Samick AV3 Greg Bennett Avion

2003 Avion-3 Cherry Sunburst, Made in Indonesia.
Mahogany neck & body with maple flame top, Grover tuners and HH pickups.

When I recieved my AV3 by UPS, I ran to plug it in and try it on my amps.
A 1968 VT-22 ampeg(tube) and a Randall commander(solid state). And to my astonishment, this guitar sounded incredible. Absolutely no problems with the pots or pick-ups as stated by others -(this dosen't mean that they don't have a problem with these features, it just means I might have been lucky with this guitar). Warm tone on the neck pickup, a little bright on the lead though, but managable. Great sound with a glass slide, one of the reasons of my purchase for this guitar was the lespaul sound w/slide without the astronomical price. And I'm sure this product would sound even better if the pickups were changed to a aquality set.

The bad - High E was too low. Bridge was also too sharp on the high E and I had to file a slight area on the bridge to keep the E from premature breakage. Volume knob was cracked. And a small crack in the clearcoat finish where the bridge anchors (over tightened).
The good - Besides the bad, which I think is minor, the guitar played beutifully. nothing loose. If it wasn't for these negatives I would have said this guitar is excellent in this catagorie.

This guitar will last! I USE my guitars. If it couldn't keep up to my every whim, it would end up in the fireplace. Very solid. Stays in tune, unlike my old goldtop I owned. Thats why I don't own it anymore. Strap buttons were replace with dunlop locks. Gigging alone with it wouldn't worry me a bit.

Beeing an avid guitar player for many years, I've come to discover that price dosen't always mean quality. Brand-names nowadays are the selling point for guitars, not the quality of them. I own 2 guitars for over 25 years -- 69 telecaster w/bigsby, 77 strat standard. Also I have owned a 68 gold top les paul. I've tried all the LP copies like Jay Turser, Epi, etc... None of them impressed me, not even NEW LPs - A whole lot of money for what? That goes without saying for all of the old companies that are making money off just their name. This AV3 was the deal of the century. Low cost with high quality. I would have no problem purchasing another AV3 should anything happen to this one.

Remember fellow guitar players - The guitar doesn't make the player, the player makes the guitar!

This is an update to a previous review of mine.

I just recently wax potted the pickups on this guitar ( http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/index.php ) , which showed me a few things about it. For one, inside the guitar it was coated with this flat black spray, which I believe to be a shielding spray. I was very surprised to see this sprayed on the inside of the guitar because I don't see it on my Fenders! I suppose this is why it's so quiet between the humbuckers and shielding. Anyway, after putting the potted pickups back in I plugged it into a little solid state amp I use for practice and noticed a much warmer sound on the neck pickup, which I didn't even think was possible. Switching to the bridge pickup I found that it was more useful than ever, because it was also mellower and it doesn't have that harsh bite to it anymore. I can't wait to play this through my 50 watt Crate amp, which caused me to pot it ... every time I added treble I'd get an annoying squeal in my face. Not anymore 8-)

Everyone else has already said these Gary Bennett Avions are made in Indonesia ; this is the 2 pickup model with 2 volume controls and 2 tone controls -- mine is black, and we all know black is best. The 3 way toggle even has the unnecessary Gibson "rhythm/treble" sign on it. I have always used rhythm pickup for lead playing, if there can be said to be such a thing as lead or rhythm. Unless we're talking Hank B. Marvin and the Shadows, the distinction is dead.

Beautiful sound played through a 30w Roland amp (hey, I'm not Hendrix). I play all sorts of stuff from 60s rock to a bit of jazz, to a bit of blues. If you like the sounds on "Cheap thrills", you can get plenty on this thing ; if you like Cream, you got it ; you can get some AC/DC power chords ; you can pick neat and clean like Les Paul himself ; you can get classic Free, you can do a passable Santana sound, surf music, Stax soul sound, Chuck Berry, even a bit of tele twang --and my son uses it for a bit of industrial gothic metal (and plays it in church services!) -- great for classic Aussie rock such as Daddy Cool and Tamam Shud. My only reservation is a minor one which applies to nearly every pickup on any guitar: there's not enough tone difference from 1 to 10.

I'm not the expert, but I've adjusted zilch. Finish is fantastic. No pickguard, which is great, because all you should do with a pickguard is take it off.

The guitar gets few live workouts, apart from in the garage, but goes like a ripper (Aussie speak for "is very good") ; the guitar will still be here when I am gone, and the tuning pegs are worth the price of the whole unit. A very minor point: why do manufacturers stick the jack socket on the edge of the guitar where it puts stress on the jack? Yes, I know you can curl it under the strap, but let's get it right!

Haven't dealt with the company. The best company support is no company support because the product works.

Have played for over 35 years ; this is unquestionably the best guitar I have owned (I did have a Maton El Toro -- Maton has a good international name, but this 35 fret monster was pretty dreadful ; its best feature was the case). I have played teles, strats and Les Pauls, and copies of many. I never liked the look of Les Paul guitars, and never liked the heavy, chunky feel of most Gibsons (including some beautiful jazz archtops I have played). I was looking for a tele or strat and just picked this up in the shop to convince myself I had tried everything ; after about 3 notes and 3 chords I knew this was it. I still don't like the Les Paul look, but if you only ever buy 1 guitar, get one of these. If you are a pro, buy some new pickups if you don't like these, and you will be pleased. In Australia, the original is at least 10 times the price, but you will not get a 10 times better guitar ; Epiphones are 4-5 times the price, and frankly I wouldn't bother. I'm old enough to remember when Ibanez and Yamaha were unwanted in guitar stores, and I think this Samick line falls into the category of potential collectors' item. I was so impressed that I bought the Samick "stratt-ish" guitar, the Interceptor, and if I ever get the money, I might go the tele copy, too. The only thing I occasionally would like on this guitar is an extra neck with 12 strings.

This is an add-on to the last review. This guitar can be made to sound WAY better by replacing the stock pickups. I'm on somewhat of a mission to come up with the best-sounding LP copy for the least amount of cash. After reading some reviews, I decided to try a pair of Mighty Mite Alnico Vintage Buckers. These pickups cost me $35.00 ( I think they've gone up to a whopping $42.00 now at dancingdragon.com), for the PAIR! What a huge improvement in overall tone! It took away the brightness of the stockers and replaced it with warmth. They didn't come with any instructions, so I had a little trouble figuring out the wiring (although this was mostly due to a defective input jack wiring problem that was making me crazy 'til I figured it out). If you don't want coil-splitting (don't know why anyone would; I did it by accident during my wiring trials and it sounded like crap), just hook the red wires together, solder, and wrap with electrical tape to insulate. Attach the other two leads to the pots the way the stockers came out.
These pickups sound great and are a great deal!

Absolutely great with new pickups! Not an expert, but betting it's not far from a real LP.

Made in Indonesia. Chestnut flamed maple top (it's been a while, but I think this color is similar to a Gretsch Country Gentleman). All the operational features have been well-documented by other reviewers. It's a Les Paul copy and a good one in my opinion. Very nice neck with great "playability". Minor detail differences to avoid patent infringement.

I use it to play "roots rock", Neil Young, Bodeans, J. Mellencamp style through a Fender Pro Jr. You can pretty much get any sound you're trying for with this combination. The pickups can be a little bright, but I've been able to "dial out" the brightness as required. The pickups are also somewhat microphonic and I'll probably wax pot them once the "newness" has worn off. Overall very nice-sounding instrument.

Action was slightly high for my taste, right out of the box. No problem getting it set-up to my liking. It also needed new strings, which was no surprise, and I adjusted the pickup heights a little. We're talking personal taste here, so, to each, their own. The only real glaring poor quality item is the nut, which is functional, but not very confidence-inspiring. I think you can get them replaced for less than $20, so, big deal.
For the money, this thing is beautifully made. On close inspection, you can find a few minor detail flaws, but overall I'm very impressed.

Seems very well built. Time will tell. Should withstand live playing without a problem. Finish seems very solid (thick-feeling/looking). I don't think anyone should ever gig without a backup - nothings perfect.

No need for contact, so far. I bought this as factory overstock, so there's no warranty anyway.

I bought this because I've been playing my '78 Tele for close to 20 years now, and I wanted some variety. As a family man, I can't afford the real thing, so I took what I thought was a chance on this. I've only had it a week now, but I'm very happy with it. The quality doesn't quite measure up to my Tele overall, but I didn't expect it to. The sound and playability are fantastic. In this case, I actually feel that I got more than I paid for (a rare circumstance in this day and age). If it were lost or stolen, I'd be bummed for awhile, then get busy finding another one. Thanks to fellow reviewers on this site. I probably wouldn't have "taken the chance" if it weren't for your reviews, so thanks for doing me a big favor!

Made in Indonesia. 22 frets. Top looks like flame maple, but may be a laminate. Mahogany body. 2 tone, 2 vol. Tune-o-matic. Grovers (non-locking). IOW standard Les Paul copy features

Sounded okay stock. Meaty/stout LP-type sound. I say type because it filled the bill, but wasn't anything special. Just okay. Sustains pretty well. Sounds clearer than the Epi LP copies I've tried (pickups seem less muddy so you can get pretty good grind out of them).

It feels great, and the finish is wonderful. Really pretty guitar. Neck is true, no finish flaws that I could see. Frets edges don't protrude. BUT the fret markers are some sort of dull plasticy looking things. yuk.

The neck is a little less thick than my Gibson Gary Moore, but still rather regular sized. No way you'd say it's thin.

Everything seems pretty tough, and durable.

Never dealt with Samick, but their website doesn't contain a lot of details about their guitars, and there is no e-mail address listed to ask any questions.

I have more gear than talent. This guitar is a true treasure. I bought this guitar to have a guitar I could experiment on. So I replaced the stock pups with Duncans (Jazz/JB), and added 2 mini toggles for series/split/parallel switching, and now this guitar is a monster.

For a total investment of $400 (and an evening of soldering) I have a guitar that can do make any sound, and look fantastic.

The quality of this guitar rivals my Gibson Gary Moore LP (which was $1400), and my Godin LGXT (which was $1500). To be fair the Godin has a 13 pin Roalnd synth driver built in which the Samick does not, but you get my point.

If it were stolen or lost, I would absolutely buy another one, without hesitating.

2003 Indonesian AV3 Cherry-sunburst arch-top.
Generic HB's (Duncan Designed are on the higher model numbers)
Maple top on a Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fret-board.
Tune-O-Matic bridge, Grover Tuners

Great sound but I'll probably end up updating the pick-ups soon since they can get a little bright. The tone is fairly rich and the sustain is great.

All and all a great looking and feeling guitar for the money paid.

Seems like it's tough as nails and will hold up to some years of abuse.

Haven't had to deal with

Just what I wanted in a guitar to get back into playing. Anyone worried about what the guitar is made out of (nato\mahogany, maple top\plywood veneer, etc.) here is the info from Samick's main site:

Construction : Set Neck

Scale : 24, 3/4"

Body : Mahogany w/Quilt Maple Arch top

Neck : Mahogany

Fingerboard : Rosewood

Inlays : Pearl Crowns

Hardware : Chrome

Tuners : Grover

Bridge : Tune-o-matic w/Stop Tailpiece

Frets : 22F

Pickups : Humbucker 1702 CR Up -1702 CR -Down

Electronics : 2 Volume, 2 Tone, +3WAY TOGGLE S/W (CAP:IV)

Color : CS

Made in Indonesia, great playing guitar, grover tuners, tune-o-matic bridge... the works (I dont feel the need to repeat all of the kind people who have already written short novels.)

Guitar is great for me, I play everything from soft rock, to hard rock, to blues, it sounds great. Beautiful rich tone, I run it through a Line6 POD 2.0, and it sounds sooo good. Everything from a clear crisp bright tone, to a dirty gritty sound that growls. When I brought the guitar home, I was stoked cause it sounded good, but then I took a look at the strings on it and they were crap so I put some new ones on and the guitar started to sing (literally.)

Gorgeous TONE!!

Action was and is great, pickups sound good, no flaws at all except for a couple loose nuts (easily fixable)

Guitar looks soo good!

Finish seems great!
Everything on the guitar is solid as can be.
I would play this thing without a back-up at any gig!!

Never had to deal with them.

Been playing for probably 6 or 7 years, best guitar I've owned.
Bought it because of its price and its style.

2003 AV-3 cherry SB flame top, bought new.

After potting the pups, this guitar kicks.
I haven't put this guitar down since I potted the pups and set it up. I was going to get an LP since I don't have one, but decided to try this because of the price. I have not been dissapointed. I have played LP's, and this guitar is not far removed, if at all. A buddy who playes LP's exclusively tried it and loved it. Tone is all personal taste, and this thing tastes good to me.

Finish is practically flawless. Flame top looks great, photo or not.
Set up was poor out of the box, but not one guitar I've ever purchased has been to my liking. Microphonics were terrible, and had to pot the pups. 45 minutes later, problem solved. the inlay material is very plain, but it's still nicer than dots.

Seems to be very solid. Body should hold up fine.
How the electronics hold up, time will tell.

I've been playing Guitar approx 22 years. I own an 89 SG standard, a 97 ES-135, a 85 american tele, a 74 mustang, and a 91 amer stand Strat.
If it were stolen, I'd probably buy one again.

Les Paul type guitar, not sure when it was made. I am sure of where it was made though because of the MADE IN INDONESIA sticker on the neck joint. It has 22 frets, a tune-o-matic type bridge, and two humbucker pickups. The pickups I'm guessing are stock pickups considering how inexpensive the guitar was. The body and neck are both mahogany, and the it has a maple flamed top. The tuners are Grover tuners which I guess are supposed to be good quality. It has the basic volume and tone controls of a Les Paul. The only thing I got with the guitar was a cable, and thing to adjust the truss rod with.

I play rock, and some Michelle Branch, so it's pretty good for those.
I'm currently using my brothers amp so I don't know what model it is. It's very noisy when you've got volume on the guitar on 10, and when you have the tone up on 10. The sound is okay considering I only play the thing in my bedroom, so I don't need a perfect sounding guitar. It sounds best when you have the selecter switch set in the middle position. It basically sounds like a Les Paul.

It has a bueatifully flamed top, which is just amazing. I would suggest someone buy this guitar just because of how bueatiful the thing is. My guitar though was flawed in several places. I wasn't expecting perfection for $250. The binding around the neck is sloppy, there was a crack in the binding at the third fret, there was two dents in the fretboard at the first fret, and the saddles were terrible. The saddles at the first and second strings had a wire cutter like edge in the groove of the saddle that would snap the string as soon has you touched it. As a result I now have Graph Tech String Saver saddles on it. Haven't broken a string since.

It's held up so far.

Terrilble. As I mentioned above the saddles on my guitar were bad. So I mailed in the warranty registration card that I downloaded off the Samick web site, and printed. I then read on the terms of the warranty that the warranty would be inavlid if you didn't use Samick parts on the guitar. So I sent it in. It's been about four or five monyhs now, and I haven't heard anything back. But now I have Graph Tech Saddles on the guitar anyway so it doesn't matter anymore. But like I said above. Terrible.

Overall I think it is a great guitar. The reason I bought it is that I wanted a Les Paul, but like most of us in the world I can't afford one. At first I looked at the Epiphone. But I didn't have $500. So then I looked at a Silvertone Les Paul, But it had a bolt-on neck which I didn't want. So basically if you want everything a Les Paul has but don't have the money, the AV3 is the perfect comprimise. If it got stolen not only would I fall to my knees crying, I would buy another. I do wish it had came with a gig bag or case or something.