John Petrucci's "cheap" guitar is AWFUL!
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- čas přidán 1. 11. 2022
- What the hell went wrong? Here's an honest look at the Sterling by Music Man JP100 John Petrucci Signature Electric Guitar. It's not good.
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when the guitar is so progressive its unplayable
Lol
Just like his songs
You spelled regressive wrong.
@@TheOriginalEUrban **McBain voice** THAT'S THE JOKE...
I don't know where to start with this comment. I am in tears and probably going to vomit because of how RIGHT it is. Danka.
Man, Glenn... the amount of weight you're consistently cutting is really noticeable now that your new videos are coming out since you've made it back from Europe.
To see a sudden change, rather than watching you every other or day or so, it really shows the work you've been putting in. I was a personal trainer for a little over a decade and I can tell you people can train like an animal in the gym and still never have the will power to dial in their eating habits.
You're killing it, Brother. Great work!
People often wonder what thin people do all day to be thin. We think about how we can't eat any food while drinking black coffee
@Forested Litost I'm referring to thin/skinny as lower bodyfat not talking about all the extremely unhealthly skelly men
@Forested Litost anyone who is a skelly man and isn't dying of a wasting disease is just not eating enough calories everyday
@@Anouyz you literally just need to not take in more calories than you burn
I own the same model and I thought I was very unlucky to get a faulty one until I watched this video. The 1st string, just like how it was in this video, would just bounce off so easily. You can never do vibratos or string bends with this guitar.
I used it for few times and now it's been sitting in the corner of my room as a decoration.
Wow. I think we should start "I Bought A Shitty Guitar Anonymous". I did the same thing :D
You can still do vibratos and bends when your guitar has this problem, you just can't vibrato as fast because you can only push up, and you have to practice a different technique to do it.
@@Marklar3 It sucks to pick and choose what you can do with an instrument. You spent hard earned money only to be sold a lie. That guitar has John Petrucci's name on it. Many people bought it because of his backing. Glenn makes the same point with the Mustaine V. Your money should not go toward settling for "if's" and "whatever's".
This was my EXACT PROBLEM with my Harley Benton Amarok I ordered. I had to get a new nut, only to find out the entire guitar was warped, and it wasn't a problem with the nut...
@@goodchildmusic0 I agree that this guitar shouldn't have this problem, but as far as guitar problems go, it's not the end of the world.
However, I made a mistake in my last comment. You can't do a vibrato pulling upward on the high string on normal guitars either, so it doesn't actually change what you can do.
Damn it, Glenn, it's not out of tune. It's MICROTONAL!
The tuning has progressed. That's how progressive it is.
🤣🍻
haha priceless 👏
I do enjoy some of the sterling stuff but QC has been questionable. Got the Jared Dines signature and really enjoy it. But after $700 and waiting forever to get it, the bridge pickup didn’t work. Wiring wasn’t finished being connected. Easy enough to fix if you know how to solder. But how the hell did it get out of the factory without the electronics working?
Edit: I do want to mention that the folks at Sterling were very helpful and offered to ship it back for repairs to pay for repairs at an authorized repair place. But also told me if I wanted to fix it myself it wouldn’t affect warranty in any way. And then they sent me wiring diagrams. So good on them for being helpful. But someone sure missed that one in the inspection
Best way they could’ve gone about it, sick company
@@karkitty202 they really are. My ebmm cutlass didn't come with a trem bar and they sent me one that matched the pickguard (the guy I talked to wanted to be ABSOLUTELY sure it was the right color). I got it super fast
I worked as a tech for Guitar Center, the Sterling Petrucci's were very hit or miss. Many of the Sterling Stingray basses had QC issues also. I almost bought a 7 string model that was magic but for the price (I don't think these are "bargains" anymore) you should expect higher QC standards... maybe they are trying to have some of that Gibson authentic vibe!
@t3hgir, Do you happen to remember whether those were made by Cort Indonesia and/or someone else? Just to keep up with how different builders are doing
@@haveagoodone5830 hmm I believe they were all Indonesian, which is surprising to me because I've usually encountered great QC on cheaper Indonesion guitars from Ibanez and Jackson...
@@t3hgir Made in Indonesia LTDs kick ass I can say from experience. I have all different ones.
Gotta have that Gibson Charm bro :-P lol!!!
@@topfloorstudio2684 I have a recent indo made Jackson 8 string and ibanez RG (standard not premium/prestige) and the necks are flawless on them, wonderful instruments for the price
This is why I always prefer to try the guitars I buy at a local music shop. I’ve never had a problem with musicman because I’ve always been able to try them beforehand and it seems my guitar store has much higher quality control than the brands they stock. Which is sad. I’ve heard many a story of the poor staff having to send back guitars from premium brands because the products are unacceptable for consumers. This is why you should always support your local music store.
Sweetwater 55-point inspection.
For sure
Sweetwater recently started carrying SbMM, but they used to carry them before. Word is they stopped carrying them because they had so many major QC issues and they told them they wouldn't carry them until they got their act together (Gibson probably started sweating). Would be interested to see a fearless review of a new model to see how it stacks up given SW was comfortable enough to start offering them again.
That really is a shame. I’ve been considering getting one of the Axis models, cos they’re the closest, cheapest thing I can find to a Wolfgang, but I really don’t want to deal with these headaches.
@@JohnConnasRealFatha Just get it at a guitar shop so you can easily walk back in and say - take your piece of shit back and give me another guitar. When it's online, it's a pain to do swaps.
@@JohnConnasRealFatha Like Eddy said, get it someplace where you can put hands on it or someplace online like Sweetwater who has a rock solid return policy. I think the fact that SW started carrying them again is a good sign, but either way, they're like all other guitars where theres good ones and bad ones, its just the odds of which youll get that varies.
@@Andrew_182 That is a good idea, and yeah you are right. It’s not necessarily a worry about getting a bad one, it’s more about the quality control overall, cos I’ve played a lot of bad sterlings in music shops. The personal experience combined with reading that just adds to the worry. I’ll stay hopeful and look around though!
@@SenseiKreese the fact anyone would take it home from the shop in the first place has me raising eyebrows lol.
If I have to hear you say "treMOLO" one more time I swear to god I'm gonna come up there and liberate all your oil
Remember if you’re going to replace the stock nut with a pre slotted one, the radius and string spacing on the pre slotted one has to be identical to the stock. If you replace it with one that has the wrong radius and string spacing, that’s going to cause even more issues. Looks like the Sterling JP’s use a 16” radius (and I can’t find the string spacing).
Glad you made this Glenn. I got a Sterling Jp157 a few months ago and have been fighting these same issues since. I’ve tried a tremel-no and blocking the trem and still have the same tuning issues. I’m glad I’m not the only one struggling with it. I thought I was just missing something or not being used to a trem
The MF who’s glad other people got scammed too…
Check your tuners. I had a problem with the 7 string version of this guitar. The tuners were slipping with trem or bends and there was no way to fix it. Absolutely god awful tuners.
I think that guitar has a bolt-on neck, so there's one more thing you can try to fix the e string being to close to the edge. Loosen the neck bolts (of course with strings loosened, or gone completely) and try to rotate the neck downwards a little bit, and then tighten the screws again. That helped me with the exact same issue in a telecaster I once had.
Yep, anytime I've had to take a neck off or adjust for string alignment - quickly string up 1 and 6 (low and high Es), apply a just enough tension to make them straight and then tighten down the bolts after minor neck movement.
It's incredible that modern CNC made guitars still have loose neck pockets
@@aniquinstark4347 Yup. But again, two separate types of wood
@@bayougtr yeah exactly. Also wouldn't be surprised if the body or neck wood hasn't been dried properly and they live a little. Indonesian and Chinese guitar companies have been cutting corners a lot during covid times.
Rotating the neck downwards would make the problem worse.
Not only a badly cut nut, but also, if the fret ends are filed in too far into the fretboard, the strings will also slide off the fretboard. That could also be part of the problem. Check the fret ends
not necesarely badly cut, but the new nut may not be cut for the string gauge used, and that ends up catching instead of letting the string slide.. a nut always has to be filed for the gauge used
Or he's playing with 9s, on top of him being a bit of a newb playing "leads". Not uncommon for people to pull the high e off the board with 9s
I have the same problem with a fender telecaster I bought.
As someone who owned that exact guitar, I can say that, I too, had those problems. I swapped the stock pick ups out for his signature Liquifure & Crunch Lab. When I used the tremolo it would always knock the guitar out of tune.
Did you have a floating bridge set up? Noobs never set up a floating properly
@@BorisBidjanSaberi11 I did. But that was a few years ago now. She's long gone. Sold it to make room for the Jackson Rhoads RRT-3
@@BorisBidjanSaberi11 Glenn demonstrated bending the low E and the whole trem would follow up and then go out of tune. That's either a matter of weak springs or bad setup. Also that guitar costs a little over 1k new and at this price point you'd expect a guitar to be next to flawless coming from factory.
@@NorgGrimm exactly. I can't understand people saying fix that or change this, people paid for a new guitar, why should people need to fix something on it? It's amazing how dumb people have become, defending a brand or a rich artist ripping them off just because they like the brand or the artist. 🥸
That’s why it should have a nut locking system!!
I had the same problem on a guitar with the high E being pushed off the fretboard easily. For me it was a neck misalignment causing the problem. Loosening the neck and moving it downwards a bit (down as in playing position) fixed this problem for me. I need to note that the low E had quite some more space than the high E string initially. Worth looking into this maybe.
*edit* Have to move the neck downwards, upwards obviously makes it worse.
I had the same issue, except my guitar was a neck thru... fml.
Sometimes it's the neck alignment. You can loosen the neck screws and then pull the neck whichever direction you need, (use the marker dots in the middle of the fretboard as a gage), and hold it while you tighten the neck screws back down. I've had luck doing this method.
What a stark difference. I had a JPM 7 string sterling and that was hands down one of the best guitars I’ve ever played. Guess it is a guitar to guitar experience.
With modern manufacturing techniques, it 100% shouldn't be a guitar to guitar experience. Especially not such a drastic difference
I got the EB music man majesty 7 hydrospace and it’s fucking incredible
or maybe he shouldn't rant about a used guitar with a tremolo with knifes....
Who says that the previous person didn't handle it wrong. Those knifes from 2.poimt trems can easily break when. a beginner is doing things wrong.
I bet my behind that this happened here.
@@musicman0423 tbf that’s also like a 5000$ guitar it should be incredible
Isn’t the model you’re talking about likr 2-3x the price of this thing ?
I'm pretty surprised that you had such problems with this Sterling but you showed what you were talking about. My few experiences with Sterlings have been pretty good but they've also been the higher end of the Sterling line, but that's also a pretty small sample size.
I own a Sterling Stingray axe (beautiful guitar) but I also get trem system issues where it will not come back in tune after the most basic trem bar moves. Fortunately, first string is okay. Is the trem system even fixable?
Always appreciate the no holds barred honest reviews. Thank you!
As far as the string being too close to the end of the fret board there is a solution. Fairly easy. I had this issue with a brand new Fender Player Strat earlier this year. Just loosen (do not remove) the screws that hold the neck in place now you should be able to shift the neck slightly so that string is in it's proper place. Retighten the screws and that should fix that issue.
I am still rocking the original OLP Petrucci signature guitar I bought in 2005. Fucking love that guitar. Its so smooth and playable. Years later around 2013 I went to try out the $600 Sterling version they made and hated it and didn’t buy it. Wonder if these QC issues go back that far
That's a real shame. The Musicman licenced OLP line was solid. I still have the Stingray bass that I traded some junky guitar for, and had a MM1F w/genuine floyd that had rock solid tuning. Unfortunately, the cut of the pickup route meant I couldn't upgrade the pickups with the dimarzios I had lying around so it had to go.
man i was so looking forward to get one of these. guess i'll wait on that. also, tried out the free IR and im LOVING it. been jamming out with it and im coming up with riffs faster than i ever have before. much love
Try the JP Majesty out. I had one and it was the best guitar I’ve played. I sold it and went full Music Man.
You could also try slightly loosening the neck bolts, tilt the neck to the bass side and tighten them back up, its a compromise, it will bring the bass string closer to the edge of the board.
I second this.
the high e coming off the fretboard plagues the EBMM stuff sometimes too. They have really narrow fretboards but the issue is more the past few years they've been over beveling the fret ends, especially on the axis. Between that and the prices going nuclear the value isn't there in the EBMM stuff anymore which is a shame because they used to be the best mass produced guitars.
So I had the 7 string version of this and had HORRIBLE tuning stability issues. For my guitar, I finally figured out it was the tuning heads that were slipping. It was maddening.
GLLLEEEENNNN! Great review!
Can you please do a review on the Sterling JP60?
That string issue will be Gibson's new feature
😂😂😂
I've got an old Sterling JP50 from 2007 that I bought used for about 250 bucks and it's just amazing. And every Sterling I've tried in a guitar store plays just fine. Maybe it's just your individual guitar or something wrong with that particular batch of guitars
I needed this review. Been staring at this thing for weeks wondering if I should pull the trigger. Also, Glenn, have you ever featured the 1960BV IRs you made on the channel? I’ve been trying to find an example where you’ve used it on the channel but haven’t came across it yet.
It really is. Bought one through thomman last year, returned it 4 days later. Was awfully shielded (i had to stay 5 meters away from my PC to even record something without buzz, all my other guitars have no issues with that) but the most infuriating thing was that they badly cut the string saddles on the nut, while the nut itself would stick out on the high e side by 3 mm (so you'd hurt your hand everytime you had to go back down on the first two frets to play).
If that wasn't enough to compensate, whoever fucked that up, had to cut the space between the d and the g strings with an increment of 2.5mm, making it really difficult to play fast runs and some chords.
I can guarantee you all, 2.5mm sounds like nothing but it's a huge gap (and i noticed immediately but i still wanted to give the guitar a go since I'm a real big JP fan but i can't afford paying 4.5k euro for a proper music man JP).
Wrote back to music man to report the issue, never heard anything back from them.
I also wanted to point out, mine was a sterling by music man majesty 7 string (the red one, there's also a purple colored one) which i paid 1.6k eu for it. So not some cheap 300 dollars eb mm replicas.
Oh ok. You had a similar situation with mine, aside the fact it wasn't on the high e but as i said, the space between the d and g strings being wider by 2.5mm compared to the other strings.
I was looking at one of these when I got my last guitar in early pre pandemic 2020. They steered me towards a Indonesian made Jackson. Instead I bought another Korean PRS SE. They said if you want a Petrucci, save for a USED Ernie Ball USA made one. Far better value in that.
Hey a buddy of mine is friends with Lords of the Trident! I met one of their members one night when he came to visit my friend in Washington State. Really cool to see you rocking their merch.
Informative video. I'd like to see you do G&L Fullerton or Tribute line
When I look at a guitar like this, I think to myself that it's really a canvas upon which to build. If I saw one used for cheap, I would probably snag it and just start working on it. I like to tinker. It's amazing how good a shit guitar can become with just a little bit of cash and a spare Saturday.
The biggest difference is the neck shape and materials. Everything else you can replace easy. Now if you could get an offiicial EBMM neck it would take it to the next level.
I have to say the same thing about Mexican-made EVH Specials. The one I had was badly set up and the neck was not set correctly in relation to the strings (the low E was too close to the edge of the fretboard) and the electrics were a bit dodge. I then bought an older Japanese-made one and it was perfect. I've heard the same thing said about the older Chinese-made ones.
It's the same with Chapman guitars, and loads of other budget makes. QC is almost non-existent. You might get lucky but more than likely not. The factories don't bother and either they're using cheap-ass distributors or the shops don't give a damn about quality checks (despite what they say). These shops and distributors will happily exchange you a shite example for another one, but you're losing out on time, money and effort travelling and shipping this stuff around. I once had to exchange a Chapman twice before I got an acceptable example. I've also owned 3 brand new Chapmans and not one of them was without issues.
Cheaper brands CAN be great but it's a lottery as to whether that will be the reality.
"you get what you accept"
Willis J. Willoughby, Jr.
Your chops have really improved man, nice work and keep it up.
I got a JP100 from 8 years ago and it's been amazing! I hate to see QC go down the drain
Cool new Squier Bullet Strat man
This sounds very similar to my beloved Ibanez RG350 I used early on in my guitar playing carreer. It was fantastic when it was new, but it was still a low-end guitar and eventually could not take the abuse I gave it over the course of 2-3 years (and I admit I was REALLY hard on the trem in particular). Main problem it developed was that after pushing the whammy bar down, I would have to actually pull it back up to make sure it returned to its proper position to put it back in tune. I could even feel a "click" when this occured. The knife edges and corresponding posts had just become run down to the point of not working properly and it was not worth the money to fix.
The most common issue with this type of guitars are bridge pivots that are loose inside of the bushings and this will cause tuning instability. I recommend replacing them. Regarding the misaligned strings you can loose the neck bolts and just reposition the neck inside of the body.
You'd think a guy that bashes Gibson so much would be used to a little tuning instability
I bought the Sterling Majesty as a backup and it's fantastic. Haven't tried the JPs but I've had no issues with mine. I was so surprised with how well it played I wasn't even planning on buying one but sat down with it for about an hour and bought it impulsively. I'm posting a video of it on my other channel soon but maybe I'm lucky
Yeah I absolutely adore mine. Must be a quality control thing
My friend, Majesty is their collab with JP
@@upthewolfs2347 Lol. I've owned pretty much every JP. JP models are different from Majesty.
I had the same instability issues with my Sterling Majesty. No trem issue or nut issue though.I'd recommend doing a 9-50 gauge set on them. For some reason it seems to fix the stability. My Music Man Majesty has absolutely no tuning issues, and it sounds and plays great.
OK, this is wild. I bought one of these used a month ago, and just got rid of it a week ago. I loved everything about it, the playability (mostly), the sound is awesome, even the way it looks. BUUUUUT I had the exact same issue with the high E jumping off of the fretboard. Maybe we just aren't worthy.
Edit to add - I came to the same conclusion, the bridge is about a mm too wide.
2nd Edit to add - I was able to get the tuning fairly stable on mine with a 4th spring, but it will never match a floyd.
Change nut, fixed.
Something I do on every guitar anyway. Get a grafftech one
@@chaosclg so I buy a new guitar, and I have to fix some things, on a new guitar? That's just stupid.
@@lolkom77 I don't really see it as having to fix it, I'm sure with light technique and raising the string height you could offset the issue as it is but it's the lowest range jp guitar so to me low range always means new nut, tuners and probably pickups and rarely a bridge, just to have that top level hardware. Id normally buy a cheaper model for that purpose purely but each to their own.
I do understand your point though man it should play out of the box
For better tuning stability try to set the tremolo only for dive so that i doesn't float. Concerning the high e string, if the neck is bolt on, you may try to unscrew and then screw it again in order to sit straight in the neck pocket. Along with a full setup I hope you will have a better playability overall.
Crazy how many issues that one has. I had a Sterling JP60 and currently have the JP150, and they are FANTASTIC guitars (especially at the stupid cheap pawn shop prices I got them for). The biggest issue I had was strings sticking in the nut during trem use, but a TUSQ nut fixed that. I can go nuts on the trem as if it was a Floyd and everything comes back into tune. The high E looks to be about 3.5mm away from the edge of the fretboard on my JP150 which seems to be on par with my other guitars, so that issue you have seems to be fixed too. No wonder they discontinued that JP100.
Lubrication helps with vibrato bridges which use bearings (Kahler, for example) for sure, but I’m not convinced it’s going to do much on a knife edge design.
I have an Ibanez which used to have similar tuning issues, the bridge is a decent piece of kit but the guitar was about 20 years old when I got it and had been heavily used. The knife edges and posts had been considerably worn. I worked on the knife edges carefully with a small file and turned the posts slightly so the knife edges were bearing on a different part. After that it was fine.
I’m guessing the knife edges and posts on this guitar don’t fit together very well and/or the metal is too soft so the components wear out rapidly.
I know you mean knife edges on the fret wear, but what do you mean by posts not fitting the knife edges?
@@wheelzr57 I'm not talking about frets at all, I'm talking about the vibrato bridge (or 'tremolo' as it's often called) with this sort of design there are two height adjustable posts set into the body, the bridge is pulled against these posts by the string tension, which is countered by the springs on the back of the guitar. The area of the bridge which is up against the posts is sharpened a bit like a knife edge - hence the name - although not as sharp as that obviously, this is so that there is only a small contact area to reduce the amount of friction.
If there's too much friction or too much of a flat spot or something like that, the bridge might not spring back to exactly the same place each time the bar is used or a string is bent, causing tuning issues like the guitar in the video.
@@ollimoore thanks I have a Parker Nitefly from ‘99 and it has two set screws for this purpose. I’ve never had issues like Glen saw but I suspect it’s because I’ve never let it go too far out of sync. Glen’s also might be from a misaligned neck, would explain the weird stickiness on the neck.
Probably magnesium!!
Those are called saddles !!
On an unrelated note, I don’t know if you’re still on keto, but you’re looking healthier! Keep rocking 🤘🏾
Still doing Keto!
I just had the same issue with a guitar a few days ago. I filed the nut slots to make sure the strings weren't binding but it ended up being the Wilkinson bridge on it. The metal alloy that it's made of is so soft that after 7 or 8 years it's worn down the knife edges and the baseplate itself is warped.
I'm going to replace it with a 2 point trem from Next Gen Guitars (near Ottawa but they ship and have tons of guitar and amp parts). I used the same one on a kit build a while ago and it's been rock solid. If you're thinking about replacing that bridge for a follow up video, definitely check them out.
Hey Glenn, double check the nut slots to make sure the strings are not binding. I know you have a new nut but that could still be causing the issue if the nut slots are slightly undercut.
A student of mine used to have one of these and it was one of the best guitars I'd ever played. Sounded and felt as good as my custom kiesel.
Same!! He just got a lemon lol
Just goes to show how much things can vary, instrument to instrument.
damn those took a massive nose dive quality wise in that case. i had a roughly 2010 SbMM JP50, cost like 500 bucks and was an absolutely amazing guitar.
Yeah the sterling jp150 and 157 (7 string model) are way better for some reason.
Love your honest take on this one! You really gotta review Fender’s limited edition player Strats in neon green and Ferrari red!! They have this nasty tendency to buzz when you play the middle strings open!
This video breaks my heart. I love musicman instruments. I own a couple basses and a few musicman guitars but I always wondered about the sterling line. On one hand I like that they were attempting to make something more economical but on the other I worried about what they were compromising to achieve that price point. Particularly, I have two Ernie ball majesty guitars and I love love love them. The features including active and piezo pickups are great. The boost switch and the controls that allow you to mix the piezo etc are so nice. The coil splitter is great too. I took some time to setup the bridge etc so I have 0 issues with tuning stability on both my 6 and 7 string majesty’s.
Great review and very eye opening about the quality of that line. I’m relieved I didn’t take the plunge and grab one just to save a buck. The jp guitars are expensive but also loved by many but if you’re thinking of going with a sterling there are so many feet options for great guitars at a similar price point. I’ve owned many Ibanez guitars that are less money than sterlings and sound amazing, play well and hold up over time.
Thanks again glen, I always wondered what you’d think of the Ernie ball guitars, I’m just disappointed it was this one.
The majority of Sterling guitars are going to come set up well, particularly in comparison to other similarly priced guitars. Buy from a non-big-box dealer who sends back junk inventory.
I tried one of these at my local guitar store and the 1st string had that exact same issue. In this price range, a PRS SE or a Schecter is the far better play. Probably Harley Benton as well but I haven’t played those myself. Seen plenty of good cheap PRS and Schecters, though.
*LTD*
I’ve never even seen a Harley Benton in a store.. Played a Cort guitar it was pretty damn nice!! Played a Gretch for the first time sounded awesome was great for heavy rhythms!! Big ole fat guitar with the elevated pick guard.. I’m finding out less gain gives a little more crunch!! Jackson also seems to be having trouble with QC ever since they got bought by Fender. Once upon a time the only way to obtain Jackson’s and ESP’s was through a catalogue!!
The Ibanez Universe I just got is absolutely perfect except the washer under the first string tuning peg . Just needed to be tightened a little.. Jems and Universe have the most flutter happy tremolos and they are so low profile you can palm mute without the bridge interfering and modulating the notes..
Hi Glenn, even on the MusicMan model, le E string is close from de the bottom of the neck, it's how the guitar is designed. Whether it's live or in the studio, it's never been a problem for me, maybe it's just a matter of habit.
I have the same with my JP150. The tuning stability is a little better once the strings are properly stretched out, but maybe only about 20% and that's after about an HOUR of stretch-retune-stretch-retune-repeat. And the nut is exactly the same as you describe.
Regarding lubrication, FYI on a floating trem, the knife edge/post pivot point is almost never problematic. It's actually the saddles where the string usually gets hung up. In addition to adding a little lube between each string/saddle, it's also good to make sure there are no small burrs on the saddle itself, as well as the edge of the hole in the base plate (and it's actually usually the latter that is the issue, as most people don't even look there).
Hope that helps.
Thanks for this Glenn I was going to buy one,
Should I get a harley benton instead?
Get ready for butthurt DreamTheater fan boys
More like nightmare cinema
dude you cant play stop
why dont we see you playing?
Check the neck joint. If the low E is far from the edge and there is a bit of a gap, you can reangle the neck. That may help fix the problem with the high E.
Tonewood every time you mention that it cracks me up because dream theater’s bass player has two different tone woods on his base necks between the lower and high side and I was just rolling when he was saying how The tones were so different between the two woods.
I've noticed that the 6 string ones don't exactly do it for me, but the 7 string ones are fantastic! Looks like I'm not getting a 6 string one any time soon
I know you would probably hate doing a review of a 9 string, but I’d love to see your thoughts on the Lucas Mann signature Legator LM9, or more in the 7 string category, Charles Caswell’s CC-7
I did an A/B test on Sound Cloud that I was asked to remove of their Sterling Bass compared to a Music Man, surprise surprise the Sterling sounded nothing like the Ernie, and I was told to remove because the factories were using the same materials, just the MM was supposed to be a little easier to play
Can you review the Yamaha Revstar Rs320?
I own this guitar and it's my first ever electric, I just want to know what you think and why, and ways to improve the playability.
I've got some locking tuners off ebay so tuning is improved kinda.
please review the Jason Richardson sterling. i was thinking about getting it but now im in question of sterling.
You need to remove the sharp inside edges of the through body string ferrules underneath the bridge plate and the bottom of the saddles. When you bend the strings, the windings on the heavier strings will snag on the sharp edges and cause the problems you are having, as well as leading to premature string breakage. Changing the nut [as you did] is a good idea as well, but if you dislike the 1st string being too close to the edge, you'll just have to cut your own nut to compensate. When you do all of this the guitar will be as good as [or even better] than you had hoped it for. {18 years certified Luthier}
Agreed. I have 6 different Sterling/JP models over the last few years. NONE of them was a stinker. Did I have to do a couple of mods, like you mentioned above? Absolutely. I have always either purchased them with the Liquifire/Crunch Lab pickups or I installed them myself. After modding these, they played as good as any other guitar I have. I love Glenn's videos, but I find myself disagreeing more often lately than previously. But, at the end of the day, it is up to each person to judge, after all, it is very subjective and you as the player are the final say.
I picked up a project guitar off of the buy and sell and it had a problem with the string falling off the side of the fingerboard. It ended up requiring a neck pocket shim to move the neck over which brought the strings into the correct alignment. Replacing the nut (Gotoh Locking nut) and the bridge also helped. But yeah, it takes a bit more of a set up to get the strings aligned correctly, moreso when dealing with a locking trem system. Sometimes it takes some work to get a guitar to play acceptably well... Some guitars are worth it. Others are not.
What do you suspect is the cause of the tuning issues? Material? Locking tuners not so locked?
i recently looked at some new sterlings on sweetwater and at first glance you can still see the little E string waaaaaay over toward the edge of the fretboard. i know im picky .... but then i come across this video. thank you. now i wont doubt my old eyes so much lol.
Ty for sharing. I totally relate to the frustration. I'm constantly fighting my guitar. An Ibanez.
Cool Glen just gave us a learning curve in futur guitar purchases on what to keep a eye out for😎
hey what tuner is that ive been lookin and i dont wanna just buy big brand or best price i actually wan a good tuner rec from honest ppl
As much as I love my JP7, I've had all of these same issues. I've learned to manage them by never touching the trem, and not pulling on the high E at all. I also think that the lower horn doesn't have a big enough gap. I keep banging my knuckles on it when I try to play the upper frets. Regardless, this guitar will be retired as soon as I get my Kiesel.
Have only ever heard/read good reviews on these, thanks for the honest review Glen. I'll stick with my EBMM JP's and Ibanez JPM100 P2 lol.
Same issue with the HB Fusion 3 tremolo, the knifes and pole pieces do not play well together, so the bridge can get stuck in 2 angles instead of returning to one.
Had to pull mine all the way back via the springs to make it stable.
The only way this can be fixed is by getting a propper tremolo with the same 2 point spacing, like a vegatrem, FR or even a cheaper alternative.
Another option is blocking the pull direction, but that kinda defeats the idea of having a 2 point floating trem.
If one can get one of those MM’s cheap enough it might be worth it, although there still might be the issue with the high E string, which more looks like that the neck should have been slightly wider, since f-spacing is a standard, no idea if there is any trem with a narrower string spacing that would work.
Amateur guitar builder here: I think the issue with the first string is the angle of the fret ends ... if they are not around 35 degrees and have been filed too shallow then you fall off the ends when playing (done it myself once). As for the trem - think I'd just block it off and take tuning stability over whammy bar action.
Huh mine is my favorite guitar of all time. I've had esp, schecters, everything. Sold them all and keep my sterling. Is it possible it's a quality control thing? Maybe different models?
Do you think a company’s budget line quality says anything about their higher end quality? Thanks, Glenn great video!
I had a MIM Fender Powerhouse Strat with the same string spacing problem, I replaced the "vintage" trem bridge to a Wilkinson replacement. Didn't have to replace the nut in the end...
Usually a matter of slightly loosening the neck bolts a little bit, pulling/pushing the neck (in this case pull it up towards the bass side with one hand while pushing against the lower horn), and then tightening the bolts again.
Same problem with Sterling STV60. Thanks for pointing this out. It's a $200 guitar with $400 design fee. I love the look of my STV60. I sure replaced saddle with roller saddle and living and coping with 1st string jump.
Man that bites. I had a Sterling Majesty X and ran into zero problems. It played so much better and stayed in tune better than my Les Paul which cost twice as much. It’s too damn bad this model was so worthless because I really like Ernie Ball as a company. I hope you can give Sterling or Music Man another chance. Thanks Glenn!
The start of a new video series! Reviewing/Roasting signature guitars. Started with the Dave Mustaine Gibson V i guess. But keep it going Glenn!
Hmm... you might be onto something!
Replacing the nut was a good move but you should also try adjusting the neck alignment. Loosening the neck bolts and shifting the neck to the side a hair may get your strings in perfect alignment. I've had to do it only once but it worked.
Glenn has had lots better luck than I have, but this kind of thing is typical of my experience with every import guitar I've owned. This kind of thing is why now, I have zero issues with paying $3000 for a made in USA Music Man guitar and won't consider buying a low priced import.
can you review the jason richardson sterling? I've been saving up to buy one, but it's going to ship from a far so I can't check them out.
I've actually bought a full-fledged Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty 7 a while back, and I enjoyed it quite a bit...until the problems started that is. First, the piezo on the A-string started cutting out and after being in service for around three weeks, it came back to me not making any sound at all. Turns out the processor blew as well (or after the first error idk). Gladly, I was able to return it and get a Fender HSS Strat instead and that thing is just amazing!
Moral of the story: Money doesn't buy you good qc...
I have the exact same thing happen to my first string on my JP70, I just thought the nut was cut incorrectly as well. I had a lot of tuning issues with the bridge as well, once I blocked off the bridge it stays in tune pretty damn well now.
I recently purchased this guitar and noticed the first string easily fretting out near the 12th fret. Thought I was going crazy. Thanks for your review.
What’s funny is the sterling I ordered didn’t come with the trem arm either! The truss rod was frozen too! It lasted one night. Sent it back the next day…
I had a JP60, it had the exact same problem with the high E wanting to fall off the fretboard. It's not the only guitar I've had this problem with but, the necks on these are not very wide, so there's not a whole lot of real estate at each edge of the neck. It's something you can adapt to. I had a charvel that did the same, just takes getting used to. On the pronunciation of 'tremolo', it's pronounced 'vibrato'. Because that's what it is. It's not a tremolo system, it's a vibrato system.
I have the same problem with my harley benton fusion ii, the nut slot for the high E string is cut too close to the ede. It looks exactly the same as the nut on that sterling. I contacted harley benton about it, but they said it was fine and they wouldn't do anything about it. Great customer service.
I love this channel the world needs this information so we don’t get screwed
I bought the Sterling JP Majesty recently and it's the best guitar I've ever played. It has improved my playing and just feels fast and smooth. Haven't touched my PRS in months. ✌️🎸
Yeah it's a great guitar. Don't mind him, he buys 2nd hand guitar not knowing how to set it up and just post clickbait rants