Brian Moore Guitars i1

HSH configuration, sperzel tuners, split humbuckers from seymour duncan, GREAT quality and design..

ok, here is the best part.. neck thru design for under 1000 euros, very good sustain, sweet harmonics, not harsh not brittle all around the fretboard.. Very playable, I played with A LOT of super expensive guitars, PRS, anderson, suhr, and even though all were great, this brian moore is very special and unique.. I love this guitar, it is my primary guitar for almost everything other than super high gain stuff that I almost never do..

You can just stand and look at it for some time.. Very beautiful, great top, great finish, only adjust the action to you liking and that??s it.. The wood quality is TOP notch and you can tell it from the first moment.. Plug into a good (tube) amp and feel the hair on your arms move :)

well, neck throu needs some special treatment, but it goes with the pack. Very well built guitar..

never had to deal with them..

Playing for 14 years semi pro, had a lot of stuff and lately using mostly high end stuff (vintage tube amps, high quality pedals).. This is a great match for all of that, GREAT sound... I would pay double the price I did for that guitar..

Very beautiful quilt top guitar, great finish, push pull seymour duncans, very flexible, GREAT..

This is a GREAT sounding guitar.. sound is overally very balanced, great bass and middle, didn??t like the treble in the high frets using the neck pickup but this was a matter of pickup.. I switched for a Duncan 59 splittable and it is a 10.. combined the humbuckers with the single one can get you very cool straty sounds, not a copy but great in its own right, fuller and cooler! I have played with 2500 and 3000 euro guitars, including PRS and Andersons and the way I setup this beauty, it is my personal preference over them.. Only use 10s strings with a bit high action and change the pickup to a 59 and it??s a different guitar..

I play mostly jazz funk, old school jazz, blues and latin jazz.. with the right amp pair this is a total 10..

all great, Brian Moore goods are of great quality and for the price you can??t get anything else IMO..

well, great till now, being neck through i would be careful but than i am with all my guitars..

never needed it till now

This is a ten for value for money.. definetaly.. it a pro guitar for the price of a crappy new series fender that will run away crying if compared..

This is a 2001, Korean made, 22 fret, Emerald Green made with Kalantas Mahogany model.

I play different styles of music, but this guitar seems very well fit for bluesy and jazz style playing. It sounds excellent as well for melodic rock. I can fingerpick with it quite easily, which is not always easy with electrics and the neck is extremely playable. It has a fatter sound than a stratocaster, with better sustain, and it sounds excellent just slightly distorted. I would say it is somewhere betweeen a PRS and a strat as far as how it sounds. It definitely has its own personality, but keep in mind this is not a hard rock guitar. You can push it to where it's nearly there, but it starts to become a bit shrill as you boost the gain more and more. I find myself using the neck pickup and out of phase neck/middle setting primarily. I run it through a Peavey Delta Blues primarily, but it sounds good clean on my cheap Behringer practice amp. The clean sound on the neck pickup would be enough on most guitars, but the JB at the bridge with the coil tapping is a joy to play around with as well. The bridge setting breaks up quite nicely with a small to moderate amount of distortion. It sounds decent if you push it further, but it starts to lose its low end. I don't use the middle single coil pickup much other than for an out of phase sound. It sounds very well rounded, and even slightly bright on the neck pickup.

I did have to lower the action slightly after receiving it. I haven't had to touch the pickup adjustments. The guitar was perfect in appearance and came new. I was never able to find the alleged blemish on it that it had been marked down for. The headstock takes some getting used to...after I switch guitars I frequently find myself going for the wrong tuning peg. It holds its tuning quite well with the locking tuners and the abalone inlays are gorgeous. I encountered problems getting the guitar to the right intonation on the third string, probably due to the unusually shaped headstock. I adjusted the saddle as far down as I could and still could not get this string to the proper intonation.

I have owned this guitar for a year and a half now. I haven't played in a band or live situation since buying it, but I have played it a lot. Comparing it to the Gibson Les Paul DC Studio I was playing before it, it has proven to be far more durable as far as the pickup selector switch, volume and tone knobs as well as the the coil tapping remaining consistent. The hardware seems as though it will last, although I do think I am in need of finding a better saddle. I have not encountered any issues with the plastic nut so haven't changed it to graphite. I did put Dunlop straplocks on the guitar, but make a point to do that with all my guitars since I do not ever want to drop one. It is very dependable and I could see myself without a backup. The only reason to use another guitar would be to get a chunkier sound.

I suppose I should contact them about the bridge, but find myself still enjoying the guitar immensely.

I have been playing for twelve years and have spent more money on instruments and gotten far less. I also own a 1985 American Standard Stratocaster which hasn't seen much daylight since I received this guitar, just because I can acheive so much more with my I1. There's also the Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway Studio model which simply does not compare to this guitar. I bring that one out of its case only when I want to play hard rock tunes, then go back to the I1 after a few minutes. There is a tremendous difference in how responsive and easy to play the I1 is. I love how smoothly the neck plays and even unplugged the guitar sounds very clear and picks up every nuance of my playing. I hadn't played this guitar in a few weeks and recently opened it up, then played it and admired it as much as the day I first got it. The only thing that I wish it had would be a standard graphite nut and a longer bridge.

This is a 2003 Ii made in Korea guitar by Brian Moore. 22 Frets; S/S/H pickup configuration, 5 way switch, 1 volume, 1 tone -- both push pull. The neck/body is made of mahogany, sperzel locking tuners and vintage tremolo.

First before I comment on sound, I had the stock nut replaced with a graphtech tremnut. Now I can wammy for days and it doesn't go out of tune.

The guitar sounds great, probably due to the combination of woods and the Seymour Duncan JB pickup in the bridge. I play through a marshall AVT150 with extension cab. This guitar sounds outrageous! I also own a couple of American strats and a wolfgang, but this guitar is my goto axe. THe pickups push the tube preamp in my Marshall and give me that wild crunch I love.

The neck and bridge pickups are coil tapped, which provides for a diverse sonic palette. You can achieve an excellent strat sound be pulling up the tone (bridge) tap. Also a thinner strat-like neck sound can be had by pulling-up the neck tap.

The electronics--meaning the switch and the taps--are a little noisy. But I play with a lot of gain.

The setup from the factory was not my thing, it was a little high and not very easy to play. I took my guitar to my tech and he re-radiused the the saddles beacuse the neck was 14 and not exactly 15 like it should be. Anyway now it plays like a wet dream, with easy pulls and fast action.

This guitar has held up nicely so far.

If you want a neck through guitar from brian moore, the only choice other than this one is an MC/1, which is about $4,000 USC. So that makes this guitar a viable choice. THe neck-through design makes this guitar resonate something fierce, it is truly a sonic wonder. Do yourself a favor and put a graphite nut on this guitar, it makes a world of difference.

If it were lost/stolen I would replace it. I wish they offered a blue color and made the guitar a little more macho looking. Other than these issues, you cant go wrong with this axe.

Features: 9, after graphite nut installed 10
2001 made in Korea, setup in USA.
Comfort contoured body
Unique scuplted headstock, Neck thru construction
Kalantas Mahogany body and highly figured maple top
Ivoroid binding all around 22 fret, 3 piece Kalantas Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard 25.5" scale 15" radius
Seymour Duncan Pickups with coil tapping, Alnico II neck humbucker, Alnico II middle single coil, JB bridge Humbucker.
Gold Hardware, Sperzel Locking Tuners
Vibrato
Innovative output jack location
Included was an extra tremelo spring, 2 allen wrenches
this guitar deserves a 10. I needed to have a graphite nut installed which was a double benefit... 1) no more tuning problems and 2)spaced the strings slightly at the nut which I felt was really crowded.

2 hums and a single coil. I love these pick ups I play a little of everything so an all around great guitar is whatI wanted and got.
The guitar has a nice variety of tone variations. With HSH pickups, 5 way selector and coil tapping you can get nearly anything from it. I needed to adjust the pickups... they were too far from the strings resulting in low volume.I get the nicest cleans and the raunchiest overdrives. Very versatile which is what I wanted.

Action is now beautiful,comfy fit and absoulutely like new beautiful! Perfect!I have needed to make a few minor adjustments (which I enjoy) to truly make this guitar mine. I think string action is very subjective so some tweaking will come with any instrument.
Pickups were set too low... see above. Once again subjective.
I have tweaked this guitar to a 10!

So far so good. I own numerous guitars and I think this one is a solid quality instrument!
I will always take a backup to any gig.
-1 for graphite nut install.

I am not the original owner but I called Brian Moore and told them I wanted to try bending my vibrato bar to make it more comfy for me and they sent me a second one to play with.
They seem like a great company offered to pay the $30.00 for the graphite nut installation but never did...-1

I have been playing 20 years and I can tell you this guitar is very well built. Since I practically stole it I am not deducting for the graphite nut it should have been manufactured with, instead I am rating it after my minor modifications...$30.00 for new graphite nut and technician fee, about 2 to 3 hours doing my own personal setup and a new set of strings...Glorius. A lot of attention to detail in the design and build of this guitar. I like this and the price was a steal. I think the graphite nut coupled with some attention did the trick and made this a 10. I didn't think I would like the vintage style tremelo, but with the nut fixed it stays in tune even when I rough it up...and I do something major! Great feel, balance and the design is awesome. Korean guitars can have nice quality and This beats anything that I've seen that isn't made in the US. It is the most expensive Korean guitar you can buy($1479 list, $899-999 in most stores, $550.00 was my price on EBAY. I got lucky with Tim from 2 reviews below. Who sold me a very fine instrument in perfect new condition that needed very minor tweaking.
What a deal!! Thanks Tim!

This guitar is a part of the i2000 seris and I believe mine was made around late 2001. It has 22 frets. A wonderful contoured body and a unique and eye catching headstock. The neck thru construction is one of my favorite freatures to this guitar. It has a Kalantas mahogany body, matching figured headstock. The ivoroid binding is a wonderful touch of class. It is a 25.5" scale 15" radius. Seymour Duncan pickups (their somewhat quiet) the great thing about this guitar is it's coil tapping. You can get a wide range of sounds from this guitar. Although I think there maybe a problem with the ground. The volume and tone knobs crackle (just alil but enough to bother) The output jack is carved into the back of the guitar and makes kinda hard to plug in, but looks great and hidden. The Sperzel locking tuners are by far the best I've seen. I tune the guitar everyday and its alway just one string off.

My style of music varies. Alternative, punk, classic rock, and just plan metal. I have a many boss pedals which I believe take the blame for my hums and bothersome noises. But the guitar alone pluged to the amp sounds real clean. The sound I would say is bright when using the "strat" coil tap. But like said before one can get a range of sounds with this guitar. This guitar is not limited to rock music, it can probably do anything you wish. So my only down to this guitar is the slight "pops" and "cracks" I get from the volume, tone knobs, and pick up selector switch.

The guitar was set from factory and still is. The action is fast and low. The pickups are doing just that, picking up so I left them alone. I've played both bolt-on necks and neck thru and I feel more confedent in the thru necks. I looked this guitar over up and down left to right and there was only one slight flaw. The ivoroid binding on the body was slightly cut too thin and left a tiny gap between it and the body. (no big deal, builds character)Other then that the finish is good. It looks like a fine piece of furniture in my room.

This guitar is solid. The hardware alone is estimated at about three hundred dollars. The finsh looks thick, ofcourse only time will tell. The strap buttons are a bit small but I just bought a matching small holed strap. This guitar is my primary guitar. I think the first thing that will ever go on this guitar before anything else is the volume and tone knobs. I don't trust the electronics in any of my guitars. They are just like cars and breakdown is gonna happen.

I can only tell you what I know. The warranty on this guitar is lifetime. It is not transferable, meaning original purchaser only. To be free of defects due to workmanship. They do not replace for neglect. Worn moveable part, worn finish ect. is not covered. Like any other warranty, they see to it their not taken advantage of. Since I've never had a problem I can't have an opinion on this catagory.

Along with this guitar I also own my soley metal guitar Ibanez RG-470. my classy Fender strat. Two marshall dsl amps, and numorous pedals. If this guitar was stolen I'd would buy another. Maybe even the next two models up. The one that does acoustic as well. The guitar looks and feels good. I love to play it and it looks good on you.

2001 made in Korea, setup in USA.
Comfort contoured body
Unique scuplted headstock
Neck thru construction
Kalantas Mahogany body and highly figured maple top
Matching figured headstock
Ivoroid binding
22 fret, 3 piece Kalantas Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard
25.5" scale 15" radius
Seymour Duncan Pickups with coil tapping, Alnico II neck humbucker, Alnico II middle single coil, JB bridge Humbucker.
Gold Hardware, Sperzel Locking Tuners
Vibrato
Innovative output jack location
Included was an extra tremelo spring, 2 allen wrenches and a cheap cord.
With all the attention to detail including locking tuners, it does seem out of place to have a cheap plastic nut. Minus a point for not having a graphite nut for tuning stability.

The guitar has a nice variety of tone variations. With HSH pickups, 5 way selector and coil tapping you can get nearly anything from it. The Alnico II humbucker reminds me somewhat of SD's '59. Coil tapped it has a little lower output and is cleaner than the Alnico II single coil. The JB kicks butt, it is my favorite bridge pickup.

Here is my problem area. I know the guitar is setup in the US, and included was a detailed checklist showing everything checked. I think that at one time this was indeed done correctly, but in a years time that the guitar was at the dealer it was way out of proper adjustment. When I tried out the guitar it wasn't ever tuned, first sign of neglecting shop. Intonation was way off, each bridge saddle was moved back more than 1/4". The tremelo was uneven from one side to the other, causing the action to be different comparing low E to high E. Nut too tight, catching B, G and D strings and causing tuning nightmares. After I set it up, with exception of nut which I don't have tools for, the guitar played much better. The build quality, fit and finish is flawless, this is a nice looking and feeling guitar. This is not a typical Korean guitar. It has many signs of higher quality standards throughout, things that no one else does that I know of or unlikely for an import. The control cavity not only had conductive paint but the cover was covered in copper foil. The control covers were held on by full size screws not those little tiny ones that everyone uses. May not seem like a big deal but a lot more solid. The output jack is tight and the type that has a solid "click" into place.Fit and finish of wood was without flaw. 1/8" quilt maple top is gorgeous, not a photo or a thin veneer. No fret buzz and properly finished and dressed. The electronics are cleanly put together and have no noise.

Action gets a 1 for the dealer
Fit and Finish 10
Based upon a carefully completed checkilst dated a year prior, I am confident that the Company set this up right. I'm not going to hold the dealers stupidity on the rating.

The guitar looks and feels solid. The nut needs adjusting. Definately built with quality.

I have no idea about the company. I don't trust the dealer to even set it up properly, I already did that myself. I'll have entirely different shop dress the nut properly.

I have owned and played over 12 guitars in the past year. Now I only play USA Jacksons (besides this), which are near perfect. This guitar is very well built for an import. A lot of attention to detail in the design and build. I like this and the price was right. I would have preferred a USA Custom Shop Brian Moore. But this was a good deal, spur of the moment purchase. Even with the setup issues it was worth it. I would have preferred a graphite nut and the headstock angle to be a little more. I think that both would fix the tuning issue. I also don't like the vintage styke tremelo, but until nut is fixed it won't hold tune with trem use. The strings pop constantly at the nut. If dressing the nut makes the tuning stable, then this guitar is a 10. Great feel, balance and the design is genius. A lot of companies (and guitar owners) claim that other brand Korean (import for that matter) guitars have nice quality. This beats anything that I've seen that isn't made in the US. Though, I think that it is the most expensive Korean guitar sold ($1479 list, $899-999 in most stores, $799 was my price on clearance), for that price you can get a Carvin, used or new-old stock USA Jackson. Fix the nut and it is still worth it.

Read my previous review for the features.

I have had this guitar for a little over a year and have played at open mic's and open blues jams about every other weekend, as well as at home 3-5 days a week.

I will start with the cons.

1. You can not get Strat sounds when you set the pickups to single coil mode. The single coil sound is much lighter than a Strat's. Some songs that sound great on my Strat just don't sound right on the i1.
2. You can not get Les Paul sounds with the humbuckers. Super heavy sounds are not in this guitar's repertoire. For example, I was in Mars a few weeks ago. They had a Washburn Dimebag something or other, and I plugged it in and played the intro to "Paranoid." Holy crap! That is a METAL GUITAR! Then I grabbed a Brian Moore i1 off the rack and played the same riff. After the Dime, the i1 sounded very weak (in defense of the i1, even Iommi's SG would sound thin next to the Dimebag).
3. The first time I changed strings I noticed that the cheapass plastic nut had burrs on it and was catching my G string. Do you realize how painful it can be when your G string hangs up on your nut?
4. The pots are noisy. I have sprayed them with contact cleaner, but they still crackle. If I turn the volume up and down several times just before I start to play, the noise goes away long enough to do Hendrix-like volume sweeps without a bunch of static.
5. The fretboard is a bit narrow for my large fingers, making neat open chords below the 5th fret a bit of a challenge sometimes.
6. Intonation below the 5th fret is very dependent upon finger pressure. Squeeze hard and go way sharp.

Now the pro's.

1. This is one of the prettiest guitars made. Every time I play out, even if I suck, my guitar gets lots of compliments from the other jammers. And everyone wants to try it out (I don't let just anyone play it).
2. It doesn't sound like a Strat or a Paul or a Dime or anything else. I recently wrote an instrumental using the i1. I think it sounds pretty good. I played the same song on my Strat, and it didn't sound right. The i1 has a knack for producing complex harmonics and unique overtones that are unobtainable on other guitars.
3. The tremelo bridge keeps the guitar in tune very well, even when deep dives and high pulls are repeatedly employed.
4. It is super comfortable. This guitar is very light and designed with good ergos in mind. The neck is just-right-thin. My Strat's neck isn't bad, but the i1 is thinner and faster without being too thin (like the way-too-thin Ibanez Wizard--those things could give you tendonitis).
5. The Sperzel locking tuners are a nice convenience and probaly help keep the guitar in tune under tremelo use.
6. Coil tapping is cool. The single coil sound is very light, and lends itself to atmospheric effects. I use the neck pickup in single-coil mode with chorus on "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Nothing Else Matters," and it sounds beautiful. The bridge single coil provides an incredibly thin sound. It isn't something that has a lot of applications, but sometimes I use it in a song intro and then shift to the neck humbucker for a dramatic contrast.
7. Last week I was at the jam at my local bar. A couple of guys were cooking on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." The guitarist who runs the jam asked me if he could join in with my guitar, and I let him. I sat back and listened as he took my guitar to places it had never been. It sounded awesome! Every once in a while you should treat yourself to letting a really good guitarist play your axe. OK, you ARE a really good guitarist, but there is always someone better than you, and hearing your favorite instrument in the hands of a master can be illuminating.
8. You really can play heavy stuff with this guitar, just don't do it immediately after playing a guitar that was designed specifically for metal. "Paranoid," "War Pigs" and "Iron Man" sound just fine in my basement.

It came very well set up and I keep it close to the factory specs. The action is low, the finish is awesome and the workmanship is top-notch throughout. I just don't know why Brian Moore didn't spend the extra couple of bucks on a graphite nut.

Never a problem in a year of use.

Brian Moore answers their e-mails promptly and politely.

During the last year I have uncovered a few faults, but this is still my favorite guitar. Some of my initial enthusiasm has worn off, but I don't see myself ever parting with this guitar. I bought it thinking that with its HSH/Coil-tapping ability it would do everything. I was wrong. But it does a lot of things very well, and it does its own thing perfectly. A better nut and quieter pots would earn it a 10.

Made in 2001. Manufactured in Korea. Comfort contoured Kalantas mahogany body with highly figured maple top in natural finish. Matching headstock. Ivoroid binding. Gold hardware. Neck thru construction. 5 way pick-up selector. One volume and tone knob. Seymour Duncan pick-ups in H/S/H configuration. Humbuckers are coil tapped giving 9 pick-up configurations. 22 frets. 3 piece mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard. 15" radius in 25.5" scale. Traditional Fender style tremelo. Sperzel locking tuners. Rear jack location. Beautiful finish!

I play blues, classic rock and original tunes. I play it through either a Peavey Delta Blues 210, a Crate Vintage Club 30 and a Sovtek Mig-50 into a Vintage Jensen 15" speaker. Effects are Dunlop 535Q Wah, Boss Tremelo, Marshall Blues Breaker and DOD Stereo Chorus. Having so many pick-up choices with the coil splitter makes this a very versatile guitar. You can coax many different tones from this guitar. The single coils lack the vintage Fender tones but still sound good. The middle single coil sounds the best. You can get some great Humbucker distortion and I like the neck humbucker in combination with the middle single coil. Very quiet guitar, even with alot of gain and distortion. If you are looking for true Fender tones stick with a strat. The neck thru construction gives this guitar great sustain. I do not have big hands so the thin neck makes it a very easy guitar to play.

The i1, although manufactured in Korea, was set-up at the Brian Moore factory in the US. The set-up was great right out of the box. I like the action a little high and that was the way I received it. No cosmetic flaws. It came through with 9's(strings) from the factory. I replaced them with 10's. In doing so the it became apparent that the grooves in the nut were too narrow for the first, second and third strings which muted the tone of these strings slightly. Easily remedied however. When I replaced the strings the locking assembly on the sixth string came apart but I was able to fix it. There is absolutely no fret buzzing at all. No rough edges. The guitar begs to be played and is hard to put down. The tremelo is very fluid and the guitar maintains tuning even with moderate tremelo use.

Appears to be a very solid guitar and I would trust it over the longhaul. All of the hardware and accessories are top notch. Quality finish. I replaced the strap buttons with gold tone Schaller straplocks. I would trust it without a backup.

I have e-mailed the company several times with questions and have had a response within 24 hours. Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I have been playing guitar for 32 years. I also own a Vintage 64 Gibson SG Standard, a 62 Re-issue Fender Strat and a Washburn BT-4Q. I sold a Fender American Classic Custom Shop Strat to purchase the i1. In addition to these guitars I have owned many others, including other vintage guitars. This guitar has become my main ax. This guitar was a steal at $719.00. I would definitely buy another if it was lost or stolen. It is an extremely versitile guitar and suits all of my playing styles. Short of lacking the true vinatage Fender tones there is little I dislike about this guitar. I would recommend checking it out!

I am not a bells and whistles kind of guy, but this guitar has lots of very usable features that make it extremely versatile. Starting at the headstock, gorgeous brushed gold tuning machines are mated to Sperzel locking tuners. The tuners are arranged in a manner that takes a little getting used to--two on top and four on the bottom. I'm getting the hang of finding the tuner for the G string on the bottom instead of on top. The headstock itself is fairly ornate, being two-toned and carved into a unique, scimitar-like shape.

The neck is thinner than older style guitars, but not ridiculously thin. For me, it seems just right. The neck is very smooth and the frets are nicely finished--no rough edges. This model uses a neck-though-body design which seems to work, as the sustain and tuning stability are excellent. The rosewood fretboard is fairly flat which suits my playing style well.

The top of the guitar is quilted maple coated in transparent emerald green. The polished gold hardware looks perfect against the green. A standard tremelo is fitted to this model, although a Floyd Rose is avaiable. I am very satisfied with the standard tremelo--it pulls back nearly has high and dives nearly as low as the FR, and maintains tuning just as well, too, without all the string change and tuning hassels.

The body of the guitar is mahogony, coated with transparent varnish so the beautiful grain can be seen.

Before I go any further, it may seem at this point that I really like the Brian Moore i1. I DO! Every time I play it I think "Man, I LIKE this guitar!" Compared to the extremely disapointing Ibanezes I owned for a short time (see my review under Ibanez S470QS), this thing is a godsend. So if I sound like a commercial for Brian Moore, it is because I am very impressed with the quality of their guitars.

Back to the features of the i1, the HSH pickup array is all Seymour Duncan. Both humbuckers are coil-tapped. When checking the i1 out in the store, I compared it in single-coil mode to a Strat, and it had all the brilliance of a good single-coil guitar. I compared it in humbucker mode to a high quality Les Paul copy and again it was excellent. No compromises.

Another unusual feature of Brian Moores is the output jack which is positioned on the back of the guitar. This takes some getting used to but now seems logical and natural.

This guitar makes my mediocre amp sound good. I mentioned above that in single coil mode it can hold its own with a Strat. That is not to say that it sounds identical to a Stratocater, but for my money it sounds at least as good. It has a very transparent, bell-like quality. In humbucker mode, it can dish out the hardest rock I can play and keep reasonable clarity, even at very high gain settings. The bridge humbucker is not annoyingly bright, but definitely cuts like a knife. The neck humbucker puts out a good, powerful crunch at high gain, and can sound very mellow at clean settings. It does a wonderful fattened up Hendrix. The middle, true single coil, does its job well, too. I use it mostly for older tunes, like beach music or Beatles, and as a substitute for an acoustic guitar.

I play mostly rock from the 60's and 70's--Beatles, Zep, Tull, Who; but I play some newer stuff as well--Foo Fighters, Chris Isaac. No matter what I play, I can find a pickup setting to make it work.

The factory finish is nearly flawless. There is a small area where the green bleeds into the red slightly, but otherwise everything is perfect. It was delivered to me without a scratch, expertly set up to my specifications by the shop where I bought it.

My only beef is that the volume and tone knobs crackle slightly when turned. That went away shortly after I bought it, but it seems to be returning.

The action is pretty low, but there is no fret buzz. This is due, no doubt, to the excellent job the shop tech did in setting it up for me.

Everything about this guitar seems very durable. I have used it twice at open mike night and it has served me admirably.

If I were playing a full gig, I would bring my Strat as a backup just in case a string breaks, but the locking tuners facilitate fast string changes.

I have had the guitar for about two months, and have had no need to employ the lifetime warranty. Brian Moore is a seven year old company, so they don't have a real track record of longevity. Hopefully, they will be around when and if I need warranty service.

I have been playing for nearly 20 years. I own a Strat and an old Yamaha acoustic. I play the Brian Moore through a Crate GFX30 with a Boss Blues Driver overdrive pedal and occassionally a CryBaby Wah pedal. This guitar makes my modest amp sound better than it really is.

This is my favorite guitar, because it is very versitile and plays so well. And it is pretty. Very pretty.