View other reviews for this product:
James...
Published on 10/12/11 at 20:16
A friend of mine loaned me this for a month just because he wanted me to see how great it was. Being a pretty anti-epiphone guy, I was really skeptical. But I figured hey, it's free. Not sure of the country of origin but obviously it's far east somewhere. Maybe Korea. Longer than normal scale for a les paul style guitar. Obviously the pickups are totally different and the control layout is a bit different. The finish for the price is good. Not incredible. Decent flame.
UTILIZATION
It's surprisingly playable. And more importantly, it feels right. I've played a large number of guitars and usually the real test of quality is the feel of the guitar. You can tell a lot about price from how a guitar feels in your hands. It's a thing that comes from years of playing all sorts of guitars. Anyway, this one feels pretty darn good for what it is. Solid and reliable in your hands I suppose... Shockingly so. It's not on the level of a very nice PRS or anything. But it feels like it could actually hold up to a tour. Yeah...crazy stuff. And yes it does play nicely with no issues really. The bridge is also pretty decent.
SOUNDS
The nighthawk has a funny pickup layout that does take some getting used to. But basically, you've got your rock humbucker in the bridge. Then the mellow sounds from the single coil and the mini hum. I'm not really a fan of the mini hum. It sounds like a muddy telecaster. Don't expect any les paul sounds out of this because of the scale length. It won't happen. It's definitely got a fender thing going on in some ways. The humbucker is a bit twangy but it still has a lot of power. Overall I'm pleased. The minihum could be changed out I think. But other than that no complaints. Good sound.
OVERALL OPINION
I really am love/hate on the body shape and overall look. Maybe it's because it's an epi. I don't think I would buy this myself because it seems to me that this guitar can't decide what it wants to be. For some people this is a good thing. Personally i like more classic designs. Anyway, I think it's a good deal for what it is. And I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality.
UTILIZATION
It's surprisingly playable. And more importantly, it feels right. I've played a large number of guitars and usually the real test of quality is the feel of the guitar. You can tell a lot about price from how a guitar feels in your hands. It's a thing that comes from years of playing all sorts of guitars. Anyway, this one feels pretty darn good for what it is. Solid and reliable in your hands I suppose... Shockingly so. It's not on the level of a very nice PRS or anything. But it feels like it could actually hold up to a tour. Yeah...crazy stuff. And yes it does play nicely with no issues really. The bridge is also pretty decent.
SOUNDS
The nighthawk has a funny pickup layout that does take some getting used to. But basically, you've got your rock humbucker in the bridge. Then the mellow sounds from the single coil and the mini hum. I'm not really a fan of the mini hum. It sounds like a muddy telecaster. Don't expect any les paul sounds out of this because of the scale length. It won't happen. It's definitely got a fender thing going on in some ways. The humbucker is a bit twangy but it still has a lot of power. Overall I'm pleased. The minihum could be changed out I think. But other than that no complaints. Good sound.
OVERALL OPINION
I really am love/hate on the body shape and overall look. Maybe it's because it's an epi. I don't think I would buy this myself because it seems to me that this guitar can't decide what it wants to be. For some people this is a good thing. Personally i like more classic designs. Anyway, I think it's a good deal for what it is. And I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality.