Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 11/05/2007
at 08:06pm
by John
Features
:5
Small 335 style, maybe cs-336 knock-off. Plug goes into rim instead off top. Double cut,2 buckers, 2 vol, 2 tone stop tail. Gloss tobacco sunburst, poly finish. Laminated (plywood) body with flame maple veneer. Neck and rims are painted black, can't tell what kind of wood. Headstock is on the thin side. Neck is slim and narrow. Position markers are fake pearl blocks with fake abalone triangles inset. Frets are medium. Board looks like rosewood. Binding on body (front/back) neck and headstock. Made in asia somewhere. center block. No name sealed tuners. plastic nut. Really, as cheap as you can get.
Sound
:5
Acoustically it sounds louder than a solid body with some low end comming through the f-holes. Not enough volume and still a thin tone so that it really has to be plugged in. Through my Princeton Reverb II it sounds pretty rockin. Has Bark and bite without much feedback. The pickups remind me of the ones on my Korean Epiphone, they are not subtle or pretty, just brash. For clean jazzy semi hollow tones you have to work for it. After playing with the knobs a bit I got some decent sounds. Try both pickups, neck vol 2, tone 3, trble vol 5 tone 8. Play fingerstyle with some jazz chords through a nice tube Fender and it sounds pretty good. It still struggles to deliver some hollowbody jazz box tone but compared to my les paul you can hear a little 335 in there. A bigger problem is that the pickups are not balanced well, the g string is too loud, the bass strings are not responsive and the midrange is too pronounced. Better (adjustable) pick ups would be the single best change you could make. Another thing I noticed is that the laminated top is thick and stiff and does not resonate at all. The neck on the other hand is thin and light with a small, thin fragile headstock that vibrates all along its length. Better guitars have sturdy, stiff necks that would transfer that string energy to a light resonate top.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:3
The finish is not polished to a high shine, a bit dull. The binding is sloppy. The veneer is so thin you can see through it in spots. The burst has sloppy overspray that spoils some of the effect. The inlays are cheap looking without figure, some are crooked, all have goop to fill in around them. The hardware for the bridge is actually pretty good quality. The nut is cheap shiny plastic that doesn't look like it will hold up to the strings cutting grooves in them with some aggressive vibrato. The gold plating on the hardware is actually showing corrosion that looks like rust(I don't know how old this is). After I set the neck, string height and intonation it played very well with low action and no fret buzz. I was actually impressed. What holds this guitar's playability back is the extremely small neck dimensions. I am 5'9" and wear a medium glove and I find the neck uncomfortable thin and narrow. My Korean epiphone has a small neck but still larger than this one. I'd say it would be good for a child or lady. The guitar seems quite heavy for a semi-hollow. Looking inside the f-holes the cuts seem rough and no finish work was performed and the glue is sloppy. It smells like wood, though.
Reliability/Durability
:7
The electronics are cheap. I give them 5-10 years. The hardware is cheap, figure 2-3 years before it starts looking ratty, the lamination is strong, don't worry about cracking, plywood won't usually suffer cracks. The poly coating is thick enough to absorb plenty of abuse. The neck and headstock look like they would snap with any shock or stress, do not lean this guitar against your amp. Should last if you take care of it.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
never dealt with them
Overall Rating
:5
been playing 17 years I own several guitars, a korean epi les paul that was my first guitar and I love, a schecter, a gibson les paul, a vintage bc rich mockingbird, an ovation addamas II, a malmsteen strat, some other stuff including mesa,marshall,fender,carvin. This J Turser was lent to me for a while so I thought I'd review it. I think it would make a fine student guitar. I think it could make a well playing instrument if the electronics and hardware were upgraded. I think the neck really is a serious drawback. I would try to find a later example that may have a more substantial feel. For a serious musician who is gigging or recording, look at something else. For student or casual home use it is fun to lseek out those jazz tones or make those pups bark.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $325
Submitted 06/17/2005
at 11:13pm
by Ben
Email: benlevy at dreamtheater<dot>zzn<dot>com
Features
:9
Purchased new off eBay from some dealer in 2003. This is the vine model with the cool inlays on the neck, gold hardware, looks like a tobacco sunburst with slight flame look. Two humbuckers, two tones, two volumes, three-way switch. Same features as a Gibson, just cheaper materials.
Sound
:6
Not very happy with the sound. Waiting for pickup replacement to reach the top of the priority list. The sound is thin, hollow, pure tin, totally washed out. But I knew I'd be replacing the pickups when I bought it, so I'm not disappointed.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
I'm not too picky about looks. It gets lots of great comments from the audience, and even from people who get a close look. It plays better than expected for a $300 guitar. Mine stays in tune no problem and the switch and knobs feel solid. Just need to replace those crap pickups.
Reliability/Durability
:8
Everythings ok so far after a couple years. I've gigged with it a couple of times, but the pickups will prevent that from happening again. Once it has good pups, I'll gig with it no problem. The case is a piece of trash, don't pay extra for it, get a third party one that's worth a flip.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:7
As long as you remember the price, this thing rocks. Once the pickups are replaced, I'll have about $450 in it and it will smoke any hollowbodies out there that are $1000. I was considering a Gibson, boy am I glad I didn't overpay for that name plate! If lost or stolen, I'd shop around, but this model would get serious consideration. It's at least as good as the hollows from Epiphone and/or Ibanez.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $200
Submitted 05/04/2005
at 09:47am
by Scott Blasco
Features
:8
I believe this is a 2004 model, a factory second (some finish flaws). 22-fret semi-hollow body electric (Gibson 336 copy), volume and tone for both humbuckers and a 3-way switch. It has a maple laminate top, presumably ebony fingerboard, and creme binding all around. Neck is thin and sleek, my best comparison is to a Gibson L6-S I used to play. I believe all Jay Tursers are made in China, supposedly in the same plant that makes Epiphone guitars. I would certainly say that in playability (if not finish) the guitar is at least equal to any Epiphones I've played.
Cosmetically beautiful from a short distance, up close the "budget-ness" of the guitar becomes apparent: fretboard inlays are filled in with some epoxy to make up for imperfect fitting, binding is uneven in places, f-holes slightly irregular. The headstock is beautifully done, though.
My main problems were the generic-sounding pickups and sketchy tuning machines. I replaced the pickups with Seymour Duncan SH55s (Seth Lover model) and put new Ping tuners on it. The difference in sound is astounding--beautiful tone, great response and sustain! Also keeps in great tune now, much to my band's relief.
Sound
:8
With stock pickups it was decent: unremarkable, but not unpleasant. The body is very resonant, with a nice semi-hollow punch behind the overall mellow tone. After replacing the pickups, the sound went from "meh" to "wow!", which just goes to show how important they are to your sound! The 3-way switch and volume/tone controls are nice for getting a variety of sounds from bright and thin to warm and smooth. I'm playing a Mesa Nomad 45, and get a great sparkling and clear clean tone with great voicing audibility up through a roaring overdrive that would make any rocker proud.
I play in a progressive hard rock band, and use nearly every inch of this guitar's timbral real estate, from quiet fingerpicking through wall-of-sound rock-outs, with some great jazzy clean comping sounds and a very pleasing middle overdrive for rhythm playing. Very smooth sound with lots of sustain for soloing. Overall a great sounding axe. Replace the pickups, you'll be glad you did!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
Factory setup was fine, took a bit of trussrod tweaking after it aclimated to Michigan winter, but intonation was fine as was action. All electronics worked fine out of the box, no noise in the pots or switch, bridge and strap buttons are straight and solid. The nut is a kind of strange rubbery synthetic deal that I'll replace eventually, but it gets the job done without causing tuning problems. The finish, as stated above, is gorgeous from a few feet away, up close there are some flaws in the evenness of the blue wood dye and binding. One problem I had was with the output jack, which went out in a rehearsal. All it took was bending the contact post in a bit and it was fine, but that was the only time I've ever had that happen with a guitar, so I'll chalk it up once again to budget hardware.
Reliability/Durability
:8
The guitar is solid, I have no doubt it will survive as well as any other I've played, short possibly of my old Ibanez Artist which could probably have been used as a war hammer and come out on just fine on the other end. I'll replace the volume and tone pots, nut, and maybe the output jack at some point--not really because I expect them to fail, but because I'd like to have better response overall. Especially after my output jack debacle, I'd be leary of playing live without a backup, but otherwise I would depend on this guitar to be reliable and solid whether gigging or just jamming at home.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I have no idea. The warranty is lifetime for parts and workmanship, but I think I would do most work myself or just take it to a good shop for repair if it were needed.
Overall Rating
:8
I've been playing for 15 years or so, and have owned or extensively played a Washburn Force, Ibanez Artist, and a Gibson L6-S during that time. This is not a Gibson, don't let anyone tell you that. If I paid Gibson prices for this, I would be pissed at all the small flaws and imperfections and send it back. The workmanship is great for a budget-class guitar--as I said, it's as good as any Epiphone I've played for playability and sound. I would replace it if I lost it if I could get a similar priced one. I like it a lot, but I have no great loyalty to Jay Turser per se, I just want a good-playing, great-sounding guitar that I can afford (poor student budget), and if that was Epiphone or Fender or Hamer and I liked it as much as I like this one, I would have no hesitation with that. I do, however, really like the responsiveness of the semi-hollow body style, and would definitely hunt for another if I needed to. So yes, I would buy another, and have even considered buying a second Jay Turser, maybe their Les Paul or SG copy.
Overall, it sounds great, plays great, andissues are minor and easily fixed; I am very pleased with my purchase.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $285
Submitted 03/16/2005
at 09:08am
by Rodrigo Pereira
Email: rodmpereira at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:8
I bought my left-handed JT-134DC out of ebay after reading very good reviews of the guitar in HC. I paid $285 shipped. Mine is a translucid blue guitar, with golden hardware, dark wood neck, block inlays, and the classical configuration of a gibson: two humbuckings, 4 controls (2 vol, 2 tone), semi-hollow body, and glued in neck.
Sound
:No Opinion
The guitar sounds pretty good. Nice tone, something in between a Gibson 335, a Les Paul and Robben Ford's model. A good deal for the price. But it is an entry-level guitar. Keep that in mind if you want to by a Turser.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:2
I would say that the finish and craftsmanship of the guitar is decent, but miles beyond the quality of an american made guitar. I also own more expensive guitars (a lefty Gibson 335, and a lefty Heritage H-535). The difference is huge. The Jay Turser has many imperfections in the finish (some spots are darker, with the accumulation of the blue clear coat), there are large gaps in the block inlays that are filled with some dark material, and the F-holes are horribly cut and crafted when compared with more expensive guitars. Of all the issues, I think the lousy F-holes are the worst. Of course, if you consider the price of the Turser, you can tolerate these flaws. But don't be fooled to buy a Turser expecting to have a flawless instrument. I don't like playing a guitar with this level of craftsmanship, and from other reviews, was expecting something better. I was disapointed and will probably sell my Turser.
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:5
It is a good entry-level guitar. Good price. Don't buy it if you are used to play with high-end guitars. The difference is tremendous.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $327
Submitted 10/12/2004
at 08:01pm
by Jim Waltz
Email: jazznjava<at>comcast dot net
Features
:10
Beautiful blue 2004 model with 3 way switch, gold controls; 2 volume and 2 tone; double cutaway semihollow body with laminated flame maple top; Ivory pick guard; mahogany neck with rosewood fret board; set with abalone; twin gold humbucking pickups;
Sound
:10
Excellent for jazz and blues rhythm and solos. Currently using a Peavy Transtube Bandit 112 amp. The sound is rich and full...
Action, Fit, & Finish
:10
Set up was solid; one poorly fit fret needed tapping and filing on one end; otherwise meticulously crafted. The blue flame top finish is simply gorgeous! Neck is comfortable and easy to play.
Reliability/Durability
:10
Seems solidly constructed; comes with a "Limited Life Time" warranty; my life or the guitars, I'm not sure; but it does feel quite capable of being a survivor; I need to find a solid case for it now.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with; but as I said..."Limited Life Time" warranty...we'll see...
Overall Rating
:10
An amatuer guitarist for 30 years...this guitar has me seriously considering gigging around town. I would definately replace this baby. I think for the money, you can't miss; this is the guitar I've always wanted!
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $240.00
Submitted 08/15/2004
at 05:59am
by George French
Features
:10
22 fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
2 humbucking pickups
tune-o-matic bridge
Two volume and 2 tone controls
Three way selector switch
die cast machines
I mean, um, its a guitar :)
Sound
:8
This is how bad I am at buying stuff. I tested a Ibanez hollow body at a store and i loved the sound so much that I decided to get a hollow body. i went home and bought this on E-bay and didn't realize it was a semi-hollowbody.
Anyways the sound is pretty good, I am not sure how to compare it. It sounds completly different that my strat. For a "cheap" guitar it sure as hell doesn't sound like crap
Action, Fit, & Finish
:10
This is the guitars best feature. This guitar is well made, and it feels incredible. Once again, im not the best at describing stuff, but the feel of this guitar is incredible. It did need to get set up when i got it though
Reliability/Durability
:10
I never once had a problem with any guitar, cheap or expensive. I assume there will be nothing wrong with this
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never had to deal with them.
Overall Rating
:9
For the price, it is an incredible guitar. I know that for sure because people always ask when then see it. When i tell them how much it costs then try to buy it from me. I am keeping mine because, from what i have heard through the grape vines, they don't make these anymore. Maybe they will be worth alot of money or something?
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 05/24/2004
at 12:26pm
by Anonymous
Email: j<dot>craine at att<dot>net
Features
:No Opinion
A quick followup to add something I forgot in my previous review - the neck on the 134DC is on the small side. Those with small to average hand size will appreciate this. Those with larger hands may find it too small.
Sound
:No Opinion
Action, Fit, & Finish
:No Opinion
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $197.50 plus $28 shipping
Submitted 05/24/2004
at 09:03am
by Anonymous
Email: j dot craine<at>att dot net
Features
:10
Your basic 2 humbucker w/ 2 vols, 2 tones and 3-way selector, 22 frets, 24.75 scale, flat fretboard radius like a Les Paul, semi-hollow body similar to ES 335 but smaller, laminated flamed top, laminated back, center block, according to website this has a mahogany neck with rosewood fret board, sealed tuners, tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, cherry burst w/ gold plated hardware. Came strung with 009s. I'll give it a 10 because it's got what it needs. Purchased new thru EBAY from Abe Music in Miami. Dealer included no accessories or warranty card though he should have. A call to Jay Turser (Music Industries) got me both of those. I purchased this guitar for my daughter as a starter.
Sound
:8
Pretty darn good. The no name pickups are pretty hot and give pretty good tone. I typically gig with a Hamer USA Artist Custom ($1200 used off Ebay) through a Tech 21 Trademark 60 amp. The Trademark is one righteous sounding amp. The Hamer Artist has SD Seth Lover pickups that are simply superb. The combination sounds unbelievably good, everyone who hears it for the first time comments on how good my guitar or amp sounds. Playing thu the Trademark, the 134DC lacks the "roundness" and complexity of sound that I get from the Hamer. The 134DC is less punchy, flatter and a bit more harsh. This guitar came strung with .009s, I normally play .010s so there might be some improvement in sound with heavier strings. I will rate it an 8 for sound which, even with the criticism, I consider to be very worthy.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
OK, let's get real for a moment. Anyone who says that this instrument is the equivalent of a $1,000 instrument is delusional. My Hamer is a top quality guitar, built like a fine piece of furniture. I have owned many other well-made instruments. The 134DC doesn't scream "quality" but it does scream "value".
Guitar arrived well set up. It shipped from Florida and I live in MA, so after a day or so I had to tinker with the truss rod as the guitar acclimated. Added some relief to the neck. Still have a bit of a buzz on the b string but it's acceptable. The truss rod uses a hex wrench so even though one wasn't included with the guitar (a major oversight in my opinion) I had the right tool lying around. The fretwork is quite good. Frets appear to be mediums and all fret ends are tapered so there are no sharp ends. The frets also appear to be polished to some degree, they don't have that gritty feeling that some inexpensive guitars have. The body finish work is good with no apparent drips. Binding is well applied with a few minor imperfections. One reason I got the guitar so cheaply is that there is a 3 inch long black smudge along the top edge of the guitar. The smudge is under the finish (in the wood?) and would normally be considered a manufacturing defect or factory 2nd. Dealer did disclose this in the auction. Tuners are smooth and hold tune quite well. Nut was well cut. Intonation was close but needs further tweaking. Pickup selector switch works fine. Volume and tone controls have nice taper to them.
I have two complaints. First, the workmanship on the fretboard markers is poor. You can see gaps around all the markers that are filled and dyed. Also the fake abalone is REALLY fake looking. None of this is noticeable from a few feet away nor does this affect the play of the instrument. My second complaint is that the bridge adjustment knobs are way too small and can't be turned by hand when the guitar is tuned.
I will give this guitar an 8 here. The 134DC has nowhere near the finish or build quality of the Hamer but it is certainly more than acceptable given the price point.
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
TBD. I have no reason to believe this guitar will break or fall apart. I would never gig without a backup.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
After the dealer told me that none of the Tursers came with warranty cards I called Music Industries to get to the truth. I got a human on the phone right away and she told me that I should definitely have received a warranty card. They are going to mail one out along with a truss rod wrench. No rating today. If I receive those items I'll post a followup and rate them a 10.
Overall Rating
:10
I am 45 and have been playing for over 30 years. I graduated from Berklee way back in 1980. I have played semi-professionally forever and continue to gig a few times a month because I love it. Over the years I have owned 3 different Les Pauls, 3 American Strats (including one Pre-CBS), Ibanez Artist, 2 Carvin Bolts, Carvin AE185 and AC375, Fender NAS Nashville B-bender Tele, and Hamer USA Artist Custom, and several other guitars. I can't honestly say that this guitar meets the overall quality of most of those instruments but, for the money, it is a good value and a very playable and gig worthy instrument. I bought this guitar for my 7 year old daughter as a learner instrument. It is much more than that and should serve her well until she starts suffering from GAS.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: 230 (#)
Submitted 05/10/2004
at 01:23pm
by Phil Coates
Email: knighton<at>nildram dot co dot uk
Features
:9
As featured below. A small bodied 335. 2 vol/2tone/2HB. Quilted top - almost got it right guys! Gold Hardware. Decent tuners. What looks to be MOP inlays with abalone triangle. All in all a very sexy looking guitar in Antique Sunburst.
Sound
:10
Well its as good as all the reviews say. The no-name pickups are at least as good as the Epi Dot i had if not better. Low output but clean, clear and full bodied. Roars like a demon with OD/Distortion but is capable of Carltonesque tones with a bit of fiddling with the tone controls. Neck pickup has an almost acoustic vibe to it...tasty.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:10
Well heres the difference between an Epi Dot and the Jay Turser. I have gone over this thing carefully and there are NO, repeat NO inconsistencies in fit and finish. The 'binding' on the F-holes of the Epi looked like a child had coloured them in with a felt-tip pen! On the Turser the 'binding' is cream, and complete including body, neck, headstock and F-holes.The centre block looks a bit rough but i don't play the centre block! Otherwise the innards are neat and tidy and the wiring is well hidden from outside view. The assymetrical headstock is an original feature although the inlay is a bit cheesy.
Reliability/Durability
:9
Early days, but i expect the gold hardware to rub off - so what, they are for playing, not polishing! Has taken a hammering at rehearsal and gigging without a problem.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Not bothered them yet.
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
Its much, much better than the Epi i owned. Is China the new Japan for quality cheap guitars? At this price (7 times less than a Gibson) you simply cannot lose. If you felt it was important, a couple of SD's, a new bridge, nut, pots and tuners would set you back approx #200 so still 3.5 times less than a Gibbo in the UK - its a no-brainer for those of us who want the sounds but haven't got the pounds.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $251 plus 28 freight
Submitted 03/04/2004
at 10:14pm
by dave
Features
:9
2003 Jay Turcer JT 134 DC with the MOP block markers with triangular abalone inlays (sweet!!) 22 frets, flamed top not sure what species of wood, natural or antique sunburst, 2-vol. and 2-ton, with 2 humbucker pups, passive electronics, Gold-sealed tuners.
Sound
:9
As many have said I have been very suprised at that quality of the pups and the very nice and sweet sounds you can get out of this guitar. Zero hum, this thing ooozzes sweetnes.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
Out of the box I did find a couple of very minor flawes, which if this were a $1000 guitar I would not expect to see but it's not is it. I have a buz or two to work out but no big deal given the price and in my case it's prbably just a matter of adjusting the tail-peice. That said, I am blown away by what a premium look this guitar has. BEAUTIFUL!!
Reliability/Durability
:9
Haven't had it long enought to know but she looks like good breading stock so I'll give her a nine :-)
Customer Support
:10
OK Dennis Sullivan is THE MAN!! I purchased this in an auction from MusicLandCentral (I think it is). Prior to bidding I varified that the guitar photos were "skock" photographs but that mine would be just like that with regard to color, hardware, etc. When I got it, it wasn't the same thing (EXACTLY). It had beige plastic hardware rather than black in the photograph and the MOP block markers did not have the abalone triangular inlays. I e-mailed Dennis and told him that it wasn't rights and he made it right. It did take about 10 days but that was not a problem for me. What I want you to take from this is that I got the impression that it was an honest mistake and it was corrected without hesitation on their part. So MusiclandCentral, because of Dennis Sullivan you get a 10.
Overall Rating
:9
I've been playing off and on for a long time and aught to be better than I am. I have not owned many guitars and for the past 10-15 I have played soley acoustic and unplugged. I had an old pair of Klipsch Harsey speakers hear so I bought a Berhinger 10 channel powered mixer and a GNX-3 guitar effects processor so I'm playing this guitar through all of that. I think I'm still in shock from all of the sounds I can get.
This guitar reminds me of my lovely wife...easy on the both eyes and wallet and we make beautiful music together. What more would a guy ask for than that.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $3000
Submitted 12/28/2003
at 03:10pm
by ralph bruner
Email: ralphbruner<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:9
This JT 134 DC was made in 2003, in China...22 frets..Lam. Top..Blue Finish, Gold Hardware, 2 no name Hum..pickups, Mag. wood set neck...Top wood?? not sure...Looks like a copy of Gibson 336?Stop Tail,,,,tun o maatic bridge...Tuners look like a no name Schaller, med frets,,, with the wrong case
Sound
:9
Sound is good...I make my money playing TV/Radio adds regional and national TOYOTA<<<DREMMELL etc..., It can handle lots of sounds... well, which is what I look for all the time. seems very sustainy, rather rich,,,maybe too much bottom end?unplugged it sings as well,,,
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
Finish is fine, except for a minor flaw on the back, some white stuff that looks like scratches, and a knot on the fretboard, but is no big deal, considering my other guitars are really beat up,,,the nut seems like it may explode if I were to hit it wrong, but it is cut nice, but seems so brittle...I had some fret outs, but minor so I'm tweeking it out now,nothing s little filling cant handle...,,but I do play all my guitars low...Actually tried another lesser model without my glasses, and thought it was a Gibson 335, then I put them on and was very suprised, then I grabbed the 134, and liked it...I am almost out of room seeting up the tune o matics,,,just the D string, so I may just "spin the thingy around" to get some more room.
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
I plan to keep my main guitar "1968 Gold Top Les Paul, here aat home except for commercials, and take this to the gigs, in case there is a thief abound...I have ad it for only a short time, so it hasn't blown up yet, but if it does I will let you know, I just gig now and then with an old band "Feet Of Clay" that had a small record deal dist through Sony 7 years ago, as well as an artist Melissa Mathis where we did the Lilithfair thing., so the heavy pressure gigs are no longer happening,but the pressure is on in TV commercial land... so if this guitar blows up,,,oh well just stop the show I guess, since I dont take my other guitars with me for backup, since there never is enough money nor beer to pay a tech to guard it with his life...so if is blows up,,,well then the shows over.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I haave never delt with the company, but the music store, where I got it."Uncle Bobs Music" in Milwaukee,,,well they are the top of the line people, and they would help me if I had problems with this guitar till the end of time...
Overall Rating
:9
I have been playing since I was 6,,,now I am 49, I have Gibsons Fenders early Charvells, Yamaha's,,,etc....Vox amps Marshalls...I was pleases with the way this thing played, and the price blew me away,,,something did not seem right, so perhaps it isn't. I do feel a little guilty about buying this from the poor people who make nothing putting this together in China....That is my worst problem with this whole thing...I have played a "1 of a kind" Gibson 336 for neally 10 grand, and it plays as good as that one...really,,,some old 335, too for that matter,,,once again the labor issue..I whish the frets were broader,,,like jumbo frets, but I can get used to that....the nut seems so brittle, but I can replace that, but iI still cant believe it is sitting here in front of me and sounds and plays this good....I have a friend who collects old Gibsdons and new Gibsons and he lets me play them all, from old Pauls to the jazz modles to everything else, and some of them do not play as good as this...I think I may get another one,,,peobably on of the other models, or maybe just get another color
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $255
Submitted 12/14/2003
at 07:25am
by Anonymous
Features
:9
Semi hollow body, vine inlay, gold hardware, dual humbuckers, two tone and two volume, transparent cherry burst color, tune-o-matic-made in china
I'm giving this a 9 because I don't know anything its lacking.
Sound
:9
I play mostly Christian Rock and some Jazz. It has a very warm sound. It has great sustain. Electronics are very quiet. You can get a lot of different tones.
I play through a Crate DX212 modeling amp. It is miked through a Makie board and active speakers. It sounds awsome, but thats not because of the guitar. But the guitar sounds great
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
The only flaw that I have found is the setting of the nut, which has a small gap on the side. The top is not bookmatched that well, but still looks great. the binding is very good. The vine inlay is stunning. Most people think this is a custom guitar.
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
seems very solid, but too new to rate
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I rate this over all as a 9. I think that it is the best guitar out there for the money. Its rediculously cheap. It looks and plays like it should cost 4x as much. Most people that look at it have guesssed that it cost over a grand. It looks like a custom guitar.
Sorry but the chiness are kicking our asses
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $350
Submitted 01/24/2003
at 10:19pm
by Steve Hanson
Features
:10
I purchased new at local music shop. When I first saw the Jay Turser line on Ebay, I thought they were just another cheap knock-off. How wrong I was! Red translucent finnish of almost highest quality two humbuckers 4 switches, flamed maple body.
Sound
:10
What can I say except GREAT!!!!!! I still can't believe how cheap and yet such quality and great sound. Humbuckers are very quiet and the guitar has fantastic sustain. More bass than you will ever need and fantastic middle and highs. Supberb guitar at any price.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
A few small imperfections in the finnish but very small and barely noticible.
Reliability/Durability
:9
Haven't had long enough to tell but everything seems very solid.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:10
I've been playing for 41 years. Strat Plus, Yari Alvarez 12 string, two other Tursers, Gibson banjo, Johnson Tri Cone. If this were stolen or lost you can bet I would buy another immediately. Love this guitar and I can actually afford several other great Tursers through the savings and not sacrifice quality. GET YOURSELF 3 OR 4 OTHER TURSERS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE GIBSON.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $235
Submitted 12/25/2002
at 01:05pm
by Paul
Email: pspencer<at>vipincorp dot com
Features
:9
I'm not sure whether these are made in Korea or China, but they're imported via a shop in New York. It's basically a Gibson 336 copy (I think) - semi-hollow body, two covered humbuckers, gold hardware, antique sunburst finish, mother of peal inlay, two volume and tone pots, three-way selector switch. You get the idea. Oh, and it came with a cable. I have no idea why. But it's a Gibson-style guitar, with all that entails.
Sound
:9
I'm about beginner to intermediate level, and to my untrained ear it sounds awesome. I just upgraded to this from a Mexican Squier Strat, and the difference is night and day. Really warm, fat tone, especially on the neck pickup or the two combined. Bridge pickup sounds a shade thin. I play mostly blues and rock, and it's so much richer than my old piece of junk.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
I had heard that Tursers tend to come with crappy factory setup, but I got mine from a shop in PA via Ebay, and they do their own setup work. It's great. Action is low, pickups are fine. Some minor flaws around the inlays, but otherwise the finish is spectacular.
Reliability/Durability
:9
I've had it for a month, so too early to tell here, but so far so good. It seems pretty solid. And Turser offers a lifetime warranty, so I'm not worried at all here.
Customer Support
:10
Haven't needed it. The shop I bought it from was cool, so they get the rating, and they deserve it.
Overall Rating
:10
If this were stolen or lost, I would definitely get another. I love this guitar. For the price, you can't beat the sound. I compared to Epis (can't affor a real Gibson), and this thing walks all over them. About as much guitar for your money as you can get.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US gift
Submitted 10/30/2002
at 12:01am
by JPaul
Email: jphands2000<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:7
Made in China with 22 frets,laminatied top. Two volumeand two tone controls and a three way switch that control the two humbuckers.
The body and neck seem to be of the same wood{mapeloralder}.
The finish is nice with no major flaws.Trans blue with flamed top!
Tune-o-matic style bridge w/tailstop.The bridge was almost out! [the bridge was to far from the nut! I was almost not able to intonate the guitar. The tuners are ok{gold}.The 24-1/2 scale neck has narrow tall frets{like randy roads tall},they were well dressed and hung over the fret board on the binding.Block inlay that was a little off but still nice!Rosewood fret board and a smooth slim neck
Sound
:10
The most important thing to me is the tone!!! And this 134-dc has a lot of tone!I have played it through several types of amps{Marshal,mesa,peavey,sunn,fender,matchless}and they all seem to have one thing in comon tone with out noise.Thick and chunky not muddy.I play many styles of music and this guitar can shine in most of those styles!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
The action was ok with the factory set up.I havent got one yet that did not need a little tweeking!
The top is very nice,well matched and carved out with a nice belly.The only thing that was wrong was at the heal of the neck the binding was chipped.
Reliability/Durability
:8
On stage the guitar holds it's own. The hardware seemes to be on the cheep side{gold plate is warring off already}.The finnish though seem's to be able to last for years.The stap buttont were very sharp!I had to change them!Yes i would gig whit it without a backup in fact i allready have.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Havent delt with them yet. And i hope i dont have to.
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing for 20plus.I have a lot of gear and it seems to be if its out there i will buy it.I would try to repacle it .I realy like the vibe from this one,tone,tone tone,thats what it's all aboyt!
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $281.00
Submitted 10/12/2002
at 06:42pm
by Omaz
Features
:No Opinion
I'm assuming this guitar was made in 2002 since I bought it this August. It's a 22 fret with 24 1/2 scale laminated top and was made in Red China. It has Separate volume and tone controls for each pickup
with a three way toggle switch and two humbuckers. I have no idea who made the pickups. It has a mahogany neck with a rosewood fret board with medium jumbo frets. The neck is set, not bolted on. It has a flamed top with antique sunburst finish. I'm not sure of the wood that was used although it looks like maple. It's a double cutaway semi hollow body with a thick and heavy block of mahogany running down the middle. The bridge is a tune-o-matic with stop tail and non-locking tuners. The whole thing is very Les Paul like. It came with a cheesy cable and a tool for adjusting the truss rod.
Sound
:No Opinion
I play blues and some folk type stuff and it suits my so called styles
just fine. I have a Peavey Classic 30 amp and a blues driver pedal and this guitar sings beautifully thru this setup and through my friends Marshall JCM 800. Like I said earlier I don't know who made these pickups but they did a great job. They have a lot of output and produce a nice bluesy tone, more output than the pups on my Santana SE. I'm well pleased with the sound of this guitar.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:No Opinion
The factory setup was not to my taste. It was a little on the high side.I adjusted the T-rod and bridge to my liking and set the intonation which is now perfect. The finish on this guitar is beautiful. It's fully bound and the flaws are minute and barely noticeable. The finish looks as though it will last for decades. The tuners work well and the guitar stays in tune very well. I'm going to replace the saddles on the B and G strings as they cause buzzing in the strings when played open. The tone pots aren't the best. They don't have much range after #3. Sort of either on or off.
The volume pots are more sensitive. The nut is of below average quality although well cut.
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
Overall this guitar seems to be very well made with decent quality hardware and would stand up to years of use. If I played professionally I would not hesitate to use it without a backup.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
It came with a so-called Lifetime Warranty and an adress for the company. I've never contacted them and never will.
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
I also have a PRS Santana SE. While the PRS has to my feel a tighter
action the Turser has a sweet playability of its own. It also sounds better for playing blues than the SE. This guitar is a remarkable value and seems altogether better than an Epi Casino in every way AND for half the money
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $349.99
Submitted 01/25/2002
at 05:21pm
by austin olin
Features
:8
It was made in china in 2000 and it has 22 frets its a solid top even though everyone says it is laminated. The controls can use a little work to give more diversity but it works two volume two tone nobs are your setup which can get a little confusing. the two humbuckers sound good but could be hot rodded or replaced which would boost the sound. I love the vintage finish its dark and gives a godsmack vibe
Sound
:8
I play alternative,blues,jazz,and rock and it fits them all. With the combination of the peavey 212 amp i have and my sucky ass DoD pedal i get a pretty screaming ass sound. Try this guitar with an ebow its awesome. I dont like the placement of the toggle switch cause i hit it with my hand when i strumm but easily solved with a little duck tape
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
the setup on the guitar came great intonation was set and low action was in place.
Reliability/Durability
:10
this guitar will play and it is reliable,dependable,and light. so if u play life and need a great semihollow body choose this guitar
Customer Support
:No Opinion
no problems
Overall Rating
:9
I wish it had a kill button and turbo switch. I would replace this guitar if it was stolen and i am even considering buying another one for my birthday.
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $238.00
Submitted 11/21/2001
at 02:28pm
by Steve Askew
Email: skew448<at>home dot com
Features
:9
Made in China . Dual cutaway. about two inches wider
than a Les paul. It's 1/4 inch thicker than a 335. It is semi hollow
with a block down the center. Like most Gibson style semi's it
has a laminate top. The top is nicely flamed. The back is plain.
The guitar is in transparent blue with all gold hardware. The
fretboeard is rosewood. The guitar is completely bound including
the back, neck, headstock and Fholes. It has a stop tailpiece and
cast tuners. It has two humbuckers with volume and tone for each.
ala 335.
Sound
:10
Well I A/B/C'd this guitar against my stock 1967 Gibson 345 and my
Duncan Antiquity equiped Ibanez AM50. I was blown away! It was very
close. the antiquity's made have had more definition on chords but for
a $238.00 guitar is was just plain SPOOKY! I have two other freinds
who in a blind test could not tell this guitar from my Gibson.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
Well It aint a Gibson or a Ibanez. The guitar is constructed soundly.
I do find fleck of blue paint(just a couple of tiny ones) in the
binding. Small file marks in the neck binding. notheing major. The
nut , while properly cut is a piece of junk. I will replace it with
a Lubri-trak. There are no globs of glue inside and the center block
has one saw mark I can see. The F-holes are bound but could be much
better. The finish overall is gorgeous. The side on the upper bout
has some very minor waves in the wood. Kinda like the underlying
laminate did not bend at the same rate as the outside. This is not
visible but can be felt. Its like from 2ft this guitar looks perfect
but under very close inspection some minor finsh flaws appear. I am
a stickler for detail. I find value in craftmanship so I can only rate
this guitar a 8. As far as setup. This guitar came strung with
D'Addarios 10's the action was very close to what I like. I lowered
the bass side a little. The intonation was dead on! The fret were
dressed well. No rough edges. The have that new feel. i.e. stiff. I
found one high fret. The 16th under the High E string.
Reliability/Durability
:9
This guitar has the feel! You know feels like it will last. It feels
very solid. I would gig with it. The hardware feel a little chince
and the nut is for KAH-KAH. Suprisingly as bad as the nut looks. The
guitar doesn't fret out and stays in tune very well. I am a blues
player. Which is to say I am a string bender. That means that the
nut doesn't catch or drag
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Dont know
Overall Rating
:10
Im a 1953 model. I started lessons at 10. I have played in bands all
my life. I have owned at least twenty guitars. This guitar is worth
every penny. With the sky rocketing cost of Gibson, Fender, Its nice
to know that for almost no money I can buy a guitar that plays and
sounds this good. I do not work for Jay Turser(but Im open to options)
Product: Jay Turser JT-134DC Price Paid: US $310
Submitted 07/01/2001
at 01:04pm
by Alex
Features
:9
I've had this guitar for a few months, so the honeymoon period is over. Just honest user opinion at this point, unclouded by shiny newness.
This is a double cutaway version of the JT-134, which is basically a semi-hollow Les Paul. I'd say the 134DC could best be compared to an early Ibanez Artist semi-hollow. It's got a tone block running down the center, a la the Gibson 335, but it's body is much smaller. I'll say right now (and I'll say it again for emphasis) IT's NOT QUITE SMALL ENOUGH FOR A STANDARD LES PAUL CASE. This is important. I thought it would fit an LP case and bought one, but the 134DC is about 1.5" too wide at the lower bout. Anybody want to buy a Les Paul case?
Two non-brand humbuckers, two volume and two tone controls, one three-way switch. Decent quality hardware (all Les Paul style). The 134DC has a better bridge than the stock unit on Epiphone Les Pauls. Tuners seem decent--again, better than Epi Pauls' .
It's a 22 fret, 24.75" scale neck with some of the tallest frets I've ever played. Then again, I'm quite used to playing my 1941 Epiphone Blackstone, which is nearly fretless. Nice medium sized neck (a little bigger than an Epi Paul, but not much), good access to upper frets via the double cutaway.
I'm one of those one-guitar-for-everything guys, and with minor modifications (pickups and switching), this will be that guiter.
I've rated this category an 9 out of 10, because while the features aren't incredible (two humbuckers, three-way switch, etc.), coupled with the finish, hardware and appearance, make this guitar a blazing value.
Sound
:8
The guitar sounds good. Not great, but nothing some better pickups couldn't fix. Here's the deal: the guitar sounds better than an Epi Paul, and it cost about half as much. And most people that know good tine replace the pickups on their Epi Paul, anyway. I'm planning to install two Schaller humbuckers (a golden 50 neck and Two-in-One bridge) and convert two switches to master volume and tone so I don't have to drill any holes for the three-way phase switch/coil split switches for each pickup. That'll will make it a more versatile guitar than most out there, and will add only about $100 to the total cost of the guitar.
A wise man once said (feel free to remind me who it was) that if your guitar--be it electric or acoustic--doesn't sound good unplugged , you've got no chance at great tone when amplified. The 134DC has a strong, punchy sound unplugged. That means it's made of good wood, and that it's well put together.
Better pickups, and this guitar will be the only one I ever need. The rating, however, is for the stock sound.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
This is one of the best looking guitars I've ever seen. It's got a nice flamed top, a great headstock shape, and the finish is quite good. Mine has the vine inlay running the length of the neck, and it's really well done. I can't tell if it's actually inlaid or if it's painted on (I have a hard time believing I can get such stellar inlay work for $310). I don't really care though; it looks great. I'd give the finish an 8 out of 10. From two feet away it's flawless, but up close there are minute flaws here and there. Nothing major, and again, it doesn't bother me. Remember, $310.
The action came well adjusted (for .009 gauge strings, which are too light for my taste, but that's a minor quibble).
Generally, this guitar cam well put-together. Minor finish flaws are my only problem, and I really don't care all that much.
Reliability/Durability
:9
This guitar also gives the feeling of being quite durable (which is good, since I can't find a hard case that fits, yet). It's a semi-hollow, so there's no real worry about the top collapsing.
Allin all it seems sturdy. I never gig with a backup (sort of as a matter of principle), though Im considering buying another 134DC in a different finish I couldn't decide earlier, and they're so cheap...)
My only problem in this category is the fact that I haven't found a hard case that fits yet. I hate gig bags, but they're better than nothing.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
I don't know that Jay Turser has a customer service department. I've only seen these guitars for sale through eBay (although you can go through the JT importer, but you'll pay about twice as much). I had a very hard time gathering information about the guitar--I still don't know specifics like wood type.
I think you're on your own, pretty much.
I will say, however, that the dealer from which I purchased my guitar (Dean Van der Woude (I think I spelled that right) at ProfessionGear.com) was very communicative and responsive. I reccommend him if you're looking for a Jay Turser guitar of any type.
But, as far as factory customer service goes, I don't think it exists.
Overall Rating
:9
I've played for many years, and I have a pretty specific (and quite demanding) idea about the "right guitar--" a small, truly hollow-bodied electric with versatile pickups and great tone (and no, PRS Hollowbodies just don't seem to work for me). I honestly haven't found it anywhere, no matter the price range. But, with the JT, I've come closer than I could with any other stock guitar, and the price is low enough to leave money for customization.
This is such a great guitar for the money that it's ridiculous. I used to think Ibanez Art Stars were steals (which they are), but the 134DC is on a different level of bargain. Based on this guitar, I'd recommend other Jay Tursers. If you're looking in the Epiphone price range (they seem to have lock on that market), do yourself a favor and look into Jay Tursers. Be brave, be differnet; don't be a slave to brand names.
As a point of principle, I think ratings of "10" should be reserved for 100% stellar items. I'm reluctant to give a 10 rating, becasue that represents a perfect instrument, and the bechmark too which all others should be compared. I love my 134DC, but I don't think it will change the world. That's why it's a 9 and not a 10. If we were speaking solely in terms of value, though, I'd ask for a higher rating than 10.
I'm as happy with the guitar than the day I first pulled it out of the box, and I'll be even happier when the electonic modifications are done. This is a great guitar in so many ways. It's beautiful, it's versatile, it's extremely well-priced, and I've never seen another one in person. It's nice to have something nice that looks different that nobody's ever heard of.
There is very little information out there about Tursers, particularly this model. If you have any specific questions that weren't answered here (I can't imagine I missed something), feel free to contact me at the e-mail address below.