PRS Tremonti SE model

Price paid: $ 600
Purchased from: eBay

Features: - Made in 2003
- 22 frets
- Mahogany body & neck
- Platinum finish
- Singlecut body (now discontinued)
- Stoptail bridge/tailpeice
- 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle pickup selector
- Mine was sold with PRS USA Tremonti pickups installed
- Non-locking PRS tuners
- Mine was sold with a hardshell case and Dunlop Strap locks installed. // 8

Sound: I play primarily hard rock/metal, but I also induldge in punk, hardcore, jazz, and blues on occasion. This guitar suits all of these styles well. I bought this guitar to replace my Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty, and the difference in sound alone was enough to make me very happy about the Switch. I play this guitar through a split channel rig. One channel goes through my Boss Metal Zone pedal and a Morley Bad Horsie Wah for my heavy distortion, and the other channel goes through by Boss ME-50 Effects Processor for all my clean/light distortion/effects. The channels both feed into my Marshall 60 Watt Valvestate. The guitar has a great sound, simple as that. I've played it with the stock pickups, and they of course are not as nice as the USA's I have, but still sound great. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought the guitar from somebody on eBay, and it was set-up very nicely with 11-52 gauge strings. Pickup height was perfect for a nice balanced tone on both pickups, without any of the harshness you can get from hot pickups. Guitar was setup very nicely, I took it out of the box, tuned up and played. I rarely mess with the tone controls on the guitar, but when I do I've noticed that they crackle, which I intend to have fixed at some point. Tuners are not locking, but they stay in tune just fine. The action is great, easy chording and fast solos, a nice change from my old Les Paul. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've already gigged with this guitar quite a bit, without a backup. I'm saving up to purchase a backup, mostly because I use several alternate tunings, and even though our singer is good with the crowd, I hate having to change tunings after every couple songs. Everything on this guitar is rock solid, simple as that. I haven't used the stock strap buttons, so I can't comment on those. The finish is made to last, the hardware is made to last, and it's a very solid Singlecut body. // 10

Impression: My playing covers all sorts of territory, and this guitar is always right there with me. I've been playing for 6 years, and my first guitar was the aforementioned Epiphone Les Paul Custom. This guitar is better than the Epi in every category, at a better price. The gig bag that comes with it is one of the best I've seen, I've used it when I don't feel like lugging my hardshell, and it protects the guitar very well. The only thing wrong with this guitar is the scratchy tone pots, which can easily be fixed with some contact cleaner. I bought this guitar over the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul, Schecter C-1 Deluxe, and ESP EC-1000, and couldn't have made a better choice. This thing is the total package, and at this price (which is quickly rising because it has been discontinued), it can't be beat. // 10

Marcus Miller Bass

Features: These basses are made in Japan. It's got a 21 fret maple "C" shaped neck on a natural Ash body. it's modelled on Marcus Miller's own 70s Jazz Bass. It has a Badass II bridge & 2 band active EQ. Two Fender "Vintage" pickups. There is a volume for each pickup, as well as a mini toggle Switch to turn the active bass & treble controls on. The bass came in a gigbag with a small Fender cable. // 10

Sound: I play mainly Rock & Blues and this bass suits this style well! I run it through my Ashdown Eb12 and they sound great. With the EQ turned off, the bass has the typical Fender jazz bass sound. The neck pickup is warm & the bridge pickup can be blended in using the volumes to add some bite. With the EQ on, the bass becomes more textured. Adding more bass gives enough low end to shake the room, while adding treble gives the bass more clarity. I usually play with the Neck on full, bridge rolled off slightly, Treble about half and Bass 3/4 of the wayy up. This gives a very versatile sound which can appeal to a variety of players. Bassists Who prefer slap techniques would get on with this bass well! There was some fretbuzz at first, but a small truss rod adjustment soon fixed this. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The action as suplied was great, it was low enough to be easy to play, but high enough to not cause buzz and other unwanted problems. The Badass II bridge means the action & intonation can be adjusted really easily. The pickups were fine and I love their tone! At first I wasn't keen on the natural finish, but I've warmed to it and think it adds to the overall character! The only thing that sometimes gets annoying is the chrome pickup cover, it gets in the way if you prefer slap or playing with a pick. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I have gigged this bass for over a year now and I haven't had any problems with it at all! The hardware is great and I haven't had the need to replace anything! The strap buttons are solid enough but I always use locks just to be safe. I usually gig without a backup as I have never had any problems. I carry a spare battery for the preamp, but have only had to change it once. // 10

Impression: I play mainly rock (eg Led Zep, Free, Queen, ACDC, Whitesnake etc) and the tone is fantastic. I have been playing for 3 years now and this was my first "serious" bass. It took me a while to hunt one down, and I'm glad I found one eventually! I also have an Epiphone EB3 and an old P-Bass copy. If it was lost or stolen I would be gutted as I think it's a fantastic bass that's very adaptible for different genres. I also play a lot of blues, and this bass sounds great when using the neck pickup. My favourite feature is probably the active EQ and the natural finish. The neck is also very playable and smooth. I recommend this bass to anyone is looking for their first serious bass Who plays a variety of genrés and styles, they can be picked up quite cheap now and are definately worth the money! // 9