DeArmond M-77

I Got this from Sam ash when they were blowing them out. It's got the metalic redish finish and it looks great. It's stock and I've had it for a couple years now.

I liken the sound more to a Les Paul Deluxe with mini-Humbukers than to a Standard, because of it's brighter nature, very clean and pure sounding. Medium output, allowing for distinct undistorted chording. Thought about throwing some Duncan's in it, but then it would sound like all the other Pauls and SGs. It's got it's own thing and I like it for that reason.
I played 5 different M-77s and picked this one as the best playing of the batch. The neck is perfect and I was able to lower the action as low as any Gibson and PRS I have owned. I compared it with two expensive Les Pauls belonging to a friend, and a hand made Les Paul (big bucks) that I have. The M-77 out shined them all. I realize I must have the pick of the litter, as the other M-77s at the store were not in the same league. Sometimes one just comes out better.
I play through a Fender Princeton Reverb II and a Super Champ (Rivera era Fenders) Also a 1965 Supro Thunderbolt and a Matchless DC-30

Action was a bit high and the nut slots were also not cut quite deep enough. I took care of that and the bridge, intonation, new 10's strings, and it's as nice a finish as any $2,000. guitar. ll aspects of this axe are perfect. I would have prefered a slightly meatier neck, but that's just me.

It's well built and I'd have no quams about playing it without a back up. I'd put oversized strap buttons on it, and it's ready to gig.

Never had, but I bet Fender would service it.

Been hacking away for over 45 years now. Geez, that's a scary thought! I have owned more guitars than I can remember, including '58 Strat, old Martins, Gibson's, Guilds, early PRS bird 24. I've built Custom Teles and Strats from scratch and parts and still do. I also make lap steels and still play very day
I love this guitar. The M-77 is a keeper.

First of all there are way to many 9s and 10s in these reviews. Hey, an 8 is very good. Come on; let's be a little more objective.

Features have been covered by everyone else. rate an 8. All you expect and nothing less or more.

On clean it is very bright. Not bad bright but different. It handles gain and over drive well. It does not lose the character of the notes. Very versatile guitar.

First the bad- the tone knob on treble did not work. The inlays are bad. A really dull gray toilet bowl color. Jeeze. I have a red metallic. a little over the top but decent.

The set neck, binding, weight - well constucted guitar. The pick ups are different but first rate. They sing. The action was very good. Fairly low and no busses.

Had this for a year. It has been thrown into the back seat of a Chevy, lent to kids, etc. This baby holds up. Well constructed.

There is no more Dearmond to talk to.

The overall rating is a 9. Mainly because of value. It is a professional level instrument that i picked up for a duce and a half.

It's pretty standard as far as the features go, but since it plays so well and is such a reliable guitar for this price, that I had to give it a 9.

Just your standard dual humbucker, Les Paul set up. Three way selector switch and a tune-o-matic bridge.

When I first got it, I enjoyed the sound, but the string that come on it are absolutely awful! It had a problem staying in tune that was unreal. I have been playing for 14 years and have NEVER experienced a problem with a guitar not staying in tune like this one. Once the strings were replaced, it had an amazingly warm sound, very similar to a Les Paul. Guitar has no problem staying in tune now and is one of my favorites to play.

For a $239.00 guitar, you can't go wrong. I was really impressed with the finish on the back of the guitar. Front has a blue finish that is not perfect, but is deffinately above average. Back is a dark finish that is semi-transparent. Very cool.

As for the action, right from the start no modifications were needed. Deffinately a bonus in my book.

Only have had the guitar for 4 months, but as of yet I have not had any problems with it. I'll give it an 8 for now, as it's sort of hard to decided until I've had it a little longer. But as of now, it seems great!

Have not had any reason to deal with them.

Since this is a relatively inexpensive guitar, I'd have to give it a 10. This guitar is suited for both the beginner and for a more seasoned player and has all of the attributes of a much more expensive guitar.

LesPaul copy , with maple top!

I play through a crd 80 Marshall amp . I was going to sell the guitar but thouht I would try a heavyer string , I got the Gibsons flat wound 11-51 , the guitar now sounds great ! Warning , if you try a string bigger than the 51e you might break the nut !

The guitar had no flaws !

Great guitar !

Have not dealt with the company .

What I hate is the guitar comes with 9-46 strings and sounds like shit . What I love about the guitar is with heavyer strings it sounds great !

Same as a Les Paul- two humbuckers w/ individual volume and tone controls, 3 way pup selector, tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, etc. It's pretty standard so I give it a 7.

Okay, it's my first Les Paul style electric- or anything with humbuckers. I've only played Strats, so my impressions of this particular guitar are based on my single coil experience.

The Goldtone pups are not the hottest humbuckers around. But that's not a bad thing. Since I play mainly blues and blues/classic rock, this is actually a plus. With these pups, I can actually overdrive the clean channel of my amp (Mesa Subway Rocket). In fact, I get a nice blues tone w/o resorting to an OD pedal. I can a nice dirty rhythm tone straight by plugging straight into the amp!

The neck pup gives me a really warm and jazzy tone (if a bit thin- but I think that has to do with the 9's that it came with). Not like my Strat's neck pup, but different. I also like both pups selected- gives a nice jangly sound w/o being to harsh. However, the bridge pup by itself has not won me over yet. It sounds suprisingly twangy to me but not as bright as my Strat.

On the lead channel, I can get closer to the "woman tone" with the neck pup and the tone rolled back (again, I think the strings are holding it back somewhat). And unlike my Strat, I do like this guitar in the Subway Rocket's lead channel. I'm closing in on some Santana tones.

I give this guitar an 8 on its sound. Like I said, its different from the Strat sound, but not bad. Its got its own sound and from what I've read, its close to the classic humbucker sound from the late 50s. To tell the truth, at first I wasn't overwhelmed, but I also knew that Boogies require a lot of tweaking to get the sound just right. I guess once my ears got used to the sound of humbuckers, tweaking became easier and methodical.

Excellent quality for what I was expecting. I say this because my impression was based on what I've heard and some made in USA bias. Honestly though, not at all what I expected. The only complaint was some buzzing on the 6 and 5 strings- but that only required a truss rod adjustment. Finish is good- no major (visible) flaws. The fret edges are a bit sharp but I got used to them. About the only thing I can complain about is the work on the nut.

I don't gig, so I can't comment on that. But it does seem like it should hold up. I've never been a big fan of furniture like finishes. Personally, worn finishes lends some aesthetic character.

I don't know if Fender will support it any more considering DeArmond is now history.

The consensus is that this guitar (actually most DeArmonds) are excellent bargains. Excellent quality, great (blowout) price, and nice tones. It it were lost or stolen, you couldn't replace it at that price. There's nothing I hate about this guitar. It is different from what I'm used to, but I'm getting more attached to it.

This is the Korean made DeArmond Bluesbird copy. I'm not sure if it was made in 2000 or 2001. Not a lot of features but a standard Les Paul style guitar with 2 American made humbuckers (goldtone). This one is a "Moon Blue" with a laquer finish maple top and an Agathis back.

I bought this guitar because Sam Ash was clearing them out. I had been wanting to get a Les Paul standard but did not want to spend the $$ to get one. This guitar is more similar to the sound of a LesPaul classic than it is to a standard. The DeArmond "goldtone" humbuckers are fairly hot with nice sustain - particulary in the mids. The body is chambered for a slightly woody sound. I play this guitar with a line 6 AX212 - the Vox simulation with lots of reverb gets a nice blues sound. The fender blackface sound is nice'n chunky. I don't see this guitar as very versatile but it has a few nice sounds.

I ordered this guitar on-line from Sam Ash. It is the worst set up out of the box that I have ever experienced. The neck was warped and the intonation was out. Luckily it has a decent tune-o-matic bridge (never buy an electric guitar without one!). The painting & finish was good but the neck binding and fret wires were not done very well. The fret wires are fairly sharp & could probably stand to be buffed out. I recently bought a Fender American Telecaster that shows why American made quality control is so much better. (They are both made by Fender). After spending 4 hours on set up - this is a sharp playing guitar. On-line buyers beware. The other issue I was suprised about was that this model came with a harp tailpiece, not the stop tailpiece as shown in the company literature. Maybe they ran out of supplies in their last models before discontinuing the line. I actually am getting to like this look however, very retro. The strings are longer on the harp tailpiece - I wonder if that changes the sound.

The blue laquer finish on this guitar is glossy & looks like it will scratch up easily. Otherwise, the guitar seams to be solid. It has a set neck that seems to stay in tune now that I have it properly adjusted.

Have'nt dealt with anyone.

I am a bass player that loves guitars - I have an American Telecaster, Ibanez AS200, Martin D18 and a Stratacaster copy. I am mainly playing the DeArmond and the Telecaster. This guitar has a cool sound and is a joy to play. If you like the Gibson sound but funkier - think Guild. Since Fender has discontinued making these, I would consider a Bluesbird if I were buying another guitar.

I'm not sure when it was made-either 2000 or 2001. Made in Korea with 22 frets, carved Maple top with Moon Blue finish, creme body binding with purfling, 2tone, 2 voume, 3-way PUP switch, 2 tone tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, 2 DeArmond gold tone humbuckers, block inlays, 2 tone Gotoh style sealed tuning machines, carved solid mahogany set neck with Rosewood fretboard, chambered agathis (or possibly mahogany) body, clear LP style pick guard, chrome strap buttons, Gibson style carved Mahagony headstock with signature and chesterfield inlay.

The finish is a deep Moon Blue and is flawless. I am a furniture/cabinetmaker and know a little about woodwork and finishes. This thing is remarkable for a consumer level product.

The body style is a traditional Les Paul single soft radius cutout.

An allen wrench for adjusting the neck was included, as was a small warranty card from Guild.

I am starting over. I've forgotten so much about strumming, scraping, fingering, chording and most especially reading music. I've been away from playing for somewhere between 25-30 years. I have an Applause acoustic guitar that's been taken out of the closet perhaps once a year for all of 10 minutes. I bought it in the early 80's and it's still got the original strings, and they still sound good! That gives you an idea of how much I've been playing. I purchased a Squier Fat Strat about the same time as this DeArmond, and the Strat has that predictable sound. It has that very twangy tone, and can be manipulated through different pickup combinations. This DeArmond can play the "twangy" sound, as well as biting bright driving leads, mellow rhythm, subdued jazz tones....and just about anything you want. The tone controls go from really cutting the highs to almost nothing to just short of shrill. They really provide extreme flexibility. The pickups are really an extremely personal choice in my opinion, but these are excellent to my taste. They are sensitive when raised, and by raising or lowering them, you can really alter the sensitivity. I wouldn't change a thing.

The strings that come on the guitar are a little on the heavy side, which may account for the great out of the box tone. They bend easily, however. As I mentioned, the fit and finish is overall excellent with one noteable exception. There is a very annoying problem which may be high 1st and 2nd frets. It is more likely a nut problem. When tuned properly, a light grip is essential to remain in tune. A firmer grip caused the notes to rise about a half step-only at the first and second frets. I have addressed this issue with Sam Ash, and they have ordered a replacement for me. Kudos to their customer service so far.

The action, other than the problem noted, is very good. The neck is sweet for my hands. My Strat neck is a little on the thin side. It's fast, and makes lead riffs easy. The creme binding on the fretboard has black dot markers which are easily seen while playing. The tuning machines are excellent, and the guitars stays in tune,even with hard strumming and bending.

The DeArmond knobs are cheap lightweight clear plastic with a foil logo insert. Although, they are adequate to the task, I replaced them with Gibson Speed knobs. They contribute even more to the overall appearance. I also put on a Gibson selector switch washer in black.

If I ever recover enough knowledge and ability to play live, I wouldn't hesitate to use this guitar. I'd feel comfortable using it solely for just about any type of music, and wouldn't require a backup. Overall, construction is very good and sound. The electrical hardware seems to be first class without any of the problems (out of Phase, cold solder joints, etc.) mentioned by others with some of the DeArmond guitars.

I've only dealt with the retailer-Sam Ash, and so far so good. I'll see if they actually replace the guitar, and if not, repair the one with the nut/fret problem.

To be fair, I only have a small practice amp. It's a Peavey Rage 158, and it makes a lot of volume for a small amp. It seems to reproduce source information just fine, and this guitar sounds great! If this was damaged or stolen, I'd buy another. In fact, I bought another in Red Wine. I will set each one up with different strings. The other is on layaway, and for the brief time I played and inspected it, it seemed flawless in appearance, and didn't have the nut/fret problem. In fact, it may have played easier than this one.

I compared it to Epis, Washburn, Hamer, Brownsville,and others priced within $3-400 of it. I even compared it to genuine Gibson Les Pauls. I found it competitive in every way, and superior in many. The finish is better than the Epis, and most others. The tone and action are equal or better than all that I tried.

I think anyone serious about a Les Paul should take a long hard look at these. I don't think there's a better alternative dollar for dollar than a DeArmond M-77. In fact, if it cost the same as a genuine Gibbie LP, the only reason to go for the Gibson is it's notoriety.

I might add that those unfamiliar with the DeArmond brand and may have concerns about their apparent demise, consider these are actually Guilds. Although produced overseas, they are of Guild design (similar to the Guild Bluesbird) at sharply reduced pricing.

Korean made, 22 fret, maple top with agathis body, mahogony neck with rosewod fingerboard inlayed with pearl(?) inlays with 2 Gold-tone humbuckers. Wine red metallic finish. Pretty much everything you need.

Sounds good. The body is chambered so it sounds more like a semi-hollow. Neck pickup is real woody sounding. Bridge is brighter and fatter. Iwa going to replace, but now I plan to keep.

Great, finish is a little thick but I only paid $240. Two weeks earlie I bought a Les Paul Custom for 10 times as much and this guitar had fewer flaws. The frets are a little sharp on the ends and the nut could be smoothed off. But unbeliveable quality. Gibson is in trouble.

Will last forever, very solid.

Tone pot does not work. I will take back to Sam Ash and see how it goes

I have 30 guitars vintage and new. They are discontinuing these so they are selling them at cost. Get one, you can upgrade the hardware. A great guitar for an insane price.