They Say This Is A Pro Level Guitar For $299

[@PhillipMcKnight]

After I did this video the company who makes this guitar reached out and said they are lowering the price of the guitar to $299 They also said they are going to work on improving the future runs to make the players experience better. My hats off to them for this response.

[@funfreq9282]

Ha probably clearing out the stuff they built. Seriously the main problem with this type or price point of guitar is the core materials they are using, moisture content etc… The adage of you get what you pay for comes to mind.

[@jeffrobodeenyehcmon5925]

That's good since the guitar came falling apart.

[@lorenmorgan1931]

Thinner neck and I would buy it, but anything over 19mm at that radius is just too much for my liking. At 16" it should be more like 18mm at the first fret. :)

[@anthonydavella8350]

Screw that Chinese garbage plus they steal all their ideas. Never trust a commie

[@noel3422]

Sounds just like an unplayable guitar no matter the price point, if you're interested in making a name for your company, while throwing your product out there then the only weapon you have is fit, finish, and playability out of the box, at that price point. Not just selling sub par product to per Capita buyers because the market is ripe.

[@BoyaAndZiqiOfficial]

This is Boya&Ziqi Guitars official. We have a limited time discount and the BZK-024 is now available for $299. Thank you Phillip for all the work you've done to review the guitar! We will take your suggestions seriously in order to provide players with perfect guitars. Boya&Ziqi is a new brand and we will continue to improve ourselves, for the sake of every player and for the sake of what we love, please stay tuned!

[@djuka7566]

Please focus on quality control,a lot of these cheap instruments have terrible QC.Raise the price but make it right!

[@BoyaAndZiqiOfficial]

@@djuka7566 We'll improve our quality control and pursue progress in each aspect, thanks for the suggestion!

[@Gene_Cali]

Thank you for your fine instruments, and for listening to us musicians.

[@ghalsor]

Very classy response. You took the suggestions, commented regarding making changes, and thanked the views and Phil for their feedback. This is PR 101. Well done.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

I'm not buying a guitar that needs that much work to be playable. I'd rather pay more and have it work from the factory. A guitar like that is the kind of thing that discourages people from playing. Fix the issues and get back to us. I haven't played them but from what I've seen in videos a Harley Benton is a better deal.

[@astarothgr]

I didn't care for the guitar, but what I MASSIVELY HAPPENED TO CARE FOR was the single spot-leveling technique! I have a guitar that's been giving me trouble with one high fret, and I'm going to use the DIY fret-rocker technique you demonstrated! Thanks for that!

[@peterjones4621]

I agree, Phillip has great videos on how to fix problems on your guitar yourself without having to pay out through the nose to a luthier.

[@YesuAiNimen]

Was the neck thick or thin? It kinda looks chunky in the video. Thanks in advance

[@timjenkins502]

I always like to take a rubber hammer and just tap a high fret, sometimes the fret is high because it's not sitting in all the way, has worked for me many times.

[@peterjones4621]

I'm hoping Phillip already did that but didn't show it on the video but that is a great tip, thank you.

[@elenbrandt290]

Thank you for the deep dive. I appreciate that you give a "cheapie" a fair analysis - both pro and con. In Phil We Trust!

[@Ksantipacat]

Firefly just released a couple of strat models with most of these features (ss ball end frets, roasted maple neck, locking tuners, modern heel carve, spindle tr adjust) for under $200 shipped. The frets are ball end and perfect. Worth checking out

[@justincase4925]

Firefly yes

[@mack56]

Fireflys do not have all these problems. I own 4 of them. The SS frets are awsome

[@kilofireb8584]

I fully support your choice of the Catalyst 60 for your affordable amp in these video's. I've had mine sense their release and still love it. Nice work as always Phil!

[@eddiejr540]

That Catalyst sounded really good…I’m looking forward to hearing more of that👍

[@brandonsever2576]

I'm no expert on tone, but I do wanna say that I bought one last summer and it's been rock solid. No issues at all, unlike my previous solid state amps from Fender

[@familiarpurrson8744]

​@@brandonsever2576Yes, they're very solid amps. I need to give mine more of a chance. I do wish the controls were on front. That's my only real complaint. I'm spoiled by my Katana artist.

[@justincase4925]

Every guitar should now have stainless steel frets. Hear that PRS?

[@peterbruno657]

I remember getting a cheap guitar when i was a kid and it sucked. Last week, my son picked up a cheap Epiphone and ut is awesome. Cheap guitars have come a long way.

[@danthegeetarman]

Your reviews are the best! Love the objective and geeky stuff. No stone left unturned! Thanks for all you do 🙏

[@Xaltar_]

This is exactly what I have been saying for a while now. Gibson in particular, including Epiphone, has been pumping up pricing while adding no real value. "Inspired by Gibson" on a $1200 Epiphone that should be $600 on the high end as if adding the Gibson name in the specs, case and paperwork somehow account for the $600 premium. The new Gibson "80's" explorer with no binding, wavy/rippled finish complete with polishing swirls that were never properly buffed out and "custom" pickups that are clearly price cut versions of the dirty fingers pickups they are imitating yet somehow they think it's acceptable to charge the same for it as they do the 70's model that has binding and better finish/appointments. I am sorry but Epiphones have no business costing more than $800 and that should be those signature limited run models. The "high end" should run around $600. Comparing to other guitars made in the same countries, possibly even the same factories, you are looking at $450 - $600 for guitars Epiphone (Gibson) are charging $800 - $1200 for. It's as if they think bumping up Epiphone prices closer to their Gibson standard lineup will make their prices easier to swallow. It really doesn't. Fender is better with it's pricing, particularly with the MiM and Squire models covering more of the market. Epiphone's cheapest "budget" offering is little more than a toy with a bolt on neck, cheap garbage single coils and specs that list a "solid wood" body because they are embarrassed to say they use whatever scrap they can salvage from the lumber pile to make them. To get any kind of set neck you are looking at $430 where $250 - $300 was the norm before. The Epiphone website looks like you took a time machine ride back to the 2008 Gibson website if you ignore the kids and trash "ultra budget" models. Don't get me wrong the "inspired by Gibson" models are great guitars, better than their Gibson counterparts in some cases but the value isn't there at those prices, not when the competition offers a lot more for a lot less.

[@gabrielescobedo3720]

Great video! This amp really helps this budget beginner guitar player make a more informed decision.

[@sh4rkbyt3]

Not much worse than a Fender or Squier lol.

[@chizorama]

Absolutely, so much better than guys making anything sound awesome out of their expensive amps, this is way more organic.

[@sh4rkbyt3]

@@chizorama Organic? Electric pickups, adjustable pots, then the amp. Nothing organic in the mix whatsoever

[@rjwontheloose9037]

I bet you the painter said "nailed it" after he painted it. Then high fived himself.

[@TheSavagederek]

I must admit , I actually like the paint job .

[@rbecker9679]

@@TheSavagederek I agree, It's a pretty cool looking guitar

[@kimseniorb]

I think it looks awfully tasteless. but thats more to the colors veneers choices

[@deeplyable]

Got so excited he forgot the frets and nut slot 😂

[@adhaskym.a9536]

😂hahahaaha

[@karioa2346]

Really cool to see the bar being raised to a more than acceptable standard for beginners or musicians on a budget! Thanks for sharing Phil!

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Let’s see, a summary of what you’ve pointed out: Frets have issues on the edges Action is high Truss rod loose Volume knob off Neck joint uncomfortable Crack on same joint No serial number? Nut needs work Frets need work What about that is “pro”? It’s neither pro nor beginner. A pro won’t deal with that, a beginner doesn’t know how to.

[@locochang6533]

You forgot the dog hair...

[@msh6865]

Exactly. Frankly, I'm having a hard time finding anything I like about this guitar. Even at $359 it's nothing spectacular. Certainly not "pro" level.

[@peterjones4621]

Fair enough but Phillips teaching me how to fix and even what to look for is invaluable for a novice like me. This was a great example of what to look for and how to go about fixing problems yourself. I have have 8 guitars, 4 of them are used, I'm going to look at the potential problems on all my guitars now that I know what to look for to see if I can find any problems and see if I can fix them using videos on KZbin. I don't have money issues at all, I'm just terribly bored and need something to do.

[@MrStradia]

Pretty decent if you don't mind doing an hour or two of setup and cleanup work. Seems they skipped a lot of the setup and final inspection tasks.

[@DudeMcGuybro]

That seems to be where a lot of these budget brands cut corners, I bought a harley benton and it was the same deal. Mine showed up with wet paint and a bowed neck. I returned it... lol

[@joshbittner]

Seems like with these affordable guitar, you gotta add in an extra $70 for a setup. Still a pretty good deal and competitive with entry level Ibanez and Schecter

[@lawrenceashworth7668]

I’ve just started building electric guitars as a hobby since I’ve become disabled and I’ve picked up a lot of tech tips from you from watching your channel . Is there any books in particular I could pick up that I could refer to to help me a long my way of learning new techniques ? I built some back in high school back in the 80s and hadn’t touched one for over 30 years then just decided to start fooling with them again. Already have sold 3 . I love watching your channel! I don’t play real much but I sure love making them . Keep the videos coming.

[@TheRealDealBobbySteele]

You should film your builds I would watch there’s a few guitar build channels I watch I can’t get enough of them.

[@Russell_Optics]

Your reviews are by far the best !! At this price point I expect to do some fret work and a good set-up, but I have all the tools and do that myself. The 5 piece neck looks great, but too thick for my preference. The pickups sounded good enough, but the coil split was weak. Looks like a lot of nice features for the price if you don't mind doing the work. I was just looking at the West Creek double cut for my next project guitar.

[@Gene_Cali]

The poor sock was brutalized! 😋 I always enjoy these deep dives. Thanks for your attention to the details! KYG Rocks!!

[@TheSavagederek]

I'm at the minute torn between the Catalyst , the Katana and the Black Star Debut . The guitar looks great , probably the same as a Harley Benton Fusion , and if you get a good one , they are excellent value given the feature set . Sadly the QC is hit or miss , but at that cost , you can fix it up yourself , or take it somewhere to get it set up properly .

[@wholelottalev]

The point you make at the end about the bigger brands needing to step it with more features is bang on. It's why I went with the Sire S7 instead of a Fender player strat (S7 £200 cheaper and with some of the features only a player plus has, and that's £800-900!)

[@roncarter2188]

As soon as I get a guitar or get one in my hands that has sharp fret ends-it's kind of a turn-off, the looks of it are nice but play ability is what's important. Great video anyways, thank you.

[@adam3839]

Pretty nice. But I'd probably look for an Ibanez or Jackson in the price point. Actually, I bought a Yamaha Pacifica 300 series for one of my kids around that price point that is quite impressive.

[@misteress3840]

Love my Yamaha. The neck’s so comfortable. Looks cool. It’s my thumbnail. I’ve had my Pacifica 311 after 8 or 10 years. Eventually put in the SD pups that came in the 611 (P90 and PAF) and it sings. Later put in an Evertune which works wonderfully. I have some “nicer” guitars now but still play my Yamaha a lot. Even named it (Moxie). That being said, tried the entry level Ibanez and Schecter’s recently and they’re really nice. I have midrange Schecter (Nick Johnston HSS) and Ibanez (Nita Strauss) they’re terrific. Been lucky 🍀 because I listen to Phil and my fave shop’s manager (Pitbull Audio).

[@Barnabus007]

I'm not telling you anything you might not know, but I'd consider adding a few hundred and finding a used Carvin. They are criminally underrated in my opinion, and if you haven't tried one I genuinely recommend you do.

[@msh6865]

Can't argue with the choice of Yamaha. You always get a lot for your money with a Yammy. I own a couple early 90's Pacificas and wouldn't trade them for anything.

[@adamburger858]

Great vid as always brodda. You are right about how other companies need to step up their game now. I think a lot of people aren't even going to consider buying a guitar these days, unless it has stainless frets and other modern features that are pretty much the norm now.

[@Olyxes]

I can finally play my pro-level chords from unison audio

[@thebaldshredder]

I reviewed this same guitar a few months ago (in the other color). A lot of premium features for this price. I like this company. The headless guitar is also very good.

[@GTruck0]

Oh hey bald shredder!

[@john.galbraith]

Nice video Phil. I really like the video format, as you are inserting the tech tips and quick how-tos along the way. Thanks!

[@yuuchi4683]

that clean tone bridge does not sound like a average bridge, too muddy, sounds like a mid pick up. but man, that coil split bridge with overdrive sounds so good.

[@DaVinci0963]

My less expensive Ibanez, from a couple of years ago, had the same issue with the frets. The cable input needs some minor work too. The guitar sounds good and is good to play. I still need to get to the input, it's on "the list". It's due to get maintenance in the fall at a musician friend's place when we upgrade all our guitars on the lower price scale. He's done these things before and will supervise me. Thanks to you and your videos I'm anticipating total success.

[@mattj6676]

I love the idea of companies making playable cheap guitars for beginners to start with, and keep them from getting frustrated because the equipment is impossible to play well. You can see, though, how they can sell it for $300 when you consider it would need a few hundred bucks to bring it up to the standard of some of the more inexpensive but traditionally "good" brands would already be, likely because they're putting that labor into the setup at the factory. If you have the skills and desire to learn to do this yourself, it's a great way to add value to your own instrument! You also can't overlook the markup those traditional brands add to their equipment because there hasn't been much alternative at a lower price. They'd better be on watch!

[@norseman61]

Yet ANOTHER workable Amazon guitar. West Creek is another brand that Amazon carries, and they’ve got these beautiful DC LP Jr clones that look pretty decent. Maybe check one of those out in a future video? Thanks for the great content!

[@cdavidlake2]

Yes on the West Creek! Would love for Phil to check it out. I think they might be the next Eart.

[@norseman61]

@@cdavidlake2 Hopefully they stick around for a while. These Amazon brands seem to come and go like the tides!

[@ifxman]

I bought a Rogue from SW for $75usd, delivered, and did a complete setup in an evening and it has become one of my favorites to play.

[@TheMattJacks]

I have an Ibanez custom. All black. Black pegs. Mahogany fretboard. 24 fret. EMG 85 on the neck and 81 on the bridge. Custom knobs for tone and separate volume knobs for each pickup and a 4 switch. Bridge, neck, both, then just the bottom half of the neck pickup and the top half of the bridge. $600.

[@tiagoramalhais5493]

I really appreciate that you now provide inductance values for the pickups, for me is a much more useful value to determine the character of a pickup rather than resistance

[@misubi]

Looks just like an Ibanez RG model.

[@RJcoolray]

when I started playing 62 years ago I had a silvertone with the amp built in to the case it sounded a lot like this guitar.

[@biviter]

That tremolo buddy is genius

[@killacoiler1707]

It is nice to see more companies popping up that offer a well featured guitar at a more budget friendly pricepoint. If the base structure of the instrument is good these are a way to start building your custom gigging machine without spending your kids college fund for a custom shop rig from top tier manufacturers. I used to be a brand snob turning my nose up at anything that did not say Fender, Gibson, Guild, or some other made in the USA branding on it. As I matured so did my understanding that branding does not automatically equate to far superior craftsmanship. I have had a few Japanese made instruments that blow American made away and came in at less than half the price. I have also come to realize that I never leave anything stock so it is pointless to pay top dollar when I am going to basturdize it which devalues the resale later anyway. I have hotrodded a couple Harley Benton guitars that cost 200ish and put about that much into them in aftermarket parts to make them suit my taste. Then ironically, they play and sound the way I want for less than the cost of a bone stock mid tier Squire or Epiphone. Off-shore brands have come a long way in the quality of construction over the last decade and while there are still subpar offerings there has been an uptick in quality constructed and appointed instruments that are still very affordable.

[@ScottSilverstone]

I appreciate your honesty here.

[@masterbeaver]

I personally don't think that uneven frets are acceptble at any price point. It's fundamental to the thing actually being a working product.

[@chrisa1125]

I would prefer solid colors instead of what looks like a crazy photo copy of bubbly blues and browns, etc. Just a solid white, black, maybe seafoam green or aqua blue. Just my opinion.

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

nice ax and nice demo and phil i owned my own shop for 5 years 1998-2003 thank you buddy

[@SebastianZub]

@Phillip McKnight Looks like a good guitar, I might take it in consideration on my next purchase. But Phillip, isn't a issue that crack on the fretboard at 11:09? From here looks like a big one :)

[@ltgray2780]

Can't go wrong with Shijie.

[@JamieLynnMorris]

Great Info! I'm learning so much. 😊

[@gtr1952]

Good on the Mfg. for the reply!! For those of us interested in learning how to 'mod' a guitar, that is an excellent starting point! 8) --gary

[@CA10Z]

Pro Level? Didn't get to you that way....Thanks for the honest review.

[@waynebake1123]

I've heard that having roasted and non-roasted woods glued directly together causes some kind of reaction that is bad long term. I have a Fender rarities Tele that has a roasted walnut back and unroasted maple top with a plastic layer between to separate them. IDK if this guitar would have some long term issues with the neck due to the construction.

[@JerryDechant]

You are very thorough with your reviews. Thanks. :)

[@ericbgordon1575]

It looks like one of several models that fascinated me when I began learning to play in 1995. It's the kind of model I might have run for back then, only I was a little bit chauvinistic about favoring Fender.

[@PoXFreak]

Dude, the neck pickup sounds "dead" in either full or coil split, but the cleans from the bridge just scream "let me out", as proven while you're playing in overdrive after cleans. Personally, this guitar would benefit from a stacked 8.5 Fender single coil in the neck, coil split or even a couple 4.5 alnicos in "side by each" mode (series) for a more srv style tone. After the luthier gets done fixing fret sprout and intonation issues, this could be a monster player.

[@matthewglazier]

So, since I don’t set up guitars, this is more like a $700 guitar after it gets fixed?

[@abunai.j]

I agree with bigger brands needing to step their game up in the face of these smaller, unknown guitar manufacturers putting out far more affordable and comparably-QC'd guitars. Filing down fret sprout and spot-leveling a few frets doesn't seem like such a big deal for this $350 dollar guitar when I just had to do the same process on my $1,300 Ibanez RGD recently, which arrived with not only fret sprout and high frets, but a nut that fell off in transit and also needed filing to intonate correctly. And while I love Ibanez, this is typical for their Indo-made stuff below the Premium line in my experience. It's not a massive deal for the folks who know how to do this sort of maintenance on their guitars during arrival/setup, but a handful of years ago before I started learning how to fix frets and nuts in general, I'd have had to send these guitars back or shell out another couple hundred to have a tech fix what should've been noticed and repaired at final QC.

[@davewebb9452]

Sold! On the Catalyst Amp.

[@briansimpson8116]

Phil, no need to apologize for not making adjustments in the "playing" position. I follow about THIRTY Luthiers/Guitar techs. Only one does that. It's about as necessary as saying "price point" instead of just saying "price". Same result.

[@trev_mcnaughton]

that truss seems to be the thing that stands out for me on such a budget guitar. I really like the colour and looks like they're targetting fans of the ibanez stuff. It just looks chunky tho, and needs to be sanded down. Nice to see more affordable alternatives to the same old stuff.

[@mikal]

This paint job looks exactly like a factory standard paint job that Westone used in the 90s. I'm guessing they were used as inspiration.

[@peterjones4621]

Phillip, as usual very well presented information, I'm going to look up your past videos on doing fret work and other luthier work to save some money. You are a wealth of knowledge, I really enjoy your videos, thank you, take care Phillip.

[@asmongoldsmouth9839]

I love the Ibanez RG body style

[@Horseheadbookendz]

Bro level guitar

[@heavybrett-al4082]

That headstock reminds me of a Samick warlock copy I had in the early 90's....loved that dam thing.

[@picksalot1]

Why not tap the high fret down with a fret hammer? I would guess all the slots were cut to tbe same depth. 🤷

[@adamkempa5157]

Thanks enjoy your review and playing

[@spookshow6999]

It's pretty. It looks tie dyed. It doesn't sound bad.

[@ellsworth1956]

I do not know if it is just the way I play but I have noticed some nuts are quite edgy and will actually hurt my hand while play up near the nut. Easily fixed with a file.

[@HiThereFaceHere]

I have that exact catalyst and it's an incredible amp. You can get that thing thing sounding mean if you want and beautiful

[@Dobermanator]

Looks near exact to an Ibanez RG421

[@raymondbarreras8153]

That’s gorgeous, like my friends Eart superstrat. That Eart he has possesses the same eye candy as guitars costing 3X as much.

[@jonnylawless6797]

That trem buddy is genius

[@deeplyable]

Always a good day when i wake up and see phil has a new video uploaded! ❤😊

[@bradhienzachary]

Seems any guitar is good after a setup! Would love to learn this!

[@fongy200]

I counted 7 pieces on the Neck Phil. I was counting the pieces on the Headstock.

[@rexdarvog]

Honestly, the guitar would be fine to play professionally once it was sorted out, it certainly wouldn't be my choice of gear but if a band like Spilknot used this guitar to record with I'd still listen to their album. There's nothing wrong with any guitar if both hardware and construction have what you need to play in studio sessions, only when it isn't playable or doesn't sound the way you want it should you consider something different. Now that Line 6 amp sure sounds like it's for professional use, I'd sure like to get one for myself.

[@deeplyable]

The pro level at 350 is the musi virgo!! But yes bigger brands i think are going to hurt when someone rich takes the time to go big and lose a lil money, or alot just to prove a point 😅 but im happy with my lyx pro strat and jr jet gretsch bass.

[@scottstanley8370]

Waiting for the eart DMX-10 guitar review. Saw this one on Amazon. Thanks for the good review

[@haz9472]

i really like that coil split tone

[@ingonowack3839]

Hi Phil! Considering the cost of $ 360,-- for the guitar and approx. another $ 250,-- to put it in a condition that one would eventually hope to get, the question needed to be asked is: wich guitar is recommendable at a price of $ 600,-- to 610,-- without having to seek the help and work of a serious luthier? Greetings from Germany!

[@MeTuLHeD]

This review teaches an extremely valuable lesson - a cheap guitar ain't cheap.

[@gw2031]

One aspect rhat is a deal breaker for me is neck droop,,it would be great to stand using a strap to show if the neck sits in a position that doesnt require you to take any weight on your fretboard hand,hope this makes sense ,,thanks Phillip.

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

Funny thing, and in a way this video seems to show it; for some measures I prefer the imperial numbers (scale length, radius), for others I prefer the metrics (nutwidth, action).

[@Am_I_really_not_really_I_AM]

My past self from 1983 time-traveled to the present to say ..."That guitar put the 'FUG' in FUGLY!"

[@joesbanjointerests9281]

Time for mom and pop shops to come back

[@1minutecomicswalahollywood648]

Hello Phillip, I am a new subscriber.

[@jeffhershberger]

You had no problems using standard fret tools on SS frets? Interesting.

[@chucklee347]

I dont know about that guitar. But what i do know is firefly guitars are 200 dollars give or take 25ish dollars. And yes every now and then one comes out with a few problems for the most part they are great guitars quality playability and tones. Stainless steel frets full size pots gotoh tuners.only thing ive noticed someone may want to replace is bridge other than that anyone could leave it as is after setting it up take it to a gig. And your set.

[@creationinspired200]

That guitar is ironically perfect to the silhouette you use in your branding phil another cool guitar though! And another fantastic video! 😊

[@guydelorme8641]

Good tips and advices👍

[@dlmyrs]

Nice review and comparison to other brands. And thanks for all the tips!

[@charlesharper7292]

Beautiful fret board. Body color is a bit loud for my taste. Think I'll check em out, and see if they have options. Thanks!

[@miaouew]

I want that N4 on the wall!

[@rangerdoc1029]

Good bones. If you know some maintenance, it looks like a great platform to rework.

[@akwamarsunzal]

Love the birdseye, hate the colour! I think they are going to have a hard time in this super competitive price market

[@jadensmith4978]

This guitar reminds me of the Subzero Gen Pro FR. It's Gear4Music's in house brand and is their 'Professional level guitar'. It seems to have some more bells and whistles and in my opinion could be an all arounder. You could review the Subzero guitar and then compare them as they are very similar looking and at the same price range. Still a good video though.

[@ACoustaDC]

That''s a beautiful paint job.

[@mykneeshurt8393]

I totally don't, know my gear. But I do love your videos.

[@richardnolan3903]

When I clicked on the link, it came up, listed at £739 ( $924 US)

[@stevebergeron7583]

Hey Phil! Love your videos, they've really help me setup some guitars I've put together that needed help like this one! Here's an odd question for you... I saw you're 57 had your name on it that looked really professional. How'd you do that??

[@yellowcat1310]

bridge pick up sounds good

[@victorstone9051]

They should have a beauty trim around the pick ups, would look cleaner and not cost much extra, just saying:)