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If you're looking for an inexpensive guitar that will really wow you despite it's flaws, the Jay Turser guitars are a perfect fit. These guitars are so inexpensive and cutting edge that they have been unofficially labeled as the perfect starter guitar. But be warned. These guitars are made in high quantity and can let the experienced, live performer down. Let's take a closer look at the Turser line.
The Bottom of all Lines
When it comes to a Turser, they're like a gold mine. Sometimes you buy one that has a hefty payoff and sometimes you get a dud with nothing more than a nugget in the center. So bypassing all the fancy talk, here are some good, solid, well researched opinions on the entire Jay Turser line of guitars.
200RS Serpintine: This decent guitar has great sound, a bright tone but is not heavy duty for hard players. The finish could be improved.
301M QMT NH: This decent guitar sports 2 single coils, 1 humbucking pickup, one 5 way switch and one 3 way mini switch for the humbucking. 1 volume two-tone controls and looks awesome.
The 7 String: The Turser 7 String is an okay guitar for a starter but has it's limitations in sound quality.
Custlassf: This guitar is affordable and also a decent choice for beginners. Intermediate players may also benefit from it though it's just not professional material.
The California: This nice guitar has "Phantom" single coil pickups arranged in a strat style array with one volume control, one tone control, a 5-way switch and a coil tap switch. Its a good guitar to jam on though gigging it is not recommended as the sound quality isn't stage worthy.
The Cruiser: Though this guitar comes with a bright, open sound, the neck has been reputed to be muddy. For it's price, however, this is a cute guitar with some awesome features.
The Explorer: With only 22 frets, one tune o matic, a stop tailpiece, 2 volume controls and 1 tone knob, this guitar pumps out some pretty loud screams. Not bad on quality, very attractive despite finish flaws and a good price.
FSE 101: A great, affordable guitar with a warm, Les Paul sound to it. It's very lightweight so it's great for beginners or petite players. A great investment.
God Top Les Paul Style: Unfortunately, when you use a legend's name as a style or brand, you have your work cut out to be comparable. This guitar is inexpensive but nothing like a Les Paul. It has a reputation for having a shoddy finish and the knobs usually require being replaced.
Hawk 12: This is a pretty cool guitar that looks and sounds nice. It's a 24-fret solid body 12 string with 2 HB pickups with a coil tap switch for the SC series. A good, solid piece of equipment.
J900 Resonator: The Resonator is said to be a good guitar that looks nice and plays well but has some issues with reliability. Apparently they are a rather delicate guitar.
Jay JR: This is a thin, light and inexpensive acoustic guitar with some major sound quality.
JRD: The JRD is an inexpensive and very basic acoustic guitar with decent sound quality and nice range.
The JT Series: There are dozens of different JT models to choose from. They are not so versatile in their own right, and should be chosen wisely but when you do find one that suits the genre of music you're playing, the JT line is down right affordable and will give you more than you ask for. The JT 220, for example, is a mean little machine, lightweight and with great sound. The JT 300, on the other hand, has a thin, twangy sound, perfect for country. It's also affordable and looks alright with the usual Turser finish. If you're looking for a jazzy or funk sound, check out the JT 445 Stingray Style. It's got
1 Humbucker and two tone knobs. It's a great knock-off but watch out for the soft wood in the body.
Jazzmaster Copy: This is a great copy guitar with nice pickups. It's known for having a wide range of sound and good, rich tone. It's also very inexpensive and really stacks up against some of it's popular competition.
The John Lennon Copy: If you're a rhythm guitar player looking for a wide ranged, treble guitar, here's your baby. For a copy with a legend's name, this guitar actually holds it's own.
LP 200: 22 frets and 2 Humbucker pickups make up this mediocre guitar. It has really decent sound but could use some major improvements despite it's low price. Best suited for soft rockers.
Les Paul Standard Copy: Standard is the right word here. This guitar does not seem to stack up amongst reviewers and doesn't offer anything other than the usual Humbucker and shoddy knobs.
Lyrebird: A pretty decent guitar with a 3 way Fender-like switch, a volume and a resister type tone that when turned, engages a built in 3-way distortion and has 27 frets, a plus. Inexpensive and attractive, too.
The Mini Paul: This very lightweight model with a tune-o-matic bridge is quite impressive, especially for it's price, and will get you what you want from pop to rock.
The Monterey: The Monterey has a reputation for being a great jazz guitar. As usual, inexpensive but with a wide range of sound.
The Precision Bass Copy: If you're looking for a cheap bass to practice on or abuse, here is your guitar. It's got average sound, a pretty decent body and will do it's job.
RES 900: This hot guitar has it's own volume control for each pickup and a blend control. The usual Humbucker resides in the RES 900, which stands for resonator, by the way, which means that this guitar has some kick in it's tone length.
The SG Custom: This is a kickass axe that you can get for around $300 and has 22 gorgeous frets, two hummbuckers with two volume and tone knobs and a tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece. The tuners are a bit touchy and need to be worked in and warmed up for the right sound but overall, this is a great copy piece.
SG Style: The SG Style is a solid piece of equipment that can hold up to abuse, unlike other Tursers. It's bride is Tune-O-Matic with a stop tailpiece like the Custom. Tuners are non locking and stay in tune if you work the strings. It also comes with 2 Humbuckers and 2 tone and volume controls. Everything is chrome finished on the SG Style.
Shark Full: This awesome piece is a 25 1/2 scale with little tension! Smooth play, strong and crisp sound. All in all, a very good guitar for so little money.
Shark Travel: This fun, mini guitar will get the job done and is light and airy both in weight and sound. Great for the road and nice to practice on but definitely not for recording or stage play.
Slimmer: 22 frets, one volume and one tone control make up this average but fun guitar. Great, as usual, for the price and average in the ratings. Great for stage play on the road because they look great.
Stilette: The Stilette is a pretty solid machine but beware the bridge, which has been reported as rickety and the finish, which many Tursers do. The value, however, is impeccable and this particular model has been known to be great at coffee shop shows.
Jay Turser Strat Vintage: Great for jazz, blues and classic rock, this solid guitar is reputed as a great live player's guitar. They also have a great finish and look awesome.
Surfmaster: There's not much more to say than it's cheap, the pickups sound great and the finish is nice. The neck is also solid and comfortable and it makes for a great live piece.
Warlord V: This is an awesome guitar with a lightweight, good looking body, an oversized hex key pickup, tune-o-matic with stop tail, a three-way switch and a volume control. It's 22 medium jumbo frets with a great neck and awesome sound for it's price.
Wolfgang Style: The Wolfgang is a decent rocking machine. It comes with the standard Humbucker, 22 frets, the whole deal. It also looks nice, though has been known to have finish flaws.
Cuttlass Q: This is a great Gibson knock off with the standard one volume control, one tone control. It also, however, has a 3 position pickup selector with a stop tail and sound great straight out of the box.
What it all Means:
All in all, Turser stands for quality by producing quantity. Getting a righteous guitar with hot kicks and great sound and resonance is a hit or miss with a Turser but it's never really disappointing. The prices on the machines more than make up for the fact that they sometimes kill out quickly or arrive in less-than-recording-worthy condition. So if you're just starting out, need a guitar you can abuse, or want a decent knock off with an awesome price, Turser is the way to go.
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