Product: Encore JHS-A7-2T
Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted
12/31/2005
at
09:57am
by
BJ
Features
:
7
Found this in a load of junk at a house clearance sale! I am told by a dealer that this is a mid-1980s guitar made in the same Indian factory as the Sunn series of Strat clones. It is a solid bodied thick Stratish shape, cream coloured, with 2 tasty black soapbar humbuckers, single balck vol and tone knobs. 21 frets, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. VERY well made with tough slightly sparkly cream finish on body. Heastock is pointed with 3 grover type tuners each side and a subtle "Encore" logo between them. Never seen one like it anywhere, but my dealer friend remembers selling one around 1985. It is very unusual because it has a chrome string lock next to the nut, and fine tuning knobs for each string on the FL floating bridge. Still has its two hex keys fixed under the headstock.
Sound
:
8
After fixing the loose wires on the input jack, I fired it up and amazingly it all worked - even the pots were smooth over the whole range. The sound is punchy and very LP in tone. I guess the pickups are Eastern made but they are very good quality. Plays well through a Marshall solid state amp. No weird noises just straightforward good sound that you would expect from good humbuckers. Good for bluesy rock with serious sustain.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
For an Encore this is a very well made guitar. The action is low and clean. Pickups adjust easily. Finish is very tough and looks cool and minimalist with the cream body, chrome tuners and bridge, black humbuckers and two in line black knobs. It even stays in tune providing you don't accidentally move the tuning knobs on the bridge while you are digging in!
Reliability/Durability
:
8
Tough, solid guitar that is definitely giggable. Would stand up to a lot of moving about.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I doubt if JHS (who imported this guitar) would remember it! I'm told that they were only in the catalogue for a year, then the factory production was taken over by Fender, making the Sunn cheapos.
Overall Rating
:
7
I play mostly blues/folk/Dylanish stuff. Own an embarrassing number of acoustic and electric guitars, and many other instruments. whole family (6 of us) are musical and play almost everything except trumpet (neighbours have hard enough time without horns as well!)
