My Xaviere XV-870 is here, and boy oh boy, is it ever a looker. This is what I ordered and received: http://store.guitarfetish.com/XV-870-2-Tone-Sunburst-Rosewood-Fingerboard_p_908.html I've done a quick examination. It's a really cold guitar right now. Very limited playing and tuning so far. Enough to test things out. I'm looking at it as if I bought a $500 guitar, not a sub $200 unit, so keep that in mind.
The neck is looks straight, as in looking up or down the neck, it does not look twisted. One step ahead of my now gone '05 MIM.
The rosewood looks decent enough. The slightly colored stain they used for the rest of the neck finish looks nice. I've always dug that look. It is, however, not feeling completely smooth. It's a bit rough. I'm quite sure it can be smoothened out with some sort of polishing cloth and a little time. It certainly feels better than a sticky neck, though.
None of the frets have rough edges. No buzzing anywhere yet. The strings are a touch high. More on that to come. It's warming up. I'll certainly not touch any sort of adjustment for a few hours.
The trem is sitting flat on the body. Everyone here has played a Strat-like guitar. we know what a subtle little flinch of the wrist will do to the notes and how easy it is. This one is actually a challenge to go flat, and of course, cannot go sharp due to it's position of resting squarly on the body. I believe a few 1/4 turns ought to loosen her up a bit. In a few hours, of course.
I'm not sure what strings are on it. they are not color-coded ones like D'Addarios. They didn't advertise their house brand as being the ones put on this. No matter, though, as I'm more than likely going to replace with a set of 10s later on today. I don't think I have any 9s left or I might consider it. I'll have to look.
OK, pickups. I only played it clean, and with most likely some of the cheapest strings in the world, but these things sound wonderful. Even the bridge pickup sounds good, and I've never liked my MIM or the replacement bridge pickup (My only not 100% pleased moment with GFS pickups, but that old guitar had more issues than a week pickup).
Other than that, body finish looks decent, but I am no expert on wood finishes and such. It looks like this afternoon for a string change, trem tension loosening, slight string lowering and a double checking of the pick-up heights. (The mid looks a touch high, but I have not measured yet). Tomorrow is truss rod measurement and set and intonation check and set day. I seriously doubt a truss rod adjustment will be needed. It just looks too good. I'm hoping a bit of string height changing is all that's needed.
And of course, pictures later on too.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Cool! Yes, pics please! So, still cold? They got it down there that fast huh? :P Seriously, it's real cold up here. Gonna be zero tonight. So at first review it sound servicable. I can't wait to see it.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
HNGD! - Keep us posted when she warms up!!!
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<
I'll finish my review and show a few pics.
OK, so I was able to put .10s on it and loosened the trem a bit so that I can do a bit of vibrato. I've got the string height pretty good. I did not do anything with the truss rod. I doubt very seriously that it's out of spec range. Intonation adjustments were only required on the B string, and in this case, only ever so slightly Maybe 1/8th turn.
I do not like the tuners. First time ever, and they will be replaced. I did try a few things just to make sure they are just not too tight. I loosened the shaft nut a bit, made sure the knobs were not too tight or something, and I lubed the nut for every string slot. There was some slight improvement. Tollerable if not for one that it particularlly difficult. The D string's tuner, in this case. You can hear somethng almost grinding, and lubing the nut did not help. I've probably got a bad tuner.
Sadly, that puts this guitar, with shipping, over $200. :evil: :evil: I think TR's venture into econo-strat land (plus upgraded parts replacements) came out slightly less than this. Mine will end up about $220. That's the price of a stock Squire Strat Standard. Which is better? I don't know, but I do like the GFS pick-ups.
Picture Time.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Congrats, Roy!
Nice pix and excellent, impartial overview as always. That's a bummer about the tuners.
Looking forward to sound samples if and when you get a chance.
:)
Don
Great pics Roy! It is beautiful!
Oh .. on the tuners....................................
The ones that came on my SX weren't so great but I did not purchase the ones I used so you are still financially OK. They came off another SX I had. If you shop on Rondo, you will notice some of the SX guitars have the dot position markers off center, to the side of the board. Those necks apparently come with Grover tuners. My origional SX was one of those. I did a tuner transplant so the Grovers ended up on the project guitar. I'll find pics.
See the difference? Obviously the natural finish one has the Grovers.
Interestingly enough though, the one with the cheaper tuners had the 2 way truss rod. The models with the side dots are $10 more as well. So ... you still did well Roy and besides, you will have fun replacing those tuners! If I had purchased the tuners it would have been another $40 - $50.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
That's going to be a sore spot for these batch sellers like Rondo and Guitar Fetish. I saw a used tele thin-line at a local shop from one of them and it looked like crud. I think it was a model from two or three years back. Those inconsistencies can kill a product line's rep.
G-F is having a blem sale again. 15% off or something like that. That's similar to the sale when my buddy got his a couple years ago and I got to play it. It was the White LP Custom copy for something like $220 with shipping. The blemish was a bit of overspray near the back side of the head stock. whoop-de-doo.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I just now saw the pics. That black pick guard looks great on a sunburst. Hmmmmmmmm
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
You can order it when you order the new tuners. 8)
Oh ... in Rondo's defense might I add that if you purchase an Agile the specs are clearly layed out as to what you get. Woods, nut materials, pickups, dimensions and they have a cross reference chart comparing different models. The cheaper ones like the SX and Douglas are a little more iffy. I will be posting a review on my Christmas beauty with pics soon. Just need a day off. :roll:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
G-F has you digging a bit more, but you'll eventually get to sound samples of their GFS pickups. You also get a list pf specs on their guitars, but I don't think there's a chart floating around comparing one to another.
One other thing I forgot to mention, and this is a small item, but the pick guard is a good thick 3-ply. I've seen some cheaper ones on another and could beleive the warping.
Lemme ask you something, if you don't mind. Do you play with you knobs all the way up on these copies? I tried, and it seems a bit noisey. Like other guitars, I tend to find sweet spots as a turn back the tone. Volume, too, to some extent.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
On my SX Strat copy? 10 on the volume and there is no tone control on the bridge pickup. I use that for all my dirty tones and that pickup is a dual rail humbucker that fits in the single coil space. For clean tones I do adjust the tone knobs to taste.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Yeah, the SX copy. Sorry, forgot to specify.
I've been trying to find that sweet spot. Started off maxed out just because so many do it, but i'm going to do this like the rest of the "collection" and twiddle to taste. The exception being my Gretsch. It LOVES wide open. Very unique.
I keep forgetting you put those split rails in your SX bridge position. I used one in neck position for the keefocaster. Love it. I think it was about $25 at the time. Hard to go wrong.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
The first thing I'd do is contact Guitar Fetish about the tuners. From my own experience, and that I've read from others, they stand behind their product, and will make it good for you.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
The first thing I'd do is contact Guitar Fetish about the tuners. From my own experience, and that I've read from others, they stand behind their product, and will make it good for you.
I've actually done that. I used one of their contact forms. The "technical assistance" one, or whatever it's called. No answer yet. It's busy for (r)etailers this time of year, so I am being patient.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Love the vintage sunburst. Sounds like an awesome deal!
"In what, twisted universe does mastering Eddie Van Halen's two handed arpeggio technique count as ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!" - Dr Gregory House
