7774 3 жыл бұрын
You could also use you old strings to floss the saddle slot lightly untill smooth and no longer catching on the sides. The ping is from strings catching on the slots and if it's totally smooth there's nothing to catch on.
@johnmonsees6040
@johnmonsees6040 3 жыл бұрын
im diggin your videos keep em comin
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks John! Means a lot
@garyheighway7635
@garyheighway7635 3 жыл бұрын
Looks and sounds amazing
@timjirik1497
@timjirik1497 3 жыл бұрын
I got one absolutely love it the sustain is crazy lol
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Right?!
@johnbgood52
@johnbgood52 3 жыл бұрын
A 2x4 would sustain forever with that much gain.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
@@johnbgood52 that's a lie, sir
@johnny_fatz
@johnny_fatz 3 жыл бұрын
The fact that this unit is sold out everywhere, even on Reverb, is a statement of it's own. I NEED THIS GUITAR!!!!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I've heard rumors they will be back within a week. There is a good rumor mill in the fb group!
@jamesthe-doctor8981
@jamesthe-doctor8981 3 жыл бұрын
If you get one, you won't be sorry.
@beauhatman4395
@beauhatman4395 3 жыл бұрын
the fact that this unit is "sold out everywhere" proves most people don't know crap about guitars......
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
@@beauhatman4395 ALL BOW TO THE GUITAR EXPERT!
@scarletpimpernel6813
@scarletpimpernel6813 Жыл бұрын
Excellent-- that's the first thing you test with an electric guitar, or any guitar for that matter: testing the natural wood sustain without ANY amplification @ 4:22. That should be the first in ANY guitar review. Kudos!👍
@caymanchristopher7014
@caymanchristopher7014 3 жыл бұрын
Love to see you do the fret polishing. I have a cheap Ibanez I have been working on for a while.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I will be learning on the fly! SHould be fun LOL
@Nicky-T
@Nicky-T 3 жыл бұрын
I'd have bought one if I could find one! You must have made them sell out fast!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
You check guitars garden?? They had some last i checked
@leocatz
@leocatz 3 жыл бұрын
Got mine from Guitar Garden in February. They are the direct seller in the US and often have inventory when AMZ is out. But oddly, what they have pops on and off the site, so checking regularly (even different times of day) is the ticket.
@Nicky-T
@Nicky-T 3 жыл бұрын
@@leocatz I did get one there. I looked on Amazon 'cuz I originally skipped over the little part where he says he actually got it - impatient to get to the description. I would have felt better getting from Amazon as their return policy is so good plus I have Prime. I caved and got it from Guitars Garden anyway. Keeping my fingers crossed! If I like it I'll probably install a set of locking tuners with my first string change, I do that on all my guitars, I just hate the string changes giving me pricks in my fingers!
@boba__macroon3764
@boba__macroon3764 3 жыл бұрын
That was kinda good. I enjoyed the video and your playing got me feeling bluesy. Way to go! Oh yea, I like the guitar too...!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Means a lot 👍🤘
@DM-cl1oq
@DM-cl1oq 3 жыл бұрын
I have this guitar in a sun burst. It plays nice and looks great. Have had this for a few years now and have a fret sprout issue. Very dry in New England during the winter. Will tend to the sprout this summer also thinking about upgrading the puck ups. Overall a nice guitar.
@JohnSmith-wd9rc
@JohnSmith-wd9rc 3 жыл бұрын
Have you treated the fretboard? I treat my fretboards with boiled linseed oil, as recommended by Taylor Guitars.
@lar57jsy
@lar57jsy 2 жыл бұрын
Impressive guitar! Interesting review! Thank you! :D
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!!
@nick.raptis
@nick.raptis 3 жыл бұрын
Me, when you went to the neck pickup with dirt: 😮 What tha 😮 I know parts of what makes this tone: neck pup, playing aroung the 12th fret, but I'm still not there making my tele and stomp give it to me 😉
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Teles are my favorite 😍
@hendricks97
@hendricks97 3 жыл бұрын
I started with their 338 a couple years ago, then picked up their thinline and then the Les Paul. The thinline is the only one thats been modded at all, and they are all better than most guitars that Ive played costing three times as much
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I agree with this one! Plays well above its value
@TimO-wt9sz
@TimO-wt9sz 2 жыл бұрын
lmao steve you can totally tell you were still chuckling after your comment on your tuning skills lol .I have to admiy bud i wish these guitars were available to ship to canada .
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
I am curious to see how the current production are! Some say its gone downhill
@Coopdog1911
@Coopdog1911 3 жыл бұрын
Nice breakdown!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Gary@
@twoputt5
@twoputt5 3 жыл бұрын
I bought the $150 model mine did have crappy wire bridge I replaced that, all electronics, tuners & pickups & for a few hundred I have a great guitar that is comparable to a 2-3K Gibson. I honestly think they are plecking these because the set up is almost perfect. A little fret sprout which is normal especially being shipped overseas.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I think mines been leveled, but definitely not crowned properly
@benburnett8109
@benburnett8109 3 жыл бұрын
I would give one of these a chance. Seems like an excellent guitar. One thing I did want to mention is that I thought you were going to have Jess "be on camera" and you were going to practice being BEHIND the camera and learn about editing. Remember, Jess 'is the face" and you are the "dude behind the camera who is getting the best lighting and angles to feature Jessica" Just to let you know, If Jess played the guitar those pickups would sound fantastic. sound like boutique hand wound PAFs. And I bet if Jess demoed the guitar, The Veneer top would become a 1/2 slab top. The pickups would become the finest boutique pickups ever made. And that bone nut would be the a bone nut from an ultra rare dinosaur from the cretaceous period. You did a really good job and I think your skills are "more behind the camera" than "on film in front." Don't be afraid to experiment with different angles and camera techniques; just keep Jess in front of the camera. Remember everyone wins when Jess is on video. Great demo. Seems like a great guitar. I think this is the company that made the "kits' for Grizzly. Best wishes---Ben. You're quickly becoming my favorite youtuber. You just do cool stuff.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Ben! The overly elaborate comments to get me behind Camera may be paying off with our future videos 😅🤣. You know, jess streams every weds and its ONLY her, with my lighting and Camera. Its quite magical. Im not seen once! 😅
@benburnett8109
@benburnett8109 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci I'm not taking away anything from you skills....just saying that you are also very good at BEHIND the camera stuff. I just don't want you to limit yourself to only being on camera when you clearly have so much talent in other areas. Ps. all in good fun. Love the videos, am jealous of your skills and think you've got the youtube thing down pat. And I'd buy that guitar in a heartbeat. Cheap or not.
@MrMjp58
@MrMjp58 3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant video and review. It looks and sounds great. I've looked these guitars up and can't seem to find an outlet for them in the UK. I may have missed some link or other.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I have heard they are not available there. I am sure there are ways to get it shipped to a dummy address in the states, then forwarded to the UK but IDK if that will be cost effective
@JessicaLynnCountry
@JessicaLynnCountry 3 жыл бұрын
Great review steve
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@kenadams5366
@kenadams5366 3 жыл бұрын
That spalted top is INSANE 😍😍😍
@WallyPeterson
@WallyPeterson 3 жыл бұрын
I've had mine for two years, just an unbelievable value and a fantastic guitar.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Hows it held up after 2 years? Some were concerned about that
@WallyPeterson
@WallyPeterson 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci Just like when I got it. Admittedly it's not played as much as my PRS or Tele, but it does get played. I haven't noticed anything change or deteriorate at all.
@MrMixolydian7
@MrMixolydian7 3 жыл бұрын
Did you keep the stock pickups?
@WallyPeterson
@WallyPeterson 3 жыл бұрын
@@MrMixolydian7 I did, but I've never changed pups out on a guitar either. I just try to make what I have sound good. Trying to keep up with a large drum set, 3 electrics and an acoustic guitar, a bass, synth, recording gear, outboard equipment and pedals, etc takes a lot of my time :)
@MrMixolydian7
@MrMixolydian7 3 жыл бұрын
@@WallyPeterson thanks for the reply.
@cody3134
@cody3134 Жыл бұрын
Great guitar!! Sounds slick!! Love to have one!! 🎉
@PeterKaitlyn
@PeterKaitlyn 2 ай бұрын
I got the same model for Xmas this year and am totally happy with it... they have improved it since this video was created and you can get it with locking tuners and the frets have ball ends now... my version has full size pots and sounds great... Right out of the box it's great and if you need to you can swap the pickups, but I doubt I ever will...
@davidbarba4976
@davidbarba4976 3 жыл бұрын
Just a note on the scarf joint on the neck, as a guitarist and woodworker I can tell you that a scarf joint is absolutely fine. It creates a lot of surface area for the glue joint and your neck would most likely break in another area before that joint!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Doesn't bother me at all! Thanks for the addition 🤘
@ambntman4212
@ambntman4212 3 жыл бұрын
You are correct, the reason for the scarf joint is the break angle of the headstock. If they made it one piece it would be very prone to splitting the neck of the guitar under string tension.
@jvin248
@jvin248 3 жыл бұрын
Adding: Lack of a scarf joint is why Gibson guitars are so prone to broken headstocks.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Mic drop!
@TheJeffcurran
@TheJeffcurran 3 жыл бұрын
Yup. Scarf joints are the best solution to the headstock angle on any Gibson style guitar.
@theroguetomato5362
@theroguetomato5362 3 жыл бұрын
A scarf joint can actually be a good thing for guitars with an angled headstock. The angle is weak if it's all one piece of wood, which is why there are so many broken headstocks on Gibson LPs.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
yep! Stronger overall
@CRYSTALSHIPSS
@CRYSTALSHIPSS 3 жыл бұрын
they only break when you drop them
@Hectin1
@Hectin1 3 жыл бұрын
@@CRYSTALSHIPSS this man speaks the truth. In all my years of playing and building guitars, I have never once heard a credible source say their neck just randomly broke on its own without an impact. I'm sure it's probably happened somewhere, but I would be willing to bet it had more to do with subpar materials/shoddy workmanship than anything else.
@hugocorona4908
@hugocorona4908 3 жыл бұрын
Scarf joints are actually pretty strong joints. Of course, everything has a breaking point. Regular careful use will not break a scarf joint. Jackie Brown (not John Wayne), says: “life is hard, even harder if you’re stupid”, don’t drop your guitar!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Such good advice!!
@polybius3765
@polybius3765 4 ай бұрын
I purchased a Firefly acoustic about 6 months ago. It was the full size grand auditorium with the armrest bevel. I had heard good things with the exception that they weren't packed very well and sometimes got damaged in transit. It didn't have long to travel to me so I took a chance. Turns out they had taken the advice and double packed it remarkably well. It was flawless. I mean flawless, I can't find a single blemish and it sounds amazing. Every note rings thru my body. I love it. So I decided to get one of their famous 338's. Not flawless this time. Just some minor cosmetic errors, hardly noticeable. They again listened and have made some changes since most of the 338 videos I have seen. They now have stainless ball-end frets (I'd say medium jumbo), locking tuners and full size pots. I was worried it was going to be a photo top and I saw a guy show some gaps between the neck and center-block when he was replacing the pickups. It is a real wood veneer (mine is burled maple with a blue fade that looks like the ocean meeting the sand). I lifted up my pickup when re-stringing and not only was the neck set perfect and tight but they had painted the inside with conductive paint. Quite a mysterious brand. I have been trying to find out more about them but info is scarce. They ship the guitars out of southern California. A company called JSN seems to be the parent company with GuitarsGarden the main (now only) point of sale. They make the guitars in small batches. Using the Way Back Machine it seems they rarely repeat the same finish/configuration except the classic red/black etc. It appears China is really upping their game with guitar manufacturing. They even have a guitar-city, Zheng'an. I don't know if Fireflys are made there but I remember seeing a documentary where they interviewed a factory owner who said something along the line of “We are proud to build Fenders, Epiphones, etc. but we want to have our own brands that people see as good quality” and I think that is the sentiment behind Firefly. Especially when I look at my acoustic. The people who made it cared. They were proud of it. It shows. All in all great guitars and a company that listens to the customer regularly making improvements.
@robertbaker3126
@robertbaker3126 3 жыл бұрын
A lot of videos show the bridge rattle same thing happened to me after playing for awhile bought a new bridge with rollers love it
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I think the newer ones have this bridge that does not rattle at all
@srwaite7
@srwaite7 3 жыл бұрын
Please video fret sanding. Thanks, Steve-o!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Learning how to do it properly now!
@DavidHBurkart
@DavidHBurkart 3 жыл бұрын
A sustain monster. Great guitar at twice the price, almost like they expect you to change out pickups anyway. That being said, the stock pickups are better than their price suggests.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I agree! They're really not bad. Just not ideal for what I usually like. That was me nitpicking
@joaoartur01
@joaoartur01 Жыл бұрын
He is using delay, thats cheating haha
@paulievee8830
@paulievee8830 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for that I already bought one but you just encouraged that I did the right thing because it was a big purchase for me and although I played most of my life I would say I haven't played well and I forgot most of I what I've learned, but I think that's a good thing because now I can learn all over the correct way I'm going to check your KZbin and see if you have any tutorial videos that would be great okay thanks again for the doing an accurate review I'm really happy about it
@ItsRael108
@ItsRael108 Жыл бұрын
Much thanks for sharing .. Somds ok Looks great without pick guard 👍🎻🎸
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! Definitely better without
@Drpiwi
@Drpiwi 3 жыл бұрын
Most people will bitch about a scarf joint neck, but it is actually better than a one piece neck with an angled headstock as it adresses the famous weak spot that gives Gibson their signature problem with broken headstocks.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
You right!
@willrichtor
@willrichtor 3 жыл бұрын
Mass produced guitars have a bad tendency to have been over-clamped and on the scarf joint when you squeeze out too much glue you're left with a weak point. They tend to delam right across the joint. It's an easier fix than a broken headstock on a 1 piece neck but it's also just as common, and is even on the (now) higher quality Korean guitars, so it's probably even more common on Chinese and Indonesian manufactured. It's not a deal killer, just something to be aware of.
@hiiambarney4489
@hiiambarney4489 3 жыл бұрын
@@willrichtor How do people break their guitars tho? Never have I had a broken neck in my 15 years of playing and touring. And I pretty much had one expensive guitar and the rest is second hand or korean stuff. Generally curious.
@willrichtor
@willrichtor 3 жыл бұрын
@@hiiambarney4489 Hallo Barney, wie geht es innen? I'm in a similar boat as you, I have one expensive custom piece and the rest are used, imports or projects I've cobbled together myself. I have never broken an instrument but I have witnessed accidents and even lost my first guitar to someone knocking it down and breaking the headstock at the nut. That's the usual culprit. On guitars with angled back headstocks, when they fall, the first point to hit the ground is often the very tip of the headstock, and mahogany necks in particular run into end grain right at the bend behind the nut. That design puts the point of the greatest tension right on the weakest point of the wood. So when a Les Paul or similarly built guitar falls backwards, it's very likely to snap right there because they don't do the simple things that luthiers have figured out to prevent it. For example, a stinger on the back of the headstock, which is just a veneer or layer of phenolic to reinforce it, works wonders and looks quite smart; routing slots across the angle to inlay splines of maple also works, usually only done as a repair though; and the scarf joint in question, which, when executed properly makes a very strong neck. The popular volute on a solid neck, as seen on Martins and other guitars is popularly believed to help with the problem by beefing up the area, but in reality it is only aesthetic. The volute is ACTUALLY intended to be used to hide the presence of a scarf joint, and it's ridiculous that the world's foremost maker of fine acoustic guitars seems to have forgotten this very important detail. Shameful. On SG type guitars, the neck to body joint is a weak spot. Les Pauls use a long mortise and tenon with the ancient violin style heel, which is very strong, but the SG's neck joint, and those on PRS, Hamer Customs and dozens of other guitars that have set necks with good upper fret access... well, they're not much different than if you used glue instead of bolts on a Strat or Tele. There's a LITTLE more surface area in the joint but only a little. So you see those type guitars breaking at that point or loosening over time and needing to be reset. Bolt neck and neck through body designs using quartersawn maple necks tend to be very difficult to break. Everyone has seen rock stars breaking Fender guitars on stage, and it takes considerable effort. When they DO break, the neck and joinery are so strong that the body almost always gives up first. That's not to say those style necks WON'T break, but it takes an awful lot. Falling over or off the stand or being dropped will ding these type guitars and chip the finish or even the body wood but serious breaks are usually the result of temper tantrums, auto accidents and force majeur. Once you switch out the neck wood from maple to mahogany or other woods, it can have a big effect on that toughness though, your mileage may vary. Some are tougher than maple but most are weaker by quite a bit. On stratocasters and telecaster the typical area to break over time is the spot where the heel meets the lower horn. Fender designed the Stratocasters neck heel and pocket to alleviate this from the telecaster design. Where the telecaster is squared in the pocket, the corner creates a weak point in a similar manner to where a knife blade meets the tang. When left squared with corners, it becomes a point of failure, and the corner is simply the starting point of a crack that will eventually develop if the instrument is around long enough. So the stratocasters, like the tang to blade transition on quality knives and swords, is shouldered. It is especially necessary on that guitar since the neck pocket is much more exposed than on a tele. Guitars like Jacksons and BC Rich who have very pointy headstocks where the point is actually a joined piece of wood separate from the rest of the neck, to allow the use of a smaller blank, that spot tends to break off, often taking the high e and sometimes b machine heads with it. Very easy fix usually. Sometimes though the joint is very strong and it tears at the wood on one side or the other of the glue joint. Turning around and hitting something while the instrument is shouldered is the usual culprit in this case. Then there's the poorly implemented scarf joint. As mentioned above, on some guitars, especially 80s Era stuff, they will just sorta implode over time from the tension. But the usual cause is the same as broken les Paul headstocks, it was an angled headstock and it hit the floor falling backwards. If you're lucky nothing at all happens. That means it was a good glue joint and the grain orientation was done right. Often, on our 80s and 90s Korean guitars and now modern Chinese and Indonesian ones, the joint just gives out and breaks right along the glue line because they overclamp and squeeze too much glue out. Those are some of the ways guitars get broken. Sometimes things line up right and it's an easy fix. Sometimes they need professional repair. And sometimes they are just kaputt. Das tut mir leid. I have fixed a lot of instrument damage, from cracks in violin tops to broken headstocks to delamination of bank and sides on acoustics. None of them are fun and it doesn't help that, when approaching a repair, you tend to feel that if it doesn't work out, it was your fault the instrument is out of commission, not the person responsible for the break, lol. But maybe that's just me.
@jfonlinenow1
@jfonlinenow1 3 жыл бұрын
I bought a Vintage brand 335ish guitar, also one of their SG copies. They’re closer to a $500 price point, but so we’ll built. I just might need to get a FireFly as well
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Highly recommended! Beyond impressed with this one
@MartinBryan
@MartinBryan 3 жыл бұрын
Great review!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Martin!
@kmattorney
@kmattorney Жыл бұрын
What pedals did you have one with the lead tone? (Impressive sound and sustain).
@supersmurf64
@supersmurf64 3 жыл бұрын
My spalted maple 338 arrived about 6 weeks ago. It's beautiful, plays great and seems to be very well built. Neck is completely straight. One of these days I'm probably going to put a little relief in the truss rod, but it really doesn't effect the playability of the guitar at all. Tuning machines are tight and smooth. The folks at JSN are putting a lot of love into these guitars at the factory, and it shows. 👍
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Definitely! Any word on who JSN even is?! I cant find anything...
@supersmurf64
@supersmurf64 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci there's some speculation that it could be Weifang Jeson musical instruments in china. There is more speculation that firefly and grote are made side by side in the same factory. They even go so far as to say grote is responsible for some epiphone guitars as well. Again this is just hearsay.
@islander4986
@islander4986 3 жыл бұрын
If you're a woodworker you understand why a scarf joint is actually stronger than a one piece Gibson-style neck. In fact, all you've got to do is see what happened to Townsend's SG when he threw it and you'll understand why one-piece necks are extremely fragile where they bend backwards-the nature of the grain/structure of the wood makes a one piece neck weaker (and a one-piece build usually will consume more wood.)
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Its so funny to me why the scarf joint is so frowned upon. There is literally no difference in feel. The sustain is all there too!
@islander4986
@islander4986 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci Agreed. Another strength alternative is the "volute" at the bend that many manufacturers use or have used (including Gibson at times-my Norlin-era Gibson Marauder has a volute AND a scarf joint on its maple bolt-on neck). However, since they're generally used to strengthen one piece necks, volutes probably don't help with the wood conservation issue.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
@@islander4986 ive got 2 norlins with volutes. Never once bothered me!
@TheChef470
@TheChef470 Жыл бұрын
I'm a bassist and I bought the 338 and their gold top LP. I swapped out the pups n the LP with Dimarzio's(PAF neck, tone zone in the bridge), locking tuners,roller bridge and an upgraded wiring harness.......for a little over $400 I'll match it up with it's Gibson counterpart. Sounds incredible. The 338 will be next : ) Best bang for the buck out there.......when will they make basses ? : )
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Very nice set up!!
@chesterburnett3466
@chesterburnett3466 3 жыл бұрын
Nice! I've got a Gretsch Streamliner Jr. that I'm thinkin' about selling, and getting one of these. What do ya' think?
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Never played the gretsch, but I know this ones pretty dang good!
@inthso362
@inthso362 3 жыл бұрын
I'm gonna get one. I'm hoping that incredible grain is not something they hand picked and sent to you because... well, it's you.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for thinking of me that way! But, i bought this as a regular customer. Never been in touch with FF at all. I definitely feel i got lucky with mine !
@bradleestone5344
@bradleestone5344 3 жыл бұрын
WAY better than the reviews where someone plays for 15min before they say even one word about the guitar.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Brad! Much appreciated. Hope to have earned your sub 🤘
@fongy200
@fongy200 2 жыл бұрын
I've only ever known of one Scarf joint failing but that simply came unglued. It was reglued, clamped and rubbed down with some sandpaper. After it wasn't visible. So they are a safe joint and you would be surprised at how common the practice is.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 2 жыл бұрын
Definitely not the issue that people make it out to be. Thats for sure
@fongy200
@fongy200 2 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci The Firefly's are a little difficult to get here in the UK, I'm also a southpaw, do these models come left handed? Thanks Steve.
@02ph91
@02ph91 3 жыл бұрын
awesome, thanks .. Steve Sterlacci replied --- "I haven't gigged it yet, but I will say it stays in tune over 4 or 5 days sitting on the stand in my living room. When I upgrade the pups and wiring I will be trying it out live"
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks man!
@ClarkW60
@ClarkW60 3 жыл бұрын
“No slipping in the bone” Sounds like my first marriage. :-/
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I thought the objective was to BE slippery in that case?! 🤔😅
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Oh, wait... i get the joke now 🤣😅🤣😅🤣
@walterpetronella1595
@walterpetronella1595 3 жыл бұрын
damn me to 😔
@dadevi
@dadevi 3 жыл бұрын
Same here. Glad it's over.
@thetruthisoutthere8598
@thetruthisoutthere8598 3 жыл бұрын
😆😆😆👍been married twice- that one busted me up ! Glad I wasn't drinking anything
@thelowmein9143
@thelowmein9143 3 жыл бұрын
Nothing against the instrument unseen, meaning I am not trying to prove a point or anything, but I’d like to see a review say a year or two years from now to know if the quality is still up. Has the wood warped or the electronics degraded etc.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely! I have heard from others having theirs 2 or 3 years. So far I haven't heard of any breakdowns
@JerryCastaldo_NYC
@JerryCastaldo_NYC Жыл бұрын
Good work, thanks.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci Жыл бұрын
Thanks Jerry!
@overdriveguitarchannel3403
@overdriveguitarchannel3403 3 жыл бұрын
Good video man. I have been curious about these. It seems to me the reviews online are all positive, but the couple of people that I know that have had one hated them.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
I believe they improve the specs every few months or so. I happen to have gotten a good batch. I see more positive than negative feedback. Thought itd be worth a try and I am glad I did
@JohnSmith-wd9rc
@JohnSmith-wd9rc 3 жыл бұрын
Maybe they need to have them set up? Even Gibsons and Fenders should receive a proper set up.
@overdriveguitarchannel3403
@overdriveguitarchannel3403 3 жыл бұрын
@@JohnSmith-wd9rc I'm not really sure, and I don't really have any opinion as I have never tried them, but these value brands rarely live up to the hype. I want to try one for myself
@pmvoice88
@pmvoice88 3 жыл бұрын
I love this guitar. I bought a red one early on in the frenzy but the price had already jumped to $149 and it was out of stock but I was diligent for 2 weeks until I could buy it. Now I've seen $300+ for used ones on Reverb, etc.
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
crazy that people are trying to flip them like that
@jerrym3261
@jerrym3261 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci They go pretty quick at double the price paid.
@JoePariseauMusic
@JoePariseauMusic 3 жыл бұрын
Yes, polish those frets!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
It will be fun!
@jerrym3261
@jerrym3261 3 жыл бұрын
@@SteveSterlacci I wish everybody had that spirit, much better than figuring in $200 for a fret polish.
@neiladdison4457
@neiladdison4457 3 жыл бұрын
Not watched this channel before. Enjoyed the vid. What amp did you use?
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much Neil! This is DI with my HX Stomp. No amp in the room, just studio headphones! Hope to have earned your sub 🤘
@tjstevens001
@tjstevens001 3 жыл бұрын
I agree, I've got one myself! I liked it so much I bought a second one!
@SteveSterlacci
@SteveSterlacci 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Tim! Glad you also got a good one!
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