Peal SC Solid-Top Series

I am just updating my November 2004 review for the SC Solid Top... I did get a local shop to set this guitar up for me to fix a small buzz on the low E... It is now 4 years later and this thing is still shiny as a new penny.

I recently returned to my roots of playing acoustically in a duo with a piano and have been delighted with the full sound of this sweet guitar. I did have to buy a Behringer ADI box to boost for the PA System to handle it better but what is 30 bucks among friends?

I guess the best thing for me to be impressed with is... I left this guitar hanging on my dining room for a couple years. There is absolutely no warping of either the neck or bridge. I use Elixir custom light strings and can use them for about two months steadily before changing.

I feel confident to use this without backup on gigs but always keep fresh batteries on hand. There are no battery problems that I have found.

I don't care now about the warranty but see I didn't need to after setup...

I don't think this type of Solid Top is available anymore but now Guitar Imports is selling a TGX guitar that looks pretty close. Whoever the Korean luthiers are, I want to thank them for being so meticulous. They are craftsmen of the highest stature!!!

Bought this guitar online about a year ago. Was searching for an affordable guitar after seeing the prices of the major brands. I stumbled on Peal on this site.
The model is a SC-40M
Soem stats are:
Solid Top Guitar, Mahogany back and sides"
5-Band Equalizer
Concert Cut-Away Body Style
Genuine Pearl Inlay
Full Body, Neck and Head ABS Binding
genuine abalone inlay around the sound hole
The double rod through the neck and bridge results in far more stability and support than the typical single truss rod. Plus, the double truss rod system means seasonal adjustments are not necessary, while also resulting in better sounding notes.
The Peal SC-40M acoustic-electric guitar comes standard as a "low action" guitar, meaning the strings are set closer to the frets. Most people prefer low action. However, the Peal SC-40M's truss system does offer the capability of being adjusted, so you can ensure the perfect string height for your individual needs and preferences
The SC-40M Series uses die-cast tuners with a 14:1 gear ratio. These precision-cut gears allow you to perfectly tune your guitar quickly and easily, without slippage or backlash. The sealed lubricant means that the machine heads will last a lifetime. Comparable replacement tuners typically sell for between $50 and $100
The rosewood used in the making of the fretboard make it very strong and comfortable on the fingers while playing. This, in addition to the cutaway body style of the SC-40M Series guitar, allows you to easily play the frets all the way down to the sound hole
Rosewood bridge and fingerboard
The five-band equalizer allows you to control the broad range of frequencies (bass, low-mid, high-mid, treble, and bright) when connected to an amp. It is also conveniently located where it can be easily adjusted while playing. Between the Piezo pickup and the EMI shield painting, you will only get the most crisp and pure sounds, without interference or feedback.

Mahogany neck, sides and back 21 frets
Fretboard measurement: 1 11/16" at the nut
Dimensions: Scale Length - 25.5"; Width - 14.5"; Depth - 3.75"
Body Length - 18.5"

Shipping is free.

I copied some of the description from the website to avoid tedious typing.( translate= I'm lazy!)

I find the sound much diffeent the others describe.

Guitars are like pasta. They all look alike, but, each one is different.

My SC rings like a bell and except for certain (small) areas of the fretboard ( higher frets, lower strings)it kicks butt!

It actually sounds piano like when cartain more open chords are played. The resonance is amazing!!

I use a small VOX amp (uses one tube)

It was set up pretty well and looks gorgeous and almost perfect except for a very small almost invisable run on the back. Had to stare at it to find it.
A bit of fret buzz on two of the frets at near the end of the fretboard. File please!

The strings that come with it should replaced. I tried a few brands and wound up with Martin 11's.

Have not had it long enough to say....BUT

This baby always stays in tune. It varies very little and that's a GOOD thing! Hense the 8 rating

No complaints about service. The reps were always polite and helpful.

Love playing it and through the VOX the sounds I get out of it are amazing. Hate putting it down.

There are some minor flaws here and there although, for the price, very minor. If this guitar costs $2500.00 I might be singing a different tune. But, it costs one tenth that hense a 9 rating.

I like this guitar better than my $1200.00 Martin. Sad to say!

Features are great, it's a solid top body and the pickup is great. Beautiful inlays in the frets, but I can't say I'm crazy about the plastic ring around the sound hole. Grover tuners give e a very precise tuning. The maple top looks absolutely beautiful

Body is very shallow though, be aware of that.

I do a few types of music...rock, some acoustic, acoustic rock, and worship stuff. This guitar certainly does not provide a rich full sound though. As everyone else has said, it's a very tinny sound. I have to admit that when I pulled the guitar out of the box and strummed it for the first time, my heart sank a bit. It just doesn't have much body.

Plugged in, it sounds pretty good. I'd give it a 4 or 5 unplugged and about a 7 plugged in. So, that's why I rated it a 6.

I got it primarily to lead worship with, and it did the job okay. I wouldn't do anything professional with it though.

Finish is amazing, absolutely gorgeous. Not a single flaw. Amazing...

Action isn't all that great. Some string buzz on the E string, and the action is a little high. I could probably fix it, but I've just been lazy lately. I'll probably need to take the strings off and file the bridge down a bit.

I think this guitar will last for as long as I decide to keep it. I take good care of my guitars, and this thing is built rock solid.

So, as long as you treat it well, it will most likely treat you well.

I haven't had to deal with them

I've been playing for six or seven years. I wouldn't buy it again if I went back in time and I could change things. I'd probably have spent a little more time researching another electric acoustic.

I do absolutely love the way it looks, but it just doesn't sound good unplugged. So, if you plan to never play it unplugged, it's a pretty good guitar for the money. But, what's the point of having an acoustic that sounds bad unplugged?

Has alot to offer. Read their website for details.

I do not recomend to buy this if your a begginer. That was my mistake. I wouldnt really recomend this unless you plan on playing amplified with this guitar. because there is virtually very little sound out of it because of its size. I did not try it amplified, therefor I do not think I should give it a rating, because I do not think i am qualified for that. But I do know that Peals pick-ups in the guitars are way above par.

The action was too high for my liking set up from the factory. The truss rod would only tighten and not loosen. So I could not lower the action via that way. I would learn how to adjust the action other ways than the truss rod, but did not attempt them because I was it wasnt the right guitar for me.

Built like a rock.

Definatly the most understanding customer service I ran accross. But odds are you cannot reach them over phone, but email works like a charm. The no questions asked return policy of 1-year is as true as it gets, i did take advantage of it after 6 months.

I was a begginner when i bought this guitar. I made a begginer mistake by buying this guitar also. Get a regular acoustic before the acoustic/electric. I think for those preforming on stage it should be a great guitar, but for me it wasnt. Because Im trying to play it around the house for a couple eyears before i plug it in on stage. I would rate this, but the things it has to offer, I am not looking for. So I dont think my rating is legit to people reading this to play on stage.

I was looking for a guitar in the $150-350 range and did a lot of research on the internet and at the local guitar centers. When I was searching online, I kept coming across the Guitarimports website. The features of the SC-Solid Top just seemed too good to be true. I wished there were more reviews out there on Peal guitars since I wasn't able to try it out before I purchased it.

At Guitar Center, I fell in love with the sounds of the Big Baby Taylor and Martin 000X1. However, there was still this doubt in my mind because the SC-Solid Top just sounded so perfect (and was $150 cheaper than the Taylor and Martin). So I decided to order the Peal since it had a money back guarantee, and then make my final decision after trying out the Peal. The following is my review.

The Features of the SC-Solid Top was great. It came packaged very well, in a very nice gig bag (one I would have paid $40 for). For the rest of the features, check out the website.

When I first started playing the SC-Solid Top, the sound was terrible. Not only did it sound tinny, but the sound did not resonate at all. I then changed the strings to D'Addario's EXP. I was actually surprised at how good the guitar sounded. For a few days, I told myself I would keep the guitar because it sounded pretty nice.

After playing the guitar for a few more weeks, I went back to Guitar Center to play the Taylor and Martin. I immediately noticed a Huge difference in sounds. I realized that the Peal SC-Solid Top was still very tinny (even with the new strings), and the strings would buzz very noticeably in a few places.

In my opinion, the Big Baby Taylor sounded a lot better and was only $100 more. I ended up returning the Peal and purchasing the Taylor.

However, if you are in doubt, you should definitely try out the Peal guitar. It is actually a great guitar for its price since it also has an EQ system on it. I tried playing it for about a month and then returned it. It didn't cost me a penny. Peal paid for everything.

The action was very low, making it really easy to play. But, this also made the guitar buzz in a few places. I actually think the action is too low.

The finish was great. The guitar was really smooth and didn't seem to contain any flaws.

The guitar also surprisingly stayed in tune. I kept checking my electronic tunor every few hours of playing, and I didn't hardly have to retune it.

If you don't mind how this guitar sounds, I would say this guitar is pretty reliable and durable.

The finish looks like it will last a long time, and it seems like it will withstand a lot of playing.

But, I didn't have the guitar long enough to really know. I was hoping to find someone who had the guitar for a few years to ask them their opinion, but I wasn't able to find anyone.

Customer Support was great. They were really friendly.
I ordered the guitar on a Friday, and I received it the following Tuesday. Like I said above, I played the guitar for about a month, and returned it for a full refund.

If you are debating whether or not to purchase the SC-Solid Top, my advice is to just do it. You really have nothing to lose.

You will either 1) Really love it, and be happy you got such a great deal, assuming you like how it sounds, OR 2) Return it for a full refund, and be 100% confident on another guitar you wanted.

Like I said above, there may be some people who like the sound of this guitar. Assuming, you like how it sounds, It's actually a nice guitar for the price.

I would give the overall rating of this guitar a 7. But I'm giving it an 8 because I really appreciated the whole process of trying out the guitar and returning for a full refund.

Well,I received the peal sc after 4 days upon ordering. Packaging was very well. The padded case was better than I anticipated it being. The guitar seemed lawless upon inspection. I've played electric for many years but was not knowledgeable on acoustic guitar qualities and what is good and bad to look for other than personal feel ing. I felt it played well for an acoustic.Different than an electric,but I have picked and strummed on acoustics before ,and I thought this peal sc played very well action wise.I then plugged it in,and was pleased with the quality of sound when amplified. I no was thinking I did ok and was feeling pretty good about it,but wanted to take it in along with me to a music store and have a salesman lokk at,knowing that they possibly will not be totally honest with me. To my surprise, the guitar salesman at the store could not find anything bad to say about it. He commented that it does not seem to be a poorly constructed guitar in any way and it seemed to play very well ,had nice action.I didn't tell him the price .He said he would compare it to or put it up against some of his mid range,guitars,he pointed a few out.They had price ranges of $300-$350. He was a bit disturbed when I told him of the year garranty and free shippng,obviously ,he doen't really want to hear that sort of thing ,being in business as he is,but he was nice,cooperative ,and still said to me it seems you have a good guitar there. He also seemed to become a little frustrated when he attempted to reference it in a catalogue ,thinking it was probably made by a heard of company and sells as a peal.He was unable to find anything. Only things he found at all to say negative about the sc was the plastic ring around the sound hole and that the tuners were made of plastic rather than steel. But he said the sound hole isn't all the worst looking,just wondered why they put a plastic one on there ,and he also said the tuners seem ok,and if ever wanted to could change them over to stell tuners for only $30-$0 bucks. He told me I probably did ok with the guitar. He did talk me into a cool thing to attach the front of a guitar strap to the guitar without drilling into guitar installing button,voiding garranty. It was about $7.He said to install a front strap button on the guitar would be only $3-$4 .I bought the device which is like a piece of leather with a strap button on it which goes over guitar neck by the head and that way ,no drilling into guitar.It seems to work ok.Also picked up a korg Ga-30 tuner from him for being a good sport.So after all I know at this point,I feel I did not get taken ,and although it is an unknown or unheard of name,I fell I purchased a quality guitar for a very reasonable price.At this point,I plan to keep it so far.I was nervous when reading about the estaban guitar and its phony claims and problems it caused and seeing that peal compared itself to estaban frightened me some,but so far I feel the 2 are not connected and I am ok.The advertising ,relating it to estaban is probably not the best marketing approach by guitar imports.That almost scared me off,but I still bit and feel ok with it so far

amplified sound appears good. I play rock.

action was great as it came. Better than I anticiapted for an acoustic. I found no flaws or defects.

The plastic ring around the soundhole and plastic tuners are only downfalls,byut they in themselves seem ok and do not appear to be a problem

Made one call to guitar import before ordering to get a gut feeling. All my questions were answered.Seemed proffessional.I was not rushed.

Been playing electric guitarsfor 20 years+. Wanted a quality acoustic without a hefty price tag.Took a chance,and so far I'm pleased

I purchased the (Korean made) Peal Acoustic-Electric SC-Solid Top series (Concert Body Size) with cutaway that looks stylish and allows greater comfort and easier access to the higher frets (extended 23-fret fingerboard). The guitar is a lovely sunburst blue with a high-gloss finish. Beautiful solid spruce soundboard with rosewood back and sides and ivory binding. Rosewood fretboard featuring pearl and abalone inlay. Artec pre-amp with 4-band EQ (Bass, Midrange, Treble and Presence), volume control, and Piezo electric pickup. Chrome tuners. Guitar came with a padded gig bag (featuring the Peal logo on it), truss rod tool, and strings.

This guitar sounds great! I played similar guitars at the music store before my Peal arrived in the mail. I played a Taylor that was the identical style as this Peal and I tell you the truth, I cannot tell the difference. The Peal seems every bit as good as the Taylor. One does have to keep in mind that this is a Concert Body Style Acoustic-Electric that is smaller than a regular acoustic so the sound will not be quite as resonant as a larger body guitar. For it's size I was impressed and I am hoping it will sound even better with age. Plugged in is where this guitar really shows its stuff! I was using a Fender Princeton 112 Plus guitar amp (a relatively small amp that I usually use for my regular electric guitar). The pickup and quality of the EQ on the Peal SC-Solid Top are excellent! I was sincerely impressed that a guitar I ordered through the mail, made by a brand I had never heard of at the time, and that I purchased for such an affordable price could sound this spectacular. My only complaint was that the guitar needs a bit of adjustment as the string action was so low that the low-E string buzzed when strumming heavily (but that's a simple adjustment issue, not a fault of the guitar itself). There are more expensive guitars in this category that will beat the sound quality, but Peal puts up a strong contending with them. This is not a cheap quality guitar by any means. I am very impressed with the over-all quality of sound and look forward to recording more with it. I only give this category a 9 instead of a 10 because there are other guitars in the same class that do sound slightly better, though I'm not sure you can beat the price-range of the Peal.

The Peal SC-Solid Top looks amazing! It is clear that this is a quality crafted guitar. It really appears almost seamless. It's lightweight and has a professional feel to it. The finish is beautiful. I am very impressed with the nice looks of the guitar. My flatmate is a bit more experienced judging the craftsmanship of guitars and it passed his inspection as well. He said, "this is nice guitar man!" As for its play, the action is great! While I prefer the low-action string settings, I will have to adjust them a bit higher because of a light buzz on the low E-string when strumming heavier. Other than that, I love it! There are no visible flaws with the guitar.

I've only had the guitar for a short time, but it seems very durable and well built. The hardware is quality and solid. I've been giving it a pretty good beating and it's doing fantastic. It stays perfectly in tune! This guitar has a feel like it will only get better with age. I hope to be playing this for a long time. I'm currently using it for recording in my home set up.

I purchased my Peal from Guitar Imports. The customer service of this outfit is 100% outstanding. Nate is very helpful, friendly and honest. Not your typical salesman but a total strait-shooter. I believe they stand behind their product! They offer a one year money back guaranty for starters... In other words, you can play the guitar for up to a year to decide if you like and if you don't they will take it back AND pay the return shipping costs! Then, on top of that, the guitar has a limited LIFETIME warranty! Wow!!! I'm impressed!

While guitar is not my best instrument, I've been playing for about 15 years. I own a GSC Electric, a Fender amp, and have a computer recording setup using Sonar4, a MIDI controller keyboard, some M-Audio interface equipment and mics. I also play bass, drums and keyboards and have played in a few bands over the years.

My decision to buy the Peal was mostly one of finance at the time. I wanted a decent acoustic but didn't have the money to shell out for a fancy Taylor or Martin. I'm quite pleasantly surprised that this Peal turned out to be such an amazing guitar for this price range. I never would have believed it. If it were ever lost or stolen or destroyed, yes, I would buy another. In fact, I will be considering Peal again when I start looking at more expensive full-acoustic guitars. I am sold as a new fan of their product. I think they are doing a decent job giving some of the American guitar companies a run for their money. I think as more people discover Peal, they're going to become more and more a household word. At least I'm impressed.

Peal Acoustic-Electric with concert size body. Has cutaway with access to extended fretboard. Solid spruce top with rosewood back and sides and ivory binding. Rosewood fretboard with lots of pearl and abalone inlay. Artec pre-amp with 4-band EQ. Beatiful piece, lightweight and easy to play.

Minimal projection due to the body size. Not the guitar of choice for room performances withour being plugged in. However, plug this unit in and it shines. Super responsive and resonant pre-amp/EQ system. Very versatile, which helps in really shaping your sound. Excellent for recording and live performances.

Neck has smooth, fast action. Good string response. Beautiful finish and great craftsmanship.The only one minor issue is that one of the seams of the inlay around the soundhole was not even. Cannot notice by looking -- obly by tracing your finger around the soundhole.

I have only had this guitar 2 months, however, I have played it a lot. I have not put it through any real tests of durability thus far, but what I see so far would leave me to believe that this guitar will hold up fine for a long time.

Great warranty and the staff at Peal, especially Nate, is great to work with! Very helpful and dedicated to resolving any issues the owner may have.

Great guitar for the money. Looks great, plays wonderfully and recieves a lot of positive feedback. If you're looking for a great compliment to your studio or stage guitar rack, make a Peal part of your music family. You won't be sorry!

Made in South Korea (2004) solid spruce top, concert size cutaway style Guitar (a little smaller than most typical acoustic steel string guitars). The electronics in this guitar are made by Peal, however, quality is no less than what you'll get from known names in gutar electronics, I have found that when this Guitar is plugged in to an amplifier it delivers more than what you would imagine. It has 4 bands EQ, individual volume control, plus requires a 9v battery. I have inspected the guitar very carefully, if you are a perfectionist you may fin flaws, I do not consider the fabrication of this guitar poor, I rate it top notch, after looking at every single part of it you can conclude that the craftmen care for what they are doing. It deserves a 10, honestly.

I am not a guitar player, I just play guitar in a very basic way (to write a song or do rythm parts), still I fine needing a guitar for when recording guitar tracks in my home studio, a real guitar adds depth to my songs, as I am a keyboard player I do not have much of a saying the sound of it. I will opinion that this guitar has a sound that very well represents is body size, I mean is not as loud as big guitar is, but nicely balance, rich, vibrant and round sound. The electronics will give you not only huge amplification of the sound but sharp control over the tone. This guitar rings very sweet, it has well balanced sound. I will (as usual change the string for better ones and add D' Andreas EZ pegs for better performance. Can a Guitar sound better than this one? Well, yes ,other models from Martin, Alvarez,Taylor, etc., may sound better (some), but may cost you $2000 plus and still to be Judged as I doubt the Quality control in their plants is as good as in Korea. In this body size/style and price this SC- Solid Peal Guitar is a Champion, hands down beating any Guitar in its price range and style, no one will deliver this sound, construction and looks for under $300. Champion no doubt.

Action is extremly well as it comes from factory, I do not see room for improvements as I can not lower it anymore, it buzzez arround the 12th fret, not a real issue as all guitars I have owned have shown same and worst problems than this. This is the closest I can get to a hand made guitar ( I know is not a fully hand made, but look at their production line pictures on the website and you will see more human involement and rustic counstruction than in other brand name factories

I have not own it for long. It looks well built, I am hoping it last long, it comes with lifetime limited warranty.

Call once to request shipping tracking number, and was promptly given to me, I ordered the guitar and in 6 to 7 days was delivered FEDEX GROUND.

It's a bargain deal the only funny thing is in the soundwhole, is sorrounded by a plastic ring and it is decorated with mother of pearl inlay. I found this unusual but it serves me well, as it does not have a pickguard and it keeps me from hitting the wood, I am a bad performer, lol. I will keep this one as it is all I need for an acoustic guitar.

Standard SC-Solid (Solid Top) in Natural Wood color.

I am a blues vocalist-harmonica player by trade (with a bit of 60's rock & soul), and an occasional guitarist (mediocre at best on guitar) who uses the guitar to write songs.

It needed better strings and minor set-up tweaking, which was done at Player's Guitars in Worth,IL a suburb of Chicago. Action is comfortable. No real flaws.

This guitar feels as durable as any other acoustic/electric I've tried. A strap button at the base of the neck would make it much better. It appears dependable.

The company gives extraordinary customer support. This was the 3rd model they sent me. I was looking for the right fit and look. They really do stand behind their products. Genuinely REAL people.

This guitar is better than many I have seen, that are more expensive. The guitar techs at Player's Guitars said it felt like a $500 Yamaha. I looked at many acoustic/electrics and am glad that I bought the SC-Solid. The natural color wood looks the classiest. I would buy another Peal in an instant. As Chicago's Very Own Mr. Jake would say..."Dats Cool"...and it is...:) God Bless.