Zuwei USA Custom Series - this is NOT the worst guitar I've ever been sent

[@Russell_Optics]

It is a nice effort on their part, but, let's be realistic. They sent you a hand-picked, custom made guitar with 60-cycle hum inlays , did a full set-up to show you what they *can* do that still had had a major flaw in the lower horn. As a regular customer I can't expect that much attention given to anything I might buy from them.

[@60CycleHumcast]

This is how their entire USA line claims to be. When you're ordering it's supposed to be going through their shop bench and not just out of a factory. I definitely get what you're saying, but the shop is trying to hang their hat on the quality of these so hopefully they are all as attended to as this one was - steve

[@Russell_Optics]

@@60CycleHumcast If that is truly their mission statement I applaud them for the efforts.

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

I think it was more about them proving they can indeed build such a machine.

[@zuweiusa3045]

We completely understand why you may think this, for every other manufacturer would probably do it that way. However we do not, and guarantee that what we sent the guys at 60 Cycle Hum is exactly what we would send to anyone. The sanding on the horn was on purpose to try and create a worn/vintage look. We have decided not to do that on any of the future models. Thanks.

[@richardclark.]

It looks like they are saying they sanded out that lower horn so they could relic the guitar in the one spot that gets least touched. Lol. But they have decided not to do it anymore. Lol. And have you ever seen what happens when you a little water on waxed furniture? Now try corrosive sweat. It's just a bad, sticky idea. Even if you don't sweat you will have to wax your guitar all the time and strip it occasionally or it will just rot. But I think most humans have oil on their skin.

[@billardon514]

I think this is a really good move on Zuwei's part. Companies that are willing to make an effort, improve and offer good support/follow ups, are companies that deserve respect and while it's easy to whine about entry/mid level guitar companies or newcomers to the market, we tend to often be wayyyyy too soft on large corporations with millions of dollars offering subpar products or customer support. So, good job Zuwei and keep it up.

[@joseislanio8910]

That flaw in the cutaway looks like a router mishap. You can see a wood knot close to that area, it might've caused the router bit to jump.

[@howardmaryon]

So even when they are trying to redeem themselves, they send out a guitar that would have failed Sweetwaters quality control.

[@bc454irocz89]

its part of the design, the upper horn is similar as well as the headstock

[@BParker55]

No way. Nope. I'd 100% rather see an example of what you'd get as a random customer. Also any company that would act like that is doomed to fail. Thanks at least for showing us a company to stay away from. That is equally as valuable as recommendations

[@zuweiusa3045]

This was a gift from our USA Custom line to these guys, it was not meant as a review at all! It was a surprise and in fact we didn't even speak to them until today after the video was posted. Sadly Agent Orange would not have passed our QC if it was for sale, but its not because it was a gift. What a random customer would get would not only play as good or better, the finish would be much better. And this is 100% guaranteed. All our guitars, no matter who or where they were made, will get a professional setup and will arrive 100% gig and studio ready. The USA line are special. These are one of a kind and each is built individually with the same care and precision as the last.

[@BParker55]

@@zuweiusa3045 so you're saying that seeing a basically unplayable guitar purchased from you, AND a personal gift which was still not up to par shouldn't be enough to deter a buyer?? Are you really an American company? Surely you know better.

[@anthonymiller3970]

That dent in the cut away would have made me send it back if I ordered that guitar. The whole guitar looks like someone made it in there garage out of cheaper parts. The body looks like it was made from 6 pieces of wood glued together. I myself don’t like the looks of the finish. The guitar would look better with a rosewood fingerboard. For $500 I can think of much better options. Thumbs down 👎

[@bluwng]

Thanks for sharing your opinion, not that anyone cares but thanks.

[@anthonymiller3970]

@@bluwng no one cares about your comment stating your opinion about my opinion.

[@richardclark.]

The whole reason for this is sharing our opinion. What would you like to discuss in a chat about this guitar? Anything anyone says about anything will be an opinion. Would you like us all to be mute?

[@frankfarklesberry]

Maybe I'm just old and crotchety, but I don't think the Zuwei USA letter and guitar helps them that much. (1) You don't swear in business letters. (2) You don't help yourself by trashing the Chinese part of the business. You guys don't work together? (3) There's really nothing special about the specs or appearance of these guitars that makes a real value proposition. Compare them to, as an example, the M MUSI Virgo Fusion Electric Guitar that is about to be released on Amazon for the same money.
OK, I'm old and crotchety after re-reading this, but my opinion still stands. 😄

[@zuweiusa3045]

We could see your point totally.... However this was a gift and not business. Ryan decided to make the video without any influence from us. And we didn't trash them, we simply stated their strong point is making guitars not marketing them.

[@frankfarklesberry]

@@zuweiusa3045 Why is this written in the third person? You just trashed your own business. ?????

[@andrewkaetz1967]

Good on Zuwei!!! Showing you their best foot forward after that last product. I believe they did it in the best way that they could given the circumstances. Honestly everyone deserves a second chance. Especially when things don’t go well, but they still put in the effort to show what they can do.

[@intelassassins.9007]

Hey! Both me and my friend played that guitar in their shop. They do play great and the finish is hard and very natural looking. The volume dial thingy was a different touch that I liked. I did not need a Floyd Rose and I ended up purchasing a Yellow semi hollow 335 style that I enjoy playing.

[@doogledog1740]

Zuwei strike me as far too pushy. I wouldn't have given them the time of day. This latest guitar looks like a very average home-build, and that's the one they specifically selected to send to you. Gawd knows what they would send to an ordinary customer.

[@bluwng]

You seem to value your opinion, maybe others will as well.

[@doogledog1740]

@@bluwng Indeed, it is my opinion and as such it cannot be wrong. It may be uninformed, or unenlightened, or uneducated, but it can't be wrong.

[@richardclark.]

Who is this blung hole dude who keeps poo pooing peoples opinions? This whole thing is about what we think about this guitar. Anything we say about the video will be our opinion. Do you work for Zuwaii or however you spell this amateur guitar makers name?

[@lukeyduke79]

@@richardclark. I'm thinking a sad little troll who needs attention or..... a zuwei employee lol

[@zuweiusa3045]

This was a gift from our USA Custom line to these guys, it was not meant as a review at all! It was a surprise and in fact we didn't even speak to them until today after the video was posted. Sadly Agent Orange would not have passed our QC if it was for sale, but its not because it was a gift. What a random customer would get would not only play as good or better, the finish would be much better. And this is 100% guaranteed. All our guitars, no matter who or where they were made, will get a professional setup and will arrive 100% gig and studio ready. The USA line are special. These are one of a kind and each is built individually with the same care and precision as the last.

[@ScienceofLoud]

The comments from ZuweiUSA on that original video were some of the most unhinged nonsense I've ever heard, and the letter has a lot of the same vibes.
Despite that, at least they came through and proved the point that whatever they are doing in their USA branch it is vastly different from your previous experience.

[@Ottophil]

I don’t care about the second video. I will judge them based on first impressions

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@Ottophil All of these people failed at their "First Attempt" . When you fail it forces you to learn and when you learn you get better at what you do. I would be more hesitant to buy from a company who cannot admit their weak points, and therefore is not willing to make them stronger. We sent a guitar to someone who truly disliked us, and turned that it into some good vibes. This was the point of this gift. 99% of companies wouldn't have the guts or class to do that. And we know it was not perfect, it even got dropped, but we knew it was a likeable, interesting, unique guitar that plays very well. The above video... that was an unexpected bonus which is greatly appreciated by us here at ZuweiUSA.
Fred Astaire
Albert Einstein
Abraham Lincoln
Steven Spielberg
Thomas Edison
4. Walt Disney
Jerry Seinfeld

[@thejusticeization]

@@zuweiusa3045 you sent him a guitar with a big wood dent. that looks bad on your part

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@thejusticeization We sent them a gift that symbolizes their journey to 100,000 followers. Not a perfect guitar for a review. The video was a bonus that Ryan kindly made to talk about the guitar on his own time. And if we recall he said it plays really really good. And the point of a guitar is to be played. Would you take the race car with the dented hood that is the fastest and handles the best over the one with a pretty paint job that will finish last. We hope in time that thing has a ton of dents and dings. There were probably some dents and dings along the way to 100,000, so it probably suits the situation perfect. None of our other custom shop guitars would ever ship like this and in fact you would get pictures before it shipped for you to approve.

[@robertbaker3126]

I think that's a nice gift I would not change a thing keep it as a reminder that you have a strong platform out there in the guitar community

[@Russell_Optics]

I agree it shows that Ryan has a platform that causes them concerns because of his UA-cam channel, but a regular consumer would not get the same treatment. WE would be stuck with the original P.O.S.

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@Russell_Optics What we sent the boys at 60 Cycle Hum from our USA Custom Line is exactly what we would send to you. Only difference is you would be able to talk to the techs about how you wanted it setup. In fact your would be better... for theirs probably wouldn't have passed quality control. This was a gift, and a sign of their accomplishments, not a guitar we sent for a review. Ryan was kind enough to give his honest opinion, some very kind words, and for that we thank him.

[@ygslyn6732]

Frankly, the fact that the company has replied to almost every somewhat critical comment in this comment section just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Something just doesn’t feel right, especially with the way the letter is handled and worded, and the experience with the original guitar with them not distancing themselves from a branch of their own company (?????) and now this guitar has several cosmetic issues. The unfortunate truth is that the reputation of the first guitar probably just put off most people from ever buying a Zuwei guitar when there are better more established options in a similar price range.
Some examples:
Dean
Schecter
Fender Player Series
Epiphone
Most modern squiers
Hell, Considering I’ve only ever seen two of these Zuwei guitars, both having defects, and one of them being horrendous, I would honestly rather choose a Donner or a glarry over this, mainly because they are more traditional and easier to mod if you don’t like the electronics, and because they are FAR cheaper.
A prediction:
Whoever is running their marketing team and this UA-cam account is probably going to leave an unhinged long paragraph in the replies like with every other critical comment. It just feels like they are trying super hard to compensate for either a lack of quality control or because they are just a crappy company constantly coming up with excuses once people learned that they even existed. Anyways, that’s my takeaway from it

[@euronymous93]

being looking forward to this video for a while

[@AndruJorj]

Obviously an inlay. The wood grain goes in the opposite direction.

[@Bob-Whiting]

Personally, I think they redeemed themselves rather nicely. Those are definitely INLAYS and you can see if you look closely that the grain for each piece of each letter changes direction. A very nice touch. Do they also make the ZLG guitars? With a little fret end filing, some WD-40 in the pots and height adjustment of the pups, I turned a beautiful but unplayable T-style into one of my favorites for only $79.00 U.S. ! I would buy from Zuwei-USA but not from
Zuwei-China.

[@J.C...]

Don't ever put wd40 in pots 😯

[@Bob-Whiting]

@@J.C... I disagree JC, 100%. I have been working on electronics and now micro-electronics for 48 years and have never had anything but success using WD-40 in potentiometers. I would never use oil on them of course, but WD-40 is not oil. It was designed originally to remove moisture and dirt from electrical components such as automobile ignitions. Where do you get your information JC?

[@JTHelectronics]

@@Bob-Whiting just because you havent had a problem doesnt mean its the best stuff to use, leaves a residue that can attract more dust/debris. quick dry contact cleaner is cheap just use the right stuff

[@kotogray8335]

I like it. It has a Tele style sound as well as a full sound when mixed

[@dickstryker]

Handmade products have blems an eccentricities. Gives them character. The finish on the neck looks cool.

[@marsvoltron]

For that trem bar I found that wrapping some Teflon tape used for water pipes around the threads helps a lot.

[@kbowen2251]

Glad to see they made a response and try to make things better. I'm gonna be interested to see how that wax finish relics out. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on how the progress myself. If they ever add bass guitars then I'll be really tempted 😂

[@onionheadguy7094]

That bottom cut is impossible to unsee. I like the headstock shape though.

[@robbusch9564]

Warwick & Framus use wax finishes on many of their guitars & basses. It works well if you rewax them periodically.

[@隠れた]

Zuwei is such a terrible company.. lies and bold weightless claims… arguments… poor quality.. bad practices and so on ..

[@guycewilkerson9858]

I’m not sure about the other brands they mentioned, but I have a couple of the IYV guitars and I’m pretty sure they are manufactured in Vietnam (not China) for a company in Korea named Inyenvina.

[@cdavidlake2]

IYVs are indeed made in Vietnam. A claim like that immediately makes the whole endeavor suspect to me. Ryan (commendably) called them out on it - in the most gentle way possible, of course.

[@jonstephenson100]

Given the name of the guitar I was definitely expecting to hear some Agent Orange!

[@TheTwangKings]

I like the electronics setup, very different. I've never seen it on any other guitar.

[@StephenLight-oc3tl]

The finish is sometimes called a French polish and is usually done by some boutique luthiers.

[@bradmathis8196]

That's a pieced-in inlay. The grain of the wood in parts of the letters is perpendicular to the grain of the guitar.

[@brianmyers157]

Inlay - look at the grain direction on parts of the lettering

[@popsplace0420]

Yeah, following the vibe here; I'm out on this one too. In the 5-9 range I already have Schecter as a stable, established, quality midrange guitar company.

[@wardackerman]

The letters do look like an inlay. The wood grain on the letters are going different directions/grain than the guitar itself. Mostly likely laser cut so they fit really nice.

[@blueslawyer]

I do a Warwick Beeswax treatment regularly on my Gibson SG faded as well as my Ibanez SDGR bass.

[@allenwilliams1969]

I like the matte finish, and the pot positioning is pretty interesting.

[@jktolford8272]

Yeah, right under tremolo bar tip. Might be able to swell & raise pitch at same time.

[@norseman61]

This is clearly supposed to represent the VERY BEST they can possibly do… which makes it pretty disappointing. There are WAAAYYY too many better options out there to even give this brand a moment of consideration.

[@zuweiusa3045]

We can see why you may make that assumption. These are far from the best we can do. The very best we can do would cost the buyer around $1500, and is not what we are trying to accomplish with these guitars. These are players, that are designed to look Antique/Worn and not cost an arm an a leg.

[@norseman61]

Good to know. Thanks for the clarification.

[@zuweiusa3045]

​@@norseman61 Not a problem at all. In fact Agent Orange was a gift to these guys, and would not have passed our QC due to a few issues. It may or may not have been slightly dropped by a 16 YR old kid in the shop... :-( And a lot of people played that guitar while it was here in the shop, including myself for a couple hours. Of course any other we sent out would be brandy new, without this wear. That being said.... it still plays like any other we would offer to anyone else. We had no idea Ryan was going to even open it or talk about it. All we wanted to do was offer something with a good vibe to some cool dudes who put off cool vibes. Could you point in in the direction of some of the other brands offering one of a kind guitars in this price range. We would like to see their offerings, and learn how we can better compete with them. Thanks for your time it is appreciated.

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@curtisdressman Lol. yeah. We estimate about 40 people played this guitar while we let it sit on the shop floor for a few weeks. Remember this was a gift and Ryan's video was just as much a pleasant surprise to us as it was to you. Many said they heard of the show. One time it may have been dropped about a foot and a half onto the jack plate. We called that the durability test. It passed. it has a decent amount of play time on it that's why we sent a new set of strings.

[@norseman61]

@@curtisdressman .... and my wife is "slightly pregnant".

[@Purusam]

I don't know, Ryan. This whole drama, with this long letter and some strong statements seem kinda sus.
Imho I'd stay far away from this brand. I don't trust them at all.
And the guitar, well... It isn't a great value for the money. Very amateur-ish finish.
Thank you for the video, Ryan.

[@gringogreen4719]

Looks cool for a SuperStrat guitar. Not my thing but I dig the look and the wax.

[@itspaddyd]

I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt here. I can understand them panicking about the first video, but I think we can all agree that the social media response to that video was a bit weird and them leaving all these comments is strange. But If they are making good guitars in the USA for under £1000, then you can't really fault them can you? I think if someone was looking for a unique hot rod it would certainly be an option. Not for everyone, but they definitely deserve a try.

[@VOORHEES27]

They should have sent a decent version of the original guitar you reviewed.

[@zuweiusa3045]

We wish we could have. If you watch the video, we think its made clear that we had nothing to do with that original guitar being sent. That was sent about 20 months ago and this USA shop and line did not even exist then. We don't even offer it on out website. So technically it was impossible for us to send a decent version of the first guitar from China.... because our USA branch, did not even exist when it was sent.

[@edwinstovall3334]

I found that letter informative. I'm sure we all know that many overseas manufacturers supply guitars to many sellers in many nations. I own one Cort-made Ibanez, for instance. I don't recall that letter mentioning that they also make stuff for Thomann's Harley Benton line of guitars, but I have reason to believe that they do. I recently turned 65, and I treated myself to two cheap guitars in quick succession: A Donner DST-400 first and then a Harley Benton Travel Guitar -- which looks exactly like what we used to call a "pickguard" guitar, since the body was shaped to match the contours of a typical Stratocaster-style pickguard. I think Zuwei made the Donner because the letter says they do, but I make the same call about the Harley Benton because it has EXACTLY the same headstock. Sure, the print on it is appropriately different, but it's the same shape. I don't believe that any company in the 21st Century is going to fail to protect intellectual property like headstock shapes, so I conclude that Zuwei's factory makes HBs, too.

[@richardnagamitsu1582]

I would love a review of their Mad Cat Tele.

[@nalvarado2001]

I just saw this thinking it was the old zuwei, i can’t believe they sent you another one!

[@purple6string801]

Really can't get enough of your videos for 2 day or day. Im new subscriber man. Cool thumbs👍

[@jeevansingh6944]

What a lovely gift. I think the wax idea is lovely but not sure if basswood is the right wood for that finish, perhaps with some maple or walnut on top would be lovely for wax finish. The neck staining is a hot mess and thought you were very polite. I really dig the headstock shape though and the neck pickup sounded nice to my ears.

[@garyarruda1664]

I believe zuwei is the factory all those brands are manufactured. Wax is awesomeness. That is an inlay the grain direction is opposite.

[@TonicTroubled]

With Sawtooth Americana series you at least get a guitar made in China but with the electronics upgraded in the US to name brand pickups, Switchcraft switches, CTS pots and original Floyd Rose if equiped...etc. Seems like a better deal than what Zuwei. With their coupons and app discount you can get them for what some of the USA Zuwei's cost.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Just looked up the specs on some of these and this is exactly where I think import guitar builders should be going as they move up the price range. Mid/high end pickups and other appointments generally recognized as being part of well built instruments - steve

[@zuweiusa3045]

Those are cool!!!! However.... Still made in China and not one of a kind hand stained finishes like Zuwei. We will gladly upgrade anything you want if you request it when you order the guitar. But why when what we offer for a better price works the same? Also who says our pickups are cheap to begin with? There not they are quality and made in Korea. And our pots are upgraded and all the wiring also. You get pics the entire build process, if you choose your own custom color. and approve it along the way. Believe us their is not a single company even coming close to offering what we are offering in this price range.

[@TonicTroubled]

@@zuweiusa3045 Best wishes for your future.

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@TonicTroubled Thank you very much for your kind words.

[@rindred]

I've used Odie's Oil to finish an unsealed guitar neck. It feels amazing, and I highly recommend it.

[@zuweiusa3045]

The neck on these is not covered in wax just the body and headstock. For the neck we use a similar oil to Odies, and will agree it is fantastic.

[@50Something]

Impressive because it's free but otherwise it looks like a kit build to me!

[@Log-On-Line]

theyre only 400-900 its not like its 2k

[@NWLee]

Definitely NOT IMPRESSED

[@chrislathwell3653]

Cool vid I like the way they reached out to you and I like the way they want to show you they can do better good move imo and also ur awesome Ryan keep up the amazing work

[@henrysmith187]

Very cool of Zuwei to reach out and try to repair its reputation. Gutsy move.

[@thejusticeization]

with another flawed guitar lol

[@bluwng]

My favorite pickup configuration

[@everythingtakin]

Totally a melt your face guitar sweet of zuwei to do that. Wax finish is cool concept

[@photoniccannon2117]

Honestly that neck pickup has a pretty nice tone! Not bad for a $500 guitar.

[@bc454irocz89]

It's not a flaw in the lower horn. its present in the upper horn as well and fits the vibe of the headstock. Its going for that homemade vibe which isnt my thing but just to let you know this is intentional

[@sexyredheadmilf]

"The truth is our factories do make, Donner, East, IYV" What a spicy claim as you pointed out! IYV (InyenVina) is a Korean-owned guitar OEM with their factory in Vietnam (abbr. Vina), that has made/produces guitars for several brands Harley Benton, AIO/Wolf, ESP and Amazon (aka. IYV). That claim shows how clueless, misleading and deceiving Zuwei folks are.

[@zuweiusa3045]

Actually you are right we misspoke. The owner of Zuwei has 3 factories including one of those in Korea. He does not own the IYV factory but they work together if need be. However we do build Donner, Eart, and Grote and many more brands in those 3 factories. There is nothing clueless, misleading or deceiving about anything we do. Honestly the only thing misleading is your assumptions based on a mistake.

[@howardmaryon]

Of course, they just picked a random guitar off the line to send to you...not. They hand picked it and then customised it, then had a competent luthier set it up properly. So now you can trust them to send those of us who are not UA-cam influencers a guitar of similar standard........ really?

[@60CycleHumcast]

All of the instruments in this series are supposed to be assembled and set up in house in their New York shop. Is that something we could easily verify? Nope, but it is the claim. I wouldn't expect any of the other guitars from this line to be significantly different from this one, but that could just be naive of me. - steve

[@zuweiusa3045]

None of these are "Random" because no two are alike. There is no line to pick from. One and done sir. They are one of a kind, Once the hand made dye is hand stained it is thrown away. Gone forever and that color will never be again. Most are stained a dark color then sanded and re-stained the final color. we couldn't exactly reproduce one if we tried. Every guitar comes setup from a luthier, not just the USA ones even the ones we send out that were made in China. There is a video on our page showing you exactly what every guitar receives before we send them out. ua-cam.com/video/8v8J5SQ5Wto/v-deo.html

[@BParker55]

@@zuweiusa3045 except the one that he bought in the first vid I guess huh

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@BParker55 That would be relevant if we sent that to him, But since we didn't even exist then.... so what you are saying is 100% irrelevant to the point. Also he did not buy it, The Chinese warehouse sent that to him, this was also made very clear in the video.

[@alexcorona]

IVY guitars are made in the same factory as Harley Bentons, so that's an added thing....

[@rindred]

IYV is supposed to be located in Vietnam, not China. That's why this is all a bit sus.

[@dirttaq]

I also find it hard to believe they make IYV, Eart, Donner, etc. IYV is made in Vietnam, while Donner is made in China.
I’d actually love to see you review an IYV, I bought an IJZ-300 about a year ago and personally I really enjoy it.

[@bc454irocz89]

yeah that was my thoughts too

[@WilliamHaisch]

This looks like a fun guitar. Someone once said: “Orange is the color of fun!” So true.

[@scottmartin356]

I will buy anything you will ever sell, THEY ARE THAT GOOD!

[@ThePowerman121]

Someone was having a bit too much fun with the Floyd Rose. I couldn’t help but chuckle every time he’d go for the tremolo

[@grayaj23]

The reality of good customer service is that in order for you to experience good service, something first has to go wrong. I think their response here speaks well of them.

[@cedwardmassey]

I hope that players who don't make public reviews can expect the same quality

[@60CycleHumcast]

How did you even find this video? I never get comments on this thing.

[@geralddoyle5131]

Tone is great on the bridge!

[@crashtest8470]

Seems like a pretty decent guitar if it's at the 499 mark, if its north of 700.. not so much.

[@lukeyduke79]

seems like a cheap PR ploy to offset the backlash from the last situation, and even then the guitar they sent you is b stock at best with it's flaws. Call me cynical, but this has not improved my opinion of the brand.

[@peterhicks1443]

iyv is made in a factory in vietnam. the iyv factory makes iyv wolf/aio some of the dean models a few ltds and some of the schecters. the iyv guitars are make from the lefover parts from the runs of other guitar brands i just mentioned.

[@Hiro.the.God.]

I’m actually in the market for a HS guitar. Just a simple Single coil in the neck for clarity and quack, and a humbucker in the bride for gain. Some of us out hear do like both.

[@danieljdtaylor]

Company “drama” aside, what a cool looking guitar! Kinda makes me really want a natural finished HS superstrat sort of thing, or maybe an offset, an offset would you cool.

[@aidanoswald5034]

On the subject of what wax used, gun stock wax is what I've seen used on necks. Don't know about the body but I also don't see why it couldn't.
As for the guitar itself, I'd be interested to hear how it holds up over time.
Some skepticism I have is that they advertise their guitars as custom and one of a kind. I don't think custom applies to anything sold as-is and 'one of a kind' just translates to 'partscaster' to me. Not that they can't be good, but the potential for inconsistency is there.
Parts of the letter felt like.. they were just trying to squeeze in more advertising. I couldn't say I trust them, but maybe if I lived in NY and could check out the guitars in person I'd give them a shot. I don't know if I'd trust online reviews, at least people I don't know, though since they could write their own.

[@solomonsanchez1897]

Manufacturers since the 1970's have been selling parts guitars as custom models. Hell, Nash sells an "Allparts" guitar for well over a grand and they can't make them fast enough to meet demand.

[@aidanoswald5034]

@@solomonsanchez1897 That I never knew, but makes sense.

[@gloryxkid]

Feels genuine! Although the 40-50 fans playing it thing seemed far fetched.

[@barnshart9662]

Let's be real. 99.99% of the subscribers on this channel are all just bots Ryan's spent every spare minute of his time creating so he could grow his channel.

[@60CycleHumcast]

I wish I knew how to make bots. I would have so much fun.

[@zuweiusa3045]

You could be right... We asked most everyone who came in to the shop for a few weeks, if they heard of the show and to grab the guitar. Many said yes they had, and a few even recognized the orange guitar in the corner from his prior video. Maybe they heard of the show, maybe they just wanted to try it out, or maybe its like when you ask someone if they know of a band, and they say they have heard of them but they really have not. The point of the guitar was to commend them on 100,000 subscribers. The fans! So we thought it only proper to try and get as many fans to play it first. We tried for sure, and some will chime in eventually. I am one, and played it for a couple hours through a Kustom 50w tube amp with no pedals just clean, and got some really amazing jazz tones. Overall that guitar got excellent reviews in the shop. Honestly if it didn't do you think we would have sent it to Ryan? But the best part is all of the ZuweiUSA custom strat style guitars are setup identical. Blindfolded you cannot tell the difference, we tried! Most loved the concentric volume knobs, and played with it for a while with a smile on their face. It is a fun guitar that is unique. I can assure you that at least 5 fans that I know of played that guitar and not just a few licks, they dug into that thing.

[@thejusticeization]

How does it feel genuine?

[@norseman61]

The lady doth protest too much, methinks. My God, after reading all of the verbose “explanations” and excuses from whomever is the customer service/marketing rep for this company, all I can think of is “stay clear”. Blaming a crap guitar on another location of THE SAME COMPANY is incredibly unprofessional. So basically, the brand sucks unless you win the “one of a kind” lottery that involves something of quality. Nah, I’ll pass.

[@riphopfer5816]

Is it a surf wax finish?

[@b0000kify]

obviously it is in their financial interest, but still a great gesture that they didn't have to do

[@AngryIlluminati]

I think Warwick basses have a bee's wax polish over an oil finish.
I don't know of a purely wax finish.
I think the lettering could have been inlaid. Grain pattern seemed to be counter to the grain in the body.

[@TheElectricfishmusic]

Looks amateurish to me. And this must've been the best they could do. There are definitely better values for the money.

[@doctoribanez]

It's a kit guitar somebody finished for you. It's not bad. Eart frets look a lot nicer for being cheaper from the same factory. I think for that price range I would get a squire but that's just me

[@wolfchan4389]

a wax finish is probably something like you get with wood feeder/conditioners. Usually you will have like a formaldehyde and bees wax with some sort of oil like a citrus oil - I usually use the stuff to condition the backs of necks when I shave them down or sand them because I don't like the finish

[@allenmitchell09]

I know I’ve said it before but damn Ryan, with the beard, you look just like the police chief on inspector gadget!

[@60CycleHumcast]

I’ll take that compliment. That’s a handsome cartoon man.

[@kennyroffoguitar]

I checked out Zuwei USA a few weeks ago when I just happened to be in the area. I was surprised when I arrived to see that it was a guy’s garage and basement, but I’m so glad I checked the place out because I had a great time, and the guy who runs it was very nice and informative.
I spent a few hours there jamming in the “jam room” (the basement) with a fellow patron, and wound up taking home a Zuwei (non-USA brand) Telecaster that I couldn’t find anything wrong with.
I did try some of the guitars of this model, and I have to say I agree with your thoughts here, though I didn’t play them much because I went in with my eye on the Tele.
Also, I found this video through their Facebook page and you’ve gained a subscriber as a result!

[@zuweiusa3045]

We loved having you! Did you play one of the custom builds when you were here? You will be glad to know we are in the process of purchasing our new 3 story building in Downtown Ballston Spa. This will allow us to move our CNC setup from Albany to Ballston Spa, and we can move out of this constricted space. We are planning to do Guitars on one level, Records and jukeboxes on the next and have the custom shop for jukeboxes and guitars on the third! Stay posted for our grand opening we will be giving away guitars, records, and even be raffling off a custom jukebox.

[@kennyroffoguitar]

@@zuweiusa3045 I absolutely loved the vibe you had when I was there, it was so friendly and chill, so hopefully you can maintain that a little in the new location! I’m not sure if I got to try a custom build, I know I tried some of the wax finished ones and they felt fine to me as well, but like I said I had my eye on that Tele from the start!
Hopefully I can make a trip out again some time, it’s just a bit of a drive so probably not going to be for a little while! I’d love to spend some more time there!

[@zuweiusa3045]

@@kennyroffoguitar That Tele was a great purchase. And yes the Wax ones are the custom builds. We will maintain that vibe and even enhance it in our new location. We plan to have a jam space, a retro gaming are and more. We look forward to seeing you again.

[@xCr00k3Dx]

Interesting take for the finish. 🙂 I'm actually really intrigued about that, though not $500+ USD intrigued.
They're probably right that you couldn't get something of comparable quality for a similar price assembled in the US. And it's obvious the US shop has pride in their work. I'm interested to see how they evolve.
Edit: no basses??? angery.jpg

[@xCr00k3Dx]

Also, as a developer, their website needs... A LOT of massaging.

[@davidvonjohnston]

The guitar is almost cute. I hope they make great guitars in the future

[@smartmammal9926]

And, quite a few guitars, like 70% are "Quality Test in the USA" not built in the USA

[@stephaniereed4241]

I traded for a telecaster model with the tree of life inlays awesome guitar

[@butchlauer]

Pretty good clean up of an unfortunate issue, and a wicked love letter ta boot!

[@alaricpaley6865]

My only concern with the wax is how it holds up under stage lights. Those get real hot to be under.

[@zuweiusa3045]

This is a really hard wax, which is heat applied. It would have to get in excess of 150 degrees for you to worry about that. We can also cover one in poly for you as a custom order. :-)

[@mattwatsonthesecrethelicopters]

To be fair most places now have LED Lights. They give out way less heat.

[@cranberryjerry1514]

@@zuweiusa3045 would you guys consider making a video detailing the wax finishing process? personally i would be very interested in hearing more about it, and i doubt im alone 🤷‍♂️

[@EfrenGutierrez]

I saw realy good guitarists playing this guitars and sound great

[@michaeljablonski8212]

Warwick does wax finishes on their basses. Some beeswax blend if I remember. it's gotta get reapplied every few years.

[@DGGriffinMusic]

The dual volume knob thing is interesting. Though could they have put it in a worse place?

[@jktolford8272]

It's right under the the tip of the tremolo bar & close to the location of many pick up toggles on some fenders. Might be able to swell & raise pitch at same time.

[@nicosonic]

there's no pickups switch ? who puts volume in that position on a guitar ?

[@chariotdrvr14]

Looks like a fun guitar to play. Sounds great through that set up.

[@Hiro.the.God.]

I actually really like the aesthetics of this guitar.

[@johnnymarcy4904]

Hi Ryan I live close the shop in N.Y I played a few of the zewei guitars pretty good at the price point I think the one you played was about 599_699

[@brandonjackson5865]

I’d put one of those Hennrick slap pots like his Charvels have for a pickup selector . I think it’s a cool looking guitar. Maybe they tried to take a belt sander to the lower cutaway like Vai’s original green monster. You know to give you the upper fret access you know because you shred so much and all. I dig the handmade look of it and if I made it at my house I would be very happy if it turned out as good. I like raw necks or raw feeling necks.

[@jsnowdendavies]

May I ask - what is a Hennrick slap pot? Google sent me to pages about pottery!

[@brandonjackson5865]

@@jsnowdendavies check out Charvel guitars. They have a Henrik Danhage signature it’s a white relic’d super strat H in bridge single coil in the neck. The volume pot is a spring loaded momentary switch. Or maybe a latching type anyway you basically push straight down (slap) the volume pot to switch pickups and slap it again to switch back. Very cool idea and I can especially see it being useful on the HxS setup because most people playing a super Strat are probably using the single coil in the neck position for cleanish parts or maybe a fatter lead sound. Anyway I think it would be great for a player who uses a single channel amp using a really hot bridge PU and something on the low to mid in a neck single coil could really clean up let’s say a modded Marshall style amp . There’s several reviews on Danhage’s charvel. Ola has one and a demo and actually has Henrik sign it for him. I haven’t seen the “slap pot” for sale but if I ever find one I might try it in my baretta special I have a four wire GM HB in it now and maybe it would work for a clean coil split or series parallel on single bridge humbuckers too, I know it can be wired to do it it would just depend on if your PU sounded good split.

[@jsnowdendavies]

​@@brandonjackson5865 hey man thanks for such an in-depth reply! I can see what you mean now, like a push-push pot. I think they were on the original Yamaha SG guitars. Cool idea for sure and yes I think it is a better idea than the concentric pots, though wow if such a thing existed as a push-push dual concentric pot then you'd have some serious control.

[@brandonjackson5865]

@@jsnowdendavies yeah now that would be cool that way you could have your bridge cranked and your neck rolled back or near off for a kill switch. I like the idea of being able to control the individual pickups volumes independently but love the simplicity of one knob . Yeah I tend to get carried away with my comments and type the words I’d say in face to face so comments and text messages become novellas ha

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

It looks pretty good to me. It has a weird system with concentric volume controls and no pickup selector. I wouldn't buy it because I think I could get a better guitar like that from Harley Benton.

[@howardmaryon]

How about you go and buy another one, anonymously and see if the quality is the same?

[@zuweiusa3045]

We guarantee the quality would be even better for theirs was a gift and has some flaws that would keep it from passing QC.

[@1rwjwith]

Guitar sounds good, since you are not sure of price it’s hard to say….at $499 could be a good buy but of course the Harley B Super starts are less! How does this compare anyway if a company sends you a DOG GUITAR as they previously did they have to expect negative feedback. Thanks, enjoyed it.

[@zuweiusa3045]

That one would not have passed our QC for it was a gift and had some finish issues. And it did get banged around in the shop a bit. Being of Basswood, If it did pass it would be $549. The next level up is made from Alder and extends up to $749. Remember these are one of a kind and no one can go to website and get the same guitar as you ever. 🙂

[@BrentAdams]

Pretty Cool!

[@mica_micasa]

An US company names one of their guitars agent orange? Unlucky choice. It is as if a german company would name one of their guitars Zyklon B...👎

[@purple6string801]

Agent Orange.. one of my favorite strains and TGA genetics in California.

[@michaelbartholomew8155]

Love that shirt!

[@TomsonTheOne]

So this time you can assume it is the very best quality they can possibly offer. Which leads to the same conclusion: Put your money elsewhere. 😄

[@zuweiusa3045]

Actually. This was simply a gift from our USA Custom line to these guys, we knew it was not perfect, and it was not sent for a review It was a surprise and in fact we didn't even speak to them until today after the video was posted. Sadly Agent Orange would not have passed our QC if it was for sale, but its not because it was a gift. What a random customer would get would not only play as good or better, the finish would be much better. And this is 100% guaranteed. All our guitars at ZuweiUSA, no matter who or where they were made, will get a professional setup and will arrive 100% gig and studio ready. The USA line are special. These are one of a kind and each is built individually with the same care and precision as the last.

[@sconni666]

Certificate of authenticity. Really?