Submitted by ukuleleph (see all reviews from this person) on 4/19/2010

Where Purchased: K-Mate online (Australia)

Year Purchased: 2010
Price Paid: 85 (Australian dollars) historic exchange rates / currency converter

Sound

I play the lapsteel like a reso. That suits this guitar well. I also like to bend the 2nd string to get a pedal steel effect; very easy on this guitar. I just use a cheap & nasty amp (Casino 15B). There is a very small buzz coming out of the amp, but you have to be trying to listen to hear it. Its not loud enough to worry about unless you were doing professional recordings. The guitar has a single volume & tone knob, but the sound still seems to be "tender" & rich.

Sound Rating: 8

Setup

Purchased this sight unseen from an Australian web site. It said that the retail price was $349 (Australian; about $330 USD). Also, the Karrera website said the same model was $295 USD. So to get it for $85 Aust. was an absolute bargain !. The action is nice.

Setup Rating: 8

Appearance

Its very black !. The only dislike is there are no fret markers. Very frustrating. I had to put stickers on the fretboard, but what do you expect for this price ?. Other than that, it looks quite slick.

Appearance Rating: 7

Reliability

Seems like it will last.

Reliability Rating: 7

Customer Service

This was shipped the same day, and received 2 days later. Ya can't argue with that !.

Customer Service: 10

Components

Seems all OK. My only doubt is that the nut is wooden; not steel. But for this price, I still think it is outstanding value for money.

Components Rating: 7

Overall Comments

A great buy. Feels great, sounds great. Looks great despite no markers on the fret board. Recommend especially for reso players who want to tinker with this great instrument (like I did. Now I am hooked, and an absolute fan). The ridiculously low price attracted me. I am very glad about that. Good value for money.

Overall Rating: 8