Johnson Catalyst

The Catalyst has a bolt-on neck of 25.5 inch scale with 24 frets. The neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard with white binding. Apparently the neck was cut on a 20 inch radius which makes it fairly flat. It has sharktooth mother-of-pearl inlay position markers. The body is solid alder with a quilted maple top and my particular guitar is a glossy translucent green. There are two control knobs, tone and volume, and one three way switch. It has a Floyd Rose style whammy system with locking nut, and all the hardware is gold colored. There are two passive humbucking pickups without covers.

The manufacturer's description claims that these are high output humbuckers, but my impression after playing this guitar for 6 months is that their output is very similar to the stock humbuckers in a Les Paul Standard. I like the sound. Maybe another comparison would be to Ibanez Super 80 pickups of 30 years ago. There is good sustain but individual notes ring out clearly when arpeggiating chords. I have played the guitar through a Hughes & Kettner Tubeman Plus and a Boss GT-PRO and have been impressed with the sound. My musical tastes tend to 70s and 80s classic rock and this guitar handles those genres well.

If you have looked at inexpensive guitars you have probably noticed a wide variation in quality from different manufacturers. I am very impressed with the quality of this Johnson Catalyst. I have several Ibanez guitars as well as a Fender Strat, and have owned and played many Gibsons over the last 38 years -- this Johnson is a very nice instrument and compares favorably to them. The first thing I noticed is how well the frets were dressed. The fretboard and frets are as smooth as glass right out of the box. The bolt-on neck seems solid, and the finish on the body is top notch. I lowered the action a little to my own taste and also changed the string gauge from the factory strings so I had to reset the intonation, but it was not far off.

One of the reasons I purchased this particular guitar was the Floyd; none of my other guitars have a whammy so I figured it would be nice to have one guitar with that feature. But now that I have it I am considering blocking it up so that it can be pulled but not dive bombed because it takes so much time to tune the instrument when changing strings. Obviously when you tighten one string to tune it, the others go out of tune because you are pulling the whole bridge assembly with it. This is not a criticism of the Johnson, just a fact of life with Floyd Rose whammies. As far as reliability in general, I don't see any reason to doubt that this guitar is extremely reliable, but I haven't gigged with it.

I have had no need to deal with customer support.

As mentioned before, I have been playing 38 years. I really like this guitar a lot. If I could change anything, I might be tempted to have one made with a 24.75 inch scale neck, but then again maybe not. I would like to try it out. If this guitar were stolen I would try to buy another one. This guitar is unquestionably well worth the money.

dual humbucking system, , mapel quilted top i think, pretty cool looking. i checked the website for this and mines kind of different from the ones they sell now, the name on its different and since i bought this beauty used i think it may be an older model

I play blues and metal, this guitar suits it pretty well, but also supports other music styles too, its pretty cool i do kind of want to put EMGs in it, but as is, its a pretty cool guitar

i bought it used, so it was a little beat up, but, its still awesome

haha, this would definitely last a while, 10/10

well never dealt with them but, i guess this brands specialty is gun shaped guitars that cost a lot, they also sell jet shaped guitars, i saw a few at NAMM

well, ive been playing for a while, im not a master, i own a Gibson SG Standard, Jackson Soloist, and couple other superstrats, frankly this guitar is one of the most enjoyable to play, when i bought this i was just looking for a used guitar, something different, well, i got what i was looking for, my only problem is the pickups, stock pickups can only go so far, im probably just going to put some Duncans in and we'll see after that. if this was lost and i had found another, i would definitely buy it, but, like i said, i bought it used

Beautiful light amber finish on a nice solid beautiful alder body. Neck has rosewood fretboard with sharktooth Ibanez style inlays. Neck is medium but very fast, thicker than a Wizard neck. Liscensed Floyd Rose Tremolo with locking nut. Gold hardware. Two open coil humbuckers. Classy looking guitar.

Great for rock and metal, but I also play surf music on it.
It is quite versatile. I use it with both solid state and tube amplifiers. Full rich sounding pickups which have nice sustain. I love playing Van Halen, Trivium, Shadows Fall, GNR, and punk/alternative stuff and this guitar hits the mark every time! Sounds like a $1000 guitar!
Like any Floyd Rose, not the best for down-tuning easily.

Average setup, I lowered the bridge, tuned it and it was ready to fly. Perfectly bookmatched top, everything is top notch. I am amazed. Electronics function well. Nothing seems cheaply made that I can tell to date.

Great for live playing or at home. It seems dependable. The gold finish is holding up so far. No problems with strap buttons to date.

Doubt you would get much customer support for this guitar. Foreign made.

I own about 12 other guitars. This is one of my top 4 guitars. It is a terrific value for anyone who wants an RG style guitar with a Floyd Rose for a great price. If this was sold by Ibanez it would probably cost hundreds more. It is so beautiful that I tend to baby it. If it was lost or stolen, I would cry and order another one today and hope the next one was close to as good as the one I own.

Finish-gold/yellow, strat type body, but just a lilttle bit sharper. Mine came with a licensed floyd rose, sealed tuners, rosewood standard neck, 1 tone, 1 volume, h/h pickup and has 24 frets, which is perfect for me. There are no flaws, that i kno of or can see with this guitar. The only thing i dont like is the floyd rose, there's nothing wrong with it, i just dont like them that much. But after playing it i soon like the floyd rose because of it's "tonal freedom".

The sound is beautiful, rich and smooth. It's suits just about any music style, in which case i like to play alot of metal and classic rock. This guitar, for the money, gets a 10 out of 10 for sound.

This guitar is absolutley beautiful, nice gold finish. It came set up fine from the factory, although my local store always messes around with the guitars. No flaws at all

Very reliable, this guitar compares to an $800 Jackson.

Never had to deal with them

I'd give this guitar a 10. The best i own and have ever played (not too many though)Nothing is better for the money

Like said by others the correct model is the JS-330.
Finish - Quilted Maple Gold, Strat Style, Licensed Single Locking Floyd Rose system, Sealed Tuners, 1 Volume, 1 Tone, H/H Pickups. Rosewood fretboard with sharktooth inlays. No noticeable discrepancies other than new strings. I was relatively new to the Floyd Rose so I had my guitar guy string and set up for me while I watched the right way to do it. (Not a bad way to spend $30.) Once fully set up the guitar played like a dream. I have 5 guitars and I jam the most on this one. The action is amazing and its just easy to play. Just kinda sucks for the guy who sold it to me for $80 cause he thought it was unable to be tuned.

I am pretty versatile, I play anything from blues to straight up thrashing. I havent had any issues with the H/H buzzing. When I took it to my guy to set it up the only issue he found was the intonation was a little off on the higher frets. I really couldnt tell you the difference once plugged in.

Im not sure how the factory set up was, because I bought it from a guy who didnt know what the hell it was. I mean come on $80 for a guitar, I thought I was just going to use it as a project, but $30 later its the guitar I play the most. The action like I said before is outstanding. Its really responsive and no low E buzz.

I have had many "whiskey nights" with this thing and it still looks great. The only blemish is the gold neck plate, but that was done before my time. I would no doubt use it on a gig, in fact I have a few times. I show it to friends and at first all they see is the Johnson name. They associate it with some of the more lower end guitars, until they play it. To be honest I play the Johnson more than I do my Ibanez, Epiphone, Gibson, or Takamine.

Havent had to deal with them, so I'll take that as a + for the Johnson

I have been playing for about 13 years off and on, I have a small set up with a Marshall Amp and sometimes use my Korg to hook up to my PC. I bought the guitar just knowing it had a Floyd Rose. Price checking, the guitar cost less to me than going out to buy a Floyd Rose. First I would hunt them down and beat them, but ultimately I dont know if I could beat the deal I got on it. To be honest I play the Johnson more than I do my Ibanez, Epiphone, Gibson, or Takamine. Dont Get me wrong, I love all my gits. This one is just too much fun.

About the guitar:
Finish- Quilted Maple Green Top, Strat Style, Licenced Floyd Rose, Sealed Tuners, Rosewood Standard Neck, Made in 2007,24 frets, 1 volume, 1 tone, H/H pickup.
This guitar had no noticable flaws. The only reason I gave it a 9 is because they didnt have this guitar made in blue. Otherwise, it would have got a 10, but since I had to settle for green (although beautiful)I gave it a 9.

The sound is full and rich. Kind of like a Les Paul. It suits just about any music style. This is one the most versitile guitars I own. You can play country, pop, jazz, rock, & heavy metal. What ever your heart desires, this guitar can do.

The guitar was set up decent from the factory. The top was perfectly bookmatched! The bridge is routed great and the pickups needed a little adjustment, but nothing a newbie couldnt do. This is by far the easiest guitar to play I own!

I would gig with this guitar without a backup in an instant. The truth is, It is too pretty for a road guitar. This is a studio guitar for me. The hardware is tough and yes I dropped it already without a mark left on it. SHAME ON ME.. This thing is great. I would say you couldnt get a better deal for $245.00. This guitar is comprable to a $800-$1200 Jackson. Actually, I showed this to a friend who has been playing for 15 years who just bought a Jackson for $950, is mad now. He thinks this guitar is better than his. He offered me a trade and I said NO.

I didnt have to deal with the company, but I am sure they are good. Actually not anyone I know has had to get theirs repaired. Maybe a good sign?

I have been playing for 3 years. I own a few guitars, Ibanez, Washburn, and the Johnson. The Johnson wins hands down! If this guitar was stolen; I would beat that person down!... on a more serious note, YES I would replace without even thinking about it! For the money, you cant beat this guitar! This guitar is good for beginners (although a very good beginner guitar) all the way to the pros.

The correct model number for the Catalyst is JS-330. I got mine as a floor demo from a store is Kansas for $169. The retail price on these is $240. Alder body with curved flame maple top. 24 frets with shark tooth inlays. One volume and one tone, each recessed in the body. Matching headstock. Floyd Rose. All gold hardware. Sealed tuners. Two humbuckers. Probably a 2005 model.

The sound of this guitar is great. Nice hot hunbuckers. Very good sustain. A bit of brightness due to the maple top. Like a Les Paul with more clarity.

Mine was in perfect condition cosmetically. I had to change the strings. It takes a long time to set up a Floyd Rose system, so be patient. Once set up properly, the guitar will stay in tune.

Very well designed and well built. Too pretty for a road guitar - I'll keep it in the studio. It's a gorgeous instrument which inspires me to play.

Never had to deal with them.

Forget the other reviews. I've been playing and repairing guitars for over 30 years. I also own over 30 guitars. This guitar is one of the best deals I've ever come across. After I got it set up properly, with the action FAST, it played beautifully. Better than a lot of $1,000 plus guitars I've played. NO fret buzz whatsoever!
The frets were all perfect and access to the 24th fret is quite easy.
The tones coming out of this thing are great. It is a gorgeous guitar that rivals higher end and boutique guitars. Even for the retail price of $240, it's a great guitar!!

I am writing about a Jphnson Catalyst aka JE-330.
Surely made in China. As far as i can see a bolt-on one piece (!) maple neck.
Body is made of alder and has a curly maple top (i am not sure whether the maple top is smassive or laminated). The maple top looks really good.
Floyd-rose licended tremolo, 24 frets, 2 humbucker, locking nut, gold tuners and floyd rose, 3-way toggle switch, one volume control and one tone control.
I rate this 8 because it has good features and all you need.
If it had switches to split the humbuckers and a stop-tail-pieceinstead ofa floyd rose copy, i'd rate this guitar 10.

By the way: please excuse my lousy english. I am no native speaker.

This guitar sound really really good. I was surprised.
I play it on a 50 watts Engls stright combo (all tube), an amp that doesn't hide any mistake, and the sound is really great.
Because it has an alder/maple body and a floyd rose, it sounds like a stratocaster, means medium to good sustain, dry tone is very balanced, not too loud with decent treble tones. Without sounding too trebbly. As i wrote - very balanced.
Played via a very clean all tube amp it sounds alittle steril, it does not have much "personality", but the very balanced tone gives the guitar player much possibilities to make it sound like he wants the guitar to sound. The attack is not very strong (not like a good telecaster), but its ok.
The humbuckers are very quiet and have a high output. If your amp or your clean chanel tends to distort, you must turn down the gain to keep the sound clean.
Played via high gain/overdrive chanel the JE-330 comes closer to her strong side. The neck-pickup sounds sounds more bassy than the bridge pickup, but it sounds good and precise. No muddy sound like many mahagony guitars produce with an overdriven neck pickup.
The bridge pickup is a rocker. Good trebble, not to few mids and a slim bass. A really good sound.
I am quite sure many guitras that cost several hundert bucks more do not sound better.

CRegarding the price the sound deserves a 10.
Minus one because it ist not very versatile. Neck- and bridge pickup and both togehter give different tones, but the differences good be more intense in my humble opinion.
But i think 9 is stil a very good rating for such a cheap guitar.

Usually the first thing one has to do with such cheap guitars is to replace the pickups. At least if you wantto get a good sound.
Not with the Catalyst. The pups sound really ok.
If i should replace them some day, then not for their sound quality but to get more versatility.

I bought it second hand, but i think the original buyer had kept the setting like itwas delivered. And the settings very really bad.
Original strings are louse, the neck was not adjusted very good, the pickups were too close to the strings, there was too much buzz from the frets and so on. The higherfrets were unplayable. The tone control was very hard to move.

The "optical" finish of the body looks great, i did not discover remarkable flaws.

The main problem are the bad settings. These settings make this guitar unusable for beginners (what is a shame) unless beginners have a good dealer that does the primary settings.

1 point for the lousy settings (tremolo, neck, pickup positions), 5 points for the very good neck. Frets could be higher but the shape and the silky lacquer make it to pure fun to play this neck.
I have fat fingers and I am used to fatter necks, higher frets and broader necks, but i feel very comfortably on the neck of the Catalyst.

Johnson offers lifetime warranty, so guess the reliability/durability is rather o.k.
Because I own this guitar for just 2 days i do not rate the durability.

no idea, therefor no rating.

This guitar gives me 3 laughing eyes and one sadly crying eye.
Big disadvantage: settings when delivered. The experienced players needs some time to set it up properly, the beginners surely will fail.

And now the big advantages: very good sound and good neck, great look (yes, the Catalyst looks really mind-blowing) and unbeatable low price.

ABSTRACT: Guys, I paid 159 euros for this guitar, NEW. That's about 200 bucks. You cannot compare this with a 2.000 dollars Gibson, but this beauty is certainly MUCH BETTER than any other 200 dollars guitar I ever saw. For a little context, please consider that I am not a professional, that this is my fourth e-guitar, and that I feel more like a luthier than like a musician. English is not my mother-tongue.

I live in Europe, here this model is called JE-330. Made in China. Yes, yes... they can do some cool things now and then. 24 frets, solid body in maple, got mine in transparent amber. It has two Hambuckers, passive. Quoting the Harmony-central.com description of this instrument,

"The quilted maple stretches along the top of the guitar for a striking look and feel (...) The body is built with solid alder. (...) The guitar's neck is crafted from maple and is topped with a bound rosewood fretboard. The fretboard boasts inlaid mother-of-pearl position markers in a classic "sharktooth" design".

The bridge is a licensed Floyd Rose, in gold. Tricky when you try to tune the guitar. When you spend $200 in a new guitar, you are lucky if they give you strings with it. Well, I got the cable, the strings-locker, the FR bridge with microtuners, cool tuners (look like Gotoh -maybe they are-), and the little tools for the adjustments.

Sound is clear, clean. No buzzing that I can hear. I have to test it in one of those big Amps that "go to 11" , but in my 25W it sounds pretty nice. It sounds like "fluidly", you know, is not like some strings sound louder than the others.

Finish could be much better.
- When I opened the back compartiments to adjust the Floyd Rose, I found a lot of polishing paste, from the fabric. C'mon, Johnson guys, a chinese man with a Hoover would have been enough!
- The scale's white borders were stained with the brown ink (or whatever it is) that colours the scale.
- under the knots, again the polishing paste, and a very ugly finishing. So, I worked a full evening cleaning and improving the looks of my new guitar. At least I liked to do it.
- The position markers in mother-of-pearl are fairly well done, without noticeable transitions between the scale's wood and the plastic.

It seems like a rock to me. Is not very heavy, though. The hardware looks strong. The paint job is niiiice. Well polished, thick transparent layer of acrylic treatment.

I still have to experience a problem with it...

It is the best piece of craft you money can buy. If you are mark Knopfler, stay on the Gibsons, but if you are looking for a cool instrument to start playing, this beauty will exceed your expectactions.
The Price/quality relation is simply invincible. I think that the only guitar in this segment that could be -musically- comparable is the low range Epiphones, but the difference is that the Catalyst are stetically great, and the epi's are not.

Quilted maple body(got mine in red)
Dual Humbuckers
Double locking Floyd Rose
24 fret rosewood w/Shark tooth inlays
Gold hardware w/recessed control knobs

Wicked features that can't be beat for the money

The soud is immaculate. I've made a lot of enemies on sites so obviously owned by Fender or Gibson by supporting these guitars.

It's like Jaackson and Ibanez had a bastard child together....that neither want to admit to!

There is not a single thing I would change or alter about this guitar. Strings don't buzz, it stays in tune but most of all it just hass a beautiful and powerful tone.

It somewhat looks like a metal guitar but you could use this thing for any style/genre. Surprisingly it would be a great jazz electric.

The finish looks wicked. Like dragon scales. The action straight out of the box was decent, but 10 minutes later and the strings would fret if you just blew on them.

The floyd on it is really nice too. The gold is actually some of the best looking gold hardware I've seen more recently.

It's solid as a rock. It will stand the test of time there is no doubt. It also comes with a LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Don't know but it has a lifetime warranty. Lets see Ibanez or Jackson match all these features and the warranty for this money!!

.....they could but they won't.

Overall you are basically getting what you'd pay all the way up to $1200 for from Jackson or Ibanez. The finish might not be QUITE as immaculate as they'd have theirs.....but I dunno man, this is my second Johnson and these things are very very impressive.(also remeber Jackson was vs Washburn in electrics back in the 90's. Washburn started kicking out some guitars that blew Jacksons away at half the money but they just didn't have the artist endorsements to win)

To tell someone the quality of these guitars you basically get a lot of nastiness because it's not a big name brand. Meanwhile you're getting the same quality at 1/4 the cost. I myself am not a gear snob. I have played on just about everything out there and owned a few VERY expensive guitars. I have worked on guitars since I started playing 9 years ago.
The Catalyst would be an addition to your arsenal where you keep looking at it in amazement because of how much you spent and what you got.

Anyway, you won't find a better deal for the money. A jackson or Ibanez of this cost would be a piece of junk in comparison, plain and simple.

Best of all if it were stolen or lost I wouldn't be out $1200!!! And yes, I'd replace it in a heartbeat.

This is THE BEST value I have ever found for an electric guitar anywhere. There are other budget brands around but nothing like this.

The saying goes you get what you pay for truly is for the ignorant and unaware. When you buy a big name brand with these features and quality, 2/3 of what you just paid for is the name.

Lastly all I can say is buy one without worry.