Best Sub-$500 LP Copy? Could Be!!!
Here's a great tale of "good guitar gone bad" with a lesson learned on this one. I picked up this Silvertone SSL3 LP copy a couple of years ago as a blem for around $180. The minor cosmetic flaw it had would not affect the sound or playability, they advised. I had it shipped to the house; when I got home it was leaning against my door - upside down. Apparently, UPS pays no attention to the "this side up" stickers on the box. Upon unpacking the guitar, I was mortified to see splinters in the bottom of the box; the guitar clearly was driven across the country upside down; the splinters came from standing on its headstock the whole time (which speaks to the terrible packing job as well). There was a large chip in the headstock as a result. Oh well, what can ya do; I was in love already, plus the thought of dealing with a return on this thing (if I even could on a blem item) was a bad vibe that I wasn't feeling just then. I went ahead and made the best of a bad situation by painting over the chip with some glossy black paint. Once I changed the shipping strings and got it all tuned up, it played just great; I was glad to see that the traumatic shipping experience did not affect the guitar at all...or so I thought...read on.How's it Look?
The guitar is beautiful! The fit and finish is just gorgeous. The top hat buttons and PAF-copy pickups make the guitar look like a real professional instrument. I would definitely play this one on stage. The neck is fast and smooth, the jumbo frets are finished nicely all the way up the neck (I have seen unfinished fretwire above the 12th fret on guitars in this price range that was unfinished and could actually cut your hand). I changed the strings that shipped with the guitar (I like heavier strings myself). No negatives on the quality of this one; I expect to keep this guitar for years to come. NOTE: I've seen this guitar with two different headstocks, the one that you see here, and a newer, more LP "rectangle" type headstock...me, I prefer the headstock I have, of course.
How's it Play?
This guitar was set up to play right out of the box!!! I didn't have to lower or raise any of the strings; there was no buzz at any frets. I was able to get all of my signature sounds out of this guitar (pick slides, squeals, artificial harmonics, etc.) The one thing you need to know is this guitar is a tad on the heavy side; it may be just slightly lighter than a real Les Paul...then again, that may add to the awesome tone and sustain! Overall, it's a really fun guitar to play, if you're looking for a decent LP copy.
How does it Sound?
The sound of this guitar is AWESOME! The tone is amazing for a guitar in this price range. I was looking for an inexpensive weapon for some metal and hard rock; this guitar definitely fits the bill. It totally fulfills all of my needs...I play mostly through the neck pickup, but occasionally play rhythm through both pickups; the sound is full and rich no matter the pickup selection. I play through my Roland Cube 30, both clean and through the onboard effects - the guitar delivers either way. The only thing I did to alter the instrument was to add a drop of superglue to the plug-in jack nut to stop it from coming loose continually (may be a no-no for most folks, but I planned to keep this guitar so it was all good).
This Silvertone guitar is PLENTY macho and has loads of sex appeal. It would certainly hold its own on stage versus any of the big names out there. Again, I would have had no problems gigging with this guitar.
And Then, There's THIS...
One night about a year ago, I went to pick up this guitar out of its stand. I grabbed it right at about the 1st fret, like I always do...heard a loud "snap" that turned out to be a crack across the neck, right at the first fret where it flares out to the headstock. I think that the neck was stressed by the way it was shipped (see above) and was thus destined for a shortened lifeline. In retrospect, I guess the heavier strings didn't exactly help the situation, but how was I to know? These things happen. Since this guitar has a set (glued-in) neck, if it was to be saved, it would have to be repaired by a professional luthier. At under $200 new, it just didn't seem like it was worth it. So now, I am left with an interesting wall hanging that makes a nice conversation piece. Oh yeah, the lesson learned: While you can't teach UPS that "fragile" and "handle with care" and "this side up" means just that, always make sure to throw a note on your shipping instructions about properly packing your guitar for shipping, especially if you are buying from a private party, as in the case of an Ebay auction. Am I going to purchase another one of these? YOU BETCHA!!! I still love the Silvertone SSL3.
