Jamstik Studio MIDI Guitar review - 👍🏻 or 👎🏻 ?

My experience with the Jamstik...
I should have recorded some videos of the issues discussed in this video. But by the time I got to this stage I just wanted a refund and to return the guitar.
In summary I returned due to the build quality:
- pickup routing
- pickup buzzing issues (physical not digital)
- screws on guitar looked as though they had been adjusted/scratched/used straight out of the box.
- most importantly the MIDI tracking.
I will say the customer service was good to deal with though. Always makes me a little annoyed when it costs the customer money to send a faulty package back. But I guess it is what it is.
Strap lock video: • Save your cash and hea...
Jamstik help video: • Troubleshooting MIDI I...
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[@beyonddev4008]

Good review, I’m planning on getting a b-stock classic version on reverb cause I’m not a big fan of tuning headless guitars, only thing I would say about the review is to add more video content of you testing it out and showing some of the issues and sounds, other than that ROCK ON BROTHA🎸🤘

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Cheers mate wish it worked for me out of the box - a b stock version would be great and agree with the headless guitar 🤣

[@dmyers9230]

Ya, some of them do need a bit of setup, mine did, but now plays incredible and tracks incredible. Not too hard to do a setup if you know how to do a regular guitar setup. You need to use their desktop app showing signal strength and adjust the height of the string above the midi pickup while using a pick (which will give the sharpest attack and signal strength). You don’t won’t the signal to max out. All tools are included. Once complete picking, finger picking, hammer ons & offs all work. Fun guitar once setup. Don’t forget to adjust the humbuckers to your liking too. I picked up a b-stock and have not regretted it. We’ll worth the b-stock price, still worth the OEM price. The way I figure it, even my Fenders in or slightly above that price require a setup and this has way more tech at that price, so I kind of get the price point; but ya a better factory setup would be nice.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

In theory as a terrible keys player it was going to be a dream. Tried a few adjustments but I’m sure their desktop app has had a few iterations since I owned the guitar. Maybe I’ll try another one down the track. Glad you were able to make yours work.

[@batninja]

Excellent honest review. I’ve had midi guitars from Casio, Yamaha, JamStik, YouRock, Soonus I2M. There’s a few videos on my Batninja KZbin channel. They’ve all been disappointing in the end (although the YouRock and I2M were pretty good). I think a midi guitar is asking the wrong question really. The newer approach of using the guitar signal as an oscillator seems better and the Boss SY-1 pedal I just got works very well especially with a bit of reverb and delay added.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Thanks for your comment mate. Disappointing...is well disappointing. I'm not familiar with using a guitar as an oscillator so I'll have to look into that - cheers! Will check out your vids.

[@2free2snakes]

So I've just got this and been testing around, I've stumbled on the very same problem. The creator software prompted me to a firmware update but it's been a dic in the a. In a not fun way. I am going to test it some more with Studio 1 and Renoise, to see if I will keep it. There's good things and there's bad things about it, but mostly taking from this: you can get a better MPE device for a lot less money

[@sparedbygrace7490]

Thank you for the honest review . I appreciate you

[@pixxelpusher]

Unfortunate to hear this has been your experience as mine's been almost the opposite. Midi tracks amazingly well and have had no issues with connecting or playing it. Humbuckers are clean tone - no buzz. Sounds like you've received a bad version, should get Zivix to send you a replacement as it's the best Midi guitar I've come across in its price bracket. Coincidently I'm also in Aus and on a Mac (all firmware and software has been fine). Only thing I've noticed is one of the humbucker covers has lifted up a bit but doesn't seem to affect anything.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Damn :( Like I'm happy for you but I did want it to work so much! Glad you got a good one man.

[@pixxelpusher]

​@@JoelWilliamHarrison Yeah for me it perfectly fills that gap you described of wanting to play piano / strings etc but only having basic ability in that area. Jamstik makes it possible. I even find the guitar sounds in the midi list quite good after playing around with the filters, and shifting / editing the midi notes in post is quite cool. It's a pity it didn't work out, but if you ever get a chance to give another one a go it could be worth revisiting.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

@@pixxelpusher :( one day maybe I'll try their next upgrade.

[@Rome372]

honest and real. Thanks!

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Glad it was helpful mate 👍

[@michaelnervOus]

Sorry to hear. Informative video. I must have got lucky with mine also.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Glad you love yours and it works as it should mate!

[@michaelnervOus]

@@JoelWilliamHarrison thanks. hope you get reimbursed or at least a new guitar.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

@@michaelnervOus got reimbursed. Cost me $50 postage but it is what it is!

[@michaelnervOus]

@@JoelWilliamHarrison Think of it as a rental to ease the disappointment. they seem to be getting mixed reviews. I was in the first batch and my truss rod tool and csae look different than yours. Also have to check on the midi pickup but did not notice any wood cuts like yours. my frets were slightly protruding the neck this winter but once the humidity came back so did the smoothness.

[@_crepp8921]

Another good alternative is the Jammy midi guitar. I don’t have it but I hear It's good.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Will check it out mate, thanks for the heads up 🙌🏻

[@roy4286]

Thanks for this review I was looking for a recent video the Jamstik Studio and found your . i was hoping to find some info about updates that fixed some of the problems I was having with it similar to your experience . I have the Jamstik + that I like but just did not like the size . I have a Windows 10 pc my Jamstik Studio Guitar seems to have a power saving mode that causes it to shut off often that is very annoying . I wish it had a Jamstik + mode so it will perform like that does when I want it to. I am keeping it .I don't trust them to refund the money after they get the return. I will just do what I can till it shuts off. I also don't really like the usb cord made out porous material I could not see your cord very well but yours looked normal.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Sorry to hear yours hasn’t been great too. Cord was porous from memory.. not ideal

[@lachlangray8120]

This was my experience too :( maybe we’re unlucky. Some of my takes: A complaint of mine about build quality was that the fretboard came with scuffs on it, and also the frets aren’t all perfectly flush, so you can feel little snags sliding your hand around. Also the metal on the headstock wasn’t flush with the wooden neck on one side. Personally I hate the tuners. On mine it’s impossible to tune with your bare fingers and you have to use the little hex key thing, which is ridiculous IMO. I’m sure there are better designs that work with your fingers; the hex key makes this impractical as a live instrument. Finally the midi pickup. For some reason the height doesn’t seem to be adjustable. If it’s not tracking properly your only option is to lower the strings, to a point where the action is uncomfortably low, and also there’s some fret buzzing because of this. At least the latency is hood when it works properly. The idea was really good but it just wasn’t executed very well. Doesn’t feel like it was made for musicians. Hopefully there’s a better option in the future.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Sorry you didn't have an ideal experience either mate :(

[@roy4286]

Thanks for the response just tried to log into the website they don't recognize password gave them my email to reset or change that was 10 minutes ago still no response. Tried twice still no respose checked junk mail and everything.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

You’ll have to chat to their tech support for that sorry mate I’m not affiliated at all. All the best with it

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

i got mine and keeping it l0l i l0ve it. butt i did find y got t0 be 0ut the b0x kina y cant play it like a guitar player like no mute palm.

[@luisgonzales7730]

If you were to play guitar sounds how is it feel.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

Comfy enough mate - but not at the price point. I’d much prefer my Squier Classic Vibes

[@cmdkaboom]

Wow it's a poor musician that blames his guitar for his lack of playing skill. I own two of them and they're fantastic. You need to learn how to maintain a guitar and you don't need to learn how to do clean playing.

[@JoelWilliamHarrison]

I am very aware of my playing ability. I have guitars that work, this did not work as advertised. I wish it did. I wanted it to - but it did not. It’s a poor musician who leaves comments like yours with no videos of their own - feel free to post your clean guitar playing and maintenance tips - add some value instead of rubbish comments ✌️