Wechter Pathmaker 3135

3 pickup (condensor mike, piezo, and magnetic) with EQ, acoustic electric. laminated body , spruce top, lacewood body, mahogany neck. Unusually clever, and functional Double cutaway. Tortoise shell binding (plastic). All in all a very attractive, versatile guitar.

Very quiet guitar esp. compared to my loud M-38 martin (probably due to laminated body/top and size), but it's very articulate, and very focused, and well balanced, which by itself is quite remarkable-you should still be able to successfully record with it with a mike, but playing with others acoustically? you may be drowned out a fair amount if you're playing with someone with a dreadnaught. I find the acoustic volume issue common in "plugged in" acoustics, this guitar is no exception, it's really designed to be played "plugged in". Don't buy it if you want to be in a traditional bluegrass band.

When you plug it in - it's a different story. however, you still know it's a "plugged in" acoustic, but it's far superior to one pickup acoustics, esp. undersaddle piezos (uuugh!). I would still recommend a good DI, or one of the new Fishman aura pedals.

All in all, the guitar is quite a stunner when seen from a little distance, however upon close inspection there are quite a few flaws, esp. with the binding, and other details, but it's very attractive (I can't stress that enough). The finish is good, and even the laminate woods are very attractive, the lacewood is very, very nice - it was a good choice in woods, at least from a superficial perspective. the main problem with the guitar for me are the cheap tuners. My B-string tuner is crapping out and stiff. I'll probably replace with higher quality tuners. Another problem was with the frets. I've heard that they PLEK the guitars when they come back to the states, but the frets are very "scratched" looking which would to me would indicate poor quality metal in the frets. The action however is exceptional...you can really rip on this thing. it's also a very LIGHT WEIGHT guitar. laminated guitars aren't usually so light, this one is VERY light. it's safe to say the high quality of the laminate wood REALLY shows.

Have not played out as of yet, but I have no doubt it would do well. it's pickup configuration is far superior with it's clever configuration to anything I've played so far. I tested it out on my band's PA, and it sounds good.

As far as durability, yes, id say the finish should last,a dn the laminate body is much sturdier to a solid body acoustic esp, when it comes to weather and fluxuations in temperature. I would use this without a backup. I'd give it a "9" if it weren't for the not-so-great tuners.
All in all this guitar looks like it could take a bashing.

Have not had to contact cust. support.

I've been playing since 1985, I have lot's of cool gear, Martin M-38, Breedlove..etc. and this guitar is a nice contrast to those. Of course it doesn't come into the same neighborhood as the solid Martin or Breedlove as far as tone, but it holds it's own in a different, probably more versatile way. it's by far the best plugged in acoustic esp. for it's cost. I bought this guitar off my bass player who kept it in a closet for a year (not sure why) so it was still pretty new, but the frets needed cleaning with steelwool from being unplayed. Somehow i knew i wanted this guitar beforehand, and when he said he had one i jumped at the chance to get it, and I'm glad I did. period. very cool guitar. it certainly looks much more expensive than what it actually costs. Also comes with a great, sturdy gig bag. Apart from the lousy tuners this is a solid "9". So, it's a keeper.

Lacewood body back/sides; rosewood neck; tortoise shell binding- plastic, but nice-looking (every time I've gigged people commented on it's great looks or the great sound); laminated top; gig bag included; original-design headstock with a slight tilt. 3-way preamp (mic, piezo & magnetic p/u); reg 1/4 inch output and low-Z output to plug straight into the FOH sound system- used this way the guitar's preamp will use the mixer's phantom power and there is no need for a battery-- very COOL!

I play solo guitar- mostly jazzy/bluesy stuff. For 26 years I've played mostly electric & classical. This time around I wanted an acoustic with exceptional playability and sound that could stand on its own for solo work. This guitar meet my expectations and then some! It has a very balanced sound and even going through an electric guitar amp it is not thin, nor excessively bassy. With the 3-way pickup there are plenty of tonal possibilities and it is highly improbable that you can't get the timbre you're after. I run mine through a Yamaha Magicstomp I on customized patches for acoustic with just a hint of reverb and/or delay. It sounded great. Then I borrowed a BBE Sonic Maximizer DI box and went through it first then to the Magicstomp... aww man!... some people asked if there was a guitar CD playing! Crisp, pristine yet full, warm, woody sound was quickly available. (That BBE will definitely be my next purchase.)

Like I mentioned previously, the action is very fast and plays as close to an electric as you can get. I use 10's on electric and this one came with 11's so it didn't take very much adjusting. Fit/finish was great...as nice as the website's pics! Did I say how people have asked to see it/touch it at every gig? :) Awesome!

I've had this guitar for 5 months, play it daily, leave it out of the gig bag, dropped it several times (I have kids)and there are no scratches nor visible dents on it anywhere! Yet the box resonates eagerly (although not nearly as well as a Breedlove, or others). For a Chinese product, it is by far better than most others in it's price range and then some!

Never contacted the company. Haven't found a need to. I might call them, just to say thanks for great quality control on such an inexpensive unit.

I've played electric for 26 yrs, mostly Blues/Jazz. For the past 7 years I've been going in the direction of something like Tuck Andres & Charlie Hunter. Although I play through an old Ampeg tube amp- I'm no tube snob and I don't go by brand names. I pick up a guitar and judge it solely by its sound/feel/playability and how quickly I adapt to it. As a result, I'v ended up with mid-tier instruments which produce top-tier tone. I read the reviews and my gamble payed off, beautifuly! I wanted to incorporate a nice organic, woody acoustic tone into my style of playing and was able to easily switch with this acoustic. BTW, controlling feedback on it, is a breeze with the phase switch and bringing down the mic volume. Overall an awesome, very versatile guitar for a sweet price!

Made in 04 or 05. Made in China suprisingly. 19 frets completly clear of the body. The top is laminated, but that doesn't bother me all that much. The sound is bright and clear. It has the 3 pikup system, piezo, mic, and magnetic. Very cool. Guitar's finish is over all beautiful, looked exactly like it does on their website. I am not really a gig bag person, but this one is okay. I have ordered the hardshell case though. Really a great guitar for the money!

I play mostly acoustic stuff, but also like metal so this guitar fits me well. The sound of it plugged in is amazing. options are endless. I have been able to get some feedback effects with it that I could only previouslt get from my Ibanez RG. Unplugged the bright tone cuts through. Some people may complain that it isn't rich and full enough... well I like to have that rich tone for rhythm anyway. Absolutely love it.

Guitar was set up great. Feels like a les paul. very fast neck! Everything looked good. Beautiful! Machine heads are kinda cheap lookin but are very smooth and retain tension very well.

I definetly think it will do well. It only has one strap button but wechters website shows you where to install it. 10 bucks later and now it wears alot like an electric too. Finish seems good. Hasn't worn off or chipped. I usaully play about 5 hours a day and so far its doing great. I will probaly have to replace the machine heads in a year or so because I use alot of crazy tunings. But I have tuned the guitar 15 diffrent ways and they still havn't slipped, Although the neck has made some pretty freaky movements when I tuned to G#, but a little truss adjustment and all was well. I really am pretty abusive so its doin pretty good.

I have been playing for 12 years. I play a Ibanez RG 735 and an Ibanez acoustic 12 string dg12. I run through a peavey 75 watt amp and various boss pedals and of course a crybaby wahwah. THis wechter is absoulutly great plugged in. I can not say that enough. I love the double cutaway and the flexability of the neck. Great buy!! It has every option I currently need.

double cut away, 3 on board pickups, blendable

Unplugged this guitar sounds weak,thin, unplayable

Action was nice, workmanship however was horrible. Nut was glued on crocked with a space between the nut and the fretboard. Overall quality very poor.

Dont know about the reliability after a quick examination and a brief "feeling out" I knew I would be returning this guitar. This guitar is a chinese toy.

Don't know about Wechter's support but the online dealer I purchased it from took it back no problem.

Ive been playing for 28 years. I own many guitars and know what quality guitars feel and sound like. When I took this guitar out of the gig bag it came in the first thing I noticed was the cheasey toy like feel and poor workmanship. There were rasp marks in the headstock! I will never order another guitar online sight un-seen again. If I can't go into a local guitar store and try it I am not going to buy it. I learned my lesson. This guitar was a real let down, after reding all the "reviews" here and elsewhere. Slave labor in china can not produce a quality instrument. If you want a nice guitar buck up and pay for it. This is a $129 guitar at best suitable only for first time guitar buyers.

Mine is the three pickup model acoustic/electric. It's hard to imagine an acoustic with more features than thisIt has a magnetic soundhole pickup, an undersaddle pickup, and a built-in condenser mic, which can be mixed onbaord. There is also a 3 band EQ, a sharpness slider for the mmic, and a phase reversal switch for squelching feedback. There is also an XLR out in addition to the normal guitar output. Unusual double cutaway design provides good access to the upper frets. All laminate wood - spruce top, lacewood back and sides (very pretty), mahogany neck, rosewwod fretboard, bone nut. Includes heavy duty gog bag.

Unplugged, the sound is excellent, but not as loud as a larger bodied guitar. This is approximately grand auditorium sized. Unplugged the sound ia about an 8. Plugged in, it is a clear 10. With all of the different pickup options, you can tailor it to the best possible sound for a particular venue. minimizing feedback and or hum from the magnetic pickup. That plus the XLR out make this a spectacularly well designed guitar for live performance.

It was made in China, but I couldn't find any flaws. Wechter sets up each guitar in its Michagan site. Everything works as it should.

Seems very dependable, but I am not a good test, as I really don't abuse guuitars.

Excellent web site, with lots of good information, including columns by Abe Wechter. They do respond to calls and emails.

I wanted something very specific. I have a shoulder problem which makes playing a dreadnough sized guitar painful for any length of time. I wanted a smaller bodied guitar. Although I've owned other acoustics (Martin, Taylor, Fernandes), I am primarily an electic player, and this guuitar is marketed as having a similar feel to an electtic. I was also llooking for a guitar for use in live performance and recording, and this is very well designed for both. For what I was looking for, this is amazing value for money. I will be looking at high end Wechters as soon as finances allow.

2004 Lacewood, double cutaway, lefthand. I decided to get back into playing after 10 year layoff,did my research and narrowed it down to three different makes.Being left handed and not wanting to spend more than a grand I did have some choices. After reading the reviews on the Pathmaker and contacting Abe Wechter I decided to go with it. It's always risky buying something based on someone elses opinion. Really pleased with this guitar.It not only looks really great but plays like a dream! Low action and superb attention to detail. Looks much more expensive than it is.Only complaint are the really cheesy tuning machines. Abe would do well to raise the price alittle and include Grovers (which are what I replaced with).

This guitar has it all! Great sound, although I did replace the strings with Elixer light gauge. The electronic are superb. Unplugged the Pathmaker is very bright. Plugged, the guitat comes alive!! you can blend the saddel,microphone and soundhole pickups to get a variety of sounds. I play country-rock, rock and heavymetal. This one does it all.I play the Pathmaker through a 35 watt acoustic amp and I'm very pleased.

Abe Wechter supervises the manufacture of his guitars in a Chinese plant and then ship them for final set-up and installation of the electroincs to his Michigan plant. All fretwork is checked and the action is set. I lowered the action slightly, through the saddel, and the guitar is unbeleiveable! Plays like an electric. Which is what Abe wanted to acheive. All binding looks good and the Lacewood is really pretty. The top is spruce and is very nice.Fit and finish is better than more expensive guitars I looked at.

This guitar is really solid. The neck could be used as a pry bar. The method used to secure the neck to the body is very solid. I would only guess as I have only had the Pathmaker for a month now, but I think this guitar will be very durable (providing you don't use the neck as a pry bar). There is only one strap button, located midline,lower bout. No big deal for me as I sit anyway to gig.

Abe Wechter is very pleasant to do business with. He gave me alot of information and was very helpful. Adirondack guitar shipped my guitar, sending me the wrong guitar the first time. They sent me a Ovankol, spend the extra dollars and get the Lacewood, much nicer.But Dennis at Adirondack made everything right, sending me the correct guitar and a postage-pair return label for the first guitar. A really honest guy to do business with.