Samick AV3 Greg Bennett Avion

The standard Les Paul copy with Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, Seymour Duncan designed pickups and Grover tuners. Made in Indonesia.

The sound is quite good for Seymour Duncan "designed" pickups, whatever that is. I have a Vox AD15VT amp and you can easily get that AC/DC crunch. Clean tone is good too. I play mostly 70s and 80s classic rock and with the Vox set to model a AC30TB and the gain on max, I get all the tone I need. Not tube tone, but close enough.

I've read people complain about the action and the finish of the guitar, but the one I got was perfect. Removed the ugly pickguard straight away. Action was perfect. I haven't adjusted a thing. Bought it and still playing away!

I've had it for about a month and it seems pretty solid. Heavy at about 3.5 kilos, as expected of a LP style solid body. You'll have no problems gigging with this thing.

Haven't had the need to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for about 6 years, but this is my first electric. I've always wanted an Epiphone Les Paul, but they aren't available in my area, not to mention cost around $550 (including shipping and customs). The Samick Avion AV3 is the perfect guitar for you if you absolutely must have a LP style guitar but can't afford a Gibson. Why pay extra for an Epi, when you can have better features for less?

Highly Recommended.

Set neck, nice thick heacy body, nice neck profile, neck is sturdy enough to stay in tune pretty well. Good looking axe in transparent red. Pickups to me sound really nice once potted. I can't say whether the potting process changed the sound, but I think the overall sound of this guitar is great. I have never felt a need to go switch out the pickups. I like that this one has its own personality.

There were minor fit/finish issues like the not-tight nuts and bolts, and I have no clue what materials are used.

Grover tuners are "good enough". Some high end tuners might make tuning more stable although it is stable enough for me.

This is a follow-up to my earlier review. I have been playing this guitar along with an 80's Jap Squier w/floyd II as my main axes for a few years now, and I thought it might help readers to get my long-term view.

The sound is great, it was necessary to pot the pickups with paraffin wax to eliminate microphonics in the pickups.

Does it sound just like a Les Paul or an Epi version? Well, not really but it DOES have its own sound and it certainly sounds enough like a Les Paul that on a loud stage with loud amps and distortion pedals and DI boxes or mics you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Those who know me know that my philosophy is to use cheap good-enough guitars on stage. I don't see the purpose of setting a $3000 Gibson Les Paul on your guitar stand at Joe's bad and grill only to see a speaker cabinet get knocked over onto it and your $3000 Gibson now needs $2000 of repairs. No thanks. Give me a set-neck copy for $300 please. Break it in half if you want, I'll go get another $300 copy.

I give a 10 because this guitar sounds great on everything except SRV, I just can't play SRV on a set neck.

Well it was ok, I have no idea what the actual materials/processes used. It was easy enough to set up and get a comfortable feel for me, so I see no issue. I could care less about little cosmetic flaws, and the red flame maple, even if its a photo on plywood looks pretty nice up on stage. So I give a 7 because to me its good enough.

Been great. I abuse this thing in a thin bag that claims to be a "gig" bag. I'm surprised the neck hasn't been snapped in half yet.

I went through and tightened all connectors/knobs, etc. They did a TERRIBLE job tightening at the factory. I would recommend to every owner of these to take 30 minutes and tighten the heck out of the jacks and knobs and stuff. And also pot the pickups if you plan to use it live.

Samick is in like Korea or something. I don't speak Korean. Who is Greg Bennet anyway? I want to know how my guitar was constructed and where and with what materials! Surely that's not too much to ask?

This is an incredible deal. I play in a classic rock/blues band and a funk/dance band and this guitar covers most everything I throw at it with a VERY nice warm balanced sound. Does it sound exactly like a $20,000 1972 Les Paul? I don't really know and honestly I don't really care. To me this guitar sounds just fine in its own right.

I bought this in 20055, a made in Indonesia LP copy. It has 22 frets, medium jumbo. The body is solid mahogany, and mine came with a flame maple top. Controls are the usual LP. Neck is mahogany, and fretboard is rosewood. The pickups are stock PAF-style (nickel-covered) humbuckers.

Contrary to some reviews that said that the top is finished plywood, I actually opened up the guitar to have a look at the pickups. It's solid, dark brown maple. And the insides is coated with a black spray. I thought it was some messed up finishing until my dad told me that it's actually shielding paint. My old 2002 Squier Bullet have no shielding paint inside the body cavity. The frets are nice and smooth.

Bear in mind, this is a budget guitar, and not a Gibson or Epiphone.

I play page/beck/clapton (late 60's) on this axe, and it nailed everything through the Vox AD30vt I have. Since the pickups are PAF, the lows are fat and warm, with smooth highs and long sustain. I'm thinking of changing the pickups (GFS) so that I can have more bite and crunch (aka Led Zep). Basically this is blues/rock-and-roll guitar. Sunshine of Your Love comes through VERY nicely....

For metal and pop, it'll be too muddy and dark. Each to his own. Pickups could be better, but it's the wood and construction that counts, electronic can easily be replaced.

Electronics are silent (due to the shielding paint?), set-up nice out of the box, though I set it up myself for more action and relief for those clapton bends and slides. Minor cosmetic flaws, no major dinks anywhere, with the exception of a small crack near the neck and the neck pickup (sloppy glue/paint job).

I've only have it for half a year. I'm a bedroom player, and it hadn't died on me yet... Nothing have dropped out, the electronics still magnificently silent.

I sent an email, they never replied. Why spoil a nice brand with absymal customer support. Greg Bennett, please take note, your guitar is damn nice but to achieve 100% customer satisfaction the customer must always comes first.

The looks and feel seems nice, and the silent pickups...

For more info on Greg Bennett guitars, don't go to www.samickguitar.com. Come here http://www.samick.co.kr/eng/product/guitar_gregView.asp?types=7&series=30

Bought it brand new at a local music store ,sunburst with a flame top, it has Duncan Design pickups. Pretty standard as far as features.

It has a great sound to it. I am playing it through a crate palamino (a class A tube amp w/celstion speaker) It has a nice tight sound to it and tons of sustain. I get a sound somewhere between skynyrd and zz top. It's great for classic/southern rock and blues.

It was set up by the msic store so it was set up good. The craftsmanship seemed decent. The finish is flawless.

I have only had it for a couple of months so far it is holding up well. I havent giged with it, but I have used it in the studio. As far as giging without a back thats just not smart.

I did email them with a question and they never got back with me.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I dont buy expensive guitars anymore especially when some of these cheaper ones are getting better in quality. I have a Fender Strat, A custom built Strat, A solid Panache LP copy. If something was to happen to it I would get another one. I love the sound of it and the feel of the neck. I shopped around for a 2nd LP copy tried some epi's,ect.This one had the sound and the sustain I was looking for.

September 2005, Indonesia, cherry sunburst, gorgeous finish.
Grover tuners, splittable DuncanDesigned HB103 pickups, tone lock t-o-m, one wonders about the very low price paid.
Les Paul style archtop, gibson scale, you get the idea.
The tiltback head is properly glued at the 2nd fret, the most reliable way to do in such a case.
The neck is on the wide side, but thin, reminds me of Ibanez necks. A real joy to play of course.
For the price paid, a solid 12.

Very honest sound, the DuncanDesigned are clear and with good definition. The guitar concept provides warmth and clarity, along with fantastic sustaiiiinnnn.
To my taste, the sound is slightly too bright(FM rock) so I changed the pickups for "woodier&trhoatier"ones.
The guitar behaves well noisewise, and you can play most styles as it comes stock.
I am using a Cube30 and a Vox vr30r with this guitar, and nothing else in the signal path. It is my living-room guitar so keep in mind I don't play it loud. The p-u's seems a bit microphonic, which could be a squealing issue when played loud.
Overall, stock, it gets a honest 8. For the price paid it is better than any guitar I have encountered.

Well set-up as it came (I got it in its paperbox), nothing to worry about except the loose jack input, a very common issue I have to say.
The nut is well cut, but could be 1-2mm lower.
I had a little problem with a too high fret, had to file it in order to play perfectly. No big deal, but a bit surprising given the overall quality of this guitar. Hence one point off.
The electronic job is properly done, no worries here.

Strap buttons are well attached, and the hardware seems reliable. Overall a very sane impression about this axe. Still, I can't rate it yet.

I just love it, and its price is somewhat from another planet. Before buying I had an Epi LPstandard at home for 2weeks, and the Avion3 is better made(polished frets-nothing hurts) and has better pickups by far. The sustain on both guitars is fantastic.
I would buy it again if broken/stolen/lost.
I love its neck, and the tones delivered. The sustain!
The overall tone is compressed and fresh, just keeps you playing for hours.
If you want a LesPaul-type guitar, this is it.
I play since the mid'80s, own too much stuff hence I know one thing or two about guitars. Hats off Samick!

la mienne est fait en indonesie, probablement par de jeunes exploites. elle a 22 frets et elle a un arch top. dessus jai 2 volumes et 2 tons (treble et bass) + un 3 way selector. elle a 2 humbuckers qui fonctionnent tres bien et qui capes beaucoup de dist. jai aucune idee de quoi est fait ma guitare. ils mont dit en mahogany mais ce nest pas vraie. ce point ne me derange pas car le son est tres beau. la mienne est de couleur cherryburst et elle a une forme de les pauls mais avec une courbe avant plus prononce.jaime bien le neck car il offre une resistance quand on joue dessus. jai aussi recu un petit cable CHEAP ASS de 2 pieds. completement inutile

je joue du metal, nimporte quelle sorte de metal et la guitare prend des surplus de dist ce qui est excellent. jutilise une boss od 20 drive zone twin pedal et un cube trente (ampli). tous les cordes donnent des sons chaleureux. bref, le son est parfait

parfait est mon seul mot mais je nai aucune idee de quoi est fait ma guit mais cela m importe peu

ma guitare a deja fait des tonnes de lives et tout est alle comme sur des roulettes. tout a de lair bien place pour durer longtemps. encore une fois , je crois quelle va durer tres longtemps et je depend sur elle. parfait

elle coutait 660 et je lai eu pour 319 $

je joue depuis 9 ans et elle est la meilleure guitare que je nai jamais eu

Well unfortunately Samick plays the "I'm not telling" game on their website. I think they would sell twice as many of these if they listed the specs, no matter how dismal. I think it would be better to own up to a DECENT guitar built with cheaper wood than to *hope* that nobody finds out that this guitar does not have any mahogany or maple in it (I honestly don't know if it does or not). I would like to know how this guitar is actually built, but that is secondary. I will assume a plywood top with a picture over a nato wood body or whatever the cheapest way to get it built might be. It does have a good set-neck joint which seems to be 95% of the LP sound. Also is an arch top which adds $$ if you're buying a custom guitar. Inlays could be stickers, probably a plastic nut, fake binding, whatever. However, this guitar plays and sounds fine to me.

I had been playing strats, wanted an LP sound for cheap, that simple. It sounds fine to me, not necessarily EXACTLY like a 1960 goldtop or whatever but perfectly usable. My band partner described it as "warm" after hearing me play it at a few gigs without knowing anything about the guitar, and he has NOT always liked the sounds I have brought in.

When I got it it had the usual squeal at high volume, pickups were microphonic. I spent like $15 on wax, melted it in a crock put and dipped the pickups without even undoing the wiring and the microphonics are gone. I can't say that the pickups sound different, but they still sound fine to me, I have no reason to think that going out and buying new pickups will make too much of a difference. The wax came out of the crockpot nicely in one big piece (should have put a wick in it, could have been a candle ;) I can always pot more pickups with the leftover wax as well. You need alot to dip the pickups but it takes very litlle to fill up the spaces inside the pickup.

Having never actually owned an LP or Epi I can't compare the sound of each, but I will say that I am very satisfied with the sound of this guitar. It works great for rock and roll and sounds at least as good as any of the Variax LP models without the piezo chonk.

With the potted pickups I'm giving sound a 10 because I am satisfied. It's not the greatest thing since Leo Fender was born but it is perfectly adequate in my opinion.

Maybe I'm less picky than others, but it plays fine for me. I have used it live about 15-20 times now. I did some minor action-setting etc when I got it, had to tighten up the jack and a pot but otherwise it has been fine. I think that in spite of the lack of documentation about materials used it is a very nice-looking guitar. Good value for $300 if you ask me. I give it a 1 because Samick refuses to document this model. ARE YOU LISTENING SAMICK?

Finish, strap buttons, dependability, are fine, I gig with it regularly. I specifically stopped buying $1500-up guitars so that if a pa speaker falls over on it and it breaks in half I could care less. Just get the insurance $$ (I know, good luck) and go get another. I give it a 9 because they ought to be able to put enough torque into the jack and pot nuts at the factory that I shouldn't have to worry about it.

Do they have anybody who speaks English? I've never tried to deal with them, as far as I'm concerned I could care less, they would have nothing to offer me anyway. All I want is documentation, specs of the guitar.

Been performing live in the Dallas area for over 15 years.

As I mentioned, I stopped buying expensive guitars, my Ed Roman Quicksilver is sold and I have semi-retired my 1979 anniversary strat. I now play an 80's jap strat with floyd (awesome guitar) and this one and a Variax. I paid less than $500 for each, so I won't be devastated if they are stoled or broken. I play through lots of old-school effects (love the Ibanez TS-9 series) and a 69 Twin Reverb. Between this guitar and the Strat I pretty much have all the electric tones I need, the amp and effects make the most difference to me. I use the Variax mainly just for acoustic, although there are lots of usuable sounds on it.

What I love about this guitar is that it sounds fine and I could care less if it gets damaged. Perfect for live use for me.

I wish Samick would give us more information on their website. Maybe they would be willing to hire me for marketing. I promise to pay for myself with increased sales ;)

I give it a 10 because it costs $300 and is every bit as usuable as the $2000 overpriced **** that says Gibson on it. Ask Ed Roman about Gibson ;)

Those already said by everyone. Excellent.

I play punk-rock and I needed the LP sound. Well, I got it. It sounds warm and thick even when selecting the "treble" position.

Yet I'm thinking about chancing the pickups for a couple of Seymour Duncan SP-90-2. I'll tell ya when I 'm done.

Perfect. It looks, feels and wighs as any Gibson LP. Excellent finish, perfect hardware. Friggin' hard to get out of tune. Love it.

I would definitely play it on stage with my group or alone. It sounds perfect and it's a booty you can rely on.

Haven't had to contact no cuystomer support. I guess that says it all.

I definitely love this thing. It's my fourth guitar and I wish they made them this good when I was a kid. I'm so happy with it that I've been considerin' buyin' another Samick-Greg Bennett model, maybe a Torino or a Royale.

If you're lookin' for a Les Paul but you can't afford it, this is exactly what you need. And if I were the Gibson buddies I'd be shakin' in my shoes.

(This is a continuation of the last post)
First let me say that the wait was worth it!!!
The guitar that Samick sent me is a 10 for the way it looks and the care that went into producing this high quality guitar. This is the nicest guitar I have ever owned!!! This guitars finish is nicer than the 2 I played in one store and 2 I only looked at in another store

2005, Indonesia, 22 frets, 2 volume 2 tone, 3 way selector, Daul humbucker, Les Paul Style, Red Transparent, Grover tuners, Jumbo frets, case included. The pickups were already wax potted.

I LOVE the way the guitar feels!!! It really is great for playing rock blues etc. I am using a Roland Blues Cube-30 and a Digitech RP300A and the whole set up sounds pretty awesome to my ears! The only noises that I am getting are from a bit of buzzing on the E and A strings. I play pretty hard and have tried to use more finesse but always return to playing chords harder. I already had lifted the action up and just yesterday finally adjusted the rod to get some neck relief and it has helped a lot but not all of it is gone. I will most likely have to set the action a bit higher for MY TASTE. I love the sound of this guitar!
My friend has an Epiphone LP Studio and I did notice that the pick ups are a little hotter, but with the presence and treble knobs on my amp and the wide variety of controls on my Digitech, this is not an issue for me.
I love the way this guitar makes me feel about playing!
I love the neck since it is closer to an acoustic steel string guitar neck!
I love the looks!
I love that it has the higher quality Grover tuners!

The only thing I see that I dislike is that it did not come fully set up for MY STYLE of heavy handed playing and no guitar company can set up guitars for every different type of player that is why they are made to be adjusted!
I give it a 9 only because the pickups should be a little hotter in my book.

Set up well for light to medium playing.
A couple of frets have little mars on the upper edge but I do not play with my thumb up on the 19 thru 22 frets so it is only a minor cosmetic issue.
The nut is a bit high, but it seems as though it is not as high as the first one I recieved. I am going to wait on filing down the base to lower the action at the nut.

* Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Yes although I am not on stage yet!
* Does the hardware seem like it will last?
Yes!
* Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy
to wear off with lots of playing?
Finish seems thick, but a bit too glossy and I feel that it will show flaws eventually
* Are the strap buttons solid?
Changed out for Schaller Strap Locks
* Can you depend on it?
Seems VERY reliable. Too soon for this really
* Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
YES!!!

Because I ended up with a diamond, I feel a lot better about the whole experience.

First off I want to send out kudos to Steve and David at Crossroads Music in Indiana for really going the extra mile and making sure that everything worked out for me! They told me that they are now getting all guitars shipped to them directly(no drop shipments) so that they can verify that only the best quality guitars get shipped out!!!! View guitar here: http://www.crossroads-music.org/catalog/samick_av3_avion_flamed_arch_top_electric_guitar_brand_new_2854489.htm

The maunfacturer Samick wants you to deal only with the place that sold you the guitar. They would not mail me the return label but instead mailed it back east to the seller, who then mailed it to me! So it took a bit longer to get.

I recieved the guitar boxed in a guitar case with a small guitar cable and an allen wrench for neck adjustment. No warranty or any info on how to setup or care for the guitar.

I give Crossroads Music a 10 for customer service
I give Samick a 7 in the hopes that they beef up thier customer service and also hope that they will very soon carry replacement parts as it is very hard to find any! (just looking at options!)

If stolen I would buy again!
If you are thinking about purchasing let me tell you that if you get anything close to what I got you will not be disappointed!!! Feel free to email me with specific questions and I will tell you all I know!!!

This rating is a bit premature, but I think it is appropriate to let people know what I am going through in regards to buying this make and model of guitar!

2005, Indonesia, Red Transparent, Grover tuners, basic medium duty case included.

I bought this specifically to have a Les Paul style guitar, with a bound neck. (I already had a Squier Strat, but it had a way too narrow "quick neck" that had strings buzzing in open chord positions.)I play mostly rock/blues, and have finally after years of off and on playing, decided to get more serious about my guitar. I have played with some friends in a garage band and at small gatherings. I tried this guitar and an Epiphone and a Les Paul on a Marshall amp and while there obviously were differences in the quality of pick ups and finish, it was not enough to have me want to plunk down $499 for an Epi on sale, not to mention the outrageous price of the Gibson. I liked the sound of the pickups on all three and would be happy with any of 'em! Of course I was not blasting the amp so the differences would probably have been more obvious then. I would have to say that the Gibson had more of a lighter ethereal feel to the pickups.

BRASS TACKS- Just as I see it----The action was higher than two I played in local store. Neck pickup had to be pushed down repeatedly on the bridge side to get the neck side to not be dipped down. There are various mis-colorings on this guitar. Nut is definitely too high. The lead/rhythym switch was pushed all the way in when I recieved it. the 1st string is buzzing a lot around the 1,2,3,4 fret. The 5th string tuner is weird and I tried to loosen the screw but to no avail. All of this is not too bad other than the broken switch and the fret buzz and the creaky feeling Grover tuner. Oh yeah, the case has a wierd shape on it for the arch top and it was made a little askew. I am upgrading to a heavy duty case because i feel that this is what allowed the toggle switch to be pushed in.

Seems durable! High gloss that will most likely show everything that happens to it. solid strap buttons.

I will now be finding out how well customer service is. As I write this I am awaiting a return label from the online company that I purchased it from. At this point, you don't deal with Samick, just their authorized dealers.

I like this guitar a lot and feel that the only real issue here is that the inspector needs to be told to not let anything like this pass by them! I would buy this guitar again if something unforseen happened. I love that I can get a decent Les Paul for under $300.

I am going to do an update to let everyone know how this turns out and I will also fill in more of the questions asked and give truer number ratings! Just won a Blues Cube 30 on ebay and can't wait to hear them together!!! Keep on Rockin' in the Free World!!!!!!!!!!