DeArmond M-70

Red Les Paul Copy with a Guild tail. Flattish fretboard

Doesn't cut much as a shredder, seems happiest with a clean jazzy sound

Frets are very worn on this one, which means it's been played a bit in the last none years, frets are now quit buzzy and require a re-dress, action OK

Seems OK

Still fully supported by Fender

It's a nice guitar, but not for me, I'm not sure a good Epiphone LP might not be a better alternative

Finish is a nice gloss jet black on the one I bought, black neck and headstock as well.
Body style similar to a Les Paul but I think more comfortable and balanced.
Has a set neck... I like that...
Has guild style bridge, puts more tension on strings gives a brighter vintage style tone.
The tuners suck, I have changed them to locking tuners, but most guitars off the rack need some tweaking so no problem.
The neck has a nice radius with a flatter than Les Paul fingerboard if that makes sense. It feels god to my hands and is solid.
I didn't get any accessories as this was a rare buy.
Mine was made in I think 99 I bought it brand new in plastic this year 2007... Was a rare find.
I think it was made in Korea, my M-65 was made in Indonesia so I'm not sure I need to go look.
22 frets
Solid chunk of wood, its light but not cheap feeling.
2 volume 2 tone knobs and a 3 way toggle in LP position.
Has 2 DeArmond humbuckers that have great tone, I am one of a handful of people who love these pickups. but they really do sound great. They have a vintage tone but hotter.. yeah...
Passive electronic, I wouldn't have anything active. Just plug guitar to tube amp and play.. Plug and play...
I don't know what wood it is made of but if you ask me it doesn't really matter if its solid wood. I can't tell the difference...

It fills in every thing I play. I can find my tone no matter what with this guitar. Switch to neck PU and you got a warm blues tone with just enough twang, slap it down to the bridge PU and you got twang and sustain, crank up the gain on the amp and you got balls..
No noise, had good ground.
I can achieve a bright, rich, full, warm, punchy, whatever I want.. Can even get that twang if I want it.

I don't know about the factory, It was set by a pro in the shop, intonation and everyting.
No flaws that I have noticed.

My m65 has took a beating over the years and it still plays great, now it is my backup to this m70..
The tuners suck, so I changed those to locking.
Added strap locks cause you never want to drop it unless it's on purpose to set it on fire, then who cares.
You can depend on it, it's a solid guitar, I don't recommend it for hardcore metal players though. It's got more class than that... ;)
No I always have a back up, even if it's just a broken string you never stop the show to restring, just grab another guitar and play on...

I'm 30... Been playing since I was about 13... So I guess a long long time... If it was stolen I would cry. I love my Guilds/DeArmonds...
I wish the body was a little bigger and had more meat to it. Could even be a little heavier, I like big chunks of wood.
Yes I've played many over the years, can't afford Gibson, and don't like them anyway, Epiphone is ok but not my tone, Fender is OK but over priced and too much upgrading to do on lower end models.Yamaha, ESP, PRS, Parker, Ibanez, Peavey, G&L, Kramer, old school new school, you name it I've played it...
I love DeArmond and Guild and Gretsch. But you might not, they fit me and my tone and personality, take your time and play a bunch before you bring home your new best friend...

I'm not going to list all the features of this guitar, others have alreay done that, but I guess mines about a 1999 deep red Korean maufactured model. Sufice to say everything works fine

When I bought this guitar I spent about three hours and played every other guitar in the shop. This was the first I tried and I just had to go back to it. The sound is unbeatable; excellent deep tones from the bridge pickup and bright but not harsh tones from't t'other. I have been playing for 25 years and aside from my brothers Gibson SG (which is mearly it's equal), I have never played a guitar with a better tone !!

Set-up was good although I bought it second hand so I can't say it's the factory set up or not. Action is about right and intonation near perfect. This is a very solid (& heavy) guitar, and it does seem extremely well finished.

I've not gigged this guitar yet, but I suspect it will be very durable. My only concern would be sore shoulders from the sheer weight of the thing. The finish seems very hardwearing and everything about the instrument feels far more expensive than the price tag.

Note had any dealings with the company

What can I say. I've been playing for 25 years, mainly rock / blues and this is the best electric I've ever owned ( and I've had a few! ) I play through a Marshall 900 series pre-amp and Marshall LR150 combo. I also use a Boss Bass graphic and Boss Bass Chorus. My other guitars are a Grafter electric acoustic and Fender Musicmaster Bass. If you come across one of these I recommend you buy it! But try it first, you won't be disapointed

This is a Korean-made M-70 with the "Guild" trussrod cover. The features are as described in the other reviews, My M-70 is transparent green (very nice!). It is completely stock. It doe not have a ton of special features, but those it has are solid, so I give it an "8".

The M-70 has excellent two-humbucker, solid-body tone. The Goldtone pickups are PAF-like in their range. If that's what you are after, this guitar delivers! I play it through a variety of small Class A Tube amps, as well as through a Yamaha DG-Stomp modeling amp, with excellent results. For a PAF-LP sort of sound, I give it a 9.

I got this used in near-mint condition (dead mint if not for a few pick marks on the guard) from a local used shop. It needed a simple setup for trussrod, action, intonation. Once that was done, this guitar played like buttah!

This guitar is simple in design, and solid as a brick U-know-what-house.
Although I have not had it for long, I expect it to hold up well. The Guild models for the DeArmond line have a reputation for eternal life; I'd guess the DeArmonds will do similarly well.

No info...I've never dealt with FMIC directly.

I've been playing since 1969, and have tons of gear, electrics include a pile of Fender Strats and Teles, DeArmond jazzboxes (3), an Epi Sheridan II, a Hohner HS-35, a variety of 70's MIJ guitars, a Gretsch E'matic, and a Gibson LP Studio.

The only thing I have against this M-70 is the weight; 'tis on the heavy side, but the sustain is so good...

This was hands down the BEST $150 I ever spent on a guitar.

My M-70 was manufactured in Korea in 2001 (I think). This guitar came with wo amazing DeArmond USA Gold Tone passive humbuckers each of which has individual volume and tone pots, and a standard three way selector. The finish is glossy, transparent I think it is polyurethane. The M-70 has a f Les Paul Special-type single cutaway body: flat top and contoured back. The body is some sort of mahogany (or agathis). The 22-fret 24 3/4 inch set neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. The Tune-o-matic style bridge is easy to adjust, and the no-name tuners work well. I bought this new in the summer of 2002 and paid $270. The M-70 is your basic no frills two humbucker guitar. While doesn't have a lot of features, what it does have works well

This guitar sounds great. The USA Gold Tone pickups are fantastic sounding and allow a wide range of sounds. I absolutely love the rich and jazzy sounds of the neck pickup. The bridge pickup also delivers full articulate tones. I play a variety of different popular music, although jazz and blues tones like Santana and Clapton are my favorite and this guitar seems to handle my needs pretty well. My kid's friends have borrowed my M-70 to play their Blink 182-infected suburban punk music, and it seems to hold its own in that somewhat annoying genus.
I am not a gigging musician have played this guitar through a variety of Fender and Marshall amps that the kids and I own. Primarily I use the guitar at home with my Silver Face Vibro Champ and Marshall MG-15dfx amps. I use a Digitech RP-200 pedal for effects and amp modeling. The M-70 always sounds great through anything. I like clean sounds or mildly overdriven sounds of the Vibro Champ, but it can really rock through the kids' Boss distortion pedal. It is not noisy at all, it just produces dependably beautiful sounds. I can't imagine better sounds for the money. I haven't been able to find them and I have played a truckload of guitars in the $500 or less price range. This thing absolutely slays the competition in that price range.

I bought this through the mail from a large dealer, and the setup wa beautiful. As others have mentioned, the neck has a "slim taper" that is fast and true. The finish is smooth and the neck plays like butter. I did lower the action considerable and switched the strings to Gibson Les Paul Signatures ( 9 - 46) and this baby plays like butter. It compares favorably with my Gibson and classic (i.e. American) Epiphone. The bridge is easy to adjust and it holds intonation very well. My guitar had no flaws. I personally find the Emerald Gree to be strikingly beautiful and I appreciate that DeArmond chose to finish the neck and headstock the same color. As others have mentioned, the strap buttons loosedn up almost immediately. I employed the classic solution of jamming a couple of pieces of tooth pick stathered in Elmer's Glue into the holes before screwing the buttons back in. End of problem. I consider this too minor to detract from the overall fit and finish of a beautiful instrument. Did I mention that I only paid $270 for it?

I don't play out. I take care of my instruments so I expect that it will last. The tuners seem to be a bit more flimsy than the ones on my Gibson that cost ten times as much, but I don't see any reason why they shouldn't last a good long while. The poly urethane finish is tough and durable. See above concerning the strap buttons. The pickups are heavenly and easy to adjust, especially since each has three (3) adjusting screws that permit you to control pickup height and tilt. The 3-way selector switch appears to be very dependable in contrast to whatever kind of switch that Epiphone is using. I would rely on, once the strap buttons were tightened. I would take off a half a point here. I'll give it a 9 because I can't give it a 9.5. Remember it was rather expensive for a guitar of this quality.

Haven't had to call them. I understand that Fender will support the Dearmonds. Hopefully, I won't have to find out.

Been playing for about 4 decades, although I took the 1990's off. I own a 40 year old Epiphone Granada, which is a thin hollow body archtop almost exactly like a Gibson ES-120T, and a Gibson CS-336 that I bought new late in 2002. I also have a Martin D12-20 twelve string acoustic. I would miss this DeArmond if it were gone, I would certainly try to replace it. The two things I love about this guitar are the sound (due in large part to those exquisite Gold Tone pickups and the playability (due, no doubt, to the great neck).
I have to admit that did not compare this to other instruments before I bought it. When I decided to get back into playing, I bought an Epiphone LP-100. I bought the DeArmond solely on reputation and Harmony Central reviews. I missed the great Musician's Friend fire sale, so it took a bit of netsurfing to find a new set neck Dearmond. The instant I plugged it in, I knew I had a winner. I won't compare this guitar with my Gibson CS-336 which is my "main squeeze"; that would not be "apples with apples." But this baby sounds too good to ever let go. I still enjoy playing this instrument and I will keep playing it as long as my ears still work

Made in 1999-2000
22 Standard Frets.
24 inch scale length.
Solid Emerald Transparent Green Body.
2 volume and 2 tone easy turn controllers.
2 Goldtone U.S.A. specially Made DeArmond pickups
Passive electronics.
1 Ply-black Pickguard.
Body is made from solid Mahogany as well as the neck (Set Neck).
The fretboad is made from Rosewood (12 inch radius) with Pearl-dot inlays.
Width @ Nut -- 1.6875 inches.
Awsome silvertoned chrome die-cast Machine Heads that never go out of tune and turn easily.
.030 Nickle Plated steel Strings.
Made in the classic Les-Paul flat (not arched) body style with single cutaway and beautiful black flathead headpiece.
Guild Stop bar tailpiece.
3-Way Tone switch.
DeArmond Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Medium size neck.
Came with Black Mesh Case.

My style is mostly Blues, Gospel, and Jazz. When I take this axe out of the bag to let my friends see it, they can't believe that I only paid under $300.00 for it. And when they hear the sound and tone after playing it they can't believe their ears nor their eyes. It has a deep Jazzy tone, but don't be fooled. this When I bought this guitar used from a music store I knew that I had something special. I took it to a MARS music store in Memphis to get another opinion on it from a professional and he said that it plays like a Gibson. He told me that I had a good one on my hands and he almost didn't want to stop playing it. this guitar can rock with the best Strat or Gibson out there. I absolutely love the way it plays and so does everyone that I've let play it. It definitely has a better sound than all the epiphones that I have played within its original price range. This is certainly one of the best features of this guitar. No one who has played it (at least 20 people that I know) have ever said anything negative about its sound. Always positive commentary.

I bought this guitar used and the music store that I bought it from put new strings on it for me for free. They cleaned it up and the action was absolutely perfect on it. Not too high and not too low. No buzzing whatsoever. The selector switch works just fine, still has the black rubber piece on it.

Of course I bought this piece used so there was some wear. There are a couple of chips in the finish on the topside edge, and maybe an un-noticable scratch on the face. I did have to change the back shoulder strap button, but that was done for free at the music store after I bought it. However, this guitar is absolutely solid. unless your a complete idiot and leave this guitar out in the rain somewhere in the desert, it should last a lifetime. Just keep up the maintenance like any other guitar and change the strings and it will be fine. I have to be honest and give this category and 8 only because it was used when i got it.

DeArmond as you may already know was bought out by Fender guitars in 1996. They placed this line under the Guild division. However, they do not make any of these specific (DeArmond) guitars any longer as far as I can tell. This particular guitar was replaced by the
"Series 24" line (M-70 with Duncan Design pickups) under the "Squire" name of fender products along with the M-50, M-77, S-65, S-73, Starfire (formally X-135), and the X-155. You have to contact Fender in order to get customer support info on these guitars. However, I have yet to have a need for this. Therefore, I cannot rate this item.

I just started playing not too long ago. The only thing that I would change about this guitar is the weight. It is a little on the heavy side, but this is certainly not a big deal at all. It does give the guitar a more durable feel to it -- moreso than a typical Start. I also own a new burnswood classical guitar signed by Estaban. If this guitar was stolen or lost I would absolutely loose my mind. I believe that this axe is, or will be eventually, a collectors item. If you can ever get your hands on one, you need to buy it immediately before someone else gets it out from under you. I have played the Epiphones, Fender Stats, Gibson Les-Pauls, Simick Les-paul copy, Dean copy of Les Paul style, and ESP. I have yet to find a guitar that just flat out beats the sound of this guitar. It will play with the best of them. And not only that, but it has its own unique sound that cannot be duplicated not replaced. I could not find the same sound on any other guitar. You simply have to play one to know what I'm talking about. And for the price, this guitar simply cannot be beat out by anyone in my opinion.

I believe it was made in '98-'99, korean, glued in mahogany(?) 22 fret neck, 24 1/2" scale, rosewood fingerboard, plastic dot inlays, 3 piece mahogany(?) body with slight curl under a nice thick emerald green finish, 2 dearmond gold-tone humbuckers, 2-t 2-v knob config, 3-way toggle switch, shielded body cavities (a nice feature that should be standard on all fender products), old guild m-75 style body, schaller-style tuners (that dont go out of tune), and a stop tail w/ tune-o-matic bridge..... but its main selling point was its sound.

my main guitar is a '68 strat, but this one is finding its place right along with it. people are surprised to see me pull it out until they hear it (several of my friends have said "thats the sound im trying to get" after only hearing a few chords played on it.) my style is mainly blues, but "drifts" into jazz, funk, rock, etc. the sound this thing puts out would be an amazing supliment to any kind of style though. i use DR-11's for strings and usually run it in stereo through two old fender tube amps. it has a fat bottom end, a nice mid-range and an over-all shimmer to it. its very warm and crisp sounding, the perfect cross between a les paul and a strat. there is absolutely no sound that shouldnt be there. I would highly reccomend this guitar for an acoustic player that wants to go electric, but doesnt want to pay an arm and a leg, and for anyone who wants a little more than a strat has to offer.

I got this guitar in a pawn shop in dallas, but it was definately in new condition. Im assuming there was no toying with the action. this guitar had an excelent setup with low action and no buzzes. the frets were nicely rounded and the intonation was right on. the finish was flawless and a nice compliment to the guitar overall.

ive used this guitar at several gigs and its done quite nicely. its taken several nasty spills and has stood up well (extremely durable finish) although part of the shaft on the toggle switch broke off. still works fine though. this thing is a monster when it comes to dependability.

I have been playing for about 15 years and have had many guitars. I really dont believe in having guitars just to look at, and i dont keep the ones i dont play. the sound and playability this guitar has to offer cant be paralleled (in my mind) by any other guitar in its price range. the reason i chose this guitar was because when i asked to plug it in, the sales clerk broke out a beat-up practice amp with a 6" speaker and the guitar still had body to it. it still sounded good. i would seriously reccomend this guitar to anyone serious about tone and affordability. the only things i feel this guitar is lacking is a carved top and a little stamp that says "made in the usa"

Made in 1999 I think, Korea.
It's sporting a little "Guild" badge on the truss rod cover.
2 USA Gold Tone P/U's.
2 Tone, 2 Volume and a 3-way selector.
Stop tailpiece. Nice tuners.
Set mahogony neck, skinny at the nut with decent fretwork.
Nuts-on intonation.
Transparent green finish that shows off a pretty grain.
Nothing fancy, but everything is there that counts.

Wide sonic palette.
Useable tone controls that actually have some "middle ground".
3 distinctly different sounds available by flipping the 3-way.
No noise...even when played through a sterile Trace Accoustic amp.
No noise...when played in distortion channel of Fender PC.
No noise...my "better guitars are not quieter than this one.
Sound wrong, but I have to give this catagory a 10.

Perfect intonation right of of the GC rack.
Holds tune...not kidding.
Nut is cut right from the factory...amazing.
Action at 18th fret is about 1.5mm and it doesn't buzz.
Scratched finish where a tuner gouged the back of the headstock.
Clear, glossy, deep and even transparent green finish.
Could use a bit more rounding on the edges...feels a little slab-like.

No problems so far.

Haven't needed any help.
Why did Fender quit offering DeArmonds?

Been playing 35+ years only had one other "cheap-o", this one was worth the money. Bought if for my daughter. Her main guitar is a Guild accoustic....so when she saw the color and the badge, she wanted to try it. We almost waited too long before they were all gone. Glad we didn't wait any longer. I'd buy another of the set-neck DeArmonds with the good P/U's for the same price if I could find one.

Bought it from Musician's Friend for $250 on sale. Great deal! 22 frets, transparent green finish. Dot inlays, rosewood fretboard(I think), 2 volume, 2 tone controls, two DeArmond Goldtone humbuckers. Stop tailpiece, tune-o-matic bridge. Mahogany body(I believe). Modeled after earlier M-75, Guild, Gretsch guitars.

I usually play Alternative, Rock kind of music(ie:STP, Better Than Ezra, Radiohead...what have you...) This is my second DeArmond guitar. I've been playing for 6yrs. now. This guitar sounds great! Nice warm, fat sound. I play thru a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 4x10. I usually use the gain from the amp. Sometimes thru a Big Muff.

Originally I was looking for an Epiphone Les Paul. I tried both an Epi and the DeArmond M-75T(which was my 1st DeArmond). I liked the feel of the DeArmond better. The action was unexpectedly awesome! Better than my Ibanez that I haven't touched since I got my M-75T. The M-70's action is just as nice. Finish looks incredible! Nice all around green trasparent finish.

I love this guitar! I could not do without it. While I haven't been able to use it at a gig yet. I have used my M-75T. If it holds up as well, it's definately worth what I paid for it. No problems with anything loosening up. I've had it for about a year now. I believe I'll have it for years to come.

Haven't had to deal with them.

The only thing I wish was different about this guitar is that it had block inlays like my M-75T. Other than that it's excellent. I have this one, the M-75T, an Epi Dot Deluxe and an Ibanez RG470 that's rotting in my closet since I bought these beauties. I think the DeArmond line is an excellent line for people who don't have $2000-$3000 to spend on a Gibson or whatever. Kudos to Fender and Guild for introducing the line.

450$$$
This guitar was made in 1999 some where.
22 Frets.
3-Way Selector Switch, 2 Volume, 2 Tone knobs.
H/H Pick Up Config.
De Armond USA Humbuckers
Les Paul Style Body.
Stop Tail Peice Bridge

This guitar is great for any kind of music. I play mostly metal, but I also play alot of Joe Satriani and Vai type of music. Not with this guitar because of course it doesnt have a tremolo. I use my Jackson for that. Yeah i just leave the bridge PU on all the time. It sounds awesome. I'm using a Line 6 Flextone HD Stack amp. I just use that for effects. It gets real noisy when I play it with a WAH-WAH pedal and my Jackson guitar doesnt do that. It has a thick neck and little frets. But i have small hands so its cool. I use this guitar for blues and clean stuff. I use my Jackson for fast shredding and heavy metal type of sh*t. I really like this guitar. The only reason i dont like it is because i was way overcharged for it, it had a really bad buzz when i got it, i fixed that.

All was good except for the loose strap locks

I've beat the shit out of this guitar. It'll last. Strap buttons suck. The finish on it is real thick so no scratches or chips yet. I would definately use a back up on-stage cause i break more than the usual amount of strings on this thing. I dont know why i just do and i'm not a rough player.

Never Dealt with them.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 2 YEARS. I ALSO OWN A JACKSON PS-4 PERFORMER GUITAR WHICH I LOVE. LIKE I SAID EARLIER I HAVE THE LINE6 STACK AMP. IF THIS GUITAR WAS STOLEN I WOULD SHOOT THAT PERSON LOL. I WISH THIS GUITAR HAD 24 FRETS AND A ORIGINAL FLOYD ROSE THEN IT WOULD BE PERFECT. LOL BUT OH WELL. MY JACKSON HAS THAT. (I PUT THE ORIGANAL FLOYD ROSE IN MY JACKSON CAUSE THE ONE THAT WAS IN IT SUCKED). THIS IS A GOOD GUITAR.