Daisy Rock Guitars Retro-H

for the price, very nicely equipped

used with a marshall valvestate 2x10, sounds nice, bright. have a schecter C and an epi LP, so i have something to compare it to. relatively unique sound

mine arrived very well set up, no noticeable flaws. the f-hole is a bit rough inside, but i prolly shouldn't be sticking my fingers in there. frets well dressed, neck very nice, very light action

it's a semi-hollow, so for it's category, it seems to be relatively strong. i won't compare it to a solid body, cause it's not! the finish is kinda blingy, so that might not hold up to abuse.

very nice, i just called to see if i'd end up with someone from india or indonesia on the line. had it for over a year and haven't had to actually use the customer service yet, since i've had no problems with it! it lives in a hard case (coffin case) when it's not being played, so it's protected.

own a martin, a schecter, an epiphone, a yamaha. my dude owns a schecter bass, an esp bass, and a ibanez bass. he likes this axe almost as much as i do

Two mini humbuckers affixed to a semi-hollow, bound, basswood body six stringer. Two piece, slim, 24 3/4 scale maple neck with medium frets. Grover tuners, wraparound bridge, volume knob for each pickup and one master tone knob. No case or gig bag included.

This is where the guitar earns its keep. As most have already commented, the bridge pickup is bright and rings nicely. The neck pickup is darker, a little muddy, even. With both pickups selected the sound is kind of a swampy blend more resembling the tonality of the neck pick up. In all a different sound from any of my other guitars, putting it in its own niche - which is, I suppose, a good thing, since its not very versatile.

This guitar is sloppy. The finish is okay - it's smooth, but many blemishes are clearly visible beneath the clear coat - chips in the paint, bubbles and a very noticeable seam on the face where two pieces of wood are joined. The pickups are wobbly, but they somehow stay seated. Unlike other's experiences, the frets were, surprisingly, fairly well dressed and smooth.

Dunno. I certainly wouldn't try to earn a living schlepping this around, though with care it should last.

For the price, I'd likely buy another if this one went missing. I read all the reviews, so I knew what I was getting into when I bought this. No regrets, I'd do it again.

This was the 6-string Ice Blue version, you probably know the rest.
Features were OK except for the bridge. The bridge only has a height adjustment, individual string heights are not adjustable, intonation is not adjustable (bad).

Never even plugged it in. Read on.

Bad. There was no set-up at all. Pickups were all over the place. Body finish not too bad, except you could see the wood seam through the finish. Neck: WARPED. Frets dressed OK. Neck very sloppily done; wood uneven, sanding scratches, bare spots, uneven finish. Bad. Tuners on crooked. Front pickup seem to be missing any support as it rattled loudly no matter where it was set, it would have needed repair.

Moot point.

No value at $149. If this guitar was selling at the original price it would be an outrage given the warped neck, crummy bridge and finish quality. I returned it for a refund.

I got the metallic blue one--wish they still made the white version, but this finish is certainly adequate. See other reviews for the particulars--the Grovers, the wrap around bridge. the VERY narrow neck. The guitar is definitely petite. I am a 6' foot tall man, but I have somewhat small hands for my size, and I am very comfortable on this neck--except for one small problem to be addressed below.

Overall this seems very well made for the price.

There is unpside and a downside here, but how could complain about the downside given the price I paid (149 -a 20% retailer discount coupon!)?

The mini-humbuckers--especially the bridge pu--are wicked, signing, ripping. They push by Blues Deluxe into distortion way sooner than my Fenders. The guitar has tons of bite, but is not as shrill in the bridge position as either my Strat plus or my franken-tele. It's kind of amazing. I just finished a 30 TO 40 minute session of A-B-C-ing the Retro H alongside the Strat plus and the Tele, and the Daisy Rock came out--clearly--as the most interesting and charming and distinctive sounding of the three guitars. Probably not the most versatile, as the front mini-humbucker tends toward the dull side of "round." Middle position prodcues some promising tone. But that bridge pickup sings and squeals.

Really, this is a very lively, distinctive sounding guitar. I couldn't more pleased.

OK, finish? I don't care. Seems fine. Fit and action, there are some issues here. It arrived with considerable buzzing on the lower frets. A small truss and bridge adjustment, and I seem to have that MOSTLY though not entirely under control. Intonation is a bit spotty--not terrible by any means, but kind of picky in a way, esp. on open string chords. I am thinking some 11s might help pull that together. I am not a major guitar tweeker by any means.

Then there's the issue of the frets. They stick beyond the sides of the narrow neck a tiny bit, creating both a minor physical hazard (I have scraped up some spots on my hands) and the occasional problem of the high E string getting caught outside the fret--as if the string had slid out of of its nut slot.

I'll keep working with it, though. It's not built to be a go-to, main squeeze, workhorse guitar.

Every thing seems pretty solid for the price. "Time will tell." I do plan on gigging with it? How could I not?

No opinion yet

I bought this after seeing how well a different Daisy Rock model fared in Guitar Player's "Best Guitars for Under $500 dollars" issue. I have long wanted a semi-hollowbody, and I am interesting in having some different pickup flavors at my disposal. I was actually just ordering a bunch of cables and recording supplies from MF with their big discount coupon, but I couldn't resist this small indulgence, and am I ever glad I didn't.

I've been playing forever and have a modicum of decent guitars of the Fender and Gibson varieties. This guitar seriously HOLDS UP in terms of tone--no doubt about it. Price seems variable, day to day. I got it for a song, but I think it is worth it at 250 or 300, which is the highest I've seen it go for.

This is the blue one. Made in Indonesia. Same as described in other reviews. Not many features.

This is where this guitar comes to life. The vintage humbuckers are way, way nicer than I expected! I love the sounds I get from this machine. It gets a really crunchy, gritty sound that none of my other guitars can get. It reaches that rumbly spot that I love. Sound isn't all that versatile, though. With vintage mini-humbuckers you get nice vintage sound. I love it. Can be bright, though. Controls not that responsive, but still get a decent range of tones. Full, rich, throaty tones. It's a nutcruncher, for sure.

Now for the bad part. Indonesia lacks quality control or maybe they lack quality workers. Anyway, I was a little disappointed with the workmanship. It's not terrible, but this is such a nice little guitar that I wish it was better made. Finish is fine, with just a few really minor flsws. The neck bolts are driven in at odd angles, not straight like they should be. F-hole was painted only barely. Poor job. Since it's a guitar for girls, the neck is really slim. 1/8 inch narrower than my other necks. I tend to push the strings off the fretboard unless I keep it in mind.

Hard to tell about durability. I play this little thing pretty hard and it seems solid. But I really don't know.

No experience with them.

I've been playing electrics for only a short time. All my guitars are cheap ones. If this neck was bigger, it would be a dream. But I bought it knowing it was a girls guitar, so it's not a criticism. Guys love the way this thing sounds, but it is harder to play. I'm keeping mine for the sound. Until something better comes along, I'll keep wailing on this one.

Semi hollowbody (one F hole), 12 string model, made in China, medium frets (mine were dressed very nicely), two mini-humbucker pickups, white finish (mine is absolutely flawless), grover tuners, (it holds a tune very well), one volume, and one tone knob, and lastly, that remarkably cool estrogen symbol on the 12th fret. Whenever I play this guitar I feel more in touch with my nurturing side.

It has nice twangy, jangly sound. Does it sound like a Ric? Well, no, the Ric is a more complex amd rich sounding instrument, but the Retor-h still manages to capture the "jangle factor" nicely. To me it's a little dull sounding,and to really get the ring and shimmer going I find myself reaching for the eq. It's not that the "chime" is not there, it's just that you have to work a bit to dig it out.

Mine came set up perfectly for me. The action was neither too high or low, and the medium frets are all nicely dressed. The pickups were well adjusted height-wise. It has a white finish that is perfectly applied. I can't find any flaws anywhere. It's really a beautiful instrument. To me the neck is a bit narrow, about like a Les Paul (but what do you expect: it's a "girl guitar"), and I find it a bit tough to chord without deadening strings accidentally. If you have large hands this could be a problem for you.

The Retro-H feels and plays like a quality made instrument. I also have a Danelectro 12 string and it compares poorly to the Daisy Rock in terms of quality. On my Dan-o the binding tape is coming lose, one of the saddles has broken,and it has intonation problems up the neck. The Reto-H is much more well put together. It seems like an instrument that will last a long time.

Haven't used it, but I've heard good things about it.

I found this guitar on sale at Guitar Center for $200 (apparently it is being discontinued by Daisy Rock), and thought it was far too good a deal to pass up. Now that I've had a few weeks with it I'm delighted I bought it. For the price I'd definitely buy another if it were lost or stolen. As for me, I've played guitar for over 40 years (a few of those were as a professional) and have owned a slew of guitars. What I have ended up with are a G&L ASAT, a Martin D-41, the Danelectro-12, a Line 6 Variax (a total piece of crap, don't buy one!!), and this Daisy Rock. While the Retro-H can't compare with the G&L or Martin, it is still a solidly made instrument, and a bargain at the price.

Volume, tone and 3-way switch that sports a push/pull tap. I cannot hear much when tap is riveted in or out. Knobs are in good position on body and are smooth and responsive. Nice.

The shoulder strap peg is located on top cut-away portion of body. Causes neck of axe to pitch downward and cut into one's neck. Makes guitar very unwieldy. Suggest moving it to neck/body joining plate on back of guitar to correct balance. Much better place for it. Easy fix.

Finish is fine. Neck is wide to support 12-strings. No buzzing on any fret or the nut or tailpiece. Fret edges are rounded smooth. Thank you. (Will not rake palm on sharp metal.) NIce Grover machines. Quality touch. Stays in tune.

Love the maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Looks very cool with white meatllic finish and chrome hardware.

Played it through a, '81 princeton Reverb, Marshall MG 15DX, and Fender DeVille (2x12), and a monster Peavy at the store. The axe is all balls. Great tone. THe pickups cut nicely and they can get dirty as well. I am very satisfied.

Action ois spot on. Again, thank you. Have played crap 12's before that put you on martyr listing for suffering through not being able to keep them in tune. 12-H is a well made machine.

Again, move the top strap peg to balance the beast. Finish is fine.

I feel this baby will last a couple generations. I bought a good hard-shell case. Glad I did.

Who knows? For what? Never called one before anyway.

If you want to play a twelve-string electric, you're stuck with buying a Rick, a Gibson double neck, or a 1960 Vox (if you can find one). This baby stands up and sings with any of them, and also plays like butter! Coupled with the drop over 'no-way!' price tag and you've got a real keeper. And a collectible one as well, I'll wager.

Semi-hollow electric 12-string. 22 medium frets. Basswood body w/single f-hole, maple bolt-on neck. 2 x Mini-humbuckers, no idea what brand. Grover tuners (nice!) single vol & tone control, pickup selector switch.

Bright metallic pink finish.

Check my review of the Stardust Elite a couple of mouse clicks away for music style/stuff I'm playing it with.

the 12 strings, combined with the mini-humbuckers - well, have a guess - "bright", comes to mind as a descriptive term for some reason! It isn't exactly versatile, but then you don't buy an electric 12 for versatility, you buy it for "jangle". The Retro-H 12-string certainly jangles. Given this, and the fact that the basic tone is good, with an effective tone control, it doesn't get marked down for lack of tonal verstility. I mark it down a little because it's ever-so-slightly harsh sounding. Previous models had a (reportedly not very effective, given that they're mini humbuckers) coil tap coil tap pull-switch on the tone pot, but this one doesn't feature that, and it's not listed as a feature at daisy rock's website anymore.

Unlike my stardust elite (which I reviewed here as well) which was finished to a standard comparable to much more expensive instruments, this one is mainly (see below for caveats) "good for a budget guitar". The neck is nice, easy to play, and fits comfortably in my hand. the paint finish is good, even and glossy overall. The frets are spot on. It's nice to play. Inspiring, even.

On the downside, the inside of the body cavity has been very crudely carved, and the matt black paint in there doesn't really hide this. There was a piece of masking tape stuck on the inner front of the body cavity, that you could easily see even at a distance. God, it was difficult to remove! I wound up having to pick it to pieces with a pair of tweezers. I don't consider these to be too serious, given the extremely low price of the instrument. More serious is thatthe set up on the guitar as received was very poor. It was difficult to get it to intone properly, to the point where I was considering buying a 12-saddle bridge for it! I took it to a local guitar tech, who described it as the worst set-up instrument he had ever encountered. He fixed it though, it now plays like a dream. The standard statement one would make about this is that it should never have left the factory like this, but I have an alternative theory...(see below)

_Everything_ on the instrument feels solid, and the finish feels thick & durable. I have gigged with it w/o a backup!

I used Daisy Rock's online contact page to ask about the lack of a neck inlay, but got no response from them. Poor on this showing, I must admit! I prefer using email to contact manufacturers, I've never had much luck with these online forms.

OK, the instrument as supplied has a neck with a pair of dots, unlike the pink version of the retro-h on Daisy Rock's website. It was supposed to come with a very girly oestrogen symbol, with a flower in the centre inlaid at the 12th fret. TBH, I'm not entirely unpset about about this, I'm a guy after all. I like pink guitars, but the inlay might have been a bit much. But, it leads me to the theory that at some point between leaving the factory and reaching me this instrument has had its neck swapped. Maybe somebody wanted a white-bodied instrument with the inlaid neck, and the shop swapped them. Given the poor setup - my Elite is great, and other reviews here have been positive w/r/t the setup on Daisy Rocks, it seems like a plausible proposition?

Had the instrument reached me in a similar state to the Elite, it would have got a 9 or even a 10, given the price. As it is, I got a basically sound instrument, but badly set up, and with a couple of finish issues. If it had been an expensive instrument, I'd have sent it back. as it only cost me 199 quid, I'm giving it a 5. I'm very happy with it now, but it took a little longer than I'd have liked to get it there.

If it got ripped off or broken, I'd buy another one for sure, but I'd buy it from a shop, not online.

I am now completely sold on the 1 piece "wrap around" bridge/stop.
It seems to give the strings much more responsiveness to bends and a very pure sustain. I have noticed that a few other makers like PRS are bringing these back and i think it is a good trend. Haven't noticed any intonation troubles resulting from it.
Other features. . . minihumbuckers are great. Grover tuners are nice to see on a guitar I paid less than $200 for. The semi-hollowness of this guitar is more ornamental than anything, but hey, it reduces the weight a little. The simplicity of this guitar is really it's strength.

see above

Fret dressing was fine. no buzz whatsoever. Low action and nice feel. Sparkle blue finish is real cute. As others have mentioned it is a little sketchy by the F hole if you look closely.
One real goof they made was that the pots and knobs were on so loosely that they almost fell off. Easy fix, but this should have been caught. Especially since this is marketed to younger players.

This guitar is solidly built as it goes. . but with the extremely slender neck I wouldn't recomend it for basement shows where you have to beat back the crowd. I am treating it gingerly, but it is worth it.

na

I would indeed recommend this guitar. I have always wanted a LP or SG junior and this sates that desire for almost no money. And as a bonus you get the splashy mini humbucker 60's sound as well, not to mention a ridiculously fast neck.
Dissclaimer. If you have large hands or play a lot of right hand finger style, this might not be the guitar for you as the stings are quite closely spaced.

Korean-made semi-hollow basswood body semi-hollow guitar. A pearl-effect white poly finish (no, not the pink one!) Decent grover tuners, with chunky machine heads. One-piece stop-tail bridge ala SG junior, although I suspect this one is intonated better. Two no-name chrome-covered mini-humbuckers with a 3-way switch. Volume and tone controls with chrome-dome knobs. Non-glossy narrow profile maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Body appears solid: 2 pieces of basswood, with the f-hole routed into it.
No other features you'd really need- a coil split is kinda pointless with mini-humbuckers, doesn't really need a pickguard as the finish looks hard-wearing, and I find separate tone/vol controls for each pickup to be a pain.

I play kind of shoegazey art-rock, verging on noisy fuzz. Lots of arpeggios and indiviual note stuff. I like bright guitars (but can't stand that annoying Telecaster 'twang' or Strat 'quack') and play them through various modulation effects (phase shift, delay, flange) for shimmery indie atmospherics into an ultra-clean 70s Fender silverface twin (100W master volume). I'm also extemely partial to Big Muff, Super Fuzz, MXR Dist style fuzz. Like Mudhoney, Buttholes, Husker Du etc. This guitar is absolutely great for the former- the pickups generate no noise at all, are bright and airy (almost like lipsticks in a way). Compared to how much my Hagstrom III and Danelectro DC-3 feedback at volume, this guitar is beautifully behaved. Great for folky strumming and picking. However, it is plainly unsuited to high-gain style alt rock, fuzz ,metal and the like. It handles warm overdrive well for general bluesiness, but that isn't realy my bag. So the definition gets a bit lost when you pile-on the fuzz, but that's not really what this guitar is for. The bridge pickup could be slightly hotter, but other than that Daisy Rock have got this guitar sounding really good, and different to a lot of the stuff out there now. I'd probably only give it a 6 for variety, but it does what it does well.

Generally good. The fit of everything feels really solid and professional. Good quality switch, pots and wiring (I had a peek inside). Really like the contoured heel of the neck. Good action and intonation from the factory. The white pearl finish looks really stunning if you catch it in the right light. The chrome hardware offset it all nicely. Cosmetically you can't fault the Retro-H. Especially like the headstock shape. The devil is, as always, in the details, so you better check these things if you're getting one:
the paint was inconsistent (and even sticky on one bit) around the f-hole- would some binding here be too much to ask?
The body of mine is made from 2 bits of basswood- where they join there are minor paint imperfections on the back of the guitar. No big deal, but if yours is made from more than 2 pieces it could start to look messy.
Frets were excellent at the edges, but the tops needed some working-in before they lost their roughness completely.
Nut could have been cut more carefully.

Not played it live yet. I'm a wreckless kind of guy, and have no problems gigging without a backup, even using tempermental vintage guitars. This guitar isn't gonna fall apart any time soon.

Emailed support at DaisyRock.com with a question about the pickups before I bought this guitar. They didn't get back to me. Emailed them again when I was considering swapping-out the bridge pickup (I'm not going to) and didn't hear anything back. So null points for support there. However, I emailed Daisyrock.co.uk the same question and I got a very helpful reply within a day, which warrants an 8.

I've been playing for 10 years, am a fan of single-coily guitars- Fender Jazzmaster, couple of Hagstrom IIIs, Danelectro DC-3. What attracted me particularly about the Daisy Rock is the excellent thin neck, as I'd got used to playing damn fast on my main guitars, the Hagstroms. For the money, I can't recommend the Daisy Rock enough. As far as I'm concerned, the non-macho brand can only be a good thing too. I think I'd like the Retro-H even more if it came stock with a couple of lipstick single-coils and narrow rather than medium frets, but I'm pretty pleased with it as it is.