Raven RP-300

Purchased from Raven West Guitars on EBAY. Counted 22 frets but not sure of the wood because it is painted gloss black probrably mad out of maple with rosewood fretboard. The inlays are interesting and well done however the rosewood isnt very attractive.The frets appear to be jumbo and well dressed. The body is solid and is made out of mahogony.
The binding is excellent and the laminated flamed top is a very subtle purple cherry finish. The stain is very well done and the lacqure coat seems very thick and flawless. It looks pretty indestructible. The configuration is H/H with a volume and tone for each pickup and a 3 way slector switch. The style is Les Paul body and the tuning machines are Grover. The stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge are typical and have a chrome finish. Time will tell how well it wears.

I play all types of styles and I am very happy with these pickups. I think some of these other reviews I have read are here are a little bit "bitchy" if you know what I mean. I get great volume and harmonics and the tonal settings are very good. My only criticism is I wish the bridge had a little more brightness. I can't complain because I paid less than $200. The pickups are fairly quiet and sound better than most guitars in this price range

The guitar needed a little tweaking out of the box but that was to be expected. All in all, the intonation was set properly and the action was a little high but there was no buzz which is the most important thing to me. The pickups are the right height and everything was put together quite well. I can't find any flaws but I have only had the guitar for a week. The only I think could have been better is the bookmatch on the top which is a little unbalanced.

I don't gig much anymore but this guitar is pretty solid like my Hamer Echotone. I would not have any problem using this as my only instrument.

Eric at Raven West is very accomodating and is very concerned with customer service. I would definately buy another Raven.

I have had many guitars such as an Ibanez AS73, Fender Strat and Tele.
Epifone Dot Deluxe, and Hamer Echotone but this guitar probrably gives me the most bang for the buck like my Telecaster. I have been playing since I was 16 and I just turned 52 so I consider my self to be a good judge of guitars. All I can say is that this one has a good feeland sound and I would replace it if it ever became damaged.

the features of this guitar are pretty much what other reviewers were saying. for the money, you can't beat the price for a les paul copy. i was pretty concerned about the weight of the guitar when i recieved it almost a year ago. last month, i decided to perform a "facelift" for my guitar and i found out the answer to my concern after i sanded out all the paint. no wonder it almost weighed just the same as my ibanez j100....only the neck was mahogany! the body....light colored wood as in BASSWOOD!? oh well, i guess it'll take another $300+ for a real mahogany body... and life goes on.

Made in 2002, Korean Made. Came with 24 frets, Mahogany bottom (about 98%) then a thin layer of Swamp Ash was placed on the top for effect. Comes with 3-Way selector switch, 2 pots (Volume, Tone). Pickup configuration was H/H (Hum/Hum) Passive LP sytle pickups. Neck - Mahogany with Rosewood fretboard, with plastic nut. The tuners are Grover style. Bridge is Tune-O-Matic style but nothing like as it weights lik a piece of paper vs. the real deal.

Sounds like crap becuase of crap pickups but what do you expect for a under 400 dollar guitar. I'm not going to rate it becuase of the price overall.

This is where I found horriable things but yet remember this guitar was only 400 under. I decided to buy this guitar and make a project basicly rip it apart and I did. The fretboard was horriable had off streaks, the finish bleed from other places that it shouldn't. The neck is a 2 piece constrution which is very weak compared to 1 piece. The wood for the neck is very fragile. The body well the finish isn't a laquer finish its some sort of plastic coat with then a stained body. I have no idea what they used but its tougher than nails used 30 grit just to rip the plastic off. Then 50-60 for the stained wood. Overall the body is a pretty good piece of wood once yo uget it bare. The neck however is junk. Not very happy about this so this will be my last Raven. I'm really scared to buy another 400 or 500 dollar guitar thinking that the quality is that low.

Paint - 10/10, Neck 7/10 (maybe).

Very friendly and helpful. Thanks Eric.

Well for the price I guess it's ok. If I were go try out a Dillion or a Schecter. Much better quality. The woods are pathetic but oh well what can you do. Try playing one if you can find one before you buy it.

Emerald Green quilt (real not fake wood), Korean Made, Les Paul style humbuckers, Mahogany solid body. 3 way switch, Grover style tuners. Almost a Les Paul copy, but different. Tun-O-matic bridge

Sound is okay, but not enough punch for me. I have a custom Warmoth Strat with David Gilmour EMG's and it has the punch. I like progressive rock, but this guitar works great on classic rock such as Nugent, AC/DC and others. Not enough brightness for me. I may try some Carvins or Duncans. Still researching.

Action will have to be fine tuned, but not bad. For the money, this guitar is hard to beat. A real quilted top for one thing! The paint looks great and the hardware chrome is nice.

THe guitar looks like it is well built and is tough. The hardware looks great and the plating looks uniform. It would stand live playing and could be depended on.

Eric at Raven West Guitars was very helpful. He answered all of my questions and delivered the guitar to me promptly. I was pleased with his courtesy and service. I would recommend him. It does have a warranty

I have been playing for 16 years. I am impressed with the quality for the money. I might replace the pickups on this and have the action calibrated. I wished the neck had binding on the sides and that the fret inlays were different. I would have willingly paid a little more for these added features, but I cannot complain too much. A person that has played for years really liked this guitar and thought it was an excellent value. He thought it sounded great and played great. He thought the neck had a little more of a strat feel than that of a Gibson. If you want a nice looking guitar for the money, I recommed these.

Blue to Black, flame top, looks like a Les Paul but with a narrow flatter neck.

It sound killer clean and with Distortion. I bet Dimarzios would really rock in it.

The action is perfect, and so was the finish. People love the color to death. It sounded perfect, and felt perfect the moment I got it.

It should last as long as any good guitar. I would gig with it, because it just feels great in my hands.

Really great guys.

The guitar is killer, and the price is awesome. This is my second Raven, and I plan to get another one. Its really a sweet guitar. Look for Raymar96@earthlink.net on AOL, he is an awesome dealer. I got both of my Ravens from him super fast.

This is Ravens copy of a Gibson L/P. Mine is their left-handed configuration. Solid mahogany body(quite heavy!!)with very nice flame finished maple top. Two adequate no-name humbucker pickups, two volume and two tone controls which were a little noisy at first,but just needed to be "worked" a little, 3-way pickup select(just like L/P). Probably made in Korea. Non-locking no-name tuners which operate OK. The neck has plastic? bar inlays which are probably the least-attractive part of this guitar due to their cheaper looks. Overall, features are really good for a guitar in this price range.

Our band plays todays' country and 70s/80s rock, and this guitar has a great full-bodied sound which fits both styles. I run it through a Line6 pod into a Fender HotRod Deville 212 and it covers sweet, glassy chorus to rectified crunch with no problem. I was using a Fender Strat and a Carvin DC127 with humbuckers, and this guitar surpasses both of them in full sound and sustain.

Most guitars in the lower price range have to be adjusted for intonation, etc., but I can honestly say the setup on my particular guitar required no adjustments whatsoever.The action is OK for me( I do mostly rythym), and the intonation was right on. The strings which came on it were junk but that is to be expected. I use 10/46 gauge strings. The pickups were adequately adjusted, but the control pods were a little noisy( cheapies). Once again this is an inexpensive fix.
The finish is excellent even though I bought it as a factory second. I can honestly say the finish is superior to almost any guitar I have owned.

I have only had this guitar a month, but have already made it my main axe. I have played it several times in rehearsal and live once and it seems quite dependable so far. The finish seems quite durable and I intend to only bring an '83 Yamaha SBG as a back up now. The only down side is the thing is so heavy. I would suggest you get a really good strap if you are going to play for 3 or 4 hours.

I bought this off Ebay as a factory second due to finish so I have not had to deal with customer service.

I have been playing for 25 years and this guitar is VERY nice for the price. I also own a Fender Strat, Carvin DC127, '83 Yamaha SBG and a Washburn DC10 A/E and I would put this guitar up against any of them. If it was stolen, I would definitely buy another. In fact, I am going to buy Ravens SG-style quilt-finish next. NOTHING in this price-range compares to it IMHO.

This thing was made in Korea, I don't know when, nor do I care. It was 22 frets, medium from what I've heard. From I've read its the same model as the other guys that have written about. I'm kinda dumb founded, none of my other guitars have ever had more than one volume and one tone knob. this has one for each pickup. It came with a cable and an alan wrench for the truss-rod

It suits my style pretty well, and annoys my parents well hehe. It sounds really nice compared to my b.c. rich warlock, which is now a baritone guitar, without the longer neck. I have some 11-52s on it right now, and I've heard that les paul type guitars sound better with heavier gauges. and apparently it does.

the action is pretty good for me. not that I'm really experienced or anything. 2 years isn't much compared how long a lot of people have been going at it. the only problem I've had with the guitar is that there is a slight bend in the neck around the 12th fret, not that it really bothers me. it doesn't seem to mess up the sound at all. intonation is almost dead on. I have some 11-52s on it right now, and I've heard that les paul type guitars sound better with heavier gauges.

seems to be pretty reliable, but the thing that bothers me is that it has a set neck, and if it breaks or something, I'm s.o.l.

The guy I talked to when I ordered it was pretty helpful. EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE OUT OF THE BLUE/BLACK FINISH.

I own a B.C.Rich warlock which is now a baritone guitar, and a barricuda 4 string bass. I've been playing for 2 years in december. I'm the greatest, but I'm getting better. I love this guitar, it is one of my favorites I have ever seen or owned, it sounds just right, even if I do play it through a cheap radio shack amp.

2001 RP300(LP copy)
22 fret rosewood fretboard on a set Mahogany neck(thinner neck than a standard LP)
Solid Mahogany body(fells light to be solid)
Soap Bar pick ups
3 way switch
2 volume,2 tone controls

Excellent sound. A little bright but even pinch Harmonics are easily attained on the lower E&A strings. Cut back on the tone and you have the classic LP sound. The front pick up seems a tad weak

The finish on this Axe(Purple/Blue quilt)is spellbinding!!Gorgeous!!I can't say enough about it.
The setup from the factory was pretty bad but I've set up every guitar I purchased in the last 20 years so to me this was to be expected and really a non factor.
I simply lowered the action,reintonated and lowered the pick ups.
The fretwork is better than average. Medium frets that were filed and finished more than adaquately IMO.
Two ratings for this category.... Finish=11(No kidding!!)
Factory setup=5

Seems durable.. haven't owned it long enough to make a valid judgement

Emails were answered promptly. It appears there is only a 24 trial period. That is too short in my opinion. Again, in my case this is a non factor as I will certainly NOT consider sending mine back.

I've been playing for over 25 years and have never been a LP type guy. I wanted a fixed bridge style Axe and played numerous LPs at my local large chain music store in the week preceeding this purchase. This guitar equals anything I played in that time.
I am an unashamed Metalhead!! This guitar works fine for me in this genre of music. It is not a shredder but I knew that going in. I keep playing"Cryin in the Rain"(Whitesnake) because that is the sound this guitar fits perfectly.

I've tried to be as unbiased as possible with this review. The finish IS the most impressive I've seen on any guitar. The pictures on the website don't do it justice.
All in all if it were stolen I would order another immediately. I own various other Super Strat style Axes(Kramers,Westones,Ibanez,Hamer Californian) all with tremelo systems on them. This guitar has become my 2nd favorite to play. I would certainly recommend this this LP copy before an Epi and as I said earlier. It equaled any of the Gibsons I test drove.

korean made, 2000(?), 22 jumbo frets, carved top with quilting, single cutaway les paul copy...purple-blue. has 3 way toggle switch-cheap type, i replace mine with gibson replica-much smoother switching. dual humbuckers, vintage sounding but hot!!!
body is mahogany, set neck, tune-o-matic and stop tailpiece.
looks like gotoh tuners.

i play rock and jazz, the neck p\up is full of tone! fat and sustained
bridge is bright and well matched to the neck p\up. i have an ibanez js100 with paf-pro and evolution, i thought of transferring them to this baby but after the first time i plug it to my peavey classic 30. i diregarded the idea, vintage lp sound on clean side, stomp on the gain and hear the singing sustain on both p\ups. enough shredding power to cut through a concrete wall! harmonics are there... do your tricks. now my ibanez is gathering dust, even my band wants me to bring this guitar on our gigs.

right out of the box, string action, bridge adjustments are all out od sync. even the hieght of the pick-ups were wrong...no biggy ,thats always expected. those are all individual preferrences.

i think a 2 inch mahogany slab is pretty reliable... wieghs like a ton of bricks, hence the sweet sustain and fat tones. you'll get used to it.

have'nt had to deal with them yet

been playing for 15 years, i would buy this guitar again if i got lost. this axe will hold its stand against original lps and prs's tone for tone. believe me after 15 yrs i can tell.

This is a new model, for Raven. It's a Les Paul copy. Maple top with a pretty decent flame for a cheaper guitar. It has a set 22 fret neck with a "too light colored" rosewood finger board. It comes with two very nice sounding humbuckers, three position toggle switch, two volume and two tone controls.

I play southern fried type rock, along with some of the Hagar, Van Halen type stuff. This guitar lends itself to the task easily. The two humbuckers have a great tone, and the Paul type body with the set neck give it all night sustain.

Unlike the reviews I have read on the other Ravens, mine unfortunatly was not perfect right out of the box. Strings were thick and cheap. The action would suit B.B. King maybe, pretty high for my tastes. The intonation was off a lot even for a out of the box guitar. The neck however was fantastic, nice and wide with good thick frets. There was plenty of relief in the neck, and I couldn't find a single buzzing fret. The finish while good looking, did have a blemish where it looks like some glue had been wiped before the color dried.

Built like a brick, well you know. Nice solid heavy guitar. With my eyes closed I couldn't tell it from a Les Paul exept for the placement of the toggle switch.

It came with a limited life time warranty that I'll most likely never use. I haven't had to deal with the company yet so no input as far as customer support.

I am 45 now and have been playing since I was 13. I own a Westone with no model or name, it's a sentimental favorite. I have a GTX-38 thats a PRS copy that I love. I also have a Washburn D-10 a/e. I'm sure I'll be happy with this guitar as soon as it's set up to my style, As far as tone goes this Raven is the best I've owned since the 70's and the Gibson USA guitars.