Switch Stein IV

Wow,I just got this used off of ebay.I already had a wild IV signature
then i found this stein IV signature in the same color (teardrop red burst)this has the same pick up configuration as the wild minus the coil tap switches,2 volumes 1 tone 3 way switch,wilkenson trem.

This guitar sounds incredible,both clean and distorted.It actually sustains better than my wild which has a fixed bridge.

ok now I see what all the talk is about.I bought this guitar used,so I don't know if this is the factory setup or not,but it is perfect.Nice low action,pups height perfect,intonated dead bang on.unlike my wild IV which was crapola.

its all good

nada,gone,kaput

not all switch guitars are great players out of the box.but not all les pauls or strats are either.If I judged switch from the first one i bought,they would get low marks.This guitar more than convinces me to buy another,an innovo or ultra maybe.try one if you get a chance,the action might be good or bad ,some of their colors are cool,and some are putrid.but I haven't heard a bad sounding switch guitar yet!!

This is the old style Stein IV, with the ugly multi-colored fretboard dots and no coil tap. It's made in China out of Vibracell, a synthetic material. 25.5" scale, two Alcino humbuckers, and tremolo. Two volume and one tone control. Black/red "teardrop" finish. Don't equate plastic with lightweight, this is a solid guitar, it weighs over 8 lbs.

I picked this up mainly because I was intrigued by this company and found this model cheap. I was expecting a rock guitar and that's what it is. The pickups seem well balanced and full, kind of muddy on the low end but most humbuckers are. It sounds sweet lightly overdriven.

This guitar was set up well, a little high for me. I tweaked the rod and lowered the bridge saddles a bit and it's now perfect for me. Didn't touch the pickups and there are no visible flaws. The neck is perfect for me, heftier than my Goddin Exit22 but not quite as wide as my Dot. Fretwork is good, no high or dead spots and pretty smooth around the edges. I am extremely impressed.

This guitar will last.

N/A

This is a $499 list guitar, and the current models have added coil tap and better fretboard inlays. You should be able to find one of those for $350, and it would be worth every penny. This was my test model, and I'll be buying more, probably an Oscar or Aurora.

As a long-time hobbyist and a family man, I've kind of made it a mission to search out inexpensive, quality guitars. Can't justify dropping big bucks on a 335 or Les Paul, so I find guitars that play well and give me the tonal variety I want. I do think these guys have something going on here.

Looks like a cross between a Parker Fly and a strat. Wilkenson tremolo, 2 humbucking pickups. The big feature is the synthetic (eco-friendly?) Vibracell neck thru body. Grover tuners, black hardware, free Switch heavy-duty padded gigbag is good quality, and also included is a free shoulder strap as well as three different sized hex wrenches.

Sounds good, but not great. Guitarist (UK) magazine called the humbucker "dark and muddy" and I'd agree. Too bass heavy for my taste, for my taste, but not bad. Sustain was good, but I'd hoped for better based on the other glowing reviews.

Again, good but not great. The set-up from the factory had the action very high. I'd never used a guitar with a Wilkinson tremolo before, so it took me several tries and some truss-rod adjustment before I got it the low-action that I prefer, without any "buzzes". Finish was outstanding and looks much better in real life than in pictures. Fret work was disappointingly rough--typical in my experience for a Chinese guitar and I was expecting better. Tuners are good, and the Wilkinson tremelo stays in tune surpringsly well for a non-locking tremelo.

I've only had the guitar for a few weeks, but it appears to be a quality instrument that should last a very long time.

Haven't used it.

Well, I'm returning the guitar, so that about somes up my opinion. Good , but not great. I was very happy with the appearence and I'm sold on the Vibracell body, but I'd want better fretwork and pickups. Next time, I'd probably spring for the more expensive "Signature" models with the EMG pickups and/or the more expensive Innovo model which Guitarist magazine prefered to this one.

2004 Asian-made. Neck-thru (actually, that's not accurate. The entire body, neck, and headstock are molded as a single piece) made from Vibracell, which is a sort of urethane compound designed to emulate the tonal qualities of premium tonewoods. Double cutaway, 22-fret bound rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. 3-on-a-side Grover tuners. H/H "Switch designed" pickups, which are supposedly of Wilkinson lineage (Trev Wilkinson is heavily involved in the Switch guitar line). 3-way toggle switch located below the pickups in the "strat" position. No-name two-point pivot trem with roller saddles. Graphite nut. Reasonably wide, flat neck with a very comfortable profile; nice cross between a Fender baseball-bat and an Ibanez wafer-thin neck. Came with a very nice gig bag and a really nice strap. The finish on mine is a neon red/orange to yellow fade (what the heck, if you're going for high-tech materials, make it stand out!) At this price, this is a very feature-laden guitar.

First of all, Switch's claim that Vibracell is a very resonant material is absolutely correct. Unplugged, the guitar just sings, almost like a semi-hollow. My wife commented on how pretty it sounded unplugged compared to most of my other guitars. Plugged into my Fender HRD or one of my modeling amps, I can cover just about any style from jazz to metal. This guitar is a tone-monster. It's very articulate, sustains like no other, and notes and chords just flow from it. The pickups seem pretty good, with good clarity and reasonable output. I plan to swap out some other pickups I have around just to see how much of the character comes from the pickups versus the body material and construction. It's hard to characterize the sound of this guitar; played clean it sings like a cross between an ES335 and a Les Paul. Add some drive and it starts to sound like a cross between a LP and an SG. Crank the distortion up to high-gain levels and it stays very "open" sounding (doesn't mush out) and harmonics just leap off the fretboard, much like some of my Ibanez guitars. It's a very "neutral" guitar; I'd like to think that with different aftermarket pickups of your choice you could really capitalize on the tonal nature of this guitar and "color" the sound a bit even more to your tastes. As a jack-of-all-trades though, this is really quite an impressive instrument in stock form. I'll reserve a "10" for the sound/vibe you get from a perfect guitar that just "speaks" to you and sends shivers down your spine. This doesn't do that, but it sounds damn good.

Outstanding for a guitar at this price. Paint is smooth and glossy, fretwork is quite good, all the controls are smooth and very solid-feeling. Rosewood fretboard has a nice grain (was a bit dry though; needed a bit of oil), binding is neat, tuners are aligned well. I got the action down to 1/16" at the 22nd fret with no buzzing. That's like my Carvin! Tremolo stays in tune fairly well, even with some abusive dive bombs. The control cavity covers fit like a glove. The only glitch with mine was that during shipping, one of the pickups had fallen into the body cavity. I just picked it up with a magnet and re-engaged the screws, and was all set.

Since it's all synthetic except for the fretboard, it's virtually impervious to heat/humidity-induced changes. The switchgear seems well made, and overall this guitar should take anything the average player can dish out. Strap buttons are average and should hold up just fine. I'd say that it should be as reliable as any guitar out there.

No interaction with Switch guitars. Music123 is pretty good about customer service, on par with most internet dealers.

I've been playing for 20 years and own 18 guitars. Have owned dozens more over the years. Gibsons, Hamers, Fenders, Ibanez Prestige, Schecter, ESP, you name it. I love this guitar. There are a bunch of different models, and I plan on getting several more. If this whole Vibracell thing catches on, I'd expect prices to start going up. right now, I'd say that Switch guitars are quite a deal and a fantastic value.