RavenWestGuitar Co. RG450

Finish - Amber Flame
Body Style - silmilar to PRS hollow body
Bridge - Tune-o-matic + stop tailpiece
Tuners - Gold Grovers
Neck / Scale 24 3/4" scale - 24 frets
Bought with harshell case
Year 2006
Pickups = 2 Raven West humbuckers front / rear
Passive electronics

Sound - exactly what I was looking for. I've had two other semi hollow body guitars in the past (think ES335 copies) but I found them to be 1) too heavy 2) too boomy sounding and 3) too feedback prone. The 450 has none of those problems, and the stock pickups are suprisingly good, sounding to me like slightly hotter classic PAFs.

Guitar came in set up nicely with the action about as low as it could be - I do a lot of bending and like my action a bit higher, but the setup was flawless out of the box. Switches and pots are very solid and the wiring is virtually invisible through the F-holes. Very well done!

There's nothing about the guitar that leads me to believe it's not as solid as anything out there, but I'm not going to drop it to find out!

I've talked to Eric a number of times on the phone, and he's been more responsive and helpful than any guitar company I've ever dealt with. You call the company and the president calls you back within an hour. Nuff said.

I've been playing for 30+ years, many of those professionally. I play a range of styles from Rock to Jazz, Funk, Fusion, R&B, Blues, etc. I've owned and played about 20 guitars and basses in that time, from Gibsons and Fenders to Ibanez, Brian Moore, Route 101, Ovation, Takamine, and BC Rich. I have to say this guitar is as well made as any that I've owned, and the finish may be the best (including the Brian Moore!). It plays smooth, the neck is perfect for may hand and it sounds amazing through both my big rack rig and my combo amp. I originally bid on and received the lower line K2 version of this guitar, and was not really blown away (though it was a nice enough guitar and worth the price I got it for). I dropped a note to Eric and mentioned that there were a couple of things I wasn't thrilled with on the guitar and asked if I could get some upgrade parts. Instead, he offered to pay the return shipping on the guitar(!)and give me either a full credit to walk away with or upgrade to another guitar. I chose the latter and have no regrets. This was at least a week after the advertised return period, and he would have been quite justified in just selling me some parts. This says a lot about how they treat their customers, and the reputation they strive to maintain. I'd reccomend this guitar and this company to anyone. And believe me, I'm a picky SOB!

Same specs as PRS without Bankruptcy.

This guitar is by far one of the most versatile instuments I own. From blues to fussion, there is nothing lacking in tone. I use a Fender Hot rod deluxe with various boutique pedals as well as an original Tubescreamer. This guitar sounds WONDERFUL clean OR dirty.
For me to change the pick-ups wold be just a waste of money. This instrument sounds great on it's own.

How can a guitar this beautiful cost so little? Gold hardware, MOP inlays, a headstock that others should be measured by, it's insane. I am amazed at what the Koreans are doing with their quality. The bar has been raised for affordability and quality.

I have had the pleasure of going to an open jam where there was a PRS McCarty semi-hollow being played. The owner of the PRS said to me after the set. What kind of guitar is that, it sounds incredible, and how much did you pay for it? When I told him that I got it for what he paid in tax for the PRS he was speechless. This guitar feels rock solid and should withstand heavy gigging. I should add I baby my guitars so I see no problem here.

Eric the owner is a joy to deal with. He answered ALL my concerns and did EXACTLY what he said he would do. This is refreshing in any industry, a real class geentleman.

This review is not some emotional tirade of a guy who got a pretty guitar at a decent price and now he is all "Geeeked" out. I have played professionally for more than 30 years and have had TONS of guitars in that span. Still have a ton of guitars from all genres. I WANTED to find something to rag on this guitar about, but couldn't.
Quite frankly this instrument is an incredible value, and unless you LIKE spending a lot of money for prestiege sake, you'd be a fool to not consider Raven West.

Just an update on my amber ash. The guitar is holding up well and still sounds great,but...I can't seem to play it comfortably, let me explain. The 24 3/4" scale is too small for me. I'm so damn used to playing a 25 1/2" scale that I overrun the frets especially in the upper register. If I played this guitar exclusively I would most likely become comfortable with it, But I have 2 other guitars that I use (and love to play) as well, so this ends up staying at home instead of being played out. I don't want to sell it, but If I can't play it I don't have many options. I would just warn you that it is a small scale, closer to a les paul than a strat so keep that in mind when purchasing. I will have no problem buying another guitar from Eric at Raven West Guitars, as long as it has a 25 1/2" scale. You still can't beat the quality and customer service tha is generated there!

Real hollowbody, maple top, mahagony body and 24 fret neck with medium jumbo frets, good quality hardware and great sounding toneful hbucker pups. Single volume and tone pots. Grover machines. Your tried and true, simple classic rock setup. Everything a player needs at a absolutely insanely low price.

Brandy new! PURPLE QUILT!!!!!! Built better than my other guitars and they are all about ten times more expensive. Want to read all the specs, check out the other reviews. All I've got to say is this is the best playing, sweetest sounding and prettiest damn guitar I've ever owned or seen! It's got everything I need.

This is where the guitar really blew me away! I've owned other korean made guitars and expected to have to do lots of upgrading. Nope! I'd read about rwg's pickups being a step above the usual generic ones other companies use but damn, these pups are great! I won't be upgrading these. Lots of cool tones with just the right bark and bite.
Flawless finish. No kidding. I've got a PRS that I paid through the damn nose for and the 450 is better finished than it. The neck is super sweet and plays like butter. I don't know what the dude who said the frets were tiny was smoking. The 450 has typical medium jumbo frets, they aren't the big doofus proof super jumbo types that some beginners need, but they are certainly high and wide enough for most players. They are almost exactly the same feel as my 81 Les Paul and play smooth the whole neck. The neck, board and fret ends are finished perfectly and the abalone inlays and headstock binding add a nice bit of flash.

I don't have a single doubt. I'll back it up with another 450.

Just got the guitar so I don't know but they were super friendly and from everything I have read I'm not worried. It has a lifetime warrantee too. What more do you need?

I have been playing pro for the last 10 years. I have owned a bunch of gear and have 20 plus guitars right now, almost all of them more expensive by a mile. The 450 blows them all away. I will be buying a few more of these asap. Rwg rocks!

What year was it made? 2006
Where was is made? Korea
How many frets? 24 3/4 Scale
Solid-Top? Laminated top. Solid maple with a beautiful flame. F holes. You can tell that it is solid and the wood is as thick as an ES335.
Which controls are given ( Has a volume and tone control - What more do you need)
Pickup configuration? H/H,
Make and model of pickups? Pick-ups are Korean and are good quality
Active or Passive electronics? Passive
Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)Mahogony and well finished
Finish (flamed top. Probably one of the nicest looking guitars I have seen
Body style : Looks just like a PRS hollowbody. Saw a Schecter just like it as well.
Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic)
Tuners (Non-locking Grover, )
Neck/Scale (Very similar to my Les Paul. Regular frets)
Any included accessories? (Case)

What is that style? I play blues and blues rock and this guitar is perfect
What amps and effects are you using it with? Play it through a Mesa Boogie Lone Star and it sound excellent. Wide variety of tones.
Is it noisy? No noise at all
Rich/Full sound? Bright sound. Not as full as a Les Paul but better and an Epiphone DOT
What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?
Likes and dislikes?

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (Action was fine but there is quite a bit of fret buzz. I will have to get it set up)
How well were the pickups adjusted? No problem
Properly bookmatched top? Properly routed bridge? Yes
Did the guitar contain any flaws? (No issues at all)

I have been playing the guitar for 3 weeks and it holds up well.

Limited Life Time Warranty
Great Customer service. Immediate responses from Eric the owner. He was very helpful.
No issues with the guitar yet.

I have been playing for 25 years. I have both US strat and an 85 Les Paul.
I was looking for a semi hollow body ES335 style guitar for that classic blues rock sound but didn't like the baseball bat necks they have or the ridiculous price.
This guitar has a really versatile sound.
I was worried about the pick-ups but they are responsive. They could be hotter but for the price they are fine.
For the money this is a great guitar and exactly as described on ebay.

Made in Korea.

24 Frets
Carved, quilted solid maple top.
Mahogany body and neck.
Rosewood fingerboard.
H/H configuration with 3-way switch and 1 each tone/volume pots.

Inlay work on headstock and fretboard is gorgeous.
Finish is well done.

I play progressive jazz/fusion and the occasional christian rock/pop tune.

Sound is full and bright over-all.

24-fret design moves neck pickup off the 24th fret harmonic, making for a very balanced sound out of the neck. This also, however, moves the pickup closer to the bridge - making the sound a little brighter. Tone pot can be used to dial this back out, yielding a wonderful, rich nect pickup tone for clean jazz work. Tone pot as delivered is a bit non-linear, so adjustment can be tricky. I will be replacing...but I can get the sound I want now...its just bit of a pain.

Neck position sounds fantastic - esp for the money.

Sustain on this thing rivals my PRSs.

Neck and body are VERY well made and wood finish work is excellent. It is a beautiful guitar.

Setup was shakey. Needed a slight truss-rod adjustment as it was in mild backbow upon delivery. Of course, I switched to XL115s anyway so would have had to adjust anyhow. Neck is very fast and comfortable for me. Note also that, inlike the similar PRSs I have, this neck as no "tumor" at the joint, so playability on the upper registers is vastly superior.

Switch is cheap and fragile and will likely require replacing in a year or two. I am having the switch replaced when I have a new tone pot put in.

Finish will last a long time. It is a hollowbody - and that always makes it a little dicey for gigging and keeping nice. Grovers will last just about forever. Strap buttons are very solid. (I ended up replacing with Schaller strap locks because that's what I use on all my guitars).

As stated earlier, switches and pots are likely to die young.

Also - Fretwire is flat as a board and TEENIE-WEENIE. If you are a jumbo fretwire player, be ready to replace earlier rather than later.

Eric is a great guy and was very patient with me. I can be pretty demanding and he made everything go right. Don't expect a lot of customizations from these guys, but the guitar you get will be right.

I have been playing 33 years. I have a collection that includes several other electric guitars, all of which were at least 3x the price of this one. This includes a $2300 PRS Hollowbody Spruce, which is a great guitar, but I can't justify the difference. The PRS is going and this one will be customized a bit and take its place.

- Godin LGxt
- PRS Custom 22 Artist
- PRS Hollowbody Spruce
- Yamaha Pacifica 1511 Mike Stern

This one stands up VERY well to all, especially for the price. Even adding $200 for a refret with 110 stainless and new pots/switch I come WAY out on top. I can't recommend these guys enough.

2005 Korean made, 24 frets, 24 3/4" scale hollow body electric. Model is called an Amber Ash. It is supposed to be a solid ash top, but looking at it closely around the F holes, it kinda looks like a solid mahogany top with an Ash veneer. I may very well be wrong about this, and it just looks like that because of the way it is finished (Also Eric, who owns the company says it is solid, and he doesn't seem like the sort of person who lies, so I'll go with that). The Body is hollowed out 1 piece mahogany with a block under the tune-o-matic bridge and tail piece. Mahogany 2 piece neck, rosewood fingerboard with green abalone crown style markers. This Guitar is GORGEOUS! I've never seen an Ash top on a guitar with this kind of figuring. Everyone making guitars these days seems to be using Quilt or Flame maple, this is a nice change of pace! I know the guys in the band were very impressed! It has 2 humbuckers with three way control, a volume and tone pot, and Grover tuners. Eric sent a cord and truss rod allen wrench with it. The only thing that would make this guitar better for me would be if the pickups were 4 conducter, with a push-pull pot to split coils. But for the amount I paid.....I can't complain! There's a lot of guitars out there with the same options that cost a lot more, so quality for price ratio gives this category a 10!

I play in a classic rock band. This definitely works for this. I am using a Pod XT straight to the board, no noise detected. At first I didn't know if I liked the pickups (I use seymour duncan JB, Jazz, on all my other guitars), but at practice...WOW what a FAT sound! What the heck are those Koreans doing! They are actually making some damn nice guitars now! I just had it in my head that I would have to replace pups, but now I don't have to.... what the heck is that? I have only had one other guitar that didn't need pups changed and that came with EMG's. Anyway If you haven't guessed, I like the sound of the guitar. The pups are not shrill at all, for Korean electronics they are very nice....makes me start to worry about my Job here in America, If foreign competition in this field is this good, then it's only a matter of time before they start making the products I produce at the same Quality...but cheaper.

Everything fits the way it's supposed to. As far as setup, everyone likes a different setup and this guitar needed to be setup to my specifications. Nut slots needed to be lowered, slight truss rod adjustment to take out a little of the bow. Bridge was lowered slightly. And finally pups were adjusted to their "sweet" spot. The guitar was playable when I got it, I'm just finicky. The Frets were nicely finished with no high or low frets. They sit .041" off the fretboard so I will have plenty there when it comes time for a redress.

I am going to use this guitar live and am sure it will do just fine. The hardware has a satin chrome finish to it which looks kinda sexy and should also hold up fine. Finish is pretty thick and shiny so It looks nice now, but I guess I'll have to wait and see if it holds up. Solid Strap buttons that are haven't loosened up yet, I always check them on any guitar before playing. I've had gibsons and fenders break down on stage, so It is always a possibility that this will too, the only way to lessen that chance is to keep up a routine maintenance schedule...and that's still not a guarantee! I don't gig without a backup for the reason I just stated.

Best Damn Customer Support I Have Ever Dealt With For ANYTHING!! Take a look at their website www.ravenwestguitar.com The guitar has a lifetime limited warranty. I called Raven West Guitar and talked to the owner! not some flunky! I told him I was interested in the blue/purple maple RG-450. They were sold out, but Eric suggested the Amber Ash. After looking at it on the web site I decided to get it. There was no pressure, Eric said if I wanted to call back that would be fine. He also said that he knew I would love it when I seen it in real life as web pics don't show the beauty of this guitar, he was right. I had other questions about the pups, if it was a solid top, etc. he answered all my questions favorably. He also said to send it back if I didn't like it as they have a retun policy...Sorry Eric you ain't getting this beauty back! I sent a money order, when he got it he called me and told me he was shipping it Wednesday morning, I got it on a Saturday morning. Raven West Guitar is truly a customer satisfaction geared company! Oh yeah I almost forgot, When I ordered the Amber Ash he knocked $20 off the price because they didn't have the blue/purple in stock!

Been playing close to 30 years. Have had countless gibsons, fenders, etc. Currently I am using a Parker, Peavey, and one of those SAGA build it yourself strats off e-bay. And now this. I think this was a very good deal and cannot wait to get enough money hidden away from wife and kids to order another, although when I get it, there's going to be a lot of questions to answer! I have always wanted to try out the guitar I am buying before purchasing it. Raven West Guitar is one brand I can add to the exception list!

Its a 2005 Raven West guitar made in Korea.
Has 24 frets/ 24 3/4" scale.
Solid maple cap not laminated. VERY NICE!!!!
1 vol., 2 tone, 3 way toggle
2 stock Raven West Humbuckers
Its body is mahogany with a maple top and the neck is mahagony with a rosewood fretboard.
Hollowbody(semi actually)shaped like a PRS.
Amazing finishes on these guitars.
Has a gold Tune-O-Matic bridge and gold grover tuners.

I play mostly funk and jazz so this guitar is perfect.
No complaints about these pickups at all.

WOW!!!! The best factory action on a guitar I've ever felt. This thing plays like butter.
Only complaint is a small finish flaw on the body next to the neck. Doesnt bother me so I really dont care, this guitar is so sweet it doesnt make a difference.

Just got it but I would definitely be using this a lot. Seems built to be played.

Ive been playing for 6 years and own an Epiphone Les Paul and a Lonestar American Fender Strat. This bad boy ranks right up there with the Fender and blows my $600 Epiphone away.
This guitar is a definite must have for any collector or hardcore player.