Product: First Act ME-402 LP-style
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
02/26/2008
at
02:17am
by
strat rat
Features
:
9
black body roewood fretboard some kinda maple neck 2knobs one tone one volume.
Sound
:
9
boy was i surprised how it sounded through my crate rfx 200s and my laney pro tube it was loud and proud and I was stunned
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
good action smoothe frets nice I don't particulary like cheap guitars but this thing sounds decent
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
got some cheap hardware thats for sure
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
gave it to a dude took it back and happy I did
Overall Rating
:
10
I give a good overall rating sure does make a nice first guitar
Product: First Act ME-402 LP-style
Price Paid: US $119
Submitted
03/27/2006
at
12:31pm
by
Neil B
Features
:
8
It is an import(China, I think). 22frets, solid-body electric Les Paul-shape, 2 humbuckers,1-volume, 1-tone, 3-way selector switch.The body is (of course) plywood, the neck is a surprisingly good quality maple. Mine is finished in black paint, with a cream pickguard and black speed knobs. It had their stock wrap-around bridge/saddle combo on posts, but I replaced it with one with individual saddle adjustments for setting the intonation (yes, I paid as much for the new bridge as I did for the guitar).It has simple "generic" tuners, but I have no complaints-it stays in tune great. The maple bolt-on neck has a nice taper, medium thickness (not a baseball bat), rosewood fingerboard, and feels like my Les Paul Standard.
The pakage also came with a heavily padded gig bag, and a 10' cable.
Sound
:
8
I was not expecting much at all...just something to tinker with when away from home. BUT WOW!!!It actually sounds GREAT! Now, it's not my LP, but it has a very good sound in all P-up positions (maybe because it has exposed humbuckers). I did, however, begin tinkering with the neck pickup...I cancelled it out, so it's now a single coil. It has a really good "strat" sound now in the neck & middle positions.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
7
The action was pretty good from the factory. I lowered it slightly, put heavier strings on it (it came w/ 9's and use 10's). So I had to adjust the intonation, too (aftermarket bridge). The finish was good...there are some MINOR finish cracks around the bridge posts, but you have to REALLY look close to see them. The bolt-on neck was positioned great out of the box. I had to replace one screw on one tuning machine.
The only draw-back was the rosewood fingerboard...it could have been a little better quality. It's ok, and the fretwork is QUITE good, but the rosewood itself looks like it may have been a 2nd. (oh well).
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I've had this guitar for a year and a half, and with steady (almost daily) practicing and a few live gigs, it has held-up great (better than I expected). The finish shows no signs of wear(I do wipe it and the strings down after each session-a good habit to start). The electronics are as good as new. Strap buttons are solid (though I will be replacing it w/a DiMarzio ClipLock like on my other guitars just cuz I wanna).
Customer Support
:
10
When I bought mine, it had a 1-year warranty. It has been extended now to (I think) 5-years. When I was replacing the screw on the tuning machine, I did call Customer Service to see what size they recommended, and just asked them a little bit about the company and the warranty. They were fantastic, and glad to talk with me.
I've had no "real" repairs to make to it, so service has not been an issue.
Overall Rating
:
9
Ive been playing for about 17 years. I play classical, jazz, rock, blues, and heavy metal(quite a range). I use a First Act 10watt practice amp, a Crate GT65 amp(it rocks!), and a Zoom G2 processor(it's awesome!). This guitar sounds great even straight from the practice amp, but REALLY good through my Crate. Idid do some research on the company before I bought it (they have not been around too long, but their staff is a nice mix of musicians, luthiers, and sound engineers). THAT was what made me pick First Act over other brands. Sure, it was only $100 and change, but with a little research, I found a very good instrument, rather than a typical "hundred-dollar guitar". For anyone a little nostalgic, my first guitar was a used Gibson Challenger II (made in '84, a great guitar), and this one plays as well, if not better than the Challenger.
Since buying this guitar, I have followed First Act's direction in the biz, and I have been impressed with where they are going and what they have done,even up to this point...check out their Studio For Artists and Custom product lines (they're not your typical "off-the-rack" guitars).