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Pros:
- Incredibly Affordable
- Great Value
Cons:
- Tuning Stability Issues
- Laminated Tonewoods
The world of hollow body guitars rarely permits a hollow body guitar to be cheap and well made at the same time. This is the result of the highly complicated requirements imposed upon the manufacturer by the concept of a hollow body guitar. After all, this type of guitar requires a lot of correct design and planning. So let us take a look at the rare, affordable specimen among the multitude of hollow-body guitars and see whether it lives up to the standards of good guitars.
Body Quality
The design of this instrument is simplistic and yet in this simplicity, there is nobility that anyone can find enjoyable. The guitar has a simple, double-cutaway at the neck, giving it a classic hollow body guitar look. The top of the guitar is flat, with two f holes at each side of the guitar. The rounded bottom of the guitar finishes off the shape into a rather enjoyable shape. The solid colored versions are definitely lovely looking, but the sunburst model has a much more classic vibe to it.
The body of the guitar is constructed out of maple, including the top, sides and the back of the guitar. This allows the guitar several lovely qualities that I am sure anyone is capable of appreciating. Specifically, the sturdy nature of maple gives the body of the guitar a long lifespan without issues with dents or scratches. It also provides some wonderful tonal qualities for the instrument. The maple acts as a great resonator with the high tones and mid tones produced by the guitar, creating a bright, energetic sound.
The neck of the guitar is constructed out of maple as well. This single tonewood choice allows the instrument to have a rather positive sound, with a strong neck to boot. The resistance to warping, as well as denting and scratching, allows the guitar to have a longer lifespan than expected of instruments this cheap. The neck of the guitar is set through the body, as is often with guitars of this style. The fingerboard of the instrument is made out of rosewood.
Hardware
The guitar comes with a classic tune-o-Matic bridge system. This allows the instrument some nice action, as well as string stability that will be appreciated by most musicians.
The nut of the guitar is constructed out of a cheap plastic material. This results in the guitar not having the cleanest sound, but fortunately, we have some nice humbuckers installed on the instrument.
The tuning machine of the guitar is designed to fit well with the rest of the instrument’s design. The tuning stability could, unfortunately, use an upgrade. Still, nothing to worry about too much.
Electronics
The guitar comes with a dual humbucker setup. Located at the neck and the bridge of the guitar, this setup allows the instrument some great feats of musical prowess. The two Washburn humbuckers are powerful in their output and rather detailed in their sound. They do a great job of balancing the high tones of the maple with the basses. Great pickups for a good price.
The guitar comes with a basic control scheme. The player will get the chance to fiddle with two individual volume knobs and two individual tone knobs.
Oscar Schmidt OE30 Sound
The sound of the guitar is so much better than you would expect out of a hollow body guitar this cheap. It is extremely versatile, lending itself easily to rock and roll and jazz equally well. The output of the sound is strong, the range of tones available for play is great and the sound is very nuanced and clean.
Conclusion
This is a guitar designed to impress anyone just starting out their hollow body guitar career. Covering most of the basics and a little more, it is bound to be a lovely instrument for any beginner or otherwise.
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