Ace Pro SG Copy Mahogany

This is a review for a Sg-copy by Acepro, made in 2007. This guitar was manufactured in Korea, what is a little strange, because I always knew the cheap guitars by Acepro from China, but never heard about better stuff from Korea. It's also hard to find in the web. I got this thing from ebay and the dealer took it from the big musicfair in Frankfurt, Germany. So I guess this one was made just for the fair and Acepro is one of those manufacturers, that produce in many factories and puts different names on the headstock. Normally the Acepros are made of basswood. After i made my bid, I first felt a little mistrustful, that the seller was not telling the truth. But then he told me that it was just made in a different factory and is really made of mahogany. So I got this thing and I didn't expect much of it. The first reason for my bid was the sunburst finish, that is really hard to get in the pricerange around 300,- bucks.

When the guitar arrived, I was positively surprised. It's a real beauty with no flaws to see. The wood is really mahogany, so is the neck, that's set to the body. The tuners are not the best, but they do a good job and the guitar stays in tune. They look like Kluson-style tuners with that greenish vintagelook. Two humbuckers came with it. That was the point where I expected the reason for a low price. But again my mistrust was unnecessary and there was a decent tone I got from those. All in all I was pretty happy with that thing.

The most important point. First of all I have to admit that I will rate this axe reagrding the price that was about 300,00 Dollars or 220,00 Euros. And then I have to say, that I play mainly stonerrock what this guitar isn't the best thing for.
The sound is just what you would expect from s SG-shaped guitar. The mids are rich, good top end with smooth but cutting highs and a little less low end, what makes it just not the right thing for stonerrock.
When I first plugged it in my homeamp, what is a Hughes&Kettner solidstate Attax 80 with a 12" Celestion in it, it made me just smile. I couln't stop playing things like Iron Man or Paranoid and other stuff by Black Sabbath. It really nailed the sound with the gain turned half way up. The humbuckers do a really good job for this. The next step for a SG of course is AC/DC. Here I found the highs a bit too smooth for that typical Angus-Young-sound. But it's also the amp that's a bit lacking rich highs. The neck pickup is warm sounding but surprisingly clear. Not bassy or muddy at all. All in all the pups are medium output and so they nail that vintage rocktone really good. Later I switched the bridge pup against a Duesenberg crunchbucker (also reviewed) that made the tone better with a little more output and a more cutting tone. For rock this is finally a good guitar and considering the price perfect for those who don't want to spend the cost of a gibson or whatever.
For stonerrock like we play (deep!) with a guitar tuned down to B, the sound of this guitar doesn't give that full deep punch that I need. Here is what I do need a Les Paul or Firebird for. I need balls in my tone, that I just can't get out of a SG-Shaped guitar. It's too thin and lightweight.
I will rate the sound of this (unique) guitar now a 8-9 for it's pure rock tone (without the duesenberg it would be 7-8) and the low price I paid (220,- Euros for the guitar, 80,- Euros for the Crunchbucker= 300,00 Euros for a really good and beautiful rockguitar). But don't compare this to the chinese made things. This one is just a model for a tradefair and never was produced in series.

Because it was an exhibit on a fair, it's absolutely flawless. Some of the screws are getting rusty, but they can be switched easily. The action is what I like most, because the neck isn't one of those slim "I feel comfortable when i feel nothing in my hands" necks. I always could play fast enough on it but I'm not the smallest guy and so I like that the neck is a bit bigger. The frets are just fine and the finish is beautiful and flawless.

I don't have that guitar that long time, nearly a year. I did gig with it and I didn't need a backup. I mean, what should happen? A string could crack of course, but whatelse could be? An explosion inside the guitar? It suddenly falls into pieces? I never ever had a guitar that I wouldn't gig with.
This one was used pretty hard, I'm not the type of player that polishes his instrument after everey use, and it still looks good like the first day. Of course there is some oxidation on the screws and some scratches from my buckle on the back but it didn'n break or somethin'. Why sould it?

It was under warranty, but I never needed it. Never dealed with'em.

I play for more than 15 years now. Beneath that SG I also own a Japan-Sg from the 70s (Sekova -ever heard of it?), a korean Samick Flying V and a rare Ibanez Talman with three lipsticks. Right now I'm waiting for an Epiphone Firebird Studio, that will be my answer to the missing bottomend of the SGs. Both of them, especially this one, are made to rock and to rock harder. I really would love to keep it, but it will have to go, also the Japan one, because i can't afford owning that much guitars as a student. But again I noticed that I will never go for that much too expensive Gibson-stuff, because you can get a good tone from guitars that cost a fraction of the originals. Maybe one day, when I swim in money (haha) I will go for the six letters on the headstock and the 5-10 percent more tone for 4-5 times of the price I paid for this one. Considering the price this guitar is a straight 9, compared to an original Gibson it will easily keep the 7 (if it's a good Gibson! Not like that ****** Thunderbird bass my bassplayer got. Out of the box - back in the box)