MJ Guitar Engineering Roadster

2008 black roadster with flamed maple neck and fretboard. pickguard cut from a piece of quilted maple and finished in a great deep red. HSS pickup configuration using a pearly gate humbucker and SD alnico single coils. Poplar body with the most quality feeling hardware throughout. Has a trem, though I'm not a trem guy. The cut of the curves and sculpting of the body where it comes in contact with you are both very aesthetically pleasing and comfy, too. Looked far more striking in person than in the pic I saw before buying. 12" fretboard radius. Fairly thin, though not anemic, neck. Perfect for my preferences. I give a 9 as I am not sure what more in features it should have, but what it has is just perfect as a package.

Standard 5 way selector switch. The neck mid position is beautifully chimy and ultra classic strat. Neck pickup is a bit more full and bold, slightly louder, and though single coil tone to be sure, has a nice round fullness to it. The bridge pickup is a SD Pearly Gates, which was installed by MJ at my request. I find the PG to be not too bright or overly trebly and gives very nice harmonics when called upon. Sound is a great combination of ultra classic chimy strat and growly full humbucker. I mean, if your looking for an HSS configuration, I really cannot imagine one that provides better variety as well as classic single coil chime and humbucker power. Don't think I have ever done a review where I have a 10 for sound, but I am going to give it to this one. Absolutley no complaints.

Frets dressed perfectly. Smooth, no sharp edges, elegant looking. Set up out of the case with no need for adjustment. Very low action with no buzzing. No noticeable flaws, alignment issues, drips, smudges. A perfectly executed small shop guitar. The visal aesthetics are really more than expected. Something that comes across in person that is unique. MJ guitars are not cookie cutter and some may not like that. I have some cookie cutter guitars and I like them, but I really like this Roadster as well. I like the headstock design, and was not sure I would. I love the body curves. Again, for action, fit, and finish, I just can't justify points off.

Everything feels top quality and solid, so i make an assumption that it will be reliable and durable. A 9 only because time will tell.

Top notch, here. Responded within a day to my emails. Spoke by phone and were courteous and responsive to my requests. I trust this will continue if needed. Seem to be very genuine in dealing with customer.

Nothing else but all positive for this guitar and MJ as a small company. Arrived safely, looked stunning, feels like a winner. Sounds like what you want a HSS to sound like but often don't get. Versatile, beautiful to look at, different in style, but not too different, great people to deal with. If there were an 11, I would give it, just to differentiate if from all the other 10 rated guitars. Style may not fit everyone, but it sure did me as soon as I saw it. If you are looking for something different but also something that feels very much "in the pocket", keep them in mind. As a final note, the price to value ration is remarkable. I've got a couple of guitars I have paid more than double for, and they would not rate as high in all the categories as this MJ does. Seems a very good value. They occasionally discount their in stock guitars. These are very good values.

This is a HAND made in USA (Rohnert Park, CA) May of 2004, 25 1/2"scale, bolt on, MJ Guitar Engineering ROADSTER.The style of this guitar is as unique as it's creator, with an open headstock and contoured body that feels like your first love. Is has Dunlop 6150 medium frets, on a rosewood fretboard and mahogany neck, with abalone inlaid poition markers. The neck has a 2 way truss rod for maximum adjusting. The body has a quilted maple top over mahogany, an inlaid quilted maple pick-guard finished with an incredible blue/geen color with a clear sealer. It has Seymore Duncan Alnico II Pro Strat pickups in the neck and middle position with a Duncan JB in the Bridge position. The pickups are controlled by a 5 way pickup selector switch. Gotoh tuners and a Wilkinson Tremelo keep this insturment way in tune, even after some 80's flashback divebombs needed for a classic rock cover band ! The body thickness is 1 11/16", width is 12 1/2 at it's widest point with an overall length of 38 1/2" and a body weight of just over 7 lbs. The guitar came with a USA made G&G case with a plush interior. It also came with a locking strap system, 2 allen wrenches and assorted MJ shwag.

If you like strats, for almost the smae price, you can have a hand made Roadster that's a strat on steriods. I use the guitar through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Tremoverb and a '65 blackface Deluxe Reverb. The clarity of this insturment is crisp, clean, dark and mean. I've used this guitar on all 50 songs on a typical night of gigging, and from blues, rock, classic metal and country, this guitar is right at home.

Custom, custom, custom. Look, Mark Johnson takes pride in his work and it shows. I pulled the guitar out of the case, and played it for four hours in front of a crowd of, well, just plain party animals. There was nothing I had to do put play. I've been a Les Paul player for years playing with super slinkys to suit my style of play. The Roadster is set up with 10's and because of the construction of this guitar, I could make it do what my Pauls have done and then some.

This thing withstands live playing. The hardware issues I've already addressed. The finish will last as long as you follow MJ's simple instructions on care and cleaning. What other guitar manufacturer gives you locking straps with the guitar ? I had a custom MJ Mirage as my backup. That guitar, worth 10 times the amount of my Roadster, simply sat in it's case the whole night.

Let me tell you alittle bit about this company. They are innovative, caring and helpful beyond the call of duty. Look, Mark will make it your way. In addition, I've not just bought two guitars from them, but I've made three new friends in Mark, Deidre and Joan. Read the other reviews. Will Gibson do this ? Will Fender ? Can you go into Gibson's or Fender's Custom Shops and help design your insturment ? You can at MJ. Also, all they're guitars are warranteed for life.

Jeeze, just look at the other MJ reviews. My only regret is that I didn't find them sooner. You see it took a classic Les Paul neck break to find them. They do repair work and my regular tech was unavailable. I found them in the phone book. I've been playing for over 25 years. I've owned Les Paul Standards, Customs, Gold Tops, ES 135, USA Tele's and Strats and nothing beats the innovation, style and sound of the MJ line. If it was stolen or lost, first I would cry, then contact my insurance agent, then MJ. Guitar Player mag just did a review on the Roadster (July issue/ Slash on front cover) See for yourself. Please...go to their web-site and just take a look. If you get to Northern California, just stop by. You don't have to be a rock star for MJ to make you feel special.

This is a custom made,to my specs.Rio Grande Halfbreeds in the neck and middle positions and Muy Grande H.B.at the bridge.Swamp ash body and neck with flame maple top.Gotoh tuners and Wilkinson bridge.The neck was carved to feel and play like my epiphone(gibson) and not like a Fender.I like the Gibson style neck and The Fender tone and look,so this is what we came up with.The finish is a 2-tone tobacco.Can be viewed on their website,mjguitar.com,under custom shop.I give 10's 'cause they did it "my way".

I use a Super Reverb R.I.and this setup is a great match.Early 60's rock,Them,Mickey&Sylvia,Los Lobos,John Fogerty,etc...you get the idea,clean and bright.

Like I said before,this is a custom,and it is perfect.From the neck action to the finish.Had the convenience of living only a few miles from the shop and watch the "magic" happen every week.Mark,who is the owner,and his son Ethan took pride in building this guitar.

All their components are top-notch.No cheap crap here.This is a great piece,and would not need a backup.

This is where this company shines!These guys are on top of there product.Take care and pride in what they do.I'd give 'em a 1000% here.

Why would anyone buy aa American Strat,when you can get what you want,custom made,for the same price.I pity the fool who steals this! I would have another built the same way.