Check out more guitar reviews: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html Or some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
So, you bought it from Thomann? Might some of the criticism over the whammy bar be their fault? Over here a retailer goes over that sort of thing where it might be entirely possible you got one that was never set up.
It's almost impossible to find a non-biased, guitar oriented channel. It's mostly shills and dishonest people reviewing gear. You are brutally honest. It's appreciated.
I just love your honesty man. A lot of you-tubers can’t even tell the truth about the guitar they reviewed because they care so much the money they could get in it.
I received my CT50 HSS today. Bought from Guitar Center - the biggest store with physical locations. Bought on the internet and not in person. First time using this retailer. Arrived very well bube wrapped in the box. Great sale price. There was no fret buzz when it arrived with the trem decked. I floated it and it tuned well and still no fret buzz. No sprout - neck feels great but I took a fret file to make it super smooth. No neck adjustments. Lowered the humbucker. That's it. I like it very much and will keep it. Great first impression of store and company. I think you got wrong whammy bar - mine is a detent and not screw in. Once engaged it doesn't flop around. Looks nicer than the one from my PRS DGT SE. And it has a plastic tip, not naked like yours.
I bought a sterling and it was nearly perfect. One fret was slightly high. Now it's flawless. DGBE strings are always in tune for some reason, and I play about 8 hours a week.
I got the black one about 2 years ago. I was shocked at how nice it was. I'm sure many of the "less expensive" models in any brand are a crap-shoot. I used to work at Sweetwater and got an EVH Wolfgang as my first, awesome employee discount purchase. Even our "55 Point Inspection" missed a horrible defect in the neck. It took a while, but they swapped it for a brand new one (still with a paint defect). Quality just isn't always important to the people making money off of us. 3/28 - update - I started playing my Sterling again and inspected it again. The one I got really is wonderful quality - except the pickups. So, I swapped the bridge & neck pups yesterday with Seymour Duncans (Distortion & Vintage Rails). OMG. It might just end up being my favorite strat type guitar. I'd get another one in a heartbeat.
You're so stinkin' good and I love your attitude, I wish I lived there and could take lessons from you, you play a lot of things I've always aspired to play, I can play well enough, but your tapping, sweeping, and general "deedle-y" are skills I don't possess that well but know I could learn with the correct teacher. Great vid, thank you.
I’ve never picked up a sterling in a store that felt good to play. Every single one I’ve picked up has had issues. I’m sure there are good ones out there I just haven’t found one myself.
@@MrPolevaulter I’m sure there are good ones out there. I just never had the good fortune to touch one of those elusive good ones. What I find strange is the factory that makes these make a bunch of other brands too as far as I know. I wonder what the actual Qc process is and why it’s so drastically different from those other brands who don’t seem to have these same issues. Although it seems a lot of brands are struggling right now after the plague. The issues I speak of are from before the plague though regarding sterling. Since 2016 or so I’ve been trying them out and never found one that I would say was a good one. I want to buy a solar guitar but they have really bad qc right now according to the internet.
I bought a Sterling by Music Man Albert Lee HH Model for $350.00. I like the body contours, light weight body and finish. I didn't plan on using the vibrato arm. I didn't care if was worked or not. The neck and fret board seamed fine no problems. I like the fact that it is shorter than other guitars and still has the same scale length as most Fender guitars do. The head stock doesn't bother me either. You can reach the tuning machines easier because it's shorter too. The way it's designed helps it stay in tune better and not have too much headstock angle tension. The strings go over the nut to the tuners in more or straight angle. I've got no complaints about mine.
I have a Sterling CT50 HSS and I really like it. It was great straight out of the box. But I did play 3 others in the store and they all had fret issues. The frets on one were so sharp I actually cut my hand. You can get a lot of bang for your buck with these guitars, but you need to find the right one. I think they're worth the effort though.
I got a second hand CT50 and am tickled pink with it. It's one of the best guitars I've owned and I've had a lot pass through my hands. Sorry about your bad sample. Based on your video the CT30 is quite different than my CT50. The trem bar is friction fit and goes in well and hold position. The neck pocket is very tight and awesome. The Roasted maple neck is very very stable. The frets are great and no sprout developed despite living in an artic desert. No buzz. The locking tuners are great. The bridge is very solid and the block is nice thick steel. No pot metal. It took a setup of course, and the nut wasn't perfect but overall, no complaints!
Even if I was thinking about getting that guitar I wouldn’t for one reason and that would be to many qc problems. As always, an excellent demo review video of something. Till next time, cheers!
I picked up a CT-50 a month ago. I had no problems that you had. Playability was fine and no issues with the electronics. But I also received the packet with the wrong whammy bar. I wonder how many people got the wrong whammy? I called the seller and he said he would see what he would do. It’s time to call Sterling. Let’s see what happens.
I tried one of these out a couple of months ago when I was shopping for a strat-style guitar (the same exact colour even). The frets were super gritty when bending, again, an easy fix but I figured if they let that pass, what else might be wrong? I went with a Player Series Fender, and I'm really happy with it.
Hi.. E,you know when people pull out their hair when frustrated, better watch your beard? or, pick up dinner, get me a fret buzz, with fret sprouts,no screw and to much wammy bar, with bad nut,humm,oh yeah get that in a sunburst so thy feel warm
I would never buy a guitar from Thomman again.They sent me two guitars that were bashed up and looked second hand.Then had the audacity to make me take a series of photos of every little ding and scratch before they would consider refunding me.After alot of hassle and disputes I finally got my money back.Yet they put videos on UA-cam about a no fuss guarantee !!!!!
What do you play them? I have 16 guitars, my main main is a Mexican Strat but the tremolo doesn't work and I have an Ibanez Sz with pearly gates, my favourite but no whammy, as well Hagström is really good. Hj 800 and Viking.
I have the CT50HSS! I needed to work on it but now it's great. It was ordered in so.....The CT30 is a very different guitar no roasted maple, no dual action truss rod, no locking tuners. CT50 Tremblock is bigger too and the trem arm is pop-in not screw- in. Issues I had ; hastily screwed in trem claw not centered and bent screw (I filled the holes and re-installed -fixed), nut needed some filing and sanding - done, a pickguard screw stripped (no hurry to fix yet), the frets were scratchy (dimarzio fret polishing papers and playing fixed it), the roasted maple neck was a little furry (I could have played it out but opted for 0000 steel wool to smooth it). So all in allnot perfect but now a good player I enjoy along with my Gibson R7, Gibson LP JR DC Tribute, and 2020 Player Strat in SSS which this guitar was meant to complement (which it has). The factory that makes these makes PRS SE and other MFRs lower end as well, so maybe some part mixing occurred?
I think you got a lemon I love mine. Other than a slightly imperfect contour on the body everything is great! Fret ends are smooth. Locking tuners. Sonic versatility, great roasted maple neck. No buzz, Whammy stays in tune pretty well, Better color (Fire Mist Silver) (my opinion) All guitars are different I guess
I’ve never had problems with thomann. Every time I’ve ordered whether it’s guitars or anything else, they have been extremely friendly and the quality always been top notch.
I bought the Cutlass CT50 HSS in June 2021. Not long after purchase the humbucker completely died. Literally a dead humbucker. One of those “once in 25 year defects” according to 2 luthier friends, one of whom gave it a complete once over. Still waiting for a replacement humbucker after it was unnecessarily taken in for warranty repair. I emailed Sterling direct to ask for a replacement humbucker at the beginning of the whole ordeal, but can’t be done in Australia apparently. Just an ongoing annoyance of the highest order, and a whole year in! I bought the guitar merely as a backup for when my Strat needs servicing etc, as I’m a working musician. These guitars have some “high end” appointments and look the part but under the bonnet, they are basically garbage. I’m going to sell mine when it is finally repaired and be done with it. Never again. I’ve learnt my lesson and will buy a second USA Strat as my backup. CT50 isn’t even cheap in this country, they retail around the $1200 AUD mark, ridiculous
Yesterday we got 10 Sterlings in the shop that i work in, all of them have some kind of issues. 3 of them got major cracks on the finish(because of overtighten screws), the other ones are just poorly made. There is one we could sell without a discount, but the neck on it feels like it was sanded with 100 grit paper (feels nasty) It's shocking how could these guitars be from the same factory as Cort.
I bought a sterling ct30 HSS black and have no issues when I recieve it except for the dry fretboard and unpolished frets but other than that I love this guitar. It's a shame you received one with QC issues
A year ago I purchased 'round 1000€ Sterling by Music Man John Petrucci -like guitar and I had to return and change it to same price-range Ibanez due to really poor fretwork and neck in general. I believe there's good Sterlings around, but you could get "really OK out of box" Harley Benton for the buck. A great review and playing as always!
I very much "Play Like". Honesty counts for a lot. I was looking away when you were doing the whammy stress test and the end tone was hilariously out of whack, looked up and saw the none-too-incredulous smile on your face. That's what this is, a roulette guitar. I hope those that purchased one, got a good one and count their blessings.
I got this same guitar. I had to get it worked on for sure but now it’s great. I love it! Really dope guitar, It’ll just need some work first, that’s all.
Fretboard is essential piece of a guitar, it must be comfortably playable without buzz. The tone, output, tuners, lacquer etc...can be a part of a pricing policy, but a fretboard is essential. I am not ok with buying a new car, that tends to steer left only...and take it to a car repair after purchase, that is not ok, same with the fretboard and luthier. Comfortable guitar can inspire you, uncomfortable guitar may push you off the practise or playing. At least for people like me, with no local luthier. Sad to see more expensive guitars have issues like this. Thank you for sharing with us.
This is a compilation of strat type guitars more cheap than the Player series, if you want to try something: Cort G260cs and 280. Pacifica 311H ( hardtail with humbucker and p90) and 212v( very similar to 112v). Vintage v6.(Many ot that) Tokai AST52 (this is the actual model made in China) LTD st213 and SN200wm ( if you can find that because now are out of production) FGN Boundary Odyssey (made in Japan by Fujigen with fixed bridge, Boundary is the name of the cheap serie) G&L Tribute Legacy or S500. Sire Larry Carlton S7. Ibanez SA 260, 360 and 460.
The only Sterling I've owned was a Sub Silhouette and I was very happy with it...until I tried changing the pickups. One of the five positions worked perfectly well but in two of the positions the volume was so low you could barely hear it and in the other two positions there was no sound whatsoever. I have friends who are professionals who own Music Man guitars and they swear by them but I've never bought another Sterling after that.
My experience with (almost) all guitar that I have bought last years is that our climate (sweden & finland) is not kind to guitars, with our very dry winters. I guess your Cutlass would have worked better out of the box if you got in late summer. First thing to do if frets are buzzing is to check the neck relief as guitars are usually ok set up from factory. Scratchy frets seems to be common to all overseas made guitars... I guess they are transported with boat for some months and frets seem to react on that journey... Fret sprout will occur sooner or later in our climate as the fretboard shrinks due to low humidity... Roasted maple necks are ugly but seem to be the most stable ones.
Sterling guitars have always been a hit-or-miss for me. While you might get a good one, you're sadly going to find a lot more duds than gems. I did recently try the HSS model with the roasted maple neck for $500 USD, and it was great tone-wise, but the Q.C. was super sloppy. Sharp, unpolished fret ends, the tuners were quite inaccurate and the neck feel was terrible. The pickups sounded good and I liked the idea of the roasted maple neck, but the spotty quality control threw me off quite a bit. Sorry you got stuck with a lemon, Elmo. Hopefully you'll find a good one out there.
Well, good to get a fair warning, cause I had already begun to consider offering my Squier Deluxe from the Cort factory in Indonesia and maybe get this one instead. I'd have most likely regretted that move telling from this review, particularly as I had fret dressing and modding done on the Squier, nut replaced, Freeway switch added for humbucker sounds and bigger trem block and setup by luthier. Hm. Odd. It got a much better assessment on Darryl Braun's channel (but was the CT50 if I recall right, which is twice the price of the CT 30; here's to hoping that there is better quality control on the higher priced ones). Awesome playing and nice demo, checked out some more reviews and subscribed, thanks!
The problem I had with the distributor. I received mine with a cracked neck in the neck pocket. The distributors are called Strings and Things from Brighton, they made out I did the crack myself and wanted to charge me £200 for a replacement neck.
I've been watching a lot of your reviews and your chanel seems to be the most honest when it comes to guitars. Have you played the CT50 version if this guitar? I'm trying to decide between that one, the PRS standard SE24 or the Larry Carlton S3... which one in your opinion is the best one?
These videos make me not want to buy anything. I'm looking at these videos to compromise and I already know this but the negativity makes me not like anything I'm looking at sometimes haha
Ive never picked up a Sterling that I was particularly impressed with. I've played a few and would really like one of the Petrucci models but like I said I was never really impressed with the instrument. Seems like the quality has gone downhill a bit. My first guitar was an OLP MM1, the EB Axis copy. OLP was the name before they switched it to Sterling a few years ago. The OLP I had was quite nice but I traded it up towards a USA Peavey Wolfgang.
I tried this type out a couple times at a local mom and pop shop, but the store has quality control! Meaning; if the store finds something, they’ll fix it. Which is nice. The neck shape is different! Not good or bad but different. if your going into it thinking “it’s another strat copy” the neck is not a typical rounded neck! The pickups aren’t ……. Bad. I think overall if someone gets one, it will End up being a project! You are right though E.J.K., needs WWWAAAYYYYY better quality control, especially coming from Ernie ball!
Help me Elmo! I have too many amplifiers. Of course I need one, but as a backup amp, I hear the electro-harmonix howitzer is a good boost pedal/ amplifier. If you can get your hands on one and do a review, that would be great! I love what you do, rock on 🤘
I have IDENTICAL one, same model, same color. Out of the box, frets were awful, needed some playing to get them smooth. I have the same problem with signal on fully closed volume. I don't use tremolo, because I fit heavy gauge strings (12-52?), and I just could not set up the tremolo system (screws for setting up tremolo are soft as butter, so I damaged the screw head with the screwdriver). Also I have issues with this annoying buzz coming from springs of the tremolo system on certain chords. Tuners are bad. I do love the neck - the feel of it, the width, depth etc., neck as such is ideal for me. Sound on SCs is great for the price, bridge HB is a bit too thin. I think that with some work and extra investment this could be a great guitar but on the other hand, once you see that this could be a great guitar once you put extra 300 euros on it plus the work, you could be just getting a MIM Strat.
I 've just bought Sabre sterling and it is not bad, except that : 1) the microphones require a new battery every fortnight.2) it's recommended to have it checked by a real luthier because I've had the same problem as you i.e. E string gets stuck under the fret 3) the vibrato rod is too low, reducing the amplitude of its play 4) neck pickup has an output level that is too high compared with that of the bridge . In clean difference of output level is obvious. At that price, it's a real shame. I am disgusted. I used to disagree with you, especially about cutlass. But like you I bought the riverside from strymon and like you I think it's brilliant. I'm going to listen a little more carefully to what you say and rely a little more on your reviews. thank you in any case.
The ones at my music store were crap! Scratchy frets, uneven volume and tone knobs and the scratch plate was lifting off the body. Didn’t even play and it was over $500. The cheap lil Affinity next to it made it look like a toy.
Once again the brand on the head-stock means f*** all in regards to quality control! I've seen you a lot happier with other brands that cost less Elmo ;)
This video almost put me off buying one. However, in the end, I'm glad it didn't. I got a CT30, SSS version, and this is one of the most playable guitars that I have ever touched. Ceramic pickups may need swapping, but other than that - the tuners, tremolo, fretwork, everything's A+
Sterling is one of my preferred brand ... I have a John Valentine JV60 (what an amazing guitar) and a Cutlass 50HSS (big brother of the one you have here and a perfect guitar without any QC issue) ... you are unlucky with the guitars you receive and one of the rare with so much QC issues ... 😉 are you cursed ? 🤔 And I am surprised with the tremolo arm you have, on the two sterling I have you just have to insert the tremolo arm (which is maybe the main weakness of these guitars as they can fell easily) without screwing them ... are you sure you received the proper tremolo arm ???
I feel like any guitar you buy isn’t gonna be perfect and you’re gonna wanna get it set up anyway. It’s like buying a car and having a mechanic look it over. The only big difference between this and the CT50 is the roasted maple neck and locking tuners.
I bought a side guitar a while ago: the Sterling Axis White: and I really like the guitar, and even play it as often as my Charvel San Dimas… which was 4 times more expensive
Yikes, bummer man. Getting a lemon like that can really turn you off of a brand. I had a Gibson LP from the bag QC days and haven't bought another since. For what it's worth, I have had three John Petrucci model Sterling guitars that have all been really nice.
Wow, with today's knowledge about guitars and what makes a guitar playable with minimal fret buzz, not really sure how any manufacturer can ship out a guitar without it at least being right in the playability category...I think if they are going to do that, it should be noted in the description: like either "This guitar has been checked and certified as having proper fret heights, and frets have been leveled, crowned, and polished"...or, "In order to save money on the cost of this item, this guitar has not been checked for proper fret heights, and may need to be set up, including a fret level, crown, and polishing".
At this price point, it's hit or miss. Especially with the factories starting back up and having workers pump out supply. I have a cutlass CT-50 and a Luke, both were perfect out of the box. Both purchased before covid shut things down. I bought a Wolfgang Special two weeks ago and the paint is bubbling and flaking around the pickup selector. It was 2 to 3 times the price of my cutlass. Schecter has been my go to because they check them before sending them to stores. I have one with Floyd rose that never loses tune. It was setup from the factory, I never touched the springs. The factories need to step the hell up and check their imports.
I bought a Sterling JP150D. The guitar arrived with the trem poles not fully seated, the trem angled down into the body, and yet the guitar was in tune. So someone set it up like that prior to shipping it. Additionally; the frets protruded either side of the fretboard and were razor sharp and unpolished, the top E string is positioned way too close to the edge of the neck and constantly slips off the frets and there's a ton of noise and signal loss when plugged in. Finally, the entire volume taper occurs over the first 30% from zero. All this from a guitar that retails at £1400 - 1600 here in the UK. It's by far the worst guitar (for the price) I've ever bought.
Great vid as usual, I thought the music man would of been good ......It has far too many issues. And Elmo did I hear you play a bit of Stone Cold by Rainbow ?
Sterling has some of their guitars or basses made at the same factory as the company I buy from. The guitars I buy are always pretty much perfect out of the box. No exaggerating. No finish issues. No fret issues. Not a single rough fret end or high fret. Nut slots are cut to proper depth and not left high. They're incredible guitars. So you had an issue with 1 guitar. OK? It doesn't speak to shoddy QC. You can't determine that from a single experience. If it were 6 out of 10 that were junk like that one, then you might have a valid claim. As it is, it's nonsense. You were just looking for as many clicks as possible. This is why I don't watch these garbage reviews from anyone anymore. You can't trust what anyone says.
It has all to do with the Pandemic. During 2020 and most of 2021 pretty much all manufacturers almost halted the production. Including the big ones. Have you noticed that almost all but the biggest retailers have very little stock even to this days? Even Thomann... There is no stock. Your Sterling have been made in a hurry, in order to get to the shelves. It will take about 2 years to get stocks back to normal. But these logistic issues fly over the heads of many
bought one as well before seeing this video, the frets were horrible, the towers in the tuners were loose, the pickups were crucked, Music Man has a REALLY bad quality control on these guitars, I bought a Harley benson a year ago it was much cheaper but A LOT better, even had locking tuners and I haven't had to do anything to the frets yet, overall I've had better luck with a cheap brand like Harley Benson than with a brand name like Sterling by Music Man
I bought an ibanez made in japan a few years ago, a ton of threat buzz, i can either play with incredibly high action or deal with the noise, gotten good at muting everythinf because of that but i do not find it enjoyable to play that guitar.
This or the yamaha 112vm? Im rooting for the sterling just because of the colour at that pricepoint. From where im from, we are still under a lockdown so i don’t get to test these guitars firsthand. Can you please help me with my choice. Thank you kind sir
@@fescoversongchannel230 the tone of cv sounds too bright for my taste. Tak apa baru dapat deal kat carousel ibanez saq60 dia pergi bubuh yjm and duncan la bagai jual 1800. Tunggu mco je ji haish
Unacceptable with fretbuzz like this when buying a new guitar. It seems like it is happening often when people order home brand new guitars. Unacceptable, especially when they cost more than 300€ The lowest I could find this guitar for now online was 450€ so it seems it have gone up a whole lot or maybe they fixed the fretbuzz ;P ELMO I wish you could make a 2023 video of the best value / tone for money of all the Strat copies you have. Especially the HSS ones that are more versatile. I have been hearing good about the Ibanez AZ strat and the Squier Affinity Strat as great cheaper alternatives to the often 3-5 times more expesive fender strats, what do you Think Elmo ? I want to buy something that sounds like a fender strat but does not cost like one :D
I have the CT50 and it was OK out of the box, but did have a cockeyed neck. The high E was barely on the fretboard. I tried adjusting it twice with the strings still on, but couldn't quite get her dialed. Once I went over everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! It's now enjoyable to play. I bought it as a cheap mod platform. With all new electronics and a thorough setup it's actually great now. Wouldn't recommend it as a first guitar.
I bought one last year with high hopes. I got the one with three single coils. It is the worst guitar I have bought in a long time. The neck is loose and sloppy in the pocket, tuners had to be replaced. I changed the pickups because the output was so week. I need to replace the rest of the electronics now. The thing is totally crap. No more starlings in my future The Sammy bar was the only thing that did work.
A few times I played top most expensive Petrucci guitars at the guitar center and I don’t mean Sterling I mean the real thing, they buzzed like beehive yet had a great set up overall, I’d go Fender anytime or G&L for a Strat.
Check out more guitar reviews: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html
Or some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
If possible check out sterling by musician sub silo 3 cus it got great review
So, you bought it from Thomann?
Might some of the criticism over the whammy bar be their fault? Over here a retailer goes over that sort of thing where it might be entirely possible you got one that was never set up.
sterling has top qc
It's almost impossible to find a non-biased, guitar oriented channel. It's mostly shills and dishonest people reviewing gear. You are brutally honest. It's appreciated.
Being honest and being correct are totally different things. A child can honestly believe in fairies it doesn’t make true.
I just love your honesty man. A lot of you-tubers can’t even tell the truth about the guitar they reviewed because they care so much the money they could get in it.
Thank you :)
I received my CT50 HSS today. Bought from Guitar Center - the biggest store with physical locations. Bought on the internet and not in person. First time using this retailer. Arrived very well bube wrapped in the box. Great sale price. There was no fret buzz when it arrived with the trem decked. I floated it and it tuned well and still no fret buzz. No sprout - neck feels great but I took a fret file to make it super smooth. No neck adjustments. Lowered the humbucker. That's it. I like it very much and will keep it. Great first impression of store and company. I think you got wrong whammy bar - mine is a detent and not screw in. Once engaged it doesn't flop around. Looks nicer than the one from my PRS DGT SE. And it has a plastic tip, not naked like yours.
I bought a sterling and it was nearly perfect. One fret was slightly high. Now it's flawless. DGBE strings are always in tune for some reason, and I play about 8 hours a week.
I was researching the 24" scale variation of this guitar and in one of the videos they also mentioned poor QC. Thanks for the honest review!!
Glad to help!
I got the black one about 2 years ago. I was shocked at how nice it was. I'm sure many of the "less expensive" models in any brand are a crap-shoot. I used to work at Sweetwater and got an EVH Wolfgang as my first, awesome employee discount purchase. Even our "55 Point Inspection" missed a horrible defect in the neck. It took a while, but they swapped it for a brand new one (still with a paint defect). Quality just isn't always important to the people making money off of us.
3/28 - update - I started playing my Sterling again and inspected it again. The one I got really is wonderful quality - except the pickups. So, I swapped the bridge & neck pups yesterday with Seymour Duncans (Distortion & Vintage Rails). OMG. It might just end up being my favorite strat type guitar. I'd get another one in a heartbeat.
hi where can i find locking tuner and vibrato + new sss single coil for this sterling ?
I really like the Music Man Strat types but regardless of price, the neck issues on this are inexcusable.
You're so stinkin' good and I love your attitude, I wish I lived there and could take lessons from you, you play a lot of things I've always aspired to play, I can play well enough, but your tapping, sweeping, and general "deedle-y" are skills I don't possess that well but know I could learn with the correct teacher. Great vid, thank you.
Cheers!
I’ve never picked up a sterling in a store that felt good to play. Every single one I’ve picked up has had issues. I’m sure there are good ones out there I just haven’t found one myself.
I always thought they were supposed to be good. Seems I was mistaken.
@@MrPolevaulter I’m sure there are good ones out there. I just never had the good fortune to touch one of those elusive good ones. What I find strange is the factory that makes these make a bunch of other brands too as far as I know. I wonder what the actual Qc process is and why it’s so drastically different from those other brands who don’t seem to have these same issues. Although it seems a lot of brands are struggling right now after the plague. The issues I speak of are from before the plague though regarding sterling. Since 2016 or so I’ve been trying them out and never found one that I would say was a good one.
I want to buy a solar guitar but they have really bad qc right now according to the internet.
Yeah, thought the same thing@@MrPolevaulter . Hm, good to have been warned then, thanks.
I played a good one. Felt like an american strat
I bought a Sterling by Music Man Albert Lee HH Model for $350.00. I like the body contours, light weight body and finish. I didn't plan on using the vibrato arm. I didn't care if was worked or not. The neck and fret board seamed fine no problems. I like the fact that it is shorter than other guitars and still has the same scale length as most Fender guitars do. The head stock doesn't bother me either. You can reach the tuning machines easier because it's shorter too. The way it's designed helps it stay in tune better and not have too much headstock angle tension. The strings go over the nut to the tuners in more or straight angle. I've got no complaints about mine.
yeah the whammy and the screw are a no-go, but at least a decent nut is a must even on cheap guitars these days
I have a Sterling CT50 HSS and I really like it. It was great straight out of the box. But I did play 3 others in the store and they all had fret issues. The frets on one were so sharp I actually cut my hand. You can get a lot of bang for your buck with these guitars, but you need to find the right one. I think they're worth the effort though.
I got a second hand CT50 and am tickled pink with it. It's one of the best guitars I've owned and I've had a lot pass through my hands. Sorry about your bad sample.
Based on your video the CT30 is quite different than my CT50. The trem bar is friction fit and goes in well and hold position. The neck pocket is very tight and awesome. The Roasted maple neck is very very stable. The frets are great and no sprout developed despite living in an artic desert. No buzz. The locking tuners are great. The bridge is very solid and the block is nice thick steel. No pot metal.
It took a setup of course, and the nut wasn't perfect but overall, no complaints!
Even if I was thinking about getting that guitar I wouldn’t for one reason and that would be to many qc problems. As always, an excellent demo review video of something. Till next time, cheers!
I picked up a CT-50 a month ago. I had no problems that you had. Playability was fine and no issues with the electronics. But I also received the packet with the wrong whammy bar. I wonder how many people got the wrong whammy? I called the seller and he said he would see what he would do. It’s time to call Sterling. Let’s see what happens.
I tried one of these out a couple of months ago when I was shopping for a strat-style guitar (the same exact colour even). The frets were super gritty when bending, again, an easy fix but I figured if they let that pass, what else might be wrong? I went with a Player Series Fender, and I'm really happy with it.
Hi.. E,you know when people pull out their hair when frustrated, better watch your beard? or, pick up dinner, get me a fret buzz, with fret sprouts,no screw and to much wammy bar, with bad nut,humm,oh yeah get that in a sunburst so thy feel warm
I would never buy a guitar from Thomman again.They sent me two guitars that were bashed up and looked second hand.Then had the audacity to make me take a series of photos of every little ding and scratch before they would consider refunding me.After alot of hassle and disputes I finally got my money back.Yet they put videos on UA-cam about a no fuss guarantee !!!!!
Sorry to hear. I've had no trouble with them.
What do you play them? I have 16 guitars, my main main is a Mexican Strat but the tremolo doesn't work and I have an Ibanez Sz with pearly gates, my favourite but no whammy, as well Hagström is really good. Hj 800 and Viking.
I have one that plays perfectly. It was set up by my daughters friends dad. He nailed it .
I have the CT50HSS! I needed to work on it but now it's great. It was ordered in so.....The CT30 is a very different guitar no roasted maple, no dual action truss rod, no locking tuners. CT50 Tremblock is bigger too and the trem arm is pop-in not screw- in.
Issues I had ; hastily screwed in trem claw not centered and bent screw (I filled the holes and re-installed -fixed), nut needed some filing and sanding - done, a pickguard screw stripped (no hurry to fix yet), the frets were scratchy (dimarzio fret polishing papers and playing fixed it), the roasted maple neck was a little furry (I could have played it out but opted for 0000 steel wool to smooth it).
So all in allnot perfect but now a good player I enjoy along with my Gibson R7, Gibson LP JR DC Tribute, and 2020 Player Strat in SSS which this guitar was meant to complement (which it has).
The factory that makes these makes PRS SE and other MFRs lower end as well, so maybe some part mixing occurred?
I think you got a lemon
I love mine. Other than a slightly imperfect contour on the body everything is great! Fret ends are smooth. Locking tuners. Sonic versatility, great roasted maple neck. No buzz, Whammy stays in tune pretty well, Better color (Fire Mist Silver) (my opinion) All guitars are different I guess
LOCKING TUNERS...you have the CT50 ($549), not the CT30 ($349)
I’ve never had problems with thomann. Every time I’ve ordered whether it’s guitars or anything else, they have been extremely friendly and the quality always been top notch.
Damn! I was looking hard at this one. Thank you so much for this vid man! No sterling for me.
Glad I could help.
I bought the Cutlass CT50 HSS in June 2021. Not long after purchase the humbucker completely died. Literally a dead humbucker. One of those “once in 25 year defects” according to 2 luthier friends, one of whom gave it a complete once over. Still waiting for a replacement humbucker after it was unnecessarily taken in for warranty repair. I emailed Sterling direct to ask for a replacement humbucker at the beginning of the whole ordeal, but can’t be done in Australia apparently. Just an ongoing annoyance of the highest order, and a whole year in! I bought the guitar merely as a backup for when my Strat needs servicing etc, as I’m a working musician. These guitars have some “high end” appointments and look the part but under the bonnet, they are basically garbage. I’m going to sell mine when it is finally repaired and be done with it. Never again. I’ve learnt my lesson and will buy a second USA Strat as my backup. CT50 isn’t even cheap in this country, they retail around the $1200 AUD mark, ridiculous
Yesterday we got 10 Sterlings in the shop that i work in, all of them have some kind of issues.
3 of them got major cracks on the finish(because of overtighten screws), the other ones are just poorly made.
There is one we could sell without a discount, but the neck on it feels like it was sanded with 100 grit paper (feels nasty)
It's shocking how could these guitars be from the same factory as Cort.
Dang!
im seeing a few ebay listings with cracks on the neck near either side of the nut
I bought a sterling ct30 HSS black and have no issues when I recieve it except for the dry fretboard and unpolished frets but other than that I love this guitar. It's a shame you received one with QC issues
I really like my black one as well had no issues.
I am buying the Cort G 260 Opn because of all these issues, thanks yo Elmo.
A year ago I purchased 'round 1000€ Sterling by Music Man John Petrucci -like guitar and I had to return and change it to same price-range Ibanez due to really poor fretwork and neck in general. I believe there's good Sterlings around, but you could get "really OK out of box" Harley Benton for the buck. A great review and playing as always!
Thanks! And sorry to hear about the Sterling. Makes me think it might be a bad idea to try one of their Luke guitars.
I had a Luke Sterling..It was worse then Squier.. Sterling never again... Thank you for being honest
Most Squiers are good so that doesn't say much...
I was thinking of getting a Luke by Sterling. Think I'll pass.
I very much "Play Like". Honesty counts for a lot. I was looking away when you were doing the whammy stress test and the end tone was hilariously out of whack, looked up and saw the none-too-incredulous smile on your face. That's what this is, a roulette guitar. I hope those that purchased one, got a good one and count their blessings.
I got this same guitar. I had to get it worked on for sure but now it’s great. I love it! Really dope guitar, It’ll just need some work first, that’s all.
Fretboard is essential piece of a guitar, it must be comfortably playable without buzz. The tone, output, tuners, lacquer etc...can be a part of a pricing policy, but a fretboard is essential. I am not ok with buying a new car, that tends to steer left only...and take it to a car repair after purchase, that is not ok, same with the fretboard and luthier. Comfortable guitar can inspire you, uncomfortable guitar may push you off the practise or playing. At least for people like me, with no local luthier. Sad to see more expensive guitars have issues like this. Thank you for sharing with us.
You got a in store demo model that has been dropped a half a dozen times.
This is a compilation of strat type guitars more cheap than the Player series, if you want to try something:
Cort G260cs and 280.
Pacifica 311H ( hardtail with humbucker and p90) and 212v( very similar to 112v).
Vintage v6.(Many ot that)
Tokai AST52 (this is the actual model made in China)
LTD st213 and SN200wm ( if you can find that because now are out of production)
FGN Boundary Odyssey (made in Japan by Fujigen with fixed bridge, Boundary is the name of the cheap serie)
G&L Tribute Legacy or S500.
Sire Larry Carlton S7.
Ibanez SA 260, 360 and 460.
Thanks for your honest review👍
No problem 👍
The only Sterling I've owned was a Sub Silhouette and I was very happy with it...until I tried changing the pickups. One of the five positions worked perfectly well but in two of the positions the volume was so low you could barely hear it and in the other two positions there was no sound whatsoever. I have friends who are professionals who own Music Man guitars and they swear by them but I've never bought another Sterling after that.
Elmo for honest reviews
Nice, honest review! That thing looks like a chunk of firewood 🔥.
:D
My experience with (almost) all guitar that I have bought last years is that our climate (sweden & finland) is not kind to guitars, with our very dry winters. I guess your Cutlass would have worked better out of the box if you got in late summer. First thing to do if frets are buzzing is to check the neck relief as guitars are usually ok set up from factory. Scratchy frets seems to be common to all overseas made guitars... I guess they are transported with boat for some months and frets seem to react on that journey... Fret sprout will occur sooner or later in our climate as the fretboard shrinks due to low humidity... Roasted maple necks are ugly but seem to be the most stable ones.
Sterling guitars have always been a hit-or-miss for me. While you might get a good one, you're sadly going to find a lot more duds than gems. I did recently try the HSS model with the roasted maple neck for $500 USD, and it was great tone-wise, but the Q.C. was super sloppy. Sharp, unpolished fret ends, the tuners were quite inaccurate and the neck feel was terrible. The pickups sounded good and I liked the idea of the roasted maple neck, but the spotty quality control threw me off quite a bit. Sorry you got stuck with a lemon, Elmo. Hopefully you'll find a good one out there.
I have bought OLP guitar which was a previous producer of licenced copy MM guitars ant it very good for its price.
Well, good to get a fair warning, cause I had already begun to consider offering my Squier Deluxe from the Cort factory in Indonesia and maybe get this one instead. I'd have most likely regretted that move telling from this review, particularly as I had fret dressing and modding done on the Squier, nut replaced, Freeway switch added for humbucker sounds and bigger trem block and setup by luthier. Hm. Odd. It got a much better assessment on Darryl Braun's channel (but was the CT50 if I recall right, which is twice the price of the CT 30; here's to hoping that there is better quality control on the higher priced ones).
Awesome playing and nice demo, checked out some more reviews and subscribed, thanks!
Thank you :)
My CT50HSS has been marvelous.
The problem I had with the distributor. I received mine with a cracked neck in the neck pocket. The distributors are called Strings and Things from Brighton, they made out I did the crack myself and wanted to charge me £200 for a replacement neck.
Nice channel, nice review, tasteful playing.
Glad you enjoy it!
I've been watching a lot of your reviews and your chanel seems to be the most honest when it comes to guitars. Have you played the CT50 version if this guitar? I'm trying to decide between that one, the PRS standard SE24 or the Larry Carlton S3... which one in your opinion is the best one?
These videos make me not want to buy anything. I'm looking at these videos to compromise and I already know this but the negativity makes me not like anything I'm looking at sometimes haha
Ive never picked up a Sterling that I was particularly impressed with. I've played a few and would really like one of the Petrucci models but like I said I was never really impressed with the instrument. Seems like the quality has gone downhill a bit. My first guitar was an OLP MM1, the EB Axis copy. OLP was the name before they switched it to Sterling a few years ago. The OLP I had was quite nice but I traded it up towards a USA Peavey Wolfgang.
I've tried two OLP's back in the day. One was horrible, one was great.
I had one of those too, was pretty okay
I tried this type out a couple times at a local mom and pop shop, but the store has quality control! Meaning; if the store finds something, they’ll fix it. Which is nice. The neck shape is different! Not good or bad but different. if your going into it thinking “it’s another strat copy” the neck is not a typical rounded neck! The pickups aren’t ……. Bad. I think overall if someone gets one, it will
End up being a project! You are right though E.J.K., needs WWWAAAYYYYY better quality control, especially coming from Ernie ball!
Definitely.
It’s funny when he’s doing those crazy dive bombs!!!! Great player!!!!
Cheers!
Help me Elmo! I have too many amplifiers. Of course I need one, but as a backup amp, I hear the electro-harmonix howitzer is a good boost pedal/ amplifier. If you can get your hands on one and do a review, that would be great! I love what you do, rock on 🤘
Thanks! Probably not, sorry to say. At least not in the near future, as I have tons done, and even more planned.
I have IDENTICAL one, same model, same color. Out of the box, frets were awful, needed some playing to get them smooth. I have the same problem with signal on fully closed volume. I don't use tremolo, because I fit heavy gauge strings (12-52?), and I just could not set up the tremolo system (screws for setting up tremolo are soft as butter, so I damaged the screw head with the screwdriver). Also I have issues with this annoying buzz coming from springs of the tremolo system on certain chords. Tuners are bad.
I do love the neck - the feel of it, the width, depth etc., neck as such is ideal for me. Sound on SCs is great for the price, bridge HB is a bit too thin.
I think that with some work and extra investment this could be a great guitar but on the other hand, once you see that this could be a great guitar once you put extra 300 euros on it plus the work, you could be just getting a MIM Strat.
I bought a HSS player strat in that finish yesterday
Awesome Review Elmo, No MM for me sticking with me USA Strat🎸❤️🎶
Thanks for reviewing this
Awesome review 😀👍🏿
Cheers!
This or the 2021 Squier contemporary telecaster?
I 've just bought Sabre sterling and it is not bad, except that : 1) the microphones require a new battery every fortnight.2) it's recommended to have it checked by a real luthier because I've had the same problem as you i.e. E string gets stuck under the fret 3) the vibrato rod is too low, reducing the amplitude of its play 4) neck pickup has an output level that is too high compared with that of the bridge . In clean difference of output level is obvious. At that price, it's a real shame. I am disgusted. I used to disagree with you, especially about cutlass. But like you I bought the riverside from strymon and like you I think it's brilliant. I'm going to listen a little more carefully to what you say and rely a little more on your reviews. thank you in any case.
I bought mine from a music shop. I have no issues at all. No buzz at all
The ones at my music store were crap! Scratchy frets, uneven volume and tone knobs and the scratch plate was lifting off the body. Didn’t even play and it was over $500. The cheap lil Affinity next to it made it look like a toy.
Once again the brand on the head-stock means f*** all in regards to quality control! I've seen you a lot happier with other brands that cost less Elmo ;)
This video almost put me off buying one. However, in the end, I'm glad it didn't. I got a CT30, SSS version, and this is one of the most playable guitars that I have ever touched. Ceramic pickups may need swapping, but other than that - the tuners, tremolo, fretwork, everything's A+
Sterling is one of my preferred brand ... I have a John Valentine JV60 (what an amazing guitar) and a Cutlass 50HSS (big brother of the one you have here and a perfect guitar without any QC issue) ... you are unlucky with the guitars you receive and one of the rare with so much QC issues ... 😉 are you cursed ? 🤔 And I am surprised with the tremolo arm you have, on the two sterling I have you just have to insert the tremolo arm (which is maybe the main weakness of these guitars as they can fell easily) without screwing them ... are you sure you received the proper tremolo arm ???
Scratch cutlass of my must buy guitar list.
The one I tried in guitar center was great though
Great review! I'd love to see you test out the Squier Contemporary Stratocaster.
Maybe one day. Been thinking about it, but I have tons done, and tons planned.
@@MrPolevaulter good luck with it and im glad to see you enjoying what you do!
I feel like any guitar you buy isn’t gonna be perfect and you’re gonna wanna get it set up anyway. It’s like buying a car and having a mechanic look it over. The only big difference between this and the CT50 is the roasted maple neck and locking tuners.
I bought a side guitar a while ago: the Sterling Axis White: and I really like the guitar, and even play it as often as my Charvel San Dimas… which was 4 times more expensive
Yikes, bummer man. Getting a lemon like that can really turn you off of a brand. I had a Gibson
LP from the bag QC days and haven't bought another since.
For what it's worth, I have had three John Petrucci model Sterling guitars that have all been really nice.
Oh my...this thing really does not seem to have any Quality Control in the first place.
Wow, with today's knowledge about guitars and what makes a guitar playable with minimal fret buzz, not really sure how any manufacturer can ship out a guitar without it at least being right in the playability category...I think if they are going to do that, it should be noted in the description: like either "This guitar has been checked and certified as having proper fret heights, and frets have been leveled, crowned, and polished"...or, "In order to save money on the cost of this item, this guitar has not been checked for proper fret heights, and may need to be set up, including a fret level, crown, and polishing".
At this price point, it's hit or miss. Especially with the factories starting back up and having workers pump out supply. I have a cutlass CT-50 and a Luke, both were perfect out of the box. Both purchased before covid shut things down. I bought a Wolfgang Special two weeks ago and the paint is bubbling and flaking around the pickup selector. It was 2 to 3 times the price of my cutlass. Schecter has been my go to because they check them before sending them to stores. I have one with Floyd rose that never loses tune. It was setup from the factory, I never touched the springs. The factories need to step the hell up and check their imports.
I bought a Sterling JP150D. The guitar arrived with the trem poles not fully seated, the trem angled down into the body, and yet the guitar was in tune. So someone set it up like that prior to shipping it. Additionally; the frets protruded either side of the fretboard and were razor sharp and unpolished, the top E string is positioned way too close to the edge of the neck and constantly slips off the frets and there's a ton of noise and signal loss when plugged in. Finally, the entire volume taper occurs over the first 30% from zero. All this from a guitar that retails at £1400 - 1600 here in the UK. It's by far the worst guitar (for the price) I've ever bought.
To my hears the pickups sound bright though! Bad out of the box but pretty good pups
Maybe it's wanna be sitar?
So much fret buzz and other things.
Those quality issues pay almost guitar price...by luthier.
Further proof that Thomann are definatly not checking and setting up every guitar like some nieve players seem to believe!
Great vid as usual, I thought the music man would of been good ......It has far too many issues. And Elmo did I hear you play a bit of Stone Cold by Rainbow ?
Might have. It's a good song :)
It was pretty close to when Richie is playing the main verse .
Sterling has some of their guitars or basses made at the same factory as the company I buy from. The guitars I buy are always pretty much perfect out of the box. No exaggerating. No finish issues. No fret issues. Not a single rough fret end or high fret. Nut slots are cut to proper depth and not left high. They're incredible guitars.
So you had an issue with 1 guitar. OK? It doesn't speak to shoddy QC. You can't determine that from a single experience. If it were 6 out of 10 that were junk like that one, then you might have a valid claim.
As it is, it's nonsense. You were just looking for as many clicks as possible. This is why I don't watch these garbage reviews from anyone anymore. You can't trust what anyone says.
How long have you worked for Music Man?
It has all to do with the Pandemic. During 2020 and most of 2021 pretty much all manufacturers almost halted the production. Including the big ones. Have you noticed that almost all but the biggest retailers have very little stock even to this days? Even Thomann... There is no stock. Your Sterling have been made in a hurry, in order to get to the shelves. It will take about 2 years to get stocks back to normal. But these logistic issues fly over the heads of many
It's a shame that you have qc issues I bought one second hand and it's fantastic a great guitar for the price
bought one as well before seeing this video, the frets were horrible, the towers in the tuners were loose, the pickups were crucked, Music Man has a REALLY bad quality control on these guitars, I bought a Harley benson a year ago it was much cheaper but A LOT better, even had locking tuners and I haven't had to do anything to the frets yet, overall I've had better luck with a cheap brand like Harley Benson than with a brand name like Sterling by Music Man
I want to see you dive bomb the trem on your mahogany strat and see if it stays in tune 🤔
:D
@@MrPolevaulter I really like that guitar especially the look of the headstock. I look forward to your videos every week!👍
Try the ct50
is the Ct50 actually better quality?
Are you shure you can play Guitar ?
Do you know any other guitars that have the HS configuration? Similar price range
I bought an ibanez made in japan a few years ago, a ton of threat buzz, i can either play with incredibly high action or deal with the noise, gotten good at muting everythinf because of that but i do not find it enjoyable to play that guitar.
This or the yamaha 112vm? Im rooting for the sterling just because of the colour at that pricepoint. From where im from, we are still under a lockdown so i don’t get to test these guitars firsthand. Can you please help me with my choice. Thank you kind sir
Anything but this.
Squier classic vibe ok lgi bro
@@fescoversongchannel230 the tone of cv sounds too bright for my taste. Tak apa baru dapat deal kat carousel ibanez saq60 dia pergi bubuh yjm and duncan la bagai jual 1800. Tunggu mco je ji haish
@@mir2678 nice tu bro. Ngam da tu 👍👍👍
Unacceptable with fretbuzz like this when buying a new guitar. It seems like it is happening often when people order home brand new guitars.
Unacceptable, especially when they cost more than 300€
The lowest I could find this guitar for now online was 450€ so it seems it have gone up a whole lot or maybe they fixed the fretbuzz ;P
ELMO I wish you could make a 2023 video of the best value / tone for money of all the Strat copies you have.
Especially the HSS ones that are more versatile. I have been hearing good about the Ibanez AZ strat and the Squier Affinity Strat as great cheaper alternatives to the often 3-5 times more expesive fender strats, what do you Think Elmo ? I want to buy something that sounds like a fender strat but does not cost like one :D
I'll think about it.
15:12 GIBSON!
What the dfferent sterling ct30 hss and Cutlass ct50 hss sir??
Dunno.
I have the CT50 and it was OK out of the box, but did have a cockeyed neck. The high E was barely on the fretboard. I tried adjusting it twice with the strings still on, but couldn't quite get her dialed. Once I went over everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! It's now enjoyable to play. I bought it as a cheap mod platform. With all new electronics and a thorough setup it's actually great now. Wouldn't recommend it as a first guitar.
I bought one last year with high hopes. I got the one with three single coils. It is the worst guitar I have bought in a long time. The neck is loose and sloppy in the pocket, tuners had to be replaced. I changed the pickups because the output was so week. I need to replace the rest of the electronics now. The thing is totally crap. No more starlings in my future
The Sammy bar was the only thing that did work.
Sorry to hear.
Hi may i know is this gutar comfor for shreeding and sweep picking?
I don't know how you find all this Guitars
Online :)
Pretty sad when you can buy a guitar for have the price and not have playability issues.
Horrible when $200 Fireflys and Earts from Amazon come with good fretwork.
I was about buying this little piece of sh1t. Now I know exactly what I should do. Thank you a lot!
Now that's a damn shame. It's a beautiful "Looking" guitar but at the end of the day a guitar must SOUND better than it looks I guess.
Not that you got a used one...happens all the time with thoman...
A few times I played top most expensive Petrucci guitars at the guitar center and I don’t mean Sterling I mean the real thing, they buzzed like beehive yet had a great set up overall, I’d go Fender anytime or G&L for a Strat.
Yeah,
HEY MUSIC MAN, I THINK I'LL GET A SAWTOOTH GUITAR INSTEAD!🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🎸👍
I think the CT50 is better.