Product: Peerless PL40RC-FM-NA
Price Paid: US $565
Submitted
09/06/2005
at
11:04pm
by
LexLoki
Features
:
10
New 2005 Korean guitar, allegedly made for German NAMM show, no SN#.
20 Frets
Laminated top
3 volume, 1 tone
3 P90 passive
Switchmaster Copy (Gibson)
Large Hollowbody 13"-11"-17" upper to lower bout, 3" deep
Natural Maple, lots of it. Top back and sides Flame Maple
Tune-O-Matic archtop bridge
Rosewood fingerboard
Hardshell case, case key, truss rod allen wrench
Sound
:
10
I try to play everything, I can't, but I try. I been on a hollowbody, semi-hollowbody kick the last year. Playing old rockabilly, learning hybrid picking. It works for that.
Sounds great. I find most of the variety in my playing comes from technique instead of which guitar. They all sound great through my Hiwatt 100, Marshall Plexi, or 800. I have a Marshall town & country in the living room I play through most. Like a Fender Twin only way cooler.
I like the guitar, it reminds me more of an acoustic than electric at this point. The other six similar guitars I bought this year all had 9 or 10's on them. This one has way heavier strings, I'm not sure what they are at this point, I'll mic them when I change them and find out. I may go lighter. Scotty Moore would like these, they sound great and stay in tune better but Arnold couldn't bend one a half step with both hands. Which is why is feels like an acoustic to me. I play a lot of acoustic, so it's kind of neat for a change.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Like I said, I've bought six other electric archtops in the last year. I like them all, in their own way. My favorite until this one was a Jay Turser Colonel, that is a slick guitar for the money. This one is just as slick, except it doesn't have bound F holes (boo). The Colonel has a soundpost under the bridge, this guitar doesn't. I'm not positive, but I think it would be considered a semi-hollow because it has a board running through the body the top lays on like a Gibson ES-175, maybe the Switchmaster was the same. I've played L5's and Barney Kessels and Birdlands but never a switchmaster, maybe that's why this one appealed to me. Everything on this guitar is absolutely flawless. I usually have to tweak the neck a little, adjust the bridge. Mess with the action to suit me. This one didn't need anything. The neck is perfectly straight, even with the telephone cable strings. The action is low. It shines like a diamond. Every fret is polished so you can see yourself in them. The flame maple is killer. This is beyond any doubt, one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. I wouldn't sell it for twice what I gave, it is that impressive. This company allegedly made guitars for Gibson and Gretsch for years, after looking this one over several times, I believe it. Those boys are in big trouble now. Like Intel farming out their processors to AMD, pretty soon that little company that worked for you is your worst competitor because they have all your technology and they'll give you more product for less money. I've been pretty impressed with the inlay work on the previous Korean guitars I've acquired. This one has the most perfect inlays I've ever seen. Everyone of them perfect. Usually there is a imperfection somewhere, but not on this one. If they all look like this their quality control must be intense.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
This thing is like a rock. You could beat a seal to death with this one, then kick off a song. It is solid. I'm sure it will be around long after I'm dust. I never play a gig with one guitar. If this were the only one I had, I wouldn't hesitate. I can't imagine having only one guitar. One house, one vehicle, one girlfriend maybe, but one guitar. That won't happen. I got over thirty (maybe closer to forty), who's counting. If I were married, I'm sure I would know everyday exactly how many I had. Since I'm not it's irrevelant. You can't have too many.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Haven't dealt with them. I suspect they would be all over it after examining their product. You don't produce something this nice without taking pride in your work. The workmanship exceeds the materials. If I built a guitar like this I would warranty it forever, because that's how long it was built to last.
Overall Rating
:
10
Been playing 40 years. I have too much gear to list, I don't even remember it all. I got guitars I haven't seen in years. I see the case I don't know what's in it. It's like F@#king Christmas!
Yeah, if I lost this one I hopefully could find another one.
I love the full flame. The front, back, sides, beautiful.
Anything I wish it had? Hmmm let me think, 3 P90's, natural maple full flame, nice vibrato, perfect inlays, speed knobs...I can't think of a single thing it needs. It is perfect.
