Modern natural done right: Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK
Yes, there is such as thing as going with a natural-ish finish that's modernized, and Jackson has done it.
Why do I call a finish like this natural-ish? It's not 100% natural. Color is added, but the point is you can very prominently see the grain lines on both the body and headstock.
Take the Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern Ash FR6 in "Baked White". Other colors are available with this Modern Ash treatment such as a hardtail in Baked Red, or 7-string versions in Baked Blue or Baked Green, but the Baked White is the best of the lot because it has that "ghostly" appearance to it that just looks cool.
This is an interesting take on the baking/burning process of a guitar body to bring out a different look. Baked wood is a relatively recent thing guitar makers have been doing, but ordinarily it's for 100% natural finishes only. The difference here with what Jackson did is the application of color with it.
The baked look fortunately carries over the entire body, meaning front and back, meaning it's not just some cheesy baked veneer.
I also like the fact this gives the guitar a different appearance without being stupid about it. Jackson didn't go "loud" with this and didn't have to, because the very prominent grain lines are more than enough to keep it interesting.
Said another way, I firmly believe this guitar look will stand the test of time. When you see this guitar 5 years from now or 10 or more, it will still look good. Jackson should make this a regular finish option on all their guitars.
D'Angelico Deluxe Atlantic is a crazy good value
If this guitar said "Gibson" on the headstock, it would be $8,000.
...but you won't believe how much less it sells for considering what you get.
Satin finish. Ebony fretboard. Seymour Duncan pickups. Full electronic complement with push/pull for coil tapping. Contour cut in the rear for greater comfort. C neck profile. Set-neck construction. Thin-but-not-too-thin body. Gold hardware everywhere. Binding everywhere. Crazy ornamentation for the fretboard inlays.
Wow, is this guitar packed with stuff, stuff and more stuff. You pretty much get everything and the kitchen sink with this axe.
To note, this guitar is also available in Vintage White, Natural Swamp Ash, Black, Hunter Green and Matte Wine, but the one in Matte Rose Gold seen above is the show stopper. That's the one that has, as far as I can tell, every premium option you can get.
I'm not saying this guitar is cheap, because it's not. But again, considering how unbelievably packed with features this axe has, the price is a total bargain.
Remember the Gibson Les Paul Supreme, as in the one that sold for over $5,000 back in the day? This D'Angelico Deluxe Atlantic is just as good as that was (if not better) and has basically all the same ornamentation the Supreme did along with more advanced electronics.
This is one to get for sure if you have the cash for it.
SX Liquid would be a great guitar...
...but it has one major thing against it.
Obviously, that thing is the body shape. The guitar just looks hideous. But it could be better.
What is the SX Liquid?
SX is a brand by Rondo Music, the same company that has the Agile, Hadean and Douglas brands among others.
Most of you who know SX are familiar with the Furrian (Telecaster copy) and Hawk (Stratocaster copy). Both of those are great.
What is the Liquid supposed to be? It's a Jazzmaster body shape with a huge chunk cut off the body. I've absolutely no idea why Rondo decided to make the guitar this way. They could easily have a full Jazzmaster shape body and it wouldn't impede on Fender's intellectual property since what matters is the headstock shape and not the body.
The body shape is literally the only thing that keeps me from buying the Liquid guitar. Several versions of this guitar exist. Some have the vibrato system as seen above and others are hardtail with not two but three P90 pickups in them and a roller style bridge.
Oh, and something I almost forgot to mention. You can buy one of these new for under $200 USD.
If this guitar had the full (as in not have that huge chunk cut out) Jazzmaster style body, this guitar would be such a winner. It's so close. So unbelievably close to being just right. All it needs is a "complete" body and it's there.
I think the body shape is terrible on the Liquid. Unique and different, yes, but still terrible. If you like it however, get one. It's a great guitar. If the look completely puts you off, stick to the Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster instead.
Natural finish done right: Gretsch Streamliner in Village Amber
Gretsch once again nails it.
As I've said before, I'm not a fan of natural finish electric guitars. The reason for this is because most guitar makers produce natural with the "coffee table" look. Examples of this are easy to find. Take the Fender American Professional Stratocaster in Natural. Yes, natural finish, but it looks like something you'd put a doily on, set a flower pot on top of that and call it a day. Not a good look.
For the Gretsch above however, different story. This is natural done correct.
Take the Gretsch G2655 Streamliner Centerblock Jr. Doublecut in Village Amber. Not a high-cost model and well under $600.
What Gretsch did here is take an acoustic guitar appearance and apply it to an electric, and it works wonderfully well.
Yes, there is grain there. It's subtle, but it's everywhere on the guitar in just the right amount.
The use of black knobs, black switch tip and black pickup rings go well with the amber.
And did you notice? Full binding. Body, neck and headstock.
Gretsch just has a knack for taking a colorway that's ordinarily bland and makes it pop without overdoing it. This Streamliner Jr. is a great example of that. Well done.
Are guitar necks getting worse?
Is there any way to get a guitar that doesn't have neck problems? Let's find out.
A common complaint these days across many new guitars regardless of price or brand is neck problems. Specifically, the nut and the frets.
And when I say "regardless of price or brand", I'm not kidding. Whether you spend $200 or $2,000 on a guitar these days, you're almost guaranteed to find one or more of the following issues:
- High frets (uneven)
- Sharp fret ends
- Improperly cut nut
It's almost required these days to know how to fix high frets, level frets, file sharp fret ends and install a new nut yourself just to have a decent guitar worth playing.
But why?
The answer is the elimination of inspections by both the guitar manufacturers and the guitar retailers.
What is supposed to happen is that every guitar should be inspected three times. First by the factory themselves, second by the warehouse that receives it, and third by the retailer when they get it before it's finally sold to you. Sometimes the second inspection doesn't happen if the factory ships direct to retailers. But at bare minimum, the guitar should be inspected at least twice.
These days, the total amount of inspections that happens for the vast majority of guitars is once. It's done at the factory, only the factory, and done poorly. After that, the guitar is packaged and then shipped to a warehouse where during transit it's jostled around, then placed in storage. After that it's shipped to the retailer where again it's jostled around and placed in storage.
By the time you get the guitar, its box hasn't been opened since it left the factory.
"That's good, right?" No, that's bad.
That guitar has been through hundreds if not thousands of miles of transit, banged around, and subjected to temperature changes both hot and cold. NO WONDER it's screwed up by the time you get it.
You can't treat a mass-produced guitar like an iPhone and expect it to work...
...but that's how most guitar manufacturers treat their guitars.
A new iPhone is never opened after it leaves the factory after it has been sealed until you get it. This is normal.
Treating guitars the same way where there are no quality inspections after it leaves the factory is seriously stupid. But that's the norm.
What can do you to avoid this?
You have options.
Option 1: Buy Schecter.
Every Schecter guitar sold in the USA is inspected by a real live human in the United States for quality issues before being shipped to the retailer. Whether you get a USA or Asian built Schecter, they all get the same proper treatment. Every guitar is inspected at least twice, even for their low-cost models.
Option 2: Get tools and learn how to use them.
Get a fret rocker, notched straight edge, sandpaper, watch a bunch of YouTube videos and learn how to level frets, file sharp edges and so on.
Option 3: Source a professional grade neck
It won't be cheap, and the neck you want will probably cost at least $300. But it will be as perfect as it gets.
"You're saying neck issues are a QA/QC problem?"
Yes.
Quality Control and Quality Assurance are standard procedures in the manufacturing of anything. Lose the QA/QC or cut corners so only the bare minimum of standard is met, and your product suffers for it.
What I personally believe is that necks are good at the factory when they come off the production line, even for the cheap guitars. It's the transit and storage afterward that wrecks them. All that banging around and wild temperature changes make frets and nuts pop and sprout like crazy.
The fix for this issue would be making two inspections mandatory instead of just one. Factory inspection alone obviously isn't cutting it. I'd ask for three inspections but that will never happen, so I'd be happy with two. Someone who knows how a guitar works is supposed to cut that box open and inspect the product before it goes to the retailer.
I don't care whether the second inspection is done by the manufacturer or by the retailer directly. It just needs to happen.
Nobody wants to spend over $500 on a guitar to find high frets, sharp fret ends and bad nut slots. That shouldn't happen. But it is happening and something needs to be done about it.
If you spend over $500 on a guitar and encounter neck issues like this, TELL THE MANUFACTURER
This only way this crapola will ever get fixed is if guitar players start communicating directly with the manufacturers more.
DON'T go on a forum or social media and complain. That obviously doesn't work. Go to the guitar manufacturer's web site and TELL THEM DIRECTLY.
If enough people write in, then better guitars will be delivered to the retailers. These neck issues are on a manufacturer QA/QC level and the problem has to be taken care of there. So if you're going to complain - which you should - do so to the people that matter.