I got a js300 after watching Dave Simpsons video about it and have to say that mine is amazing, I love it! Just dropped the action from it's initial set up and played great, better than the Fender USA I had in the 80s. I've had no problems so far, about a year in.
I own two (and I'll get the mini whet it will be available), and I can say that what is impressive is mainly the neck, which is the most important part of a guitar in my opinion.
Thanks!Couple of quid to help out. I think it is a great idea to give guitars to those who don't have one. If they are watching you, they want one. Great call. Oh I make lttle amps. Maybe I'll send you a few and give them away with the guitar? An idea?
Maybe send Elmo an email to be sure he sees your offer? Wish I lived in Europe, but I’m in NYC. I have been trying to get a donated gently used or new electric guitar (and an amp) for 2.5 years. I’ve been ill since 2018 and homebound since 2019. I have an acoustic guitar that was gifted to me prior to getting ill that I learned to play on starting in March 2020 despite my disabilities, chronic pain, and a brain injury- but it’s been PAINFUL, and I can’t perform a lot of skills on an acoustic. My playing could go so much farther with an electric guitar. At any rate, I’m glad to see the guitar going to someone in need as I can surely relate with that.
My amps are ones you can stick in your pocket. They cost me £10 to make.. So you can make one yourself. Don't need a casing. Cost you around $5. Need soldering iron and a speaker.
Got a JS 400 HSS in shell pink, rosewood board, roasted maple neck for $209 in the USA. The shell pink color is perfect, the rosewood is nice and dark, and other than some minor adjustments, it’s a great guitar. I always expect to make some adjustments - polishing frets, smoothing fret ends, truss rod, saddle height, etc but I didn’t mod anything and honestly it’s a great guitar. One thing I would upgrade is the tuners probably- not as smooth as they could be - which is expected in this price range. I would not spend money to upgrade pickups or electronic as I have plenty of guitars and really I just wanted a shell pink one but didn’t want to spend a ton of money. Happy with this purchase
I have the 400 version of this (HSS) i was expecting to have to replace the humbucker and machine heads . must have got a monday morning model . its a hss strat for £170 . it looks good , it plays well and it stays in tune . also in position 2 it sounds soulful . best £170 i ever spent . i bet they will be £350 in 2 years x
I got one of the first one of these, the JS400 with a humbucker in the bridge, 18 months ago, frets are perfect on mine, only issue has been trem springs after about 4 months, easy fix, I changed the single coils to iron gears, for more clarity, but stock were more than acceptable, tuners on mine have been rock solid, neck is superb, insane value for money, you wont see many 2nd hand, and the first lot sold out, which says a lot, surprised to hear about the fret sprout, I hope they maintain the quality of mine. I wouldn't give mine away, so fair play, I might sell for a Sire, but tbf this is my 2nd favourite Strat ever, the last one was an Anniversary Fender that's was worth about 4k, wasted on me and the Jet is a professional level instrument when setup.
I was looking for this brand & model a few weeks ago, just to give a cheap guitar a try, in Daphne Blue, which I really like. Coincedence to see you reviewing this. I hope this guitar comes in place with someone that really deserves and needs it!
You’re an excellent shredder and RUclips guitar reviewer, and I bet you’re a great teacher, too. You’re also a softy… in a good way. I’m not in Europe and I don’t need a guitar, but I just wanted to let you know that I admire your generosity regarding the guitar giveaway. Who knows? You may be launching the career of new guitar hero. At the very least (or most), you’ll be making some person very happy. Keep up the good work!
Had it for a month and I must say that I’m really impressed by the quality of this little strat. Got it together with an Harley Benton SC550-II (which cost 300€) and the neck is better on the jet honestly. Colour is white like yours and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Nice vid Elmo, props for giving guitars to people who need it :D
Thank you for the review, I bought this guitar based on your review mostly, because you are not sponsored by the brands and you know what you are talking about (because I play with a Marshall SL20C also!). I must say the guitar is amazing, it has one of the best neck I have ever played on a strat. I am thinking about replacing the PUs though but will wait to hear the guitar at the next gig before spending extra $$. Greetings from France.
I got the JS-400 last year (HSS version) and thankfully have none of the fret problems. I took mine to my regular luthier for him to check out and apart from a minor 30 second truss rod adjustment it's needed nothing else. I changed the Humbucker for a P90 and put some no-brand locking tuners on, both really cheap mods for a cheap guitar and it's great. The original tuners seemed to hold tune BUT there was always a bit of play when you first turn them to tune it that made me worry it wouldn't hold.
Both the Jet JS-300 & JS-400 looks really good value for money. I can't decide between those and the Vintage V60 Coaster, Eart YMX-SG3 or even the Donner DST-200. Then there are the Fazley guitars which are very similar to the Jet! I might also consider the Cort G110 or the Ibanez GIO. Too much choice!
Elmo bro, you should've tried the JS400, way better. Especially the pink with rosewood fretboard. I have both and there is a real difference. I prefer the JS400 to the Eart SSS Strat also.
What a beautiful budget guitar, I like how tastefully matched everything is on it. Never thought I'd want to try a white guitar, especially that cheap.
A white strat was good enough for Jimi Hendrix and it wasn't even a lefty but pretty sure he had a few modifications made to it... If he was around today he would use anything new that sounded and played great so perhaps he would play a jet 300!
👍 I installed quality pots on mine and a mini toggel to add neck pup to pos. 1 and 2! This is a great playing and sounding guitar! I did some spot levelling and a decent setup and love it! Tomorrow a JS-400 will arrive and i'm looking forward to taking it apart, shielding, changing pots and setting it up! 🎸🤘🎸
About your toggle mod on the Jet. strat. . -- Are there simple directions somewhere so I can try to install the Toggle switch myself. -- Its a Great mod and I just want to see if I can do it cheep.
@@PeterErikson-rd5tj Hi Peter, if you can solder and have a mini toggle ( an on/off will do), no problem! Take a wire from the bridge pup lug on your switch and solder to the outer lug of 3 in a row on your switch. Take a wire from the middle lug of that row on the switch and solder to the outer lug on your volume pot (same lug the pickup goes to).....done! You will have ground to the case of the switch if your pickguard is well shielded. Or you can find a video on this on the Breja Toneworks channel!🎸🤘🏼🎸 Edit: another good channel is SixStringSupplies for wiring information!
I had a lot of doubts about this brand, but it looks great, the price is very affordable and its a good weekend project to setup it up and have some fun. Thank you Elmo.
I think getting a 2000 model Squier Standard Stratocaster from Indonesia or China is the best way to go, you get a cheap guitar that has already aged and any fret sprout that has happened will not happen again if you fix it, and the guitars are very good from 2000-2008 Indonesian or China. They also feature Alnico pickups if you can see the staggered pole heights. Also a 2 point tremolo that works if you lube the nut. Oh yeah and a full width 1.75" body for upgrading :)
I have an HSS Jet300 and I love it. Got it set up and it plays great. I also have a Jet Tele style and that has a bit of rattle after a set up as I'd left it a few months before a set up after buying even though I did play it infrequently. If I had to choose I'd go for the JS300 over the JT400 based on my own experience. A lovely guitar that I cant put down.
Dear Elmo, I've run out of beds to stash guitars under, kids bedrooms to impose on with guitar cases, and final warnings from my wife to desist with procuring any more planks with strings..therefore I gratefully decline the opportunity to send you an untruthful email on how I have a clinical need for a new 🎸 day twice a year or my heart will explode 💥
To be honest, jet guitars are good specifically in terms of wood elements. They are made well. The manufacturer saved on everything else. For example, I also have version 300 but tele. Potentiometers are already dying. Work haphazardly. Well, in general, frequencies are unstable due to cheap electronics. Yes, this is a good guitar for a beginner, but if you want a better guitar, just change the hardware in this one because the platform is great. It doesn't even require a lot of money. About $300 for everything bad that catches your eye. Well, that is, replacing junk with really good parts.
Lube the saddles and trees too. Got the JS400 HSS, same as the JS300 but with a 2 point trem. Just needed a typical non-heroic at-home set up out of the box to play. No nut or fret work needed. I'd put a known as reliable trem to gig away but this one is still rock solid w/5 springs so far. If the knife edge isnt burred by next string change I'll get a full size steel block and Gotoh keyholes or Highwood bent steel saddles and be done. (A Gotoh 510TS seems excessive, the Musiclily 510TS copies have questionable bridge plates.)
I wish more of these super cheap brands made hardtail strats. Sure you can deck or block it, but I'd rather just have a solid piece off wood for modding.
I bought one on impulse a month ago. Unlike virtually every other guitar I've bought, it hardly needed any setting up or little technical issues to be done. The neck feels like this should an expensive guitar....very nice. I looked inside and there was no shielding and the pots and switch were very cheap. That's something I'll do later, but it isn't that important.
I didnt need another guitar but that roasted sexy neck got me and i bought it....Excellent guitar that you can keep bone stock and enjoy...i on the other hand installed stainless steel frets and scalloped it cause i always try to turn strats into more modern copies of an YJM strat but that guitar truly doesnt need the mods.All that needs is polish those frets,maybe even bring the nut a bit down two but thats all....i ll buy another one but this time a 400 simply because of the comfort cuts it has(superstrat style)....the necks on these things deserve the pricetag alone......cant go wrong really with either.
Really nice review, Elmo. 😊 This is a great guitar for someone starting out, for sure. I would enter but I'm a lefty and have been playing for several years so I'll opt out an not even try, but I encourage others to submit their entries! I believe this should go to someone better deserving. I love seeing generous giveaways like this.
Elmo, I enjoy your videos, you review the guitars very well, honest good and bad , issues mentioned, not just super high gain muddy tones too.. with some pretty funny comments, and I think your playing has improved nicely also, 8:30 melted my facet 10:30 fantastic sustain. While these lower priced guitars are usually pretty well made, I always put Duncans, and some locking tuners, maybe lower the strings, and, if it sounds good stays in tune, it's off to the gig,, Thanks!
Well done Elmo! I always look forward to a smirk, laugh and funny voices as icing on top of the guitar playing quality. And you deliver in spades. "Let's get ol' Medieval on it! Roight!!" slayed me !
Bro, it would be great if you did a series of videos testing pickups focused on a basic or mid-price improvement to cheap guitars that you have presented on the channel... models of alnico 5, alnico 2, humbuckers, p90, ceramics ... maybe it's somewhat complicated by the installation but you could have a pickguard and one or two test guitars. It would be great!. sorry for the english of the translator 🤘
Hi Elmo, long time follower, I've one of these over a year and done some mods on it,swap out the bridge for the Jb mini HB, check out Fazley guitars, made in same factory and pretty much the same spec's but half the price, such a time to be playing guitar, i started in the late 80's
You said ELMO the frets you mentioned could be a worse issue, I mean if that is happening after I buy this guitar like it did for you it is not impossible to fix right ? I can always take the guitar to my guitar shop in town where I bought it to get it fixed to where it plays and feels like it should again right ? Or do you mean that it can get so bad with fret sprouts and fret buzz issues that you basically have to throw away the guitar as trash at the scrap yard and buy a new guitar ? ELMO! I actually bought the Ibanez JEM JR after watching your video about it so thank you, I am really happy with that guitar. I am now choosing between the Ibanez GRX40, Jet JS-400/JS-300 ( JS-400 same as JS-300 in this video but HSS setup) or Squier Sonic/Affinity with HSS setup and tremolo. I was also looking at a Kramer Focus but I saw that you were not happy with that guitar haha ! All the others I mentioned you have tested so... Which one do you think is best for the money ? I am playing everything from Pink Floyd to Iron maiden and some Metallica. I will use the whammy bar for some Pink Floyd and Maiden riffs :) And also If I were to trade in my Schecter Demon 6 and could choose a guitar for up to 340 Euros, what would you choose for that kind of money if you were looking for a super strat ? The shop I am buying from has most Ibanez, Jacksons, Squiers, Corts, LTD's, Epiphones, Yamahas and even Jets =) Sorry for all these questions but I really appreciate your awesome opinions!
You can get the fret issues fixed. Sprout takes 15 minutes to fix, uneven frets can be worse and can cost more. In terms of the guitars, maybe the Jet JS-400.
@@MrPolevaulter Alright but uneven frets can still be fixed even if it takes longer time = more expensive. Thanks for the answer, I thought you might say the Ibanez since you had nothing bad to say about it and it held it's tune well after your insane whammy bar shenanigans =)
Hey, great review once again! Have you ever tried a Fazley Guitare (Bax music brand)? I'm looking to buy an affordable SSS Strat (less than 200€), that I could order in France, and these Fazley guiatre look really nice on paper, but I just can't find enough reviews ... (plus Elmo's review is the only one I actually trust)
Just ordered their Start and Tele style guitars. They were really cheap, just 79€ per guitar. It will be a while before I have a review out (could be months).
I bought a js400 relic in seafoam green. Wanted make a tom delonge partcaster. So got pearloid pickguard one seymour duncan invader. Hardtailed it. New kluson tuners and rewired it. I would comfortably say that for £400 all in is alot better than the mecican fender tom delonge strat i tried at a fraction of the cost. The neck on it is amazing. The stock pickups were ok but if you're planning on modding it doesnt matter. Go get one. And nice honest review. New subscriber right here.
Nice review mate! 😎👌 The JS400 for only £10 more has a few "improvements" - more sculpted neck heel, a surprisingly reliable 2 point trem and HSS. But the Fazley Phynica FSST720 (exact same guitar as JS400) is THE best budget strat imo. Great work bro!
@stevecassidyguitar JS-400 with 2 point trem do you mean like a floating trem that you can also pitch brighter tones by pulling the arm away from the guitar body ? It does look like the same trem on the JS-300 in this video that is on the JS-400. The only difference I can find between the two guitars is the bridge pickup and a bit different design of the neck heel. The addition of the humbucker on the JS-400 is enough for me to choose that over the JS-300. However there is another guitar for the same price, the Ibanez GRX40, I am having a hard time choosing between that and the JS-400 =(
@@mathias6423 Hey bro 👍 The difference in trens between the JS300 and JS400 is the way they are attached to the body and how it pivots. The JS300 bridge plate has 6 screws in front of the saddles. The JS400 has 2 posts (2 point trem) either side of the bridge plate. The plate rocks against the posts on a "knife edge". Both can be set up floating. For me - I always go with 2 point - I find them more reliable and easier to manage. Vintage purists often prefer the 6 screw version. The 2 point trem on the JS400 is really great imo. I just upgraded mine to a Gotoh 510 (that cost not much less than the guitar) and it wasn't a massive improvement. Never tried the new Ibanez - but I've heard good things. I'd say the Ibanez will be a bit more "shredder" as it will have a flatter radius and the Jet will feel more Fender like (almost exactly the same). I've barely touched my Fender US strat since I got the JS400. But I'm a strat guy. Good luck bro 👍
@@stevecassidyguitar That just made it harder lol, I both like the strat feel and the Ibanez feel. But I am going to play a lot of Iron maiden and Pink Floyd stuff, So I think the JET JS-400 with some Dimarzio or Duncan pickups on it will do great. The trem block in the back is thicker on the JET than the Ibanez and the Ibanez does not have a roasted neck so... The only Jet available in my store is the pink one and that has a Rosewood fretboard instead of the maple one that the other colors have. I am not sure how I feel about that but I am leaning torwards the JET instead of the Ibanez anyways. Thanks man!
@@mathias6423 No worries - That's what I'd go for too 😀 (But probably not the pink one) not because it's pink, i just don't like rosewood 😆 I've reviewed the Jet JS 400, 300 and did some comparisons, you should be able to find em here if it helps 👍 All the best mate
I have the JS-400. Came setup totally perfect. The Fret-Job was insanly (!) great and perfect. The Neck is to die for! Put in some Locking Tuners, Changed the Trem to a Wilkinson i had laying around (but its literally the same unbranded system anyways). Tried Dimarzios inside only to put the Original PU back in, changed the electronics though.
@@robvdrdp Some cheap ones from FAME (Musicstore - Cologne/Germany inHouse Brand), have them on several Guitars, as good as Gotoh's which i have on others for half the Price. They fit in directly!
Great that Elmo will use a budget amp when trying out a budget guitar unlike most other tubers that will run a princeton, a marshall vintage stack or other expensive amp that most beginners / hobbyists wont have.😊
An ideal first guitar, from my experience 99% of them requre a full setup including the frets. These days i tend to prefer to pay a bit more and get a guitar that has decent hardware and only needs tweaking to make it easy to play, finding a perfect sample is the hard part. Thanks for another great video Elmo.
Nice looking and the neck looks great. Sounded okay overall and impressed with the tremelo holding up that well. I did find the pickups to be a bit ice picky though. Seems the market at that price point is starting to get pretty busy!
Been looking for a Maple Bd. Strat I have a Canadian Beauty Neck , perfectly quarter sawn. The (arrow/fingernail) Grain pattern right up the center of the neck ! Would love to know the Maker , met a guy on the NYS Thruway Checked out this Frankenstein Strat . At first grab , it was my ""Forever Neck"" mated to an older Squier body (replaced) H/H set , and a sweet Ibanez 2 pin Term Bridge As it sits now A Charvel KILLER That neck
It is quite weird, the theory behind using roasted maple is to avoid developing these fret issues and it is far more resistant to temperature changes. Now the question is if it is really roasted maple or caramelised and just pretending being that one....
@@MrPolevaulter apparently they are renamed Fazley guitars, they are made in the same factory.... Same specs, same everything, Fazley roughly 20% cheaper and most of them comes with Wilkinson hardware and pups.... Another hype, like Harley Benton, then Donner was.... Keep up with the great videos Elmo, I am happy you finally got something for proper clean tones, 😂😆
I've been considering some of the new Contemporary Series from Squier for both a Strat and a Tele. Any thoughts on these ones? I've got all the metal guitars I need, those would be more for variety and specifically for potential band gigs playing rock/hard rock
I'm pleasantly surprised when a budget strat sounds good. Although I realize that your touch comes into that tone, not to mention the quality of the amp and reverb/delay. Just awesome at that price! So I'm Stuck between the Eart entry-level guitar and that Jet 300? I'd love to buy both. Ugh! 😣
Hi, I enjoy watching your content, it's very useful, I cannot find any comparison videos js300 vs azes 40. If you have a chance to compare those guitars would be great to see.
Guitars always need some tweaking. My 2019 custom guitar is now in my guitar makers workshop. It sounds like sitar😂. Some screws are lose on bridge he said(Gotoh 510). And high e-string twelfth fret rattling. It is high end guitar. No matter price all guitars need now and then maintenance. 😎🎸.
Just got a squire 40th gold edition. F in the chat for us usa folks but its understandable. I'd pay for shipping to the US tho if there were a way i won somehow. Thanks Elmo, great video again.
Great video Elmo, I got one 2 months ago as a second guitar , the neck is unreal on it, not too fond of the bridge pickup, was thinking of putting some tex mex pickups into it, do you think that would improve the guitar , thanks.
MAKE REVIEW of Squier Sonic Stratocaster Laurel Fingerboard California Blue PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I'm going to buy it and it is looks like guitar of my dreams! And next will buy Tele.))
Sounds distinctly average - it's those peppa pickups ! Still at the price what's not to like if the build quality is good. Factor in a good name brand set of pups and jobs a good un. The Marshall still sounds great (but I'm biased) :-) .
Check out other cheap alternatives: ruclips.net/video/IeLoR9h178s/видео.html
I got a js300 after watching Dave Simpsons video about it and have to say that mine is amazing, I love it! Just dropped the action from it's initial set up and played great, better than the Fender USA I had in the 80s. I've had no problems so far, about a year in.
I own two (and I'll get the mini whet it will be available), and I can say that what is impressive is mainly the neck, which is the most important part of a guitar in my opinion.
Thanks!Couple of quid to help out. I think it is a great idea to give guitars to those who don't have one. If they are watching you, they want one. Great call. Oh I make lttle amps. Maybe I'll send you a few and give them away with the guitar? An idea?
Maybe send Elmo an email to be sure he sees your offer? Wish I lived in Europe, but I’m in NYC. I have been trying to get a donated gently used or new electric guitar (and an amp) for 2.5 years. I’ve been ill since 2018 and homebound since 2019. I have an acoustic guitar that was gifted to me prior to getting ill that I learned to play on starting in March 2020 despite my disabilities, chronic pain, and a brain injury- but it’s been PAINFUL, and I can’t perform a lot of skills on an acoustic. My playing could go so much farther with an electric guitar. At any rate, I’m glad to see the guitar going to someone in need as I can surely relate with that.
My amps are ones you can stick in your pocket. They cost me £10 to make.. So you can make one yourself. Don't need a casing. Cost you around $5. Need soldering iron and a speaker.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. You can send me an email. It's elmojk@elmojk.com
Got a JS 400 HSS in shell pink, rosewood board, roasted maple neck for $209 in the USA. The shell pink color is perfect, the rosewood is nice and dark, and other than some minor adjustments, it’s a great guitar. I always expect to make some adjustments - polishing frets, smoothing fret ends, truss rod, saddle height, etc but I didn’t mod anything and honestly it’s a great guitar. One thing I would upgrade is the tuners probably- not as smooth as they could be - which is expected in this price range. I would not spend money to upgrade pickups or electronic as I have plenty of guitars and really I just wanted a shell pink one but didn’t want to spend a ton of money. Happy with this purchase
Im thinking of getting the same one. How is the paint job? How does the neck feel?
@@t0mpsyjust checked out a lot of then here in Finland and the paint jobs are excellent
@@t0mpsyHigh Quality.
On reverb, you can find this for $199 USD in the States. Shipping for me is only $25 USD, but I don't know about shipping for other people...
I have the 400 version of this (HSS) i was expecting to have to replace the humbucker and machine heads . must have got a monday morning model . its a hss strat for £170 . it looks good , it plays well and it stays in tune . also in position 2 it sounds soulful . best £170 i ever spent . i bet they will be £350 in 2 years x
I also got a js400 it plays and sounds great out of the box . Great neck too
Very bright and clear pickups considering they are ceramic. Rewire the tone knob to the bridge pickup and you’re set. Really quite good.
I got one of the first one of these, the JS400 with a humbucker in the bridge, 18 months ago, frets are perfect on mine, only issue has been trem springs after about 4 months, easy fix, I changed the single coils to iron gears, for more clarity, but stock were more than acceptable, tuners on mine have been rock solid, neck is superb, insane value for money, you wont see many 2nd hand, and the first lot sold out, which says a lot, surprised to hear about the fret sprout, I hope they maintain the quality of mine. I wouldn't give mine away, so fair play, I might sell for a Sire, but tbf this is my 2nd favourite Strat ever, the last one was an Anniversary Fender that's was worth about 4k, wasted on me and the Jet is a professional level instrument when setup.
I was looking for this brand & model a few weeks ago, just to give a cheap guitar a try, in Daphne Blue, which I really like. Coincedence to see you reviewing this. I hope this guitar comes in place with someone that really deserves and needs it!
You’re an excellent shredder and RUclips guitar reviewer, and I bet you’re a great teacher, too. You’re also a softy… in a good way. I’m not in Europe and I don’t need a guitar, but I just wanted to let you know that I admire your generosity regarding the guitar giveaway. Who knows? You may be launching the career of new guitar hero. At the very least (or most), you’ll be making some person very happy. Keep up the good work!
Thanks :)
I like the headstock!
Great video your videos are very informative and straight forward really enjoy watching them
Had it for a month and I must say that I’m really impressed by the quality of this little strat. Got it together with an Harley Benton SC550-II (which cost 300€) and the neck is better on the jet honestly. Colour is white like yours and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Nice vid Elmo, props for giving guitars to people who need it :D
Thank you for the review, I bought this guitar based on your review mostly, because you are not sponsored by the brands and you know what you are talking about (because I play with a Marshall SL20C also!). I must say the guitar is amazing, it has one of the best neck I have ever played on a strat. I am thinking about replacing the PUs though but will wait to hear the guitar at the next gig before spending extra $$. Greetings from France.
I got the JS-400 last year (HSS version) and thankfully have none of the fret problems. I took mine to my regular luthier for him to check out and apart from a minor 30 second truss rod adjustment it's needed nothing else. I changed the Humbucker for a P90 and put some no-brand locking tuners on, both really cheap mods for a cheap guitar and it's great. The original tuners seemed to hold tune BUT there was always a bit of play when you first turn them to tune it that made me worry it wouldn't hold.
Cool bananas :)
Both the Jet JS-300 & JS-400 looks really good value for money. I can't decide between those and the Vintage V60 Coaster, Eart YMX-SG3 or even the Donner DST-200. Then there are the Fazley guitars which are very similar to the Jet! I might also consider the Cort G110 or the Ibanez GIO. Too much choice!
Elmo bro, you should've tried the JS400, way better. Especially the pink with rosewood fretboard. I have both and there is a real difference. I prefer the JS400 to the Eart SSS Strat also.
What a beautiful budget guitar, I like how tastefully matched everything is on it. Never thought I'd want to try a white guitar, especially that cheap.
A white strat was good enough for Jimi Hendrix and it wasn't even a lefty but pretty sure he had a few modifications made to it...
If he was around today he would use anything new that sounded and played great so perhaps he would play a jet 300!
That is a Handsome Headstock
👍 I installed quality pots on mine and a mini toggel to add neck pup to pos. 1 and 2! This is a great playing and sounding guitar! I did some spot levelling and a decent setup and love it! Tomorrow a JS-400 will arrive and i'm looking forward to taking it apart, shielding, changing pots and setting it up! 🎸🤘🎸
About your toggle mod on the Jet. strat. . -- Are there simple directions somewhere so I can try to install the Toggle switch myself. -- Its a Great mod and I just want to see if I can do it cheep.
@@PeterErikson-rd5tj Hi Peter, if you can solder and have a mini toggle ( an on/off will do), no problem! Take a wire from the bridge pup lug on your switch and solder to the outer lug of 3 in a row on your switch. Take a wire from the middle lug of that row on the switch and solder to the outer lug on your volume pot (same lug the pickup goes to).....done! You will have ground to the case of the switch if your pickguard is well shielded. Or you can find a video on this on the Breja Toneworks channel!🎸🤘🏼🎸 Edit: another good channel is SixStringSupplies for wiring information!
I had a lot of doubts about this brand, but it looks great, the price is very affordable and its a good weekend project to setup it up and have some fun. Thank you Elmo.
And thank you :)
thanks for another great review , those budget guitars are stepping up in quality these days , have a great day
Cheers! They sure are.
I think getting a 2000 model Squier Standard Stratocaster from Indonesia or China is the best way to go, you get a cheap guitar that has already aged and any fret sprout that has happened will not happen again if you fix it, and the guitars are very good from 2000-2008 Indonesian or China. They also feature Alnico pickups if you can see the staggered pole heights. Also a 2 point tremolo that works if you lube the nut. Oh yeah and a full width 1.75" body for upgrading :)
I have an HSS Jet300 and I love it. Got it set up and it plays great. I also have a Jet Tele style and that has a bit of rattle after a set up as I'd left it a few months before a set up after buying even though I did play it infrequently. If I had to choose I'd go for the JS300 over the JT400 based on my own experience. A lovely guitar that I cant put down.
Cool :)
Dear Elmo, I've run out of beds to stash guitars under, kids bedrooms to impose on with guitar cases, and final warnings from my wife to desist with procuring any more planks with strings..therefore I gratefully decline the opportunity to send you an untruthful email on how I have a clinical need for a new 🎸 day twice a year or my heart will explode 💥
Great video Elmo! Sounded really good. Seemed like it had some really good resonance when you were fiddling with the tone knobs.
Cheers!
To be honest, jet guitars are good specifically in terms of wood elements. They are made well. The manufacturer saved on everything else. For example, I also have version 300 but tele. Potentiometers are already dying. Work haphazardly. Well, in general, frequencies are unstable due to cheap electronics. Yes, this is a good guitar for a beginner, but if you want a better guitar, just change the hardware in this one because the platform is great. It doesn't even require a lot of money. About $300 for everything bad that catches your eye. Well, that is, replacing junk with really good parts.
I'd like to hear your take on a Slick SL57.
Dang, lubing the nut made that stay in tune 1000x better than my Jet JS-300 🤯 Hyviä videoita sulla, kiitos! 🤩
Kiitos!
Maple fretboard is cool. Reverse the headstock and I love it.
The neck is the best thing about the Jet guitars.
I have a left js400. It's real nice for the money.
Thanks for the review Elmo. 🙏✌️❤️
Thanks Rick :)
Lube the saddles and trees too.
Got the JS400 HSS, same as the JS300 but with a 2 point trem. Just needed a typical non-heroic at-home set up out of the box to play. No nut or fret work needed. I'd put a known as reliable trem to gig away but this one is still rock solid w/5 springs so far.
If the knife edge isnt burred by next string change I'll get a full size steel block and Gotoh keyholes or Highwood bent steel saddles and be done. (A Gotoh 510TS seems excessive, the Musiclily 510TS copies have questionable bridge plates.)
I wish more of these super cheap brands made hardtail strats. Sure you can deck or block it, but I'd rather just have a solid piece off wood for modding.
Same hear only thing I can find is a cheap fender bullit or affinity would love to have hardtail
I bought one on impulse a month ago. Unlike virtually every other guitar I've bought, it hardly needed any setting up or little technical issues to be done. The neck feels like this should an expensive guitar....very nice.
I looked inside and there was no shielding and the pots and switch were very cheap. That's something I'll do later, but it isn't that important.
Yeah, that will probably always be the case with cheap guitars.
You make me want to buy Marshall ;) Also the way you're doing this give away is awesome! Huge respect.
Thank you :)
I didnt need another guitar but that roasted sexy neck got me and i bought it....Excellent guitar that you can keep bone stock and enjoy...i on the other hand installed stainless steel frets and scalloped it cause i always try to turn strats into more modern copies of an YJM strat but that guitar truly doesnt need the mods.All that needs is polish those frets,maybe even bring the nut a bit down two but thats all....i ll buy another one but this time a 400 simply because of the comfort cuts it has(superstrat style)....the necks on these things deserve the pricetag alone......cant go wrong really with either.
Really nice review, Elmo. 😊 This is a great guitar for someone starting out, for sure. I would enter but I'm a lefty and have been playing for several years so I'll opt out an not even try, but I encourage others to submit their entries! I believe this should go to someone better deserving. I love seeing generous giveaways like this.
Thanks!
Elmo, I enjoy your videos, you review the guitars very well, honest good and bad , issues mentioned, not just super high gain muddy tones too.. with some pretty funny comments, and I think your playing has improved nicely also, 8:30 melted my facet 10:30 fantastic sustain. While these lower priced guitars are usually pretty well made, I always put Duncans, and some locking tuners, maybe lower the strings, and, if it sounds good stays in tune, it's off to the gig,, Thanks!
Thank you for another fantastic video. I could listen to your amazing solos all day long haha.
A million times better than the rubbish I started on.
Cheap guitars have come a long way recently.
100 million times better than the rubbish I started on...!!!!!
You're a nice person, thanks!
A trillion times better than my no name Japanese 60s piece of rubbish. A truly putrid instrument.😢
Broo this guitar could ve better than a Fender custom shop 😮
Well done Elmo! I always look forward to a smirk, laugh and funny voices as icing on top of the guitar playing quality. And you deliver in spades. "Let's get ol' Medieval on it! Roight!!" slayed me !
Haha :D Glad you liked it :)
Bro, it would be great if you did a series of videos testing pickups focused on a basic or mid-price improvement to cheap guitars that you have presented on the channel... models of alnico 5, alnico 2, humbuckers, p90, ceramics ... maybe it's somewhat complicated by the installation but you could have a pickguard and one or two test guitars. It would be great!. sorry for the english of the translator 🤘
Good idea.
Great content, love your honest reviews!
Please please please can you review the blackstar debut 50r?
Thanks
Hi Elmo, long time follower, I've one of these over a year and done some mods on it,swap out the bridge for the Jb mini HB, check out Fazley guitars, made in same factory and pretty much the same spec's but half the price, such a time to be playing guitar, i started in the late 80's
I have long suspected that roasted neck is short for stained neck. A roasted neck shouldn’t have fret sprout or raising frets.
Do you mean some of the fret ends are lifted?
Sorry? Not sure I follow.
This is the kinda guitar that Eddie turned into his Frankenstrat…and look what he did with that thing👍
You said ELMO the frets you mentioned could be a worse issue, I mean if that is happening after I buy this guitar like it did for you it is not impossible to fix right ?
I can always take the guitar to my guitar shop in town where I bought it to get it fixed to where it plays and feels like it should again right ? Or do you mean that it can get so bad with fret sprouts and fret buzz issues that you basically have to throw away the guitar as trash at the scrap yard and buy a new guitar ?
ELMO! I actually bought the Ibanez JEM JR after watching your video about it so thank you, I am really happy with that guitar.
I am now choosing between the Ibanez GRX40, Jet JS-400/JS-300 ( JS-400 same as JS-300 in this video but HSS setup) or Squier Sonic/Affinity with HSS setup and tremolo.
I was also looking at a Kramer Focus but I saw that you were not happy with that guitar haha ! All the others I mentioned you have tested so...
Which one do you think is best for the money ? I am playing everything from Pink Floyd to Iron maiden and some Metallica. I will use the whammy bar for some Pink Floyd and Maiden riffs :)
And also If I were to trade in my Schecter Demon 6 and could choose a guitar for up to 340 Euros, what would you choose for that kind of money if you were looking for a super strat ?
The shop I am buying from has most Ibanez, Jacksons, Squiers, Corts, LTD's, Epiphones, Yamahas and even Jets =)
Sorry for all these questions but I really appreciate your awesome opinions!
You can get the fret issues fixed. Sprout takes 15 minutes to fix, uneven frets can be worse and can cost more.
In terms of the guitars, maybe the Jet JS-400.
@@MrPolevaulter Alright but uneven frets can still be fixed even if it takes longer time = more expensive.
Thanks for the answer, I thought you might say the Ibanez since you had nothing bad to say about it and it held it's tune well after your insane whammy bar shenanigans =)
Hey, great review once again!
Have you ever tried a Fazley Guitare (Bax music brand)? I'm looking to buy an affordable SSS Strat (less than 200€), that I could order in France, and these Fazley guiatre look really nice on paper, but I just can't find enough reviews ... (plus Elmo's review is the only one I actually trust)
Thanks! Never tried one, no. Maybe I need to look into it.
Just ordered their Start and Tele style guitars. They were really cheap, just 79€ per guitar. It will be a while before I have a review out (could be months).
Oh wow thats awsome, Thanks a lot ! Can't wait !
I bought a js400 relic in seafoam green. Wanted make a tom delonge partcaster. So got pearloid pickguard one seymour duncan invader. Hardtailed it. New kluson tuners and rewired it. I would comfortably say that for £400 all in is alot better than the mecican fender tom delonge strat i tried at a fraction of the cost. The neck on it is amazing. The stock pickups were ok but if you're planning on modding it doesnt matter. Go get one. And nice honest review. New subscriber right here.
Nice review mate! 😎👌
The JS400 for only £10 more has a few "improvements" - more sculpted neck heel, a surprisingly reliable 2 point trem and HSS.
But the Fazley Phynica FSST720 (exact same guitar as JS400) is THE best budget strat imo.
Great work bro!
Cheers!
@stevecassidyguitar JS-400 with 2 point trem do you mean like a floating trem that you can also pitch brighter tones by pulling the arm away from the guitar body ? It does look like the same trem on the JS-300 in this video that is on the JS-400. The only difference I can find between the two guitars is the bridge pickup and a bit different design of the neck heel.
The addition of the humbucker on the JS-400 is enough for me to choose that over the JS-300. However there is another guitar for the same price, the Ibanez GRX40, I am having a hard time choosing between that and the JS-400 =(
@@mathias6423 Hey bro 👍 The difference in trens between the JS300 and JS400 is the way they are attached to the body and how it pivots. The JS300 bridge plate has 6 screws in front of the saddles. The JS400 has 2 posts (2 point trem) either side of the bridge plate. The plate rocks against the posts on a "knife edge".
Both can be set up floating. For me - I always go with 2 point - I find them more reliable and easier to manage. Vintage purists often prefer the 6 screw version.
The 2 point trem on the JS400 is really great imo. I just upgraded mine to a Gotoh 510 (that cost not much less than the guitar) and it wasn't a massive improvement.
Never tried the new Ibanez - but I've heard good things.
I'd say the Ibanez will be a bit more "shredder" as it will have a flatter radius and the Jet will feel more Fender like (almost exactly the same).
I've barely touched my Fender US strat since I got the JS400. But I'm a strat guy.
Good luck bro 👍
@@stevecassidyguitar That just made it harder lol, I both like the strat feel and the Ibanez feel.
But I am going to play a lot of Iron maiden and Pink Floyd stuff, So I think the JET JS-400 with some Dimarzio or Duncan pickups on it will do great.
The trem block in the back is thicker on the JET than the Ibanez and the Ibanez does not have a roasted neck so...
The only Jet available in my store is the pink one and that has a Rosewood fretboard instead of the maple one that the other colors have.
I am not sure how I feel about that but I am leaning torwards the JET instead of the Ibanez anyways.
Thanks man!
@@mathias6423 No worries - That's what I'd go for too 😀 (But probably not the pink one) not because it's pink, i just don't like rosewood 😆 I've reviewed the Jet JS 400, 300 and did some comparisons, you should be able to find em here if it helps 👍
All the best mate
I have the JS-400. Came setup totally perfect. The Fret-Job was insanly (!) great and perfect. The Neck is to die for! Put in some Locking Tuners, Changed the Trem to a Wilkinson i had laying around (but its literally the same unbranded system anyways). Tried Dimarzios inside only to put the Original PU back in, changed the electronics though.
Which locking tuners did you use? Did you have to drill new holes?
@@robvdrdp Some cheap ones from FAME (Musicstore - Cologne/Germany inHouse Brand), have them on several Guitars, as good as Gotoh's which i have on others for half the Price. They fit in directly!
@@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist Thanks! I will definitely order some, getting my js300 today. 😁🤘
@@robvdrdp Good idea!
10:45 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Great that Elmo will use a budget amp when trying out a budget guitar unlike most other tubers that will run a princeton, a marshall vintage stack or other expensive amp that most beginners / hobbyists wont have.😊
I bought one for jus 198€ really love this guitar
Very nice playing 🤘🤘🤘
I have a jet tele, it's pretty good too. It's great that you can get a decent guitar for about 150 euros these days.
Sure is.
Elmo thanks for this review. Do you prefer this model or the Js 400?
Have you seen new chinese aria guitars? I've got feeling that aria and jet guitars are made on same factory. Thanks for your videos 🎻
Haven't seen them, no. Maybe I have to check one out.
An ideal first guitar, from my experience 99% of them requre a full setup including the frets.
These days i tend to prefer to pay a bit more and get a guitar that has decent hardware and only needs tweaking
to make it easy to play, finding a perfect sample is the hard part.
Thanks for another great video Elmo.
Nice looking and the neck looks great. Sounded okay overall and impressed with the tremelo holding up that well. I did find the pickups to be a bit ice picky though.
Seems the market at that price point is starting to get pretty busy!
Yeah, loads of quality cheap gear out there these days.
What a player man!!!! Serious skills. I would got JET all day.
When you played Pepa's theme "bruh.." 😂😂
Been looking for a Maple Bd. Strat
I have a Canadian Beauty Neck , perfectly quarter sawn.
The (arrow/fingernail) Grain pattern right up the center of the neck !
Would love to know the Maker , met a guy on the NYS Thruway
Checked out this Frankenstein Strat . At first grab , it was my
""Forever Neck"" mated to an older Squier body (replaced)
H/H set , and a sweet Ibanez 2 pin Term Bridge
As it sits now
A Charvel KILLER
That neck
It is quite weird, the theory behind using roasted maple is to avoid developing these fret issues and it is far more resistant to temperature changes. Now the question is if it is really roasted maple or caramelised and just pretending being that one....
The answer to which is that I don't know.
@@MrPolevaulter apparently they are renamed Fazley guitars, they are made in the same factory.... Same specs, same everything, Fazley roughly 20% cheaper and most of them comes with Wilkinson hardware and pups.... Another hype, like Harley Benton, then Donner was.... Keep up with the great videos Elmo, I am happy you finally got something for proper clean tones, 😂😆
I've been considering some of the new Contemporary Series from Squier for both a Strat and a Tele. Any thoughts on these ones?
I've got all the metal guitars I need, those would be more for variety and specifically for potential band gigs playing rock/hard rock
Haven't tried the Contemporary line, so can't say.
I'm pleasantly surprised when a budget strat sounds good. Although I realize that your touch comes into that tone, not to mention the quality of the amp and reverb/delay. Just awesome at that price! So I'm Stuck between the Eart entry-level guitar and that Jet 300? I'd love to buy both. Ugh! 😣
Nothing beats sliced bread, except slides bread without crust!!!
😃
Fazley Phynica 720 is exactly the same as the Jet JS400 and costs 97€… probably nothing gonna beat that
Hi, I enjoy watching your content, it's very useful, I cannot find any comparison videos js300 vs azes 40. If you have a chance to compare those guitars would be great to see.
But, the Cort G110 doesn't have the real Strat body shape that this seems to have.
Guitars always need some tweaking. My 2019 custom guitar is now in my guitar makers workshop. It sounds like sitar😂. Some screws are lose on bridge he said(Gotoh 510). And high e-string twelfth fret rattling. It is high end guitar. No matter price all guitars need now and then maintenance. 😎🎸.
Just sent the e-mail, good luck everyone and thank you Elmo :)
Thanks :)
Just got a squire 40th gold edition. F in the chat for us usa folks but its understandable. I'd pay for shipping to the US tho if there were a way i won somehow. Thanks Elmo, great video again.
When you take off the back plate to the trem cavity can you see into the electrics?
Like you get on cheep encores etc.
I would rather go with the js400. Hss with contour heel for high fret access
I'll probably try that at some point.
Great video Elmo, I got one 2 months ago as a second guitar , the neck is unreal on it, not too fond of the bridge pickup, was thinking of putting some tex mex pickups into it, do you think that would improve the guitar , thanks.
It might. Pickups are very subjective.
The neck looks very similar to my sire
I think maybe it is the Vintage Coaster V60
the fretboard edges looked slightly rolled too?
what is the name of the song starts st 9:58
still got the blues
Hey
Is it better than the Yamaha Pacifica 112VM?
Much better than a Squier!!!
I've never seen them (Jet Guitars) anywhere! Pete
Yeah, they seem to be pretty new to the game.
Can u please review bacchus budget friendly guitar that came with roasted maple fretboard .
I need that one, because my guitar is borrowed by my brother. So I would get new strat to play along😊
Send me an email 😊
@@MrPolevaulter oli menny spämmii 😀😅
@@MrPolevaulterhei, laitoin elmojk osoitteeseen sulle mailia
The Jet JS-400 is very best. 😉
Canodian raisebread, always nice! 😂
You're awesome
Thank you :)
what about SX sst57 strat???
What about it?
i mean , is it better ?@@MrPolevaulter
Whammy skills seriously, seriously on point. Poor guitar..or perhaps lucky, to be pushed to the max..
MAKE REVIEW of Squier Sonic Stratocaster Laurel Fingerboard California Blue PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I'm going to buy it and it is looks like guitar of my dreams! And next will buy Tele.))
Jet js-400 or Harley Benton st-62? Which is better?
The jet. Better bridge.
I do not need a guitar, i need your fingers! Mine are too old LoL!
In states I'm seeing $ 258 plus shipping
- And remember kids...
- Evri guichar is ingivijual... Yngwie sucks!
- Timmy!
Generous to help poeple!! - Thank´s for the Video - as always very good!! - Greetings from Germany
Sounds distinctly average - it's those peppa pickups ! Still at the price what's not to like if the build quality is good. Factor in a good name brand set of pups and jobs a good un. The Marshall still sounds great (but I'm biased) :-) .