Brownsville IT170-TBN

Not sure what year it was made , no serial number visable , I've owned it since 12-07 , bought new from sam ash . Made in China. 22 frets on a maple neck/rosewood board. Body is made from a solid chunk of wood , spieces unknown(see thru paint on back) , It looks as though it has a quilt maple vaneer top with cream body binding , could be just a digital paint job , like my OLP Coffin Crypt Custom. 1 volume 1 tone knobs 3 way toggle switch . Dual passvive zebra humbuckers in a tele style package . For the price I paid , it surprising the quality of hardware it came equipped with . Metal knobs , switchcarft(look alike) input jack , tume o matic style bridge , string thru body , tuners are kind of cheap with plastic covers , but work amazingly well . I'm ashamed to say it has the original strings it came with (5-7 hours a week playing) , but it stays in tune for days , and sounds so good . 25.5" scale it also came the hex key to adjust the truss rod . Not much on features just your basic import "in the sytle of" guitar .

If you heard this guitar and how awesome it sounds , you would not believe the price it sells for . I mostly play metal , and this guitar does the job quite well , just doesn't look "metal" . I mess around with clean sounds here and there and the neck pickup , but 99.9% of the time the switch stays in the bridge postition . I play it live with a A/B switch to a Carvin SX200 and Hartke GT100C (2 2X12 combo amps) , at home I use a Digitech RP80 headphone out running into my PC to record with . The sound and tone of this piece wood just blows me away .

Out of the box this thing has performed very well , and the action even thou a little high is great(I'll adjust it when I put new strings on). The only issue I have with this guitar , is the paint is wearing off on the bridge where I rest my hand . It actually looks like the string saddles are made from copper or some other red metal . For a cheap import guitar it's held together remarkably well , it was bought as just a beater guitar . I diffently have gotten way more than expected .

I play it live , dead , abused , in the comfort of my home , anywhere. I don't expect it last a lifetime , but it looks as if I could 10 years use at least out of it(with the proper care) . Nothings broken off in my hand , pots aren't scratchy , no loose pick ups , The only thing I could see replacing would be the tuners and nut.

For the price I paid , I doubt there's much customer support . If you look Brownsville guitars up on the net , it takes you to Sam Ash , but at 1 time they were on the Samson electronics site .

I've been playing off and on since I got my HondoII Les Paul copy at age 13 , I am 38 now . Over the years I've played big name guitars and not so big name guitars . I would have no problem using it live or in the "studio"(infact I do). Granted it doesn't have the american made quality , but I'll give the factory workers who pieced it together a 10 and the instrument itself deserves a 7 and a half . If it got lost or stolen I'd mourn a day or two , remember the good times we had , and move on to my next beater .

Tele style body, glossy contoured top, black hardware, dual zebra passive humbuckers, tune-o-matic bridge, string-thru body, angled 3-piece satin maple neck with rosewood fretboard, medium/jumbo frets, dark brown finish, quilted maple veneer top, basswood body, cream binding, mini-pots, volume knob, tone knob, 3-way switch and covered tuning pegs (that work surprisingly well).

Made in China

I play prog rock, ska, jazz, punk and folk. The Brownsville handles these genres without breaking a sweat. It has a rich/full sound... particularly on clean settings. It can also do a passable Les Paul impression when distorted, but clean is where it really shines. The bass-mid range is surprisingly tight and powerful, and the highs sound bright and clear without being icy. For a dual-humbucker guitar, it is quite versatile, with no hum or feedback. If I want to upgrade the sound, I'll keep the pups but change the mini-pots for something more substantial. Sounds very good, and I'd put it up against any guitar.

No rattles, buzzes or hums. Neck is straight, and the frets are smooth. Set-up was pretty good from the factory... intonation was only slightly off. The action is medium, fast and playable. The controls operate flawlessly. The tuning pegs function smoothly and stay put. The binding is nicely done, and the body is generally well finished. The neck finish, on the other hand, is relatively poor... they missed and/or over-sanded a few spots. especially on the sides of the headstock (granted, it's not noticeable while playing). Also, one side of the internal routing for the controls is slightly off-center, making one of the 4 screws holding on the back cover easy to strip because it is so close to the edge (this flaw is not noticeable unless you remove the cover). The electronics look nicely soldered, and nicely put together. In summary, the fit and finish may not be perfect, but it's solid where it really counts.

This is a simple hardtail guitar. If I had to gig without a backup, I'd use it without hesitation. Everything is solid and rattle-free. It should be durable... though I've only had it for a few weeks.

I've been a Sam Ash customer for over 13 years. My experiences with them have been positive. However, if something fails on this guitar (which I don't anticipate happening anytime soon), I'll just repair it myself... because I like to do that sort of thing.

The Brownsville (Sam Ash house brand) IT170-TBN is an incredible instrument for the price. I even played it beside the most expensive PRS in the shop, as a kind of joke, but they sounded virtually identical... which is kind of scary. Granted, my Brownsville is no PRS in terms of quality etc, but the sound and playability are in the same league. (Maybe this one is a factory freak?) It also stays in tune for weeks of 2+ hrs of practice per day, even after lots of bends, accidentally bumping into walls etc. What more could I ask for in this, or any, price range?

I've been playing guitar on and off for 10 years, trombone & piano for 20 years. I've played with, and written music for, several local bands. I bought the IT170-BTN for recording sessions and occasional open mic nights. It fits the bill nicely.

If lost or stolen I would replace it with the same. Though its finish may not be perfect, it plays and sounds like a much more expensive guitar. That deserves a "10".