Anyone have an Eart guitar?

[Chromatizm]

This is a Richlite fingerboard with stainless steel frets, show them this picture to compare.

Exactly what I expect from $2k guitar. Thank you for showing this, I think I need to post to their Facebook.. No matter if Ola will try to help, I'm not asking - but let's assume he doesn't know about the QC issues and needs a heads-up!

 

[Chromatizm]

Guys, I am very sorry, I really don't have anything I can use for measuring a weight of the guitar, including bathroom scale. I'm trying to find creative ways to measure it, like making a basic weights like in the image below , using FM3 or MacBook to compare, but didn't build it yet. Will ask my kids to help me, they are smarter than me!

 

[Dimi Guitar]

I know that. I politely asked him to weigh his guitar. But yes, all guitars vary quite a bit.

On another forum, someone told me his weighed 6.5 pounds, so it would be nice to get another measurement to see how much the weight actually differed.

Oh, sure. I just wonder how much can be induced from him weighting his specific guitar, at least in terms of considering purchasing this model.

With way more expensive guitars, on average, at least in my experience, there's less of a tolerance in terms of how much weight differs. Seen bigger variations elsewhere, on average, including the Harley Benton fusions.

I'm interested in these Eart headless. Haven't had a headless before. But I really don't want a boat anchor.

And judging by what people are saying, I believe the weight difference between different examples of this model are considerable. Meaning numbers are likely to be all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if one has a very light example of the model, but that the chances of us getting a comparable one are small.

I may drop Eart a message to ask more about this.

 

[Andy Eagle]

Oh, sure. I just wonder how much can be induced from him weighting his specific guitar, at least in terms of considering purchasing this model.

With way more expensive guitars, on average, at least in my experience, there's less of a tolerance in terms of how much weight differs. Seen bigger variations elsewhere, on average, including the Harley Benton fusions.

I'm interested in these Eart headless. Haven't had a headless before. But I really don't want a boat anchor.

And judging by what people are saying, I believe the weight difference between different examples of this model are considerable. Meaning numbers are likely to be all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if one has a very light example of the model, but that the chances of us getting a comparable one are small.

I may drop Eart a message to ask more about this.

No manufacturers will ever state a weight for a solid body as part of the speck. Some state ballpark weights on weight relieved models but even Strats run 6.5LB to about 10LB.

 

[Dimi Guitar]

No manufacturers will ever state a weight for a solid body as part of the speck. Some state ballpark weights on weight relieved models but even Strats run 6.5LB to about 10LB.

Would you say weight tends to be more consistent on more expensive instruments? Irrespective of whether a claim about weight by the company itself is made or not. There can be exceptions, but on average.

 

[OrganicZed]

This video came across my YouTube feed tonight and I thought it (and the subsequent teardown video) did a good job of showing what the quality is like. I wish other people's reviews were as detailed as this.

 

[fuzzydude]

This video came across my YouTube feed tonight and I thought it (and the subsequent teardown video) did a good job of showing what the quality is like. I wish other people's reviews were as detailed as this.

I've only seen the first video. I definitely would've returned the first guitar in the video if the fretwork wasn't finished. Not sure why anyone would be so careless as to order directly from China. What's the plan on returning it if there's a problem? The second guitar, I wouldn't have whined so much about if the neck was perfect. Those were either easy fixes or could be easily ignored for such a bargain of a guitar. To expect the same cosmetic quality as a guitar costing 6 times as much is ridiculous. My take is, it's his first guitar review and he's already pandering for the big-names to sponsor him by diminutizing the value competitor.

 

[sprint]

This video came across my YouTube feed tonight and I thought it (and the subsequent teardown video) did a good job of showing what the quality is like. I wish other people's reviews were as detailed as this.

Great! - I liked it as this guy does not do the "for the money it's great" type review which is so common and basically tells the viewer nothing given the "for the money" qualification - we all know they cheap'd out somewhere, but where? - this guy just tore it down (2nd vid) and called out everything he saw in some detail - wish more would do that - let me figure out the "for the money, it's ??" part.

 

[Dimi Guitar]

This video came across my YouTube feed tonight and I thought it (and the subsequent teardown video) did a good job of showing what the quality is like. I wish other people's reviews were as detailed as this.

The second video was a great review.

I'm glad he showed the frets. While not too bad, I doubt this guitar had a proper fret level at the factory. Maybe how the upper part of rounded fret ends remain as "perfect"? You can work that back after a fret level, but depending on how much comes off, it'll require time.

But these are results I believe you can have, provided a good fret pressing technique, accurately sanded fretboard and its material not being too soft (which, at least in my experience, all other things being equal, will mean some frets will seat considerably lower than others)... And get a good action for many people.

Maybe this is part of how some talk of "perfect fretwork". Sure, if the frets aren't that off with each other, and you're used to an action of 1.5mm plus, you may not notice much of an issue here. Yes, the action will vary more, but the tolerances won't be anywhere as tight as going down to 1mm.

... Where such inaccuracies start mattering more and more, on average, obviously depending on people's play style too, tolerance for buzz, bend chokes, etc.

Much like the 2 Earts I saw, similar stuff.. And to be fair, much like so many guitars way above thar price point, from what I've personally had my hands on.

 

[fuzzydude]

I've only seen the first video.

Just saw the second video. It was a good review and I think it's what most people need to see to know what they might get in order to decide if they want to keep/return it or if they just aren't very handy and can't fix the issues. Most of the stuff could be fixed easily and other stuff wasn't necessary to worry about.

I mostly only disagree with two things he said. That he expects it to be free of any defects at this price level. I think the only reason you can get a guitar with these features is because corners are cut and you have to decide if what's cut is worth it to you. He did get two guitars for probably $450. He might've been sent a replacement guitar with defects since they figured he was getting such a deal. The second issue I had was that he doesn't mention much anything about the stainless steel frets. That alone makes putting up with some defects since you can't get those from any of the Fenders he was suggesting as alternates. So I feel he is not comparing them fairly in his head without understanding what he is getting for his money.

He was right about it being a handyman special. I've been extremely lucky with my Earts but then all of mine are fixed tremolos. I'm not a fan of most non-fixed tremolos including the genuine Floyd Rose, of which I own. I prefer the Stetsbars actually. If you're the type that expects perfection at a low price, well that doesn't exist, so prepare to pay extra for that Suhr/Tom Anderson. For the rest of us who aren't afraid of walking into thrift stores or owning and fixing used guitars, we know a bargain when we see one. That said, I'm not afraid to order another Eart, then see if I can live with or fix the issues, and return it for another if I can't. It's not complicated, that's the only decision you would need to make before ordering one. If you'd rather not take the gamble, and can't/won't do some simple fixes on a new guitar, and also won't bother returning it if there's an issue, then don't order a new bargain guitar. Did that even need to be said?

 

[Andy Eagle]

Don't forget to factor in the garbage hardware that you will have to put up with or spend to replace and then you may have issues of the fit.
These guitars are only OK at best so don't be fooled in to thinking anything else. Yes I could replace everything and fret dress it but is that really a bargain?

 

[Dr. Dipwad]

I want to second what Andy Eagle said, here...

Don't forget to factor in the garbage hardware that you will have to put up with or spend to replace and then you may have issues of the fit.
These guitars are only OK at best so don't be fooled into thinking anything else. Yes I could replace everything and fret dress it but is that really a bargain?

....except that whereas he may have intended his closing question entirely rhetorically (with an implied answer of "no"), I think it should be answered "depends on the person/situation."

For the sake of argument, let's presume you get one of the Earts with a neck and fretwork that's either very good or great. (It appears that not everybody does, and it's no surprise that quality-consistency should be iffy at such a low price-point, but I've gotten two Earts I'd describe that way, so it does happen.)

So, is the situation a "bargain," as Andy asks?

Well, I'm replacing the pickups, the electronics, and the bridge, on the headless. (On the Tele-style I may do the same, though it's pleasant enough as-is that I may not bother.)

BUT, I went into the project expecting exactly that. I wanted a versatile headless that was cheap enough I didn't mind modding it over and over. I may even try drilling a JEM-style handle into the upper body because it's a tad heavy, and why not? More importantly I knew that no production headless was going to come with the obscure switching options I wanted to try, so I was going to replace/modify pickups and wiring no matter what happened. Would I rather Frankenstein-up an Eart, or a Strandberg?

So in my situation the Eart made sense. The "is that really a bargain?" question can be answered "yes," especially if you take the neck and frets being good as a given. (I couldn't do that when ordering, but was able to do so after it arrived and turned out to be one of the good ones. If it hadn't been good, I'd have sent it back.)

But, there'll be no resale value to speak of. And it's a bargain given that I was going to change the pickups and wiring anyhow. So I wasn't expecting a $370 total project. I was expecting a $650 project at least. If someone is expecting a guitar that pleases them in every way, out-of-the-box, for $370, I think they'll be disappointed. But that wasn't the plan, for me.

So that's why I answer "is that really a bargain?" with, "it depends on the person/situation."

 

[fuzzydude]

I want to second what Andy Eagle said, here...

....except that whereas he may have intended his closing question entirely rhetorically (with an implied answer of "no"), I think it should be answered "depends on the person/situation."

I concur with what you're saying. But you're not going to convince him. Trust me, I've tried.

For the sake of argument, let's presume you get one of the Earts with a neck and fretwork that's either very good or great. (It appears that not everybody does, and it's no surprise that quality-consistency should be iffy at such a low price-point, but I've gotten two Earts I'd describe that way, so it does happen.)

If that were to happen, you should return those guitars. Just like you would with any new guitar that has an issue. It's zero risk if when you find an issue, you make it a point to get your money back or have them send another to replace it. Don't settle for less.

Would I rather Frankenstein-up an Eart, or a Strandberg?

Another excellent point I've been trying to make.

But, there'll be no resale value to speak of.

Mentioned that too.

So that's why I answer "is that really a bargain?" with, "it depends on the person/situation."

I agree completely.

 

[Mohi]

I got one today, the NK C3 model, Modern or something like that, there was a clearance in the EU Warehouse and got it for 229 euros ..... First impressions are very good, the fretboard looks very nice, the frets are not rounded, it is like they are shorter than the width of the neck, I have set up the action around 1.7 mm in the low E and 1.5 in the high, no fret buzz, I have to wait though to the wood to settle in the new conditions. I do not think the neck is roasted, I dunno if it is the neck or the body what is roasted according to the web descriptions.

The bridge looks of ..... meh quality, actually if you use it even slightly, the guitar will be out of tune. The tuners are OK, no dead turns.

The pick ups sound terrible, they make the axe sound like a cheap solid state amp, I mean even the HB sounds awful, anyway I got this to drop in a set of good ones I have ...

Surely not a pro instrument, I think it could be gigable with some upgrades, I have had a lot of Harley Benton and all of them were better than this one out of the box. I am not saying it is shit, for the price is .... OK? but the hype I saw in YT so far seems to me not justified.

 

[Andy Eagle]

I got one today, the NK C3 model, Modern or something like that, there was a clearance in the EU Warehouse and got it for 229 euros ..... First impressions are very good, the fretboard looks very nice, the frets are not rounded, it is like they are shorter than the width of the neck, I have set up the action around 1.7 mm in the low E and 1.5 in the high, no fret buzz, I have to wait though to the wood to settle in the new conditions. I do not think the neck is roasted, I dunno if it is the neck or the body what is roasted according to the web descriptions.

The bridge looks of ..... meh quality, actually if you use it even slightly, the guitar will be out of tune. The tuners are OK, no dead turns.

The pick ups sound terrible, they make the axe sound like a cheap solid state amp, I mean even the HB sounds awful, anyway I got this to drop in a set of good ones I have ...

Surely not a pro instrument, I think it could be gigable with some upgrades, I have had a lot of Harley Benton and all of them were better than this one out of the box. I am not saying it is shit, for the price is .... OK? but the hype I saw in YT so far seems to me not justified.

This is the REAL experience of these guitars.

 

[Sixstring]

It sounds like he got what he paid for. Do a complete electronics and bridge swap, install locking tuners and it will probably sound pretty good!

 

[Andy Eagle]

It sounds like he got what he paid for. Do a complete electronics and bridge swap, install locking tuners and it will probably sound pretty good!

Yes, this the truth. The Charlatan channels on YouTube just don't get sent representative guitars and then even if they review the guitar in front of them properly it still is not representative.

 

[Mohi]

After some hours, the guitar is very inconsistent, the neck is almost great and seems they put effort on it and made it a selling point, the bridge and tuners are mediocre at best. I am going to return it anyway, when playing some chords or open strings something in the bridge rattles and bending makes it go out of tune. If I want to make it decent for home use, I planned to drop in some pups I have, that is the mod I so far made to Harley Benton’s but this one needs new bridge and probably tuners, Not worth.

 

[dpeterson]

Take what "influencers" say with a grain of salt. I watched the guys video above, and I thought it was comical how he nit picked essentially a sub $300 guitar like it was a top shelf PRS or Anderson. Things cost money, really good things cost more. And that is for a reason. Yes it might have African mahogany, but what grade? How many piece body? Roasted maple? looked like it was stained brown. Stainless frets? how good is the stainless? All adds up.

Start swapping hardware, and the price starts jacking up really quickly. Yes there is a difference between real German Schaller Floyds and the crappy ones they put on Charvels these days.

 

[Dimi Guitar]

This is the REAL experience of these guitars.

Are more positive experiences not real? What would be the standards for an experience to be real?

Or I guess I should intrepet this as: "that's a case telling of what people will experience on average with these guitars". If that's what you mean, more understandable to me.

But a lot of people are highly impressed by these guitars, without being "charlatans". You likely don't mean to imply this anyway -- them (as in, everybody who are impressed) having to be somehow dishonest in what they say -- but I think it should be pointed out.